Aichi
Aichi Prefecture (愛知県) is a prefecture in the Chubu region of Japan and was the host of Expo 2005.
Cities
- 1 Nagoya - Japan's fourth-largest city and the capital of the prefecture
- 2 Asuke
- 3 Ichinomiya - a textile manufacturing town to the north of Nagoya. Hosts one of Japan's 3 major Tanabata festivals.
- 4 Inuyama - a large castle and two kinky fertility shrines
- 5 Nagakute - the site of Expo 2005 turned into Ghibli Park
- 6 Okazaki - A suburban town with a small castle
- 7 Seto - A center of ceramic art
- 8 Tahara - Popular beach for surfing
- 9 Toyohashi - car manufacturing hub
- 10 Toyota - yes, that Toyota
Other destinations
Understand
- 1 Aichi Prefectural Tourist Association, 4-4-38 Meieki, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, ☏ +81 52-581-5788.
Tourist information sites
- Aichi Now is the prefecture's official multilingual guide site.
- Visit Aichi is another multiligual site by the local tourist association.
Get in
By plane
1 Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO IATA). Just south of Nagoya, this is the main international gateway for the region. 
By train
The Tokaido Shinkansen has stops in Toyohashi, Anjo (Mikawa-Anjo), and Nagoya on its way from Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka. The Shinano provides connections from Nagano and Matsumoto, Hida from Toyama and Takayama, Nanki from Shingu and Mie Prefecture, and the Shirasagi allows those in Kanazawa and Fukui to get to Aichi faster. All of the above lines are covered by the JR Rail Pass.
The only private railway that provides access to Aichi is Kintetsu Railway. Kintetsu serves much of the Kansai area. It is only likely to be the fastest option if you want to reach Aichi from Mie or certain parts of Nara.
By bus
As one of Japan's largest cities, the many highway buses coming in and out of Nagoya make Aichi very accessible by bus from many faraway places, some of which take a lot of time and money to reach by train. There are direct buses to/from Nagoya from Sendai, Fukushima, Koriyama, Utsunomiya, Tokyo, Kofu, Fujiyoshida, Nagano, Matsumoto, Ina, Iida, Niigata, Toyama, Takaoka, Kanazawa, Fukui, Shirakawa-go, Takayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Okayama, Kurashiki, Takamatsu, Tokushima, Matsuyama, and Fukuoka.
Get around
Using train for transportation is common in Aichi. The major railways are Nagoya Tetsudo (名古屋鉄道), JR Tokai (JR東海), and Aichi Kannjyo Tetsudo (愛知環状鉄道). The JR Tokai line connects the major cities. For smaller towns, the Meitetsu and Aikan lines may prove convenient. The city of Nagoya has a subway.
See
- See one of the oldest remaining castles in Japan (Inuyama)
- Discover two of Japan's "Six Kilns" (Seto and Tokoname)
- Learn about the past, present, and future of railway travel and technology at the SCMaglev Railway Museum (Nagoya)
- Marvel at the hundreds of fox statues at Toyokawa Inari (Toyokawa)
- Explore the grounds of Nagoya Castle, one of the original great castles of Japan (Nagoya)
- Learn about the history of Toyota and see a variety of old and new car models (Toyota)
- Pray at Atsuta Shrine, mentioned in the Kojiki and home of one of the National Regalia (Nagoya)
- See Tokugawa Ieyasu's old stomping grounds (Okazaki)
- Reminisce in the old 2005 Expo Park (Nagakute)
Do
Eat
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Aichi is famous for its "miso (味噌) culture". Miso is one of Japan's traditional seasonings. (Usually Japanese eat miso as "miso soup". Of course people in Aichi eat miso soup, too.) People spread sweetened miso paste on fried pork, fried shrimp (it's not tempura), tofu and so on.
Other Aichi specialities worth a try are:
Tebasaki - grilled chicken wings with a sweet, mildly spicy glaze and white sesame seeds. Eaten with the fingers, they are a popular and delicious izakaya delicacy.
Tenmusu - a local variety of onigiri, filled with prawn tenpura and a fruity brown sauce.
Kishimen - flat, ribbonlike wheat noodles, usually served cold with a dipping sauce, but sometimes hot in broth.
Aka-miso soup - Red miso soup rather than the standard white miso you get everywhere else in Japan.
Miso katsu - Fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu), but is topped with a miso based sauce.
Drink
Melon Soda is a popular drink in summer.
Connect
Radio
AM
- NHK Radio 1 – 729 kHz
- NHK Radio 2 – 909 kHz
FM
- FM AICHI 807 - 80.7 MHz
Go next
- Ise - one of Japan's holiest shrines, just a short trip south from Aichi