Aichi - Japan Guide

Aichi-ken (愛知) it is located in the center of the Japanese archipelago and borders Mie, Gifu, Nagano and Shizuoka prefectures. The city of Nagoya became the capital of Aichi in April 1872. It occupies an area of 5164.57 km2, being the 27th province in size, corresponding to about 1.4% of the national territory.

Aichi has a population of 7.549.194, including about 281.952 foreigners, approximately 62.508 Brazilians, 7.842 Peruvians, 50.963 Chinese, 41.238 Vietnamese, 39.339 Philippines, 31.607 Koreans, 10.536 and others.

It is the automobile center of Japan, it is located in a strategic point, becoming the locomotive of the economy of the country.

Aichi concentrates the main manufacturers, Toyota, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Daimler Chry and Volkswagen. Factories with distribution to automakers, in addition to various plastics and textiles, also increase productivity. Because of this, it housed the largest Brazilian community in Japan.

In addition to the great industries, Aichi also has many historical monuments of inestimable value to the Japanese culture, among them the Nagoya Castle, built in 1612 at the behest of Ieyasu Tokugawa, and the Atsuta Shrine, one of the oldest shrines in the archipelago and considered the second holiest in Shinto.

Story

Before the constitutional regime, the city was divided into three distinct independent domains: Owari (Kisogawa River District and Shonaigawa River District), Mikawa (Yahagigawa River District belonging to Nishi-Mikawa) and Ho (Toyokawa District belonging to Higashi-Mikawa). Mikawa), but after the Great Taika Reformation (7th century) they became two domains: Owari and Mikawa, continuing until the Edo era (1603 – 1868).

In 1871, after the abolition of the fief domain system and the establishment of the province system, Owari (excluding Chita-gun) is renamed Nagoya-ken and Mikawa (including Chita-gun that belonged to Owari) is renamed Nukata-ken. In April 1872, Nagoya-ken prefecture receives a new name: Aichi-ken. In the same year, Nukata-ken province is abolished and its administration is transferred to Aichi-ken. After a long history, Owari and Mikawa were unified as Aichi-ken.

Origin of the name AICHI

The name AICHI is a word that comes from the word (ayuchigata) which is mentioned by the talented poet named Takechino Kurohito in his poem compiled in Manyoshu. In this poem the poet says: A crane’s cry echoes in the Ayuchigata domain, I wonder if the crane ever caught fish in the tidal marsh. Then moving on to Aichi, also giving rise to the name of the Aichi-gun jurisdiction.

After the abolition of the feudal system, due to the provincial government palace being placed in Nagoya Castle in Aichi-gun, this name was adopted as the name of the province.