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Nagoya Castle now: is it open today?

Today in Nagoya

Open daily 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00)

Closed only December 29 to January 1. Last entry 16:00, for the castle and Honmaru Palace.

Can you go inside?

  • Main keep (tower): closed insideClosed since May 2018. To be rebuilt in wood, not before 2032.
  • Honmaru Palace, gardens, stone walls: openAll included in the ¥1,000 ticket. You can still see and photograph the keep from outside.

→ What you can and can't see

  • Crowds
    Loading
    Working out today's estimate.
  • Weather Loading the forecastJapan Meteorological Agency forecast for Nagoya (processed by Nagoya Castle Now)
  • Palace wait See the live Honmaru Palace wait on the official siteThe official home page shows the current wait to enter the palace.

The crowd level is an estimate, not a live count.

Crowd score from 0 (empty) to 100 (as busy as it gets), worked out from the day of the week, public holidays, the season, events and the weather forecast.

The roofs of Honmaru Palace in front of Nagoya Castle's small keep and main keep, with cherry blossoms
Honmaru Palace (left) and the keeps, which you see from outside. Photo: 名古屋太郎 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The rest of today

Estimated crowd score for each hour.

Castle map

Two entrances, each with a ticket office. Honmaru Palace is about 10 minutes on foot from either one.

22 places Search and filter

  • Gates and turrets

    West entrance, with a ticket office. Closest to Sengencho Station and the Nagoyajo Seimon-mae bus stop.

  • Keep and palace

    The rebuilt palace, included in the ticket. Last entry 16:00. About 10 minutes on foot from either gate.

  • Gates and turrets

    East entrance, with a ticket office. Closest to Nagoyajo Station (Meijo Line, M07).

Find your way around the castle

Tap a place or a pin to see it on the map and get walking directions.

Open the full map

Tickets

Honmaru Palace is included. No booking is needed: buy at the Main Gate or East Gate ticket office in cash, by card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay, AMEX, Diners, Discover), with a transport IC card or iD.

How to see it

Whatever your time, go to Honmaru Palace first. The castle is quietest right after it opens, and the palace has no air conditioning, so early is calmer and cooler.

1 hour

Just the highlight

  1. Enter at the East Gate or Main Gate
  2. Walk straight to Honmaru Palace (about 10 minutes)
  3. See the keep from outside on the way out

2 hours

Palace and grounds

  1. Honmaru Palace first
  2. The keeps and their stone walls, close up
  3. The corner turrets and Ninomaru Garden

Half day

Everything, plus the free side

  1. Honmaru Palace first
  2. Nishinomaru Okura Museum (last entry 16:00)
  3. Walk around the outside of the walls for free views of the back of the castle, then eat at Kinshachi Yokocho

From Nagoya Station

Subway

  • Sakura-dori Line 3 stops to Hisaya-odori, then the Meijo Line (clockwise) 1 stop to Nagoyajo (M07)
  • About 8 minutes, ¥240. Exit 7, then 5 minutes on foot to the East Gate
  • Not covered by the JR Pass

Me-guru sightseeing bus

  • From stand 11 at the bus terminal to the Main Gate, about 23 minutes, ¥210
  • Not on Mondays. The 1DAY ticket (¥500) gets you ¥200 off admission
  • Not covered by the JR Pass

All the ways to get there, from Nagoya Station and Sakae

Events now

Be GOLD night illumination: October 18 to 24, 2026, lit 17:00 to 20:00. Entry until 19:30, gates close at 20:00, and Honmaru Palace is open late (last entry 19:00). Details

Events show here only while they are on. All events

Questions

Can you go inside Nagoya Castle?

Not inside the main keep. It closed in May 2018 because of earthquake-resistance problems and will be rebuilt in wood, with completion expected after 2032. Your ticket still gets you into Honmaru Palace, the gardens and the grounds, where you can see the keep, the stone walls and the turrets from outside. What you can and can't see

How much is Nagoya Castle?

Adults pay ¥1,000 from October 1, 2026 (it was ¥500). Junior high school students and younger are free. Nagoya residents aged 65 and over pay ¥300 with their senior citizen handbook. Honmaru Palace has no extra charge. Tickets

How long do you need?

About 1 hour for Honmaru Palace and a look at the keep from outside, 2 hours to add the gardens and turrets, or half a day with the museum and a walk around the outside of the walls.

Is it closed on Mondays?

No. Nagoya Castle is open every day except December 29 to January 1. Some websites say it closes on Mondays; that is wrong.

Can you take photos in Honmaru Palace?

Yes, without flash. Flash photography is not allowed, and neither are food, drink, smoking or phone calls. Palace rules

Do you need to book tickets?

No. You can buy tickets on the day at the Main Gate or East Gate ticket offices, in cash, by card or with an IC card. An official e-ticket is sold on Asoview (in Japanese) if you want to skip the ticket line.

Is there a free English tour?

Yes. The Aichi Goodwill Guides Network runs free English tours every day at 12:30 from the Main Gate and the East Gate, with no booking. There are no tours from December 29 to January 4, and tours are sometimes paused, so check the official visitor page before you go. Private tours need booking at least 7 days ahead.