Toyokawa

Introduction

Toyokawa sits in the eastern part of Aichi Prefecture, a city that balances industry, commerce, agriculture and forestry within its boundaries. It is best known for Toyokawa Inari, the temple that draws visitors to the area, and it occupies a setting rich in history, traditions and culture.

Getting around

Toyokawa grew out of a merger of several once-independent communities, so its urban functions are spread across several station areas rather than concentrated in one downtown — and Toyokawa Station, despite the name, is not the city's central station. Expect to move between a few different hubs rather than treating one as your base for everything, and check which station sits closest to your destination before setting out. The city's layout follows its main roads — National Route 1 to the west, National Route 23 to the southwest, and National Route 151 from the east to the south — with the Hime Kaido (Hon-Zaka Street) running east to west, and four railway lines running roughly parallel to those roads. That makes the train a sensible default for longer hops across town.

Two operators run the rails, and understanding the split is the key to using the network well. JR Central's Tōkaidō Main Line passes through the west of the city, while the Iida Line runs through the centre and on toward the north, with stations including Kozakai, Ushikubo, Toyokawa, Mikawa-Ichinomiya, Nagayama, Ejima and Tōjō. Meitetsu's Nagoya Main Line runs through the western part of Toyokawa, and its Toyokawa Line branches off to serve the city centre and Toyokawa Inari. In practice, JR is the better bet for journeys toward Toyohashi, Nagoya and beyond, while Meitetsu is useful for reaching Toyokawa Inari and for connections into the wider Meitetsu network toward Nagoya. The operators are separate companies with separate tickets, so buy a ticket for each leg if your trip involves both. The simplest approach is a rechargeable IC card — manaca locally, or a nationwide card like Suica or ICOCA — which works across both operators and saves you working out fares at the machine each time; paper tickets are also available, with fare charts above the machines showing the price to your destination.

Local buses fill in the gaps between the rail lines and the more dispersed parts of the city, but they run less frequently than the trains, so check the timetable at your nearest stop or at the station before relying on one for a time-sensitive connection. The most useful bus for a visitor is likely the long-distance highway coach: a night service connects Tokyo with Toyokawa and Toyohashi, picking up in Tokyo at Nerima Station North Exit, Nakano Station and the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal, and returning to Shibuya Mark City, Shinjuku, Nakano and Nerima. Within Toyokawa it stops at Toyokawa Station and Toyokawa City Hall, making it a convenient arrival point if your accommodation is near either. There is one service per direction per day, so book ahead online rather than turning up on spec.

Taxis are most useful for what trains and buses handle poorly — reaching a temple or golf course away from a station, or getting home late after an evening out. You'll find ranks at the main stations, and hotels can usually call one for you. Ride-hailing apps have less coverage in regional Japanese cities than in major metros, so plan on hailing at a rank or booking by phone rather than summoning a car from your smartphone.

Walkability depends heavily on where you are. The central business area divides into three districts — the Suwa District, where public institutions and commercial facilities cluster; the Toyogawa District, which grew up as the gateway to Toyokawa Inari Shrine; and the Chuo-dori District, which links the two. Within and between these districts walking is pleasant and practical, and the area around Toyokawa Inari is particularly well suited to exploring on foot. Outside the centre, though, the city is expansive and its functions scattered, so walking between districts is often impractical. The climate is relatively mild with little to no snowfall even in winter, which makes walking comfortable for much of the year, but summers are hot and humid, so plan longer walks for the cooler parts of the day. In spring, the cherry blossoms along the Sana and Otoha rivers and the Sakura Tunnel near the city hall make a walk worthwhile in their own right.

Toyokawa has no airport of its own. Visitors flying in use the airports serving the wider region — principally Chubu Centrair International Airport, south of Nagoya — and continue by rail, typically taking a train into Nagoya and transferring to a JR or Meitetsu service heading east toward Toyokawa and Toyohashi. Because the operators are separate, you may need a new ticket at the transfer point; an IC card makes this seamless. Arriving from Tokyo instead, the overnight highway coach is a straightforward alternative to the train, dropping you directly at Toyokawa Station or Toyokawa City Hall.

When to go

Toyokawa's climate divides into a hot, humid summer and a relatively mild winter. If you visit in summer, expect sticky, energy-sapping conditions, with temperatures peaking on average in August; plan your days around the heat rather than fighting it. Winter is mild rather than severe, and January is the coolest month on average, so a visit then is cool but not bitterly cold.

• Summer: hot and humid, peaking in August — sticky, energy-sapping conditions, so plan around the heat.
• Winter: relatively mild, with January the coolest month — cool but not bitterly cold.
• September: the wettest month of the year, so rain is most likely then; expect wet conditions and pack accordingly.

Three days in Toyokawa

Day one: Arrive at Toyokawa Station, served by JR Central's Tōkaidō Main Line and Iida Line, and by Meitetsu's Nagoya Main Line and Toyokawa Line. IC cards such as Suica and ICOCA are accepted. From Tokyo, local trains run via Nerima Station North Exit, Nakano Station, Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal, Shibuya Mark City and Shinjuku. Use the station as your base for the city, then walk the Hon Zaka Street approach to Toyokawa Inari, the temple that gives the city its name.

Day two: Follow the Hime Kaido and National Route through the city, and explore the neighbourhoods of Kozakai, Ushikubo, Mikawa, Ichinomiya, Nagayama, Ejima and Tōjō. Expect warm and humid summers and bitterly cold winters, so plan your walking accordingly. Return to Toyokawa Station in the evening.

Day three: Take the JR or Meitetsu lines to Toyohashi or Nagoya for a change of pace, or stay in Toyokawa and revisit Toyokawa Inari and the streets around Toyokawa Station before your onward journey.