The city of Nagoya is the biggest in central Japan, and Nagoya Castle is its proud symbol. The castle sits just a short distance from downtown, so if you're already in the city, getting there is quick and easy -- just take the subway Meijo Line to Shiyakusho (City Hall) Station and head out exit 7, whose very design has a castle-gate theme.

Regular admission to the castle is 500 yen for adults. If you enter the grounds by the main gate, you might even get to meet members of famed groups of special greeters: the Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai, a troupe of samurai generals and soldiers, and Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hattori Hanzo with the Ninjas. Look for the posted schedule to find the performance times.

Construction of Nagoya Castle began in 1610 at the command of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the warlord who united Japan and became its first Tokugawa shogunate ruler. The castle was destroyed during World War II and replaced by a concrete replica in the 1950s. Now, however, the structure is being rebuilt using authentic techniques and materials. Reconstruction of the main tower and other areas is ongoing and so those sections of the castle are closed to the public, but restoration of the opulent Hommaru Palace finished just this year, and it is again open to visitors.

In the entrance area you'll also see and get to pose for photos with a full-size replica of a mythical golden shachi, two of which are installed atop the roof of the main tower and were held to protect against fire.

The Hommaru Palace is a short distance away. At the entrance, you take off your footwear -- shoe lockers and slippers are available. Photography is allowed, but using flash and tripods is a no-no.

The first big room you'll come to is the Genkan, a receiving area whose sumptuous sliding screen doors and walls bear intricate paintings of tigers and leopards, which were meant to intimidate visitors.

As you delve further inward, you'll find the other rooms are all magnificent, too.

Each room has a different theme and a specific purpose, such as the Jorakuden, or shogun accommodation hall, with its elegant black-lacquer work.

As you explore, also check out the ornate woodworking, nail covers, and other fittings.

Back outside, you can roam through the extensive grounds. Some areas are closed for construction, but much remains accessible.

As you explore, you might spot some stones in the support walls that bear carvings. These are the marks of the daimyos who supplied the stones.

South of the castle grounds is Kinshachi Yokocho, which comprises two commercial districts that opened in March 2018.

The theme of the Muneharu Zone, located near the East Gate, is modernity and change, and here you'll find a selection of restaurants featuring new flavors as well as creative reinterpretations of long-loved standards.

Until around the end of September, the Muneharu Zone is also holding the Mino Washi Paper Light art exhibit, featuring lamps made of Mino washi paper that are illuminated in the evening.

You can also participate in a photo contest by posting shots you take of the Muneharu Zone in the evening to Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook -- for details, visit the link in the posted announcements.

The other part of Kinshachi Yokocho, located near the castle's Main Gate, is the Yoshinao Zone, which takes classic tradition as its theme. Featured here are restaurants where you can enjoy the samurai cuisine of Nagoya meshi -- locally loved specialties native to Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture.

One such local favorite is Yabaton, which specializes in miso-katsu -- deep-fried pork cutlets drizzled with a tangy sauce made of the distinctive red miso that the area is known for.

On this visit, I selected the hire-katsudon meal set -- a rice bowl topped with deep-fried pork-fillet cutlets.

This selection also comes with dengaku -- broiled skewers of tofu -- which are drenched in the same red-miso sauce.

What a tasty and filling end to a fun visit to the castle!