The 14.4-kilometer Kasugai Course of the Tokai Nature Trail crosses Kasugai’s highest mountain. Elsewhere in the city, parks, kofun burial mounds, calligraphy and cacti offer other discoveries. You can choose what to explore in Kasugai based on the things that interest you most during your stay.
Hiking Trail and Parkland
The Kasugai Course is used for hiking year-round. It begins at the Jōreikyō Bridge in the Tamano River Gorge and passes through Tamano-enchi, Mount Dōju and Mount Miroku. At 437 meters, Miroku is Kasugai’s highest mountain. The route then continues over Utsutsu Pass to Nishio Pass. These landmarks provide clear reference points along the 14.4-kilometer hike.
Ochiai Park offers another way to enjoy the landscape. This approximately 24.9-hectare landscape park was selected in July 1989 as one of Japan’s 100 best urban parks. Its pond is a place to watch waterbirds, and you can also fish there for crucian carp and common carp.
A walking path runs around the pond. The park also has a large playground with play equipment and the approximately 21-meter-high Folly Water Tower. Walking, nature watching, fishing and enjoying the park grounds offer different ways to spend your time, so a visit need not focus on just one activity.
Kofun and Calligraphy
Three kofun burial mounds are at the heart of the historic Futagoyama Park. One of them, the Ajiyoshi Futagoyama Kofun, is designated a national historic site. The Haniwa House is located in the center of the park. Its fan-shaped multipurpose hall offers a view of a kofun through glass, and an exhibition area displays haniwa figures.
Calligraphy is another cultural theme. On November 1, 1981, Kasugai City opened the Michikaze Memorial Museum in the Matsukawado district. It is located at a site traditionally said to be the birthplace of Ono Michikaze. The museum is an art museum specializing in calligraphy and also a research institution devoted to the history of calligraphy. Kofun and calligraphy thus offer two different perspectives on Kasugai’s culture.
Cacti and Succulents
Cacti are another distinctive feature of Kasugai. Goto Cactus, a nursery in the Momoyama district, sells cacti grown on site directly to the public. Workshops on arranging cacti are also offered there for 1,000 yen. Sales conditions and workshop details may change, so check the current offerings before visiting.
SABO BASE at Greenpia Kasugai is a visitor space with displays of succulents grown from seeds cultivated in Kasugai, as well as information panels about Kasugai succulents. It also has a vending machine and a capsule toy machine featuring cactus designs. The offerings differ: Goto Cactus focuses on direct sales and workshops, while SABO BASE brings together displays, information and vending machines.
Discover more destinations: Toyokawa, Inuyama, Kanie, Tahara, Okazaki, Chita District, Iwakura, Toyohashi.
For the broader travel guide: Aichi Prefecture.
