Top 9 Tourist Attractions & Best Things to Do in Nagoya, Aichi

The city of Nagoya is attracting attentions with the redeveloping projects around the Nagoya station preparing for the opening of a maglev line in the year of 2027. There are so many must-see sightseeing spots, original food culture, and amusement facilities that can be only found in Nagoya. In this article, you will find the best 9 things to do when you are in Nagoya!

1． Nagoya City Science Museum

Nagoya City Science Museum has the world’s biggest planetarium and is one of the most popular places to visit in Nagoya. They offer a fantastic planetarium show that makes you feel like as if you were under the starry sky. The show is so enjoyable and knowledgeable that it is certain you will like it.

The admission fee is reasonably priced at 800 yen for an adult, and the multilingual audio guide is also available. Let’s go visit and enjoy the world’s biggest planetarium when you are in Nagoya! You cannot leave Japan without visiting the Nagoya City Science Museum.

2． Nagoya Castle

The Nagoya’s best-known item is Kinshachi, golden dolphins, which is also the symbol of Nagoya, and the Nagoya Castle is the place where you can actually see the golden dolphins. This is one of the best sightseeing spots that you must visit in Nagoya.

The Nagoya Castle was reconstructed in 1959 since most of the parts of castle were burned down during the World War II. Fortunately, some of turrets and gates survived the fire, and they are now designated as Important Cultural Assets.

You can feel and enjoy the historical atmosphere just taking a walk around the castle. The Nagoya Castle is also a famous place for a cherry blossom viewing, and you can enjoy beautiful scenery of cherry blossoms and the castle in spring.

3． Noritake Garden

photo by mzk_gram1215   /   embedded from Instagram

Located near the Nagoya station, Noritake Garden (Noritake no Mori) is composed of multi faculties, including the Noritake museum, Noritake Gallery, a recreational space, shops, and restaurants.

Noritake is known for its fine tableware in the world, and you can learn about the history of Noritake as well as their technology and products. You can also join a workshop to try painting on your own ceramics or enjoy shopping at a shop that offers reasonably priced fine tableware.

At Noritake Garden, the admission is free (except one facility)! It is a perfect place to visit on a sunny day for a walk or simply relax on a bench surrounded by beautiful greenery in an open space.

4． Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology

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Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology was established in 1994 with a mission of introducing the history of Japanese manufacturing technology. At this museum, you can learn about the history of Toyota, enjoy the textile and automobile pavilions, and participate creative workshops.

From the demonstration of textile machinery, which is the origin of Toyota, to the exhibition of Toyota automobiles of the early days to the present, you will experience the world of Toyota.

The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology is one of the best places to visit for not only for automobile fans but also for families and children. There is a kid’s area and children’s library, and the museum is educative and interesting for everyone.

5． SCMaglev and Railway Park

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SCMaglev and Railway Park is the railway museum opened in 2011 and is one of the best sightseeing spots in Nagoya.

Their exhibition includes the display of actual trains that teaches you about the history of railways, the largest train diorama in Japan, as well as many different train simulators that are popular attractions especially among railway fans and kids.

Since the railway is closely attached to people’s daily lives, SCMaglev and Railway Park is enjoyable for anyone. The magnetic levitated train (maglev) is also on display, and one of the sections is dedicated to introduce the plan to connect between Tokyo and Osaka with a maglev link.

With an admission fee of 1,000yen, you will have a great time at this fascinating museum.

 
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6． Atsuta Shrine

photo by nagoyaoceans   /   embedded from Instagram

Atsuta Shrine is one of the most important Shinto shrines and one of the popular spots for sightseeing in Nagoya. The shrine is surrounded by a sacred atmosphere and has been the center of worships for people in Nagoya.

The shrine is filled with lots of greens even though it is located in the middle of downtown Nagoya. One of the things you cannot miss at Atsuta shrine is the tree of estimated age of 1,000years. You will be overwhelmed by the power of nature.

There are about 60 annual ceremonies and festive occasions held at Atsuta shrine, and you may have an opportunity to experience something more than just viewing the shrine. When visiting Nagoya, you should definitely make a stop at Atsuta shrine and feel the sacred power.

7． Tokugawa Garden

Tokugawa-en is a beautiful Japanese garden where you can feel the history and tradition of Japanese garden. A well-maintained garden is filled with seasonal blooms of flowers and entertains visitors with amazing scenery throughout the year.

The garden has a large pond in the middle, and the walking trail leads you to waterfalls, tea houses, and several bridges. There is a restaurant, located in the guest house style building, overlooking a view of beautiful greenery garden.

The admission is reasonably set at 300yen. There is the Tokugawa Art Museum next to Tokugawa-en, and it is also a nice place to visit. You can spend a relaxing time away from the bustled city at Tokugawa-en.

8． Osu Shopping District

Osu Shopping District is one of the most popular shopping areas in Nagoya. Osu is a famous sightseeing spot as well, and you can enjoy a nostalgic atmosphere of historic shopping arcade. The commercial streets are filled with temples, traditional shops to brand-new shops, food stands, and a variety of restaurants.

It is fun to stroll the street and feel liveliness of locals at Osu Shopping District. This is one of the places where you can enjoy local specialties of Nagoya or even find unique items that you may have been looking for.

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9． Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium

Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium is located at the port of Nagoya, and their dolphin pool is one of the largest in the world. The aquarium provides a suitable environment for each marine mammals and creatures based on their habit.

They also offer workshops to interact with marine creatures and to learn about many types of lives in the ocean. You will enjoy spending time with these beautiful marine mammals and other creatures with a view of the Nagoya’s bay area.

The Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium offers a variety of events every day, such as dolphin performances, training time for killer whales, orca and beluga whales, and feeding time for penguins and fishes. In addition to daily events, the seasonal events are scheduled as well. It is recommended to check their schedule in advance.

Let’s go visit Nagoya, the city full of attractive sightseeing spots!

Have you found this article helpful? One of great things about Nagoya is that many of the highlights of the city are located close to each other. At the same time, there are plenty of sights, culture, and cuisine that can be only found in Nagoya. Do not miss these amazing sightseeing spots as well as special local cuisine of Nagoya, and have a pleasant stay in Nagoya.