Off the back of the Japanese Government’s announcement to ease restrictions on international visitors touching down, Aichi Prefecture is gearing up to welcome foreign tourists.Aichi is a hot destination, relatively untapped by Australian tourists. Here are some of the best things to see while you’re there.
Shikizakura – Cherry blossoms in spring AND autumn?
When you hear the name “Toyota City”, no doubt the world-famous motor vehicle company comes to mind, but the city is famous for something entirely different. Shikizakura trees are a special type of cherry blossom tree that blooms twice a year.
Cherry blossoms can be seen all over Japan but cherry blossom season lasts less than a month making it difficult for visitors to catch the trees in bloom.
In the Obara area of Toyota City there are over 10,000 Shikizakura trees which usually bloom from mid-March to early April and from late October to early December.
The autumn bloom means that it’s possible to see a splendid juxtaposition as the trees bloom alongside the yellowing and red of the autumn leaves of other trees.
At Senmi Shikizakura-no-Sato in particular, the slope of the hill is covered with 1,200 cherry blossom trees, creating a beautiful combination of coloured leaves and cherry blossoms. The sight becomes all the more spectacular when the branches wave in the wind across the slope.
Toyokawa Inari temple, an important and rare multi-faith temple
Toyokawa Inari in Aichi is considered one of Japan’s “big three” Inari or fox shrines. In Japan it’s said that foxes are servants of God and so Inari shrines are dotted across the country. Toyokawa Inari temple has more than a thousand stone foxes dressed in bright red bibs lining its grounds.
Toyokawa Inari is particularly special within the Inari shrines sect. It has the name ‘Inari’, which usually means shrine with Fushimi Inari in Kyoto as its head shrine of all Inari shrines in Japan, but the official name is Myogonji temple belonging to the Soto sect of Buddhism. In fact, it is a Buddhist temple but also has a Torii, the red shrine gates. This sometimes occurs in Japan but is not very common. The shrine is both a Sodo sect Buddhist Temple, as well as a Shinto Shrine, dedicated to Inari Okami, the god of fertility, rice farming and agriculture, industry, and worldly success. This makes Toyokawa Inari one of Japan’s most remarkable multi-faith religious sites.
In the Samurai period, the nation’s most famous three samurai visited the shrine to pray for their success. These days, the Toyokawa Inari shrine receives around five million visitors each year and is particularly busy during the New Year. The complex hosts three major annual festivals, the Great Spring Festival in May, the Mitama Festival in August and the Toyokawa Great Autumn Festival in late November.
Visitors should take the time to explore the street that runs directly into the gates of the temple. The street has over 100 shops featuring local specialities, restaurants and cafes. Make sure you take the time to sample some inari zushi, a special type of sushi said to be a favourite with foxes.
A great photo opportunity is the Senbon Nobori – rows of red and white flags that have been planted by believers from across the country along the approaches to the main temple.
Another must-see is the Senju Kannon statue. The statue represents the deity with a thousand hands, a goddess who assumed characteristics of inari and is the Shinto god of fertility, rice, agriculture, industry and worldly success.
LEGOLAND Japan, explore one of Japan’s newest and hottest theme parks for families with kids
Legoland Japan is one of the country’s newest theme parks and offers endless fun with over 40 different rides and attractions. While the park offers fun for all the family, it really puts a smile on the faces of kids.
Lego is everywhere within the park with 17 million Lego blocks used in its construction. When you consider there are over 10,000 different Lego models, you can get an idea of the scale of the park.
Some of the attractions include Knights Kingdom, with its exciting ‘The Dragon’ rollercoaster ride, Lost Kingdom Adventure where laser guns shoot from off-road vehicles in the desert, and workshops where budding mechanics can put their building skills and imaginations to the test.
The park offers a memorable experience that will capture the imagination of adventurous kids.
And for parents or guardians, attractions such as Mini Land of Japan, recreated out of over 10 million Lego bricks, will galvanise your long-held love of Lego.
SCMAGLEV and Railway Park, a homage to Japan’s love affair with rail travelrai
Japan is obsessed with train travel and so fittingly it has some incredible rail museums. The SCMAGLEV and Railway Park is a fascinating hands-on museum looking at the past, present and future of Japan’s railway systems and rolling stock, and it also houses one of Japan’s largest train dioramas.
Visitors can walk around a collection of 39 retired train cars — from steam locomotives to the newest designs of the magnetically levitated (maglev) bullet trains. You can view them from below or hop on board for a closer look. Kids will be delighted with the full-scale train simulators where they can experience driving a bullet train and give safety announcements on a local train.
The museum is an exciting and educational exhibition, displaying lots of Japan’s greatest contributions to the world of transport. The museum features a number of world speed record-setting trains, including the fastest narrow-gauge steam locomotive, the C62.
