Plans
A trip to find out about renowned Japanese general Ieyasu Tokugawa's roots while enjoying the seasons.
Matsudaira-Area
Fujioka-Area
1 day
The Matsudaira Shrine is home to the Matsudaira Spring Festival, during which you can witness mystical and heroic scenes. Otaki Valley is a recommended spot for hiking and other outdoor activities, with its large and unusually shaped boulders, pristine river waters and scenic footpaths.
The Aichi Greenery Center, a well-known location for viewing cherry blossoms and baby's breath spirea (yuki-yanagi) flowers during the spring, is a spacious national park with a range of gardens and barbecue areas, and provides seasonal scenery throughout the year.
- Matsudaira Toshogu Shrine
- Matsudaira Spring Festival
- Otaki Gorge
- Aichi Greenery Center (Aichiken Ryokka Center)
START
Day1
Matsudaira Toshogu Shrine
- Matsudaira Toshogu Shrine
- Matsudaira Toshogu Shrine consecrates Chikauji Matsudaira, the ancestral patriarch of the Matsudaira clan, to which shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu traced his roots. The shrine grounds were once the villa of Matsudaira. Immediately adjacent to the worship hall is the Matsudairago Hall, which features various items tied to the Matsudaira and Tokugawa clans. There you will also find the well at which Matsudaira was first bathed. It is held to confer benefits like longevity and safe birth and is held as sacred water for visitors.
Matsudaira Spring Festival
- Matsudaira Spring Festival
- The Shigaku-sai, a sort of dress rehearsal, is held on the Saturday before April 17 in advance of the full festival. The Shigaku-sai festival starts in the evening and involves scooping of water from the traditional well in which Matsudaira was first bathed, dedications of fireworks, and other bold and mystical sights. The main festival the day after involves a portable shrine being carried from Toshogu Shrine to Kogetsu-in Temple.
Otaki Gorge
- Otaki Gorge
- Enjoy the beauty of nature in this 1.8 kilometer long gorge carved by a river that drops 148 meters along the span. In the summer, it's a perfect place for a barbeque. In the gorge, there are five park areas and plum gardens, two suspension bridges, and the 90 meter long Lake Otaki Bridge over Lake Otaki. The well-maintained walking paths along huge and unique boulders, the pristine river, and trees offer great hiking.
Day2
Aichi Greenery Center (Aichiken Ryokka Center)
- A facility filled with a variety of gardens such as Japanese gardens and rock gardens where visitors can enjoy flowers and nature year-round. Training, classes, and advice are offered to help promote greenery in homes and workplaces as well. Four expansive lawns totaling 2.6 hectares are also a draw. The adjacent Showa Forest was created to celebrate the 50th year of Emperor Showa's reign. Barbeque sites, athletic equipment, and more create a place to enjoy nature and outdoor recreation. In addition to various plants and trees, visitors can observe wild birds and more in their natural habitat.