Golden shachi of Osaka Castle

From an architectural point of view, the original main tower of the Osaka castle, built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a five story construction with three more levels underground, was a lot more impressive than the current concrete reconstruction.

Fortunately, the reconstruction preserved the embellishments on the tower's exterior, with golden leaf decorations and golden sculptures like this shachi roof ornament. Shachi is a mythical ocean fish, a creature from the Japanese folklore believed to protect the buildings against fire.