JPN: Nagoya Castle
1-1 Honmaru, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Daily: 9.00am - 4.30pm
With hunger pangs setting in, I made my way to the nearby Kinshachi Yokocho for lunch.
Daily: 9.00am - 4.30pm
Standing as a symbol of Japan's rich history and cultural heritage, Nagoya Castle holds the distinction of being the first castle in the country to be designated a National Treasure. Originally built in 1612 under the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the castle played a crucial role during the feudal era.
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JPN: Nagoya Castle <YOU ARE HERE!>
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Nagoya Castle (名古屋城) is often referred to as Meijo (名城), a shorthand derived from the first and the last characters of its official name.
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| The entrance to the castle is beautifully framed by lush, towering trees. |
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| Nagoya Castle is one of the largest in the Land of the Rising Sun. |
Nagoya Castle is open to the public all year long, except from 29 December to 1 January. The entrance fee is ¥500 (~S$4.45) per adult.
The castle grounds span approximately 44 hectares.
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| Ninja and samurai performances, anyone? |
There are a few separate exhibition galleries spread throughout the grounds. Here's one of them.
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| It's a preserved cross section of a tree trunk that's more than 300 years old. |
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| See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil~ |
It's unfortunate that many of the original structures were destroyed during World War II, but restoration efforts have been ongoing slowly, but surely.
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| Those are the original foundation stones of the main tower. |
The current ferro-concrete main tower has been closed to the public since May 2018 due to concerns about its resistance to earthquake. It was supposed to be demolished in 2024 and replaced with a new wooden structure, but the project has been put on hold at of the point of writing.
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| Perched on the roof of the main tower are two golden shachi, which are mythical tiger-headed carp. |
Let's enter the reconstructed Honmaru Palace.
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| It's been opened to the public since June 2018. |
The palace is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Shoin architecture, which is characterised by tatami rooms, sliding doors and the use of alcoves to display art or floral arrangements.
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| There are numerous tiger motifs, a symbol of strength and valour reflecting the warring spirit of the clan. |
Welcome to Omote Shoin, the main hall of the palace.
Walking inside the palace sparked my imagination about life in those days.
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| I love the delicate paintings of natural scenery in muted huges of green, blue and brown. |
Admiring the reception halls, I wondered how it must've felt to be among the esteemed guests invited her centuries ago.
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| Such an eye-catching gilded decor! |
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| The intricate details of the gilded elements were enhanced as they caught natural light. |
Even though I only spent a fleeting half-hour inside the palace, I was utterly captivated.
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| Would you like to have a bedroom like this? |
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| That's the most ornate donation box I've ever seen. |
Done exploring? No, not yet!
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| Kato Kiyomasa was a renowned samurai who supervised the construction of the towers. |
To the east of the Honmaru area is Ninomaru Garden, which is said to be the largest garden adjoining the living quarters of lords in all of Japan.
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| Do you have a vision of the garden in spring? |
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| The garden used to be a site of an even older castle where Oda Nounaga resided until 1555. |
Before leaving, I browsed through one of the gift shops.
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| Japanese food packaging is simply irresistible. |
With hunger pangs setting in, I made my way to the nearby Kinshachi Yokocho for lunch.
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