Gamagori's main attraction is this small island accessible by bridge.

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Hazu-cho is a coastal town next to Gamagori. There are two small islands which used to be accessible by boat. One was nicknamed Rabbit (Usagi) island and the other was Monkey (Saru) island.

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Konomiya Shrine holds the Hadaka (Naked or Nude) Festival in early March, or Jan. 13 of the lunar calendar. Men in loincloths parade around the streets until they reach the shrine. A Sacred Man (Shin-otoko) also appears in the shrine and the men try to touch him before he slips into the shrine's window. The festival's real name is Naoi-shinji 儺追神事 which is a rite to dispel bad luck.

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Perched on a mountain on the bank of Kiso River, Inuyama Castle is one of four castles in Japan designated as a National Treasure. First built in 1537, it is Japan's oldest surviving castle. It is also the only privately owned castle in Japan.

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Shrine famous for worshipping a rock shaped like the female sexual organ. It also holds the Honen Matsuri for a good harvest and fertility on the Sunday before March 15. It is the female counterpart to Tagata Shrine which worships the phallus in neighboring Komaki. The shrine is also noted for weeping plum blossoms.

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Other sights in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture.

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Between Nagoya and Gifu, this castle reconstructed in 1989 can be seen from the train on the Tokaido Line. It was one of Oda Nobunaga's strategic castles to unify Japan.

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The Honen-sai or Honen (Hounen) Matsuri is held by Tagata Jinja on March 15 to pray for an abundant harvest. "Honen" literally means "Year of abudant harvest." Since a giant penis is used as an offering, it is popularly called the "penis festival." Also see the video at YouTube.

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Shrine famous for numerous phallic objects used as offerings to the gods. The 1500-year-old shrine worships a deity called Tamahime-no-Mikoto who was a daughter of a powerful local lord from the 5th century. The shrine is near Tagata Jinja-mae Station on the Meitetsu Railways' Komaki Line. From Shin-Nagoya Station or Shin-Gifu Station, go to Inuyama Station and transfer to the Komaki Line.

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The Aichi Expo 2005 was held from March 25 to September 25, 2005 at three locations in Aichi Prefecture. The main site was at Nagakute where these photos were taken. The theme of the Expo was "Nature's Wisdom," with Japanese and international pavilions showing nature, ecology, and Earth-related exhibits. Over 22 million people visited the expo which was quite crowded at times.

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Originally built in 1612 by the order of Tokugawa Ieyasu and suffering major destruction during World War II, Nagoya Castle was reconstructed in 1959.

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Atsuta Jingu is one of Japan's most important shrines dedicated to Atsuta-no-Ookami or Amaterasu-Oomikami, represented by the sacred sword Kusanagi-no-tsurugi which is one of the three sacred treasures of the Imperial family. It ranks second behind Grand Shrines of Ise in Mie Prefecture. On Jan. 1, 2008, I visited this shrine along with huge crowds.

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Osu is a famous area in Nagoya, centering on Osu Kannon Temple amid numerous shopping arcades.

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Originally built in 1455, Okazaki Castle was dismantled during the Meiji Period and the area was made into a castle park. The castle tower was later rebuilt in 1959.

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Originally built by lord Ujichika Imagawa in 1505 as Imahashi Castle, it was renamed Yoshida Castle. It is now within Toyohashi Park. Only a turret was rebuilt in 1954.

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