October 31, 2013

• Happy Birthday B and Nagoya Castle

  Today was both Sonny B's birthday and the day of out departure for a few days in Nagoya. I made sure that Sonny B got his birthday card/present before we left.

  

  Sonny B's birthday is today. I sent him a birthday card with some money and a suggestion for a Halloween costume.

  

  He said he got the card and the money.

  

  Our first stop in Nagoya is Nagoya Castle. The KKR Hotel where we stayed is withing walking distance. Click on the picture and you can read the explanation.

  

  Here is a prewar picture of Nagoya Castle and the palace buildings on the castle grounds. These were all destroyed during WWII. Not nice to purposely destroy the cultural properties of another country if you ask me.

  
  

  

  The castle was reconstructed, but in this picture, the grounds remain empty of the buildings that once occupied them.

  
  

  

  These are parts of the building that are gradually being reconstructed. The orange part is finished and is open to the public, and the other parts are to follow.

  

  DH sits in front of some sliding doors that were in the original buildings. Much of this artwork was carried to a different safe location before the bombs fell and destroyed the buildings.

  

  Nagoya Castle

  
  

  

  On the way into this castle one had to cross this bridge that is "decorated" with spears pointing downward to discourage attackers from climbing up.

  
  

  

  Here is a carpentry area where the parts are being cut for the new castle palace buildings.

  
  

  

  The parts are all cut so that they can be assembled like a giant 3-D puzzle

  

  Now let's go inside the completed part of the reconstructed building.

  
  

  

  Here is another room decorated with pictures of civet cats.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  The stones in the wall were provided by the lords of various areas. This stone has the mark of Satsuma in Kagoshima.

  

  Here is a model of Nagoya Castle and the surrounding grounds as they used to be. Click on the picture if you want to see a larger version.

  

  We are looking down from the top floor of the castle.

  

  Here is the front door to this part of the palace.

  

  

  The restoration work on the remainder of the palace is taking place under the roof on the left.

  

  It is Chrysanthemum season, and on the way out of the castle ground we see some on display.

  

  All of these flowers are on one stem!

  

  Here is a miniature village scene with chrysanthemums.

  

  The next place we visited was Noritake Ceramics, but the place was about to close, so we had to make a run through the displays. There were no pictures allowed, but I just had to take this one of the process for making tooth crowns.

  
  

  

  Next was dinner with Dotter and her DH near Nagoya Station. They were nice enough to get me some birthday candles!

  

  He doesn't like having his picture taken...

  

  • 08:52
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