Osaka

Nachikatsuura

Kyoto

Tokyo

Nara

Nagoya

Kanazawa

Atsuta Shrine Western Gate (Torii)

There were no entrance fees nor English maps.

This site was very popular with the main activity painting.

The entrance to the Hongu (Main Shrine). Note some carrying babies. There were a number of what appeared to be ceremonies presenting new born infants.

View from either side of the entrance. Plebs not allowed in.

I saw this procession as I entered the Western Gate.

They returned here to the Hongu.

This may be the Shinyo-Togyo Shinji

... to commemorate the return of the sacred sword from the Imperial House in 686 AD.

They were allowed in.

Garden outside the Saikan (Purification Hall)

Lots of things to see here. I remembered another ridiculously large sword in Edinburgh Castle. Presumably to unseat soldiers on horseback. (The little one is normal size.)

The area is a large complex with dense garden. As mentioned earlier, it was also crowded

with little ponds

and lots of little shrines.

You can’t keep a good weed down.

Tatsumi (Southeast) Tower. Only large building to survive WWII. There is still one major building, the Hommaru Palace which is being restored and hopefully will be completed by 2018.

Kato Kiyomasa supervising the hauling of the huge stones used in the construction.

Lots of moats. Some on the other side still with some water.

The Dongon from inside the first set of double gates.

The Dongon from inside the second set of double gates. This was below the Southeast Tower.

You entered the castle via the ramp on the left and to get to this ramp you had to go through another tower, the Small Donjon.

Inside the Dongon which is now a museum. Most tourists participated in the test and the couple caught by this tourist were amused that I took this photo.

There were seven floors of things to see. This is the tea room.

One of the bits to see.

Views from the eighth floor. Looking east.

Looking south. The weather was fine - the smudges were just from dirty windows enhanced by reflection from the camera.

Looking west.

Some dude outside the Nagoya Noh Theatre. Nagoya Castle is in the background.

The town of 瀬戸 is west of Nagoya. It is where Seto pottery comes from. They, of course, cannot spell. It should be 瀬藤.