Things to see and do Nagoya

A must-see for anyone who stops in the city of Nagoya. Originally, a fortress stood on the site of the present castle. It was built by and for the Oda clan. Then Ieyasu Tokugawa built the famous Nagoya Castle for his 9th son, Yoshinao, in 1610, so that he could control the whole central part of Honshū and keep an eye on his opponents, who were still loyal to the Toyotomi. The Tokugawa of Owari remained in possession of the castle until the Meiji restoration. Located on the Tokaido road, it allowed to secure the access to Edo. In 1930, it became the property of the Nagoya municipality. It was bombed at the end of the Second World War in 1945 and rebuilt in 1959 with a reinforced concrete structure.

The foundations of the pre-war Hon Maru can be seen, some parts of which have been collected in the spared keep and now set up as a museum. One can admire the shachihoko (mythical orca-like animals) found on the roof ridge of the castle, and also the fusuma, the painted sliding doors, which are quite remarkable. The visit to Nagoya-jo is particularly spectacular and magical in spring when the cherry trees in the park are in bloom. The foundations of the castle are currently undergoing a restoration which should be completed soon, and which aims at restoring its authentic architecture. This long-term work does not alter the quality of the visit.

This shrine is dedicated to Amaterasu - the sun goddess in Shintoism, from whom it is said that all the emperors of Japan are descended. This spiritual shrine is the second most revered shrine in Japan after Ise Shrine. It is located in a park to which the beauty of the trees and the rarity of the species confer a great majesty. The shrine was built in the year 86 to house the sacred sword Kusanagi no tsurugi (the two-edged sword that mows grass), which unfortunately is not on public display. This sword represents one of the three imperial attributes (which are the mirror, the great ring of eight elements and the two-edged sword). It was given by Amaterasu Ōmikami to a clan leader of Japan, Takeru Yamato, who is considered the first federator of Japan. The latter escaped an ambush after cutting the flaming grass with the sacred sword. The shrine has the same architectural features as the shrines of Ise. A sacred compound, Nakanoe, surrounds the main building, the Hon-gū, and a secondary shrine. In the park are arranged several tea pavilions.

To the east of the park is the Bunka den (open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, except the last Wednesday and Thursday of the month. Entrance fee: 300 ¥) where the treasure of the shrine is displayed. There is a beautiful collection of bugaku masks. On the other side of Hori-kawa river is the pleasant traditional Shirotori garden with a teahouse (open from 9am to 4:30pm, except on Monday. Entrance fee).