There are so many charms that make it easy to get around! A short trip to explore Kuwana City Station -Part 1-

Where is Kuwana City?

Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture is located in the northernmost area of ​​Mie Prefecture, and is immediately adjacent to Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture.
If you take the Kintetsu Line by train, you can get there in about 16 minutes by express from Kintetsu Nagoya Station. 12 minutes by express from Kintetsu Yokkaichi. It is easily accessible from the Aichi and Mie metropolitan areas.

In terms of access by car, the main area can be accessed via National Route 1, National Route 23, Higashi-Meihan Expressway, Isewangan Expressway, etc., and is also easily accessible from the metropolitan area.

Kuwana City is rich in tourism resources, and some of you may have heard of them, such as the popular amusement park Nagashima Spaland, Nagashima Hot Springs, historical facilities Tado Taisha Shrine, Rokkaen, and the Tokaido Shichiri no Watashi. I think there are many. The area around the station is a town where you can feel the history of the Tokaido, and where you can still find an elegant townscape.
Intangible cultural properties include the Ishitori Festival and the ``Kuwana Senbazuru'' method of folding renzuru cranes, and in addition to a food culture typified by clam dishes, it is also an industrial city centered on machinery and metals. .

Recommended cycling trips that start from the station

When you think of sightseeing in Kuwana City, you probably end up driving to Nagashima Spa Land with your family and friends.
After spending the day sightseeing at an amusement park or hot spring, why not stay overnight at an inn in the city and take a short trip to the facilities in front of Kuwana Station on a rental bicycle before returning the next day?

It would be a waste to come to Nagashima, use it only for the amusement park, and then go home at high speed! Let's also sightsee in front of the station.

Also, as I mentioned at the beginning, it is easily accessible from Aichi Prefecture and Mie Prefecture, so if you are nearby, it is a good place to visit historical sites or sightseeing during a short break. I think.

So, this time I will take the train to Kuwana Station and introduce a sightseeing route using a rental bicycle.

We will mainly introduce the area in front of Kuwana Station!

Introducing the entire model course

When you arrive at Kuwana Station, first rent a bicycle at the Kuwana City Tourism Association. Go by bike!

*At the time of reporting for this article (October 2023), rental bicycles called ""Charichari"" were being set up in front of the station and various locations around the city for a one-week social experiment in conjunction with the Kuwana Jidai Festival, so there were many people using "Charichari". I did it! There are always bicycles available for rent at the tourist association, so please feel free to use them.
*We also visited some facilities as part of a demonstration experiment with Mayor Kuwana.

The model course looks like this. The theme was "quick" and "feel history".

(This is the end of the first part of the article. Please look forward to the second half !)

Introducing each spot!

Now, let me introduce the details of each spot in turn.
I think it would be a good idea to change the order to suit your meal timing and preferences.

First, Kuwana Station

In addition to the Kintetsu Line, the JR Line and Yoro Tetsudo Line stop at Kuwana Station. It's convenient.
Kuwana Station was renovated in 2020 for the first time in about 50 years, making it much cleaner, and a free passageway has also been opened, so you can cycle to and from either side of the station.

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Kuwana Station is stylish and geometric, with a combination of dark colors, accent colors of brown, and brick tones. Go with "Charichari"!

If you want to use the free passage, push your bicycle and take the elevator up.

Free passage inside Kuwana Station. There are also convenience stores and ATMs.

Rent a bicycle and set out

Now, we'll walk from Kuwana Station to the Kuwana City Bussan Tourist Information Center, then rent a bicycle and set off.
At the tourist information center, you can also rent bicycle helmets and receive tourist maps and explanations.

We started from the tourist information center and headed towards National Route 1, but the sidewalk beside National Route 1, which is a major road, had separate lanes for pedestrians and bicycles.

Kuwana City Products Tourist Information Center is located a short walk from Kuwana Station. You can rent bicycles here.

Bicycles can be rented at the Kuwana City Bussan Tourist Information Center. It also comes with a large basket, making it convenient for buying souvenirs.

There are tourist maps available at the tourist information center.

I will complete the procedure for renting a bicycle.

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At "Charichari", which was undergoing a social experiment, you could borrow it using your smartphone.

Departing with Mayor Ito!

There was a bicycle lane on the sidewalk along National Route 1.

① Walk around while talking with locals at Teramachi Shopping District

If you ride your bicycle for about 5 minutes from Kuwana Station, you will arrive at Kuwana Teramachi Dori Shopping Street .
Kuwana Teramachi Dori Shopping Street has a morning market called Sanpachi (commonly known as Sanpachi) held on the 3rd and 8th days of each month (3rd, 8th, 13th, 18th, 23rd, and 28th), where many vendors gather. , it has become one of the specialties of Kuwana, which is very popular.

Shopping street walking map Quoted from https://www.teramachi-kuwana.com/

You'll be lucky if it falls on Sanhachi City's day. Let's buy local produce and enjoy conversation.

You can meet lots of cute locals

A shopping street where you can feel the casual everyday life

There were a few shops open even when it wasn't the 38th day.

② Visit Kuwana Shrine (Kuwana Shrine/Nakatomi Shrine)

Ride your bicycle for about 5 minutes from the Teramachi shopping street and visit Kuwana Shrine (Kuwana Shrine/Nakatomi Shrine) .
This shrine is also called Kasuga Shrine, but one of its characteristics is that it is a shrine that combines two shrines, Kuwana Shrine and Nakatomi Shrine.

Because the two shrines are lined up in harmony, it is said to be a shrine that brings good luck, and there are many prayers for marriage, and there is also a wedding hall attached.

The streets along the way are also full of elegance. It makes me feel like I've come back to the Edo period.

At the gate of Kuwana Shrine.

Kuwana Shrine (commonly known as Kasuga Shrine) is a rare shrine where Kuwana Shrine and Nakatomi Shrine are located side by side.

Kasuga Inari Daimyojin

There are also Kodaijingu Gobunreisha and Kuwana Toshogu Shrine.

Momoyama Shrine has a quieter atmosphere

You can receive prayers, receive goshuin stamps, purchase amulets, etc.

It is said that the sight of Kuwana Shrine and Nakatomi Shrine lined up harmoniously will lead to a good marriage, and many requests have been made regarding marriage.

The wall of Kuwana Shrine depicting the Kuwana Ishidori Festival, which is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

If you are interested in the Ishitori Festival and the history of Kuwana City, you can also visit the Ishitori Hall and Kuwana City Museum .

③Look at the Honda Tadakatsu statue at Kakinyasu Community Park

After leaving Kuwana Sosha Shrine and cycling through the streets for about 5 minutes, you will see a large signboard that says "Kakiyasu". As you follow the signboard as a guide, the Honda Tadakatsu statue will appear along the road.
That is Kakinyasu Community Park .

Located next to Shichiri no Watashi, there is a large area where you can play, including a park and a pool in the summer.

Honda Tadakatsu was a military commander and daimyo from the Sengoku period to the early Edo period, and the first lord of the Kuwana domain in Ise. His grave is located at Jodoji Temple in Kuwana City.

It's located next to the Shichiri-no-Watari, which we'll go to later, but you can also see various explanations and related facilities about flood control inside the Kakiyasu Community Park.
It was a bit cold on the day of the interview, but on a warm day it might be nice to eat your lunch on the large grounds.
We also recommend enjoying a meal at Kakinyasu , a meat restaurant famous for its sukiyaki and shabu-shabu!

Flood control management building. The appearance also has an elegance. On the other side of the water gate is Shichiri no Fashi. (You cannot go to the Shichiri ferry from here.)

At the Kakiyasu main store nearby, you can enjoy famous meat dishes such as sukiyaki and shabu-shabu.

④Feel Kuwana Castle at Kyuka Park

Next to Kakiyasu Community Park is Jiuka Park .
This is the former Kuwana Castle ruins, and the entire Honmaru and Ninomaru areas of Kuwana Castle have been developed as a park.

Currently, "Kyuka" is pronounced "Kyuuka", so "Kyuuka Park" is pronounced "Kyukakoen", but in the Edo period, it was written as "Kyuuka" and read as "Kuwana". that's right. It is interesting.

An information board with an explanation of Kyuka Park.

When you enter Kyuka Park from the entrance on the side of the Honda Tadakatsu statue (north exit), you will cross Raft Bridge and Kyuka Bridge and see Chinkoku Shukoku Shrine .
The remains of the main enclosure of Kuwana Castle are now the precincts of Chinkoku Shukoku Shrine.

Shukoku Shrine is a shrine located within the ruins of Kuwana Castle, and began in 1784 when Matsudaira Sadatsuna (Kokoku Kō) was enshrined within the castle grounds of Shirakawa (currently Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture). (1823), when the Matsudaira Etchu family moved from Shirakawa to Kuwana, it moved to the main enclosure of Kuwana Castle. It is a shrine that looks back on the history of the Kuwana clan at the end of the Edo period.

Shikuni Morikuni Shrine

Unlike the atmosphere in the vicinity where there is a lot of traffic, the area around Shikoku Shukoku Shrine has a quiet and solemn atmosphere.

Next to Chinkoku Shukoku Shrine is the ruins of Kuwana Castle's castle tower.
Most of the castle was destroyed in a fire in 1701, and the castle tower was also destroyed, and has not been rebuilt since. In 1887, a tsurugi-shaped bronze ``Monument to Invite the Boshin Martyrs'' was erected on the site of the castle tower, and it still exists today.

Kuwana Castle castle tower ruins. The tsurugi-shaped bronze ``Boshin Martyr's Soul Monument'' visible in the center back and extending toward the sky.

Inari Shrine of Chinkoku Shukoku Shrine

It remains after the cannon fire. The detailed background regarding this cannon is unknown.

Kyuka Park, surrounded by a moat and pond, where you can feel the negative ions

The taste of the bridge railing is very nice.

There is a signboard in front of the Kyuka Park administration building that provides detailed information about the Tokaido route in the Kuwana area. A walking tour along the Tokaido route that will make you feel like you are back in Edo would also be a good idea.

The area from Honda Tadakatsu Statue to Kyuka Park is a historical spot where you can feel the Edo period. It's perfect for immersing yourself in history.

⑤Eating at Hamaguri Plaza

Now, if you're feeling hungry at this point, let's go eat some clam dishes.
It takes about 10 to 15 minutes by bicycle after leaving Kyuka Park, but it is best to head to Hamaguri Plaza to learn about Kuwana's specialty, clams, while also tasting them. You can ride along the Ibi River on a road with a great view, or you can take a short walk through the city.

It feels good to run along the Ibi River. The best part of a Kuwana trip is experiencing the three Kiso rivers (Ibi River, Nagara River, and Kiso River), which are so large that you might think they are the ocean.

Hamaguri Plaza will appear along the Ibi River.

The facility will have a clam museum and a restaurant called ``Hamakaze'' that serves meals made with clams.

There is a facility with a large sign that says ``Hamaguri Plaza.'' The building with the large glass in the foreground is the restaurant “Hamakaze”

Try eating clam dishes. The clams are wrapped in aluminum foil and grilled right in front of you on the stove.

Clam too big! ! It is a specialty of Kuwana.

Grilled clam set meal 2,700 yen (reservation required), Akasuka set meal (2,200 yen), clam bowl (1,500 yen), etc. *Price as of January 2024

We also sell clam goods.

If you move towards the museum, you can learn about the history of clam fishing in Kuwana.

Explanation of tools for collecting clams

Exhibition of books explaining clam fishing in the Meiji era

A model of a ship that used to fish for clams

The cityscape around Hamaguri Plaza is also nice. It has a fishing village feel.

Kaimasu is a shop across from Clam Plaza where you can buy fresh shellfish and shigureni.

With fresh shellfish in front of us, the staff at the restaurant were asking tourists, ``How many kilograms of shellfish should we put in?''

Park/bicycle at the port of Ibigawa.It is also nice to take a moment to look at the ships moored.

This is the end of the first half of the course.

This is the first part. You can enjoy a lot of history, culture and food up to this point.
Please look forward to the next part of the article !

By renting a bicycle and visiting each facility from the station, you can save time while enjoying the cityscape, atmosphere, and riverside atmosphere. You can enjoy new ways that you can't get by driving or walking.