Toyokawa offers cultural history, a clearly defined temple tradition and natural attractions with a variety of distinct features. Between a Sōtō Zen temple, a park with an aquarium and gardens, and a waterfall in a natural forest, you can plan your trip around the themes that interest you most. The city’s transport options, an autumn event and a local sushi brand are also useful to know about.
Temple Tradition and Local History
Toyokawa Inari, officially known as Myogonji, is a temple of the Sōtō Zen school. Reikozuka is home to 1,000 stone fox statues. If you are interested in the religious identity of the area, you will find a clear connection here between the temple tradition and one of the temple’s distinctive features.
Another glimpse into the past awaits at the Ohashiya building. It is said to have been built after the fire at Akasaka-juku in 1809 and served as an inn for ordinary travelers during the Edo period. These two sites offer different points of interest: Toyokawa Inari conveys the religious identity of a temple, while Ohashiya recalls travel in another era through its former function.
Parks, Gardens and Waterfalls
Akatsukayama Park is home to Gyogyoland, a freshwater aquarium specializing in fish and other creatures of the Toyokawa River. The park also offers opportunities to encounter animals, a water play area and several playgrounds. The aquarium, animal area, water feature and playgrounds each offer a different experience within the same park.
The gardens have their own distinctive features: one plum garden contains 273 trees of 25 varieties, while another garden has about 5,000 Japanese irises. These plants are seasonal, and viewing conditions vary throughout the year. If a particular garden is important to your plans, consider the season in which you will be traveling.
Beyond the park, Toyokawa offers opportunities for hiking, playing by rivers and fishing. Another natural attraction is Ushino-taki, set amid a natural forest. The waterfall consists of a male fall that is 10 meters high and 2 meters wide, and a female fall that is 4 meters high and 4 meters wide. The male waterfall is therefore taller and narrower, while the female waterfall is lower and wider. Ushino-taki is also known as Jōryū Falls or Kōgyū Falls and is associated with the legend of the yellow ox.
Transport and Getting Around
For an overview of transport around the city, Toyokawa has two highway interchanges, 19 train stations and bus routes. The routes to Toyokawa Inari from two stations are clearly described: it is a five-minute walk from both JR Toyokawa Station and Meitetsu Toyokawa-Inari Station. Check the route information before your trip if this access is important to your plans. This lets you distinguish between the city’s overall transport network and the specific walking directions to the temple.
Autumn Event and Local Cuisine
Every autumn, the modern lantern event “Tenpyo Roman no Yuube” takes place in the Historical Park at the site of Mikawa Kokubun-niji. If you would like to plan your trip around a particular autumn date, check the event dates in advance. This keeps your schedule tied to the event dates rather than assuming it will take place regardless of when you visit.
Another local specialty is Toyokawa Inari Sushi: the local brand is offered by many businesses in Toyokawa, and each one develops its own variations. It is therefore not a single fixed version, but a local offering with variations unique to each business. Together with the temple’s history, parks, gardens and waterfall legend, it gives you several possible focuses for your trip. When planning an overnight stay in Toyokawa, you can first decide whether cultural history, natural attractions, an autumn event or local cuisine will shape your trip.
Discover more destinations: Nagoya, Okazaki, Toyota, Hekinan, Komaki, Ama, Seto, Katayamazu
For the main travel overview: Aichi Prefecture.
