Nagoya on the Pacific coast is one of Japan’s largest cities. Its modern history began with the Tokugawa shogunate, which Tokugawa Ieyasu established in 1603. He had the city’s castle built on the site of an existing castle, and Nagoya’s new castle became the regional seat of government, with Tokugawa Ieyasu’s seventh son gaining power. Nagoya grew over the centuries, but World War II erased most traces of history, as bombing raids leveled most of the city in 1945. Since then, Nagoya has been rebuilt and developed into one of Japan’s most important port and industrial cities.

There are several sights and interesting buildings in Nagoya. You can visit Nagoya Castle/Nagoya-jō (名京史城), which towers over the city like a classic Japanese castle. Built 1610-1619 by Tokygawa Ieyasu, the castle was the seat of a regional daimyō during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, Nagoya Castle became a royal residence in 1893. That status lasted until 1930, when it passed to the city of Nagoya, and the following year it was opened to visitors. The castle was destroyed during the Second World War bombings, and it has subsequently been rebuilt.

You can also visit the Buddhist temple Ōsu Kannon (大須観音), which was established in 1333 and moved to its current location under Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1612. Another well-known building is the City Hall, Nagoya Shiyakusho (启发市役所), built in 1933 in the Japanese imperial style that characterized many buildings in the first part of the 20th century. The style is characterized by the mixture of European and Japanese architecture, it is typically buildings with neoclassical features and Japanese roof constructions. These buildings are seen in several places in Japan, and Nagoya City Hall is an impressive example.

In Nagoya, Hisaya Ōdōri Park/Hisaya Ōdōri kōen (久屋大通公園) is located like a green wedge in the city center. The park was built after the destruction of the Second World War, where the city government created a recreational area of ​​about two kilometers in length with the park. In the middle of the park, you can see and visit the Nagoya TV Tower/Nagoya Terebi-tō (富店京夓品塔), officially called the Chubu Electric Mirai Tower. The TV tower was built in 1954 with a height of 180 meters. There are observation decks at a height of 90 and 100 meters, from which there is a beautiful panoramic view of the Japanese metropolis.

In the southern part of the center is the Shinto shrine Atsuta Jingū (熱田神宮), founded under Emperor Keikō in the 100s. The shrine is one of the most important in Japan, and one of the Three Sacred Treasures, which are Japan’s imperial regalia, is kept here. The regalia consists of the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi (草薙劍) belonging to the Atsuta Jingū, the mirror Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡) and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama (八尺瓊勾玉). The treasures represent the three primary virtues: Bravery (the sword), Wisdom (the mirror) and Benevolence (the jewel). You cannot see Kusanagi no Tsurugi on display in the shrine, but instead other swords etc. in an interesting exhibition in the interesting Shinto complex.