A lit-up Nagoya Castle in November (Yuta Takahashi)

Nagoya Castle may double as wedding chapel

December 08, 2011

NAGOYA--Die-hard history buffs may scowl, and the samurai warlords may be rolling in their graves, but Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura seems to think opening Nagoya Castle to the public for use as a wedding hall may be a match made in heaven in a financial sense.

The proposal was made late last month by an assembly member as a means to rejuvenate the city.

"If we could hold weddings at such a symbolic structure of Nagoya, nothing could beat that in terms of catching attention. It would take on a new significance beyond simply being a tourist site," said Liberal Democratic Party assembly member Takayuki Nakazato on Nov. 25, the opening day of the assembly session.

Mayor Kawamura was quick to show interest in the opposition party assembly member's proposal.

"If we could get someone to do that, it would be a great benefit," Kawamura said, on the plan to convert the castle into a wedding hall.

Visiting historic sites, such as medieval castles, has become a popular pastime not only among young men, but also with young women, often referred to as “Rekijo” (history girls).

Many youths have acquired a taste for visiting such historic monuments because they frequently appear in history-themed manga and anime.

Nagoya Castle was built in 1612 as a strategic post to fend off attacks against the Tokugawa Shogunate from the west. Despite sustaining major damage in air raids during World War II, three corner towers and the walls remain intact.

Meanwhile, the Nagoya city government is struggling to come up with new sources of revenue, particularly as Kawamura has vowed to slash residential taxes by 10 percent.

Other ideas floated at the assembly include a plan to create a transportation system that would link the castle with Nagoya Port.