Little Kyoto on Three Rivers, Matcha City, Eel Town, this small town in the center of the country is a combination of Kyoto, Uji, and Nagoya.

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📝 Where's Nishio?

Nishio City is located in the southeastern tip of Aichi Prefecture, with mountains such as Mt. Mine to the east, the Yasakawa River to the west, and Mikawa Bay to the south, next to Okazaki City and Yasuichi City. It is a must-visit area on the Tokaido Road. However, right now, this area is not a well-known tourist area in Japan, so it doesn't have a big reputation inside the circle of tourists.

Of course, not only Nishio City, even with one of the three famous cities of Nagoya, national treasure Tensho - Inuyama Castle, the main camp of the beckoning cats - Tsuneo Slide and many other attractions, the whole of Aichi in the charm of the prefectures inside the rank of only about 20. Most of the people who go to Chubu go there because they want to go on the Ascending Dragon Road (Gifu and Toyama), but not on the Aichi side.

Although it is not very famous for tourism nowadays, during the Warring States period, the area of Aichi was unrivaled.

Throughout Japan's history, from the Muromachi Shogunate to the Warring States period to the Edo period, Aichi was a very important transportation hub and strategic buffer because it was halfway between Kanto and Kinki. During the Warring States period, the area was the site of numerous legends. Kiyosu Castle, where Oda Nobunaga's world domination began, Komiyama Castle, where the Imagawa clan was defeated in the Battle of Bucket Stomach, and Okazaki Castle, the hometown of Tokugawa Ieyasu, are all located here! There are over 3,600 castles in Aichi alone, making it arguably the number one prefecture in the Warring States period.

That's why, when we were asked where we should go if we like the history of Japan's Warring States period, we preferred Aichi Prefecture. However, a tour of the Warring States requires a great deal of Japanese historical background, otherwise it is very easy to see a lonely.

Going back to Nishio City, this place has its place in Japanese history, and the central reason is the Ashikaga clan. Ashikaga clan in Japanese history, is a very interesting family. This family can't fight, rule the country, but marriage is really powerful, relying on this means step by step to become the hegemony of Japan. Not only single-handedly created the Japanese Muromachi Shogunate era, but also because of the transmission of the problem and chaos triggered should be benevolent rebellion, single-handedly opened the Japanese Warring States period, from the end of the Kamakura period to the Warring States period of nearly 200 years, the Ashikaga family are the protagonists on the stage of Japan.

Back in 1180, Ashikaga Yoshikazu (the second generation of the Ashikaga family) followed Minamoto Yoritomo, who was also a member of the Seikawa Minamoto Clan, to fight against the Taira Clan and gained the status of a powerful imperial family. In this year, he married Tokiko Hojo, the daughter of Hojo Tokimasa (the Hojo clan was the de facto leader of the Shogunate at that time), and from then on, the Ashikaga clan was married to the Hojo clan for generations, starting the career of the Pungent Thighs.

In 1221, the outbreak of the Seikyu Rebellion, after the Toba upper emperor crusade against the Kitajo Yoshitsune, a month later after the Toba upper emperor was busted, and then was exiled to the Hidden Gifted. Ashikaga Yoshitsune (Ashikaga Yoshikane's son), who had been successful in this battle, was given the title of Mikawa-kuni, and then chose a place to build a castle here in Mikawa Bay. This place was Saijo Castle, the predecessor of Saio Castle.

However, the Ashikaga family was not able to fight at this time, and mainly relied on alliances to get by, so Saijo Castle wasn't a city of central importance, and didn't leave too many important moments in history.

The origin of the name of Saio Castle goes back to the time when Tokugawa, who had left the Imagawa family, took over the Mikawa Kingdom after the Battle of Bakucho, and began to regulate the local temples and clans that held a lot of land in the Mikawa Kingdom. This led to the outbreak of the “Mikawa Ichikyu” (Ichikyu is a specialized term, so I won't go into it, but you can read about it if you're interested), which caused a great deal of discontent among the local families and temples. At this time, the actual ruler of Saijo Castle, Yoshiaki Kira, responded to the “Mikawa Ichijikui” and fought against the Tokugawa clan, and was destroyed by Ieyasu Tokugawa, who then granted Saijo Castle to his retainer, Tadatsuji Sakai, and the name was changed to Nishio Castle from then on.

During the Edo period, Nishio Castle disappeared due to the “One Country, One Castle” order, but the castle town gradually developed into the present-day Nishio City. Tea, potted plants, and flowers were produced in the area, taking advantage of the natural conditions, such as the warm climate, the mist of the Yasakawa River, and the soil. Among them, the production of milled tea, which is the raw material for matcha, is second to none in Japan, and it is one of the very important places for matcha in Japan. In addition, with the support of Mikawa Bay, the area has also formed a base for the production of marine products, including the farming of eels and clams. Since then, Nishio City has embarked on a path of development that is different from the rest of Aichi Prefecture.

🤗 Is Nishio fun?

Nishio is not well known, but when it comes to Japan, many of the elements you can associate with it are here.

Matcha, this is the second largest producer of matcha in Japan.

Unagi (eel), Japan's number one producer of eel.

The mountains and the sea are as beautiful as those in Setouchi.

Shrine: The 1,300-year-old Ibun Shrine.

Museum of Fine Arts: The same glass museum as Hakone.

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Except for the lack of Mt. Fuji and the lack of snow, Nishio is a place that combines many of the characteristics of the Kansai-Kanto region to form a very special city～.

Nishio Matcha

The first thing to say about Nishio is Nishio's matcha.

Nishio's warm climate and well-drained laterite soil make this hilly area a unique environment for growing tea. 700 years ago, Nishio began its history of tea cultivation, which has continued to the present day. The old tea trees of that year can still be seen in the mangrove yard in Xioi. Tea has been grown for more than 500 years, but in the Meiji era, Uji's matcha production technology was introduced to Nishio, and the production of matcha was officially started here, and the matcha industry, which is as famous as that of Uji, gradually developed.

Today, Nishio City produces more than 20% of the matcha produced in all of Japan, making it one of the core production areas for matcha in Japan, and a lot of the matcha that you eat is produced in Nishio. Nishio's matcha is known for its strong aroma and bright green color, and the taste is a little more bitter than Uji, with a sweet aftertaste and a unique flavor. There are many tea gardens around the Yasaku River in Nishio City, and there are many tea houses and stores specializing in matcha and confectionary products, making it a great place to enjoy Japanese matcha.

For example, AIYA's main store is located here, and the famous houses Matsuzuruen and Hotokeien are also worth a visit. Not only do you get to taste matcha, matcha desserts, and matcha ice cream, but there are also many matcha factories and craftsmen's workshops where you can experience the process of making matcha.

Nishio City Historical Park

As we mentioned above, the former Saijo Castle was built by the Ashikaga Yoshinobu clan, but it was later given to Sakai Tadatsuji by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and then during the Edo period, when the “One Country, One Castle Decree” was issued, Saijo Castle, along with most of the castles in Japan, was destroyed. However, the Honmaru Kakubutsu and Ninomaru's Wakashi-mon Gate remain here and are considered historical relics. Now Nishio Castle has become a park for the citizens, where you can see cherry blossoms in spring and hunt for red leaves in fall, just like most castles in Japan.

It is worth mentioning that inside the park is the old Konoha Residence, where the building itself has been extended to include new experiences, such as tasting matcha tea, a specialty of Nishio, and experiencing Shodo.

Yvonne Shrine

The Iman Shrine in Nishio City has a history of 1,100 years, so it can be said to have a very long history. However, it is not very famous except in Aichi Prefecture. There are a lot of people coming here for the first visit between the 31st day of the end of the year and the 3rd day of the new year, but there are basically no people here at other times of the year.

Nishio's Gion Matsuri, which was started about 400 years ago, is not as big as Kyoto's, but it is the most popular summer event in Nishio City. One of the most important parts of the festival is the parade of the mikoshi (portable shrines) from Ibun Shrine, and the neighboring towns send their own teams to participate in the parade in order to get a chance to show their faces. The parade is still maintained, and the Naniwa-machi daimyo parade and the Tenno-machi shishimai are some of the more famous parades. Every summer, about 300,000 people participate in the parade, and it is a lively event.

Sanhewan National Park

First, let's talk about the concept of national parks and national parks. National parks can be understood as national parks, and national parks are “quasi-national parks” that have not yet risen to the level of national parks.

Japanese national parks have a special characteristic: they are less crowded, less frequented, and more scenic.

There is only one good view of Mikawa Bay, which contains a large number of beaches and islands in the Mikawa Bay area, with a very large number of seaside baths and hot springs, and is a water playground in Aichi Prefecture every summer, and can not be done with fewer people and rare.

Located in Nishio City, including: Sakushima Island, Miyazaki Beach, Ebisu Beach, Mt. Mine, Kira Onsen, etc., of which Ebisu Beach and Miyazaki Beach are known together as [Kira Waikiki Beach], selected as one of the 88 selected water baths in Japan, where the sea water is relatively clear, and in the summer it is a well-known mecca for bringing children.

Waikiki Beach is named after the famous Hawaiian beach “Waikiki (ワイキキ)” because of the coconut trees swaying in the wind on the beach, and the Japanese think it's one of the few places with a Hawaiian flavor. (The Japanese really love Hawaii.)

Kira Hot Spring

There are many hot spring resorts in Mikawa Bay, and Kira Onsen is one of them, but as we said two days ago, the hot springs in Aichi are not on the list of the top 100 hot springs, so we won't make a special introduction. The best thing about Kira Onsen is that it is right next to the Miyazaki Beach, so after playing in the water, you can soak in the hot spring while looking at the ocean view～.

Kinrinji Temple

Kinrinji Temple also has an ancient history and is said to be one of the seven Mikawa gokudo's that Minamoto Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, ordered the guardian of the Mikawa Kingdom, Anda Morinaga, to build, and it is the oldest wooden building in Aichi Prefecture, and the Maitreya-do in this area is a national treasure of Japan. It is certainly not as large as those famous temples, but it is clean and the superimposed garden is a good place to rest and meditate～.

Mikawa Craft Glass Museum

There is a glass museum in Hakone, and it is a must-visit place for many friends in Hakone.

There is also a glass museum in Nishio, the Mikawa Craft Museum. Inside, there is the world's largest kaleidoscope “sphere” certified by the Guinness Book of Records in 2000, and the “Four Seasons”, a room full of sculpted mirrors, which is very dreamy.

For a long time, I thought that the style of Tokyo's teamLab was very similar to that of the Glass Museum, except that one had themes and color changes, while the other only had light changes.

The museum also has a wealth of experiential activities, like stained glass partners can experience the production of “stained glass classroom”, from glass cutting to welding, tools can be learned to use the method, to be able to do a favorite, unique crafts.

One Color Fish Plaza

We've talked a lot about fish from all over Japan. Tuna from Kii Katsuura, flounder from Hirado, these are famous fish from all over the world. In Nishio, there is also a fish that is the most productive fish in Japan: eel.

Nishio's eel production accounts for 1/4 of Japan's national eel production, and is known for its soft meat and delicate flavor. The famous eel restaurant “Houraisen” in Nagoya, where many people queue up, uses eel produced in Nishio!

If you go to Nishio, don't miss the unagi, which is fresher and cheaper without waiting in line.

Some of the recommended restaurants are Unami, Mikawa Sansui Tei, and Unagigusa Izushi, for those who like unagi.

Three Rivers and One Color Big Lantern Festival

Lanterns play an important role inside Japanese summer events.

Lanterns can be seen at Sendai's Tanabata, Aomori's Sandman, and Akita's Pole Lamp. Mikawa also has a lantern festival, and in late August every year, the Mikawa Ichigo Grand Lantern Festival is held as scheduled, with 12 huge lanterns, 6 to 10 meters tall, making their appearance, depicting period scrolls of mythology and history, and a sense of ambience as the lanterns light up and sway in the wind in the night, with a bustling night market below.

Another more famous festival is the Toba Fire Festival, which takes place in February every year and is similar to the Yakiyama Festival, but with the burning of two giant torches made of bamboo and thatch that are five meters tall and weigh two tons. After they are lit, warriors rush into the flames and compete for the sacred wood and twelve ropes hidden inside the torches, thus predicting whether the year will go well or not.

Overall, summer in Nishio is more fun than winter ~ beaches, hot springs, summer festivals, eel rice, islands, matcha ice cream, every element of summer.

📎 How do I get to Nishio?

Transportation here is a bit easier. From Nagoya, take the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line in the direction of Kira-yoshida-kuki to Nishio Station. It's a bit far from Tokyo, so I don't really recommend traveling so far to Nishio, it's not very cost-effective. Well, that's all we have to say about Nishio today.