About Aichi
Aichi Prefecture lies at the geographic center of Japan's main island Honshu, straddling the divide between eastern and western Japan in culture, cuisine, and commerce. Its capital Nagoya is Japan's fourth-largest city and the industrial engine that powers one of the world's largest automotive manufacturing regions — home to Toyota's global headquarters and innovation museums.
Historically, Aichi was the birthplace of Japan's three great unifiers. Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu — the warlords who successively unified Japan after a century of civil war — were all born within the prefecture's current borders. Their ambitions were shaped by the strategic position of Owari domain (modern Nagoya) at Japan's center, and the magnificent Nagoya Castle stands as the enduring legacy of their era.
Inuyama, north of Nagoya along the Kiso River, preserves Japan's oldest original castle tower, dating from 1537. The castle's position on a rocky bluff over the river offers views of the cormorant fishing boats that ply the Kiso during summer evenings by torchlight — a tradition maintained for over 1,300 years. Nearby Meiji Mura is an extraordinary open-air museum where over 60 significant Western-style buildings from the Meiji period have been relocated and preserved, including the lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright's original Imperial Hotel Tokyo.
Featured Spot: Nagoya Castle
Nagoya Castle is one of Japan's most imposing feudal fortresses, built between 1610 and 1619 by the order of Tokugawa Ieyasu as the seat of the Owari Tokugawa domain. The castle is famous for the pair of golden shachihoko — mythical carp-tiger creatures — that crown the main keep's roof, weighing approximately 88 kilograms of gold each. The Honmaru Palace, a masterpiece of Edo-period decorative art featuring chambers painted with tigers, pine trees, and seasonal flowers by the Kano school of painters, was rebuilt to original specifications and opened to visitors in 2018.
What to Experience
- Admire the gold shachihoko atop Nagoya Castle and explore its decorated palace
- Taste miso katsu, hitsumabushi eel rice, kishimen noodles, and other Nagoya cuisine
- Visit Meiji Mura open-air museum to see 60 relocated Meiji-era Western buildings
- Experience cormorant fishing on the Kiso River at Inuyama in summer evenings
Best Seasons to Visit
Spring (late March–April) brings cherry blossoms to Nagoya Castle's moat and parks across the prefecture. Autumn (October–November) is pleasant for outdoor sightseeing and Inuyama's forest foliage. Summer hosts traditional festivals and the dramatic cormorant fishing season on the Kiso River. Winter is mild compared to northern Japan, making Aichi accessible year-round for cultural sightseeing.