白鳥庭園

Shirotomi Garden in Nagoya is close to Atsuta Shrine and the Nagoya Congress Center.



Opened in 1991, the 3.7ha Shirotomi Tei-en is a modern Japanese garden representing the countryside of the surrounding areas of Nagoya city. The mound in the south-west corner of the garden represents Mt. Ondake, located on the borders of Nagano and Gifu Prefectures and  the second highest volcano in Japan at 3,067m. The stream running from the mound represents the Kiso River in Gifu.



The garden contains a traditional teahouse, Seiu-tei, built in the Sukiya style by carpenters from Kyoto. Other features of this beautiful, strolling garden include a perfect, turf lawn, traditional wooden bridges and a number of waterfalls.

There's a cafe for visitors to refresh themselves and contemplate a garden that seems a million miles from the hustle and bustle of downtown Nagoya. Can you spot the toad/frog in the image below?



Shirotomi Garden
Atsuta Nishi-machi 2-5
Atsuta-ku
Nagoya
Tel: 052 681 8928
Admission: 300 yen; Yearly pass 1,200 yen
Hours: 9am-4.30pm; closed Monday and the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
Access: A 10 minute walk from Jingu-Nishi Station on the Meijo Line

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儺負人選定式

I've just got back from Konomiya, where the pillar-raising ceremony and the naoinin or shin-otoko selection ceremony has just taken place.

A new wooden pillar (shime-bashira) with the words naoi shinji is erected in front of the main gateway (mon) to the shrine on the second day of the lunar new year.



This year four candidates appeared to be selected by lot for the dubious "honor" of being chosen as the shin-otoko for this year's Konomiya Hadaka Festival.

Konomiya's Hadaka Matsuri is a mass purification rite and has its origins in an attempt to dispel an outbreak of plague in 767. Upto 10,000 men dressed only in white loin-clothes will attend on the main day of the festival.



The Konomiya Hadaka (Naked) Festival takes place this year on February 26.
Konomiya is small town just outside Nagoya and the first stop on the Meitetsu express train from Nagoya Station to Gifu.



Access: Take a Meitetsu Line train from Nagoya Station bound for Gifu to Konomiya Station (north exit and then a short 3-minute walk) or a JR Tokaido Line train from Nagoya Station to Inazawa Station and then a 15-minute walk to Konomiya shrine.

Konomiya Shrine
1-1-1 Konomiya, Inazawa city
Tel: 0587 23 2121

Kagura Masks

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関ヶ原歴史民俗所資料館

The fascinating Sekigahara Town History & Folklore Museum (Tel: 0584 43 2665) is the place to start any tour of the famous battlefield in central Japan.

The two-story museum has a collecton of armor, helmets and weapons used in the battle including firearms, swords, pikes and some incredible ninja arms including even a blow-pipe. The special forces of their day, the ninja, who probably fought on both sides in the battle, had some fearsome tools for combat.



The ground floor of the museum introduces the battle (in Japanese) on a large video screen showing the position and movements of the forces and the opposing generals, while the second floor exhibits the collection of arms and armor.

The Battle of Sekigahara took place on October 21, 1600 and ultimately lead to the establishment of the Tokugawa Bakufu under the control of the victorious Ieyasu.



Across the road from the museum is Jimbano - the site of Ieyasu's last camp during the battle. A 20 minute walk or short drive away is Sekigahara War Land (Tel: 0584 43 0302) just off National Highway 365.

Sekigahara is a do-able day trip from Nagoya or even Kyoto. Take a JR Kaisoku (rapid) train bound for Maibara from Nagoya Station or change to a local train at Ogaki. The Sekigahara Tourist Office is outside the station (Tel: 0584 43 5559) and opens from 9am-2pm April to November.




Sekigahara Town History & Folklore Museum
Hours: 9am-4.30pm; 9am-4pm (November-March)

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関ヶ原

The Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 is probably the most decisive battle fought in Japanese history, comparable to other great civil war battles such as the Battle of Marston Moor in England in 1644 and Gettysburg in the US in 1863.


The massive battle fought on the narrow plains beneath the high Ibuki mountains in Gifu Prefecture in central Japan, paved the way for Tokugawa Ieyasu to establish the Tokugawa shogunate that would control Japan and shape the country until the 1860s.

The Battle of Sekigahara was the culmination of a decades-long struggle to unify Japan under one ruling dynasty begun with the campaigns of Oda Nobunaga, continued by his general Toyotomi Hideyoshi and completed by the scheming and military genius of the Tokugawa clan.



After the death of Hideyoshi at age 63 in 1598, Japan was plunged into political uncertainty as Hideyoshi's heir, Hideyori, was but a child of 6 years of age at the time of his father's demise. Hideyoshi had wrung a death bed promise from his allies to keep the peace until his son was old enough to assume power, but divisions soon appeared among the leading strongmen in the interim Council of Regency.

The inevitable conflict between the competing forces for power came between the Western armies, lead by Ishida Mitsunari, who supported the settlement arranged by Hideyoshi and the Eastern armies lead by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was determined to take ultimate power himself and destroy Hideyoshi's legacy.


Both sides deployed about 80,000 men at the battle, which took place on October 21, 1600. Lasting most of the day, the engagement was immensely bloody with an estimated 30-40,000 casualties altogether sustained in the fighting. Ieyasu was victorious, mainly due to the treachery of the young daimyo Kobayakawa Hideaki, who changed sides during the course of the battle and attacked Ishida Mitsunari's forces, as had been agreed beforehand with Ieyasu. Other generals on the Western side, like Hiroie Kikkawa, also failed to fully commit their forces to the fray.

Ishida fled the battlefield as defeat was imminent but was hunted down and executed on the banks of the Kamo River in Kyoto along with his supporters Konishi Yukinaga and the daimyo monk Ekei Ankokuji.



Nowadays Sekigahara is a sleepy village just west of the castle town of Ogaki. There are a number of walking courses to take in the various positions occupied by the opposing armies and a couple of museums worth visiting - the excellent Sekigahara Town History & Folklore Museum (Tel: 0584 43 2665), with Jimbano - the site of Ieyasu's last camp just across the road and the rather faded Sekigahara War Land (Tel: 0584 43 0302) just off National Highway 365 to the north west of the Sekigahara Town History & Folklore Museum.

Sekigahara is an easy day trip from Nagoya. Take a JR Kaisoku (rapid) train bound for Maibara from Nagoya Station or change to a local train at Ogaki. The Sekigahara Tourist Office is outside the station (Tel: 0584 43 5559) and opens from 9am-2pm April to November.



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温泉博物館

The Onsen Museum is an interesting break from enjoy the hot springs in Gero. The museum displays a number of water samples from onsens from all over Japan, as well as hot spring paraphernalia - bath salts, onsen tamago and water pipes - some of the latter dating back to the Edo Period.



You can learn how hot springs are formed and perform some simple experiments using the water from Gero's hot springs. For an extra charge there's even an ashiyu (footbath) out on the museum's veranda.



The museum is open daily (except Thursday) from 9am-5pm. Adults 400 yen; children 200 yen.



Gero Onsen Onsen Museum
Tel: 0576 25 3400

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ホテルふじはら

A little over a 2 hour drive from Nagoya city, Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture will have snow when there is none to be seen on the streets of Nagoya to the south. The kids wanted a snowball fight, so this seemed the logical choice to head for. Peaceful and relaxed Gero is an excellent place to unwind over the New Year vacation.



We stayed at Hotel Fujihara, south of the Hida River, a short drive west of JR Gero Station. Built in the 1960s, Fujihara is showing its age, rather grimy surfaces all covered with thousands of maneki neko cats. Insulation? Open your room door and an icy blast will sweep in from the valley outside. The bath, too, is a small affair, not much bigger than most bathrooms at home, but the water is piping hot and there are no curfews.



Fujihara's selling points are its price - just 8,000 yen a night including dinner and breakfast - and its excellent local food. Grilled river fish, local mountain vegetables and delicious ji sake. There is no dining room, so meals are served in your room.



If you want a touch of luxury try the more central Gero Spa Suimeikan Hotel (Tel: 0576 25 2800) right at the station.

Hotel Fujihara
Tel: 0576 25 2620



From Nagoya Station or Gifu take the JR Takayama Honsen Line Wide View Hida express (tokkyu; 3990 yen; 1 hour 28 minutes) north to Gero or travel south on the same line from Takayama and Toyama (2 hours 16 minutes). By road, drive via Nakatsugawa on the Chuo Expressway and then turn off the highway on route 257.

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ぎふ梅まつり

This time of year in Japan sees the first mass "flower viewing" of the calendar. The blossomings of the nation's plum trees are an early harbinger of spring and people flock in their thousands to see the colorful plum (ume) flowers in gardens, temples and parks across the nation.

Gifu city's 57th annual (plum) ume festival took place at the weekend in Bairin Park, a short bus ride or 30 minute stroll from either JR Gifu Station or Meitetsu Gifu Station.



There were the usual festival food stalls in evidence in the park: okonomiyaki pancakes, takoyaki octopus balls, fried potatoes, fried corn, yakisoba (fried noodles) and squid on a stick. Besides the permanently parked steam locomotive in Bairin Park other attractions to lure visitors to attend and maybe splash their cash a bit were puppet shows, chindonya, musical performances, bonzai displays and rickshaw rides.



The stalls spread throughout the surrounding streets as housewives and tradespeople set out their local delicacies and crafts for sale.

Zuiryoji Temple near Bairin Park was particularly beautiful with its large pink plum blossoms in full bloom.



Gifu Plum Blossom Festival
Bairin Park
Tel: 058 240 6530

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恵那峡

In the Ena Valley in Gifu Prefecture, about an hour north of Nagoya, there is much to see and do. Historically important due to its position on the Nakasendo inland highway between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo), visitors can now take a ride on the historic Akechi Railroad to the Taisho Village in Akechi, see the former castle town of Iwamura or take a hot soak in the quaint onsen in Hanashiro, a stone's throw from the tiny station.

A short Tono Tetsudo bus or taxi ride north from JR Ena Station is also the stunning scenery of Ena Gorge. The gorge came into being with the damming of the fast flowing Kiso River in the Taisho Period (1912-1926). The dam was constructed by Momosuke Fukuzawa, the adopted son of Yukichi Fukuzawa, the founder of Keio University, an important figure in Japan's modernization and westernization post-1868 and the man on the current 10,000 yen banknote. Momosuke himself was another colorful character who became known as the "king of electric power" for his work in building hydro-electric generating dams. The Oi Dam and electric power plant at Ena Gorge is, in fact, Japan's first power station to utilize a dam.



Momosuke, born poor as Momosuke Iwasaki in Saitama Prefecture, was an exceptional talent, and married into the powerful and influential Fukuzawa family as a business arrangement that suited both parties. However, throughout his life, Momosuke was the lover of Sadayakko Kawakami, an ex-geisha who became known as "Japan's first actress" and wowed the west with her performances in Paris and America. In later life, the glamorous pair lived together in Nagoya and Tokyo and formed a successful partnership in business. Sadayakko in silk and Momosuke in electric power. An interesting book on the life of Sadayakko Kawakami and her lover is Lesley Downer's Madame Sadayakko: The Geisha Who Bewitched the West.



To enjoy the beautiful vistas of Ena Gorge, known for its cherry blossoms in spring and maple leaves in the fall, take the 20km, 30-minute Ena Gorge cruise (Tel: 0573 25 4800; 1250 yen; sailings 9am-5pm in season).

There is also a circular hiking trail that crosses the Oi Dam and returns via the Enakyo Ohashi Bridge. Near the lake shore are numerous souvenir shops and restaurants, some of them serving fresh fish caught from the lake. For the less energetic, stroll out to Sazanami Park on Benten Island for some delightful views. The Enakyo Wonderland Amusement Park (Tel: 0573 45 3333) and its Big Wheel are clearly visible from the boat jetty.



The area has two nearby hotels: Enakyo International Hotel and Enakyo Grand Hotel as well as a campsite (and croquet ground!) in Enakyo Garden (Tel: 0573 26 2088).

The quickest way to reach Ena is by JR Central Liner train from Nagoya Station.
If you are driving from Nagoya take route 363 from Seto or route 11 from Toyota. Ena city is very near Ena Interchange on the Chuo Expressway, which follows the old Nakasendo post road to Magome and Tsumago at this point.

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花白温泉

A short ride on the Akechi Railway from Ena, Hanashiro Onsen is a stone's throw from the tiny station. A small countryside onsen, it's possible to drop in for a dip if you have visited the sights of the Taisho Village in Akechi or the former castle town of Iwamura.



The bath house doesn't seem to have changed much over the years and has a pleasant, homely feel.



The quickest way to reach Ena is by JR Central Liner train from Nagoya Station. Then walk out of the station and turn left. The tiny Akechi Tetsudo Station is next to Ena Tourist Office. Trains run approximately hourly and costs 670 yen single fare Ena-Akechi. The first train from Ena is at 6.48am and the last at 21.44pm on weekdays, 20.54pm at the weekend or on public holidays. The train also stops at the historic castle town of Iwamura.
If you are driving from Nagoya take route 363 from Seto or route 11 from Toyota. Ena city is very near Ena Interchange on the Chuo Expressway, which follows the old Nakasendo post road to Magome and Tsumago at this point.

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