Marcionの匣
お悩み相談
AuthorMaruhanabachi
Make a Wish on the Compass of Love!
Higashiyama Sky Tower (Chikusa Ward, Nagoya City)
Hello. My name is Maruhanabachi, a housewife writer.
Although the cold days ensue, the heartwarming Valentine's Day is coming soon. Whether you have a date or not, be sure to head out without giving in to the cold!
Today, I would like to introduce the Higashiyama Sky Tower in Higashiyama Park in Nagoya, my hometown!
As you all may know, this place has been recognized as a "lover's scared site," along with a monument called the Compass of Love. While there are other certified spots in the prefecture, this is by far the best place where you can have a good time without freezing during this season!
The Higashiyama Sky Tower is a 15-minute walk from Exit 3 of Higashiyama Koen Station on the Nagoya Municipal Subway's Higashiyama Line.
If you are visiting on a date, make sure to purchase a shared admission ticket (640 yen) with the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens. For those only visiting the Higashiyama Sky Tower, follow the directions for the hiking course from the station and aim for the pencil-shaped tower that soars into the sky.
Now then, here's a report live from the site!
Higashiyama Sky Tower - Entrance
・Admission: Adults - 300 yen; Junior high school and below - free
(Common admission ticket for zoo and botanical gardens/tower - 640 yen)
・Business hours: 9:00 to 21:30 (admission until 21:00)
We're now right in front of the Higashiyama Sky Tower!
Looking up from directly below, it's quite impressive.
The Higashiyama Sky Tower was built in 1989 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Nagoya City and is 214 meters above sea level. It is a symbol of Higashiyama Park, which includes facilities such as the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Nagoya City Chikusa Library, Chikusa Sports Center, and Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
Without further ado, let's head into the building.
If you have a zoo and botanical garden common ticket, head to the reception in the tower. If not, please purchase one at the ticket office outside before entering.
From the two elevators in the hall, head to the 4th floor.
Higashiyama Sky Tower 4F - Observation Room/Compass of Love
When you get off, there is a view that is 96m above ground and 176m above sea level.
The tower itself is built on a small hill, resulting in a higher altitude.
Take a look! Nagoya's landmark, the JR Central Towers, can be seen from a distance.
On a clear, sunny day, you can even see the landscapes of Mount Ontake and the Suzuka Mountains from a distance. In the corner with the best view, some young girls are taking turns posing and taking pictures. Everyone is in high spirits.
Now let's go to the long-awaited lovers' sacred site monument of Compose of Love!
It's crowded with visitors coming one after another, with not just couples but also surprisingly many female guests!
First, let's buy a heart strap (500 yen) at Gacha Gacha. There is also a line here. You can only use 100-yen coins, so keep that in mind!
There is a table and a pen next to the information board, so write your wishes of love!
Put your wish on the heart strap
Write your wish and attach to it a strap
This is the Compass of Love. What's your direction of love?
After attaching the strap, take a picture together.
How did you like it? Looks like you can take a very nice date photo here.
Visitors were also smiling and writing their wishes on heart straps and taking pictures.
It's also nice to take pictures with the night view in the background. The night view here was recognized as a night view heritage of Japan by the Japan Night View Heritage Secretariat in 2004 and was also selected as one of the top 100 night views in Japan. If you both talk while looking at the stars from below with your eyes, there is no doubt that the two of you will be filled with excitement!
Higashiyama Sky Tower 5F - 360° Panorama Observatory
After making a wish on the Compass of Love, head on up to the 5th floor.
There's an observation room where you can enjoy a 360° panorama at 100m above ground and 180m above sea level.
It is wider than the 4th floor, with couple seats installed in several places. If the area near the Compass of Love is crowded, this place may be a hole-in-the-wall where you can relax and enjoy the night view.
Higashiyama Sky Tower 5F - Power Spot "Kamiike Ryu no Wasuremizu"
For some reason, there is a power spot here!
A small dragon god is enshrined. This is a monument based on the legend about the dragon, "Kamiike Ryu no Wasuremizu", which appears in the reading book Owari Senya Hanashi from the late Edo period. It is said that the story goes like this:
“Once upon a time, it is said that there was a very filial daughter who took care of her elderly parents.
While taking care of them, the pious daughter prayed every day to the dragon god of Kamiike Pond so that her parents would be cured.
However, despite that, the parents passed away.
The daughter grieved so much that the dragon god, who felt pity for her, gave her wasuremizu ("forgotten water"). As a result, her heart began to forget the sorrow, and she was able to regain her smile…”
In connection with the legend, they also sell the Mizutoke Tanzaku (200 yen) where you can write your wish and have it dissolve in water.
Write your wish on a strip of paper, put it in water, and see it melt!
You bow twice, clap twice, and bow once, assuming that the dragon god heard you.
Higashiyama Sky Tower 5F - Sky Shop Tenku
While it's a small souvenir shop, I found some cute things!
Elephants, monkeys, bears, frogs, lions, and leopards hugging each other.
It's a lovey-dovey place worthy to be a lover's sacred site. What's concerning is the note "Mecha Love will not separate. If you make them separate, you can't put them back".
Who is it? Who separated them?! I won't forgive them! And so I bought one because of the round eyes and the cuteness of hugging each other.
S size - 970 yen, M size -1430 yen.
How about taking this little lovey-dovey couple home as a memento of your visit to the Compass of Love?
After Higashiyama Sky Tower... Go to Garden Terrace Higashiyama
After enjoying the Higashiyama Sky Tower, next is a leisurely teatime with your significant other.
There are several cafes in the zoo and botanical garden, but how about afternoon tea at Garden Terrace Higashiyama for Valentine's Day? Exit Higashiyama Sky Tower, enter the zoo and botanical gardens through the side gate, and go to the very back of the botanical garden. (By the way, in the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, there are also the lovers' scared sites Tsunaga Road and Bell of Happiness. Make sure to look for them!)
If you climb the stairs with the fountain sideways, you will see an elegant building.
There's also a chapel, with a photo-only wedding couple in the middle of a photo shoot.
Garden Terrace Higashiyama is open for lunch from 11:30 to 14:00 and teatime from 14:00 to 15:30.
The bustle of lunchtime has passed, and teatime has just started, so I got the place all to myself.
Garden Terrace Higashiyama, standing in the innermost part of the botanical gardens
Inside the chic interior
The afternoon tea set is 3,960 yen including tax for two people. (Single set 1980 yen including tax)
Drinks can be selected from coffee, tea (i.e., Darjeeling, Earl Grey), various flavored teas, orange juice, and apple juice.
Although afternoon tea is becoming more and more popular these days, it was originally meant for aristocrats to enjoy a light dinner before watching an opera at night. For this reason, while authentic afternoon teas at hotels are often a little too voluminous, Garden Terrace Higashiyama's afternoon tea is just right.
First section: Freshly baked homemade scones
The American kind that's crunchier and softer than the English kind!
Comes in plain and blueberry flavors. Instead of the standard clotted cream and strawberry jam, it's served with honey and kumquat jam.
Second section: Homemade sandwich
Vegetable and roast beef sandwich - 3 slices for some reason.
The roast beef was thickly sliced and was delicious with crisp frilled lettuce and salad dressing.
Third section: Assorted pastry chef's special sweets
Raspberry trifle, chocolate and cream sandwich cake, opera, and cookies.
Only the opera, for some reason, comes in one slice. It's a bit of a mystery following the sandwich. If you're ordering as a couple, you'll probably get to know each other's personalities very well! (lol)
Teatime is more vacant compared to lunchtime, so you can stop by casually.
Of course, lunch and dinner are also filling. Currently, they're offering a seasonal full-course lunch called "Winter Saisonniere " (5500 yen per person including tax). A magic dinner show (7,700 yen per person including tax) is also scheduled on February 18.
★・★・★・★・★・★・★
How was Higashiyama Sky Tower?
This Valentine's Day, make a wish on the Compass of Love and warm your relationship in the cold season! When spring comes, your wish will surely come true!