Adventures in Tsumago.
Thursday, June 7th
We began today with a traditional breakfast. We then spent time walking around the shops of Tsumago that sold little trinkets, groceries, and treats.
Arrival in Inuyama.
Thursday, June 7th
We arrived late in Inuyama. We found a ramen shop that was open, but the rest of the small town had shut down for the night. We checked into our hotel, and since it was night, we thought that we would not get much of a view. But Inuyama Castle is lit up at night and we could see the castle very clearly from our room.
Friday, June 8th
We walked around Inuyama’s city streets in the morning and went to the castle. In Japanese, inu means “dog” and yama means “mountain.” The mascot for the town was a little dog dressed in traditional Japanese male attire complete with a little bun on his head. He was plastered everywhere around the city.
Ice Cream in Japan
From left to right: Green tea, strawberries and cream, Chocolate and vanilla mix, sakura(a type of flower), and “benira” or vanilla.
Ice Cream in Japan
This place had all sorts of fruity ice cream! Chris and I went by the pictures when ordering… but even then, there were things we didn’t recognize!
Chestnut Treats
In Japan, chestnuts are very popular ingredients in snacks. This pastry looks like a chestnut and has a creamy chestnut filling.
Toilets
Toilets in Japan are always very futuristic. It seemed no matter where we were, the toilets would always have heated seats and a control panel for the built in bidet.
Inuyama Castle
Notice how the steps are almost the entire length of my shins… and you know I am taller than most Japanese people. The stairs were designed to be high, narrow, and unevenly spaced so that invading armies would trip and fall if they tried to run up the stairs.
Inuyama Castle
This is Wanmaru-kun. He is the mascot of Inuyama. He is a dog dressed like the lord of a castle. His image was everywhere!
Inuyama Mascot
The most popular breed of dog in Japan was the Akita. They were everywhere, especially in Inuyama.