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Sengan Yagura(japanese: 千貫櫓) is one of the oldest turrets in Osaka Castle. It is one of the turrets that cannot be visited throughout the year, but is open to the public for a limited time every year.
Sengan Yagura is a corner turret that protects Oteguchi from the north, and its position faces the west outer moat on the west and south sides.
This two-story corner turret is located in the southwest corner of Nishinomaru Garden, and plays an important role in defending the Otemon Gate, the main gate of Osaka Castle, from the side.
Sengan Yagura was built in 1620 by Kobori Enshu, who is known for designing Katsura Imperial Villa. During the demolition and repair in 1961, a board was discovered that clarified the date of construction. As one of the oldest buildings within the castle, it has a rich history.
Inside, there are corridors called Musha-bashiri on the first and second floors, and inside the corridors, there are four rooms each with boarded ceilings. The first floor has an area of 199 m² and the second floor has an area of 143.32 m².
There is a hidden crenellation facing the Otemon gate and the opposite bank of the outer moat on the musha-bashiri, and on the first floor there is a device that can be used to attack enemies climbing up the stone wall. Additionally, there is a loading device with a lattice lid on the musha-bashiri on the second floor, but it is unknown when it was installed.
At Sengan Yagura, a replica of the matchlock gun from that time is on display and you can freely touch it.
Please actually hold it in your hand. The metal parts are made of iron, so it’s quite heavy, contrary to what it looks like.
The name Sengan Yagura comes from an anecdote that Oda Nobunaga said when attacking Ishiyama Honganji Temple, “If the attack is difficult, I will reward you with a Senganmon”. As a symbol of impregnability, it continued to play an important role as a defense for major companies.
Senganmon is an amount expressed in the old Japanese currency called “mon”.
1000 mon = 1 kanmon.
One sentence of at that time was approximately 120 yen when converted to modern Japanese yen.
1,000 ganmon(= Senganmon) is equivalent to 120 million yen (about 120 million yen) in today’s yen.
You can see that it was a difficult turret to conquer, as it offered a high reward.
Sengan-yagura tower stands out in its majesty to the northwest of Osaka Castle. The contrast between the white walls and the black tiled roof makes it look like something out of an ink painting. The history that has been passed down through time and the overwhelming presence created by the solid wooden architecture never cease to fascinate those who see it. Protecting the Otemon Gate from the north and facing the west outer moat, it is the guardian deity of Osaka Castle. Its roots in the stone wall, standing strong, testify to its strength and ability to overcome numerous wars.
Sengan Yagura is one of the oldest structures in Osaka Castle and is one of the highlights. Although it is not always open to the public, please come and see its majestic appearance and feel the weight of its history when it is open to the public.
