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As usually occurs to me after I journey with an open thoughts and coronary heart, an fascinating factor occurred. I used to be at Atsuta Shrine taking a self-portrait, when a person approached me. Whereas I initially assumed he was a guard telling me to place the tripod away, it turned out he was merely a pleasant native man with a narrative to inform.
“My identify is Tanaka,” he stated, and requested if he may stroll with me as I re-acquainted myself with the shrine. In fact he may, I advised him—I used to be delighted, the truth is, that another person’s presence had gotten me out of my very own head, into which I so usually settle as a solo traveler.
Is Nagoya Price Visiting?
As we acquired on our method, we handed by way of a wall that dates again to the time of Nobunaga. Probably the most consequential warlords in Japanese historical past, who simply occurs to be from Nagoya, Nobunaga is the determine I usually consider when making an attempt to place town’s significance into perspective. You’ll be able to say what you need about Nagoya’s modern bodily state (which is basically because of the heavy bombing it suffered throughout World Struggle II), however Japanese’s current wouldn’t be the identical with out the essential chapters of the previous that went down right here.
To place it one other method, Nagoya is completely value visiting, though it’s not as instantly satisfying as most different Japanese cities. You don’t essentially have to have a neighborhood information, interspersing tales of his a few years at Toyota (which is headquartered close by) as he takes you to ignored components of shrines most vacationers miss, although the extra customized your journey may be, the higher.
The Greatest Issues to Do in Nagoya
Begin at Nagoya Citadel—however don’t end there
As Japanese castles go, Nagoya’s isn’t distinctive—it’s not one among the 12 “unique” castles, neither is it architecturally distinct from Osaka Citadel, which is a way more well-known reconstruction. Nonetheless, Nagoya Citadel is among the icons of town’s in any other case very fashionable cityscape. As we walked by way of Atsuta Shrine and Tanaka-san advised me about his love of baseball, he advisable I benefit from the view of the fortress from the Midland Sq. Sky Promenade (an awesome suggestion, if I do say so myself).
Say a prayer at Atsuta Shrine
One other perception Tanaka offered me was that Atsuta Shrine is definitely Japan’s second-most essential Shinto shrine, after Ise Grand Shrine situated simply to the south in Mie. Whereas this reality alone won’t be sufficient to persuade the typical foreigner that Nagoya is value visiting, the shrine’s spacious grounds (that are lower than 10 minutes from Nagoya Station through the Meitetsu Line) are nonetheless a slice of serenity I feel we will all respect.
(Or Osu Kannon)
Earlier than Tanaka bid me farewell—he after all snapped a selfie of us collectively—he jogged my memory to re-visit a spot that had confirmed one among my favorites throughout earlier visits to Nagoya: Osu Kannon, a Twelfth-century temple (which has clearly been reconstructed since then) that sits close to a sprawling procuring arcade of the identical identify. Like Atsuta Shrine, it’s an oasis of tranquility inside an city jungle, and at a naked minimal, a pleasant place to have a stroll after lunch.
Chow down on Misokatsu
Which properly segues into what I contemplate to be the #1 cause Nagoya is value visiting: Misokatsu. If you wish to begin your journey off on essentially the most scrumptious word, I’d in all probability suggest arriving an hour or two earlier than your resort verify in, by which case you’ll need to head to the ninth ground of the Meitetsu Division Retailer and seize a seat at Yabaton. Right here, because the odor of Nagoya’s most well-known dish wafts in, strive to not drown in your personal drool because the odor of fresh-fried pork cutlet fills the air, and watch in awe because the waiter drizzles your tonkatsu with the candy, pink miso sauce that offers it its unique-to-Nagoya identify.
Make a pilgrimage
Another excuse to go to Nagoya? Use it as a base for extra peripheral discoveries, or a beginning off level for them. For instance, whether or not you are taking a day journey or a multi-day journey, Nagoya is well-situated for exploring the Nakasendo, which was an historic buying and selling route between Kyoto and Edo (the previous identify of Tokyo). Likewise, Nagoya sits simply up the (rail) street from Mie and Wakayama prefectures. Whilst you can realistically go to locations in Mie just like the aforementioned Ise Shrine or the meat metropolis of Matsusaka on day journeys, I like to recommend spending a number of nights in Wakayama, whether or not atop Mt. Koya, or mountaineering the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage.
The place to Keep in Nagoya
Like town itself, most lodges in Nagoya aren’t going to win any Japan-wide awards. Alternatively, there are many fashionable and reasonably priced boutique properties within the metropolis middle. I stayed at Lamplight Books Lodge throughout my newest go to to Nagoya, whereas Nishitetsu Lodge Croom can also be a spot I wouldn’t assume twice about calling house for an evening.
Luxurious lodges like The Royal Park Canvas are additionally handy to issues to do in Nagoya, if that kind of lodging is extra your type. On the alternative finish of the spectrum, Journey & Sleep Hostel is a clear, centrally-located and reasonably priced choice if privateness isn’t amongst your chief considerations.
When to Go to Nagoya
As a common rule, Nagoya climate is just like what you’ll discover in Osaka and the lower-lying parts of the Kansai area—which is to say that a lot of the 12 months options comparatively agreeable temperatures and manageable precipitation. With this being stated, cherry blossom season is the essentially the most lovely time to go to Nagoya, simply because it’s the finest time to go to Japan so far as most vacationers are involved.
In fact, autumn in Nagoya (and alongside the aforementioned Nakasendo) is none too shabby. You need to be conscious, nonetheless, that Nagoya’s fall season begins later than you would possibly anticipate, as is the case with autumn in Japan‘s hottest locations. Peak colours can take till practically the primary of December to manifest! In winter, Nagoya hardly ever sees snow.
Different FAQ About Issues to Do in Nagoya
What’s Nagoya well-known for?
When it comes to points of interest, Nagoya is known for its eponymous fortress, and for the sprawling Atsuta Shrine; it’s additionally well-known for being the birthplace of scrumptious misokatsu. Amongst Japanese, Nagoya can also be notorious: For being badly bombed throughout World Struggle II, which is why it appears much less culturally and architecturally wealthy than different Japanese cities.
Is Nagoya value visiting?
Nagoya is value visiting for those who’ve set real looking expectations for what town has to supply. Moreover, it helps if one among two issues are true: 1) You don’t have anyplace else within the nation you need to go to extra; or 2) You will have sufficient time in Japan (let’s say one month in Japan or longer) that you could be a bit carefree with it.
How far is Kyoto from Nagoya?
Kyoto is about 130 km from Nagoya by street, which equates to a driving time of about two hours. Alternatively, the journey will take you about 35-40 minutes on the Nozomi Shinkansen, the quickest bullet prepare that at present exists.
The Backside Line
Is Nagoya value visiting? The exuberance of my Nagoya journey information stands in stark distinction to town’s lukewarm fame. Whereas it’s true that you just’re in all probability not going to spend a very long time right here, or return right here on a number of journeys to Japan, there’s at the least sufficient to justify a brief keep you probably have longer than two weeks in Japan. At minimal, you possibly can sit down for a plate of steaming misokatsu on a layover between Shinkansen journeys, or make a fast journey to Nagoya Citadel earlier than strolling the Nakasendo.
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