The Tokai region is located in the central part of Honshu and faces the Pacific Ocean. Because this region also located between Edo (now Tokyo) where the Shogun once ruled and Kyoto where the Emperor lived, there were a lot of economic business, cultural and human exchanges for a long period of time.
Let’s join the events which you can learn Japanese history and traditional culture such as live demonstration of traditional Japanese sword forging, Ninja experience or join modern Japanese spring events!
Event for traditional cultural experience and learn history
１. live demonstration of traditional Japanese sword forging
- May 6.2018
source:lifemagazine
Seki city in Gifu is well-known and highly regarded metal blade producing area in the world.
On certain designated days, a glimpse of traditional Japanese sword forging is open to the public. No doubt, it will be an unforgettable experience especially for men. Until now, Japanese swords continue to be produced by swordsmiths in the traditional forging style that has been passed down from Kamakura period（12c.-14c.）Three sword smiths dawn their traditional white attire and pound the raw steel with giant hammers, sending out flurries of sparks in the process. It is truly a powerful sight to behold! In Seki city, succeeded to make a sword of sharpness by a unique method. This unique sword demonstration is not held on a daily basis so this time must be a special opportunity.
Schedule
・Day ; May 6
・Time：10:30 - / 13:30 -
Access & address
・Place：Seki-city, Gifu /Seki Sword Tradition Museum
・Nearest station and travel time from the station：
Nagaragawa Railway “Hamonokaikanmae Station” about 5-minute walk
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city:
From JR Nagoya Station about 1 hour by train & walk
・Address： 9-1 Minamikasuga-cho, Seki City, Gifu, 501 - 3857
・Map
Admission & reservation
Free of charge (live demonstration)
Price for museum is
Adults: 300 yen, High School Students: 200 yen
Middle and Elementary School Students: 100 yen
No reservation required
Official website
No official website
Events with kids
2.Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens Spring festival - March. 17.2018 - May. 6.2018 (planed)
The Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a park consisting of zoo, botanical garden, an amusement park. The Zoo contains more than 500 kinds of animals including elephants, giraffes, penguins and koalas. At the Friendship Square, you can feed sheep or stroke animals. The garden contains a greenhouse, rose garden, western styled garden, and a Japanese garden. You can enjoy seasonal flowers by theme. Especially May is the best season to enjoy flowers. Besides there is a valuable house with steep thatched roof. At amusement park, there are big ferris wheel, roller coaster and others. Ticket Prices are reasonable of 110 – 330 yen. The 214m Higashiyama Sky Tower gives visitors a great 360° view of Nagoya from its observation decks on the 5th floor 100 meters above the ground. Especially you can enjoy wonderful night view.
Schedule
・Days：March. 17.2018 - May. 6.2018
Closed on：Monday
・Opening hours：9:00 – 16:50 (Admission until 16:30)
・Opening hours for Higashiyama Sky Tower: 9:00 – 21:30（Admission until 21:00）/ Closed on Monday
Access & address
・Place： Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens & Higashiyama Sky Tower
・Nearest station and travel time from the station：
Subway "Higashiyamakoen Station” Exit 3
3-minute walk
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city：
From JR Nagoya Station about 30minutes by train
・Address：3-70 Higashiyamamoto-cho,Chikusa-ku, Nagoya,Aichi
・Map
Admission & reservation
Admission ticket: Adult (high school students and older) 500yen
Combination ticket with Sky Tower: Adult (high school students and older) 640yen
Junior-high school students and younger: Free of charge.
No reservation required
Official website
http://www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp/
3.Iga-Ueno NINJA Festa 2018
April.7.2018 – May.6.2018
source:ninjack
NINJA is a person or groups who served intelligence and assassinations services for daimyo’s and lords from the Kamakura period (12c. - 14c.) to the Edo period (17c. - 19c.) in Japan. Usually they did agriculture and peddlers, and explored the information of various places. When the order came down, they went to the battlefield or other places. Iga -NINJA is the most famous one. The Ninja Makeover Section is established on weekends and on national holidays during the festa and visitors can enjoy disguising themselves as Ninjas. On weekdays, there are some “petit Ninja Makeover section” are located in the city. Let’s take a walk old castle town with Ninja costume! Ueno castle was built early 17century. The height of the stone wall is 30m and the tallest one in Japan. At the “Machikado Ninja Dojo”, you can try throw “Shuriken( throwing star)”or “Fukiya (blowgun ) as a Ninja training. These nice events are varies from day to day. To learn more about Ninja, you should go to the “Ninja densho-kan (Ninja tradition hall)”. You see examples for daily life, wisdom of Ninja.
You also can watch how Ninja sneak in and escape from Ueno castle on the video.
Schedule
・Days: Saturday, April.7 – Sunday. May, 6 .2018
・Opening hours：10:00 - 17:00
Access & address
・Place：Ueno area, Iga-shi, Mie
・Nearest station and travel time from the station：Igaueno Station 5-minute walk
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city：JR Nagoya Station about 2hours by train
・Address： 2976-1Uenonakamachi, Iga-shi, Mie（The Ninja Makeover Section）
・Map
Admission & reservation
Ninja Makeover：1 costume / 1,000 yen and more
Machikado Ninja Dojo：1place / 200yen
Paid events available
No reservation required
Official website
http://www.iga.ne.jp/~ninjafesta/
Contemporary art event
4. Itsudatte-neko-ten (Always with cats exhibition)
April.7 – May.20.2018
source:ameblo
In Japan, you can find already about cat as a pet on the novels, essays, diaries during Heian period（8c.-12c.）. Still before that period, the cat was a pet that catches mouse and had a good relation with people. Because of that Japan never experienced certain outbrakes of bacteria like Yersinia pestis in Medieval Europe. During end of Edo period (around 1780-1870), cats were getting so popular and they had often drawn in Ukiyoe (woodblock prints and paintings) kabuki (classical Japanese dance-drama), Banhon( book printed from woodblocks). The cats were drawn as cute animals, strong figures of mouse catcher, animals that threatens people or lucky cats. During this exhibition, you can see cats which are drawn on mainly Ukiyoe, children’s books, Banhon or Manekineko( lucky cat). You’ll see about trend of cats during period end of Edo till Meiji period(1868-). This exhibition is consists of five themes.” Living in the Edo period and a cat”” Monster cat”” Cat like a person or People such as a cat”” Cats bringing happiness” and” Cats drawn in picture for children”.
Schedule
・Days：April.7 – May.20.2018
Closed on：Mondays (Except for April.30)
・Open hours：10:00 -19:00(Entry to galleries until thirty minutes before closing)
Access & address
・Place： Shizuoka City Museum of Art
・Nearest station and travel time from the station：
Three-minute walk from the north exit of JR Shizuoka Station
・Address：Aoi Tower 3F, 17-1 Koyamachi, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka 420-0852
・Map
Admission & reservation
Adult: 1200yen
University & High School Students& Senior (70years old and older): 800yen
Junior High School Students and younger: free
No reservation required
Official Website
https://www.tv-sdt.co.jp/neko/
5.Atami Sea Fireworks Festival in Spring
May.12.2018 & May.27.2018
source:at-s
The Atami Sea Fireworks Festival is scheduled to be held every year in spring, summer, autumn and winter more than 50 years. Because the event ground of Atami Bay has a basin-like shape and is surrounded by mountains on three sides, the explosions reverberate all around to create an amazing sense of being in a stadium. What truly captivates the audience is the stream of fireworks let off one after another without a moment's gap toward the finale. The magnificent "Niagara Falls in the sky" casts a silvery white light over the night sky and leads you into an impressive finale. We recommend you to watch fireworks from a coastline of Sun Beach to Atami port. Last year there were 3000 pieces of fireworks and 13000 visitors.
Schedule
・Days: Saturday. May.12 & Sunday, May.27 (No postponement for rain)
・Time：20:20 - 20:45
Access & address
・Place：launch fireworks from Atami Bay
(from Atami Port 7.5m quay to the sea fishing facility)
・Nearest station and travel time from the station：Approx. 15-minute walk from "Atami
Station" of JR Tokaido Mainline
・Address：18-2018-8 Nagisacho, Atami,Shizuoka 413-0014 Shinsui Park, others
・Map
Admission & reservation
Visit free
No reservation required