NAGOYA -- The Nagoya city government has completed restoration of Nagoya Castle's Hommaru Palace following 10 years of repairs that cost 13 billion yen. The 3,100-square-meter palace, which burned down in an air raid during World War II, was opened for a private viewing on Monday and will open to the general public from Friday.
The original palace was built in 1615 adjacent to Nagoya Castle's main tower as the residence and audience chambers for Tokugawa Yoshinao, the ninth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu and first lord of the Owari Domain.
Restoration of the palace, which comprises about 30 rooms across 13 buildings, began in January 2009 and was carried out in three stages. It has been partially open to the public since May 2013.
In the final stage of renovations, the opulent Jorakuden (shogun's accommodation hall), which was expanded in 1634, and Yudono Shoin, a steam bath used exclusively by the shogun, were faithfully reconstructed with Japanese cypress from the Kiso region. This was the same material used in the construction of the original building. The paintings on the sliding doors are reproductions of the paintings on partitions and other structures that survived the wartime blaze.
Hommaru Palace and the main castle tower were designated as national treasures in 1930 but burned down in a 1945 air raid.
The city government hopes the palace replaces the tower as the castle's main tourist attraction. The latter has been closed since May for the restoration of its wooden structures, with officials aiming to complete the work by December 2022.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
