Nagoya Castle, Nagoya

Nagoya Castle, Nagoya (must see)

During the Edo period, Nagoya Castle was the center of one of the most important castle towns in Japan—Nagoya-juku— and it included the most important stops along the Minoji, which linked the Tōkaidō with the Nakasendō. The castle complex is made up of several enceintes, which are divided by the outer moat (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 lands.

The Honmaru enceinte is in the centre of the complex, containing the main and minor donjon, 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. Today's Meijō Park was part of the larger castle's grounds to the north, which were used as pleasure gardens, with a large pond.

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.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Nagoya. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Nagoya Castle on Map

Sight Name: Nagoya Castle
Sight Location: Nagoya, Japan (See walking tours in Nagoya)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

Walking Tours in Nagoya, Japan

Create Your Own Walk in Nagoya

Create Your Own Walk in Nagoya

Creating your own self-guided walk in Nagoya is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Nagoya City Center Walking Tour

Nagoya City Center Walking Tour

The Naka Ward (or Naka-ku) district is the central neighborhood of Nagoya. This area should be at the top of the list for any visitor to the city, because it’s home to a vast number of amazing attractions. Here you can visit: a peaceful Japanese park; a fine Nagoya Orchid Garden; a gorgeous Osu Kannon Temple; and the imposing Nagoya TV Tower. Take our Naka Ward tour to see all the top sights in...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip


Nagoya Station Pub Crawl

Nagoya Station Pub Crawl

This crawl takes you through the centre of Nagoya, locally known as Mei Eki. This is a very cosmopolitan area where drunken salary-men rub shoulders with drunken gaijin. On this list is a selection of different British pubs and bars, just in case you’re hankering for a Guinness and a decent spot...
Fushimi - Sakae Pub Crawl of Nagoya

Fushimi - Sakae Pub Crawl of Nagoya

This crawl runs through Fushimi and Sakae, the down town area of Nagoya. It is a real mixed bag and every establishment has a different vibe and (more importantly) menu. All of the bars are gaijin friendly and each would be a decent place to have a...