Castles

For first-time visitors to Nagoya, Nagoya Castle is usually the first port of call. This is kind of understandable, as both its grandness and its location makes it an obvious focal point. That said, having been built after the Warring Period (15th-16th century) had come to a close, it is actually lacking in real significance in how Japan came to be. However, if you want to visit a castle that is steeped in history, one which hosted some of the most transformative elements of Japan’s creation, the smaller, and less well-known Kiyosu Castle should be right up your alley. History of Kiyosu Castle Constructed as a stronghold to safeguard the junction at which the Ise Kaido and Nakasendo trading routes crossed, the original Kiyosu Castle (what stands now is a reconstruction) was built between 1394 and 1427. As a secondary – and arguably more important – function, Kiyosu-jo was also believed to have operated as a defensive point for Orizu Castle in modern-day Chikusa Ward, which was the seat of power for the Owari Clan, the rulers over much of what has become Nagoya and Aichi. Once the castle was completed, the province’s shugodai [vice governer], Oda Toshisada, was installed…