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Nagoya Castle and Hommaru Palace
Where the dream of uniting all of Japan came to fruition
Nagoya Castle is certainly at the top of Nagoya City's signature sightseeing spots. The modern castle was a piece in Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu's wish to unite the then warring states of the Japanese archipelago, and construction began in 1610. The castle was the residence of the local Owari Tokugawas—one of the three great Tokugawa clans from which a shogun could be chosen if a next generation of was unavailable.
A castle keep brought back to modern day
Nagoya Castle's history isn't all smooth sailing. An air raid occurred over the Nagoya cityscape in May of 1945, resulting in most of the structure burning to ashes. Even so, six buildings including the Southwest Corner Watchtower and Southeast Corner Watchtower escaped the ravage of war and remain unchanged since the days way back when Aichi was divided into two different provinces—one being the Owari Province, which the Owari Tokugawa clan reigned over. The castle precincts continue to relay their glory today as a national important cultural property.
The tower keeps, which burned down during the air raid, would be resurrected in 1959 and reestablish the castle's place as a symbolic protector of the Owari area. The five-story Main Tower Keep with its golden shachi tiger-fish roof ornaments atop and Sub Tower Keep were rebuilt, restoring the grace they once exhibited in past eons.
Note:
• The Main Tower Keep is currently unavailable to the public.
Rising back up like a phoenix from the ashes
The castle and original Hommaru Palace both fell victim to a fiery demise—a tragic loss as they were Japan's very first designated national treasure. The palace had even been called the "greatest masterpiece of palaces in modern castle precincts".
However, restoration work would begin in 2009 faithfully based on old documents, photos, actual survey illustrations, sliding door murals surviving the flams, and other available references. Thanks to this incredible effort, the palace rose back to life like a phoenix from the ashes in 2018.
Kinshachi Yokocho: A street of savory eats right in an Edo-period castle environment
The surrounding area of Nagoya Castle, which eons ago served as a medieval townscape, turned into something like a town full of eateries in March of 2018. Classic, long-standing bistros specializing in Nagoya Meshi, or Nagoya Cuisine, come together in the Yoshinao Zone while the Muneharu Zone offers a brave and brand-new approach to the cuisine. The two areas offer different takes on Nagoya Meshi, but please the palates of all with delectable dishes and rich history.
The Hommaru Palace Virtual Tour at Nagoya Castle
Hommaru Palace has been mapped in 3D and is actually available for you to see virtually on Nagoya Castle's official site! A cutting-edge Matterport VR camera shot the palace in 4K, letting you observe the most minute details in clarity as you scroll around 360 degrees without even going. Of course, this is best used as an appetizer to get a taste before visiting the real thing!
Recommended courses including this spot
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Spot info
| Location | 〒460-0031 1-1 Hommaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi |
|---|---|
| Price | • Adults: JPY 500 (JPY 1,000 from Oct 1, 2026) • Junior high school ages and younger: Free of charge • Seniors residing in Nagoya (bringing a Senior Citizens' Handbook): JPY 100 (JPY 300 from Oct 1, 2026) • Those with a disability certificate: Free of charge (up to two caregivers) |
| Business days/hours | 9:00 am–4:30 pm (admission to Hommaru Palace and Nishinomaru Okura Museum until 4:00 pm) |
| Parking | Pay parking available • Main Gate Parking Lot (308 standard-size spaces at JPY 250 for each period up to 30 min. Available 8:45 am–9:30 pm) • Ni-no-Maru East Parking Lot (123 standard-size spaces at JPY 250 for each period up to 30 min. Available 8:30 am–10:30 pm.) |
| Restrooms | Available |
| Days closed | Unavailable Dec 29–31 and Jan 1 (changes possible due to events) |
| Inquiries | 052-231-1700 (Nagoya Castle General Administration Office) |
Note: This page may not be current due to update time differences between site databases.
Should accuracy be critical, please verify this information using a direct source, whenever possible.
Accessibility
DIRECTIONS
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- By public transportation
- • Approx. 5-min. walk from Nagoyajo 'Nagoya Castle' Station, reachable from Nagoya Station on the Higashiyama Subway Line after a transfer to the Meijo Subway Line (clockwise) at Sakae Station.
• Approx. 5-min. walk from Shiyakusho (City Hall) Bus Stop, reachable from Nagoya Station Bus Stop (Bus Stop 10) on Main Nagoya Bus Line 2.
• Approx. 1-min. walk from Nagoya Station Bus Stop, reachable from Nagoya Station Bus Stop (Bus Stop 8) on the Nagoya Sightseeing Route Bus Me~guru.
• Approx. 1-min. walk from Nagoyajo Seimon Mae Bus Stop, reachable from Sakae Bus Stop (Bus Stop 2) on Main Nagoya Bus Line 13.
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- By car
- • Approx. 8 min. from Kurokawa Exit on Nagoya Expressway 1's Kusunoki Route.
• Approx. 5 min. from Marunouchi Exit on Nagoya Expressway's Circle 1 Route.
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