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Nagoya Castle

Castles & palaces ·Naka ·Open now
4.249.7K
#3Castles & palaces in JapanMost reviewed in NakaTravelers' Choice 2026
  • from JPY 1000
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About

Nagoya Castle in Naka, Nagoya: seat of the Owari-Tokugawa until 1868, a special historic site, 5 minutes' walk from Shiyakusho station.

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Nagoya Castle

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What's on here

那古野城とはどんな城だったのか？ 那古野城とはどんな城だったのか？ Friday · All day 名古屋城の森づくり 「古事の森」ガイドツアー in中津川 名古屋城の森づくり 「古事の森」ガイドツアー in中津川 Sunday · All day 名古屋城検定 申込受付（2026年） 名古屋城検定 申込受付（2026年） Sunday · All day 本丸御殿すす払い参加者募集のお知らせ 本丸御殿すす払い参加者募集のお知らせ Saturday · All day

Why go

  • The two golden shachi at either end of the topmost roof: gilded figures of the mythical shachihoko.
  • Honmaru Palace, over 30 rooms in 3,100 square metres, open to the public since 2018.
  • The main tower, which had the largest total floor area in history; closed to visitors since 2018.
  • The old camellia: over 600 years old, the only government-designated natural monument in Nagoya, and regrown from a charred stump after 1945.

Opening hours

Today09:00 – 16:30Show all
Monday09:00 – 16:30
Tuesday09:00 – 16:30
Wednesday09:00 – 16:30
Thursday09:00 – 16:30
Friday09:00 – 16:30
Saturday09:00 – 16:30
Sunday09:00 – 16:30

Know before you go

  • Open every day from 09:00 to 16:30.
  • Closed for four days around the turn of the year.
  • The main keep has been closed to visitors since 2018 due to aging systems and weak earthquake safety; the keep and similar buildings cannot be entered.
  • The castle hosts events through the year and publishes a yearly schedule.

Legends and hidden details

  • According to legend, the shachi is one of the dragon's nine sons.
  • In traditional architecture, shachi were used as talismans to prevent fires.
  • The old camellia was long kept as a secret treasure of the Owari domain.

What's inside

  • Most Honmaru Palace paintings were designated national important cultural assets in 1955.
  • The Kanō school fusuma paintings survived the war in storage.
  • A museum opened on 1 November 2021 on the site of the third and fourth rice warehouses, showing the Honmaru fusuma paintings.
  • The treasure house in the west enclosure is about a 5-minute walk from the main gate.

Tips for your visit

  • Parking: the front-gate lot holds 308 standard cars, and a second lot holds 123.
  • Large vehicles: the large-vehicle parking holds 18 large vehicles and 10 small microbuses.
  • The main tower has been closed to visitors since 2018, so do not plan a visit to it.

Best time to visit

  • Seasonal flowering trees are among the main sights on the grounds.

Interesting facts10

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  1. Thieves have taken the golden shachi three times since the Meiji era.

    Nagoya Castle - Wikipedia

  2. Meijō is the short name, and many Nagoya city institutions use it.

    Nagoya Castle - Wikipedia

  3. The keep's wall bends outward in a fan shape, a method called ogi kobai.

    Nagoya Castle - Wikipedia

  4. Carved crest marks called kokumon were cut into the stones so that lords could not dispute who had supplied each one.

    Nagoya Castle - Wikipedia

  5. The last gold layer was hammered out of gold coins pounded into thin sheets.

    Nagoya Castle - Wikipedia

  6. Floor openings called chutes let gunners fire straight down over a wide area.

    Nagoya Castle - Wikipedia

  7. The Fumei Gate was always locked, so people nicknamed it the gate that never opens.

    Nagoya Castle - Wikipedia

  8. It was the first castle to receive national treasure status.

    名古屋城公式ウェブサイト

  9. It later lost national treasure status but kept its standing as a special historic site.

    Château de Nagoya (Aichi) - Wikipedia

  10. Twenty-four structures on the grounds hold national treasure designation.

    Nagoya Castle - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

A residence of the lords stood here by 1433. Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the new castle in 1609, with help from various daimyō. A large-scale restoration in 1752 corrected the tilt of the keep. The castle then served as the seat of the Owari-Tokugawa until 1868, and in the Edo era it was the heart of Nagoya-juku, a castle town on the Minoji road. Part of the grounds became the public Meijō Park in 1931. The palace has been open to the public since 2018, after its rebuilding began in 2009.

  1. 1532Oda Nobuhide took the fortress on the site.
  2. 1610Work began in January 1610, after the site was roped off, and twenty feudal lords were sent to help build the walls.
  3. 1612The main keep was completed in December 1612.
  4. 1930Ownership passed to the city of Nagoya.
  5. 1945Air raids in May 1945 destroyed the main keep, the small keep and Honmaru Palace.
Show all
  1. 1952The original complex was declared a tokubetsu shiseki, a special historic site.
  2. 1959The two keeps were rebuilt and opened to the public.
  3. 2009–2018The Honmaru Palace was rebuilt faithfully to the original in three phases.

Tours and audio guides

Free English tour
Free, in English Led by volunteer English-speaking Japanese guides, sometimes.

How to get there

  • 5 minTrainSubway: Shiyakusho station, exit 7. About a 5-minute walk to the castle.
  • BusCity bus line 13 stops in front of the main gate.
  • BusSightseeing loop bus stops right at the castle stop.
  • 15 minTrainPrivate rail line stop, about a 15-minute walk away.
  • 4 minTrainTemporary SRT stop, about a 4-minute walk away. The stop is temporary until about spring 2027.
  • 5 minBusMain bus line 2 stops at the city hall, about a 5-minute walk away.
  • 5 minBoatRiver cruise landing, about a 5-minute walk away.
  • 8 minCarFrom one expressway exit, about 8 minutes by car.

Sources: Nagoya Castle - Wikipedia · Nagoya - Wikivoyage (see) · 名古屋城公式ウェブサイト · アクセス | 名古屋城公式ウェブサイト · 前史・那古野城跡 | 名古屋城の歴史 | 名古屋城について | 名古屋城公式ウェブサイト · Burg Nagoya - Wikipedia · Château de Nagoya (Aichi) - Wikipedia · checked 20 Oct 2026

Where
460-0031 Naka 1-1 Honmaru, Naka

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

What is the address and phone number of Nagoya Castle?

The address is 460-0031 Naka 1-1 Honmaru. The phone number is +81 52-231-1700.

Is Nagoya Castle a national treasure?

The castle was listed as a national treasure in 1930 and later lost that status. It has been a special historic site since 1952, and 24 structures on the grounds hold national treasure designation.

What other names does Nagoya Castle have?

Visitors also see Meijō, the short name used by many Nagoya city institutions. The castle was also called Kinjō, meaning Golden Castle.

Is there a free English tour of Nagoya Castle?

Volunteer English-speaking Japanese guides sometimes lead free tours. The castle can confirm dates at +81 52-231-1700.

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