Morning time came and we searched the local area for a meal and then the ever-adventurous Mr. Pearson led us on a trek to the Nagoya castle.
Nagoya Castle was built in the beginning of the Edo Period for one of the three Tokugawa family branches. Nagoya developed into an important castle town and is now Japan's fourth largest city.
The castle was bombed to its foundation in the air raids of 1945. The reconstruction dates from 1959. The interior of the castle is now a museum displaying the castle's history.
An amazing story, building and vision of re-birth for the castle. It is well worth the visit.
We topped off the visit with ice cream--chocolate, caramel (Pat's favorite), strawberry, and green tea ice cream for Deb and me. Ice cream, sun tan and Japan in late November. They tell me it's seldom seen!
A return to the hotel and check-out brought us to airport time and we took an hour-and-a-half flight to our next concert destination--Fukuoka. Then dinner, and a little town walking in the warm evening air (well, warm for late November).
We walked a ways from the hotel to a quaint little place called Canal City.
Just joking about quaint and little. So many shops (mostly high-end) and lights and things to see. It didn’t hurt that the Christmas (shopping) season in Japan begins in early November and runs through to Christmas Day, and the place was decked out in fine fashion!
Canal City is a large shopping and entertainment complex, calling itself a "city within the city". Attractions include numerous shops, cafes, restaurants, a theater, game center, cinemas, two hotels and a canal, which runs through the complex.
At this time of year, it was especially amazing. We arrived for the on-the-hour light, music and water show--all electronically choreographed and timed to perfection.
We crossed the canal to Happy Town, the nightclub and night life district that appears in every large city in Japan. Night time was its time and the lights were on and people were out visiting, partying, playing, eating--you name it, it probably was happening there.
Reminiscent of Seoul, the clubs were stacked, one above another, in buildings four to eight stories high. A club or two on each floor and many such buildings meant a lot of night life. Into the not-so-wee hours they went. Long past the time we all headed back to the hotel for sleep. The daytime is slower there, but night time always comes again.
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