Golden Tigers and Magnificent Art! Nagoya Castle and its Golden Wall Paintings.

This is my second visit to Nagoya Castle, and this time coincides with the cherry blossom season. The flowers are about halfway in bloom, with delicate pink blossoms swaying gently in the sunlight, adding a soft and serene atmosphere to the entire castle. The Honmaru Palace was originally constructed in the early Edo period (around 1615) under the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu as a residence for the shogun or his representatives when visiting Nagoya. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during air raids in World War II. The current structure, opened to the public in 2018, is a faithful reconstruction of the original, preserving the historical wall paintings and layout, making it highly valuable. Currently, there is a fundraising effort underway to rebuild the main keep using traditional wooden construction methods. Hopefully, we will be able to see it completed in the future.