Nagoya Castle's main concrete tower is set to be replaced in 2022 with a wooden structure more closely resembling the original keep as the city looks to attract tourists.

The project will be the first of its kind for a Japanese castle, utilizing woodwork similar to that in practice centuries ago, the Cultural Affairs Agency said.

Last week, the Nagoya Municipal Assembly approved the ¥1 billion ($8.98 million) supplementary budget to cover the project. The draft budget was submitted by the Nagoya Municipal Government in June, but the assembly had opposed the plan, questioning the cash flow forecasts and the short construction period.

The restoration plan for the 36-meter keep is a signature pledge of Mayor Takashi Kawamura, who is eyeing a third term in an election slated for April 23.

The dismantling of the castle's main tower will start in March 2019 after gaining necessary approval from the cultural agency, since the castle is a national special historic site.

The construction of the original castle began in 1610 on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, and the main keep was completed two years later.

The castle's main tower was designated a national treasure in 1930 along with affiliated buildings, but was lost in an air raid in May 1945 during World War II.