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Located around 40kms north of Nagoya you’ll find Okazaki is a peaceful, old castle town offering a serious dose of natural beauty and rich local history. Over its lifetime the city has faced its fair share of hardships, but has managed to bounce back stronger than ever, cementing its position as a must visit Aichi destination.
Okazaki’s main attraction is its castle, which is said to be the birthplace of Ieyasu Tokugawa, one of Japan’s most powerful political figures who effectively ruled the nation from the 1600s until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. When the nation’s political power fell into the hands of the Meiji government, the castle was destroyed, as it was seen as a symbolized the powers of the samurai. This castle was originally built in 1455, but the structure you see today is a lot more modern than that, in fact that five-tiered donjon reconstruction was done in 1959.
Surrounding the castle you’ll find the lush surrounds of Okazaki Park. Inside the park grounds are a number of historic points of interest including Ninomaru Noh Theater and Tatsuki Shrine as well as the castle. If you want to know more about the city’s fascinating political and royal history be sure to pay a visit to the nearby Mikawa Bushi Museum where you can learn all about the life and times of Ieyasu Tokugawa, and try on samurai helmets and armor. This park is particularly beautiful in spring when the cherry trees come to life carpeting the grounds with pale pink blossoms.
Although it has a reputation for being a relaxed historic town, Okazaki has an explosive side too. Around 70% of Japan's fireworks are designed and manufactured here. If you’re around the area on the first Saturday in August, be sure to make a trip to the castle’s surrounding area to check out the town’s incredible fireworks show, which illuminates the balmy evening sky.
If there’s one food that best represents the city it’s hatcho miso, a dark miso paste that’s been an iconic dietary staple in Okazaki since its beginning. Made by steaming soybeans, rather than boiling, the beans are matured in cedar barrels, which sit for two years under three tons of carefully stacked river stones. There are a number of miso manufactories here, and if you want to learn more you can take a tour of the Hatcho miso grounds, tours run regularly throughout the day and typically offer free tastings.
The best way to get to the city from Nagoya is to catch the JR Tokaido Line to Okazaki Station, the trip takes around 30 minutes and costs 620 yen each way. The Tokaido Shinkansen does pass through Okazaki, but it doesn’t stop at the station, so if you’re travelling from one of Japan’s other major cities it’s easiest to get there via a stop at Nagoya. By car you can access the city by the Tomei Expressway and the Shin-Tomei Expressway.Hotel Trend Okazaki Ekimae
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