We went to Nagoya recently after coming back from Hong Kong.
Its a pretty big city, id previously been to the aquarium there which is well worth going to. This time we went to Nagoya Castle, and Atsuta Shrine.
The castle was not particularly busy as it was a weekday and the weather was not the best, with showers in between the humid sun scorching down on us.
The main castle was closed and has been for a while, there was another building there though, the hommaru palace which was open and has a lot of art, on ceilings and panels. Its worth going, even if there's no air conditioning.
Here's the brief intro on the official site...
Nagoya Castle was completed in 1615 by the Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Topped with golden shachihoko, votive tiger-fish roof devices, and boasting the largest floor space of any tower keep, Nagoya Castle and its magnificent Hommaru Palace were operated as a military facility. Nagoya Castle was Japan’s first castle to be designated a National Treasure. Even after wartime air raid destruction, it was deemed historically important enough to be designated a National Historic Site. Restoration work being carried out is returning Nagoya Castle to original condition.
After the palace, we went to the baths next door, a smaller building, but mildly interesting, with some more decorations and old baths (recreated) to look at.
The grounds of the castle are quite wide in places and very hot, so we decided to go to the shrine next as the castle grounds were just too hot for us.
The large shrine near the center of town reminds me of Meiji Jingu in Tokyo. A forest through which wide paths lead to the shrine. Not the most interesting place, but worth a visit.
Here's the info from its own site in English....
Atsuta Jingu (Atsuta Shrine), familiarly known as Atsuta Sama (Venerable Atsuta) or Miya (the Shrine), has been one of the greatest centers of worship in Japan from ancient times. Visitors to the shrine, including those who practice the conventional New Year visit, now count nine million annually.
The enshrined deity Atsuta-no-Ookami is Amaterasu-Oomikami as represented by the sacred sword Kusanagi-no-tsurugi, one of the three sacred treasures that symbolize the Imperial throne.
After this we went back to the station and, while waiting for our shinkansen we ate Miso nikomi udon in the station. This has a really nice strong taste and is well worth trying if your in Nagoya, its a specialty of the city.
A nice day out in Nagoya, with the aquarium, this is a good city to visit for a day or two.
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