Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle’s construction was completed in 1615 under Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo shogunate. It became the stronghold of the Owari Tokugawa clan, the most senior of the three branch families of the Tokugawa. Built on a plateau using the era’s most advanced techniques, its vast tower keep was crowned with dazzling golden shachihoko (a mythical creature) ornaments and boasted the largest floor area of any castle keep in Japan. Together with the elegant Hommaru Palace and landscaped Ni-no-maru Garden, it was both a formidable fortress and a display of Tokugawa authority.
For over 260 years (1603-1867), generations of the Owari Tokugawa ruled from Nagoya Castle. The surrounding castle town grew rapidly, becoming the foundation of modern Nagoya.
Much of the castle, including its keep and Honmaru Goten Palace, was destroyed in WWII air raids in 1945. However, large-scale restoration has since revived its grandeur. The Honmaru Goten Palace was faithfully reconstructed between 2009 and 2018, complete with brilliant wall paintings by artists of the Kano school that were luckily spared the flames, now preserved as Important Cultural Properties. Carefully reconstructed, Nagoya Castle remains a powerful symbol of the Tokugawa legacy and one of Japan’s most prominent castles.
Today, visitors can explore the castle grounds and their seasonal beauty, view surviving stone walls and turrets, and admire the restored palace interiors. You can even see performances and learn from the costumed members of the Nagoya Castle Omotenashi Bushotai (Hospitality Warrior Corps).