Nagoya tourist information
Nagoya is the center for the administration, economy and culture of Aichi. It has Nagoya Castle noted for the golden dolphins on top of the roof and the Atsuta Shrine. The Inuyama Castle stands in the neighboring Inuyama.
This area has many areas of beauty such as the Mikawa Bay Quasi-National Park, the Hida-Kiso River Quasi-National Park, the Mt. Horaiji Prefectural Park, the Atsumi-hanto Peninsula Prefectural Park, Korankei Valley, Kuragari Valley and Miya hot spring. The people living here celebrate the Hadaka-matsuri Festival, or naked festival known as a peculiar festival with a history of over 1,200 years in Owari-Konomiya in Inazawa and Hana-matsuri Festival or flower festival in winter.
Nagoya Castle is almost in the center of Nagoya, and is famous for the golden dolphins that adorn the roof of its castle tower. The castle was built in 1612 by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the then-shogun of the Edo government. Until the revolution of 1867 it was the residence of the Owari Tokugawas, one of the three Tokugawa houses. Much of the castle was burnt down in 1945 during the World War II air raids, but the tower was rebuilt in 1959 as a reinforced concrete building with seven stories above ground and a basement. Since then, it has continued to be a beautiful symbol of Nagoya.
Floors 1 to 5 inside the castle have been opened up as exhibition rooms, and you can see from close-up items that tell the history of Nagoya, including objects related to the Owari Tokugawas house. Meijo Park, which was constructed around the castle, contains flowers that bloom in different seasons, and many people like to walk here. There are also lots of events that should not be missed, like the Sakura-matsuri (cherry blossom festival) in spring, the Nagoya-jo Natsu-matsuri (Nagoya Castle summer festival), and the Kiku-ningyo-ten (chrysanthemum doll show).
To the east of Nagoya Castle is a part of the town that has the atmosphere of the seventeenth century mansions and warehouses that still stand there. The scene around Nagoya Castle is one where the old and new blend harmoniously.
Imaike, Kakuozan and Higashiyama in Chigusa-ku are situated along the Higashiyama Line, the oldest subway line in Nagoya. In Imaike on the thriving commercial street Nishiki-dori that stretches from JR Nagoya Station, there are taverns, Chinese restaurants, barbecue restaurants and other old, popular shops with reasonable prices as well as a number of mini-theaters and bars with live music performances. The Imaike Broadway Monument at the intersection is colorful and boldly designed to please the eyes of the passers-by.
The Kakuozan area spreads from the Kakuozan Nittai-ji Temple, which is the only temple in Japan that enshrines the ashes of Buddha bestowed by the King of Thailand. It is a quiet residential district with rich greenery, and there are is a traditional Japanese styled residence Yokiso, the Higashiyama Water Tower and other classical structures. The neighboring areas are dotted with the Shiroyama Hachimangu Shrine, Hebi-Yakushi Temple and many other temples and shrines.
The center of Higashiyama is the Higashiyama Multiple Park made up of a zoo, botanical garden and amusement park. It is also noted for its cherry blossoms. There is the Higashiyama Sky Tower that has an observation deck at an altitude of 180m where visitors can see the entire view of Nagoya, which is particularly beautiful at night.
Yotsuya and Yamate Dori Street in Nagoya connect, from north to south, Motoyama Station on the Higashiyama Subway Line and Yagoto Station on Tsurumai Line. Along the modern streets are university, museum and fashionable buildings. If you take one step back into the alley then you will find quiet accessory shops and restaurants scattered around the high-end neighborhood. The calm and peaceful atmosphere is loved by people of all ages. This is a hilly area suitable for window shopping while taking a walk, and you will see many people enjoying a slow walk along its approximately 3.5 km route.
At the Togan-ji Temple along the Yotsuya Dori Street on the Motoyama Station side is a gigantic wood block said to blot out all past sins if you touch it with one hand. The Yagoto-san Kosho-ji Temple along the Yamate Dori Street on the Yagoto Station side is a temple built in the 17th century imitating one of the Koya-san temples in Wakayama. The 30-meter tall five-layer pagoda, designated as an important cultural asset, is a popular symbol of the Temple and an approximately 300,000 square-meter huge compound is a famous spot for viewing the changing color of leaves in the autumn.
by Japan National Tourist Organization
Nagoya aerial map
Please click on any icon on the Nagoya aerial tourist map, to find close by places, offering hotels and tourist information. You can zoom in and zoom out our touristical map as well as switch between satelite and map view of Nagoya.
Africa | Asia | Caribbean | Central America | Europe | Middle East | North America | Oceania | South America
