Japan Tour 2025: Day 12 Finding Nagoya Castle

 

By the numbers

19.78 kms

25,114

 

Level of Chaos: An evening wander through a busy train station

 

The vending machine

The day started off with breakfast and then I realised exactly what it would be. Donut, pastry and a coffee. I was a little disappointed, but I would survive as it didn’t look like much at all. The plan for the day after I walked outside to check the weather was doing before I made a decision. The weather was going to be sunny from the looks of it. I broke out my big hat and went off walking, I could have taken the subway, but because I am unfamiliar of the other areas in the city, I thought it was just as easy to walk the 2kms from the hotel to the Nagoya Castle.

 

Sweet Potato

I didn’t really have a plan, but I went where Google told me to walk and a small part of that pointed me along a small road that apparently had historic links like a bridge that had been originally build in the 1600s and had been rebuilt in the 1930s. The little canal that it crossed seemed to have some building work going on over the top. I have no idea what they are doing, its like they are going to cover it. Either that or they are putting in a small road. I came across a vending machine with I don’t know what, but it wasn’t drinks. I would check it out on my way back. Eventually I would find the castle and it wasn’t expensive to get in for a tour. The actual castle itself was off limits to tour as there were issues being not earthquake proof. The castle had been built around the 1600s. Not long before World War 2 the castle and several buildings were classed as national treasures. Some of the castle area had been destroyed during world war 2 and would later be rebuilt. I had a look around and one of the buildings that got restored was the palace you could tour through. Shoes were off and there was one direction you could walk. Bags had to be on your front too. The building was meant for the Shogun when he visited. He was one step down from the Emperor, but had more power. The rooms were painted with different animals and there was one room called the Heron room. Some of the guard towers had missed being bombed so had survived World War 2. I ended up with an ice cream and a sausage on a stick, I think was called a Dango.

 

After wandering around the castle area for a bit I made my way out the back of the area through the garden. There were several monuments including one to a famous Samurai who stood on a rock directing the builders of Nagoya castle. When I left the castle area I was starting to feel the heat as they day had become pretty hot again. I went in one direction and found one of the subway entrances was designed to look like a temple. Across the road were the post office and Town Hall. I ended up walking the other direction as I wanted to visit the park that was near the castle. I thought the flowers would be out, but it was the opposite, they were working on parts of the park with earthmoving equipment and parts were roped off. I decided that with the heat, I should call it a day and get some packing done. I followed the path back and found that offending vending machine from earlier. Turns out the strange thing was in fact sweet potato with honey. When I ate it later it was sticky. I found my way back to the hotel and put the washing on while I relaxed from the heat.

 

After the washing was done, I went looking for the best way to get to my train. I had to find where the shinkansen leaves from and even though I thought I could have a short walk, that never happened. I wasn’t sure at first where it was since I had come from underground. I ended up going back along a path I had been earlier and the station was still busy at 7pm. I found where I was meant to go so that was a good thing it was longer than I thought, but hopefully no real issues. I went window shopping that sent me to the 13^th floor of a shopping centre. I think it was getting close to closing, but I was happy that I got that out of the way and then went back to the hotel with a late dinner. I will be leaving for Tokyo in the morning so that should be a little bit of fun on the shinkansen and I have to make sure I catch the right one and be on time, but no problems there.