The castle became the center of
the new unified Japan under Toyotomi
rule and brought with it a short period
of peace after centuries of civil war. The
five-story main tower featured an exte-
rior covered in gold leaf and ornaments,
designed to impress visitors and demor-
alise enemies. It also featured eight giant
fusetora (golden tiger) decorations and
golden shachi (a mythical creature with
the head of a tiger and the body of a carp)
roof ornaments, believed to protect the
castle against fire.
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