Ieyasu Tokugawa’s National Construction Project

Nagoya Castle Construction

Tokugawa Ieyasu decided to build a castle in Nagoya in 1609 as a residence for his ninth son, Tokugawa Yoshinao. In 1610, construction of the castle began as part of a national construction project assisted by the feudal lords of the western provinces. The castle tower was completed in 1612, and the stone walls in just four months. Twenty feudal lords (not affiliated with the Tokugawa clan) were assigned the task of constructing the stone walls, and Kiyomasa Kato, who was considered an expert designer, built the stone walls of the castle tower in less than three months. In 1612, the large and small castle towers were completed, and a golden shachi (a mythical sea creature) was raised on the main tower, and the castle tower became the symbol of the Owari Tokugawa family.