Things to Do in Nagoya: My Local Itinerary
Nagoya gets a bad reputation among travellers, dismissed as a dull stopover between Tokyo and Kyoto. I have spent real time here, and I think that misses the point entirely. It is a city of industry, food, and everyday Japanese life that has not been performed for tourists. That is its charm. Here is what I do when I give Nagoya the attention it deserves.
See Nagoya Castle
The castle is the city’s grand symbol, topped with golden dolphin sculptures that catch the light for miles. The main tower was rebuilt, so I go for the grounds and the outer structures more than any ancient claim to fame. The moat, the walls, and the vast open park make for a lovely walk, and on my visits I have seen the repaired gate and climbed the tower for a view over the city. It is the natural place to start.
Walk the Tokugawa Garden and Museum
The Tokugawa Garden is my favourite spot in the whole city. It is a pond garden built on the grounds of a former samurai residence, with a waterfall, a teahouse, and paths that loop around the water. I go in autumn when the maples turn, and it is achingly pretty. The connected museum holds treasures from the Tokugawa clan, the family that ruled central Japan for centuries. Together they are worth a morning.
End the Day Shopping in Osu
Osu is a covered shopping street that runs for blocks, and it is one of the liveliest places in Nagoya. I wander under the arcade, past anime shops, secondhand clothing stores, and electronics stalls, stopping for takoyaki or a crepe. On Sundays the whole strip gets even busier when a car market sets up outside. It combines the old shopping street energy with a modern, slightly alternative crowd.
Eat Nagoya’s Famous Food
Nagoya has its own food culture, and I treat it as the main event. The unmissable dish is hitsumabushi, grilled eel served over rice and eaten in three ways, plain, with condiments, and with tea. I also love miso katsu, a pork cutlet in a rich red miso sauce, and tebasaki, sticky glazed chicken wings. I plan several meals around these specialties, and I regret none of them.
Go to the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park
Japan loves its trains, and Nagoya is home to one of the best railway museums I have encountered. The SCMAGLEV park holds full size historic and futuristic trains, including the maglev prototype that has set speed records. I walk past the great locomotives and into the simulators, and even a non enthusiast cannot help being impressed. Kids love it, and adults love it too.
Spend a Morning at the Nagoya City Science Museum
The Science Museum is famous for the giant metal sphere that forms its planetarium, the largest in the world. I go inside for the dome shows, and I also spend time in the hands on galleries testing the exhibits. It is a big, ambitious museum that rewards a couple of hours, and the building itself is worth seeing before you even walk in.
Tour the Toyota Commemorative Museum
Nagoya is the home of Toyota, and the commemorative museum tells the company’s story from its start in looms, yes looms, to the car giant it became. I found it far more fascinating than expected, with working weaving machines and a history of manufacturing that mirrors the city’s own rise. Even if cars are not your thing, this is a well told slice of modern Japan.
Drink Morning Set Coffee Like a Local
A uniquely Nagoya/central Japan custom is the morning set, where buying a coffee comes with free toast, boiled egg, and a side dish. I sit in one of the old kissaten coffee shops in the morning and order the set, watching office workers do the same. It is a cheap, comforting start to the day and a window into how the city actually lives, away from the sights.
Shop the Osu Kannon Shrine Entrance
Beside the Osu shopping streets stands Osu Kannon, a Buddhist temple with a bright red pagoda. I stop by on my way into the shops, washing my hands at the fountain and looking up at the painted structure. The grounds have a busy atmosphere, and beyond them the stalls of the arcade begin. It ties the spiritual and the commercial together in the most Japanese way.
Take a Day Trip to the Hida Region
Nagoya is a great base for the Japan that the crowds have mostly left behind. I take the rail day trip north to the Hida mountains, to towns like Takayama or Shirakawa-go, with their preserved wooden houses and mountain views. It is an easy escape from the city and the reason I plan a few spare days in Nagoya. The city itself is the gateway; the mountains are the reward.
