Nagoya Castle - History

History

In order to advance into Owari, Suruga Province, military governor Imagawa Ujichika built Yanagi-no-maru during the Taiei era from 1521–1528 for his son, Imagawa Ujitoyo. The original castle at Nagoya, it was located near the site of the later Ninomaru residence. Oda Nobuhide seized it from Imagawa Ujitoyo in March 1532 (Kyōroku 5). He moved in and changed the name to Nagoya Castle.

Oda Nobunaga was supposedly born here 1534 (Tembun 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.

After various upheavals in Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged victorious. He decided in November 1609 (Keichō 14) to rebuild the castle at Nagoya. Up until the Meiji Restoration, Nagoya Castle would flourish as the castle where the Owari branch, the foremost of the three Tokugawa clan lineages, resided.

Castle construction technology had been extensively developed and consolidated since the construction of Azuchi Castle in 1576 by Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582). One of the main architects who designed and directed the building of the castle was Nakai Masakiyo, who was previously involved in the construction of the Nijo, Fushimi, Edo, and Sunpu castles. He had gathered and refined existing castle and fortification construction technology and techniques and ultimately formulated the standards for the Tokugawa Shogunate's castles, as exemplified by Nagoya Castle.

In January 1610 (Keichō 15), the construction site was roped off and work began. Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the various daimyo to help with construction. The castle was to become the new capital of the existing Owari Province. Kato Kiyomasa, Fukushima Masanori, and Maeda Toshimitsu were some of the 20 feudal lords from the northern and western part of Japan who were appointed to the construction. The inscriptions of feudal lords and their vassals carved on the stones they carried are still visible today. In August 1610 the stone foundation of the main donjon (tenshu) was completed, and by December construction of the stone walls for the Honmaru, Ninomaru, Nishinomaru, and Ofukemaru was almost completed.

In June 1611 (Keichō 16), the construction of a canal, which today is the Hori River, was completed. The source for many of the building materials for the new castle was from the smaller Kiyosu Castle, including Kiyosu castle's tenshu, which was rebuilt as the northwest turret. In mid-1612 (Keichō 17), the construction of Honmaru Palace began, and the main donjon was completed in December of that year.

The artist Kano Sadanobu and others painted the walls, ceilings, and sliding doors of Honmaru Palace in 1614 (Keichō 19). Construction of the gates and the Sannomaru moat were completed in July, and in November of that year the Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada came for an inspection. The Honmaru Palace was completed in February 1615 (Keichō 20).

The Ninomaru Palace was completed in 1617 (Genna 3). Toshogu was established in the Sannomaru in 1619 (Genna 5) and the northwest turret, the former Kiyosu Tower, of the Ofukemaru was completed. In 1620 (Genna 6), Tokugawa Yoshinao moved into Ninomaru Palace. In 1627 (Kan'ei 4), a sanctuary was constructed in the Ninomaru.

Overall renovation began on Honmaru Palace in May 1633 (Kan'ei 10) for use a lodging for the upcoming visit of the Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu on his way to the imperial capital at Kyoto. Additional chambers, bathrooms, and halls such as Jorakuden and Oyudonoshoin were constructed. Kano Tanyu and others painted the walls, ceilings, and sliding doors in the new extensions in 1634 (Kan'ei 11), and work was completed in June, just in time for the shogun's visit in July of that year.

For the next hundred years, most of the work would be maintenance and renovation of the existing structures. In 1669 (Kambun 9), repairs were made to the main donjon walls and roofs. In November 1685 (Jōkyō 2), repairs were made to the main donjon roof; in March 1709 (Hōei 6) to the first and second stories of the main donjon; in August 1720 (Kyōhō 5) to the chidorihafu gables on the third and fourth levels of the main donjon; and in December 1726 (Kyōhō 11) to the third-level roofs, karahafu gables, the fourth-level roofs, and the copper tiles of the fifth-level roofs of the main donjon. Repairs were also made to the golden dolphins of the main donjon, replacing the wooden core. Further work was carried out in August 1728 (Kyōhō 13) on the shingled roof of the Honmaru Palace, remodeling it into a lightweight, informal roof. Repairs were made to the second-, third-, and fourth-level roofs of the main donjon.

In November 1730 (Kyōhō 15), the golden dolphins were recast for the first time and covered in wire mesh.

In 1752 (Hōreki 2), the large-scale "Restoration of Hōreki" corrected the tilt of the donjon, due to unequal subsidence of its stone wall, and the roofs from the second level up were tiled with copper.

By 1788 (Tenmei 8), the debt the Owari branch had accumulated since 1767 (Meiwa 4) reached a value of 215,000 ryō. As a result, the golden dolphins had to be melted down and recast with less gold in 1827 (Bunsei 10). A finer wire mesh covered the dolphins to hide the fact that they were less golden. In 1846 (Kōka 3), they were melted down again and recast for a third time.

As the Tokugawa Shogunate came to an end, law and order started breaking down. The Aomatsuba Incident took place on January 1868 (Keiō 4) in the Ninomaru Palace. A stone memorial was erected in the 1920s.

After the end of the Shogunate, the Owari branch decided to submit themselves to the emperor. In 1870 (Meiji 3), Tokugawa Yoshikatsu decided to demolish the castle and donated the golden dolphins to the Imperial Household Department. The dolphins were taken down from the main donjon in April 1871 (Meiji 4) and transported by steamship from Atsuta Port to Tokyo. The dolphins would travel around Japan on exhibitions, and the female one was sent to the 1873 Vienna World Exposition; they were returned to the castle in 1873.

In May 1872 the 3rd Division of the Tokyo Garrison was stationed at the castle and the Nagoya Detached Garrison and barracks were installed on the castle grounds. The demolition of the castle was put on hold after the German minister to Japan, Max von Brandt, spoke out against it. In December 1879 (Meiji 12), the imperial war minister Yamagata Aritomo decided to put the castle under preservation on the advice of Colonel Nakamura Shigeto.

The Great Nobi Earthquake on October 1891 (Meiji 24) seriously damaged the southwest and Tamon turrets and other structures. Reconstruction and repair work followed. In 1893 (Meiji 26), the castle was transferred to the Imperial Household Ministry and in June the name of the castle was changed to Nagoya Detached Palace or Nagoya Imperial Villa when the castle was designated as a formal imperial residence.

On May 20, 1906 (Meiji 39), the grounds were opened to the public for one day for the National Railroad Five Thousand Miles Celebration. In March 1910 (Meiji 43), bronze dolphins brought from Edo Castle were added to the roofs of the small donjon and corner turrets. On February 1911 (Meiji 44), the former Hasuike Gate of Edo Castle was transported and reconstructed on the remains of the Nishinomaru-Enoki Gate, which today is used as the main gate for visitors. In 1923 (Taishō 12), the southwest turret was repaired.

On December 11, 1930 (Shōwa 5), the ownership of the castle was transferred from the Imperial Household Ministry to the City of Nagoya, thus abolishing its status as an imperial villa. In the same month, 24 structures on the castle grounds were designated as national treasures. On February 11, 1931 (Shōwa 6), the grounds were opened to the general public. The next decade saw conservatory and archaeological activities as the castle was scientifically documented. In May 1932 (Shōwa 7), a field survey and measurement of the castle were conducted. In July of that year, the old Kayanoki (Japanese nutmeg) tree in the Nishinomaru was designated as a national monument. In December the castle was designated a historical site. In 1936 (Shōwa 11), the Sarumen Tea House in the Ninomaru was designated as a national treasure. In June 1942 (Shōwa 17), some of the Honmaru Palace paintings were designated as national treasures. Most of the sliding doors and paintings were put into storage as World War II started reaching the Japanese mainland.

During World War II, the castle was used as the Tokai district army headquarters and the main POW camp in Nagoya, although it held no prisoners and was just the administration office. The aerial bombardments by the United States Army Air Force brought the most destruction to the castle in its entire history. On January 1945 (Shōwa 20), the Sarumen Tea House was destroyed in air raids. On May 14, the main donjon, small donjon, golden dolphins, Honmaru Palace, northeast turret, and other buildings were completely destroyed in air raids. In June of that year, some of the paintings saved from the Honmaru Palace were moved for safekeeping to the Haiho Shrine, Toyotashi. These returned from the shrine in May 1946 (Shōwa 21).

The castle's surviving former national treasures, which included the southwest, southeast, and northwest turrets, the Omote-Ninomon Gate, and some the Honmaru Palace paintings were redesignated as Important Cultural Assets by the national government. In 1953 the southeast turret was dismantled for repairs. The Ninomaru Garden was designated as a place of scenic beauty.

In June 1955 (Shōwa 30), most of the Honmaru Palace paintings—and a exactly year later, the ceiling panel paintings—were designated as national important culture assets.

In 1957 (Shōwa 32), reconstruction of the castle donjons was started. Second-generation golden dolphins were cast in the Osaka Mint and transported to the castle. On October 3, 1959, reconstruction of the two donjons was complete, and the buildings were opened to the public. The next couple of decades saw further renovation work. In March 1964 (Shōwa 39), the northwest turret was dismantled for repairs. In 1967 (Shōwa 42), the Ninomon of the western iron gate was dismantled for repairs. In 1972 (Shōwa 47), the stone walls at the west side of the East Iron Gate of the Ninomaru were dismantled. The wooden Ninomon was dismantled and later rebuilt at the east Ninomon Gate of the Honmaru.

In preparation for Expo 2005, English-language plaques were added to most displays, and a 3-D movie showing the paintings in Honmaru Palace (本丸御殿, Honmaru Goten?) was created for the anticipated large number of visitors. Reconstruction work of the destroyed Honmaru Palace begann in 2009 and is slated for completion by 2017.