Nagoya Castle, A Majestic Blend of History and Cherry Blossoms

1-1 Honmaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken

Sightseeing spots to visit in Nagoya

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Introduction

Nagoya Castle, also known as Meijo, is one of Japan's important designated historic sites and is ranked fourth among Japan's Top 100 Castles. Built in the hometown of Oda Nobunaga, the great-grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Nagoya Castle was reconstructed by Tokugawa Ieyasu from the former Kiyosu Castle, with the assistance of other daimyo lords such as Kato Kiyomasa and Fukushima Masanari, completing the construction in less than two years. While Nagoya Castle has experienced damage from wars, it was restored in 1959 and still leaves a lasting impression. Nagoya Castle is a complex of several castle structures. The central area is the Honmaru, where the main keep sits on the western side. On the southeast side of the main keep are the remnants of the Honmaru Palace, and the two corners of the Honmaru area feature the Southwest and Southeast Towers. Unlike other castles, Nagoya Castle's main keep has an elevator inside, allowing visitors to easily enjoy the historical artifacts, simulation models, scenes, and games inside the castle. Additionally, on weekends and holidays, there are performances by a group of actors dressed as famous feudal lords of the Sengoku period in Nagoya Castle's Ninomaru Square. This includes notable figures like Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Maeda Toshiie, Kato Kiyomasa, and Maeda Keiji. Visitors can not only enjoy exciting performances but also take photos with these historical figures, making it an opportunity not to be missed.