Okazaki City is located southeast of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture and prospered in the Edo period (1600-1868) as a castle town and an important post-station along the Tōkaidō Road.


History

In the Sengoku period (1467-1568), the area of modern-day Aichi Prefecture was controlled by the Matsudaira clan , who would later be known as the Tokugawa and who in 1600 established a shogunate that would control Japan's fate during the Edo period (1600-1868). The first fortifications were built in 1455 and later moved across the Yahagi River to the current location of Okazaki Castle by the Matsudaira. The castle is usually associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu , who was born there in 1543. Situated along the Tōkaidō Road, which connected Edo (present-day Tōkyō) with Kyōto , Okazaki City prospered during the Edo period, becoming a busy castle town and commercial hub with a postal station.

Okazaki was and still is renowned for its fireworks production. The Okazaki Domain was one of the few regions the shogunate permitted to produce gunpowder. Another famous local product is miso (fermented bean paste). Nowadays, Okazaki is a satellite town, with many residents commuting to Nagoya, just some 35 kilometres away.

Sightseeing

Okazaki Castle

Tokugawa Ieyasu's birthplace. Read more about it here.

Okazaki Castle

Hatchō Miso

Hatchō miso (八丁味噌) is a dark and thick variation of miso (fermented bean paste). The soybeans are steamed rather than boiled, then fermented in large cedar barrels for two years, with three tons of river stones stacked on top of the barrels. Hatchō (八丁) means "eighth street" or "eighth block" and draws its name from the fact that most miso manufacturers resided in an area situated eight blocks from Okazaki Castle. Hatchō miso has numerous health benefits and is considered medicinal food by many. It contains less salt but more protein than regular miso. Rumour has it that European customers imported 40 tons of hatchō miso after the nuclear disaster in Chornobyl to prevent radiation's adverse effects. It is unknown if miso consumption has increased since the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011.

Several manufacturers (see links below) offer guided tours and free samples and sell various miso-based products in their shops and restaurants. Hatchō is situated a few hundred meters west of the castle and can be easily reached on foot.

Hatchō Miso

Castle Park and Ieyasu and Mikawa Bushi Museum

Okazaki Castle is surrounded by partly preserved moats. The park holds "Ieyasu's well," from which the water for his first bath had been drawn, a statue of Ieyasu himself, and the Ieyasu and Mikawa Bushi Museum, which exhibits artefacts relating to Tokugawa Ieyasu's life and the beginning of the Edo Period. Combi tickets for the castle and the museum can be bought at the castle's entrance.

Takisan-ji

Takisanji (瀧山寺) is a Buddhist temple near Okazaki dating back to the seventh century. The current temple is a reconstruction from the Kamakura Period . Tokugawa Iemitsu erected a shrine next to Takisanji in honour of his grandfather, Ieyasu. The main hall and other adjacent buildings are designated National Important Cultural Properties. Takisanji can be reached by car or by taxi within twenty minutes of Okazaki.

Fireworks

Okazaki is still famous for its fireworks industry. Every year, on the first Saturday of August, a large fireworks festival occurs around Okazaki Castle, attracting thousands of people from all over the region.

Okazaki Facts

  • Population: 381,391 (November 2024)
  • Area: 387.24 square kilometres
  • Population density: 985 inhabitants per square kilometre

Access:

Okazaki can be reached from Nagoya either by JR Tokai Line (600 JPY, around 30 minutes on a Rapid train) or by Meitetsu Line (1,000 JPY, around 30 minutes to Higashi-Okazaki Sta. on a Rapid-Limited Express).


Links:

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