Nagoya is not as known as Tokyo or Kyoto for foreigners, but it the city has a lot of attraction to offer !
As an important city in Japan’s history but also as a center of Japan’s industrial economy, Nagoya has a great balance between tradition and modernity.
1.Atsuta Jingu
Atsuta Jingu, is the second most important Shinto shrine in Japan and is said to be almost 2000 years old.
The shrine is known to house the sacred sword Kusanagi-no-tsurugi which is one of the three Japanese imperial treasures. Legend said that Amaterasu, the sun goddess, gave the sword to the first emperor of Japan (Jinmu) and from it gained the right to rule.
Located in the south of Nagoya, in the Atsuta district, the shrine complex covers 190,000 square meters and is home to numerous national treasures and is the perfect place to go to have a relaxing walk all around the complex and to get more knowledge about Japan.
Atsuta Jingu
Address: 1-1-1 Jingu, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Japan 456-8585
Website
2.Nagoya Castle
When you type “Nagoya” on Google, the picture that will be displayed for it will be Nagoya Castle.
Built in 1612, Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of the unifier of Japan, ordered the construction of Nagoya Castle, as a residence for his son. However, what we can see in our days is not the original one, as it burned down during World-War II and it was reconstructed in 1959.
Nagoya Castle is for sure the symbol of the town, and it is certainly worth a visit especially during cherry blossom season at the beginning of April. During the cherry blossom festival, locals gather there to celebrate and take pictures, with the castle serving as a beautiful background.
Nagoya Castle
Opening Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m Entrance fee: 500 yens
Address: 1-1 Honmaru, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 460-0031
Website
3.Tokugawa Art Museum
Nagoya was the seat of the Owari, one of the three major branches of the ruling and powerful Tokugawa Clan during Edo Period. The Tokugawa Art Museum was built on the grounds of the Owari’s former feudal residence in 1935 by the Tokugawa Clan in order to preserves and exhibits some of their treasures including samurai armor and swords, tea utensils or even costumes.
Nowadays, the museum houses over 10,000 artifacts, with the heritage of Ieyasu Tokugawa comprising the core, and holds lords family treasures collected and inherited through many generations by the Tokugawa clan. The collection includes 9 National Treasures, including the Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls, and 59 items designated as Important Cultural Properties.
Tokugawa Art Museum
Opening Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m Entrance fee: 1,400 yens, 700 yens (Student)
Address: 1017 Tokugawa-cho Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 461-0023
Website
4.Toyota Automobile Museum
Japan’s leading car manufacturer, Toyota, has its headquarters and many of its domestic production plants around Nagoya. As the company was and still is important for the local and national economy, it just make sense that there is a museum dedicated for it.
Toyota Automobile Museum is dedicated to the history of motoring and the influence of cars in our culture and exhibits Japanese, European and American automobiles from the late 1800s to the 1960s. The museum opened in 1989 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Toyota Motor Corporation.
Even if this museum can be the paradise for cars lovers, it can be appealing for anyone, as the range and selection in this expansive museum has something for everybody ! It’s definitely worth the visit.
Toyota Automobile Museum
Opening Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m Entrance fee: 1,200 yens
Address: 41-100 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1118
Website
ohayo nagoya 