The Nagashima Castle was constructed in 1555 by Ito Shigeharu, but very soon afterwards, it was captured by Ikko-ikki, a sect of warrior monks in Japan's Sengoku period. Ikko-ikki were the followers of the beliefs of the Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land) sect of Buddhism which preached that all devotees are equally saved by Amida Buddha's grace. This sect rose up against the samurai rule in the 15th and the 16th century in Japan.

The Nagashima Castle became one of the fortress of the Ikko-ikki sect. The Oda clan (clan of warlords) was very apprehensive of the activities and the growing power of the Ikkis. Oda Nobunga was one of the important warlords. He attacked and destroyed the Nagashima castle with the aid of the Kumano Suigun (Navy) which was under the control of the Kuki family. The wooden structure of cathedral fortress was set on fire and none of the 20,000 residents managed to escape. The destruction of this castle along with the Ishiyama Honganji led to the downfall of the Ikko-ikki and their effort to overpower the samurai conquerors.

The Nagashima fortress was located on a swampy delta, on the border of Owari and Ise Provinces, at the confluence of three rivers, This point lies to the southeast of the modern-day city of Nagoya. Nagashima was originally not a single fortress, rather, it was a number of smaller fortifications surrounding two main buildings. The Ganshoji fortified monastery was the second center of Nagashima's defense.

However, today, as per the Nagashima Historical Society, none of the main castle of Nagashima survived and hence the actual location of the fortress cathedral remains unknown. The site, which is most widely perceived to be the location, now is the site for a junior high school and an old moat.The keep, the strong central tower which is quiet often the most defended area of the castle, was rebuilt but again got destroyed in in the lightning of 1959. What remains today is the reconstructed Ganshoji with a small stone stupa in honour of those who were burnt to death after the seize. The Ganshoji stands a short distance inland.


Nagoya
Founded some 390 years back on orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Nagoya, today, is the fourth largest city of Japan and the capital of the Alchi Prefecture. The city comprises an area of 326.45 km² and houses a population of 2,202,111. The city is visited by a whole lot of foreigners every year despite the fact that it does not have as many attractions in store as other cities of Japan. What it does has, however, is a castle originally constructed by first Tokugawa shogun and one of the most important shinto shrines of the country. Apart from the two, the city also has an aquarium famous for its penguins and sea turtles and the world-famous Noritake chinaware display rooms.