Japanese City Guides: Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle

Bars, Restaurants, Clubs in Nagoya

• Certainly one of 'the things to do' on any stay in Nagoya.
• The castle was built in 1612 by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
• Residence of the Owari Tokugawa family until 1868.
• Almost completely destroyed by US air raids in World War II.
• Present ferroconcrete reconstruction dates from 1959.
• Stands 48m high with impressive views of the city below.
• Set in park land (Meijo Koen) and now houses a modern museum.
• Meijo Koen is now a popular spot for hamami in Spring - cherry blossom viewing.
• The three corner turrets are listed as "Important Cultural Properties".
• The golden shachi (dolphins) are a symbol of the city.
• The Westin Castle Nagoya Hotel has spectacular views of the castle and grounds.

Nagoya Castle and its environs

Built on the orders of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and completed in 1612, the reconstructed castle features a new five-story main keep or donjon mounted by a pair of 3m-long golden shachi (dolphins), which have become symbols of the city and are made in strict accordance with the originals. The interior houses an interesting museum (9am-5pm; entrance ¥500) displaying Edo period armour, fusama-e (paintings on sliding doors) and other art treasures that remained unscathed from the bombing in World War II. The three corner turrets, the second front gate and the massive walls and moat also escaped wartime damage. Ninowara Garden just to the east of the castle is an original Japanese-style garden and the surrounding Meijo Park with over 2,000 cherry trees is a pleasant place to relax and a popular picnic spot in early spring when the cherry blossom blooms.

The area around the castle remains a center of government for the city of Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture. Nearby are Nagoya City Hall, Nagoya Immigration Office, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, venue for the annual Nagoya Sumo Tournament in July, the Nagoya Noh Theater (Nagoya nohgaku-do) and to the east near Ozone subway station the renown Tokugawa Art Museum (10am-5pm, closed Monday; entrance ¥1200), which contains the Owari family legacy of art and heirlooms - including maki-e lacquer work, samurai armour, Noh theater costumes and the original tweflth-century painted scroll of The Tale of Genji by Takayoshi Fujiwara.
The Aichi International Plaza to the south of Nagoya Castle has tourist and resident information, a library and satellite TV.

Recommended Places To Stay

The Westin Nagoya Hotel

Less than five minutes walk from Meijo Park and Shiyakusho-mae subway station, the luxurious Five Star Westin Nagoya Hotel makes for an excellent central base for any business or pleasure trip to Nagoya. It has a magnificent view of Nagoya Castle set amidst lush green trees. Facilities include a fully-equipped business center, a choice of restaurants, a superb bar with views of Nagoya Castle and an indoor swimming pool.

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