SilkCode LibraryCastles of Japan
No. 087Kyushu & OkinawaSaga

Nagoya Castle (Saga)

名護屋城

Ruins & historic sites

This vast castle was built for Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s invasions of Korea. Around it lie the sites of camps established by daimyo summoned from across Japan.

Grassy stone walls at Nagoya Castle in Saga Prefecture
Grassy stone walls at Nagoya Castle in Saga PrefecturePhoto: Aboshi at Japanese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized and converted to WebP. Cards crop the display.This photograph shows the site at the time it was taken. Check the notes and official sources for current restoration work and access.

Get to know the castle

Castle at a glance

Site & layout
Campaign headquarters with a surrounding network of military camps
Origins
Built for the campaigns beginning in 1592
Builders & patrons
Built on Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s orders
Other names
Hizen Nagoya Castle
What remains today
Keep platform, walls, enclosures and surrounding daimyo camp remains

THE STORY

The story behind the walls

Hideyoshi ordered the castle as a base for his invasions of Korea. Daimyo gathered here for the campaigns beginning in 1592. More than 130 camps are recorded around the main castle. Its military role ended after Hideyoshi’s death and the Japanese withdrawal in 1598. The castle and selected camp sites are now protected as a Special Historic Site, with continuing research and conservation.

LAYOUT & ARCHITECTURE

Read the landscape and the buildings.

A large central castle occupied the hills, surrounded by numerous daimyo camps. Understanding both its walls and keep platform and the outlying camps reveals the full military complex. With few buildings remaining, enclosure boundaries and entrances are read through the terrain.

A CLOSER LOOK

Details worth a closer look.

01

Expansive castle grounds

The main castle alone occupied roughly 17 hectares. Moving between enclosures conveys a scale no single building could show.

02

Surrounding camp sites

Camp sites around the castle reveal its role as a gathering place for the campaigns. Distinguishing the main castle from the camps clarifies the daimyo arrangements.

03

Nagoya Castle Museum

The adjoining prefectural museum provides context for the castle and its surrounding camps. Interpretation adds the vanished buildings and the campaigns’ historical context.

THROUGH THE YEARS

A short timeline

  1. 1592

    The invasions of Korea begin with Nagoya as a military base.

  2. 1598

    Hideyoshi’s death and withdrawal end its role.

  3. 1993

    The prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum opens.

BEFORE YOU GO

A note before you go.

The castle and daimyo camps cover a wide area. Use museum guidance and official maps to choose which sites to visit.

Official visitor information ↗Find it on a map ↗

Information checked: 27 September 2026

Sources & official information

Some official sources are available in Japanese only.

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