Is Nagoya worth visiting? An honest guide for travellers who have already seen Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka

Yes, Nagoya is worth visiting — especially if you have already been to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Nagoya sits in the middle of Japan, and many places are within a day trip: Inuyama Castle is about 25 minutes away on the Meitetsu line, Ise-shi Station (for Ise Jingu) about 1 hour 20 minutes, and Takayama about 2 hours 20 minutes by limited express. What Nagoya is not is a city of old streets like Kyoto. Here is an honest look at who Nagoya suits and who it doesn't, based on official information.

How is Nagoya rated outside Japan?

Nagoya was one of the 50 places in TIME's World's Greatest Places 2023. Within the city, the Tokugawa Art Museum has two stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. In a November 2024 survey by the City of Nagoya of 463 international visitors, 80.3% said it was their first time in Nagoya — for most travellers, Nagoya is still a new destination.

Why do some people say Nagoya is boring?

Nagoya is a large working city rather than a city built around tourism. Its sights are spread out and you move between them by subway. The keep of Nagoya Castle is also closed and cannot be entered (as of 3 November 2026), although the restored Honmaru Palace is open. Nagoya makes more sense as a base you stay in and travel out from than as a place to tick off one famous sight.

What can you do in Nagoya itself?

From Nakamura Koen Station, west of Nagoya Station, the main areas are this far by subway:

• Nagoya Station: 4 stops, about 7 minutes on the Higashiyama Line — the gateway where the Shinkansen, JR, Meitetsu and Kintetsu lines meet, with plenty of Nagoya food and souvenirs
• Sakae (Oasis 21, Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER): 6 stops, about 12 minutes
• Nagoya Castle: about 21 minutes, changing to the Meijo Line at Sakae; 5 minutes' walk from Exit 7 of Nagoya-jo Station
• Osu (Osu Kannon and the Osu shopping streets): about 21 minutes, changing to the Tsurumai Line at Fushimi. In the City of Nagoya survey, 40.8% of international visitors had been to Osu

Where can you go on a day trip from Nagoya?

Nagoya's biggest strength is how easily you can reach the places around it. Travel times given by the official tourism sites:

• Inuyama (Inuyama Castle, a National Treasure): about 25 minutes on a direct Meitetsu train; two stars in the Michelin Green Guide
• Ise (Ise Jingu): about 1 hour 20 minutes to Ise-shi Station by Kintetsu limited express or the JR Rapid Mie; three stars in the Michelin Green Guide
• Takayama: about 2 hours 20 minutes on the JR Limited Express Hida; an old town with three stars in the Michelin Green Guide
• Shirakawa-go: about 2 hours 30 minutes by highway bus from the Meitetsu Bus Center; its thatched farmhouses became a World Heritage Site in 1995

In the City of Nagoya survey, 21.2% of international visitors in Nagoya also visited Gifu (Takayama). Takayama recorded 978,312 overnight stays by international guests in 2025.

Who is Nagoya for — and who is it not for?

• Good for: travellers who have already seen Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka; people who want one base and day trips instead of changing hotels; people who would rather stay near everyday city life than in the middle of a tourist district
• Less suited to: people who want to walk old streets without leaving the city (head out to Takayama or Inuyama instead); people with one night who want to see many famous sights at once

How do Nagoya Station, Sakae and Nakamura Ward differ?

Nagoya Station is the city's gateway, where the Shinkansen, JR, Meitetsu and Kintetsu lines meet. Inside JR Nagoya Station on the Taiko-dori side is Nagoya Umaimon-dori, a row of Nagoya-food restaurants (17 shops as of 3 November 2026), and on the Shinkansen side is the ESCA underground mall. Both are handy for meals and souvenirs on your arrival and departure days.

Sakae is the downtown centre, home to Oasis 21, the Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER and Hisaya-odori Park. In December 2022 the MIRAI TOWER (the former Nagoya TV Tower) became the first tower to be designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The flagship of HARBS, the Nagoya-born café, opened in Sakae in 1981.

Nakamura Ward lies on the west side of Nagoya Station. Near Nakamura Koen Station is Nakamura Park, laid out in 1901, with a Japanese strolling garden and a tea house; admission is free. At the start of the avenue to the park stands the Nakamura Great Torii, built in 1929 and over 24 metres tall. From Nakamura Koen Station, Nagoya Station is about 7 minutes by subway and Sakae about 12 minutes.

Tips for getting around Nagoya by subway

• Nagoya Station, Sakae, Nagoya Castle and Osu Kannon all cost 240 yen
• Stations you can reach without changing, on the Higashiyama Line: Nagoya (4 stops), Sakae (6 stops), Kakuozan (11 stops, about 21 minutes, 270 yen) and Higashiyama Koen (13 stops, about 25 minutes, 310 yen)
• For Nagoya Castle change to the Meijo Line at Sakae; for Osu Kannon change to the Tsurumai Line at Fushimi
• For the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, change at Sakae to a Meijo Line train bound for Nagoyako: about 37 minutes, 310 yen

What should you watch out for by season or day of the week?

• The keep of Nagoya Castle is closed; the Honmaru Palace is open (as of 3 November 2026)
• Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens is closed on Mondays (or the next weekday if Monday is a holiday) and from 29 December to 1 January
• The Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium is closed on Mondays (or the next day if Monday is a holiday), but stays open every day during Golden Week, July to September, and the spring and winter school holidays
• Kamikochi in Nagano is closed from 15 November to 16 April (according to Lonely Planet). If you plan a trip to the central Japan mountains in winter, check your destination first

Where should you stay in Nagoya?

If you plan day trips, stay somewhere with an easy ride to Nagoya Station. Central Nagoya is a group of private stays in Nakamura Ward, just west of Nagoya Station. All three have a kitchen, a washing machine and fast Wi-Fi, plus a 10% long-stay discount. Central Nagoya Stays: apartments of 27㎡, 4 minutes' walk from Taiko-dori Station on the Sakura-dori Line (2 guests, up to 4). Central Nagoya House: an entire traditional house of 144㎡ with 5 bedrooms (one opens onto the room next to it), 7 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station (up to 16 guests). Central Nagoya Residence: the whole top (8th) floor of an apartment building, 120㎡, 2 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station (up to 9 guests). From Nakamura Koen Station, Nagoya Station is about 7 minutes by subway.

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