Exploring Aichi
Toyohashi
Welcome to Toyohashi, the second biggest city in Aichi!
This large city has many places to shop, eat and visit. It has most of the same offerings as Nagoya, just closer to the mountains. Toyohashi is a lovely city filled with Japanese, Brazillians and many other different nationalities.
Check out our Aichi Map:
You can find Toyohashi in the south!
Things to see:
Shojuji Temple
Shojuji was founded by a Chinese Zen priest in the late 13th Century. The main building of the temple was rebuilt after a fire in the Edo period (1603-1867). In the summer you can enjoy nejibana blooms and in the autumn see the momiji (which means 'colored leaves') and murasakishikibu from the front gate.
You can also participate in the momiji tea ceremony on November 23 (Labor Day) ever year.
To get there: 30 min bus ride from Toyohashi Bus Terminal to Suse, get off at Jiyugaoka. Parking avail.
Rinzaji Temple
Rinzaji was founded by Ogasawara, the Lord of Yoshida Castle, in the early Edo period, and four generations of the Ogasawara family are buried there. There is a magnificent tea ceremony house surrounded by a karesansui garden (composed entirely of rock and sand). The garden makes use of the surrounding landscape and leads to a beautiful bamboo grove.
To get there: take No.3 bus from Toyohashi Station (40 minutes) to Komatsubara.
Takannonji Temple
Takannoji was founded 1200 years ago by the priest, Gyoki. The principal image, Batoh Kannon with a horse's head (an important cultural asset), is the Buddha who protects all living things.
Mukaiyama Ryokuchi Koen (Green Park)
You will be impressed with the Cherry blossoms in the spring and the azaleas and green leaves in the early summer. Mukaiyama Oike (pond) has ducks and there is a plum tree garden nearby. In all seasons you can enjoy strolling and jogging in this park.
To get there: take No.10 bus from Toyohashi Station to Daimachi
Imo Shitsugen (Imo Bog)
The Imo bog is a vast bog at the foot of the Yumihari mountains. It's a rare type of bog becasue it's water comes up from undergrtound. It is located near Toyohashi downtown so that you can get there very easily. You can walk along wooden trails laid out along the bog and see various insects (about 54 different kinds), plants (about 90 different kinds) and lovely flowers from April though until October.
To get there: take the Toyotetsu bus No. 10 to Akaiwaguchi (25 minutes from Toyohashi Station), get off at Iwasaki and walk 15 minutes
OR, take a street car from Toyohashi Station to Akaiwaguchi (15 minutes) and walk 30 minutes
OR, take a taxi from, Toyohashi Station (20 minutes)
Toyohashi Zoo and Botanical Park (Nonhoi Park)
The Zoo has an African area, a Polar Region house, a Fierce Animal house, a Wild Bird house, and a little farm where children can play with goats and rabbits.
WARNING!! Other AETs have visited this zoo and found it to be cruel.
It's apparently worth a visit, but only if you really like zoos!!!
In the Botanical Gardens you can enjoy various tropical and subtropical plants in a greenhouse. The outdoor gardens have a collection of original trees from the Toyohashi area.
Shopping:
Products Toyohashi is famous for...
(a.k.a., cool stuff to send home to the folks!)
Fude (writing brushes)
These are the famous traditional writing brushes of the Toyohashi area.Toyohashi's output is second in Japan, and it's market share is 80% in the field of high quality writing brushes.
Dry Jelly Candy
These jellied candies are made of dry agar (remember that stuff in a petri dish that you'd grow things in for high school biology? Well, that stuff is actually pretty tasty!). Toyohashi is the largest producer of these candies.
Quail Eggs
Quail eggs are small but nourishing and Toyohashi produces the most quail eggs used in Japan.
Where to go shopping in Toyohashi....
Shopping in this city is very easy and convenient.
All the department stores are located close to the station and are walking distance from each other.
Seibunkan
This is an excellent bookstore that also sells books in English and a good range of Japanese study books. You can also pick up the books that guide students through the Japanese Proficiency Tests.
Next door to Seibunkan is a great CD shop that sells both Japanese and English/American music.
There are three major department stores around Toyohashi Station:
Kalmia, known for it's funky clothing.
Seibu, which is good for traditional Japanese gifts.
Maruei, known to be expensive but has great stuff that you can't usually find in Japan. like cosmetics and perfume that you are used to from home. You can also find a Maruei in Sakae in Nagoya.
Meiho, which sells the same sort of stuff as Maruei but has the great \100 shop in it is well worth a visit!!!!
Food & Entertainment:
There are many delicious places to eat in Toyohashi.
The restaurants listed are close to Toyohashi Station as well, and we've included their phone numbers when possible.
HINT: If you are vegetarian, you should ask if the dish you are about to order contains meat, bacon, chicken or fish as Japanese people often think that bacon and chicken are NOT meat (go figure!).
Daikon
Very near the station but you will need to get your wallets out for this place!
Daikon is a Japanese radish, but looks like a big, long, white carrot! Most of the dishes are made from this. It is an excellent place for you vegetarians.
To get there: go straight out of Toyohashi Station and at the end go left down the steps, walk through the indoor shopping arcade next to the bookstore. Go straight ahead till you reach it. It is next to a karaoke place.
Doitsu
This is a delicious German restaurant where you can drink lots of beer and eat lots of sausages.
It's fairly cheap and worth a visit.
To get there: Telephone for directions (0120)39-9213 or (0532)52-9213
Tokyoan
This is an udon restaurant (thick Japanese noodles). It also sells beer.
It is very cheap and has a good atmosphere.
To get there: It's located near Toyohashi Station. Your best bet is to ask your school or telephone for directions once you are in Toyohashi.
Practice your Japanese! "Tokyoan-wa doko desuka?"
Murasaki
Check out our Toyota section for a complete description of this GREAT restaurant.
It's a chain so they are everywhere.
Toyohashi phone number (0532)52-1713 Fax: 0533-56-4123
Koufuku
This is a really nice steak restaurant and beer hall. It is 1 minute from the station and is really delicious. Please telephone for directions 0532-55-1066
To get there: Telephone for directions (0532) 55-1066
Shinsenhanten
This is a great Chinese restaurant also situated next to Toyohashi station. They have excellent deals, like a 1,000 yen lunch menu and an evening offer of 3,500 yen for 1 free drink and all-you-can-eat from a set menu for 2 hours. Can't really beat that in Japan!
To get there: Telephone for directions (0532) 31-4038
Kikuso
This is a fantastic tofu (bean curd) restaurant and is a great place for vegetarians.
About a 10 minute walk from the station, it offers really healthy food.
They do serve other dishes for the non-tofu eater.
Nightlife in Toyohashi
It's rather limited, but there are some fun places to go out to at night.
Most of the nightclubs are located in basements of buildings, so look DOWN!
Birth
Birth seems to tend towards hip hop and is full of foreigners and local university students. It's small and loud but can be really fun. It's a good place to meet foreigners. It's about a 5 minute walk from the statio. Cover charge ranges from 1,500-2,000 yen and includes one free drink.