Nagoya, Japan — Where to Go
Nagoya Sightseeing Overview
The city’s foremost sightseeing highlight is Nagoya Castle with its two golden dolphins on the roof. It’s only a replica, since the original castle was destroyed by American bombing in 1945, but it’s still an impressive building with an interesting museum inside.
Among the city’s many temples and shrines, the Atsuta Shrine is the most important, as it contains one of the three sacred imperial treasures of Japan. There is a small museum, and the grounds offer a nice environment for an afternoon stroll.
Nagoya is also home to some excellent art museums, including Nagoya City Art Museum and Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts, which both feature Japanese and non-Japanese artworks, and the Tokugawa Art Museum, an amazing collection of more than 10,000 items of traditional Japanese art.
Much effort has been put into making the city’s port attractive to visitors, and the spectacular Port Tower is worth visiting for the views it offers of the harbor. The Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium is very popular and one of Japan’s finest.
For those interested in ceramics and local crafts, the Noritake Garden is worth a visit. Higashiyama Zoo, Botanical Gardens and Sky Tower offer a fun day out in a lovely park setting.
Nagoya Tourist Information
Nagoya Station Tourist Information Center
Nagoya Station
Tel: (052) 541 4301.
Website: www.ncvb.or.jp
There are tourist offices also at Kanayama station (tel: (052) 323 0161) and in the Oasis 21 building in Sakae (tel: (052) 963 5252). The information counter at Nagoya International Center, Nagoya Kokusai Center Building, 1-47-1 Nagano (tel: (052) 581 0100) is also a good source of information about transport, sightseeing and culture in Nagoya.
Nagoya Sightseeing
There are currently no tourist passes available in Nagoya.
Nagoya Sightseeing
There are currently no tourist passes available in Nagoya.
Key Attractions in Nagoya, Japan
Nagoya Castle
This impressive castle was constructed by Ieyasu Tokugawa in 1612 for the Owari Tokugawa family. It was almost completely destroyed by American bombing in 1945, and the current ferro-concrete reconstruction dates from 1959. On top of the building are the two famous golden dolphins which used to symbolise the authority of the feudal lord. Today the castle is a museum, and because of its many cheery trees it is very popular during the cherry blossom season.
1-1 Hommaru
Tel: (052) 231 1700.
Website: www.nagoyajo.naka.nagoya.jp (Japanese only)
Admission charge.
Atsuta-Jingu
The Atsuta Shrine houses the ‘Kusanagi-no-tsurugi’, a sword that is one of the Three Sacred Imperial Treasures in Japan. More than 6.5 million people visit this place annually, the second largest of Japan’s Shinto shrines after the one at Ise. The sword is said to have been given to the imperial family by the goddess Amaaterasu Omikami. The museum contains several artifacts of national importance in Japan.
1-1-1 Jingu, Atsuta-ku
Tel: (052) 671 4151.
Website: www.atsutajingu.or.jp
Admission charge.
Nagoya City Art Museum
Housed in a modern building designed by Kisho Kurokawa, the city’s art museum boasts a collection of 2,500 local and international artworks. It focuses on modern artists of the local Ise Bay area, but also features works by Ecole de Paris and Mexican Renaissance artists to show how these have influenced local artists.
17-25 Sakae 2 Chome, Naka-ku
Tel: (052) 212 0001.
Website: www.art-museum.city.nagoya.jp/english
Admission charge.
Tokugawa Art Museum
A treasure trove of Japanese art, furniture and equipment from the feudal period, the collection at the Tokugawa Art Museum consists of the holdings of the Owari branch of the Tokugawa family, who had very close family and political ties to the ruling shoguns throughout the Edo period (1603-1868). Many of the personal effects of Ieyasu Tokugawa, one of the heroes in Japanese history, can be seen, along with a vast variety of artworks, cultural objects and books stretching back to Medieval times.
1017 Tokugawa-cho
Tel: (052) 935 6262.
Website: www.tokugawa-art-museum.jp/english
Admission charge.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
Nagoya has an excellent aquarium down by the port. It is divided in two buildings. In the North building visitors can see large sea mammals like killer whales, beluga whales and dolphins. In the South building there are tanks representing Antarctic marine life (with plenty of penguins), Australian freshwater life and tropical marine life, as well as a deep sea gallery.
1-3 Minato-Machi, Minato-ku
Tel: (052) 654 7080.
Website: www.nagoyaaqua.jp
Admission charge.
Further Distractions
Noritake Garden
The famous Noritake factory (the birthplace of the modern ceramic industry in Japan) is surrounded by beautiful, lush gardens, and there is a craft center where visitors can see how ceramics are made and even try their hand at it themselves. There is also a museum displaying early Noritake ceramics items, including wonderful pieces from the art deco and art nouveau periods.
Noritake Square, 1-3, Noritake-shinmachi, 3-chome, Nishi-ku
Tel: (052) 561 7290.
Website: www.noritake-elec.com/garden
Admission charge.
Higashiyama Zoo, Botanical Gardens and Sky Tower
This comprehensive park with a zoo, botanical garden and amusement park is located in the eastern part of Nagoya. Koalas, giraffes and elephants can be seen in the zoo, while the botanic garden boasts a large greenhouse and flower gardens. The Sky Tower has an observation room 100m (328ft) above the ground that offers great views of Nagoya. A very nice restaurant is located on the top floor.
3-70 Higashiyama-motomachi, Chikusa-ku
Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Tel: (052) 782 2111.
Website: www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp
Admission charge.
Sky Tower
Tel: (052) 781 5586.
Website: www.higashiyamaskytower.jp (Japanese only)
Admission charge.
