Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle 名古屋城
Nagoya, Japan
The two main keeps of Nagoya Castle
Type	Flatland
Site information
Owner	1620-1870 (Owari Domain) 1872-1893 (government) 1893-1930 (Imperial family) 1930-present (City of Nagoya)
Controlled by	Tokugawa
Condition	Reconstructed 1957-1959
Site history
Built	1610-1619
In use	1620-1870, 1872-1945
Materials	Granite stone, earthwork, wood
Demolished	14 May 1945, in an air raid
Garrison information
Occupants	Owari branch

Nagoya Castle (名古屋城, Nagoya-jō^?) is a Japanese castle located in Nagoya, central Japan. During the Edo period, Nagoya Castle was the heart of one of the most important castle towns in Japan, Nagoya-juku, which was a post station on the Minoji road linking two of five important trade routes, the Tōkaidō and the Nakasendō.

Another way of pronouncing Nagoya Castle (名古屋城) is Meijō (名城). This name is used for many city institutions, such as Meijō Park, the metro's Meijō Line and Meijo University, reflecting the cultural influence of this historic structure.

In order to advance into Owari Province, the military governor of Suruga Province, Imagawa Ujichika, built Yanagi-no-maru, a precursor castle at Nagoya, between 1521 and 1528 during the Taiei era for his son, Imagawa Ujitoyo. It was located near the site of the later Ninomaru residence. Oda Nobuhide seized it from Imagawa Ujitoyo in March 1532 (Kyōroku 5), residing there and changing the name to Nagoya Castle. His son, Oda Nobunaga, was supposedly born there in 1534 (Tenbun 3), although this is subject to debate. After he defeated Oda Nobutomo at Kiyosu Castle in April 1555 (Kōji 1), he established his residence there. Around 1582 (Tenshō 10), the castle at Nagoya was abandoned.