The link between Himeji and Osaka Castles

Besides both having illuminations, their is a historical link between the two. Osaka Castle in this variation was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who's appointed civilian dictator by the emperor in the late 16 century after ending a long civil war.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's son Hideyori was married to the grand daughter of the man who would seceed Hideyoshi, the future Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Her name was Sen. Hideyori became a problem and the Tokugawa besieged Hideyori who was inside Osaka Castle. As Sen was Tokugawa Ieyasu's favourite granddaughter, he announced that whoever rescued her from the burning castle would get her hand in marriage.

However it was not the young lord of Himeji Castle that rescued her, it was a elderly battle scared samurai. As Sen was only a teenager at the time she refused to marry the Samurai defying the most powerful man in Japan at the and they were married time. Sen was sent back to Edo, the capital of the Tokugawa government escorted by a young Honda Tadatoki, the lord of Himeji Castle. The fell in love on the way to Edo