Jan 27 (Japan Times) - The stone wall of a castle in Osaka that was built by feudal warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi has been revealed after being hidden underground for some 400 years.
The stone wall of the former Osaka Castle was discovered in an excavation project led by the Osaka Municipal Government that began in 2013 and was completed recently. The castle wall has been shown to media.
The wall is made of natural rocks stacked on top of each other. Experts say that the excavation is key to a full understanding of the castle.
The former Osaka Castle, built by Hideyoshi in 1583, was burnt down in the Summer Siege of Osaka in 1615. The Tokugawa shogunate then buried the castle in dirt piled up to more than 10 meters and constructed a new Osaka Castle.
Researchers first discovered parts of the former castle’s stone walls in 1984 near the current castle, at a location some 7 meters underground.
The latest excavation uncovered a stone wall some 15 meters long and around 6 meters high leading to areas for the castle building and the main residence. A turret was previously mounted on the wall.
Source: 読売テレビニュース
