Nagoya: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Nagoya was built to order: in 1610 Ieyasu moved a whole town here to serve a new castle for his son, and the Owari Tokugawa ruled from it for 250 years. This route goes from a merchant lane to the castle and palace, then east to the family's treasures and garden. It is mostly on foot, with one short subway or taxi ride. Allow a full day.

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A short history of Nagoya

In the Nagoya area is the Atsuta Shrine, one of the most important Shinto shrines in Japan, where according to tradition the sword, one of the three imperial regalia of the Emperor, is kept. The three unifiers of Japan in the 16th century, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, all came from the surrounding area. Between 1610 and 1612 Ieyasu built Nagoya Castle and moved all the residents of the nearby town of Kiyosu to it, and so the city was born. In 1945 American bombing destroyed most of the city and the castle, which was rebuilt in 1959. Since then Nagoya has become a centre of the car industry, and Toyota's headquarters is in its prefecture.

The ten best sights in Nagoya

1
Nagoya Castle
Golden dolphins on a rebuilt keep, wide moats and the restored palace; the keep itself is closed for rebuilding
2
Honmaru Palace
Rebuilt lord's palace with painted gold screens; shoes off inside
3
Atsuta Jingu
One of Japan's most important Shinto shrines, in a forest of old camphor trees
4
Osu Kannon
Red temple at the head of the Osu shopping streets; flea market on the 18th and 28th
5
Tokugawa Art Museum
Treasures of the Owari Tokugawa lords: armour, tea ware, Noh costumes
6
Toyota Commemorative Museum
Looms and cars in Toyota's first red-brick factory; working demonstrations
7
Noritake Garden
Porcelain museum and craft centre in a park with old kiln chimneys
8
SCMAGLEV and Railway Park
Shinkansen and maglev trains you can walk through, by the port
9
Nagoya City Science Museum
Science museum with a giant planetarium; buy planetarium tickets early
10
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
Large aquarium with orcas and dolphins at the port

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Nagoya →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Nagoya:

Free walking tours in Nagoya

Castle of the Owari Tokugawa

Shikemichi · After a great fire in 1700 the lane was widened to four ken, about 7 m, as a firebreak — 'shikemichi' means 'four-ken road' — and merchants built fireproof storehouses along the canal.
Nagoya Castle · Tokugawa Ieyasu built the castle from 1610 for his son Yoshinao. The keep burned in an air raid in May 1945; the concrete copy of 1959 is now closed while the city plans to rebuild it in wood.
Honmaru Palace · The palace burned with the keep in 1945, but photographs and drawings survived, and it was rebuilt by hand in Japanese cypress, fully reopening in 2018.
Nagoya City Archives · This red-brick building with a copper dome was finished in 1922 as a court of appeal, and its marble staircase and stained glass are open to walk through for free.
Tokugawa Art Museum · It holds the oldest surviving illustrated scrolls of The Tale of Genji, from the 12th century — a National Treasure so fragile it is shown for only a few weeks a year.
Tokugawaen · The garden was once the retirement estate of the second Owari lord; its stream is laid out to suggest a river running from the mountains down to the sea.

Made in Nagoya

Nagoya is the workshop of Japan: porcelain, looms, cars, aircraft parts and trains are made in and around it. This route follows that story from a porcelain kiln and the Toyoda loom works to a TV tower and the fastest train in the world. Start west of the station, ride the subway to Sakae, and finish by the port. It suits families as much as engineers.

Noritake Garden · Noritake started making Western-style porcelain here in 1904, and the brick chimneys of its first kilns still stand in the park.
Toyota Commemorative Museum · Toyota began as a loom maker: Sakichi Toyoda's automatic loom paid for the car company his son Kiichiro started. The museum is in the family's 1911 spinning mill.
Mirai Tower · Finished in 1954, it was Japan's first tower built to carry TV antennas, and in 2022 it became the first tower named an Important Cultural Property.
Oasis 21 · The glass roof floating above the bus terminal holds a shallow pool of water that you can walk around; locals call it the Spaceship-Aqua.
Nagoya City Science Museum · The silver ball holds a planetarium dome 35 m across, listed by Guinness in 2011 as the largest in the world.
SCMAGLEV and Railway Park · The hall opens with a maglev test car of the type that reached 603 km/h in 2015, the world speed record for a train.

Shrines, temples and the old road

Under the factories, Nagoya keeps old holy places and an Edo-period road town. This route runs from a temple built for a gift from Siam, through the lively Osu district, to the great shrine of the sacred sword, and out to Arimatsu on the Tokaido. Use the subway in town and drive or take the Meitetsu train to Arimatsu. Dress modestly for the shrine.

Nittaiji · In 1900 the King of Siam gave Japan relics of the Buddha found in India, and this temple was built to hold them; its name means 'Japan-Thailand temple'.
Osu Kannon · Ieyasu had the temple moved here in 1612. Its library holds the oldest surviving manuscript of the Kojiki, Japan's earliest chronicle.
Osu Shopping Street · Since 2003 the World Cosplay Summit has been held in Nagoya each summer, and its parade runs through these streets.
Atsuta Jingu · The shrine keeps Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the sacred sword that is one of the three imperial regalia of Japan. No one is allowed to see it, not even the emperor at his enthronement.
Shirotori Garden · The garden is a map of the region: its stream starts at a 'mountain' standing for Mount Ontake and runs down like the Kiso River to a pond that stands for Ise Bay.
Arimatsu · Arimatsu was founded on the Tokaido in the early 1600s and lived from shibori, tie-dyed cotton sold to passing travellers; the indigo merchants' houses still line the old road.

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Getting to Nagoya and getting around

Chubu Centrair Airport · On an island in Ise Bay; the Meitetsu train reaches Nagoya Station in under 30 minutes
Nagoya Station · Shinkansen hub, about 1 hr 40 min from Tokyo and 35 min from Kyoto; huge, so allow time
Meitetsu Bus Center · Highway buses to Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Tokyo, above the Meitetsu station

Cheap eats in Nagoya

Nagoya food is called 'Nagoya meshi', and much of it is coloured by hatcho miso, a dark, salty miso aged in cedar barrels. It goes on pork cutlets, into udon stews and over oden. Add chicken wings, eel over rice and flat kishimen noodles, and you can eat a different local dish every meal. Prices are below Tel Aviv, and coffee often comes with breakfast free.

Sumiyoshi kishimen · Bowl of flat kishimen noodles at the station, about ¥500-700
Komeda's Coffee · Coffee with free morning toast and egg, about ¥500-600
Yabaton · Miso katsu, pork cutlet in sweet red-miso sauce, about ¥1,500-2,000
Yamamotoya Sohonke · Miso nikomi udon in a clay pot, about ¥1,500-2,000
Tenmusu shop · Small rice balls with shrimp tempura inside, about ¥700-1,000 a box
Sugakiya · Nagoya's cheap ramen chain, about ¥400-600

Museums in Nagoya

Tokugawa Art Museum · Armour, tea ware and the Genji scrolls (shown briefly each year)
Toyota Commemorative Museum · Looms and car-making, with live demonstrations
SCMAGLEV and Railway Park · Real trains and a shinkansen simulator
Noritake Garden · Porcelain museum and painting workshop
Meiji Mura · Whole buildings of the 1868-1912 era, moved here
Nagoya City Archives · Free entry to a 1922 courthouse

Holy places in Nagoya

Atsuta Jingu · Shrine of the sacred sword; quiet early in the morning
Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall · Museum on the Hill of Humanity in Yaotsu, about an hour away
Nittaiji · Temple of the Buddha relics; market on the 21st
Osu Kannon · Busy temple with a pigeon-filled courtyard

Things to do in Nagoya with kids

Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium · Orcas, dolphins and a penguin hall
Nagoya City Science Museum · Indoor tornado, lightning show and planetarium
Legoland Japan · Lego theme park by the port; best for ages 3-12
Ghibli Park · Book tickets weeks ahead
Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens · Big zoo with a famous gorilla, plus gardens

Where to eat in Nagoya

Atsuta Horaiken (main shop) · Hitsumabushi, eel over rice, about ¥4,500-6,000; expect a queue
Furaibo · Tebasaki chicken wings in sweet soy glaze
Sekai no Yamachan · Peppery wings and beer, open late
Misen, Imaike · Taiwan ramen, very spicy minced pork
Maruha Shokudo · Giant fried prawns, Chita style
Ankake Taro · Ankake spaghetti, thick peppery sauce

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Frequently asked questions about Nagoya

What is there to see in Nagoya?

The top sights in Nagoya are Nagoya Castle, Honmaru Palace and Atsuta Jingu. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Nagoya?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Nagoya without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Nagoya?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Nagoya, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Castle of the Owari Tokugawa.

How do you get to Nagoya and get around?

The main ways are Chubu Centrair Airport, Nagoya Station and Meitetsu Bus Center. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Nagoya, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Nagoya that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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