Inazawa, Industrial city in northwestern Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Inazawa is a city in northwestern Aichi Prefecture, Japan, spreading across the fertile Owari plain close to Nagoya. It covers an area where residential neighborhoods, industrial zones, and farmland intermingle, while small canals and fields still recall the rural past of the region.
The area served as the provincial capital during the Nara period and later turned into a post town on the Nakasendo route during the Edo period. This road linked Miya to Tarui and brought travelers and merchants through the area.
The name of the city combines characters for rice and marsh, pointing to the farmers who worked this fertile ground for centuries. Today the cityscape mixes modern factory buildings with smaller farms where vegetables grow and ginkgo trees stand in rows.
The city lies close enough to Nagoya to be reached easily by public transport and serves as a base for visitors exploring the wider Aichi region. Those coming in March can visit the plum festival at the Arbor Center, where plants are sold and competitions take place.
The city is home to an elevator testing tower that once held the record as the tallest in the world and can be seen from a distance. The area also holds the remains of old castles such as Orizu and Shobata, recalling the fortified past of the region.
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