Nagoya
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Nagoya is the capital of Aichi Prefecture, and the fourth most populous city in Japan. It is known for ceramics and pottery, being the birthplace of Toyota, Nagoya-meshi (Nagoya foods), and its interesting Nagoya-ben dialect. It’s a nice place to visit, but there isn’t as much to do as Tokyo or Osaka.
Places of Interest
Meijo Park: This park is huge and located nearby Nagoya Castle. Meijo Park is beautiful, but is known for the sakura that bloom in early spring.
Nagoya Castle: Nagoya Castle is beautiful, and the castle grounds are quite large. I did not expect to spend as much time there as I did, but it was a great experience. You can enter the castle itself and walk throughout its various floors.
Osu Kannon: Osu Kannon is huge and strikingly beautiful. It also has it’s own subway stop, which is very convenient. There is the entire Osu shopping district behind the temple area, which is filled with random stores including lots of trendy, vintage, and second-hand stores. People in Nagoya are incredibly hip and stylish, which makes sense after browsing through stores like these.
Nagoya Harbor: There is large aquarium and some shops in the harbor area. It seems to be a fun place to for children. The view of the harbor is amazing, though. If you’re looking for something more low-key to do, Nagoya Harbor is a good option.
Noritake Garden: The Noritake Garden is where they make Noritake dishware, which is amazingly ornate porcelain pieces and dinner sets. The dishes are honestly gorgeous, as well as the entire property the facility sits on.
Travel tip #1: I recommend purchasing a one-day subway pass if you plan on seeing a lot in a single day. The beauty of the one-day subway pass is that you can use it all day long as much as you would like. (One-way to most places is about 200 yen, so it can add up quickly.)
Food
Misokatsu: Nagoya is known for using red miso in many of their dishes. Yabaton is a famous restaurant known for their Misokatsu: pork tonkastu with their special red miso sauce. The wait can be pretty long during peak hours and on weekends, so be prepared. One of the Yabaton locations is easily accessible from Yaba-Cho station.
Miso Nikomi Udon: Yamamotoyahonten is known as being one of the oldest and best restaurants in Nagoya, serving up a classic Nagoya dish called Miso Nikomi Udon. Miso Nikomi Udon is based in a red miso broth and includes an egg plus assorted veggies with the thick, chewy noodles. It’s served piping hot in an earthenware pot (‘nabe’). Yamamotoyahonten even makes their own tsukemono, which is incredibly fresh, crisp, and delicious. This place is a little hard to find because it’s located in a downstairs area of a large building alongside other restaurants, but it’s totally worth the adventure to find.
Lee’s Taiwan Kitchen: A great little place in the Osu Kannon shopping district that is known for its crispy, juicy Taiwanese-style fried chicken. It’s a stall-like eatery with no seating. Most of the food is served in take-away containers which are great for holding while walking.
Ankake Spaghetti: Another regional dish Nagoya is known for is Ankake Spaghetti. It has a unique, thick, sticky, tangy red sauce that tops pan-fried spaghetti noodles. An assortment of veggies is usually mixed into the pasta, as well as thinly sliced Vienna Sausages. I went to Spaghetti House Ciao, but there are places throughout Nagoya that serve it. I’ve never had a sauce like it before, and it’s definitely very unique in flavor.
Rows Coffee: A hip little coffee shop about a ten minutes walk from the Takashiyama side of Nagoya Station. The owner is really chill, and the entire shop has amazing energy! It’s the perfect place to grab a breakfast set, complete with perfectly toasty toast and any menu drink of your choice–you can even get soy milk substituted. I recommend Rows’ iced matcha latte or their hand drip coffee. This is a small business, so I’m not sure how long it will remain open.
Travel tip #2: Red miso is a regional speciality and is used in many Nagoya foods. It has a stronger taste than regular miso, and gives food a unique flavor. Loved by locals, red miso is not everyone’s cup of tea, so don’t be shocked if you’re not into it! Personally, I love red miso, but I know many who do not.
Accommodation
Glocal: Glocal is hostel and café about five minutes by foot from Nagoya Station. It’s very clean and the staff is awesome! I recommend staying here because it: is close to a main JR station, is relatively quiet, has comfortable beds, and a has lovely common-kitchen area. You can search for other great listing in Nagoya here.
Kyoya Ryokan: Approximately a fifteen minutes walk from Nagoya Station in a quiet little residential area lies this unsuspecting traditional-style Japanese inn. They offer private rooms as well as hostel accommodation, both including access to their indoor onsen/ bathhouse and a beautiful garden. Although a bit further from the JR Station, there are several subway stations nearby and everything is in walking distance. The service is phenomenal–I felt very comfortable here and really appreciated the unlimited tea, coffee, and water from the machine near the lobby.
