Otowa

Hidden within the larger city of Toyokawa lies the story of Otowa. Otowa wasn’t always part of Toyokawa. It was once a town in its own right, nestled in Aichi Prefecture’s Hoi District. Otowa thrived as an independent entity until January 15, 2008, when it merged with Mito to become part of modern-day Toyokawa. Imagine Otowa just a few months before the merger, bustling with a population of 8,870 people. The town spanned 29.65 square kilometers. The local government had recently moved into a new office building in 1999, sharing the space with the “Windia Hall” cultural center. Akasaka-juku, the thirty-sixth station of the Tōkaidō, rested within Otowa. Travelers would pass through, their journeys adding to the town’s rich tapestry. Local children attended schools like Akasaka Primary School, Nagasawa Primary School, and Hagi Primary School. Older students gathered at Otowa Junior High School. The community thrived with places like the Otowa Town Library and the Akasaka Community Center, completed in 2000. For recreation, residents enjoyed the Otowa Town Field Park, finished in 1992. Akasaka Rest House, affectionately known as “Yoramaikan,” offered a place to relax. It had just been completed in 2002. Otowa’s natural landscape featured landmarks like Mount Miyaji, said to have been visited by Empress Jitō, and the ruins of Nagasawa Castle, now the site of Nagasawa Primary School and the Kojō residential area. The town pulsed with traditions, like the annual rain prayer ceremony in August and the Sugimori Hachimansha ceremony in October, where a reenactment of the daimyo’s procession brought history to life. Otowa, even as it merged into Toyokawa, held a special celebration in 2005. It commemorated 50 years of its existence, a testament to a vibrant town that contributed its unique identity to the fabric of the region.