Okazaki Castle

Okazaki Castle in Aichi Prefecture was the birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and its reconstructed keep holds a museum covering his rise from childhood in this castle town to unifying Japan and establishing 265 years of Tokugawa rule. Armor, weapons, and multimedia exhibits fill the interior. The surrounding park, one of the region's most popular cherry blossom spots, has roughly 800 trees that reflect in the moat during late March and early April, with evening illumination extending the viewing hours. Streets near the park still carry the feel of the old castle town, and local restaurants serve Okazaki's distinctive miso-based dishes using the region's hatcho miso.