Staying in Nagoya with kids: places to go with children and how to choose a family-friendly stay

With kids in Nagoya, a private stay with a kitchen and washing machine, close to the station, where you don't have to worry about children running around, makes things easier. Nagoya's places for children — Higashiyama Zoo, the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, Nagoya City Science Museum and Ghibli Park — are all connected by subway, and Nagoya Castle is free for junior high school students and younger. Central Nagoya's Residence is 2 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station and has a lift; House is a whole house with 2 toilets. This article covers where to go with children and how to choose a stay as a family.

Where can you go with children in Nagoya?

Prices and closures may change, so check official sites before you go. Nagoya City Science Museum's admission is not listed here because we could not confirm the revised prices.

Are there many train changes with kids?

Nakamura Koen Station, the nearest station to House and Residence, is on the Higashiyama subway line. The line runs through Nagoya Station, Fushimi, Sakae and Higashiyama Koen to Fujigaoka, so you can reach Nagoya Station (4 stops), Fushimi for the Science Museum (5 stops), Sakae (6 stops), Higashiyama Koen for the zoo (13 stops) and Fujigaoka, where you change to the Linimo for Ghibli Park, all with no change. Fewer changes while carrying a child or pushing a pushchair makes everyday travel noticeably easier. For Nagoya Castle, change to the Meijo Line at Sakae. For the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, check the changes for your departure time with the Nagoya City Transportation Bureau's route search.

Is Nagoya Castle good for kids?

Nagoya Castle is free for junior high school students and younger, which makes it easy to visit as a family (adults 1,000 yen, revised 1 October 2026). As of 3 November 2026 the keep is closed, but the Honmaru Palace is open. It is 5 minutes' walk from Exit 7 of Nagoya-jo Station on the Meijo subway line, about 21 minutes from Nakamura Koen Station with a change at Sakae. The grounds are large, so families with a pushchair may want to check the route on the official site first.

How to plan a day with kids

With small children you can't see many places in a day. We suggest choosing 1–2 places a day and leaving time for naps and breaks. For example:

• Animal day: Higashiyama Zoo in the morning (about 25 minutes from Nakamura Koen Station). Head back early in the afternoon to rest
• Rainy day: the planetarium at Nagoya City Science Museum (about 10 minutes). Dinner at Nagoya Umaimon-dori in Nagoya Station on the way back
• Sea day: the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium (about 37 minutes). It opens on Mondays too during summer and spring holidays
• Castle day: the Honmaru Palace at Nagoya Castle, then lunch in Sakae

Where can you go with kids on a rainy day?

Nagoya City Science Museum is all indoors, so it is good on a rainy day. It has a planetarium dome 35 m across and is about 10 minutes from Nakamura Koen Station on the Higashiyama Line with no change. The Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium is also mostly indoors. The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology (3 minutes' walk from Meitetsu Sako Station) costs 300 yen for elementary school children, 500 yen for junior high and high school students and 1,000 yen for adults; it is open 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30) and closed Mondays (or the next day if Monday is a public holiday).

Day trips from Nagoya with kids

If you are staying several nights, spending one day outside the city works well. Inuyama, about 25 minutes by Meitetsu, has Inuyama Castle, a National Treasure, and its castle town; the castle has two stars in the Michelin Green Guide. Tokoname's Pottery Footpath is 5 minutes' walk from Meitetsu Tokoname Station, and Course A is 1.6 km, about 1 hour — a manageable length for children. Both are day trips, so you come back to the same room at night. Not having to repack is a big help when travelling with kids.

What about meals with children?

All three stays have a kitchen, and no meals are served. A kitchen means you can prepare what your children like, in amounts they can eat. To eat out, Nagoya Umaimon-dori inside Nagoya Station has 17 restaurants, including Misen, Yabaton, Maruya Honten and Ekikama Kishimen, so you can choose in one place without much walking. The kitchen at House has a 2-burner gas hob, fridge, microwave and rice cooker.

Going to Ghibli Park with kids

All Ghibli Park tickets must be reserved and are not sold at the entrances. Child prices apply from age 4 through elementary school, and children 3 and under are free. For example, the O-sanpo Standard ticket is 3,300 yen for adults and 1,650 yen for children on weekdays. From Nakamura Koen Station, take the Higashiyama Line with no change to the last stop, Fujigaoka, then the Linimo to Ai-Chikyuhaku Kinen Koen Station, right by the park. There are also Meitetsu buses from the Meitetsu Bus Center at Nagoya Station. Ghibli Park has no car park of its own.

What should you check when booking a stay with kids?

• Kitchen: can you cook your children's meals? All three stays have a kitchen
• Laundry: can you wash dirty clothes the same day? House has a washer-dryer, Residence a washing machine and a dryer, and Stays a washing machine
• Distance from the station and a lift: can you manage a pushchair and luggage? Residence is 2 minutes' walk from the station and has a lift
• Number of toilets: House has toilets on both floors
• Bedding: the number of beds, and futons or cots. Please contact us about bedding before you book

Which stay suits your family size?

Every stay has a kitchen, a washing machine (or washer-dryer), fast Wi-Fi and self check-in. No meals are served. There is a 10% long-stay discount; conditions are shown on the booking sites.

What house rules should families know?

• All stays are in residential areas. Please keep quiet from 20:00 to 8:00 at House and after 20:00 at Residence
• No shoes indoors
• No smoking anywhere
• No parties or events
• Guests without Japanese nationality must provide a copy of their passport and fill in the guest register

Quiet hours at night also suit families whose children go to bed early. It is easy to plan days of playing hard outside and evenings of resting in your own space.

• Where to stay for Ghibli Park →
• Choosing a place for a group in Nagoya →
• Staying in Nagoya as a family or group →

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