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Military and Civil Uses of Osaka Castle in the Modern Age

2003; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 2; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3130/jaabe.2.199

1347-2852

Rintaro Kawamichi, Tomoko Hashitera, Geoffrey Moussas,

Urban and spatial planning

Osaka Castle burnt down during the Meiji Restoration in 1868, and the site has had various uses since. Although the greater portion of the site is presently utilized for Osaka Castle Park, it was once used as a military base during World War II. The history of its utilization is not well known, since it was long under the jurisdiction of the Japanese army. This paper attempts to clarify just how it has been used throughout the Modern age since the Meiji Restoration.Civil and military uses of the site occurred competitively throughout time. In the beginning of the Meiji era, military and civil uses began to coexist, with several modern buildings appearing in a Western style. During the Meiji era, military use was constantly expanding, while the Taisho era saw a decrease in military use in accordance with the international tendency towards military reduction. In the early Showa era, they coexisted once again, but this time in competition for land use that would eventually find a military use. When we examine the history of utilization of the site through the modern age, we find that the site is a mirror that reflects the times.