5 attractions to check out in Nagoya for first-time visitors

Sandwiched between Tokyo to the east and Osaka to the west, Nagoya is Japan’s fourth-biggest city. It may not be the first that comes to mind when you’re thinking of a holiday in Japan, but there are a lot of gems worth checking out here that depart from the well-trodden tourist trail.

Due to its history of being an automotive manufacturing hub, the city is sometimes referred to as the “Detroit of Japan”. Besides traditional sights such as the city’s preeminent landmark, Nagoya Castle, Nagoya is home to the crowd-pleasing themed attractions, as well as interesting technological museums.

If you’ve already done your rounds of shrines and castles, here are other must-visit attractions in Nagoya to add to your list.

Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology & Toyota Automobile Museum

We are all familiar with this global car brand, but not many people know Toyota started life as a textile manufacturing company in 1911. Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology in Nagoya showcases several of these early textile machines (most in working order) along with exhibits of cars from over the decades. You can see a live demonstration of robots on a modern assembly line and even witness a Toyota robot playing the violin! Interestingly, the city of Toyota next to Nagoya was named after the company and not the other way around. The city decided to change its name from Koromo to Toyota in 1959.

If the museum in Nagoya leaves you itching to see more cars, head to the Toyota Automobile Museum in the neighboring city of Nagakute. This is the holy grail for car fanatics and displays over 140 legendary vehicles, showcasing each stage in the evolution of the automobile from the early Model T Ford to modern-day vehicles. The museum is packed with vintage memorabilia including car badges and ornaments from all over the world (some more familiar than others). With both museums, make sure you give yourself enough time to take it all in.

Ghibli Park

Nothing has captured the global imagination quite like the animation films of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli. In November 2022, the studio opened Ghibli Park where fans can immerse themselves in the fantastic world of Ghibli. Unlike its smaller counterpart in Tokyo, Ghibli Park not only allows photography but encourages it. They even let you insert yourself into familiar film scenes. Where else can you pose for a selfie with No-Face in the carriage from Spirited Away? Currently, you can buy tickets to explore Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, the Hill of Youth with the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart, and Dondoko Forest featuring the house from My Neighbor Totoro. Mononoke Village and Valley of Witches are under development with plans to open within the next two years. Make sure you book your place well in advance as tickets are limited to avoid overcrowding. The park recently launched an official ticket portal just for international visitors. Check out their website for details.

SCMAGLEV and Railway Park

Japan is renowned for its efficient and high-tech trains and the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park is the place to go to see these locomotives up close. Created by the Central Japan Railway Company, the museum features 39 actual-size trains, train simulators, projection mapping and a vast indoor diorama with model trains running from Nagoya to Tokyo and Osaka. You can explore inside the next generation high-speed SCMAGLEV magnetic levitation train, which will cover the distance from Tokyo to Nagoya in just 40 minutes when it begins operation in 2027. The museum also houses the elusive Doctor Yellow – a yellow Shinkansen that flies along the tracks with an arsenal of sensors to test for problems.

VISON

This newly opened commercial complex in the center of Mie, just a short train ride away from Nagoya, was developed to promote regional revitalization by focusing on food, wellbeing, and technology. Along with herb-infused hot springs, a high-end hotel and farm-to-table restaurants and food stalls, VISON has gathered some of the best traditional food makers and craft shops from across Japan. For a hit of traditional Japan, visit VISON’s Kuramae area with its line of vendors selling exotic flavored vinegars, quality mirin, craft soy sauce, miso and umami-packed kombu seaweed. If you need a good selection of gifts for friends back home, this is the place to come.

Bonus: Nagoya’s 400-Year-Old Restaurant

The Ryotei Kawabun first opened its doors over 400 years ago. It is known as one of Japan’s oldest restaurants and the most exclusive dining experience in Nagoya. The Kawabun started life with the building of Nagoya Castle. Merchants were relocated to the city and grouped in the streets around the palace according to their trade. A man named Kawachiya Bunzaemon had founded a fish trading store sometime between 1642-1644, but the business later shifted to cooking and catering to the requests of the ruling Tokugawa clan. Until recently, the Kawabun was always the preserve of the wealthy and the privileged few, but today anybody can reserve a table at this highly prestigious ryotei restaurant. To be recognized as a traditional high-end ryotei, the restaurant needs to meet some strict criteria – including the ability to arrange geisha and maiko upon request.

In 2008, Kawabun branched out to open the stylish and more accessible Kawabun Nagoya on the site of their former grand hall. Kawabun Nagoya offers fine dining in their Italian restaurant using the freshest seasonal ingredients and a delicious lineup of cocktails and drinks in their atmospheric bar and chic café.

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