SilkCode LibraryCastles of Japan
No. 044Hokuriku & TokaiAichi

Nagoya Castle

名古屋城

Reconstructed buildings

The Owari Tokugawa castle is known for its golden roof ornaments and reconstructed Honmaru Palace. Its keep, palace and surviving turrets represent different periods of construction and preservation.

The reconstructed keep of Nagoya Castle with its layered green roofs
The reconstructed keep of Nagoya Castle with its layered green roofsPhoto: Bariston · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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
Flatland castle
Origins
Early Edo period; original keep 1612, present keep 1959
Builders & patrons
Built by daimyo under Tokugawa Ieyasu’s orders
Other names
Kinshachijo; Kinjo and other names
What remains today
Historic turrets, gates and walls; rebuilt keep and reconstructed palace

THE STORY

The story behind the walls

Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered Nagoya Castle as part of the shogunate’s western defences. The keep was completed in 1612 and the castle became the seat of the Owari Tokugawa. Air raids destroyed the keep in 1945; the present structure dates to 1959. More recently the Honmaru Palace was reconstructed, while the keep interior remains closed because of age and seismic safety concerns.

LAYOUT & ARCHITECTURE

Read the landscape and the buildings.

Moats and walls divide a broad lowland site into inner and outer precincts. The paired keeps and large stone platform mark its centre. Palace rooms, turrets and gates reveal the separate spaces of residence, government and defence.

A CLOSER LOOK

Details worth a closer look.

01

The keep from outside

The present keep was reconstructed in 1959. Its interior is closed as of September 2026, so visitors view the tower and its stone base from outside.

02

Honmaru Palace

Reconstructed rooms and decoration explain the lord’s formal surroundings. The palace represents ceremony and hospitality, a different role from the keep.

03

Turrets and stone walls

Historic turrets, gates and stone walls also survive. They show why the castle should not be treated as one uniformly modern reconstruction.

THROUGH THE YEARS

A short timeline

  1. 1612

    The original keep was completed.

  2. 1945

    Air raids destroyed the keep and other buildings.

  3. 1959

    The present keep was reconstructed.

BEFORE YOU GO

A note before you go.

The keep interior is closed as of September 2026. Check the separate visiting information for Honmaru Palace and other areas you wish to see.

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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