Nagoya Castle

While in Nagoya we also got a chance to see the castle. Nagoya-Jo ("Nagoya Castle") is much like that of Osaka - razed in wartime and rebuilt as a museum. The exhibits of Nagoya history and samurai armor and weaponry were interesting, but the feature draw of Nagoya-Jo are the "Shachihoko,"usually translated as "golden dolphins" though they look nothing like dolphins seeing as how dolphins have no scales. My electronic dictionary has a more accurate translation: A fabled fish with a lion-like head, dragon-like sharp scales along the back and an arched tail that points skyward. They sit in pairs on castle rooftops throughout the Land of the Rising Sun. I have yet to figure out why Nagoya`s are considered so special. The castle also has lots of good photo ops and a beautiful view of Nagoya city.