Postcard from...Nagoya, Japan

Hi there blog readers!

I went to Nagoya to meet English teachers, school owners, an ex-student and a couple of really cool old friends I've not seen for a while. It was good to reconnect, talk about absent friends a bit, and to get new ideas for my classes and the year ahead.

My side hustle was making an excuse to finally photograph Nagoya Castle. I think I've been there before, but so long ago my photos will be faded as much as my memory. 

Honmaru Palace (foreground)

The first thing to know, is that it is a long walk from the station - so don't bother - get the subway! And understand this is a reconstructed, concrete job, with an awful elevator stuck on the side but ironically, no access to the main tower at the moment. Restoration to the walls is ongoing - somewhat slowly by the looks of it - and the grounds are sparse. The Honmaru Palace has been beautifully restored. A walk around the outer (now mostly dry) moat gives you a good idea of the scale (modest, I'd say). And don't be surprised when you see deer in the moat bed!

I got the impression that this castle was a bit of a peacock - look at my green roofing & golden kinshachi (fish) on the roof - but rather soulless and disconnected from the town (compared to Himeji, for example, which dominates the city...or Matsumoto, where there's ALWAYS something going on and the backdrop is stunning anyway).

Editing my photos, I realised black & white gave the structure more character. What do you think? The full set I took are here on Flickr

I was disappointed with this experience as there was not a lot of information to read, not much signage, and not a whole lot of story to attach to it....not a lot to explore or learn, nor clever angles to tease more out of the photography.

 

The statues in Nagoya

I was born in Tokyo, then I moved to Nagoya at five years old. Now, my hometown is Nagoya. Nagoya is a very comfortable place to live. I love Nagoya.

There are many statues in Nagoya. For example, Kiyomasa Kato's statue. He was a Japanese daimyō of the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo era. He was born in 1562. He was born in Nagoya.

Then, there are Shachihokos. They are orca dolls. They are on the roof of Nagoya castle.They are gold. We call them "Kin-Shachi" in Japanese. They are a symbol of Nagoya.

Then there is the Nana-chan doll. Nana-chan was a girl, born in 1973. She was from Switzerland. She is a mascot of the Meitetsu department store. She is very tall - 610 centimeters. She stands in front of Meitetsu department store. She often wears clothes. She is a smart dresser. 

by　Seiji

Nagoya Castle

The most traditional building in my hometown is Nagoya Castle. It is in the centre of Nagoya-city.

On top of Nagoya Castle there are two gold statues of fish. Usually, the statues are called the "kin-no shachihoko" by most people.

If you go up to the "tenshukaku" of Nagoya castle, you can see all of Nagoya city, and airplanes departing form Nagoya airport.

If you go into Nagoya Castle, you have to pay JPY500.