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Monday, 20th February 2012
In Japan Travel News,
Nagoya residents mixed feelings over castle restoration
Plans to rebuild the iconic Nagoya Castle in its traditional form have met with a mixed response from locals following a meeting held by the Nagoya Municipal Government.
Around 160 local residents met at the civic hall in Nagoya yesterday (February 19th) to discuss the plans, which would see the current concrete building rebuilt with a wooden structure, returning it to its original form, the Mainichi Daily reported.
Sitting on the Pacific coast in the capital of Aichi Prefecture, the original Nagoya Castle was completed in 1612 by Tokugawa Ievasu.
Supporters of the proposals argued that returning the castle to its former glory would draw more visitors to the city, while opponents reasoned there was little logic behind rebuilding a perfectly good castle.
Mayor Kawamura has suggested holding a referendum on the issue, saying: "We should conduct a referendum on the same day with other elections so it won't cost money," the news provider quoted.
It is estimated that it would cost 40 billion yen to rebuild the castle and take around 20 years.
Nagoya has a population of over two and a quarter million.
Written by Kimberley Homer
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