Nagoya

1. Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle is the highlight of any trip to Nagoya. The castle is 48 meters high and surrounded by impressive walls, two moats, and a beautiful park.

Admission inside the castle grounds is 500 yen, and it is open everyday from 9:00 am-4:30 pm.

Update: The castle is scheduled to be demolished in 2023. The new castle will be rebuilt using traditional construction materials and techniques and will be finished by October 2028. The Castle Palace, Honmaru Goten, was recently rebuilt in the architectural style of Samurai mansions and opened in 2018.

2. Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology

The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology (Techno Museum) is a large museum featuring the history of Toyota, automotive technologies, and the production process. The museum is open 9:30 am-5:00 pm and costs 500 yen (closed Mondays).

The headquarters of Toyota is located in the city of Toyota, about an hour from Nagoya. At the headquarters is the Kaikan Museum displaying new models and technologies. From the museum you can take a plant tour, but you have to make a reservation in advance. The museum is open 9:30 am-5:00 pm (closed Sundays).

3. Tokugawa Art Museum

The Tokugawa Art Museum was built in 1935 on the site of the former Tokugawa mansion. It features rare articles from the Edo Period (1600-1868), such as suits of armor, helmets, swords, costumes, poems, paintings, and maps. The museum is open from 10:00 am-5:00 pm and costs 1,400 yen (closed Mondays).

Next to the museum is a beautiful Japanese garden with walking trails, a pond, and a teahouse. The garden is open from 9:30 am-5:30 pm and costs 300 yen (closed Mondays).

4. Osu Kannon Temple

Osu Kannon is a Buddhist temple located near the Osu Shopping Arcade, a popular covered shopping area with hundreds of shops and restaurants. It is a great place to find electronics, secondhand clothing, cosplay, and anime.

The temple is open everyday. The shopping arcade is open from 11:00 am-8:00 pm.

5. Atsuta-jingu Shrine

Atsuta-jingu Shrine is one of the most important shrines in Japan visited by nine million visitors annually. It features the oldest stone bridge in Nagoya and over 4,000 articles donated by shoguns, feudal lords, and the Imperial Family. Articles include clothing, furniture, utensils, swords, and masks.

6. Noritake Garden

The ceramics brand, Noritake started in Nagoya in 1904. Noritake Garden is a beautiful public garden located on the old factory grounds and offers a museum, shop, and restaurant.

The Craft Center demonstrates each stage of making bone china, from mixing the clay to glazing, firing, and painting. Entrance to the Craft Center and Museum is 500 yen.

Noritake Garden is open from 10:00 am-5:00 pm (closed Mondays).

7. Nagoya Port

Nagoya Port is one of the largest ports in Japan and features the Nagoya Aquarium, the Antarctic Museum, Maritime Museum, and a 53-meter high observatory.

It is open 9:30 am-5:00 pm and a combination ticket which includes everything costs 2,440 yen (closed Mondays).

8. Nagoya Science Museum

The Nagoya Science Museum features one of the largest planetariums in the world with a 35-meter dome. Programs are in Japanese, but still interesting to watch.

The museum is open 9:30 am-5:00 pm and costs 800 yen (closed Mondays).

9. Railway Museum

The SCMAGLEV and Railway Park is a museum featuring old and new railway technologies including experimental bullet trains and magnetic levitating trains (maglev).

There are also train simulators where you can experience what it is like to drive a train.

The museum is open from 10:00 am-5:30 pm and costs 1,000 yen (closed Tuesdays). English audio rental available.