Nagoya in one day

What to do in Nagoya in 1 day?

Nagoya Castle in the morning, the Tokugawa Art Museum and garden after lunch, Osu in the late afternoon, and a Nagoya-meshi dinner. Here is the timing.

A plan that works on any day except Monday:

The castle to Tokugawa-en leg is easiest on Key Route Bus 2 or the Me-guru loop bus; from Tokugawa-en to Osu, take the Meijo or Sakura-dori subway. Castle hours and the palace cut-off are in how long to spend at the castle.

Is Nagoya worth visiting?

Yes, for a day at least. It has one of Japan's finest rebuilt palaces, a world-class samurai collection, Atsuta Shrine and a food culture all its own.

The Honmaru Palace alone would justify a stop on most trips. Add the Tokugawa Art Museum, which holds nine National Treasures including the 12th-century Tale of Genji scrolls, according to the museum, and you have more history than many cities on the tourist trail.

It is also practical. Nagoya is 35 minutes from Kyoto and 1 hour 35 minutes from Tokyo by Nozomi, and hotels cost less than in either. Use it as a base for Inuyama, Ghibli Park or the Kiso valley. What it lacks is a single famous image like Kyoto's gates or Tokyo's crossings, and that's the reason people skip it, not a lack of things to do.

Why do tourists skip Nagoya?

Because the shinkansen makes it easy to: it sits between Tokyo and Kyoto on Japan's "golden route", and the city has a reputation for being dull that it has spent years fighting.

The reputation is home-grown. In a June 2016 survey of Japan's eight largest cities, run by Nagoya City itself, Nagoya came last for both wanting to visit and recommending to others, as Nikkan Kogyo reported. A later 2018 round found it still last, with Nagoya Castle the top answer for what people liked about it, according to SoraNews24.

The Japanese even have a word for being passed over: Nagoya-tobashi, "skipping Nagoya", from the 1990s when some Nozomi trains did not stop there. Today every Tokaido Shinkansen train stops in Nagoya. Skipping it is a choice, and for a castle lover it's the wrong one.

What food is Nagoya famous for?

Hitsumabushi (grilled eel on rice), miso katsu, tebasaki chicken wings, kishimen flat noodles, miso nikomi udon, tenmusu rice balls and the coffee-shop "morning service".

Nagoya food, called Nagoya-meshi, leans on dark red hatcho-style miso and big flavours. The Aichi tourism guide lists more than twenty local dishes; these are the ones to try first:

Kinshachi Yokocho at the castle gates gathers several of these dishes on one short street. For eel, the old restaurants near Atsuta Shrine are the classic choice.

The castle with a guide, then a Nagoya food tasting on Kinshachi Yokocho: a good first taste of Nagoya-meshi.

★ 4.7 · 2.5 to 3 hours · from $40

Explore the castle and food walk → Tour details

What should I do in Nagoya on a Monday?

Go to the castle (open daily) and Atsuta Shrine, then Osu. Skip the Tokugawa Art Museum, Tokugawa-en and the Toyota museum, which close on Mondays.

Monday catches a lot of visitors out. The Tokugawa Art Museum, Tokugawa-en and the Toyota Commemorative Museum all close on Mondays, and so does the Me-guru bus. When Monday is a public holiday, they open and close the next day instead.

A Monday plan: the castle at 9:00, lunch at the Main Gate, then the subway south to Atsuta Shrine, one of Japan's most important Shinto shrines and home of the sacred Kusanagi sword. Eat hitsumabushi nearby, then finish in Osu. The castle is open every day except 29 December to 1 January.

What is there to see besides the castle?

The Tokugawa Art Museum and garden, Atsuta Shrine, Osu Kannon, the Toyota Commemorative Museum, the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park, and Mirai Tower in Sakae.

• Tokugawa Art Museum and Tokugawa-en: the Owari lords' collection and garden. Museum adult entry 1,600 yen, open 10:00 to 17:00; garden 300 yen, 9:30 to 17:30. Both closed Mondays.
• Atsuta Shrine: a forested shrine in the south of the city. Free.
• Osu Kannon and Osu: a red temple hall and the covered shopping arcades around it, with cheap street food, used electronics and vintage shops.
• Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology: Toyota's start in looms and cars, with live machine demonstrations. Near Nagoya Station; closed Mondays.
• SCMAGLEV and Railway Park: shinkansen and maglev trains at the port, on the Aonami Line.
• Mirai Tower and Oasis 21: Japan's first TV tower and a glass "spaceship" roof, both in Sakae.

Pick two of these beside the castle. Three makes for a rushed day.

How many days do you need in Nagoya?

One day for the centre, two to add a day trip such as Inuyama or Ghibli Park, three if you want the Kiso valley post towns as well.

Our view: two nights is the sweet spot. You get a full city day and one day out, and Nagoya's hotels make a calmer base than Kyoto's. Inuyama is about 25 minutes by Meitetsu train, and its castle is the original keep Nagoya can no longer offer; our castle comparison explains why that matters.

Day two: Inuyama's original keep, the Ena Gorge, and the post towns of Magome and Tsumago in one coach day.

★ 4.5 · 10 hours · from $69

Explore the Inuyama Castle day tour → Tour details

Should I book a tour for a day in Nagoya?

Not for the castle alone, which is easy to visit on your own. A guide pays off when you want to fit three or four sights into one day without working out buses.

Nagoya's sights are spread out: the castle in the north, Atsuta in the south, Toyota by the station, the Tokugawa sites to the east. A private guide who knows the buses saves real time. The private tour with a local plans 2 to 8 hours from a questionnaire you fill in beforehand, and the private custom day typically combines the castle, Tokugawa-en, a museum and a food stop in Osu or Sakae. Entry tickets and transport are paid separately on both, so budget for them.

For the castle alone, a short guided walk is enough. See the ticket guide for which tours include admission.

Frequently asked questions