Construction of Osaka castle began in 1583, at the command of Hideyoshi Toyotomi; during the Summer War of 1615 Osaka Castle fell to the Tokugawas, who then proceeded to build up the ground around the castle, and then reconstructed the main tower, making it larger and more solid than the original tower. But as luck would have it, the main tower burned down after being struck by lightning in 1665; and the majority of the castle's structures were burned to the ground in 1868. Finally, in 1928, the mayor of Osaka proposed a restoration of the main tower, to be funded by the people of Osaka; his proposal was very enthusiastically received; and construction was completed in 1931. Fujimi's kit represents the castle at this stage (prior to the renovations completed 1995-1997). Included is the immediate vicinity of the castle as a nice diorama base; materials for shrubbery are included, too.