Nagoya

The central city of the Chubu region, with Nagoya Castle, Ghibli Park and the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, and a distinctive Nagoya-meshi food culture of hitsumabushi eel and miso katsu.

Nagoya is the capital of Aichi Prefecture, on the Nobi Plain in central Honshu between Tokyo and Osaka. With about 2.3 million people, it is Japan's fourth-largest city and the political and economic center of the Chubu region, as well as the home of Toyota and the heart of Japanese manufacturing. Historically it was the castle town of the Owari Tokugawa family, and the three great warlords of the Sengoku era (Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu) all came from what is now Aichi Prefecture. The city is compact: Nagoya Station (where Meitetsu, JR, the Shinkansen and the subway meet, surrounded by skyscrapers and department stores), Sakae (the biggest shopping district, with the TV tower and Oasis 21), Nagoya Castle (north of the city center), Osu (Osu Kannon temple and shopping arcades) and Atsuta Shrine (in the south of the city) are laid out roughly along the Meijo and Higashiyama subway lines and can be covered in a day. Out of town, Ghibli Park (in Nagakute, about 40 minutes by the Linimo maglev), Legoland (at Kinjo Pier, about 30 minutes), and Inuyama Castle and Meiji-mura (about 30–40 minutes) each need half a day to a full day. Nagoya-meshi is another major draw: hitsumabushi (eel served three ways; Houraiken), miso katsu (Yabaton), miso-nikomi udon, tebasaki chicken wings (Sekai no Yamachan, Furaibo), Taiwan ramen, ogura toast, and the café “morning service.” Best seasons: late March to early April for cherry blossoms at Nagoya Castle and Tsuruma Park; May and October–November have pleasant weather; mid-to-late November to early December for autumn leaves (Tokugawaen, Korankei). The rainy season runs June–July; July–August is hot and humid, often above 35°C; winters are dry with little snow. Getting there: Chubu Centrair International Airport is on an artificial island in Tokoname, and the Meitetsu μ-SKY limited express takes about 28 minutes to Nagoya Station; there are direct flights from Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and other cities. By Shinkansen, it is about 1 hour 40 minutes from Tokyo, about 35 minutes from Kyoto and about 50 minutes from Osaka. A one-day subway pass costs ¥760, and the weekend “Donichi Eco Kippu” costs ¥620; the “Me~guru” sightseeing bus links the main attractions. Suggested length of stay: 1–2 days in the city, plus 1 day for Ghibli Park and half a day for Inuyama or Legoland, for a total of 2–3 days. Tips: Ghibli Park tickets must be reserved in advance on the official website or via a Lawson lottery/purchase, and popular months sell out as soon as they go on sale; tickets are sold separately for each area. Long-established Nagoya-meshi restaurants have long lunchtime queues, so go at off-peak times. The Nagoya “morning service” (a free toast with your coffee) is mostly offered before 11 a.m.

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