Kasugai: Parks, History and Cacti

Kasugai offers several distinct themes for a stay: nature by the water, hiking, kofun history, calligraphy, and cacti. If you are looking for a hotel in Kasugai, these interests can help you shape your stay. Ochiai Park brings together a pond, walking path, playground, and water tower; Futagoyama Park focuses on burial mounds and haniwa. The Tokai Nature Trail offers a 14.4-kilometer hiking route. There is also a specialized calligraphy museum and places to explore cacti and succulents.

Ochiai Park: Pond, Walking Path, and Water Tower

Ochiai Park is a landscape park covering approximately 24.9 hectares. In July 1989, it was selected as one of Japan’s 100 best urban parks. The pond can be enjoyed in different ways: you can watch waterbirds there, and it is also used for fishing for crucian carp and carp. A walking path runs around the pond. The park also has a large playground with play equipment and a folly water tower about 21 meters tall.

Nature watching and fishing both take place at the same pond, while the walking path and playground offer different ways to spend time there. The focus also differs if you are choosing between a visit to the park and a hike: Ochiai Pond brings several park amenities together, while the Tokai Nature Trail is a continuous route.

Kofun and the History of Calligraphy

One historical trail leads to Futagoyama Park, a historic park surrounded by three kofun burial mounds. These include the Ajiyoshi Futagoyama Kofun, designated a National Historic Site. The Haniwa House stands at the center of the park. Its fan-shaped multipurpose hall offers a view of a kofun through the glass, while an exhibition area displays haniwa figures. The surrounding burial mounds and the exhibits inside the house each offer a distinct focus.

Kasugai also explores the history of calligraphy. On November 1, 1981, the city opened the Michikaze Memorial Museum in the Matsukawado district. It is located at a site traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Ono Michikaze. The museum is an art museum specializing in calligraphy and also a research institution devoted to its history. Its focus differs from the kofun and haniwa at Futagoyama Park: here, calligraphy and its history take center stage.

Cacti and Succulents in Kasugai

Cacti are another theme in Kasugai. Goto Cactus sells cacti it has grown itself directly to the public at its nursery in the Momoyama district. The business also offers cactus arrangement workshops for 1,000 yen. Workshop details may change, so check the latest information before making plans.

SABO BASE at Greenpia Kasugai offers something different: its lounge area features succulents grown from seeds raised in Kasugai, along with information panels about Kasugai succulents. There is also a vending machine and a capsule toy machine with cactus designs. While Goto Cactus combines sales with workshops, SABO BASE focuses on exhibitions and information about succulents. The two places thus offer different ways to explore cacti and succulents.

Hiking the Tokai Nature Trail

For a hike, the Kasugai course of the Tokai Nature Trail is a clearly defined option. The route is 14.4 kilometers long and starts at Jōreikyō Bridge in the Tamano River Gorge. It runs via Tamano Enchi, Mount Dōju, and Mount Miroku—which, at 437 meters, is the highest mountain in Kasugai—to Nishio Pass via Utsutsu Pass. The course is used for hiking year-round. Its length gives you a concrete point of reference for comparing this hike with the walking and park options around Ochiai Pond.

When looking for a hotel in Kasugai, the different places and interests can offer a starting point: hiking, park amenities by the pond, kofun and haniwa, calligraphy, or cacti and succulents. This lets you first consider the destination based on the themes that matter to you during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Toei, Katayamazu, Shinshiro, Hekinan, Ichinomiya, Ama, Kitashitara, Kitanagoya

For the broader travel overview: Aichi Prefecture.