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The town of Nagoya became one of the two great castle towns of Japan during the [[Edo]] period ([[Kanazawa castle|Kanazawa]] being the other) and Nagoya castle was the third largest [[hirajiro]] after [[Edo castle|Edo]] and [[Osaka castle|Osaka]]. Its position on the [[Tokaido]] made it an important commercial center and also a strategic bulwark against any invasion from the west. The castle also became an important center of Neo-Confucianism. It remained in the hands of the ‘Owari’ Tokugawa (one of the three Tokugawa contingent houses or sanke) until the [[Meiji]] government took control in [[1868]]. It was used by the Imperial Army from then until [[1895]], during which time many of the castle’s treasures were defaced and damaged by Imperial soldiers (much as also happened at [[Nijo castle]]). The Imperial family took direct control of the castle in 1895 and converted it into a detached palace. It was handed over to the city of Nagoya in 1930. While the castle was spared the fate of many other castles at the hands of the Meiji government (that being destruction), it was not to be so lucky on May 14, 1945. On that day a World War II American firebombing raid obliterated much of the castle-the tenshu, the secondary tenshu, four corner towers, the honmaru palace, and dozens of other buildings. Today only three corner towers (including the most famous original structure of the castle, the Seinan Sumi Yagura) and a gateway survive (along with the ishigaki). A ferroconcrete reproduction of the original castle was built from 1957-1959, and was an excellent replica of the original-at least on the outside. It cost $1.67 million with an additional $120,000 to replace the 2 gold [[shachigawara]] on the roof.  

The town of Nagoya became one of the two great castle towns of Japan during the [[Edo]] period ([[Kanazawa castle|Kanazawa]] being the other) and Nagoya castle was the third largest [[hirajiro]] after [[Edo castle|Edo]] and [[Osaka castle|Osaka]]. Its position on the [[Tokaido]] made it an important commercial center and also a strategic bulwark against any invasion from the west. The castle also became an important center of Neo-Confucianism. It remained in the hands of the ‘Owari’ Tokugawa (one of the three Tokugawa contingent houses or sanke) until the [[Meiji]] government took control in [[1868]]. It was used by the Imperial Army from then until [[1895]], during which time many of the castle’s treasures were defaced and damaged by Imperial soldiers (much as also happened at [[Nijo castle]]). The Imperial family took direct control of the castle in 1895 and converted it into a detached palace. It was handed over to the city of Nagoya in 1930. While the castle was spared the fate of many other castles at the hands of the Meiji government (that being destruction), it was not to be so lucky on May 14, 1945. On that day a World War II American firebombing raid obliterated much of the castle-the tenshu, the secondary tenshu, four corner towers, the honmaru palace, and dozens of other buildings. Today only three corner towers (including the most famous original structure of the castle, the Seinan Sumi Yagura) and a gateway survive (along with the ishigaki). A ferroconcrete reproduction of the original castle was built from 1957-1959, and was an excellent replica of the original-at least on the outside. It cost $1.67 million with an additional $120,000 to replace the 2 gold [[shachigawara]] on the roof.  

The original castle featured five courts (honmaru, ninomaru, sannomaru, along with the western and fukai courts). The honmaru had both a main and secondary tenshu (connected by an earthern bridge) with a palace alongside. The ninomaru housed chief retainers. There were stone walls protecting the north and west sides of the honmaru along with moats. The south and east sides had a dry moat and high earthern walls. The main tenshu featured five exterior stories with six interior ones (along with a basement containing a well that was said to have had gold thrown inside to improve the taste of the water). The first floor was roofed in standard tile, but the others used copper. As with virtually all Japanese castles the floors declined in size from bottom to top-the first floor was 120’ x 105’ (an area of 530 mats) while the top floor was 55’ x 40’. Overall, the tenshu was about 36 meters in height (with another 20 for the stone base), making it about 10 meters higher than [[Himeji castle|Himeji’s]]. It had the most famous [[shachigawara]] in Japan-two golden, silver eyed mythical dolphin/tiger hybrids eight feet eight inches high that were thought to protect the building against fire (the current reproduction ‘dolphins’ are made of copper and each is covered 560 scales of 18 carat gold). These also gave the castle its alternate name-‘Kinshachi-jo’.

The original castle featured five courts (honmaru, ninomaru, sannomaru, along with the western and fukai courts). The honmaru had both a main and secondary tenshu (connected by an earthern bridge) with a palace alongside. The ninomaru housed chief retainers. There were stone walls protecting the north and west sides of the honmaru along with moats. The south and east sides had a dry moat and high earthern walls. The main tenshu featured five exterior stories with six interior ones (along with a basement containing a well that was said to have had gold thrown inside to improve the taste of the water). The first floor was roofed in standard tile, but the others used copper. As with virtually all Japanese castles the floors declined in size from bottom to top-the first floor was 120’ x 105’ (an area of 530 mats) while the top floor was 55’ x 40’. Overall, the tenshu was about 36 meters in height (with another 20 for the stone base), making it about 10 meters higher than [[Himeji castle|Himeji’s]]. It had the most famous [[shachigawara]] in Japan-two golden, silver eyed mythical dolphin/tiger hybrids eight feet eight inches high that were thought to protect the building against fire (the current reproduction ‘dolphins’ are made of copper and each is covered 560 scales of 18 carat gold). These also gave the castle its alternate name-‘Kinshachi-jo’. The ''shachi'' were spared destruction in the early [[Meiji period]], and were shown at the [[1873]] [[Vienna World's Fair]] as prime examples of Japanese craftsmanship and design.<ref>Ran Zwigenberg, "Citadels of Modernity: Japan's Castles in War & Peace," talk given at Temple University, Tokyo campus, 12 July 2017.</ref>

The castle serves as a museum and recently removed the two golden shachigawara for display at Japan’s Expo 2005. Many reproductions of the artwork and rooms lost in World War II can be seen in the nearby Tokugawa Art Museum. There are also plans to rebuild the honmaru palace, which currently exists only as remains cordoned off by a bamboo fence.

The castle serves as a museum and recently removed the two golden shachigawara for display at Japan’s Expo 2005. Many reproductions of the artwork and rooms lost in World War II can be seen in the nearby Tokugawa Art Museum. There are also plans to rebuild the honmaru palace, which currently exists only as remains cordoned off by a bamboo fence.

==References==

==References==

*Kodama Kota & Tsuboi Kiyotari, editors ''Nihon Joukaku Taikei''-20 Volumes Tokyo:Shinjimbutsu oraisha, 1981

*Kodama Kota & Tsuboi Kiyotari, editors ''Nihon Joukaku Taikei''-20 Volumes Tokyo:Shinjimbutsu oraisha, 1981

*Hinago Motoo ''Nihon No Bijutsu #54:Shiro'' Tokyo:Shibundo, 1970

*Hinago Motoo ''Nihon No Bijutsu #54:Shiro'' Tokyo:Shibundo, 1970

*Schmorleitz, Morton S ''Castles In Japan'' Tokyo:Charles E Tuttle Company Inc, 1974

*Schmorleitz, Morton S ''Castles In Japan'' Tokyo:Charles E Tuttle Company Inc, 1974

[[Category:Castles]]

[[Category:Castles]]