Toyokawa

Toyokawa, city, Aichi ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It is situated along the lower reaches of the Toyo River. The city developed around the Toyokawa Inari Shrine and served as a post town on the Tōkaidō (Eastern Sea Highway) during the Tokugawa era (1603–1867). The city’s munitions industry, established in 1939, led to a rapid increase in population, but it declined after World War II. The former military installations were converted into an industrial site in 1957, and automobile parts, optical instruments, toys, and lumber are now produced.

The Toyokawa shrine celebrates several festivals during the year, attracting pilgrims throughout Japan. The city also houses the Research Institute of Atmospherics of Nagoya University. Pop. (2005) 137,417; (2010) 181,928.