#8 - End of Day One

I finished up the day by relaxing in the park that sits between the Science Museum and the Nagoya City Art Museum (more on both of those later). I would return to this park many times over the course of the next two weeks, and it became a haven of sorts while out on my adventures.

Thanks for reading thus far. I realize there's a lot to get through, but believe me, you're only getting as much as I can tolerate typing, and hopefully no more than you can tolerate reading. The other days are, for the most part, less lengthy than this one was, so stay tuned. And now, having saved the best for last, may I present Uncle Meat.

#7 Local color

At this point, I would like to get my please.



Just like motherbot used to make.


These were in several places around the Sakae area of Nagoya. I think they're swell.




And, of course...
We need to talk about Coffee Boss. Any account of my travel would be remiss without him. Every thirty feet or so - and I do mean EVERY, even in the lower parts of the Alps - there are vending machines. Coffee Boss is on about 1/3 of them, and was easily the face I saw most frequently. He does look disturbingly like Lenin, though, doesn't he? And the whole "boss of them all" thing fits with that. Hmmm....

#6 Osu-Kannon

I wandered around Nagoya for a long time, just enjoying the local scenery...


And eventually found my way to Osu-Kannon, a very unique district of Nagoya. At one end, there's this huge temple.



The other side is an enormous covered shopping district, where you can find all kinds of really bizarre stuff and buy anything from clothes by the gram or used kimonos or video games or luggage or just about anything else. "Ecclectic" might the word to use here.



I will probably talk a great deal about the dualistic nature of Japan, but here's one example. In the middle of a very heavily commercialized area is this small shrine, and there were some older folks going in and out and saying prayers. It struck me as odd to find such a quiet and open place of prayer amidst the craziness of Osu-Kannon, but, well, here we are.

#5 - Tokugawaen Gardens

I got lost in Japan. A lot. The first time was on the way from Nagoya-jo to the Tokugawa Art Museum, and, like alomst every other time I got lost in Japan, it turned out for the best. Here, I wandered into the Tokugawaen Gardens.



Which really wasn't so bad.



And, it turns out that the Tokugawaen Gardens are adjacent to the Tokugawa Art Musuem on the far side. I have no pictures of that - sadly, no photos were allowed - but they were showing the oldest extant Tale of Genji scroll, which was gorgeously illustrated. I bought prints.

#4 - Nagoya

I did.


The other place they let you take pictures is from the top of the Castle, so here's a nice view of the city.



And another...


And finally after climbing back down and losing my spare camera battery, I walked around the city for a long time.

#3 - Nagoya-jo

Nagoya-jo is a very famous castle, which now serves as a museum of sorts. There are exhibits describing the history of the city, and the way in which the castle has changed over the years.

Many of the features of the castle grounds remain, like this moat, which adds to a sense of the history of the place. I had never seen a castle before, and this was pretty impressive.

Stones had to be dragged from around the area to build the castle, and each feudal lord who did so wanted credit for his - or rather his servants' - work. You can still see their clan markings on many of the stones that make up the structures of Nagoya-jo.

Here, amazingly, was preserved an ancient structure where the Japanese dressed as shrubs and donned plastic space helmets to worship their lobster-shrub god. Or something. I honestly have no idea what this is about.

Nagoya-jo is most famous for the two giant golden dolphins that adorn the very top of the castle. Picture taking is prohibited throughout the interior of the catsle, except here, where you - yes, YOU! - can enjoy the majestic splendor of the Nagoya-jo golden dolphins in plastic form. Want your picture taken while sitting on one?

#2 - Meijo Park

After an entirely too-long plane ride - and by recalling it with as few details as possible I hope to hasten it to the sieve that is my memory - I arrived in Nagoya. With a little help from the railway staff, I purchased what would be the first of many, many train tickets and headed to the Jingue Mae station. There, I met with Fujimoto-san, who had agreed to host your truly while in Nagoya.
I will speak at greater length about the whole Fujimoto family, who are honestly some of my favorite people in the world now - but for the time being it must to suffice to say, briefly, that I was ferried home from the train station, ate the first of many of Mrs. Fujimoto's incredible meals, and fell deep, deep alseep.
The next morning I wanted to get started right away. Astoundingly, I woke up at around 6:30, ate breakfast (thanks, Mrs. Fujimoto!) and was on my way. It was too early to go to my first stop, Nagoya castle, because they weren't open yet, so instead I strolled around Meijo Park.


I really liked Meijo Park because it was serene and calm, two much-needed characteristics for an entre to a strange country after the whirlwind of travel.



The park was really pretty, and there, off in the distance, is Nagoya-jo (Nagoya Castle).


And, of course, everyone has heard of the famous windmills of Japan, right? Um...right.


This, the first of many such "Dear Graham, we're glad you're enjoying the sights, but thought we'd throw in something thoroughly bizarre because we heard you like that kind of thing. Love, Japan" moments.

#1

Hello, and welcome!
It would be easiest for me to do these in chronological order, but, with the way Blogger organizes things, the latest posts appear aboce the older ones, so you'll see the end of the story at the top of the page and the beginning way down at the bottom. So just go by the numbers in the subject lines, please.

And with that said, did I mention I went to Japan?