Kuwana (桑名)

Map

Getting There

• train
• bus
• car

Best Times to Visit

• spring: Spring offers cherry blossoms, seasonal flowers, pleasant sightseeing weather, and Tado Shrine’s major horse festival in May.
• summer: Summer provides abundant botanical displays, seasonal illuminations, and shrine events, though heat and humidity can be substantial.
• autumn: Autumn combines comfortable conditions, foliage, seasonal flowers, harvest foods, and Tado Shrine’s November horseback archery festival.
• winter: Winter is especially recommended for Nabana no Sato’s large-scale illumination, one of Kuwana’s signature seasonal attractions.

What's There

• architecture: Rokkaen combines a Western-style residence, traditional Japanese buildings, and landscaped grounds.
• castle: Kyuka Park preserves the former Kuwana Castle site and commemorates its historical lord, Honda Tadakatsu.
• cherry blossoms: Kyuka Park hosts a spring cherry blossom festival and is a notable seasonal viewing location.
• culture: Historic residences, castle heritage, traditional foods, and long-established local industries represent Kuwana culture.
• festival: Tado Shrine’s horse festival and other annual events provide distinctive traditional cultural experiences.
• fishing: Hamaguri Plaza explains Kuwana’s fishing heritage and connects visitors with local fisheries.
• flowers: Nabana no Sato features extensive seasonal flower displays throughout the year.
• food: Kuwana is known for hamaguri cuisine, traditional sweets, rice crackers, local produce, sake, and beer.
• garden: Nabana no Sato and Rokkaen offer substantial botanical and landscaped garden experiences.
• history: Kuwana’s castle grounds, Tokaido heritage, traditional foods, and historic Rokkaen reflect its long history.
• park: Kyuka Park and Nabana no Sato provide major recreational and landscaped outdoor spaces.
• river: Hamaguri Plaza overlooks the Ibi and Nagara rivers, central to Kuwana’s geography and fisheries.
• sake: Kuwana produces characteristic local sake using regional rice and natural water.
• seafood: Locally harvested hamaguri clams are Kuwana’s signature seafood specialty.
• shrine: Tado Shrine is a major historic Shinto site in a wooded foothill setting.
• shopping: Traditional sweets, shigure hamaguri, rice crackers, local beverages, and crafts are widely sold as souvenirs.

Specialties

• Kuwana Hamaguri (桑名蛤): Kuwana hamaguri are locally harvested clams famous throughout Japan, especially when grilled. The city describes them as a signature specialty supported by local fisheries and restoration efforts.
• Shigure Hamaguri (時雨蛤): Shigure hamaguri is a traditional Kuwana preparation in which clams are simmered in tamari soy sauce with ginger. It has been made in the city for centuries and is commonly sold as a local gift.
• Yasunaga Mochi (安永餅): Yasunaga mochi is a long, grilled rice cake filled with sweet bean paste. It originated as a Tokaido-road confection in Kuwana and remains one of the city’s best-known souvenirs.
• Kuwana Local Sake and Beer (桑名の地酒・地ビール): Kuwana produces local sake using regional rice and natural water, as well as locally made beer. The city tourism site presents both as characteristic beverages to enjoy with local food.
• Tagane Rice Crackers (たがね): Tagane are traditional tamari-seasoned rice crackers associated with the old Kuwana post town. They are made from a blend of uruchi rice and glutinous rice and traditionally baked one at a time over charcoal.