What to See in Toyota, Japan: Free Audio Guide

The best things to do in Toyota include visiting its museums, historic religious sites and green spaces. The city in Aichi Prefecture combines industrial history with local culture, art and the landscapes of the former Mikawa Province. Neywo has a free audio guide for Toyota with 19 narrated places.

What to see in Toyota

Toyota City Museum and Toyota Municipal Museum of Art

Two of Toyota’s most important cultural institutions stand beside one another on the former grounds of Shichishū Castle. The Toyota City Museum opened in April 2024 and brings together the collections and missions of the former Toyota City Museum of Local History and the Museum of Modern Industry and Life. Its permanent displays explore the natural and human history of the Toyota area, while special exhibitions take place throughout the year.

The building was designed by architect Shigeru Ban. The surrounding gardens, shared with the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, were designed by landscape architect Peter Walker. The art museum itself is a public museum, and its grounds are worth exploring for their garden design as well as their exhibitions.

Koromo Shrine

Koromo Shrine stands in the centre of Toyota City and was once the spiritual centre of the old Koromo village. Local residents looked to it as their place of worship, making the shrine an important link with the city’s earlier identity.

Toyota Stadium

Toyota’s connection with football is also part of its modern story. The city was associated with the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2011 presented by Toyota. The tournament was played in Japan from 8 to 18 December 2011, with Barcelona eventually winning the title.

Toyota City Hakken-kan

The Toyota City Hakken-kan was dedicated to modern industry and everyday life in the region. It opened in November 2005 and closed in 2023, but the building has a much longer history.

Completed around 1922, it was originally the ninth branch of the Aichi Prefecture Sericulture Control Office. It later served as the Koromo City Library, a nursing school and the Toyota City Youth Counseling Center. Both the building and its main gate were registered as National Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on 18 October 2000.

Toyota Kuragaike Commemorative Hall

Run by Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Kuragaike Commemorative Hall explores the company’s history and legacy. It offers a different perspective on the city’s industrial identity, focusing on the development of the corporation that shares Toyota’s name.

Toyota City Folk Crafts Museum

The Toyota City Folk Crafts Museum has preserved and exhibited folk crafts connected with daily life since it opened in 1983. Its collection includes simple tools and household objects, showing the skill and care involved in traditional Japanese craft.

Furuhashi Retrospective Exhibition Center

In the Inabu area of Toyota City, the Furuhashi Retrospective Exhibition Center presents a quieter side of the region’s culture. The collection includes calligraphy, paintings, ceramics, lacquerware and everyday folk tools. It is a small museum with a focus on traditional Japanese arts and crafts.

Kōgetsu-in Temple

Kōgetsu-in is a Buddhist temple in the Jōdo, or Pure Land, tradition. It is also known as Jakujōji, the Temple of Tranquility, while its mountain name is Honshōzan. The principal image inside the temple is Amida Nyorai, the Buddha of Infinite Light.

Nyoi-ji Temple

Nyoi-ji belongs to the Shinshu Otani-ha sect of Buddhism. Its mountain name is Rakumeizan, and its principal image is Amida Nyorai. The temple forms part of Toyota’s network of religious sites and offers another place to encounter the city’s Buddhist heritage.

Shōgetsu-ji Temple

Shōgetsu-ji is a quiet Sōtō Zen temple in the Ōsaka-chō area. It is also known locally as Kohari Inari, while its formal mountain name is Daieizan. The temple’s principal image is Shaka Nyorai, the historical Buddha, and its origins are associated with the monk Sōshō Zenzen Taishū.

Sanage Shrine

At the foot of Mount Sanage, Sanage Shrine occupies an important place in the spiritual history of the area. It is recognised as a Shikinai shrine, an officially ranked shrine from ancient times, and was the third most important shrine in the former Mikawa Province. Its grounds are surrounded by the natural setting of the mountain.

Mount Iimori

Mount Iimori is a small mountain in the Ashio area of Toyota City, standing at 254 metres. It is especially known for its clusters of dog’s-tooth violets, called katakuri in Japanese. When the flowers bloom, they cover the mountainside with colour and attract visitors from the surrounding region.

Mikawa Province

Toyota lies within the area once known as Mikawa Province, which covered the eastern half of present-day Aichi Prefecture. Mikawa was part of the Tōkaidō and bordered Owari, Mino, Shinano and Tōtōmi. It was also the home base of Tokugawa Ieyasu before his move to the Kantō region.

The province’s historic importance can still be felt in the wider area, including its former castle towns and its association with fireworks. Mikawa was the only region where the Tokugawa shogunate permitted gunpowder production for military security reasons.

Explore Toyota with a self-guided walking tour

A Toyota self-guided walking tour with Neywo lets you discover the city without joining a group or following a fixed timetable. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace.

Toyota currently has one walking tour: Silk, Castle Grounds and Stadium: Inside Toyota City. The route covers 4.56 km, takes about 106 minutes and includes seven narrated stops: Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Toyota City Museum, koromo Shrine, Toyota Stadium, Toyota City Hakken-kan, Toyota City Museum of Local History and とよしんの森. Narration is available in 11 languages.

Download Neywo to explore Toyota with a free audio guide that follows your walk and brings the city’s museums, heritage and landmarks to life—no group and no schedule. You can also use it while travelling through Aichi and Japan.