Shirotori garden
Actually yesterday was officially culture day, but the shrine district was still going off on the holiday Monday with small children forced into clothes they do not want to wear to pay to have their photos taken where there are signs warning people not to take photos because it offends the gods. Also because it is a holiday, things that are normally closed Monday are open today, and closed tomorrow, so for me it shall be a rest day, as in, non hiking day.
My first stop was Atsuta-Jingu shrine, strangely enough, in Atsuta. I am possibly reliably informed this is the main shrine in all of Nagoya, and so it was very busy. It is the brown wood type of shrine, not the more photogenic red painted shrine, I am too ignorant to understand which colour is which type of shrine, the choices being Shinto and Buddhist. Does one use the red exclusively and the other brown? The internet would suggest not. So that clears that up.
After pondering what the shrine was all about, I wandered over the road to what is the highest rated garden in Nagoya, Shirotori garden. This was pretty good, $3 cash only entry fee, and has a decent size lake. It would be better if autumn still existed, but it no longer does. They were however still trying to tie the trees up, but the trees were protesting a lot as they were still fully leaved!
Atsuta station area has some half covered streets of former shops surrounding the shrine area. I suspect many are long dead.
Today the shrine is as busy as it gets, and there are numerous vendors setup on all sides selling fried orange things on sticks.
The gardens are extensive, there are many such brown wooden gates to pass through.
Hmm, not the main shrine, but possibly the most photogenic building. I think this is quite a modern shrine.
Here is the main shrine. Not particularly impressive. You cannot actually go in as there is some kind of pay to pray thing going on.
The grounds were more impressive than the shrine buildings.
Now to explore the Shirotori garden, the entrance is a bit underwhelming and the car park was almost empty.
However inside it was great. Here is a stream. There are many men in blue overalls attaching lights, fog machines and loud speakers to blast jingle bells to every single tree in the place.
Here is the mini fake waterfall. You can see one of the men in blue working suits attaching lights in this photo.
Those poles are the things to tie the trees up in the winter so the snow does not snap the branches off. I feel they should delay doing this for a few more weeks.
There are quite a few bridges crossing the mini lake. Not many people at all in this place today, strange.
Possibly picture of the day. Needed more colourful leaves.
Whatever this metal snake in this part of the fake lake is supposed to do, it is not doing it. And so now it looks like a sewage treatment plant pond agitator.
After exiting the garden, I walked along a river and got to another sewage pond looking area, but what is that weird building in the distance? Let's go and find out.
It is Nagoya Century Hall, some kind of conference centre I guess. The thing at the top is earthquake bait. It all looks a bit run down. OK that is enough photos for a rest day.
Sakae area and department stores
The other night I wandered around the main bit of Nagoya in the pouring rain. I threatened to go on the roof of something and go to where the department stores are. Tonight I made good on that promise.
I only make promises that are very easy to keep.
It is the end of a 3 day weekend and it was actually pretty quiet in the city. I suspect a lot of people are still fighting the immense lines at train stations for a tiny duck cake.
Anyway the temperature is still about 20c in the evening here, which is too hot, so what better way to enjoy the autumn free air than to go for a wander along central park, gawk at the tower, then have a tiny omurice meal?
There it is. The same thing can also be seen in Sapporo in a similar park. The Tokyo and Osaka ones are not really in parks.
I could have had dinner at the overpriced peanut cafe with a view of the tower. The peanuts are very popular in Japan, but even more so in China. Weird.
Seems legit.
I walked back under the tower where homeboy was dropping some phat beats to a crowd of mainly dancing babies and puppies.
Last tower pic!
Next up I had to get onto the roof of Oasis 21 bus terminal as promised. Under it tonight they had set up a skate boarding street battle thing, which had a decent crowd watching. You can see a bit of it here if you squint.
Here is the roof. It is a big pool you can walk around.
From the roof I spotted the ferris wheel, so that was obviously my next destination. I have not been on this one, I have been on a few in Japan. People no doubt find the thought of me riding around in a ferris wheel on my own hilarious.
Now for the street scene around all the department stores. There are probably 5 or 6 big stores in a row.
I headed up to the top of Parco and there were lines for most places, so specialist omurice chain Rakeru won by default. I ordered what is advertised as their diet option, instead of a huge omurice, you get a tiny one, with tomato sauce, plus a chicken thigh fillet and potatoes. Rice and Potatoes.
And for my final pic of the night, some more of the large department stores along here. Most are connected at level 7 by sky bridges.
Tomorrow is a hiking day. I will be mocking people who take a cable car to the top.