Myoshoji is a small Soto Zen temple with deep ties to the Matsudaira samurai family that ruled the lands around the village of Matsudaira from the late 1300s onward. The temple is located in Otaki Gorge on a terraced plot supported by moss-covered stone walls. It is a few minutes’ walk uphill along the river from the parking lot at the entrance to the gorge. The structures include the main hall built in 1854, a somewhat older gate th...

Restaurant Genki-Tei serves dishes prepared with yumetororo—a type of mountain yam that’s a local specialty of Asahi. Enjoy the unique flavor and sticky texture of mountain yam. The restaurant also uses locally grown Mineasahi rice, whose small grain size and sweet taste set it apart from other varieties of rice. Aside from mountain yam, Genki-Tei also serves Mikawa beef cooked on a smokeless grill. Give it a try! As for souvenirs,...

This campground has family lodges, spaces for tents, BBQ areas, and more. There's plenty for camping pros and first-timers alike to enjoy! See weeping peach blossoms in the spring, and the deep crimson leaves of rare hananoki maples in the fall. All sorts of hands-on classes are offered, and campers can enjoy these as well as sports activities such as tennis during their stay. (Note: Some classes require reservations.) The grou...

An event begun in 2003. In the middle of July, wind chimes join the sounds of the river to fill the Odo-cho area. The first day of the event draws many visitors, offering opportunities for making your own wind chime, copying Buddhist sutras, meditating, and much more.

Nakagaki Shuzo Shikan Refined Sake Brewery brews its spirits with incredibly soft, natural spring water. "Josen" has enjoyed its role as Shikan Sake's go-to product since its establishment in 1900 and offers an incredibly sweet flavor profile with a -8 on the Sake Meter Value (SMV). "Daiginjo" lies on the drier side of its sweeter counterparts while offering a much more robust flavor than typical daiginjo sakes due to the source wate...

Along with Odo Onsen Hot Spring and Sasado Onsen Hot Spring, Sakakino Onsen Hot Spring is one of the Oku-Yahagi Onsen-go hot springs. The water is good for neuralgia and rheumatism. People come here mainly for recuperation. Nearby are a turtle farm, orchid garden, and the Oshiinomagai-butsu stone Buddha carved on a natural stone wall. Asahi’s local gifts include natural yam.

Here you can catch sweetfish and enjoy sweetfish cuisine. In summer, the place is bustling with families enjoying the river. You can catch fish with your bare hands at the weir from mid-July to the end of October.

From the spectator seats, the Asahi Yamabiko Fireworks look much closer than normal fireworks. Since the area is surrounded by mountains, they cannot shoot fireworks very high. It is to prevent fires. The fireworks therefore explode at a lower height, making it look really close!

This festival is for enjoying the red maple leaves at Sasado Park while eating natural yam, a specialty of Asahi. You can also take a hands-on lesson to make a bowl of grated yam and rice or you can harvest yams in the field. Stage entertainment includes taiko drummers, pole martial arts, and acoustic music performances.

This established Japanese confectionery started in the Odo area of Toyota City in 1912. It incorporates the bounty of the Okuyahagi region’s mountains as well as a spirit of true sincerity in the creation of its delicious Japanese sweets. Relish the ingenuity in the confectionaries’ creation as well as the flavors of nature, the seasons, and their respective ingredients at Hidaya.

A multipurpose leisure facility on a highland elevation of 650 m. Enjoy various activities such as camping, barbecue picnics, a petting zoo, hands-on classes, and astronomical observations. In winter, kids can enjoy the Snow Sled "Gelände" Slope. Inside the building is Restaurant Genki-Tei and Genki Market. Genki-Tei has dishes with locally-grown yam while Genki Market sells fresh vegetables, pickles, and local gifts.

Odo Onsen Hot Spring's main attraction is the radon bath. It can help ease rheumatism, neuralgia, high blood pressure, and other ailments. Many people come here seeking the hot spring's therapeutic effects. In summer, you can fish for sweetfish and red-spotted masu salmon in the stream or catch sweetfish with your hands in the weir. Shimazaki Park also has tennis courts. The local cuisine changes with the seasons. Mountain vegetables...

Zofukuji Temple—otherwise known as “Furindera Temple”, meaning the “Wind Chime Temple”—is a Buddhist temple in the small, 300-person town of Odo. In 2002, the temple became the first in Japan to receive wind chimes as donations after Zofukuji Temple’s chief priest answered the wishes of the younger generation to revitalize the Odo area. Over 7,000 of these wind chimes, known as Odo’s “Yumekake Furin Wind Chimes”, are enshrined withi...

Yahagi Dam is an arched concrete dam that embanks the Yahagi River, creating Oku Yagahi Lake. Oku Yagahi Lake is located in a resort area offering numerous natural spectacles, such as cherry blossoms, wisterias, and fall leaves, making it a popular tourist attraction.