Toyohashi City 豊橋市

The city of Toyohashi, with a population of 360,000, is located between Nagoya and Hamamatsu on Mikawa Bay in the east of Aichi Prefecture. With its port of Mikawa-kô, which is important for global trade, the city has Japan’s largest transhipment centre for automobiles – including those from Toyota, Toyohashi’s neighbouring city. Oni-matsuri, a historical festival for the symbolic expulsion of demons, takes place every year in February. The former castle town and post station Yoshida-juku on the Tôkaidô overland road was famous for its entertainment district and the 370-metre-long Yahagi-bashi bridge, supported by a total of 70 pillars.