Okazaki Castle and Miso Brewery

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

WHAT YOU VISIT
Hatcho Miso Factory and Museum
Japan's oldest existing hatcho miso maker has been operating continuously since 1337. An Okazaki specialty, hatcho miso is made with 100% hatcho soybeans, which give the miso a more-savory flavor. While the museum offers a look at the history of traditional production methods that go into making hatcho miso, the 90-year-old storehouse holds gigantic wooden casks that hold six tons of miso each with three tons of rocks placed on top as weight. At the end of the visit you can taste miso soup and miso-flavored ice cream.

Okazaki Castle
Located in tree-filled Okazaki Park, the castle dates back to 1600 and is known as the birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun and founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The Okazaki Castle's main donjon was destroyed after the end of the Tokugawa regime but was rebuilt in 1959. It now features a museum displaying various artifacts including weapons and armory used by the samurai. Within the grounds you'll find statues of Ieyasu, Japan's oldest municipal Noh theatre, and various shrines. The top floor of Okazaki Castle has a viewing gallery with tremendous views over the city and the Mikawa Plains below. Keep an eye out for samurai warlords wandering the grounds, entertaining guests in their armor. They are happy to pose for photos, so have your cameras handy.

Gamagori Seafood Market.
This local market sells varieties of seafood and other local products such as Gamagori-udon, a thick noodle udon soup with clams and fried mehikari, a fish that's plucked from the waters of Mikawa Bay.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Your day begins with a stop at a viewing point opposite Takeshima Island, a small islet in Mikawa Bay that's connected by a 1,269-foot-long causeway. The hilly interior is home to five shrines and is designated a Japanese National Treasure.

WHAT YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY
During your sightseeing tour through Aichi Prefecture, you'll journey through a cityscape of bustling streets and freeways.

Special Notes: