Stopping between Tokyo and Kyoto or Osaka? Stay in Nagoya — about 1 hour 40 minutes from Tokyo and 40 minutes from Kyoto by Shinkansen

If you are travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka, you can break the journey with a night in Nagoya. According to Aichi Now, Aichi Prefecture's official tourism site, Nagoya Station is about 1 hour 40 minutes from Tokyo on the Tokaido Shinkansen Nozomi, about 40 minutes from Kyoto and about 1 hour from Shin-Osaka. Stop in Nagoya and you can enjoy Nagoya Castle and Nagoya food, then take a day trip to Inuyama, Ise or Takayama before heading on to Kyoto or Osaka. A first trip to Japan usually centres on Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka; but if you want to add a night along the way, Nagoya needs no changes and has plenty of places to go.

Where is Nagoya, and how far is it from Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka?

Nagoya is the capital of Aichi Prefecture, between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka. Nagoya Station is the city's gateway, where the Shinkansen, JR, Meitetsu and Kintetsu lines meet. Travel times to Nagoya Station from Aichi Prefecture's official tourism site:

Why stay in Nagoya between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka?

• The Shinkansen Nozomi stops here, so you arrive without changing from Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka
• From Nagoya Station: Inuyama about 25 minutes by Meitetsu, Ise-shi about 1 hour 20 minutes by Kintetsu limited express or JR Rapid Mie, Takayama about 2 hours 20 minutes on the JR Limited Express Hida, and Shirakawa-go about 2 hours 30 minutes by highway bus from the Meitetsu Bus Center (official sources for each destination)
• Nagoya was chosen for TIME magazine's World's Greatest Places 2023, and Nagoya Castle and the city of Nagoya each have one star in the Michelin Green Guide Japan
• In a November 2024 City of Nagoya survey of 463 international visitors, 80.3% were visiting Nagoya for the first time — it is still a new destination for most travellers

How do you plan a 1-night stopover?

An example for travelling one way from Tokyo to Osaka. Times are one-way, from official sources.

• Morning: Shinkansen Nozomi from Tokyo to Nagoya (about 1 hour 40 minutes). Drop your luggage at your stay
• Afternoon: Nagoya Castle (the keep is closed; the Honmaru Palace is open, as of 3 November 2026), the Osu shopping streets and Sakae
• Evening: Nagoya food — miso katsu, hitsumabushi, kishimen, Taiwan ramen and more — at Nagoya Umaimon-dori (inside JR Nagoya Station, Taiko-dori side, 17 shops)
• Next morning: Shinkansen to Kyoto (about 40 minutes) or Shin-Osaka (about 1 hour)

With 2 nights, where can you go?

Two nights in Nagoya give you a day for a trip. Inuyama, with its National Treasure castle (two stars in the Michelin Green Guide), is about 25 minutes away by Meitetsu, so half a day is enough. Ise-shi Station, for Ise Jingu (three stars), is about 1 hour 20 minutes away. Takayama (three stars) is about 2 hours 20 minutes on the Limited Express Hida. In a 2024 City of Nagoya survey, 21.2% of international visitors in Nagoya also visited Gifu (Takayama).

How to choose where to stay in Nagoya

If you arrive by Shinkansen and leave by Shinkansen the next morning, stay somewhere with an easy ride to Nagoya Station. Central Nagoya has private stays in Nakamura Ward, west of Nagoya Station: Stays is 4 minutes' walk from Taiko-dori Station, 1 stop from Nagoya Station on the Sakura-dori subway line, and House and Residence are 7 and 2 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station, 4 stops (about 7 minutes, 240 yen) from Nagoya Station on the Higashiyama Line. All three have a kitchen, a washing machine (or washer-dryer) and fast Wi-Fi, plus a 10% long-stay discount.

• 1–2 people: Central Nagoya Stays (27㎡ per apartment; 2 guests, up to 4; IN 17:00–23:00 / OUT 11:00)
• Families and friends: Central Nagoya Residence (the whole top (8th) floor of an apartment building, 120㎡; up to 9 guests; IN 17:00–22:00 / OUT 10:00)
• Large groups: Central Nagoya House (an entire 144㎡ traditional house; up to 16 guests; IN from 17:00 / OUT 10:00)

Once your luggage is at the stay, where in the city?

Times and fares from Nakamura Koen Station:

• Sakae (Oasis 21, Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER): Higashiyama Line, no change, about 12 minutes, 240 yen
• Nagoya Castle: change to the Meijo Line at Sakae, about 21 minutes, 240 yen
• Osu Kannon and the Osu shopping streets: change to the Tsurumai Line at Fushimi, about 21 minutes, 240 yen
• Endoji and Shikemichi: change to the Sakura-dori Line at Nagoya for Kokusai Center, about 13 minutes, 240 yen
• Atsuta Jingu (west gate): change to the Meijo Line at Sakae for Atsuta Jingu Nishi, about 33 minutes, 270 yen

Which travellers visit Aichi Prefecture?

In the Japan Tourism Agency's 2025 survey of prefecture visit rates by nationality, 6.9% of all visitors to Japan went to Aichi Prefecture. Rates were higher than average for travellers from Vietnam (20.2%), China (9.4%), the Philippines (9.3%), Thailand (8.5%), France (8.3%), Taiwan (7.8%) and Spain (7.5%) (some country samples are small, so read these as trends).

What is handy at Nagoya Station on Shinkansen days?

• ESCA: the underground mall closest to the Shinkansen side of Nagoya Station, with Nagoya-food restaurants and souvenir shops; cafés open from 7:00 (some differ). Closed on 1 January, the 3rd Thursday of February and the 2nd Thursday of September
• Nagoya Umaimon-dori: inside JR Nagoya Station, Taiko-dori side. 17 shops
• 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

Who should skip Nagoya?

If it is your first time in Japan, your trip is short and you want to see as much of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka as possible, travelling straight through means fewer hotel changes. On the other hand, if you want to split the journey with a night's rest, try Nagoya food or see a castle, or visit places such as Inuyama, Ise or Takayama, 1 or 2 nights in Nagoya suit you well. To reach both Takayama and Shirakawa-go, you can keep your Nagoya room and spend one night in Takayama or Shirakawa-go.

• Is Nagoya worth visiting? →
• Where to stay near Nagoya Station with a kitchen →
• Small towns to visit from Nagoya →
• Central Nagoya House →
• Central Nagoya Residence →

Frequently asked questions