The day turned dark, cold and rainy which promised to make sightseeing and walking very unpleasant. Our first stop was at the Wakayama Castle area. Our guide waited in his car -- out of the rain -- as we explored the grounds. 

Along the way we stopped at a shrine which honoured veterans. Unlike the shrines and temples we have seen in SE Asia, China, India, etc., this building was quite simple as were most of the Japanese temples we would visit later on our trip. There were quite a number of interesting monuments to veterans just outside the shrine gate.