For our last day, I decided to take it easy on the newcomers. They were obviously tired already so I just chose two castles for the day. Something more traditional in contrast to the city sprawl of Tokyo. After arriving in Nagoya and leaving our baggage in the lockers at the station, we took a 30 minute train ride North to Inuyama.
We got off at Inuyamayoen Station and walked by the Kiso riverside where you can spot the castle keep jutting out at the top of the hill. There were several local vendors setting up along this same path.
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Cherry trees were also abundant along the path but only a few were in full bloom.
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We arrived a bit before the castle opened so we explored a few shrines around the vicinity.
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Inuyama Castle is one of five castles (Himeji, Hikone, Matsue and Matsumoto being the other four) considered as national treasures in the country and is the oldest standing castle keep in Japan.
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At the top you get nice views of the Kiso River and the castle town.
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We went back to Nagoya via Inuyama Station so we could pass by the castle town for lunch and buy a few souvenirs.
There were more people in Nagoya Castle than the last time I was there. Sakura season really brings out the festive nature in the Japanese!
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The lovers taking a break
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There were some martial arts duels ongoing as well.
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It was still early in the afternoon when we finished walking around Nagoya Castle. I wanted to visit a riverside park in Nagoya known for being one of the best cherry blossom spots in Japan but I saw that my companions were already beyong exhausted. So I cut the sightseeing short and took them to Oasis 21 to rest up until we had to leave for the airport. There’s always a next time! 😀