Aichi Prefecture is located almost in the center of Japan and the fourth most populated prefecture after Tokyo, Kanagawa and Osaka. It is also known as a prefecture that has an important position for Japanese manufacturing industry, because it has kept the No.1 position nationwide for more than 30 years in respect of the shipping value of manufactured goods, being a base for automobile and textile industry. Access is good from Tokyo and Kansai, so we recommend you to visit not only tourist attractions but also events held in Aichi.
Traditional Festival
Autumn Festival in Owari Tsushima
Source：http://www.npo-tsushima.org/omatsuri/akimatsuri/index.html
Autumn Festival in Owari Tsushima is a traditional autumn festival that goes back to about 300 years.
The high light above all would be a luxurious and pageant “Dashi” (a float).
The feature of this autumn festival is a float carrying “Karakuri Ningyo” (a mechanical doll). 16 floats in total from 4 districts namely “Nanakiri”, “Mukaijima”, “Imaichiba” and “Kamori”, parade in the streets in Tsushima.
Each float is important cultural property having more than 100 years of history.
Among them “Karakuri Nigyo” (a mechanical doll) attracts your attention. The marionette writing letters, flying and moving freely accompanied by “Tsushima Bayashi” (a local music) looks so real and surely fascinate spectators.
Also you can see “Shagiri” which is a thrilling way to turn the float lifting the front wheels. You should not miss “Oshitori Saisha” which moves around between the floats beating bells and drums, and “Kagura” (a portable shrine) accompanied by beating sounds of flutes and drums.
When all the dedications of “Karakuri” have finished, it is in the twilight so lanterns in the float are lit. It gives the floats completely different atmosphere. The floats return to each district through the town. Don’t miss the floats carrying the “Karakuri Ningyo”.
Schedule
30th September, 2017, 2:00p.m. —
1st October 9:00a.m. —
Access & Address
Take “Meitetsu Line” from “Nagoya” JR Station, get off at “Tsushima” Station, 15minutes walk from the Station
“Meitetsu Tsushima” Station & “Tsushima” Shrine, 1 Shinmei-Cho, Tsushima-City, Aichi Prefecture
Latitude: 35.178456, longitude: 136.718635
Admission Fee & Reservation
Free
No reservation required
Official Site
http://www.city.tsushima.lg.jp/shokai/matsurikyoudo/akimatsuri.html
Events to Enjoy with Children
”Tokoname-yaki Festival”
Source：http://www.city.tokoname.aichi.jp/event/matsuri/1002613/1002615.html
“Tokoname-yaki” Festival is a pottery festival held in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture. Because it is a pottery market held by producers and wholesalers of “Tokoname-Yaki” where you can buy valuable, limited and excellent items, many people come from far to purchase them..
The festival will be held at ”Boat Race Tokoname” as the main venue and other four locations around the main venue. You can move around easily because free shuttle buses run around the venues. The free shuttle is operated every 30 minutes from 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m..
“Boat Race Tokoname” is usually a boat racecourse. You may not be there often so that it is refreshing to visit such a place.
At this main venue, you can experience “Tokoname-Yaki” pottery and see pottery demonstrations by traditional craftsmen.
In addition, there are stalls for Aichi’s “B Grade Gourmet” (dishes that are delicious and inexpensive), as well as Experience of Boat Racer. You can enjoy events other than the pottery.
There are sightseeing spots in Tokoname City: “Takita-Ke” of “Kaisen Donnya” which is the building constructed around 1850 and restored, is now displayed with rare and valuable “Mujin-To” (a self-refueling lamp by rape seed oil), models of Japanese old ship and exhibitions of history of sea transportation, “Tojiki Kaikan” (a museum of pottery) where you can buy potteries, and “Tokoname Maneki-Neko Toori” displayed “Maneki-neko” (a pottery cat to bring prosperity) made by 39 potters in Tokoname City.
Enjoy the charms of Tokoname while promenading.
Schedule
14th – 15th October, 2017
Hours depend on the venues
“Boat Race Tokoname”: 14th Oct. (Sat) 9：00a.m. – 6:00p.m. 15th Oct. (Sun) 9:00a.m. – 4:00P.m.
“Cera Mall”: 14th (Sat) & 15th (Sun) 9：00a.m. – 5:00p.m.
“Yakimono Sanpo-Michi”: 14th (Sat) & 15th (Sun) 9：00a.m. – 5:00p.m.
“Aeon Mall Tokoname”: 14th Oct (Sat) 10：00a.m. – 6:00p.m. 15th Oct (Sun) 10a.m. – 4:00p.m.
Access & Address
Take the “Meitesu Tokoname” Line from “Kanayam” JR Station, and get off at “Tokoname” Station. 5 minutes walk to the south from the station
5 minutes by car from “Tokoname IC” on “Chita Odan Doro” (Centrair Line)
“Boat Race Tokoname”, 4-111 Shinkai-Cho, Tokoname-City, Aichi Prefecture
latitude: 34.885803, longitude: 136.833969
Admission Fee & Reservation
Free
Reservation not required
Official Site
http://www.city.tokoname.aichi.jp/event/matsuri/1002613/1002615.html
The 35th Special Exhibition “the World of Insects”
Source：http://www.num.nagoya-u.ac.jp/event/special/2017/170725.html
The 35th Nagoya University Museum Special Exhibition “The World of Insects” is being held at the Nagoya University Museum,
At the exhibition, 100 new works of 3D “Origami” (a Japanese paper craft) by Shinichiro Ishikawa, 10 miniature (replica) by Yuki Tabuchi and about 1000 insect specimens collected by “Tokai Konchuu Hozonkai” (an local association for preserving insects) are displayed.
In addition, there is an introduction of endocrinology of insect by using silkworms, which is one of main themes of Nagoya University.
It is enjoyable for insect lovers and art lovers or many more people regardless of age.
The Nagoya University Museum where the exhibition is being held was inaugurated in April 2000 as the 5th museum of university in Japan.
There, results of University’s research and its own specimens such as a bone specimen of “Kiso Horse”, the oldest stone in Japan and Fossilized ammonites or dinosaurs in the permanent or special exhibitions.
Around the university, there are Nagoya-ko aquarium where there are 36,000 displays of 540 species, “Kuroshio” (a sea current near Aichi) big marine tank, an under-water tunnel, sea turtles, penguins, etc., and Higashiyama Zoo where you can see koalas, giraffes, elephants, and so on.
Why not spend an autumn day with living creatures.
Schedule
25th July – 21st October, 2017: 10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m. (last admission 3:30p.m.)
Closed on Sunday, Monday and (12th – 15th August, summer season)
Access & Address
Take the “Mejo” subway line from “Nagoya” JR Station, get off at “Nagoya Daigaku” Station, you are there.
Nagoya Daigaku Hakubutsukan: Furo-Cho, Chidane-Ku, Nagoya-City, Aichi Prefecture
latitude: 35.154877, longitude: 136.96693
Admission fee & Reservation
Free
Reservationnot required
Official Site
http://www.num.nagoya-u.ac.jp/event/special/2017/170725.html
Events to Enjoy the Nature
”Higanbana” at the river bank of “Yagachi Gawa”
Source：https://www.handa-kankou.com/spot/nankichi/
The River of “Yakachi-gawa” traversing through Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture is well known for “Higanbana” (a cluster amaryllis).
In the autumn 2 million cluster amaryllis boom in 2km promenade along the Yakachigawa. It is breathtaking and is crowded with tourists from all over Japan. Needless to say you will be fascinated with the red painted scenery.
Around the time of blooming of cluster amaryllis, the Autumn Festival of “Gon” is held every year. “Gon” is a main character of the fairy tale “Gon Gitsune“ written by Nankichi Niimi. In the story Gon fishes eels in the Yakachi-gawa in Handa City. In the river there is “Niimi Mankichi Memorial Hall”, another sightseeing spot.
Citizens who had played with Nankichi in the childhood planted a cluster amaryllis in 1990. It is the beginning of “Yagachi-gawa Higanbana”.
At the confectionary shop “Okashi-Tsukasa Yukino” near the birthplace of Nankichi, they sell “Meika Nankichi” after Nankichi Niimi, the most popular cake in the shop.
When you go to see the cluster amaryllis, why not drop by at “Niimi Nankichi Memorial Hall” and “Okashi-Tsukasa Yukino” while taking a walk. You may feel closer to the cluster amaryllis in “Ygachi-gawa”.
Schedule
The end of September – the beginning of October 24hours
“Gon-no-Akimatsuri”: 16th September,2017 – 4th October
Access & Address
10 minutes walk from “Handa-guchi” Station of “Meitesu Kowa” Line
Nera the “Yakachi-Gawa” Yanabe, Handa City, Aichi Prefecture
Latitude: 34.908269, longitude: 136.922981
AdmissionFee & Reservation
Free
Reservation not required
Official Site
Sunflowers at Tourism Farm “Hana Hiroba”
Source：http://www.hana-hiroba.net/
At tourism farm “Hana Hiroba” in Minami-chita, Aichi Prefecture, you can see the largest field of sunflowers in Japan. 140,000 sunflowers!
You can see the sunflowers from the middle of June to the end of November.
They seed 12 times during a year by staggering the sowing time so that you can enjoy blooming flowers for long period of time.
To enjoy the view of the sunflower field there is an observatory. It is a magnificent view of yellow carpets all over.
Moreover, paying just an entrance fee, you can take away 10 flowers per person whatever you like.
Pets being permitted, it would be fun to run around the field with your pets. (However pets are not permitted to accompany when picking strawberries and melons.)
At Tourism Farm “Hana-Hiroba” they grow not only sunflowers but also poppies, hydrangeas, cosmoses and others thanks to the warm weather in Minami-Chita so that you can enjoy flowers all year round.
Also, in a vast flower garden, people take propose shots and wedding photos, highly recommended for couples. There are rendezvous spots for couples: one is famous “Noma” Light House where couples promise their love with a padlock, and the other is popular “Koino-mizu” Shrine, God of marriage.
Why not visit them, too.
Schedule
The end of June – the end of November, 2017: 8:00a.m. – 5:00p.m.
Open every day during the season
Access & Address
Take the “Umikko” Bus from “Kowa” Station, Nagoya Railway, get off at ”Plastic Kogyo-Danchi Mae”, 15minutes walk from the bus stop
“Kanko Noen Hana-Hiroba”, 48 Toyooka-Takamidai, Minami-Chita-Cho, Minami-Chita County, Aichi Prefecture
Latitude: 34.722125, longitude: 136.934647
Admission Fee & Reservation
Adult: Yen650, Elementary School Student: Yen300, Preschool Children: Free
Reservation not required