Located less than 40 minutes from Nagoya by train, Okazaki was the birthplace of Japan’s most famous shogun (military ruler) and one of the country’s three unifiers, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Okazaki Castle, where the exalted samurai was born in 1542, still stands today and serves as the icon of the city.
Despite the intriguing history of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Okazaki’s close proximity to Nagoya, I must admit that Okazaki wasn’t one of my travel priorities. However, I am lucky to have a friend from Nagoya University International Language Center who is going to a graduate school in Okazaki. As we and our other friends were finishing our intensive Japanese course back in August and preparing to go our respective ways at different graduate schools in fall, my friend invited us all to take a summer day trip to Okazaki.
I actually rarely go on a trip with this many people (almost 20 people in total!), but it was such a good trip with good friends. A celebration for completing our basic Japanese course. A break before upcoming, much more stressful Master’s/PhD life. An opportunity to explore Nagoya’s neighbor with a knowledgeable friend. Without my friend’s insight, we would have missed out on the miso (traditional Japanese paste) favored by Tokugawa samurai and one of the most spectacular fireworks in Japan.
SPACE STORIES BY GIFT 