Delicious Danjiri Festival Gourmet offerings Factory Night View © Tetsurou Kobayashi powerful Photogenic Shopping street Gasaking α © Sanwa Ichiba Shopping Street GOGOGO traditional Landmarks associated with Chikamatsu Monzaemon BOAT RACE Amagasaki Castle T Your Guide to Amagasaki, the own BIG SCALE nin nin Amagasaki Ebisu-jinja Shrine Amagasaki, the town with spirit, has actually rebuilt Amagasaki Castle. Yes, Amagasaki was once a castle town, and has become one once again. The castle town is place of great spirit and nostalgia, boasting welcoming shopping streets, local gourmet offerings exhibiting much hospitality, and temples in Teramachi offering much to the sightseer, boat racing full of excitement, photogenic factory scenes, and many other exciting attractions. Not to mention the cultural appeal of the richly emotional Ningyo Joruri (traditional Japanese puppetry), historical features, cultural offerings, gourmet foods, and leisure activities. Whatever strikes your fancy, Amagasaki has it! Amagasaki, the castle town, always offers something extra. The original Amagasaki Castle was demolished during the Meiji Restoration. Following a period of rapid urbanization, the castle town underwent a complete change in appearance. However, public nostalgia for the castle was not lost, many voices were raised many times in support of a castle rebuilding project. These efforts were sadly abandoned by a lack of funds and economic downturns. However, a man born in Amagasaki who had founded a successful electronics retailer and knew the history of the castle decided that he would give back to his hometown, the city in which he founded his business. He generously invested more than one billion yen in the Amagasaki Castle main tower construction project. This man’s commitment resonated strongly among the citizens and his colleagues who had deep ties to Amagasaki. Donations were solicited through campaigns offering “one-share castle lords” and purchases of “one roof tile,” eventually raising 190 million yen toward the project. By the end of the Heisei era (2019), the curtain was raised on the magnicent main castle tower, which represented a defensive barrier for western Osaka. Amagasaki had nally achieved its dream of restoring its long-lost castle. e Original Amagasaki Castle Since 1617 Reborn 2019 New Amagasaki Castle Amajo My Town story Why was the original Amagasaki Castle constructed? Observatory Zone e Tokugawa Shogunate, who had prevailed over the Toyotomi clan in the Summer Siege of Osaka in A description of Amagasaki as a castle town is 1615, took direct control of Osaka in 1619. Osaka Castle served as the political and military base of displayed in the main castle tower. Use the tablet Western Japan. At that time, however, the various regions of Western Japan, including Chugoku, Shikoku, terminal to see how the castle town operated. and Kyushu, were under the control of formerly hostile outside daimyo until the Battle of Sekigahara, so From the observatory room, you can compare it became necessary to create a system to defend Osaka in the event of an emergency in Western Japan. It the castle town with the current scenery. was only natural that the Shogunate would want to consolidate Amagasaki — which was close to Osaka and had long served as a transportation hub — by appointing Shogunate insiders. So, Toda Ujikane was Introducing the new Amagasaki Castle and the original Amagasaki Castle constructed 400 years ago. chosen as rst Lord of Amagasaki Castle. Toda built Amagasaki Castle as a defensive barrier for Western Osaka. Judging from the exceptional workmanship of Amagasaki Castle, Ujikane appears to have become Once you read this, you’ll become an expert on Amagasaki Castle! a master of castle construction. is achievement contributed to his eventual appointment as a general magistrate during reconstruction of Osaka Castle. Gallery Zone The sea once extended right to the front of the castle. is gallery showcases the works of Ogihara Issei, a painter of castles who was born in Amagasaki. His deep love of castles is reected in his work, which was selected to appear on a hand towel representing one of the top 100 castles of Japan. Impersonator Experience Zone Amajo A castle too large for a daimyo receiving story a tribute of only 50,000 koku of rice 〈 Former Lords of Amagasaki Castle 〉 Visitors can take a commemorative photo here. Become a princess, samurai or the Lord of Toda Ujikane is splendid castle comprised a four-story Amagasaki Castle by donning a rental costume main tower along with Sannomaru that was Aoyama Yoshinari in a space lined with tatami mats. about 3.5 times the scale of Koshien Stadium. It was as tall as an 8 or 9-story Aoyama Yoshitoshi Matsudaira Tadatsugu condominium. On a clear day, the castle was visible from as far away as Takarazuka. Aoyama Yoshimasa Matsudaira Tadatomi In fact, Hyogo Prefecture boasts only two castles with the main tower: Himeji Castle Aoyama Yoshihide Matsudaira Tadanori and Amagasaki Castle. Even though the tower foundation had been constructed, the Matsudaira Tadataka Matsudaira Tadanaga Shogunate did not permit a castle to exceed Amagasaki Castle Zone a certain height. e imposing appearance Matsudaira Tadaakira Matsudaira Tadaoki of this castle rising on the shoreline would Immerse yourself in the Amagasaki Castle Town have surely impressed all visitors. by viewing the virtual reality scene displayed on a 10-meter-wide screen. e masterful images take you on a journey back in time to Amagasaki as it was in those days. Several exhibits enable you to learn with your hands, such as feeling the Illustration of VR Theater weight of a matchlock gun and trying out a sword game. Amajo story Was Amagasaki wealthy as a castle town? No Fee Amagasaki Town Area e castle town was vast, extending to the east and west from the east side of present-day Hanshin Deyashiki Station to the west side of Daimotsu Station. At the Walking Zone beginning of the Amagasaki domain efdom, the Amagasaki domain territory was roughly equivalent to the area extending from the current city of Amagasaki to the Near the entrance, castle donation nameplates coastal area of Suma-ku in Kobe. e town contained many sake breweries, and more revealing the thoughts of many are on display. than 10,000 koku (1 koku = about 180 liters) of sake were brewed here, the same Amagasaki’s introductory video highlights local volume as produced by the noted sake-producing Ikeda district in Settsu Province. history and sightseeing attractions focused on Many shermen lived in Tsukiji Town near the castle, and a sh market thrived in Amagasaki Castle. Be sure to take a stroll through Nakazaike Town until the Taisho era. e Amagasaki the town of Amagasaki. domain efdom was located in a region rich in ［Amagasaki Castle] commodity crops such as canola and cotton. is was 27 Kitajonai, Amagasaki 09:00–17:00 (no admission after 16:30) one of the wealthiest domain territories until the land Closed Mondays (or next day when Monday is public holiday) and extending from Hyogonotsu (currently Kobe Port) to December 29–January 2 Nishinomiya was conscated. Admission Fee: Adults and university students: 500 yen; Senior high school and younger students: 250 yen * Artist’s illustrations Whoopee!! Interesting Castle Stories Supporting the Establishment of the “I’ll protect this important castle!” Amagasaki Castle Japanese Red Cross Society Gasakingα Aoyama Yoshitoshi, the Third-generation Lord as a symbol of peace The large monster of Matsudaira Tadaoki, the Last Lord Amagasaki was created from the passions of Sanwa Ichiba Shopping Street. The Aoyama Yoshitoshi was the lord who best embodied the “the defensive role of the Amagasaki domain Lord Matsudaira Tadaoki quickly agreed to the establishment of Hakuaisha, the predecessor of the is castle was constructed for war, but it never actually saw battle. Amagasaki has an active civic Volunteer litter collectors shopkeepers mistakenly in the west.” He traveled to Osaka to consult with a cousin, the keeper of Osaka Castle. He retained Japanese Red Cross Society. He oered his mansion to the provisional oce, and went to Nagasaki Because the new castle is clearly never intended to be used for war, we life. Its residents are eager and By holding tongs designed to awakened the creature resemble a Japanese sword from the dark underworld of ninjas (secret agents of the samurai) to explore the concerns of adjacent domains such as Settsu and during the Satsuma Rebellion to provide nursing care. He became a feudal lord at a young age, and think of Amagasaki Castle as a place not intended to hurt people. We are motivated to enliven their with hilt and scabbard, our the Sanwa Ichiba Shopping Harima. He loved the main tower of Amagasaki Castle and would sometimes become emotional as was likely compelled to keep his own counsel and help society because he was responsible for his content to know that the castle is becoming a place that oers beloved town with a new volunteer litter collectors are Street, where it had slept for working to beautify our town. tens of thousands of years. he admired it in the morning. domain under his father’s supervision. He remained active aer the restoration. opportunities for learning local history. landmark. We look forward to Let’s bring litter to justice It simply kicked out the seeing you. together! shutters and emerged! © Sanwa Ichiba Shopping Street 3 4 You’ll wish you could enjoy them Custard lling Cheers! To the castle! for a hundred years. 90 yen each! (tax incl.) A flavor that Imbibe to your heart’s content in Amagasaki. Adzuki bean lling Castle Town Amagasaki Unrened 31° 70 yen each! (tax incl.) will take you shochu is limited Amagasaki Liquor Merchants Association to 500 bottles. back in time! Sake: Amagasaki-jo; Sweet potato shochu liquor: Niman-ou Highly recommended! Amano-shizuku 《 Taiyaki 》 Highly recommended! Amano-shizuku is a sweet potato shochu The secret to its popularity is not only the liquor made by hand with traditional excellent access to nearby Hanshin Amagasaki potatoes.