Nagoya Castle

thumb|Aerial view of the grounds of Nagoya Castle (2020)

thumb|Nagoya Castle aerial panorama

is a Japanese castle located in Nagoya, Japan.

Nagoya Castle was constructed by the Owari Domain in 1612 during the Edo period on the site of an earlier castle of the Oda clan in the Sengoku period. Nagoya Castle was the heart of one of the most important castle towns in Japan, Nagoya-juku, a post station on the Minoji road linking two of the important Edo Five Routes, the Tōkaidō and the Nakasendō. Nagoya Castle became the core of the modern Nagoya and ownership was transferred to the city by the Imperial Household Ministry in 1930. Nagoya Castle was partially destroyed in 1945 during the bombing of Nagoya in World War II and the reconstruction and repair of the castle has been ongoing since 1957.

Meijō (名城), another shortform way of pronouncing Nagoya Castle (名古屋城), is used for many Nagoya city institutions such as Meijō Park, the Meijō Line of the Nagoya Municipal Subway, and Meijo University, reflecting the cultural influence of this historic structure. The castle has also historically been called Kinjō (金城), which means "Golden Castle", and Kinjo Gakuin University is named after it.

History

thumb|upright|Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the construction of the castle

In order to advance into Owari Province, the military governor of Suruga Province, Imagawa Ujichika, built Yanagi-no-maru, a precursor castle at Nagoya, between 1521 and 1528 during the Taiei era for his son, Imagawa Ujitoyo. It was located near the site of the later Ninomaru residence. Oda Nobuhide seized it from Imagawa Ujitoyo in March 1532 (Kyōroku 5), residing there and changing the name to Nagoya Castle. His son, Oda Nobunaga, was supposedly born there in 1534 (Tenbun 3), although this is subject to debate. After he defeated Oda Nobutomo at Kiyosu Castle in April 1555 (Kōji 1), he established his residence there. Around 1582 (Tenshō 10), the castle at Nagoya was abandoned.

After various upheavals in Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged victorious and decided in November 1609 (Keichō 14) to rebuild the castle at Nagoya. Up until the Meiji Restoration, Nagoya Castle flourished as the castle where the Owari branch, the foremost of the three Tokugawa clan lineages, resided. Castle construction technology had been extensively developed and consolidated since the construction of Azuchi Castle in 1576 by Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582). One of the main architects who designed and directed the building of the castle was Nakai Masakiyo, who was previously involved in the construction of the Nijō, Fushimi, Edo, and Sunpu castles. He had gathered and refined existing castle and fortification construction technology and techniques and ultimately formulated the standards for the Tokugawa shogunate's castles, as exemplified by Nagoya Castle.

Early restoration and expansion

In January 1610 (Keichō 15), the site was roped off and work began. Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered various daimyō to help with the construction of what was to become the new capital of the existing Owari Province. Katō Kiyomasa, Fukushima Masanori, and Maeda Toshimitsu were among the 20 feudal lords from the northern and western part of Japan who were assigned to assist in the project. The inscriptions of feudal lords and their vassals, carved on the stones they carried, are still visible today. In August 1610 the stone foundation of the main keep (tenshu) was completed, and by December construction of the stone walls for the Honmaru, Ninomaru, Nishinomaru, and Ofukemaru buildings was almost finished. In June 1611 (Keichō 16) a canal that today is the Hori River was built. The source for much of the building material for the new castle was the smaller Kiyosu Castle, including its tenshu, which was rebuilt as the northwest turret. In mid-1612 (Keichō 17), the construction of Honmaru Palace began, and the main keep was completed in December of that year.

Artists including Kanō Sadanobu painted the walls, ceilings, and sliding doors of Honmaru Palace in 1614 (Keichō 19). Construction of the gates and the Sannomaru moat were completed in July, and in November of that year the Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada came for an inspection. Honmaru Palace was finished in February 1615 (Keichō 20) and Ninomaru Palace in 1617 (Genna 3). The Tōshō-gū shrine was established in the Sannomaru enceinte in 1619 (Genna 5), and the northwest turret, the former Kiyosu Tower of the Ofukemaru, was completed. In 1620 (Genna 6), Tokugawa Yoshinao (1601–1650) moved into Ninomaru Palace, where in 1627 (Kan'ei 4), a sanctuary was also constructed.

Overall renovation began on Honmaru Palace in May 1633 (Kan'ei 10) in preparation of the upcoming visit of Shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu on his way to the imperial capital at Kyoto. Additional chambers, bathrooms, and halls, such as Jorakuden and Oyudonoshoin, were constructed. Kanō Tan'yū and other artists painted the walls, ceilings, and sliding doors in the new extensions in 1634 (Kan'ei 11). Work was completed in June, just in time for the shōgun's visit in July of that year.

For the next hundred years there was ongoing maintenance and renovation of the existing structures. In 1669 (Kanbun 9), repairs were made to the main keep walls and roofs. In November 1685 (Jōkyō 2), repairs were again made to the main keep roof; in March 1709 (Hōei 6) to the first and second stories of the main keep; in August 1720 (Kyōhō 5) to the chidorihafu gables on the third and fourth levels of the main keep; and in December 1726 (Kyōhō 11) to the third-level roofs, karahafu gables, the fourth-level roofs, and the copper tiles of the fifth-level roofs of the main keep. Repairs were also made to the golden shachi of the main keep, replacing their wooden core. Further work was carried out in August 1728 (Kyōhō 13) on the shingled roof of Honmaru Palace, remodeling it into a lightweight, informal roof. Repairs were made to the second-, third-, and fourth-level roofs of the main keep.

In November 1730 (Kyōhō 15), the golden shachi were recast for the first time and covered in wire mesh. In 1752 (Hōreki 2), the large-scale "Restoration of Hōreki" corrected the tilt of the keep, caused by unequal subsidence of its stone wall, and the roofs from the second level upward were tiled with copper. By 1788 (Tenmei 8), the accumulated debt of the Owari branch since 1767 (Meiwa 4) amounted to 215,000 ryō. As a result, the golden shachi had to be melted down and recast with less gold in 1827 (Bunsei 10). A finer wire mesh covered the shachi to hide the fact that they were less golden. In 1846 (Kōka 3), they were again melted down and recast for a third time.

19th and 20th centuries

thumb|left|Ninomaru Palace with the main keep in the background, photograph taken in the 19th century

Law and order broke down as the Tokugawa Shogunate came to an end. The Aomatsuba Incident took place in February 1868 (Keiō 4) in the Ninomaru Palace, and a stone memorial stele was erected in the 1926. After the end of the Shogunate, the Owari branch decided to submit to the emperor. In 1870 (Meiji 3), Tokugawa Yoshikatsu had parts of the castle demolished and donated the golden shachi to the Imperial Household Department. They were removed from the main keep in April 1871 (Meiji 4), transported by steamship from Atsuta port to Tokyo, and were taken to numerous locations in Japan as a traveling exhibition. The male shachi was displayed at the Yushima Seido Exposition in 1872 and the female at the 1873 Vienna World Exposition.

thumb|The two main keeps of the castle and surrounding Honmaru Palace structures, in a photograph taken

In May 1872 the 3rd Division of the Tokyo Garrison was stationed at the castle and the Nagoya Detached Garrison and barracks were installed on the castle grounds. The demolition of the castle was put on hold after the German minister to Japan, Max von Brandt, spoke out against it. In December 1879 (Meiji 12), the imperial war minister Yamagata Aritomo decided to have the castle preserved on the advice of Colonel Nakamura Shigeto.

thumb|left|The southwestern turret and connecting gallery to the main keep before the 1891 earthquake

The 1891 Mino–Owari earthquake in October 1891 (Meiji 24) seriously damaged the southwest and Tamon turrets and other structures. Reconstruction and repair work followed, but not everything was rebuilt. In 1893 (Meiji 26), the castle was transferred to the Imperial Household Ministry and in June its name was changed to "Nagoya Detached Palace" or when the castle was designated as a formal imperial residence. On May 20, 1906 (Meiji 39), the grounds were opened to the public for one day for the National Railroad Five Thousand Miles Celebration. In March 1910 (Meiji 43), bronze shachi brought from Edo Castle were added to the roofs of the small keep and corner turrets. In February 1911 (Meiji 44), the former Hasuike Gate of Edo Castle was transported and reconstructed on the remains of the Nishinomaru-Enoki Gate, which today is used as the main visitors gate. In 1923 (Taishō 12), the southwest turret was repaired.

On December 11, 1930 (Shōwa 5), ownership of the castle was transferred from the Imperial Household Ministry to the City of Nagoya, thus abolishing its status as an imperial villa. In the same month, 24 structures on the castle grounds were designated as national treasures. On February 11, 1931 (Shōwa 6), the grounds were opened to the general public. The next decade saw conservation and archaeological activities and the castle was scientifically documented. In May 1932 (Shōwa 7), a field survey and measurement of the castle were carried out. In July of that year, the old Kayanoki (Japanese nutmeg) tree in the Nishinomaru was designated as a national monument. In December the castle was designated a historical site. In 1936 (Shōwa 11), the Sarumen Tea House (猿面) in the Ninomaru was designated as a national treasure. In June 1942 (Shōwa 17), some of the Honmaru Palace paintings were designated as national treasures. Most of the sliding doors and paintings were put into storage as World War II threatened the Japanese mainland.

thumb|World War II bombing by the U.S. Army Air Forces destroyed Nagoya Castle in 1945

During World War II, the castle was used as the Tokai district army headquarters and the administration office of the Nagoya POW camp. The aerial bombardments of Nagoya by the United States Army Air Forces as part of the air raids on Japan brought the most destruction to the castle in its entire history. In January 1945 (Shōwa 20), the Sarumen Tea House was destroyed in air raids. On May 14, the main keep, small keep, golden shachi, Honmaru Palace, northeast turret, and other buildings were completely destroyed in air raids. In June of that year, some of the paintings saved from Honmaru Palace were moved for safekeeping to the Haiho Shrine, Toyota-shi. They returned in May 1946 (Shōwa 21).

The castle's surviving former national treasures, which included the southwest, southeast, and northwest turrets, the Omote-Ninomon Gate, and some of the Honmaru Palace paintings were redesignated as Important Cultural Assets by the national government. In 1953 the southeast turret was dismantled for repairs. The Ninomaru Garden was designated a place of scenic beauty. In June 1955 (Shōwa 30), most of the Honmaru Palace paintings—and exactly a year later, the ceiling panel paintings—were designated national important culture assets. In 1957 (Shōwa 32), reconstruction of the castle keeps was started. Second-generation golden shachi were cast in the Osaka Mint and transported to the castle. On October 3, 1959, reconstruction of the two keeps was completed, and the buildings were opened to the public. The next few decades saw further renovation work. In March 1964 (Shōwa 39), the northwest turret was dismantled for repairs. In 1967 (Shōwa 42), the Ninomon of the western iron gate was dismantled for repairs. In 1972 (Shōwa 47), the stone walls at the west side of the East Iron Gate of the Ninomaru were dismantled. The wooden Ninomon was dismantled and later rebuilt at the east Ninomon Gate of the Honmaru.

thumb|left|Restored Jōdan-no-ma (上段之間) in the Jōraku-den (上洛殿) of the Honmaru Palace (2018)

21st century and future plans

In preparation for Expo 2005, English-language plaques were added to most displays, and a 3D movie showing the paintings in was created for the anticipated large number of visitors. Reconstruction work of the destroyed Honmaru Palace began in 2009 and was completed by 2018. Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura announced plans in 2009 to completely reconstruct in wood the main towers that were destroyed during World War II, just as in the original structure. The budget to reconstruct the main towers was estimated at billions of yen. After negotiations with the national authorities, the plan was approved and in July 2017 the city officially launched the fundraising campaign. The platform for international online donations opened in 2020. The goal was to reconstruct the main tower by 2022. Collection of necessary hinoki timber started in the forests of Gifu prefecture in 2019.

The city has plans to further restore Honmaru and Ninomaru structures where photographic evidence and architectural drawings exist such as various turrets, gates and defensive walls. This would also entail moving out existing modern structures on the grounds.

Layout

The castle complex is made up of five enceintes divided by an outer (Soto-bori) and inner moat (Uchi-bori). Each enceinte is protected by walls with turrets strategically located at each corner. Access from one enceinte to the next was controlled by guarded gates that were accessible by bridges. The castle is a good example of the type built on flat land.

The Honmaru enceinte is in the centre of the complex, containing the main and minor keep, along with the palace. The Ninomaru enceinte is located to the east, the Nishinomaru to the west, the Ofukemaru, also known as the Fukaimaru, to the northwest, and the Sannomaru around the east and south. To the north was the Ofuke-niwa (御深井庭) or Ofuke-oniwa (御深井御庭). The Ofuke Garden was a pleasure garden centering on a large pond that was left over from the low marshland that existed on the north side of the castle when the castle was built, and served as a defense. The pond had a number of small islands and the area was cultivated as a Japanese garden. This part became the public Meijō Park in 1931. Located west of the Ofuke Garden was lord Tokugawa Naritomo's Shin Goten (新御殿 New Palace) in what is today Horibata-chō (堀端町).

Kaya tree

thumb|left|The old [[Torreya nucifera|Kaya tree predates the castle]]

An old Kaya (Torreya nucifera) tree is located close to the Nishinomaru-enokida Gate to the north. Its height is 16 metres and it is eight metres at the base. Over 600 years old, the tree was already there when the castle was constructed. It is the only government-designated natural monument in Nagoya. The tree regained its viability despite damage from air raids in 1945. Tokugawa Yoshinao, the first feudal lord of Owari, and thus the castle, is said to have decorated his dinner tray with torreya nuts from this tree before going into battle in Osaka, and later for New Year's celebrations. Nishinomaru Warehouses Castle Treasure Hall) is located where the third and fourth warehouses were and was opened on November 1, 2021 and exhibits important cultural properties such as the fusuma paintings of the Honmaru Palace. It also showcases the history and persons of the castle. Further excavations will be carried out in the future to reveal and clarify the original layout of the storehouses.

Initially used as the primary residence of the Owari lords, it was later converted to a guesthouse and administrative office when the court moved to the Ninomaru. The palace has over 30 rooms and covers an area of 3,100 square metres. The architecture is in the formal shoin-zukuri style.

Omote Shoin (表書院 Main Hall)
Taimenjo (対面所 Reception Hall)
Jorakuden (上洛殿 Shogun Accommodation Facilities)
Kuroki Shoin (黒木書院 Inner Reception Hall)
Oyudono Shoin (湯殿書院 Bathing Room)

While the majority of the palace's halls and rooms are a museum, some rooms with no decorations, such as the Peacock Room, can be used for seminars and events.

Southwest turret

thumb|left|Southwest turret

The southwest turret (南西隅櫓 Seinan-sumi Yagura) is also called the Hitsuji-saru (未申 goat-monkey) turret because these two animals denoted the direction of the earthly branches. It is three stories tall with a two-level roof. On the west and south sides, trap doors project below the lower-level roof, which were designed for dropping stones on attackers in defense of the castle. The symbol of the chrysanthemum, the Imperial Seal of Japan, can be seen on the ridge-end tiles. The first gate burnt down in the air raid of 1945, leaving only the stone basis and the smaller second gate. Since the second gate is in its original state, it has been designated an Important Cultural Asset.

The job of constructing the castle walls was divided among twenty feudal lords, including Katō Kiyomasa. The walls of the keep were built by the Katō family and the cornerstones of the building bear the inscriptions of the family members in charge of the construction. Those of Katō and his retainers can be seen on the northeast corner. There are marks of figures of triangles in circles in the stone walls of the castle, as well as the rough outlines of folding fans, war fans, and other objects. These are called kokumon (carved crests), and represent the different daimyō lords and their vassals who were apportioned sections in the construction. The signs were carved into the stone so that there would be no mistake as to which lord contributed which stone in the transportation, and to avoid disputes. Some of the foundation stones of the main castle tower were moved to a lawn on the north side during the 1959 reconstruction due to damage from the immense heat of the fire and subsequent collapse of the tower.

The stone wall supporting the keep was constructed by a technique called ogi kobai or "fan sloping", by which the upper part of the wall is curved outward like a fan. This wall is also called the Kiyomasa-style Crescent Stone Wall, after the general and engineer Katō Kiyomasa, who was in charge of its construction. The fan sloping technique was used to prevent swelling by curving the middle portion of the wall inward, thereby evenly balancing the stone weight against the pressure of sand and earth within.

There is a roofless corridor between the main and the small keep. The walls in this corridor were earthen and stone. Mounted on the outer part of the west side are numerous 30 centimetre-long spearheads

The northern kinshachi is male, has a height of , weighs ( of which is gold), and has 112 scales. The southern kinshachi is female, has a height of , weighs (of which is gold), and has 126 scales. Both shachi are covered with 18-carat gold plate thick.

Palace Camellia

thumb|left|Camellia japonica tree

There was once a Camellia japonica tree somewhere in the garden south of Honmaru Palace. It was called Palace Camellia (御殿椿 Goten tsubaki). Since the Edo period this tree was considered to be a secret treasure of the Owari domain. It blossomed every spring producing large white flowers. The original tree was thought to have been killed when the castle burned down during an air raid in 1945, but new buds started to grow from the charred stump. The current tree was grafted from the original in 1955 and continues to grow today.

Fumei Gate

thumb|Fumei Gate

The Fumei Gate (Fumei-mon) is located in the Tamon Wall, which leads into the Honmaru. It was always locked securely and therefore known as "the gate that never opens". The wall is called a "sword wall", because spearheads under the eaves prevented penetration by spies or attackers. The gate was destroyed in an air raid on May 14, 1945. It was reconstructed to its original form in March 1978.

Ninomaru

thumb|left|Model of the Ninomaru palace and its garden, seen from north

The is thought to have been completed in 1617. Tokugawa Yoshinao, the first feudal lord of Owari, moved to this palace from Honmaru Palace in 1620. Besides serving as the residence of the lord, the palace functioned as the administrative center of the feudal government. It was further extended and renovated in later years.

Three chief retainers of the Owari branch were executed in the Ninomaru Palace in 1868 in what became known as the Aomatsuba Incident. Early in the Shōwa period, around 1926, a monument was erected at the execution site. The exact site is unknown; it is thought to have taken place 100 metres south of the current site of the monument. The stone stele was re-erected after the original one disappeared.

The Ninomaru existed until the Kaei period (1848–54). Facilities for conducting clan affairs, residences for retainers, gardens, and stables (Mukaiyashiki) were located there. The western two-thirds of the area was known as the Oshiro (the castle), while the eastern one-third was called Ninomaru Goten (the palace). The gardens originally included flowering trees, stone lanterns, and a traditional Japanese-style tea arbour. After the Meiji Restoration, the original was demolished to build army barracks, but it was restored and designated as an official scenic spot after the war. A reconstruction of one of the Noh stages of the Ninomaru can also be seen in the museum.

Another stone stele is also located in the Ninomaru honouring the Tokugawa clan army methods.

The ninth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu and leader of the Owari clan, Tokugawa Yoshinao, authored a book on warfare tactics called the Gunsho-gōkan (軍書合鑑). The inscriptions on this stone monument are 「王命に依って催さるる事」「藩訓秘伝之跡」.

The book, which was passed down from generation to generation, contains diverse Tokugawa family war tactics. The stone's inscription is distinctive since it expresses a political philosophy of obeisance to the Emperor. At the start of the Meiji Restoration, the Tokugawa dynasty, who were in power at the time, announced that they would adhere to this idea and follow the Emperor.

Ninomaru Second Great Gate

The Ninomaru Second Great Gate (二之丸大手二之門 Ninomaru Ōte Ni-no-mon) along with the Ichinomon (first gate), which has been dismantled, were known as the Nishikurogane gate and served as the main entrance to the Ninomaru enceinte. It is located on the south side of the west face of the Ninomaru. The remaining gate is in the Kōrai-mon (高麗門 "Goryeo Gate") style. It is registered as an Important Cultural Property.

Former Ninomaru Second East Gate

thumb|left|Former Ninomaru second east gate

The former Ninomaru Second East Gate (二之丸東二之門 Ninomaru Higashi Ni-no-mon), also called the East Iron Gate, was the outer gate of the Ninomaru enceinte on the east side. It was a box-like structure with two separate gates opening into and out of the enclosure. The remaining gate is in the Kōrai-mon (高麗門 "Goryeo Gate") style. It was probably constructed around Keichō 17 (1614). In 1963 the gate was dismantled and stored temporarily to make way for the construction of the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium. In 1972 the gate was relocated to the site of the old Honmaru east gate, where it stands today. The gate is inscribed as an Important Cultural Property.

Uzumi Gate

thumb|Remains of the Uzumi Gate

The Uzumi Gate (埋御門 Uzumi Go-mon) led to a tunnel that ran beneath the castle walls. This tunnel was the secret escape route to be used by the lord of the castle during times of emergency. The remains of the entrance can be found in the northwest part of the Ninomaru garden. Steep wooden stairs led down to the water moat. The lord could cross the moat by boat to reach the Ofukemaru garden on the opposite side. He could then use a secret escape route to reach the Kisokaidō by way of Doishita (土居下), Kachigawa (勝川), and Jōkō-ji (Seto).

Namban Wall

thumb|left|Namban earthen wall

The remains of the Nanban ("European") wall can be seen north of the Ninomaru garden, running from east to west on top of the stone wall. This sturdy wall was constructed using the European plaster method topped with tiles, and had many round gunports. Today this wall is considered to be a unique feature to Nagoya Castle and has been designed an important cultural asset.

Ninomaru garden

thumb|Plan of the Ninomaru garden from the Oshiro Oniwa-ezu, Edo period

thumb|left|Ninomaru garden

The garden of the Ninomaru palace was built between 1615 and 1623 under Tokugawa Yoshinao, at the same time when the palace was constructed. The sanctuary on the north side of the palace was its centrepiece. It was transformed into a Japanese dry landscape garden in 1716. The boundaries around the garden featured pavilions, gates, and a library (御文庫). Many large rocks are within its boundaries. On top of the hill the thickly growing trees offered the lord protection from enemies by providing a hiding place and a secret escape route. These characteristics of the garden have faded over the years, but the basic structure still remains. The garden has been expanded and undergone restorations over the years, especially between 1818 and 1829/1830 under the tenure of Tokugawa Naritomo. with the area under protection expanded in 2018. Excavations started in 2016 to uncover the historic remains and plans exist to recreate the original layout and features.

This dry landscape garden covers an area of and is separated into north and south areas. The north half of the garden retains more of the shape of the original garden. The pond, surrounded by five artificial mountains, has several islands. There are various kinds of walkways around the garden, including a stone bridge, a mountain pathway, and a shoreline path. The pond represents a ravine with many round rocks.

The garden has many high-quality trees from various regions throughout Japan and some of them, including the pines, have medicinal uses. Located in the garden is a modern teahouse constructed of hinoki cypress from the Kiso region. A tatami mat room and a washing room are located inside. depicted in Oshiro Oniwa Ezu, were found in the course of an excavation survey and faithfully restored. The drain is thought to be the remains of a stone culvert for channeling rainwater, as mentioned in the Kinjō Onkoroku (金城温古録) document. Even today, rainwater is channeled to the moat through this drain. The stone materials of the culvert include granite for the lid and hard sandstone for the sides. According to the drawing, there was also a flower bed nearby.

Tea houses

thumb|left|Site of the Sōketsu-tei tea house

Six chashitsu tea houses were located in the old Ninomaru garden, which were the Tashun-en (多春園), Yamashita Oseki (山下御席), Yohō-tei (余芳), Fūshin-tei (風信), Sōketsu-tei (霜傑亭) and the Sarumen Chaseki (猿面茶席). of the Ninomaru, the Yamashita Oseki in north at the foot of Mount Gongen, Yohō-tei in the centre, and Fūshin-tei towards the south next to the palace. The Sarumen Chaseki was located at the eastern border. A reconstruction of it is located in the tea house area of the Ofukemaru and in the Tokugawa Museum. The Sōketsu-tei (霜傑亭), the largest one, was located in the northeastern part and was built in the sukiya style. In an excavation survey, a site was identified almost exactly matching that of the Sōketsu-tei as depicted in Oniwa Ezu. Today, cobblestones are placed to mark where tatami mats would have been, rubble and plaster where the hallway was, and gravel on the other surfaces for an easy understanding of the original structure.

When the old Ninomaru garden was destroyed, two teahouses were sold off to private citizens, dismantled and set up in different locations:

The Yohō-tei (余芳) was a teahouse with four-and-a-half tatami size. In the first year of the Meiji era, it was acquired by a private individual. It was transferred twice more, in 1892 (Meiji 25) and 1939 (Showa 14), close to Higashi Ōte Station. It is registered by the city as a Cultural Property. In 2022 the city council debated the moving of the teahouse back. The Watanabe Komuten carpentry company was tasked with the restoration in preparation of the relocation.

The Fūshin-tei (風信) is located close to Jōshin Station in Nishi-ku. It is the only warehouse that has survived in the Ofukemaru.

This warehouse is a one-story brick building with white plastered walls, small windows on the side, and a Japanese-styled tiled roof. Its size is 89.25 square metres: 12.28 metres from east to west, 8.6 metres from north to south, and 7.68 metres in height. The size of the ancillary gunpowder depot is 13.12 square metres. The building is characterised by its arched entrance, underfloor area, and white-coloured masonry plaster at the corners of the building. The doors are covered with copper sheets, and there are four small windows on the sides. It is designated an important cultural asset.

Sarumen Chaseki (猿面茶席), formerly a National Treasure, was reconstructed in this place in 1949 (Shōwa 24).

Kinjō-en (金城苑 "Golden Castle Garden") is a shoin (書院) hall that was designed by Morikawa Kanichirō (森川勘一郎, 1887－1980), a regional tea master and expert on ancient culture. It contains a 10-tatami, an eight tatami and a five tatami room. The long girder in the front corridor was originally used as a flagpole when Emperor Showa visited Nagoya Castle on the way to his enthronement in 1928.

Ofuke-niwa

North of the Ofukemaru across the moat was a large garden area with a lotus pond and smaller buildings called Ofuke-niwa (御深井庭) or Ofuke-oniwa (御深井御庭). A kiln was located in the Ofuke garden starting around 1670 where Ofukei ware, related to Seto ware, was produced. Another ceramic ware produced on an island is called Hagiyama ware. Both are classified as Oniwa-yaki (garden ware).

The southern part of the garden had three tea houses and smaller pavilions, while the northern half consisted of agricultural rice fields.

This area today is the Meijō Park.

Sannomaru

thumb|Remains of the Honmachi Gate (本町門) at the Sannomaru enceinte

The southern and easternmost part of the castle complex was the third enceinte Sannomaru (三の丸), which formed the border to the town. It was surrounded by moats, stone walls and had five gates from east to west the Shimizu-mon (清水門), Higashi-mon (東門) or Higashi Ōtemon (東大手門), Honmachi-mon (本町門), Misono-mon (御園門), and the Habashita-mon (巾下門).

The northern part of the Sannomaru consisted of a number of shrines and temples to protect the castle, especially from east to west the Tennōsha (天王社), the Tōshō-gū (東照宮), along the Taitokuin-den (台徳院殿), the Taiyūin-den (大猷院殿), and the Genyūin-den (厳有院殿). The Tennōsha was dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the Tōshō-gū to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate, the Taitokuin-den to Tokugawa Hidetada, the second shōgun, the Taiyūin-den to Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shōgun, and the Genyūin-den to Tokugawa Ietsuna, the fourth shōgun.

The main part of the Sannomaru south of the shrines consisted of residences of important retainers. None of the residences survived into the modern era. The former vestibule of the Shimizu (志水家) residence was however saved and relocated to Jōshin as the main gate of the house of the Oya family. The Fushin-tei tea house, formerly in the Ninomaru, was also relocated to the garden of the house.

A number of stone basis of the entry gates and moats are still extant. The area is now occupied by governmental buildings. On the eastern side the Higashi Ōte Station is named after the site of the nearby Higashi Ōtemon (東大手門). The road around the moats is the Sotobori-dōri (Outer Moat Road).

Located further south just outside of the Sannomaru was the Meirindō (明倫堂). This Confucian school was established in 1783 under the 9th lord of Owari Province, Tokugawa Munechika (1733-1799), as a school for clan retainers and officials. The school closed in 1871. The hall however was relocated and became the main hall of the Eishō-ji (永照寺) in Hashima, Gifu during the Meiji era.

The eastern part of the Sannomaru contained the Sannomaru Oyakata auxiliary residences of the Owari lords. The area was converted in the Meiji era to military grounds and later given to housing and Nagoya Medical Center.

Located in the area are the subway stations such as Nagoyajo Station to the south and Meijō Kōen Station to the north. Nagoyajo Station's exit 7 is constructed as a Kōrai-mon.

Sacred landscape

thumb|Depiction of the Tennōsha, from the [[Owari meisho zue, Edo period]]

thumb|Depiction of the Tōshō-gū, from the Owari meisho zue

The castle formed part of a broader religious and political landscape integrating Shinto and Buddhist institutions. Within the Sannomaru precinct, the principal guardian shrine was the Tennōsha (天王社), later known as Nagoya Shrine (那古野神社), which enshrined Gozu Tennō, a deity subsequently identified with Susanoo-no-Mikoto. The shrine functioned as the primary tutelary shrine (鎮守社, chinju) of the castle and was historically associated with its protective spiritual role.

In addition to this local protective cult, the Tokugawa established Nagoya Tōshō-gū, a shrine dedicated to the deified Tokugawa Ieyasu (Tōshō Daigongen). This shrine was originally constructed within the castle’s Sannomaru in 1619 and served to connect the site to the broader network of Tōshō-gū shrines across Japan, including Nikkō Tōshō-gū.

The Tennōsha held particular importance within the sacred landscape of the castle because it represented the primary layer of spatial and communal protection. As a shrine dedicated to Gozu Tennō it belonged to a widespread class of “Tennō shrines” associated with the prevention of epidemics, fires, and other calamities affecting urban populations. Such shrines were commonly established as guardian deities (鎮守, chinju) of castle towns, reflecting ancient beliefs linking social order and environmental stability to the proper veneration of protective kami. In the case of Nagoya Castle, the Tennōsha functioned not only as the immediate spiritual protector of the castle precincts but also as the tutelary deity of the surrounding castle town (城下町), integrating political authority with ritual protection at the local level.

This role distinguished it from Tōshō-gū, which expressed dynastic legitimacy through the deification of Tokugawa Ieyasu. While the Tōshō-gū linked Nagoya symbolically to the Tokugawa polity as a whole, the Tennōsha operated as the essential site-specific protector, ensuring the safety and continuity of the castle and its population.

The Tokugawa sacred system extended to mortuary temple complexes commemorating successive shoguns. Posthumous titles such as Taitokuin-den (台徳院殿, Tokugawa Hidetada), Taiyūin-den (大猷院殿, Tokugawa Iemitsu), and Genyūin-den (厳有院殿, Tokugawa Ietsuna) refer to Buddhist funerary cults maintained at small temples next to the two shrines. These were connected to places such as Zōjō-ji in Edo and Nikkō, forming part of a wider network of ritual and political authority.

During the Meiji era, the abolition of feudal domains and the policy of separating Shinto and Buddhism (shinbutsu bunri) led to the removal of key shrines from the castle grounds. The Tennōsha and Tōshō-gū were relocated in 1876, disrupting the original sacred configuration of the castle. As such, the removal of the Tennōsha from the castle grounds in the Meiji era was not only a physical relocation but also represented the loss of the castle’s original ritual core.

Festivals

thumb|Depiction of the procession of floats at the Tōshōgū Festival (Owari Meisho Zue, Page 6 from Part 1, Volume 1)

During the Edo period, Nagoya Castle functioned not only as the political center of the Owari Domain but also as a focal point of the region’s ritual and festival life. Unlike most Japanese castles, which remained largely separate from urban religious activity, Nagoya Castle was closely integrated into the ceremonial life of its surrounding castle town. While festivals in other castle towns were typically held outside the political center, Nagoya’s principal festivals were directly linked to shrines located within or adjacent to the castle grounds, particularly the Tennōsha and the Tōshō-gū.

Several major festivals were associated with these shrines, most notably the Tōshōgū Festival (東照宮祭), held in honor of Tokugawa Ieyasu. This large-scale celebration featured elaborate processions, performances, and festival floats (山車, dashi). It became the most prominent festival in Nagoya and, before the Pacific War, was often referred to simply as the “Nagoya Festival.”

In addition to the Tōshōgū Festival, the Tennō Festival associated with the Tennōsha and the Wakamiya Festival of Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine were also major annual events, collectively known as the “Three Great Festivals of Nagoya.” These festivals structured the ceremonial life of the castle town and reflected the close relationship between religious practice, urban space, and political authority.

Festival processions were closely connected to the castle itself, with floats and portable shrines historically passing through or entering the castle precincts in order to perform rituals at the Tennōsha and Tōshō-gū. In some instances, festival floats were brought inside the castle grounds, emphasizing the site’s role as both a political and ceremonial center. This degree of interaction between townspeople and castle space was relatively unusual, as castles generally functioned as restricted administrative complexes with limited public access. In Nagoya, however, the integration of castle, shrine, and procession created a unified ritual landscape.

Following the Meiji Restoration, the relocation of shrines from the castle grounds and the reorganization of religious institutions led to the decline of this integrated system. The destruction of many historical buildings and festival floats during the Pacific War further contributed to its disappearance. The modern Nagoya Festival, first held in 1955, is regarded as a civic successor that preserves elements of these earlier traditions in a secularized form.

Plants and animals

The Ninomaru gardens and other areas such as the Ofukemaru have a wide variety of flora. In spring, Japanese cherry, wisteria, camellia, and peony bloom. In the summer it is iris, crape myrtle, plantain lily, and hydrangea; in autumn the confederate rose, Japanese quince and crape myrtle, and in winter the Japanese witch hazel, Japanese quince, wintersweet, and Japanese plum that bloom. During the summer, Sika deer can be observed grazing in the moats that are dry and covered with grass. Various birds, such as ducks and songbirds, inhabit the castle grounds as their sanctuary in the middle of the city.

Chrysanthemum exhibition

thumb|left|Nagoya Castle Chrysanthemum Competition 2018

The Nagoya Castle Chrysanthemum exhibition started after the end of World War II. Chrysanthemum cultivation began in Japan during the Nara and Heian periods (early 8th to late 12th centuries), and gained popularity in the Edo period. Many flower shapes, colours, and varieties were created. The way the flowers were grown and shaped also developed, and chrysanthemum culture flourished. The event at the castle has become a tradition for the city. With three categories, it is one of the largest events of its kind in the region by both scale and content. The first category is the exhibition of cultivated flowers. The second category is for chrysanthemum bonsai flowers, which are combined with dead pieces of wood to give the illusion of miniature trees. The third category is the creation of miniature landscapes.

Kinshachi Yokocho

thumb|Kinshachi Yokocho

Kinshachi Yokocho (金シャチ横丁) is a commercial and cultural complex located at the base of the castle. Opened in 2018 as part of a redevelopment initiative by the city, it is designed to recreate the atmosphere of an Edo period castle town while promoting local culture and cuisine. The complex is situated immediately outside the castle’s main entrances, extending along the areas near both the main (Seimon) gate and the east gate, and occupies former sections of the castle’s Sannomaru precinct. It consists of two distinct zones—the Yoshinao Zone near the main gate, emphasizing traditional architecture and established regional dishes, and the Muneharu Zone near the east gate, featuring more modern interpretations of Nagoya’s culinary culture. Located directly adjacent to the castle walls, it serves both as a tourist facility and a symbolic revival of the historic castle town (城下町) that once surrounded the site.

References

Literature

Benesch, Oleg. "Castles and the Militarisation of Urban Society in Imperial Japan", Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Vol. 28 (Dec. 2018), pp. 107-134.
Jennifer Mitchelhill. Castles of the Samurai: Power and Beauty. Kodansha. 2004.
Stephen Turnbull. Japanese Castles 1540–1640. Osprey Publishing. 2003.
Stephen Turnbull. Strongholds of the Samurai: Japanese Castles 250–1877. Osprey Publishing. 2009.