Your second trip to Japan: base yourself in Nagoya for Inuyama, Ise, Takayama and Shirakawa-go

For a second trip to Japan, try basing yourself in Nagoya and travelling out without changing hotels. Nagoya lies between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka: Inuyama is about 25 minutes away by Meitetsu, Ise-shi about 1 hour 20 minutes, Takayama about 2 hours 20 minutes by limited express, and Shirakawa-go about 2 hours 30 minutes by highway bus. Leave your luggage, go out for the day, come back to the same room at night. Here is how to plan it, and what to look for in a room for a longer stay.

Why does a base suit a second trip to Japan?

Many people spend their first trip moving between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. On a second trip, focusing on one region instead of ticking off places means far less packing and checking in. Nagoya is built around Nagoya Station, where the Shinkansen, JR, Meitetsu and Kintetsu lines meet, making it easy to reach Gifu, Mie and the rest of Aichi.

Where can you go from Nagoya? (official travel times)

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

In a 2024 City of Nagoya survey, 21.2% of international visitors in Nagoya also visited Gifu (Takayama). Nagoya and Takayama/Shirakawa-go are often travelled together.

How would you plan a week?

An example for 7 nights in Nagoya. Alternating long and short travel days keeps it relaxed.

• Day 1: Arrive. Nagoya food and groceries at Nagoya Station
• Day 2: The city (Nagoya Castle's Honmaru Palace, Osu)
• Day 3: Day trip to Inuyama (about 25 minutes each way)
• Day 4: A rest day. Walk the neighbourhood, do laundry, cook at home
• Day 5: Day trip to Ise (about 1 hour 20 minutes each way)
• Day 6: Takayama (about 2 hours 20 minutes each way). To add Shirakawa-go, spend one night in Takayama or Shirakawa-go and keep your Nagoya room
• Day 7: The rest of the city, such as Sakae and Oasis 21 (Oasis 21's glass roof, the Water Spaceship, is closed for renovation from 4 November 2026 to 30 April 2027, planned). Leave the next day

Check departure times, and whether you need to reserve, on each operator's official site before you go.

What does a room for a longer stay need?

For a week or so, a room with a kitchen and a washing machine is easier to live in than a hotel room: you can make breakfast at home and wash clothes after a day out. All three Central Nagoya stays have a kitchen (gas stove, fridge, microwave, electric kettle, cookware and tableware), a washing machine and fast Wi-Fi, with self check-in and a 10% long-stay discount.

Sample plans by length of stay (3, 5 and 10 nights)

Besides the one-week example, here is how to plan by number of nights. All times are one-way, from the official sources.

• 3 nights: Day 1, arrive and eat at Nagoya Station; Day 2, the city (Nagoya Castle, Osu); Day 3, Inuyama (about 25 minutes)
• 5 nights: the 3-night plan plus Ise (about 1 hour 20 minutes) and 1 rest day
• 10 nights: the 7-night plan plus Kakuozan's Nittaiji Temple (about 21 minutes and 270 yen from Nakamura Koen Station on the Higashiyama Line, no change), Atsuta Jingu (about 33 minutes and 270 yen, changing to the Meijo Line at Sakae) and 1 more rest day. Nittaiji holds a fair on the 21st of every month

Where else do international visitors in Nagoya go?

In a 2024 City of Nagoya survey, 21.2% of international visitors in Nagoya also visited Gifu (Takayama), 14.9% Shizuoka (Mt Fuji) and 3.2% Mie (including Ise Jingu). Ise Jingu has three stars in the Michelin Green Guide, yet in the Japan Tourism Agency's 2025 survey only 0.7% of visitors to Japan went to Mie Prefecture — a highly rated place that few international visitors have reached yet.

What can you do at Nagoya Station on arrival and departure days?

When you stay in one base, you pass through Nagoya Station many times. Here is what is in and around the station.

• Nagoya Umaimon-dori (inside JR Nagoya Station, Taiko-dori side): 17 shops, including Misen for Taiwan ramen, Yabaton for miso katsu, Maruya Honten for hitsumabushi and Ekikama Kishimen for kishimen noodles, with takeout and souvenirs
• ESCA (underground mall on the Shinkansen side): shops 10:00–20:30, restaurants 10:00–22:30, cafés 7:00–22:30 (some shops differ). Closed on 1 January, the 3rd Thursday of February and the 2nd Thursday of September
• Bic Camera Nagoya Ekinishi: 1 minute's walk from the west exit of JR Nagoya Station. Open 10:00–21:00 every day; tax-free procedures at every register

Common misconceptions

• "You can only reach Shirakawa-go via Takayama" — a highway bus runs from the Meitetsu Bus Center to Shirakawa-go in about 2 hours 30 minutes. Going by JR via Takayama takes about 3 hours 25 minutes (Shirakawa-go Tourist Association)
• "Ise Jingu needs an overnight trip" — Ise-shi Station is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Nagoya, so a day trip works
• "Taiko-dori and Nakamura Koen are far from Nagoya Station" — Taiko-dori is 1 stop from Nagoya Station on the Sakura-dori Line, and Nakamura Koen is 4 stops (about 7 minutes) on the Higashiyama Line

Where in Nagoya? West of Nagoya Station, in Nakamura Ward

For day trips, an easy ride to Nagoya Station every morning matters most. From Nakamura Koen Station in Nakamura Ward, Nagoya Station is 4 stops on the Higashiyama Line with no change — about 7 minutes, 240 yen.

• For 1–2 people: Central Nagoya Stays (4 minutes' walk from Taiko-dori Station on the Sakura-dori Line; 27㎡ apartments; 2 guests, up to 4)
• For families and friends: Central Nagoya Residence (2 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station; the whole top (8th) floor of an apartment building, 120㎡; up to 9 guests)
• For large groups: Central Nagoya House (7 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station; an entire traditional house of 144㎡ with 5 bedrooms, one of which opens onto the room next to it; up to 16 guests)

Frequently asked questions