* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Naguya Castle
那古野城
Naguya Castle is a historic castle in Chūbu dating from the Built around 1521 by Imagawa Ujichika; seized by Oda Nobuhide in 1538, whose lord was Imagawa Ujichika / Oda Nobuhide / Oda Nobunaga.
Overview
Naguya Castle is the medieval predecessor of modern Nagoya Castle, occupying the site now covered by Nagoya Castle's Ninomaru (second enclosure). Built around 1521 by Imagawa Ujichika of Suruga Province as a foothold in southern Owari, the castle gives its name — "Naguya" later evolving into "Nagoya" — to one of Japan's great cities.
In 1538 the castle was seized by Oda Nobuhide, who used it as the base for his Owari campaigns and his control of the commercially vital Atsuta Shrine district. Most famously, Nobuhide's son Oda Nobunaga was born at Naguya Castle in 1534, making this site the birthplace of the warlord who would come closest to unifying Japan before his death at Honnō-ji in 1582.
After Nobunaga relocated to Kiyosu Castle, Naguya fell into disuse and was likely abandoned during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. When Tokugawa Ieyasu constructed the current Nagoya Castle in 1610, materials from the earlier castle were reportedly reused. No standing structures survive today, but the site retains profound importance as the origin of the city's name and the birthplace of Nobunaga.
Connection to Swords
The connection between Naguya Castle and swords originates with the castle's lord Oda Nobuhide and Nobunaga's perspective on swords. Nobuhide served as administrator of the Atsuta Shrine and was also involved in the property management of the Atsuta Shrine, which has long been responsible for the protection of swords. The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi) is enshrined there as the sacred object, and his control of this place—a holy site of swords and faith—demonstrates Nobuhide's deep engagement with sword culture. Later, Nobunaga actively collected and protected excellent swordmakers and swords under the banner of "Tenka Fubu" (Military Rule for All Under Heaven). Numerous famous swords connected to Nobunaga include "Heshikiri Hasebe" (transmitted through the Kuroda family, a National Treasure now held in the Fukuoka City Museum) and "Yakigen Tōshirō" (now lost, surviving only in legend). The obsession with swords of this warlord, born in Naguya Castle, is deeply etched in the history of Japanese sword culture. Furthermore, Owari was a sword-producing region known as "Owari-mono," and from the late Muromachi period through the early Edo period, it was an area where numerous swordmakers flourished. Following Nobunaga's unification of Owari, the swordmakers of the Naguya region are said to have prospered under the patronage of the Oda clan and contributed to the development of the region's sword culture.
Highlights
- Birthplace of Oda Nobunaga — where Japan's greatest unifier was born in 1534
- Origin of the name 'Nagoya' — 'Naguya' castle gave its name to the city
- Imagawa-Oda power struggle — epicenter of early Sengoku conflict in Owari
- Connection to Atsuta Shrine — guardian of the legendary Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword
- Predecessor of Nagoya Castle — castle precinct later incorporated into Tokugawa's fortress
- Historical marker stone — commemorative stele within Nagoya Castle grounds
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.