天浜線（天竜浜名湖鉄道株式会社） – 日本の原風景に出逢う旅。

Since improvement of its function as an art museum after renovations in 2002, the building itself has been highly praised for its artistry and originality. Shiseido designed goods are for sales in the museum shop.

This castle, featured in the long-running historical NHK drama Koumyou ga Tsuji, was built by Yamauchi Kazutoyo during the Warring States Period, and is known as the famed castle of the Tokai Region. The heroic tale of Kazutoyo’s wife Chiyo halping him to achieve glory is also famouse.

This flower and bird theme park is one of just a few in Japan with a large greenhouse. Visitors can view the raptor bird show (flight show) and have their picture taken with penguins, as well as meet the famous owl Popo-chan.

This luxurious melon bread has juice from Crown melons, the pinnacle of Shizuoka Prefecture grown cantaloupes, mixed into both the bread and the cream. With such a flavor, it is no wonder this melon bread remains PAO-VILLAGE’s No. 1 product.

Between Sakuragi Station and Haranoya Station, a straight road runs parallel to the tracks, with rice fields stretching in every direction. It is also a famous cycling destination known as “Denen Kassoro”.

This establishment serves seasonal Japanese cuisine reminiscent of tea ceremony fare, in a quaint Japanese style home. The picture to left is Shokado Bento priced at ¥2,100. Light meals available from ¥1,500 (or from ¥1,800 in the evening), with seasonal courses served.

In this garden of more than 1 hectare, located in front of a village headman’s mansion built in the Edo Period, 1 million Japanese irises of 1,500 different breeds are grown for preservation. Traditional cuisine from the Azuchi-Momoyama Period is also served throughout the season. 

Kakegawa is the home of “fukamushi-cha” (deep-steamed tea), the recipient of many awards from the All Japan Tea Evaluation Association. Mellow, full-bodied fukamushi-cha has been featured on TV and other media. If you come to Kakegawa, try the authentic tea in its place of origin.
Kakegawa Tea Promotion Association (in the Kakegawa Chamber of Commerce)
TEL: 0537-22-5151

Until the early modern period, horses were brought to the temples of Renge-ji and Daito-in, and so a bridle path was opened here. There are highlights such as Kannon’s Pond, the Path of Mihotoke and Kagamiishi, and the Enshu Sea can be seen from the vantage point on the naturally blessed Hakkei-san.

This sweet has a perfect balance of sweet and salty, made from a perilla-leaf pickled in plum syrup wrapped around a soft rice confection stuffed with red bean paste. The elegant flavor of perilla leaf and plum spreads through your mouth from the first bite.

This is a traditional shrine surrounded by greenery. Traditional Japanese rites are performed here year round, with the seasons especially evident in cherry blossoms of spring and red leaves of fall. Visitors can also enjoy meals and shopping at “Kotomachi Yokocho” just in front of the torii gate. Totoumi-Ichinomiya Station: 10 minutes by free pick-up microbus from the station (available on the 1st, 15th, Sundays, and holidays every month, and every day during the Japanese lily and autumn color seasons.

40,000 Chinese bellflowers bloom here in season at this temple enshrining Hakuryuzu Kannon. Based on the floral symbolism of Chinese bellflowers for “everlasting love”, the Kannon inside has been called the “Kannon of Fulfillment in Love”, garnering praise from women.

Tours are available from the garden to the warehouse of this village headman’s mansion, which preserves the elegance of the Tenpo Era (1830 – 1844). In addition to a multi-purpose gallery, there are also an Edo Showa Museum, a general store, and restaurants serving soba noodles and eel.

This shop carries the Toyooka specialty “Ebi Imo Monaka”, as well as handmade Japanese and western style sweets. “Megumi Roll Cake”, the most popular product, is ¥930. Customers love its castella-like bread and milky cream filling.

In this museum, located inside the renovated house of a wealthy farmer with over 300 years of history, visitors can study the culture and diversity of the Silk Road through ancient works of art on display. Take a look into lives of the past.

In mid-February, nearly 13 hectares of land are filled with the flowers of 4,000 plum trees, including primarily white plums such as the Nanko and Gojiro breeds in this plum park. Home-made style pickled plums and plum jam made in the adjacent processing plant are also popular.

In addition to the ever popular fruit-picking, this charming theme park features a winery-food court, a fruit shop, a handmade shop, a water play area, and fluffy mats. Illumination is also on display.

Make this your destination to better know local culture and information. Popular products include local cakes and baumkuchen made by local bakeries and available only here.

This day-trip hot spring is fed by a hydrogen carbonate spring effective for smoother skin. In addition to the outdoor bath overlooking a rock garden and forest bath surrounded in greenery, meals are provided  that offer a true taste of Northern Enshu.

Hananomai Brewing, famous for its sake-brewing using 100% sake rice grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, also markets a new brand of sake “Chobitto Kanpai” made semi-carbonated with a tangy flavor. With an alcohol content of 6%, it’s perfect for beginning sake drinkers.

This temple, established by the Ming Buddhist monk Dokutan Zenshi, is an important building that brings Chinese Ming Dynasty architecture to the modern times. It also holds cultural activities such as matcha brewing lessons 3 times a month.

This famous sweet, made by wrapping smooth red bean paste in a stick rice skin with black sugar, is a specialty of Inner Lake Hamana. Try it for yourself at any of the 12 shops selling it along the Tenhama Line.

At this festival, a procession of women dressed as princesses parade in the ancient tradition along Honzakamichi, a road on the north side of Lake Hamana once favored for passage by noble ladies in the Edo Period. It is an event greatly beloved by the people of the area. Himesama Dochu is held on the first Saturday and Sunday of April.

Made with ½ fat, no added salt, healthy margarine and honey from the Nagasaka Apiary, this popular product is number one for orders. It goes perfect with bread.

Japanese confections made with the nationally renowned “Mikkabi mandarins” are perfect as souvenirs. Be sure to try the shiroan that truly gets the most out of mandarin’s tangy flavor.

　

The Kosai Mountain Range hiking course features the melancholic ruins of a temple that flourished during the Heian Period. It is beloved by many people for the beautiful views available while along the course.

This establishment is run by a chef with experience in the kitchens of prestigious restaurants in Italy and Paris. Everything on the menu is exquisite, from the pasta to the hors d’oeuvres and especially desserts. Lunch starting from ¥970 (w/ tax), dinner from ¥1,780, mini-banquets from ¥2,800. Make your reservation early while seats are still available.

The park has 4 zones to enjoy; an amusement park, the Toyohashi Museum of Natural History, a botanical garden with a hothouse, and a zoo that offers such uplifting animal attractions as feeding time for the polar bears and the “Monkey Deck.”

Chinese fringe flowers growing along the Kanza River are best viewed in mid-April. When the yellow-tinted white flowers are in full bloom, the whole area has a dreamy beauty as if cloaked in fog.