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Nagoya

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The guide was updated: 2019-04-09

As testified by epic movies like Shogun and Ran, Nagoya City is pure history, centred around Nagoya Castle. It was Expo 2005 that put Nagoya on the world map. Post-Expo, Nagoya is positioning itself both as a centre for hi-tech industries and as a tourist gateway. Toyota Cars, old and new famed ceramics, Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, dolls and robots castles, feudal villas and farmhouses pearls, and a plethora of shopping and nightlife spots await you in this not-so-obvious choice of a Japanese destination.

Facts

Population:	2,311,132 (2018)
Currency:	Yen
Search Accommodation:	Hotels »
Emergency numbers:	110 Police 119 Fire department & Ambulance
Newspapers:	The Japan Times Yomiuri Shimbun Asahi Shimbun Chunichi Shimbun The Mainichi (English Version)
Tourist information:	Nagoya City Tourist Information Center 1-1-4 Meieki, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya (JR Nagoya Station) +81 52 541 4301 Nagoya International Center (Different foreign languages spoken) 1-47-1 Nagono, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya +81 52-581-5678 OASIS 21 i Center 1-11-1 Higashisakura, Higashi-ku, Nagoya Open Hour: 10:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. +81 -52 963 5252

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Section in Nagoya

Let the city guide you. You don't have to put much effort into finding what to do or where to go in a city like Nagoya. Kick off your trip from Nagoya Castle and end it walking the Nakasendo Kiso Valley.

Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle is where the Tokugawa shogun made their home for over 250 years up until 1868, the year in which Japan’s partial isolation from the West came to an end with the beginning of the Meiji period. The castle was nearly destroyed in bombing raids of 1945 and authentically rebuilt only in 2018.

Atsuta Shrine

Atsuta Shrine

The Atsuta Shrine is one of the most important sacred places in Japan, ranking second only to the Ise Shrine. It stores one of the so-called Imperial regalia, the sacred sword Kusanagi and is well known for its peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

Nagoya TV Tower

Nagoya TV Tower

Nagoya TV Tower, built in 1954, is the oldest broadcasting radio in Japan, located right in the centre of the city. With its 180 meters, the Tower offers one of the best views of Nagoya. Here, tourists can enjoy their time in coffee shops or buying souvenirs.

Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology

Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology

The huge Toyota Museum is a must-visit for all those interested in automotive history. The automotive pavilion features a great range of vintage trucks and cars, while kids will love spending their time in the Technoland, a hands-on series of interactive displays.The Textile Machinery Pavilion offers a throwback to the time when the textile Industry was the main industry of Japan.

Higashiyama Zoological and Botanical Garden

Higashiyama Zoological and Botanical Garden

Higashiyama Zoological and Botanical Garden is a vast green expanse right in the heart of Nagoya City. The 20 hectare open-range zoo is one of Asia’s largest, featuring lions, tigers, giraffes, bears and many other species. Gaze out onto the park from the Higashiyama Sky Tower and enjoy a good meal in the restaurant located in the 7th floor.

Tokugawa Gardens and Art Museum

Tokugawa Gardens and Art Museum

These lavish gardens were constructed in 1694 as a residential retreat for Mitsutomo, the second Lord of the Owari clan. Sadly, however, most of the garden and its buildings were destroyed during World War II. Restoration took a long time, with the garden being finally opened as a public park in 2004. If time permits, visit the adjacent Tokugawa Art Museum, the third oldest private museum in Japan, which miraculously survived the World War II air raids.

Kiso Valley

Kiso Valley

Four hundred years ago, both Magome and Tsumago were two of 69 staging posts on the 500 km Nakasendo “Highway”, a foot-trail along which local warlords had to make an annual pilgrimage to the then-capital Edo (now Tokyo), to report in. Today, Magome and Tsumago look much as they once did. Magome, easily accessible from Nagoya by rail and bus, has a modern part of town with a few low-key gift shops but once you veer onto the broad foot-trail leading north through “old” Magome, it is very easy to forget that the subsequent centuries ever existed.

Yanagibashi Central Market

Yanagibashi Central Market

Yanagibashi Central Market is home to over 400 shops and fish stalls, dating back to the Edo era (1603–1868) and second in size only to Tokyo’s giant Tsukiji Fish Market. Giant tuna, octopus, shrimp and many other varieties of fish are on sale here from early morning (around 6 am is best).

Hamanako Garden Park

Hamanako Garden Park

About 30 minutes by rail from downtown Nagoya via Hamatsu City, Hamanako Garden Park is what remains of Pacific Flora, a floral exhibition that ran as a precursor to Expo 2005. Now the site, superbly located on a peninsula in Lake Hamana, has become a permanent civic attraction. Flowing through the grounds, just as during Pacific Flora, is the scenic Iridori Canal, still bridged by the classic Taikobashi (“tympani”) Bridge. The park is now a popular staging ground for rally events, including the HPI Challenge All Asia Finals.

Nadya Park

Nadya Park

Take a culture break in the Design Museum and Design Gallery. These cover everything from industrial and commercial to historical design, and have the visitor wondering (as happens every few minutes or so in Japan): “just where does this astonishing creativity come from?”

Port of Nagoya Aquarium

Port of Nagoya Aquarium

Housed in two separate buildings (one on five levels and the other three levels), this is a huge museum. Large underwater viewing rooms make it easy to appreciate dolphins and other marine species close-up.

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