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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Kubota Castle
The founder of the castle is considered to be Satake Yoshinobu (1570–1633). Yoshinobu was one of the six great generals of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. During the Odawara Campaign of 1590, he took part in the siege of Oshi Castle under the command of Ishida Mitsunari, with whom Yoshinobu developed a good relationship.
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Kavanhoe Castle
Kawanoe Castle is located on the small Wasi-yama hill near the port area of the Kawanoe district in the city of Shikokuchuo, occupying a central position along the northern coast of Shikoku Island. Kawanoe was also known as Butsuden Castle. The term “butsuden” in Japan refers to temple halls, and for this reason it is believed that a Buddhist temple once stood on the site before the castle was built. Due to its location at the junction of four provinces on Shikoku Island, Kawanoe held significant strategic importance and was repeatedly targeted by rival forces seeking military control over the region.
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Yokote Castle
The founder of the castle is considered to be the Onodera clan. The Onodera were originally a minor clan from Shimotsuke Province and served Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), the founder of the first shogunate. The Onodera distinguished themselves in battle against the Fujiwara clan of the Ōshū branch and were rewarded with lands around Yokote. Around the 14th century, the Onodera moved to Yokote as their permanent residence. Their original stronghold was Numadate Castle, but after a series of clashes with the powerful Nambu clan, they relocated their base to the site of present-day Yokote Castle. It was likely during this time that the first fortifications appeared at the castle.
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Wakayama Castle
Wakayama Castle was built in 1585, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered his uterine brother, Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hidenaga, to construct a castle on the site of the recently captured Ota Castle. The purpose of this construction was to secure control over the likewise newly conquered Province of Kii. Following an already established tradition, Hidenaga entrusted the project to his castle-building expert, Todo Takatora. Takatora carefully inspected the future castle site, personally drew up several designs, created a model of the planned castle, and took part in the work of laying out the grounds (nawabari). For the construction he brought in more than 10,000 workers and completed the large-scale project within a single year, which was considered extremely fast by the standards of the time.
Toyama Castle
Toyama Castle is located almost in the very center of the former province of Etchū and is surrounded by a wide plain with a large number of rivers. The very first castle on the banks of the Jinzu River was built in 1543 by Jimbo Nagamoto. The Jimbo clan were vassals of the Hatakeyama clan and governed the western part of Etchū Province. The eastern part of the province belonged to their rivals, the Shiina clan, who were also Hatakeyama vassals. Beginning in the 15th century, the influence of the ancient Hatakeyama clan gradually weakened, and as a result, the Jimbo and the Shiina fought constant wars for control of the province. Meanwhile, the forces of the Ikkō-ikki movement periodically intervened, helping first one side and then the other.
Takada Castle
During the Sengoku period, the lands where Takada Castle would later be built were part of Echigo Province and were controlled by the Uesugi clan.
Kishiwada Castle
The celebrated 14th-century military commander Kusunoki Masashige (1294–1336), who owned extensive lands south of what is now the city of Osaka, ordered one of his vassals, Kishiwada Osamu, to build a fortified residence. This order was carried out around 1336. These fortifications became the first structures on the site of what would later become Kishiwada Castle. From the beginning, the castle stood in a strategically important location—roughly halfway between the cities of Wakayama and Osaka, south of the key port of Sakai. Because of this position, it changed hands several times during periods of warfare.
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.
