Osaka
Osaka (大阪) is the third largest city by population in Japan and a major financial center. The city is located in the Kansai region of Japan and serves as the capital of the Osaka Prefecture.
History[edit | edit source]
Sengoku and Edo periods[edit | edit source]
During the Sengoku period, Osaka was the largest city in the region of Izumi Settsu. In 1582, it was visited by the kunoichi Fujibayashi Naoe, who uncovered and dismantled a child-abduction ring led by a woman named Kacho.[1]
Later, Naoe and her ally, the samurai Yasuke, traveled to the Nishinomaru Garden, where they assassinated Akane, a member of former Bessho clan commander Genzaburo's unit.[2] Near the Temple of Osaka, Naoe also killed Ember, one of the kabukimono rōnin wreaking havoc in the region,[3] and established a kakurega for her league, the Kakushiba ikki.[4]
In 1583, Toyotomi Hideyoshi commissioned the construction of Osaka Castle on the former site of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji, which would become one of Japan's most iconic landmarks.[5] While the castle was still under construction, Naoe and Yasuke infiltrated it to loot its treasure chest[4] and recover one of Kanō Eitoku's paintings.[6]
Upon completion of Osaka Castle, a city quickly developed around the fortress, which grew into a major hub for trade thanks to its favorable position compared to Azuchi. Hideyoshi later relocated several major merchants from Sakai and Kyoto to Osaka, seeking to turn the city into the economic center of the newly unified country. Following Hideyoshi's death in 1598, Osaka Castle became the residence of his son and successor, Hideyori, and his immediate relatives.[5]
As the relationship between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clans deteriorated, the Tokugawa laid siege to Osaka Castle in 1614–1615. The siege saw the destruction of the Toyotomi clan and solidified the Tokugawa shogunate's rule over Japan. By the 17th century, Osaka had grown into a highly active city, dubbed the "kitchen of the empire", and became the birthplace of Genroku culture.[5]
Modern times[edit | edit source]
In September 2012, Osaka was home to a cell of Assassins, who were pursued by agents of Abstergo Industries[7] until December 2013, when they were taken out by a faction of the Yakuza[8] known as the Onmoraki-Gumi.[9] Following her husband Kenichi's death, Saeko Mochizuki became the cell's new Mentor and took control of the Onmoraki-Gumi, using the gang to blend the Assassins into the city.[10]
Later, the Altaïr II's crew came to investigate the fate of the Osaka Brotherhood after being unable to contact Kenichi.[8] Their investigation led them to the Onmoraki-Gumi's new headquarters where, unaware of the gang's takeover by the Assassins, Gavin Banks got into an altercation with one of the guards, Kiyoshi Takakura.[11][12] After both parties realized the others were Assassins,[13] Gavin and his crew met with Saeko, exchanging information, weaponry, and supplies.[10][14] Eventually, on 15 January 2014, the Altaïr II departed Osaka, after Gavin concluded that the Assassin presence in Japan was secure.[15]
An Abstergo facility was located in the vicinity of Osaka as of December 2013,[14] which shared its functions with the offices in Kobe.[16] The Japanese Assassins stole an Animus headset from the facility, which was later given to the Altaïr II's crew.[14]
In 2023, Noa Kim traveled to Osaka to save Shimazu Sei from the Abstergo Genetic Research Lab in the city. Infiltrating the laboratory with the help of a team of Assassins and the DedSec hacker group, Noa found and rescued Sei, who had been forcefully used as an Animus test subject by Abstergo to uncover the location of a Piece of Eden.[17] Noa, Sei, and the Assassins then escaped the Research Lab by leaping from the building and landing on an air cushion deployed by Nathan Zhang and his men, who were disguised as firefighters. With their mission accomplished, the group drove away from the laboratory and returned to the Zhawang Corporation's headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia.[18]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
A carnival in Osaka -
The abandoned Assassin safehouse in Osaka -
Osaka's underworld -
Noa Kim in Osaka -
The Umeda Sky Building -
Noa gliding towards the Abstergo Genetic Research Lab
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed film (promotional material only)
- Assassin's Creed: Shadows
- Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
- Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – The Butterfly Collector
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Genzaburo's Soldiers
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – The Kabukimono
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Database: Osaka Castle
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Art Collector
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood – Email: "Status"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance: "Osaka He Youkoso"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance: "The Safety of Information"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance: "The Osaka Brotherhood"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance: "Rattling Cages"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance: "A Horrible Beating"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance: "No Harm"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance: "A New Kind of War"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Surveillance: "Moving On"
- ↑ Abstergo.com
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 113
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 114
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||