ARCHITECTURE
THAT INSPIRES HOPE
Architecture that goes on into the future
Architecture that makes memories
Bringing the culture of the ancient
Aquapolis Osaka to the world
Passing on dreams and hope
To the hearts of our children
Imparting the culture of the Great Osaka to the world
This is the wonderful culture!!
Architecture that makes memories
Bringing the culture of the ancient
Aquapolis Osaka to the world
Passing on dreams and hope
To the hearts of our children
Imparting the culture of the Great Osaka to the world
This is the wonderful culture!!
Osaka once served as the diplomatic gateway to the Yamato Imperial Court, and was the location of the ancient ports of “Sumiyoshi no Tsu” and “Naniwa no Tsu”. Then, following the era of Emperor Nintoku and the Naniwa Takatsu Palace that Emperor Nintoku built, Osaka would spend time as a capital and as a secondary capital, being the site of seats of government such as Naniwa Nagara Toyosaki Palace and Naniwa Palace. Following the start of the early modern era, the self-governing trade city of “Sakai” emerged. In 1496, Jōdo Shinshū Buddhists established their headquarters in the heavily fortified Ishiyama Hongan-ji temple. In the era of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Osaka Castle was built in the center of Osaka, which at that time was a town situated within the fortifications of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji temple. During the Edo period (1603-1868), Osaka flourished as the “Tenkano Daitokoro” (“Kitchen of the Nation”). After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Osaka was modernized, becoming a center of industry in Japan. The “Dai Osaka” (“Big Osaka”, “Great Osaka”) period followed the Meiji Restoration, and it was during that time that Osaka’s population exceeded even that of Tokyo, earning the city the nickname of “the Manchester of the Orient.” There are a great number of buildings and other landmarks in Osaka that symbolize these eras, from antiquity to the present. Those buildings were also symbols of the hopes of the people. One example of this is the current “Tenshukaku” of Osaka Castle (main tower of Osaka Castle), which was restored with the help of donations during the pre-war era as a reflection of the hopes of Osaka’s citizenry, and later survived the air raids of World War II. The castle provided a glimmer of hope for the reconstruction of Osaka even as the city was left devastated following the war. Even now, the castle is treated with great care, so as to ensure that it is passed down to future generations. Osaka’s existing cultural properties are all managed with that same goal in mind. We invite you to get to know these cultural properties, and to become a partner in their preservation.
TO WEBSITE AUDIENCE
This website compiles information on Osaka’s many cultural properties. When you search for information on cultural properties here, you will be see that information presented in a book-like style and organized by category or geographical location. Additionally, when you would like to search for a single cultural property, you can search for it by name from the front page of the website. You can also find many different types of information (including the locations of buildings, explanations of various details, maps, directions, and tour availability) on different cultural properties. In our News section, you can learn about events.
