It's evident that Nagoya is a hotspot for tourists, largely due to its food, family-friendly activities, museums and attractions, and nightlife.
Here are a few of the most popular sights with their prices:
- Nagoya Port Aquarium for ¥2000
- SCMAGLEV and Railway Park for ¥1000
- Nagoya Castle for ¥500
- Atsuta Shrine (Free)
- Osu Kannon Temple (Free)
- Sakae District (Free)
- Nagoya TV Tower for ¥700
- Nagoya City Science Museum for ¥800
- Nagoya Station (Free)
- Noritake Garden for ¥500
- Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology for ¥500
- Nagoya City Art Museum for ¥500
- Tokugawa Art Museum for ¥1000
As home of the headquarters for Japan's leading car manufacturer, Toyota, Nagoya has a museum called the Toyota Kaikan Museum, where Toyota displays its new models and technologies to the public and periodically holds robot shows. The Toyota Techno and Toyota Automobile Museums are also popular as are the factory tours just outside the city. Other museums worth visiting include the Tokugawa Art Museum which displays treasures and artifacts of the former feudal lords, and the Nagoya City Science Museum which houses one of the world's largest planetariums.
If you seek traditional architecture, Nagoya Castle is a reconstruction of an earlier building dating to the Edo Period which was once home to a branch of the ruling Tokugawa family. There is also a park surrounding the castle keep which is especially beautiful in cherry blossom season which peaks in late March to early April. The Atsuta Shrine is another important landmark, one of Shinto's most important shrines for the Sun Goddess Amaterasu and home to the sacred sword Kusanagi (though it is not shown to the public). Osu Kannon is also an important structure, a Buddhist temple located in central Nagoya. A few modern feats of architecture include Midland Square and the JR Central Towers.
If you seek a little something beyond city sights, Nagashima Resort is a major vacation destination just outside Nagoya. Its facilities include Nagashima Spaland amusement park, a water park, a hot spring complex, an outlet shopping mall and a flower park named Nabana no Sato.
Nagoya is also home to the Legoland park in Japan. For obvious reasons, this is a great place for kids, but adults will find it fun as well. It should definitely be on your 3-week itinerary in Japan with kids. The resort area is on the south side of the city by the water.
Other activities include taking a tour on a sightseeing bus, catching a traditional Japanese play at Nagoya Noh Theatre, enjoying the green spaces and gardens of Nagoya like the largest Meijo Park, or visiting Higashiyama Park which features a zoo, conservatory, monorail, and roller coasters.
A few events worth mentioning include the annual tradition of the Nagoya Sumo Tournament, the street festivities of the Osu Summer Festival, the World Cosplay Summit where fans from around the world dress up as their favorite anime characters, and the traditional celebration of the Nagoya Castle Summer Night Festival.
Museums and Attractions:
Nagoya is celebrated for its prestigious museums and historical landmarks. There are shrines, temples, and other interesting sights in the city. Atsuta Jingu is an important Shinto shrine. Nagoya Castle is another interesting place to visit. If you're willing to head out of the city center a bit, the Meiji-mura Village Museum is an open air museum that has interesting Japanese architecture. There are also interesting museums in town such as the Nagoya City Art Museums and the Toyota Techno and Toyota Automobile Museums.
Shopping:
You'll find shopping here to be an experience worth having. You'll find everything from large shopping malls to street markets and local vendors. Many people head to Nagoya Station for shopping, but Osu Shotengai is another interesting shopping area in the city's old town.
Local tours that last a few hours can be a great way to explore Nagoya. Prices vary by the type of activity or tour, the dates, and the size of the group. Here are a few of the highest rated tours by previous visitors:
- Nagoya Endoji Food and Cultural Tour for $110 details
- Sumo Tournament Experience in Nagoya for $241 details
- Guided Tour of Nagoya by Car for $160 details