
Samurai & Ninja Culture
Travel
The motif of the works by the artist exhibiting at Chubu Centrair International Airport is the culture of the samurai and ninja, who had a strong presence in Chubu, the central region of Japan during the medieval and early modern periods. From the end of the 15th century to around the end of the 16th century, warriors (samurai) administered their various fiefdoms throughout Japan and battled each other for power.
LOCATION
The motif of the works by the artist exhibiting at Chubu Centrair International Airport is the culture of the samurai and ninja, who had a strong presence in Chubu, the central region of Japan during the medieval and early modern periods. From the end of the 15th century to around the end of the 16th century, warriors (samurai) administered their various fiefdoms throughout Japan and battled each other for power.
- Sekigahara Battlefield
- Tokugawa Art Museum
- Ninja show
If you are visiting the Chubu region, we recommend a visit to the Tokugawa Art Museum, which houses treasures passed down through the Owari-TOKUGAWA family, whose first head was Yoshinao, the ninth son of TOKUGAWA Ieyasu.
Located in the heart of Nagoya City, the museum’s collection numbers more than 10,000 treasures such as swords, armor, tea ceremony utensils, incense ceremony utensils, and more. The collection includes items inherited from TOKUGAWAIeyasu, nine National Treasures, 59 Important Cultural Properties, and 46 Important Art Objects. It is the largest ancestral collection from a samurai clan in Japan.
Among the items is the National Treasure “The Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls", a visual depiction of the classic Japanese literary work "The Tale of Genji," which was written about 1,000 years ago. The scroll is a great masterpiece that will forever feature in Japanese art history. It is thought to have been painted early in the 12th century. Visitors can also view other precious treasures that convey the art and culture of Japan, such as the National Treasure "The Hatsune (First Warbler) Trousseau", and Tokugawa clan wedding furniture, which represents the pinnacle of lacquerware in Japan.
Next among Chubu’s notable sights is the Battle of Sekigahara of 1600, which marks the dawn of Japan’s unification under TOKUGAWA Ieyasu. It is a legendary battle where more than 150,000 samurai from all over Japan gathered to fight in two separate armies, the Eastern and the Western. The Sekigahara Battlefield historical site is also located in the Chubu region.
The Sekigahara Memorial in Gifu Prefecture offers visitors hands-on experiences and is located right next to the Sekigahara Battlefield. Ground Vision is a huge floor screen that gives an aerial view of the Battle of Sekigahara as it unfolded, and the theater recreates in heart-pounding video the clash between the two armies. There is also an area where you can handle elaborate replicas of the weapons and you can experience an optical illusion that makes it look as though you have stepped onto the battlefield.
This article was written with the cooperation of:
- Tokugawa Art Museum
- Address:
- 1017 Tokugawacho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi
- Sekigahara Battlefield
- Address:
- 894-29 Sekigahara, Sekigahara-cho, Fuwa-gun, Gifu
- Sekigahara Memorial
- Address:
- 894-55 Sekigahara, Sekigahara-cho, Fuwa-gun, Gifu
- Ninja Museum of Igaryu
- Address:
- 117 Ueno Marunouchi, Iga, Mie
- Koka Ninja Village
- Address:
- 394 Kokacho Oki, Koka, Shiga
- Iga Ueno Castle
- Address:
- 106 Ueno Marunouchi, Iga, Mie
- Samurai Residence - Akai Family Residence
- Address:
- 2491-1 Ueno Shinobicho, Iga, Mie