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You are in southern Japan about one hundred miles east of Kyoto and two hundred thirty-five miles west of Tokyo. You are just now looking nearly south across the moat of the castle. Owari Bay and the blue waters of the Pacific lie only a few miles away over beyond the castle, in the direction in which you are facing.

In the old times of Japan's feudal splendor, three hundred years ago (1610), this was built for the citadel of a daimyo or great lord, the son of Ieyasu, the first Shogun of the Tokugawa family. The Shoguns were military rulers of the country, supposed to exercise executive functions in behalf of the Mikado, the Mikado himself having only spiritual powers and being in actual fact overridden by his energetic representative. The Shogunate lasted from the time of Ieyasu, three hundred years ago, down to 1867-8 after the empire had opened its doors to the rest of the world; then the military protectorate was abolished and the Mikado became, in fact as well as in name, the ruler of the nation.

The daimyo, who lived in a palace below this citadel and safely inside the moat, was one of the most haughty and splendid of all the nobles of his time. A great train of samurai (warriors) dwelt here with him, spending their lives in his service, and a little army of attendants and servants lived here to wait upon their betters. Certain apartments are never shown to strangers now, because they belong to the Mikado and are occasionally occupied by him when, at long intervals, he has occasion to visit the town.

The dolphins which form the ends of the ridgepole away up on the top of the castle, are of solid gold, with silver eyes, and are said to be worth $180.000.

(See histories of the country, Mitford's "Tales of Old Japan," Scidmore's "Jinrikisha Days in Japan," Hartshorn's "Japan and Her People," etc.)

From Notes of Travel, No. 9, copyright, 1904, by Underwood & Underwood.


Medieval castle at Nagoya, Japan.
Chateau du Moyen Age à Nagoya, Japan.
Mittelalterliches Schloß [[Schloss]] in Nagoya, Japan.
Castillo de la edad media en Nagoya, Japón.
Medivalslott i Nagoya, Japan.
Средневѣковый замокъ въ Нагоіа. Японія

Transcription Notes:
- Requesting a double-check on the Russian transcription please! Thank you.