Osaka Castle Toyotomi Ishigakikan

Approximately 400 years ago, the original Osaka Castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi fell during the Summer Siege of Osaka, and was buried underground under a large amount of earth by the Tokugawa Shogunate. After 400 years, this project aims to excavate the stone walls from the Toyotomi period, renovate them, and open them to the public.
In a facility unlike any other in Japan where visitors can descend into an underground space to view the remains, we worked to create displays that conveys the unique value of the Toyotomi-period stone walls, which are different from the stone walls rebuilt by the Tokugawa Shogunate. We put together displays story and production that allows visitors to relive the process of identifying the Toyotomi-period stone walls, their characteristics, and the tumultuous history they have undergone. By overlapping this with the process of touring the ruins, going from above ground to underground and back again, we created an even more special displays space. We also conveyed the inherent charm of the remains through an integrated production that linked video, lighting, and sound, while taking care to show the stone walls themselves.

The aim was to convey to domestic and foreign tourists in an easy-to-understand way the unique features of Osaka Castle, which is not just a facility for displaying ruins, but a place where visitors can experience the layered nature of history with ruins from each era lying dormant. The challenge was how to deepen visitors' understanding of the Toyotomi period stone walls, raise awareness so that they could experience the layered nature unique to Osaka Castle, and create displays space with a sense of unity throughout the entire facility.

By combining a series of exhibition stories and productions from the moment you step inside the facility until you leave, with a facility structure that rises and falls above and below ground, we have created a highly dramatic spatial experience that creates a more exciting psychological effect on visitors, making the moment you encounter the stone walls the climax. The initial guidance starts with a sense of expectation as you approach the mystery of the stone walls, and creates a sense of excitement just before you come face to face with the stone walls. This leads to a realistic experience of seeing the actual Toyotomi stone walls, and then, while enjoying the satisfaction of an experience video that immerses you in the turbulent history that the stone walls have traced, you are finally invited to the Tokugawa stone walls on the ground. While the encounter with the stone walls is at the core, the effective incorporation of information provision and immersive experience videos before and after the encounter allows visitors to experience the magnificent history while deepening their understanding, making this displays facility.