A golden shachihoko or shachi protects Osaka Castle, in Osaka Prefecture, Kansai Region, Honshu island, Japan

A roof-mounted golden shachihoko or shachi protects Osaka Castle, in Osaka Prefecture, Kansai Region, Honshu island, Japan. A shachihoko or shachi is a sea monster in Japanese folklore with the head of a dragon or tiger lion and the body of a carp. A male and female pair are mounted at each end of the roof ridge as spirits to protect castles from fire (which hasn't worked well historically). Osaka Castle played a major role in the unification of Japan. Originally built 1583–1597 as Japan's then-largest castle, its prominent keep was destroyed four times — by wars in 1615, 1868 & 1945 and lightning in 1665. To avoid creating another wooden lightning rod, its landmark main tower was rebuilt in 1931 using modern reinforced concrete. Osaka is Japan's second largest metropolitan area. For many centuries it's been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai Region. Before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa (Osaka's former name) was Japan's first known capital city. In the 1500s, Toyotomi Hideyoshi built his castle in Osaka, which would have become Japan's political capital if Tokugawa Ieyasu had not ended the Toyotomi lineage and established his government in distant Edo (Tokyo).

Add to Cart Add to Lightbox Download

Filename: 24.11JPN-2244.jpg
Copyright: © Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com
Image Size: 3648x5472 / 7.7MB; http://www.photoseek.com/; Animalia animal architecture art art work building history past
Contained in galleries: 2024 Oct: JAPAN all, Osaka

A roof-mounted golden shachihoko or shachi protects Osaka Castle, in Osaka Prefecture, Kansai Region, Honshu island, Japan. A shachihoko or shachi is a sea monster in Japanese folklore with the head of a dragon or tiger lion and the body of a carp. A male and female pair are mounted at each end of the roof ridge as spirits to protect castles from fire (which hasn't worked well historically). Osaka Castle played a major role in the unification of Japan. Originally built 1583–1597 as Japan's then-largest castle, its prominent keep was destroyed four times — by wars in 1615, 1868 & 1945 and lightning in 1665. To avoid creating another wooden lightning rod, its landmark main tower was rebuilt in 1931 using modern reinforced concrete. Osaka is Japan's second largest metropolitan area. For many centuries it's been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai Region. Before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa (Osaka's former name) was Japan's first known capital city. In the 1500s, Toyotomi Hideyoshi built his castle in Osaka, which would have become Japan's political capital if Tokugawa Ieyasu had not ended the Toyotomi lineage and established his government in distant Edo (Tokyo).