On November 7, 2021, Osaka Castle will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the
reconstruction of its main tower. The decision to rebuild it was made by the
municipality of Osaka to mark the enthronement of Emperor Hirohito (Emperor
Showa) in 1926. Funded entirely by the donations of Osaka residents, the tower
opened in November 1931.
1931 was the year the Manchurian (Mukden) Incident occurred, which paved the way
for Japan to plunge into the Pacific War.
As the war intensified, the main tower closed its doors on September 25, 1942,
and was requisitioned by the Japanese army until the end of the war on August
15, 1945. Because Osaka Castle was located adjacent to the Osaka Army Arsenal,
it faced a number of aerial attacks by the U.S. forces and lost Fushimi Turret,
Kyobashi Gate, Kyobashi-guchi Tamon Turret, Hitsujisaru Turret, Niban Turret,
Samban Turret, and other historically valuable architecture. Fortunately, the
reconstructed main tower survived.
Although it was requisitioned by the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Allied
Forces after the war, the main tower was returned to the municipality of Osaka
on August 25, 1948, and was reopened to the public the following year, on July
20, 1949.
Since then, Osaka Castle Museum has been committed to the collection, research,
and study of materials in four categories: 1. Historical materials associated
with the Toyotomi period; 2. Materials related to the local history of Osaka; 3.
Materials related to weapons and armor; and 4. Reference materials on the
architecture of Osaka Castle. These activities allowed the Museum to organize
many special exhibitions and thematic shows, resulting in a designation by the
government as a “Facility Equivalent to a Museum” on December 28, 1955, and the
approval as a facility to publicly display national treasures and important
cultural properties on December 6, 1996.
In 1995, “Heisei-no-Daikaishu” (Great Renovation of the Heisei Era), a
nine-year-long, large-scale renovation project commenced to refurbish the
appearance of the main tower, to improve seismic resistance, and to extend the
life of reinforced concrete structures. As a result, the main tower earned
numerous architectural recognitions, including registration with the government
as a tangible cultural property on September 3, 1997, on grounds that it is an
excellent piece of modern architecture contributing to the enhancement of the
historical landscape of the country. The main tower of Osaka Castle (and its
museum) is therefore rated highly as an architectural asset, as well as for its
functionality as a museum.
From the end of 2020, Osaka Castle Museum had to be closed temporarily due to
the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Although we are still undergoing a
difficult time, we would like to celebrate the 90th anniversary as a joyous
occasion with as many people as possible by remembering its history of
overcoming various ordeals, especially in times like this. We hope to provide
inspiration to the public through this exhibition, which marks the beginning of
the journey toward our centennial celebration.