is the largest city in the

Chūbu region The , Central region, or is a region in the middle of Honshu, Honshū, Japan, Japan's main island. In a wide, classical definition, it encompasses nine prefectures (''ken''): Aichi Prefecture, Aichi, Fukui Prefecture, Fukui, Gifu Prefecture ...

, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

coast in central

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

, it is the capital and the most populous city of

Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...

, and is one of Japan's major

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

s along with those of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

, and

Chiba Chiba may refer to: Places China * (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei Japan * Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture ** Chiba Station, a train station * Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...

. It is the principal city of the

Chūkyō metropolitan area , or the , is a major metropolitan area in Japan that is centered on the city of Nagoya (the "Chūkyō", i.e., the "capital in the middle") in Aichi Prefecture. The area makes up the most urbanized part of the Tōkai region. The population of 9,5 ...

, which is the third-most populous metropolitan area in Japan with a population of 10.11million in 2020. In 1610, the warlord

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...

, a retainer of

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...

, moved the capital of

Owari Province was a province of Japan in the area that today forms the western half of Aichi Prefecture, including the modern city of Nagoya. The province was created in 646. Owari bordered on Mikawa, Mino, and Ise Provinces. Owari and Mino provinces were ...

from

Kiyosu is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 69,687 in 29,477 households, and a population density of 4,017 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kiyosu is located in far western Aichi P ...

to Nagoya. This period saw the renovation of

Nagoya Castle is a Japanese castle located in Nagoya, Japan. Nagoya Castle was constructed by the Owari Domain in 1612 during the Edo period on the site of an earlier castle of the Oda clan in the Sengoku period. Nagoya Castle was the heart of one of the ...

. The arrival of the 20th century brought a convergence of economic factors that fueled rapid growth in Nagoya, during the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, and became a major industrial hub for Japan. The traditional manufactures of timepieces, bicycles, and sewing machines were followed by the production of special steels, ceramic, chemicals, oil, and petrochemicals, as the area's automobile, aviation, and shipbuilding industries flourished. These factors made the city a target for US air raids during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Following the war, Nagoya's economy diversified, but the city remains a significant centre for industry and transport in Japan. It is linked with Tokyo, Kyōto, and Osaka by the

Tokaido Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the Sanyo Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opened in 1964, ...

, and is home to the

Nagoya Stock Exchange Nagoya Stock Exchange (名古屋証券取引所 ''Nagoya Shōken Torihikijo'', NSE) is a stock trading market in Nagoya, Japan. It is Japan's second largest exchange, behind the Tokyo Stock Exchange. History The Nagoya Stock Exchange (NSE) is t ...

as well as the headquarters of

Brother Industries is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational electronics and electrical equipment company headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. Its products include Printer (computing), printers, multifunction printers, desktop computers, sewing machin ...

Ibanez is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as ...

Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...

, and

Toyota Tsusho is a sōgō shōsha (trading company), a member of the Toyota Group. Toyota Tsusho has a worldwide presence through its many subsidiaries and operating divisions, including over 150 offices, and 900 subsidiaries and affiliates around the world. ...

, among others. Nagoya is home of educational institutes such as

Nagoya University , abbreviated to or NU, is a Japanese national research university located in Chikusa-ku, Nagoya. It was the seventh Imperial University in Japan, one of the first five Designated National University and selected as a Top Type university of T ...

, the

Nagoya Institute of Technology The , abbreviated to Nitech (or in Japanese to 名工大, ''Meikōdai''), is a public highest-level educational institution of science and technology located in Nagoya, Japan. Nitech was founded in 1905 as ''Nagoya Higher Technical School'', then ...

, and

Nagoya City University , abbreviated to , is a public university in Japan. The main campus (Kawasumi) is located in Mizuho-ku, Nagoya City. Other three campuses (Yamanohata, Tanabe-dori and Kita Chikusa) are also located in the city. Nagoya City University has been r ...

. Famous landmarks in the city include

Atsuta Shrine is a Shinto shrine traditionally believed to have been established during the reign of Emperor Keikō (71-130) located in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in Japan. The shrine is familiarly known as ''Atsuta-Sama'' (Venerable Atsuta) or simpl ...

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens The is a joint zoo and botanical garden located at Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan. It is open every day except Monday, and charges a modest admission fee. Established in 1937, the Higashiyama Zoo is one of Asia's largest attractions, featuring a bo ...

Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium The is a public aquarium in Minato-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is the public aquarium with the largest tank capacity and total area in Japan. It also owns Japan's largest dolphin show tank. History Opened in 1992, the Port of Nagoya ...

, and

Hisaya Ōdori Park The Hisaya-ōdōri Park (久屋大通公園) is located in Sakae, Nagoya, in central Japan. History The park was laid out after the devastation of World War II by the mayor of Nagoya, in order to create green space in the middle of the city. ...

, and

Nagoya TV Tower The (formerly but still referred to as the ) is a TV tower in Nagoya, central Japan. History It is the oldest TV tower in Japan, and was completed in 1954. It is located in the centre of Hisaya Ōdori Park. The tower is 180 metres high, and h ...

, one of the oldest TV towers in Japan.

Overview

Etymology

The city's name was historically written as or (both read as ''Nagoya''). One possible origin is the adjective , meaning 'calm' . The name , consisting of ''chū'' (middle) + ''kyō'' (capital) is also used to refer to Nagoya. Notable examples of the use of the name Chūkyō include the

Chūkyō Industrial Area The is another name for the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area and the surrounding prefectures, which have strong economic links to it. This industrial region includes the Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures. One of the dominant companies of the region ...

Chūkyō Metropolitan Area , or the , is a major metropolitan area in Japan that is centered on the city of Nagoya (the "Chūkyō", i.e., the "capital in the middle") in Aichi Prefecture. The area makes up the most urbanized part of the Tōkai region. The population of 9,5 ...

Chūkyō Television Broadcasting JOCH-DTV, branded as , is the Chūkyō metropolitan area flagship station of the Nippon News Network and Nippon Television Network System (NNS), owned by Nippon Television Holdings through . Its studios are located in Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japa ...

Chukyo University is a private university in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with campuses in Nagoya and Toyota. The main building is located in Yagoto, Shōwa-ku, Nagoya. Notable faculty members * Naomi Miyake, cognitive scientist * Koji Murofushi, Olympic hammer t ...

and the

Chukyo Racecourse is located in Toyoake, Aichi, Japan. It is used for horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for com ...

Cityscape

File:Skyscrapers of Meieki (2016-07-07).jpg,

Nagoya Station is a major railway station in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Japan. It is one of the world's largest train stations by floor area (410,000 m2), and houses the headquarters of the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). Much of this space is located in ...

(2016) File:Nagoya Night View.jpg, Nagoya night view seen from

Higashiyama Sky Tower The Higashiyama Sky Tower is located in the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in the city of Nagoya, central Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northw ...

(2020) File:Nagoya_(2015-11-03).JPG,

Central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

of Nagoya viewed from

Midland Square , officially called , is a skyscraper located in the Meieki district of Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. It opened in early 2007. It is the tallest building in Nagoya and the fifth tallest building in Japan as of 2015. At 247m (810 feet), it ...

(2015) File:Nagoya TV Tower1.jpg,

(2020) File:Seto Digital Tower and Nagoya.jpg, Nagoya and

Seto Digital Tower Seto Digital Tower is a 244.7 m 803 ft tall digital broadcasting tower in Seto, Aichi, Japan. In 2011, the tower replaced the Nagoya TV Tower; the Nagoya TV Tower previously had the role of broadcasting in the Nagoya area.Sakae area (2016)

Geography and administrative divisions

Geography

Nagoya lies north of

Ise Bay is a bay located at the mouth of the Kiso Three Rivers between Mie and Aichi Prefectures in Japan. Ise Bay has an average depth of and a maximum depth of . The mouth of the bay is and is connected to the smaller Mikawa Bay by two channels: th ...

on the

Nōbi Plain The is a large plain in Japan that stretches from the Mino area of southwest Gifu Prefecture to the Owari area of northwest Aichi Prefecture, covering an area of approximately .

. The city was built on low-level

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...

s to ward off floodwaters. The plain is one of the nation's most fertile areas. The

Kiso River The is a river in the Chubu region of Japan roughly long, flowing through the prefectures of Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, and Mie before emptying into Ise Bay a short distance away from the city of Nagoya.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al.'' (2005) ...

flows to the west along the city border, and the

Shōnai River The is a Class 1 river flowing through Gifu and Aichi prefectures in Japan. In Gifu Prefecture, it is also referred to as the Toki River (土岐川 ''Toki-gawa''); around the city of Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, it is referred to as the Tamano ...

comes from the northeast and turns south towards the bay at Nishi Ward. The man-made Hori River was constructed as a canal in 1610. It flows from north to south, as part of the Shōnai River system. The rivers allowed for trade with the hinterland. The Tempaku River feeds from a number of smaller river in the east, flows briefly south at Nonami and then west at Ōdaka into the bay. The city's location and its position in the centre of Japan allowed it to develop economically and politically. File:Nobi_Plain_from_Mount_Miroku.JPG, Nagoya and Nobi Plain seen from Mirokuzan ( Kasugai city) File:Nobi Plain and Nagoya from Mount Sanpo 2008-9-24.jpg, View of the Nōbi Plain,

Kiso Three Rivers The refers to the three major rivers that make up the alluvial plain area of the Nōbi Plain of Japan. The three rivers are the Kiso River, the Ibi River and the Nagara River. Given their location, they are sometimes referred to as the Nōbi Th ...

and Nagoya from Mount Sanpo and Mount Yōrō File:Aerial photographs of Nagoya Night view.jpg, Aerial photographs of Nagoya File:Nagoya_Port_Aichi_pref_Japan01s8.jpg, Nagoya Port in 2013

Climate

Nagoya has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: ''Cfa'') with hot, humid summers and cool winters. The summer is noticeably wetter than the winter, although rain falls throughout the year.

Area

Wards

Nagoya has 16

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...

Demographics

Nagoya Metropolitan Employment Area 2015

One of the earliest

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

es, carried out in 1889, counted 157,496 residents. The population reached the 1million mark in 1934 and as of December 2010 had an estimated population of 2,259,993 with a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of . Also an estimated 1,019,859 households resided there—a significant increase from 153,370 at the end of

in 1945. The area is . Its

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

extends into the Mie and

Gifu is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku ...

prefectures, with a total population of about 10million people, surpassed only by Osaka and Tokyo.

Surrounding municipalities

Tobishima Meiko West Bridge is a village located in Ama District, Aichi Prefecture, in the Tōkai region of Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 4,609 in 1765 households, and a population density of 206 persons per km². The total area of ...

Kanie is a town located in Ama District, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 37,082 in 16,647 households, and a population density of 3,344 persons per km². The total area of the town was . Etymology The origin of ...

** Ama ** Ōharu **

Kitanagoya is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 86,068 in 36,904 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Kitanagoya is a member of the World Health Organization’s Alliance for H ...

Toyoyama Aerial photograph of Toyoyama town in 2019 is a town located in Nishikasugai District, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 15,630 in 6,757 households, and a population density of 2,529 persons per km². The total a ...

** Kasugai **

Owariasahi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 81,954 in 35,583 households, and a population density of 3,897 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Owariasahi is located in west-cen ...

Seto Seto may refer to: Places *Seto, Aichi, production place of Japanese pottery and venue of Expo 2005 *Seto, Ehime, facing the Seto Inland Sea *Seto, Okayama, adjacent to Okayama, in Okayama Prefecture *Seto Inland Sea of Japan *Setomaa (''Seto la ...

Nagakute is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,503 in 24,352 households, and a population density of 2,854 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Nagakute is a member of the World Health Organi ...

** Nisshin ** Tōgō ** Toyoake **

Ōbu is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 92,179 in 39,382 households, and a population density of 2,739 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Ōbu has been a member of the World Health Or ...

Tōkai Tōkai ( 東海, literally ''East Sea'') in Japanese may refer to: * Tōkai region, a subregion of Chūbu * Tōkai, Ibaraki, a village, also known as "Tokaimura" (Tokai-village) * Tōkai, Aichi, a city * Tōkai University, a private university in T ...

History

Origins

;Jōmon period In the Jomon and

Yayoi period The started at the beginning of the Neolithic in Japan, continued through the Bronze Age, and towards its end crossed into the Iron Age. Since the 1980s, scholars have argued that a period previously classified as a transition from the Jōmon p ...

, the

Ōguruwa Shell Midden 260px, Oguruwa shell mounds-Flexed burial The is an archaeological site with a shell midden and Jōmon period settlement site located in the Yamashitatori neighborhood of Mizuho ward of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in the Tōkai region of Japan. ...

was discovered before the settlement of Nagoya. ;Kofun period In the

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

, Nagoya was settled and the

Danpusan Kofun file:断夫山古墳周濠復原図.png, 250px, Sketch of Danpusan Kofun The is a large keyhole-shaped ''kofun'' burial mound located within the grounds of the Atsuta Shrine complex in the Hayata neighborhood of Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Japan. The tu ...

and Shiratori Kofun was built in this area. The

is of ancient origin, it is home to the

Imperial Regalia of Japan The are the imperial regalia of Japan and consist of the sword , the mirror , and the jewel . They represent the three primary virtues: valour (the sword), wisdom (the mirror), and benevolence (the jewel).

, the legendary sword ''Kusanagi no Tsurugi''. According to traditional sources,

Yamato Takeru , originally , was a Japanese semi-legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Emperor Keikō, who is traditionally counted as the 12th Emperor of Japan. His name written in kanji can vary, in the '' Nihon Shoki'' it is spelled 日本武尊 a ...

died in 113 AD. The possessions of the dead prince were gathered together along with the sword Kusanagi; and his widow venerated his memory in a shrine at her home. File:Oguruwa Kaizuka 20160815.jpg, The

was discovered before the settlement. File:Atsuta Shrine.jpg, The

, which dates back to c. 100 AD and houses the holy sword

Kusanagi is a legendary Japanese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It was originally called , but its name was later changed to the more popular ("Grass-Cutting Sword"). In folklore, the sword represents the virtue of valor. Legends ...

, one of the

File:Danpusan Kofun zenkei.JPG, The

was built in the 6th century.

Middle Ages

;Heian period The Seigan-ji was built by the

Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

in the late

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

. A member served as the head priest of the nearby Atsuta Shrine, one of the legendary shrines of Japan. It is believed that Yura-Gozen, also known as Urahime, a daughter of

Fujiwara no Suenori Fujiwara no Suenori (藤原季範, 1090 – December 27, 1155) was a Japanese nobleman and high priest, High Priest of Atsuta Shrine during the late Heian period, belonging to the Nanke (Fujiwara), Nanke House of the powerful Fujiwara clan. He w ...

, was married to

Minamoto no Yoshitomo (1123 – 11 February 1160) was the head of the Minamoto clan and a general of the late Heian period of Japanese history. His son Minamoto no Yoritomo became ''shōgun'' and founded the Kamakura shogunate, the first shogunate in the history of ...

(1123–60) and their son

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent (''shikken'') after his ...

's birthplace is Nagoya, he is also the founder of the

Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Y ...

. File:Seigan-ji (Nagoya) sanmon.JPG, The Seigan-ji former family villa was the birthplace of

, founder of the

Kamakura Shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Y ...

Early Modern Ages

;Azuchi–Momoyama period

and his protégés

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

and

were powerful warlords based in the Nagoya area who gradually succeeded in unifying Japan. In 1610, Tokugawa Ieyasu moved the capital of

from Kiyosu, about seven kilometers () away, to a more strategic location in present-day Nagoya. In May–June 1560, the

Battle of Okehazama The took place in June 1560 in Owari Province, located in today's Aichi Prefecture. In this battle, the heavily outnumbered Oda clan troops commanded by Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of the front-running ...

took place in Dengakuhazama,

which was just outside of what would become Nagoya city. In this battle,

defeated

Imagawa Yoshimoto was a pre-eminent ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) in the Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was known as . he was one of the three ''daimyōs'' that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He died in 1560 while marching to Kyoto to become ...

and established himself as one of the leading warlords in the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

. File:Oda Nobunaga statue in Kiyosu park.jpg,

File:Jousenji２.JPG,

File:Statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu - 徳川家康公像 - panoramio.jpg,

File:Bishū Okehazama-gassen.jpg,

(May–June 1560) ;Edo period During this period

was constructed, built partly from materials taken from

Kiyosu Castle is a Japanese castle located in Kiyosu, eastern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is noted for its association with the rise to power of the Sengoku period warlord, Oda Nobunaga. The kanji in the name of the castle was written as 清須城. The curren ...

. During the construction, the entire town around Kiyosu Castle, consisting of around 60,000 people, moved from Kiyosu to the newly planned town around Nagoya Castle. Around the same time, the nearby ancient

was designated as a waystation, called Miya (the Shrine), on the important Tōkaidō road, which linked the two capitals of

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

and

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

(now Tokyo). A town developed around the temple to support travelers. The castle and shrine towns formed the city. File:Aichi Osu Kannon hondo 2021-07 ac (1).jpg, Ōsu Kannon is a Buddhist temple, originally built in 1333, later relocated in 1612. File:180405 Tenshu and Honmaru Goten of Nagoya castle 2.jpg,

was constructed as the seat of the

Owari branch The is a branch of the Tokugawa clan, and it is the seniormost house of the ''Gosanke'' ("three honourable houses of the Tokugawa").Tokugawa clan The is a Japanese dynasty that was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji) through the Matsudaira clan. The early history of this clan r ...

. File:Shikemichi Nagoya (1).JPG, Edo era buildings in

Shikemichi Shike-michi (四間道) is a small historical street in Nishi-ku, Nagoya in central Japan. History The district was founded for merchants at the time when Nagoya Castle was constructed as the seat of the Owari lords in 1610 CE (Keichō 15), fo ...

(四間道) File:Tokaido41 Miya.jpg,

Miya-juku was the forty-first of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in former Owari Province in what is now part of the Atsuta-ku section of the city of Nagoya, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was six km from Narumi-juku, the ...

(

) in the 1830s, as depicted by

Hiroshige Utagawa Hiroshige (, also ; ja, 歌川広重 ), born Andō Tokutarō (; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ''ukiyo-e'' artist, considered the last great master of that tradition. Hiroshige is best known for his horizontal-format l ...

File:Arimatsushibori.JPG, Arimatsu Town File:Hongan-ji Nagoya Betsuin - Owari Meisho Zue.png, Woodcut print of

Hongan-ji Nagoya Betsuin The Hongan-ji Nagoya Betsuin (本願寺派名古屋別院) is a Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist temple located in Naka ward, Nagoya in cent