Nagoya Castle, originally built by the Owari Domain in 1612 during the Edo period, stands on the site of an earlier Oda clan castle from the Sengoku period. It became the centerpiece of Nagoya-juku, a significant castle town on the Minoji road, which connected two major Edo Five Routes: the Tokaido and the Nakasendo. In 1930, ownership of the castle was transferred to the city by the Imperial Household Ministry, establishing it as the focal point of modern Nagoya. Although partially destroyed in the Pacific War in 1945, the castle has undergone continuous restoration and preservation efforts since 1957.
Nagoya Castle is also known as Meijo, a name echoed in city landmarks like Meijo Park, the Meijo Line on the subway, and Meijo University, underscoring its cultural significance. Historically, it was sometimes referred to as Kinjo, meaning "Golden Castle," after which Kinjo Gakuin University is named.
In 1521-1528, Imagawa Ujichika, military governor of Suruga Province, constructed a precursor castle at Nagoya called Yanagi-no-maru for his son, Imagawa Ujitoyo. In 1532, Oda Nobuhide seized the castle, renamed it Nagoya Castle, and resided there; his son Oda Nobunaga was likely born there in 1534. After moving to Kiyosu Castle in 1555, the Nagoya structure was largely abandoned around 1582.
Following the unification of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the castle's reconstruction in 1609, establishing Nagoya as the capital of Owari Province. The castle construction, led by architect Nakai Masakiyo, set architectural standards for the Tokugawa shogunate. Starting in 1610, construction was carried out by over 20 daimyo, including Kato Kiyomasa and Fukushima Masanori, who carved inscriptions on the stones they transported for the castle’s foundation. The main keep was completed in 1612, and the Honmaru Palace was adorned with artwork by Kano Sadanobu in 1614. In 1615, the Honmaru Palace was finalized, with Ninomaru Palace following in 1617. Tokugawa Yoshinao, founder of the Owari Tokugawa lineage, took residence in Ninomaru Palace in 1620.
Renovations continued as the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu visited in 1634, prompting the addition of new chambers and halls, painted by renowned artists such as Kano Tan'yū. Maintenance of the structure persisted, with repairs to the main keep roof and walls in 1669, 1685, and 1720, among other adjustments. By 1827, financial struggles forced the Owari branch to remelt the castle’s golden shachi (mythical dolphins) with less gold, and these were recast twice over the next decades.
Nagoya Castle's military significance dwindled as the Tokugawa Shogunate declined, and in 1870, the Owari Tokugawa submitted the castle to the imperial government. After the German diplomat Max von Brandt intervened to prevent its demolition, Nagoya Castle was preserved. In 1893, it became an Imperial residence and was opened to the public in 1906. After suffering damage from the 1891 Mino–Owari earthquake, the castle was designated a historic site in 1923 and a national treasure in 1930. The following year, it opened to the public as the property of Nagoya City.
During the Pacific War, Nagoya Castle served as a regional army headquarters and endured extensive damage from American air raids, which destroyed the main keep, Honmaru Palace, and several other buildings. Restoration began in 1957 with the reconstruction of the main keeps, which reopened in 1959, followed by further restoration in the 1960s and 1970s.
As part of the 2005 Expo preparations, English-language plaques were installed for visitors, and 3D visualizations of the Honmaru Palace artwork were produced. In 2009, a full reconstruction of Honmaru Palace commenced, which was completed by 2018. Nagoya’s mayor announced plans to restore the main towers to their original wooden structure, with fundraising launched in 2017. Sourcing for hinoki timber began in 2019, with hopes of completing the main towers by 2022.
See also
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Kaminoyama Castle
Kamino-yama Castle stood at the center of an important logistics hub, in the middle of the Yonezawa Plain, which served as the gateway to the western part of the Tohoku region. Roads connecting the Aizu, Fukushima, and Yamagata areas intersected here.
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Imabari Castle
Tōdō Takatora (1556–1630) served at different times as a vassal of several famous clans—Azai, Oda, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa. He took part in the Battle of Anegawa (1570), the Battle of Shizugatake (1583), the invasions of Kyushu and Korea, the Sekigahara campaign (1600), and the Siege of Osaka (1614–1615).
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Iwakuni Castle
Kikkawa Hiroie (1561–1625) was the grandson of the famous daimyo Mori Motonari and a vassal of the Mori clan. Under Mori Terumoto, he fought in both Korean campaigns and took part in the defense of Ulsan Castle. During the Battle of Sekigahara, Hiroie stood with his 3,000-man force on the side of the Western Coalition; however, even before the battle began, he sent Tokugawa Ieyasu a secret message stating that he did not intend to fight Tokugawa’s troops. As a result of his inaction, 15,000 soldiers under Mori Hidemoto were also unable to enter the battle, since Hiroie blocked their path.
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Gujo Hachiman Castle
Gujo Hachiman Castle is located on 350-meter Mount Hachiman, near the confluence of the Yoshidagawa and Kodaragava rivers, and not far from the Nagaragawa River. During the Sengoku period, this area was of great strategic importance: it stood at a key crossroads of routes connecting Mino Province in the south with the Sea of Japan in the north, and Hida Province in the east with Echizen Province in the west.
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Amagasaki Castle
The founding year of Amagasaki Castle is traditionally considered to be 1617, when Toda Ujikané built his castle here, making it the administrative center of the Amagasaki Domain. However, as early as the Sengoku period, a fortress built by the Hosokawa clan already stood on this site. After the fall of Itami Castle in 1579, Araki Murashige—formerly a vassal of Oda Nobunaga who had rebelled against him—fled to this earlier castle.
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Hiroshima Castle
Mōri Terumoto (1553–1625) was the grandson and rightful heir of the renowned Mōri Motonari. When Terumoto became the head of the Mōri clan in 1571, he inherited vast territories covering a large part of the San’in and San’yō regions in western Honshū. In addition, the Mōri clan possessed the largest and most technologically advanced naval fleet of its time.
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Fukuyama Castle
After the defeat of Toyotomi Hideyori’s supporters in the Osaka Campaigns of 1614–1615, many clans in Japan still remained not fully loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate, especially in the western Chūgoku region. Mizuno Katsunari (1564–1651), a cousin of Tokugawa Ieyasu, became the first of the Tokugawa house’s close retainers, the so-called fudai daimyō, to be relocated to this strategically important area.
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Tiba Castle
The founder of the Chiba clan is considered to be Chiba Tsunesige (1083–1180), who in 1126 moved his residence to the Inohana area and built a strongly fortified stronghold there. Although Tsunesige himself came from the Taira clan, the Chiba clan later supported Minamoto no Yoritomo, the future founder of the first shogunate.
