Nagoya Castle, located in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, is a symbol of Nagoya that has been loved for over 330 years. Nagoya Castle has a long history. It was built in the Muromachi period (1336-1573) but was once abandoned. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the person who started the Edo period, decided to build a castle on the land again in order to unify the country. The castle tower was completed in 1612. After 300 years, Nagoya castle was designated a national treasure for the first time as a castle in 1930. The castle was destroyed during World War II but was rebuilt in 1959 with a steel-framed reinforced concrete structure. The famous symbol of Nagoya Castle is “golden Shachihoko”. Shachihoko is a decoration used for castle roofs. Shachi is an imaginary creature. There is a legend that when there is a fire, it spits out water from its mouth to extinguish it. Therefore, it has been placed on the roof and is valued as a guardian deity.
The castle is currently undergoing a restoration of wood components to recreate the castle space as it was during the Edo period (1603-1868). The castle tower is scheduled to be completed in 2032.