Aichi Prefecture guide

Author: Edutraveller
Date written: 04/20/2003 11:11:34 AM
Last edited: 2003/05/25 16:52:58
Keywords: Aichi, Chubu, Central Japan, Toyota, Tokugawa Ieyasu

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Location

Aichi is located in the central part of Japan known as Chubu (meaning central region) and is the centre in many ways. As the crossroads between eastern and western Japan, it has absorbed influences from both, and influenced them in turn. One of the wealthier parts of the country, it is the home of the Japanese automobile industry, and has a long history as the workshop of Japan. The old Tokaido road (from Kyoto to Tokyo) runs through Nagoya and most of Aichi, and the present JR Tokaido line runs on approximately the same route.

The main city of Aichi is Nagoya, fourth largest in Japan. Located in the northern part of Aichi, it is well known for its broad streets, in contrast with the narrow and congested roads of Tokyo and Osaka. This is the result again of its industrial heritage -during World War Two, the city was completely razed to the ground by Allied bombing but as with the rest of Japan, recovered quickly due to the hard work of the local people and industries.

Transport and getting around

Air: Nagoya is an international airport, and is served by several major airlines and the Japanese carriers. Some airlines will fly direct, others may require that you change to a domestic flight from Narita (Tokyo).

Train: The Tokaido shinkansen stops at Nagoya (all trains - Kodama, Hikari and Nozomi), and the Tokaido standard JR line also passes through the city. This is the easiest way to get to Nagoya, and from there you can get to all other parts of the prefecture. As well as the JR trains, the local Meitetsu line with distinctive Imperial Red coaches covers most of the prefecture and surrounding areas too. If you are travelling up into Gifu and the prefectures above Aichi, Meitetsu is an alternative to the JR lines. The Kintetsu train company also covers the region between Osaka and Nagoya, and is useful for getting to Aichi from the west of Japan. Kintetsu is sometimes cheaper than JR when travelling to Osaka.

Bus: Buses travel the main Tomei expressway from Tokyo to Nagoya and also from Osaka to Nagoya. This is one of the most economical means of getting to the area, although a lot slower than the shinkansen of course (about 6 hours from Tokyo, compared to less than 2 hours by Nozomi).

Other road: You can rent a car and get to Aichi using the main expressways. Considering petrol and road tolls, it is usually cheaper to go by car when you have about three people travelling. The trip from Tokyo takes about four hours, and from Osaka about two hours.

History

The history of pre-modern Japan was shaped by three important military leaders - Oda Nobunaga (1534-82), Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-98), and Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616). All three were born in Aichi, although after achieving power they generally established themselves in other areas (Nobunaga and Hideyoshi in Osaka, Ieyasu in Edo - later Tokyo).

Being the home of the Matsudaira family and the Tokugawa Shoguns, Aichi also received preferential treatment in some senses. For example, some industries (like the production of gunpowder and fireworks) that were considered too important to let anyone do, were kept under the control of the Shogunate - in the case of fireworks, in Ieyasu's ancestral town of Okazaki. Other important industries, such as ceramics, were also prominent in Aichi (Seto, Tokoname).

Arts and crafts in Aichi

Arimatsu Shibori

Tie-dyeing (shibori) has appeared in most cultures, and entered Japan at least 1300 years ago from China. Arimatsu, settled in 1608 as a station 42 on the Tokaido, is perhaps the most famous location for Shiboriin Japan. There are a range of techniques, the basic point of which are to protect a part of a fabric while the rest is dyed. This is done by wrapping it around a pole or rope tightly, or stitching over areas, or variations on these methods to produce a range of patterns and effects. The process of dying and washing can be repeated several times to produce multi-coloured patterns.

Get there by taking the Meitetsu Nagoya line from Nagoya to Arimatsu (340 yen, about 15 minutes).

World Shibori Network has a good explanation of the different techniques and styles (English only).
Shibori-zome has photos of all the main styles and also has a detailed access map (brief English and Japanese).

Seto-shi and Setomono

Seto-shi is famous throughout Japan for pottery, to the point that the word "setomono" or "things from Seto" is used interchangeably with the word for pottery. When the technique of making ceramics was first brought to Japan from the Korean peninsula, it was first established in Seto. Over a thousand kilns dot the city, from the first arrival of the craft 1300 years ago. The local clay soil and ready supply of wood from the surrounding forests make Seto an ideal location for pottery works.

Today, a stroll around the city will reveal the traces of this history, and you can try your hand at several of the museums and centres around the city. Well-worth seeing are the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, and the Seto City Folk History Museum in particular. In the second week of September is the Setomono festival, when over half a million people from all over Japan come to visit the city and buy works.

Get to Seto from Nagoya by the Meitetsu Seto line from Sakae Station (670 yen, 40 minutes).
From Okazaki you can take the Aikan Tetsudo from Okazaki JR (750 yen, 60 minutes).

Museums

Kunizakari Sake Museum

Kunizakari sake museum in Handa city on the handa peninsula is the ideal place to learn about the history and making of sake. Models illustrate the process clearly, and there is a tasting corner where you can compare the varieties produced. The museum is free to enter but you should call ahead and make a booking. Open 10am to 4pm weekdays, closed for Obon, New Year and every third Thursday of the month.

From Nagoya, take the Meitestu Kowa line from Meitetsu Shin-Nagoya Station to Meitetsu Chita Handa Station (650 yen one way, 31 minutes) and then walk 15 minutes to the museum. The easiest route is from JR Nagoya Station: take the JR train to JR Obu Station, change to the JR Taketoyo Line and get off at Handa Station (650 yen one way, 35 minutes). It is a 7 minute walk to the museum.
From Okazaki take the Kaisoku (Express) from JR Okazaki Station to JR Obu Station, change to the JR Taketoyo Line and get off at JR Handa Station (650 yen one way, 40 minutes).
From Toyohashi, take the Kaisoku to Obu as for Okazaki (1110 yen, 53 minutes).

Tokugawa Art Museum

The museum is based around the personal collection of the Owari branch of the Tokugawa family who controlled Nagoya castle. Permanent exhibitions include weaponry and armour, accessories related to the tea ceremony, items from the everyday life of a Daimyo or regional lord, objects from Noh theatre, and the oldest surviving copy of the Tale of Genji, perhaps the first novel ever written.

The museum is open 9am too 5pm and closed on Mondays and over New year from December 16 to January 3. Admission is 1200 yen for adults and 700 yen for students.

Take the City Bus for Jiyugaoka or Idaka Shako from Green #7 Bus Stop, Eki-mae City Bus Terminal to Shindeki Bus stop
Take the Meitetsu Junkan or Loop Bus from #4 Boarding Spot 3rd floor of Melsa building, Meitetsu Bus Terminal to Shindeki.
The museum is a 3 minute walk from the bus stop

Nagoya Boston Museum of Fine Arts

The Nagoya Boston Museum of Fine Arts houses long term and short term exhibitions on varying themes, including both western and eastern programs and is worth seeing if you are in Nagoya.

The museum is closed Mondays, and open from 10am to 5pm except Fridays (open 10am to 9pm). Entry to the entire museum costs 1200 yen (900 yen for students), or 400 yen for the permanent exhibitions only (300 yen for students). Access is from Kanayama Station, which is on the JR Tokaido, JR Chuo, Meitetsu Nagoya and the Meijo Subway lines.

Nagoya Boston Museum of Fine Arts homepage (English and Japanese).

Temples and castles

Nagoya Castle (built 1610-14 by Tokugawa Ieyasu)

Ieyasu built the castle in 1612, and it was used by the Owari Tokugawa until the Meiji Restoration. The castle is the symbol of the city of Nagoya, particularly the two golden shachi or dolphins that crown the roof. A museum presents the history of the castle, and shows many aspects of the daily life of the daimyo. If you are staying in Nagoya, you should visit the castle.

Entry costs 500 yen for adults and 100 yen for children under 15 years. Get there by taking the Meijo subway from Nagoya station to Shiyakusho station. Leave by exit number 7 and the castle is visible just five minutes walk away. Open 9am to 4.30pm, closed December 29 to January first).

Okutono Jinya

A Jinya was a barracks or headquarters of a landlord whose domain was too small to be permitted to build a castle. Okutono Jinya belonged to a branch of the Matsudaira family, relatives of the Tokugawa Shoguns. Built in 1711, it was restored and is now a pleasant place to relax and enjoy a slightly different view of Tokugawa Japan. One of the family was a tea master, and there is a heavy emphasis on the tea ceremony. Other famous members include the founder of the Japanese navy (Nagai Naoyuki) and the forerunner of the Japanese Red Cross (Matsudaira Norikata).

The flower garden in the grounds is one of the main attractions, and there is a popular hiking course on Mount Murazami which overlooks the Jinya. Okutono Jinya is on the outskirts of Okazaki, and you can get there by Meitetsu bus from Higashi Okazaki Station to Okutono Jinya Bus stop (last stop, about 30 minutes). Open 9.30am to 4.30pm, the Jinya is closed on Mondays and over the New Year.

Atsuta Jingu

One of the most important of all Japanese shrines, Atsuta Jingu is the guardian shrine of agriculture and houses the grass-cutting sword, supposedly handed down from the sun-goddess Ameterasu to the first emperor of Japan. The Shrine is over 1000 years old, but was mostly destroyed during World War Two. The present buildings were mostly rebuilt in the mid 1950s, but the huge grounds and multiple buildings and museum are definitely worth a visit.

From Nagoya, go from the Shin Nagoya Station to Meitetsu Jingumae Station by Meitetsu main line (6 minutes, 220 yen), or take the JR line from Nagoya Station to Atsuta Station (7 minutes, 180 yen).

Asuke/Kourankei

Asuke village and castle are in one of the best parts of Aichi for viewing the brilliant colours of autumn (kouyou). Well worth the 500 yen is a reconstructed farmhouse, museums of traditional handicrafts - with local people actually making washi (Japanese paper), weaving, stoneworking and more. A ningyou (doll) museum has a large selection from all periods of Japanese history, including some unusual designs.

The gorge is lit at night during the kouyou season, creating a spectacle not to be missed where you can see Japan's natural scenery at its best. Spring is also quite beautiful, but Kourankei and Asuke are worth a visit at almost any time of year.

Asuke Castle is a 40 minute walk from the town. The castle itself is quite small as it was never much more than an outpost, but the views are quite nice particularly in autumn. There is a 300 yen entrance fee for adults and 100 yen for children, and the castle is open from 9am to 4.30pm (try to arrive a little before the closing time, as they do close very punctually). Holidays are from 28 December to 4 January.

To get to Asuke from Shin-Nagoya station take the Meitetsu Toyota line for 35 minutes to Umetsubo station where you change to the Meitetsu Mikawa line. About 25 mins will see you in Nishinakagane station, from where you take a Meitetsu bus for 20 minutes to Kourankei Gorge Entrance 1 (Korankei Ichi no Taniguchi).
To get to Asuke from Okazaki, the Meitetsu bus from Higashi Okazaki station to Asuke takes 70 minutes.
From Toyohashi station, take the Meitetsu bus or Meitetsu train to Higashi Okazaki station, and then take the bus as above.