American B-29 bombers firebombed Nagoya in the closing days of World War II, destroying large sections of the city including Nagoya Castle, a symbol of Tokugawa-era power built in 1612 and famed for its golden dolphin-like shachihoko roof ornaments. The castle's main keep, along with priceless historical artifacts, was consumed in the flames; it was later rebuilt in concrete in 1959.
Nagoya Castle had stood since 1612 as one of Japan's grandest fortifications, built by Tokugawa Ieyasu to secure his family's dominance and famed across the country for the pair of gilded shachihoko, mythical dolphin-headed creatures, perched atop its main tower. Generations of Japanese associated the golden ornaments with the city itself.
Allied firebombing raids on Japanese cities in 1945 targeted industrial and civilian infrastructure with incendiary bombs designed to create firestorms in wood-and-paper construction. Nagoya, a major manufacturing center, was repeatedly targeted, and the historic castle, despite having no real military value, burned along with much of the surrounding city.
The destruction of the castle became one of many losses of irreplaceable heritage in the war's final months, alongside temples, shrines, and historic districts across Japan. Rebuilt in reinforced concrete in 1959, the castle today draws millions of visitors, though efforts to reconstruct the keep in traditional wood, honoring the original 17th-century craftsmanship, remain a subject of ongoing debate in Nagoya.