Osaka castle, sieges of (1614-15). Following the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603 the opposition to Tokugawa Ieyasu centred around Toyotomi Hideyori, the son of the late Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1614 Hideyori fortified himself inside Osaka castle with over 100, 000 troops, many of whom were ronin, dispossessed samurai whose masters had perished in battle. The Tokugawa army began a long siege during the winter of 1614-15, but the castle, under the inspiration of Sanada Yukimura, resisted successfully. The Tokugawa tried negotiation, backing up their demands with a fierce artillery bombardment. The conclusion was a spurious peace, and the Tokugawa began to demolish the walls and fill in the moat. Alarmed by these developments Hideyori again increased his garrison, and the summer campaign of Osaka began. At first the Osaka troops tried to defeat the individual Tokugawa units before they had the chance to regroup outside the weakened walls, but defeats at Domyoji and Wakae made them seek safety within the castle walls. In June 1615 the Osaka garrison marched out for a pitched battle at Tennoji. Driven back by the Tokugawa the defenders tried to hold the castle, but the keep was bombarded and burned as Hideyori committed suicide.
— Stephen Turnbull
