  thumb|otemon and main tower  is a japanese castle in chÅ«Å-ku, osaka, japan. the castle is one of japan's most famous and it played a major role in the unification of japan during the sixteenth century of the azuchi-momoyama period. ==description== the main tower of osaka castle is situated on a plot of land roughly one square kilometer. it is built on two raised platforms of landfill supported by sheer walls of cut rock, using a technique called burdock piling, each overlooking a moat. the central castle building is five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, and built atop a tall stone foundation to protect its occupants from attackers. the castle grounds, which cover approximately , contain thirteen structures that have been designated as important cultural assets by the japanese government, including: *ote-mon gate *sakura-mon gate *ichiban-yagura turret *inui-yagura turret *rokuban-yagura turret *sengan turret *tamon turret *kinmeisui well *kinzo storehouse *enshogura gunpowder magazine *three sections of castle wall all located around otemon gate ==history== right|thumb|Åte-mon gate with moat in foreground right|thumb|osaka castle rampart in 1865  in 1583 toyotomi hideyoshi commenced construction on the site of the ikkÅ-ikki temple of ishiyama hongan-ji. the basic plan was modeled after azuchi castle, the headquarters of oda nobunaga. toyotomi wanted to build a castle that mirrored oda's, but surpassed it 
Buildings_and_structures_in_Osaka Castles_in_Osaka_Prefecture History_museums_in_Japan Museums_in_Osaka Rebuilt_buildings_and_structures_in_Japan Special_Historic_Sites