Nagoya Castle Kinshachi (golden shachi)Story
The Shachi is an imaginary animal with a fish body, a tiger head, multiple sharp thorns on its back, and a tail fin pointing skyward.Makara, which appears in Indian mythology and has the power to control water and prevent enemies, is said to be the origin of Shachi.It was installed for the first time in Japan on top of the castle tower of Azuchi Castle, built by Oda Nobunaga in 1576.On March 8, 2021, they were lowered by helicopter from the castle tower to the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium's kitsukou square, where the male and female golden shachi were cleaned, including their large eyes.
This was the fourth time in total that golden shachi was dropped, and the third time after the Pacific War.After the collapse of the Edo Shogunate, it was decided to demolish Nagoya Castle, and in 1871, the Golden Shachis were taken down from the castle tower for the first time.The golden shachis were transported to Tokyo and exhibited at the Yushima Seido Exposition in 1872. In 1873, only the female Kin-shachi was exhibited at the World Exposition in Vienna.After that, the golden shachis were exhibited at various expositions and received favorable reviews.Later, thanks to the efforts of those involved, the demolition of Nagoya Castle was halted. The golden shachi was returned to the castle tower of Nagoya Castle.
In 1893, Nagoya Castle's main building was transferred from the Ministry of the Army to the Ministry of the Imperial Household, and was renamed Nagoya Imperial Villa.In 1930, the Nagoya Imperial Villa was given to the city of Nagoya by the Ministry of the Imperial Household. It was the first castle in Japan to be designated a national treasure, and opened to the public in 1931. On May 14, 1945, at the end of the Pacific War, the Golden Shachis were burned down along with Nagoya Castle by American bombs.For a while after the war, only the foundation of the keep remained, but the citizens of Nagoya wished for the rebuilding of Nagoya Castle, and in 1959, it was rebuilt in steel-framed reinforced concrete.The male and female golden shachi, the symbol of the castle, were made at the Osaka Mint.
For the first time since the end of World War II, the Golden Shachis were taken down from the castle tower on September 17, 1984.The Nagoya Castle Expo began on September 29th with a two-month duration to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the reconstruction of the castle tower.Expo 2005 Aichi Japan was held on March 25, 2005.To commemorate the event, a "New Century Nagoya Castle Expo" was held at Nagoya Castle, and once again the golden shachis were lowered from the castle tower.
The third exhibition will be held to encourage those suffering from COVID 19. From March 20 to April 2, 2021, the exhibition will be held at Nagoya Castle, and from April 10 to July 11, 2021, it will be held in a special pavilion built in Hisaya Odori Park, Mitsukoshi Mae Hirobus" in Sakae, Nagoya City.
