Discover 10 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Okazaki (Japan). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Okazaki Castle, Daiju-ji, and Shingū ruins. Also, be sure to include Kitano temple ruins in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Okazaki (Aichi).
Table of Contents
Okazaki Castle
Also known as: 岡崎城
Okazaki Castle is a Japanese castle located in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Okazaki Castle was home to the Honda clan, daimyō of Okazaki Domain, but the castle is better known for its association with Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Tokugawa clan. The castle was also known as "Tatsu-jō ".[1]
Address: 561 Koseicho, 444-0052 Okazaki
Daiju-ji
Temple in Okazaki, Japan. Daiju-ji is a Buddhist temple located in Okazaki, Aichi. Built by Matsudaira Chikatada in 1475, Daiju-ji was the family temple of the Matsudaira and Tokugawa clans which ruled Japan between 1600 and 1868. The Tahōtō of Daiju-ji, an Important Cultural Property of Japan, was built by Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
After the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, in which Imagawa Yoshimoto (今川 義元) was killed by Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長), Tokugawa Ieyasu, at the time part of Imagawa's army, reportedly fled to Daiju-ji. He planned to kill himself at the temple, but while there, he was persuaded by the chief priest to declare the Matsudaira clan's independence from the Imagawa clan.[2]
Shingū ruins
The Shingū ruins archaeological site containing a ruins of a village complex which was inhabited from the late Jōmon period through the Kamakura period, located in the Shingū neighborhood of the city of Okazaki, Aichi in the Tōkai region of Japan. It was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1976.[3]
Kitano temple ruins
The Kitano temple ruins is an archaeological site with the ruins of an Asuka period Buddhist temple located in what is now the city of Okazaki, Aichi, Japan. The actual name of the temple is unknown, and no structures of the original temple exists, but the temple grounds were designated as a National Historic Site in 1929, with the area under protection expanded in 1988.[4]
Rokusho Shrine
Also known as: 六所神社
Shinto shrine in Okazaki, Japan. Rokusho Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture in Japan. The shrine was founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1602 when the honden was constructed. The kami from Rokusho Shrine in Matsudaira county, in which the Matsudaira clan originated, were transferred to the new shrine.
The buildings were renovated on the orders of Ieyasu's grandson, the 3rd shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu, during his visit to Okazaki on the way to Kyoto. The rōmon, a Gongen style gate, was commissioned by Iemitsu's son and successor, Tokugawa Ietsuna. Because of its connection with the Tokugawa family, Rokusho Shrine received a large degree of protection during the shogunate's reign. Up until the Meiji Restoration, only daimyō with 50,000 or more koku of rice were allowed to climb the stone steps leading to the rōmon and ultimately the shrine.
The honden, haiden, heiden (votive offerings hall), rōmon and shingusho (offering preparation hall) are all protected as Important Cultural Properties. Today the shrine enjoys a popularity with women praying for an easy childbirth.[5]
Address: 44, Myodaijicho Mimitori, Okazaki
Yamasa Institute
Language school in Okazaki, Japan. The Yamasa Institute is a private Japanese Language school located in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture.
The Institute began language instruction in 1989, and was founded through the Hattori Foundation, a philanthropic educational organization established in 1919. The Yamasa Institute is one of only 17 accredited Japanese language schools in Aichi. The school originally occupied one floor of the “Yamasa II” office block, but has grown to incorporate most of the building.
The Institute is accredited by the Nisshinkyo, the governing body established by the Japanese Government and education providers. They also have programs which issue student visas.
The school conducts instruction in a wide range of courses relating to Japanese language and culture, with its main programs being the SILAC options and the AIJP courses.
The school accommodates approximately 150 students during peak time in the Northern Hemisphere summer holidays. Since its inception, Yamasa has provided Japanese language tuition to students from over 80 countries.
The school also provides housing to almost all students, and runs an extensive Homestay programme with families in the Okazaki and Mikawa regions.[6]
Takisan Tōshō-gū
Also known as: 滝山東照宮
Shinto shrine in Okazaki, Japan. Takisan Tōshō-gū is a Shinto shrine in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It enshrines the first Shōgun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu.[7]
Address: 107 Takicho Yamakago, 444-3173 Okazaki
National Institute for Basic Biology
Also known as: 基礎生物学研究所
Research institute in Okazaki, Japan. The National Institute for Basic Biology is a research institute and post graduate university in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was founded in 1977 to promote biological research in Japan in cooperation with public and private universities, and research institutes.[8]
Gang qi shi min hui guan
Okazaki Women's Junior College
Also known as: 岡崎女子短期大学
Junior college in Okazaki, Japan. Okazaki Women's Junior College is a private women's junior college in the city of Okazaki in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1965.[9]