Sightseeing Spots

Tokugawaen

Tokugawaen is a Japanese garden with walkways winding around a central pond in the style of major daimyo gardens from the Edo period. A clear stream flows from a waterfall through a ravine and continues to a pond representing the ocean, a sight that symbolically condenses Japan's natural landscape. Furthermore, Tokugawaen is characterized by hilly terrain, transplanted woods, and large rocks appearing from all angles. The overall magnificence of the daimyo garden can be seen through the use of bold changes in composition and the incorporation of a wide variety of elements. People can enjoy the garden throughout the four seasons with beautiful greenery, autumn colors, and flowers such as peonies and irises. See More

The Tokugawa Art Museum

This art museum has a collection of more than 10,000 feudal lord implements, starting with items that once belonged to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and items treasured by the first head of the Owari Tokugawa family, Yoshinao (Ieyasu's ninth son), and his descendants. The museum is proud to hold nine National Treasures, including the Illustrated Scroll of The Tale of Genji, 59 important cultural properties, and many other high quality treasures that have been preserved in good condition. The main hall is registered as a national tangible cultural property. See More

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens

There are tons of popular animals at this zoo! From tiny medaka fish to huge elephants, it is home to the largest number of animals in Japan. Come and see the wide variety of animals. There are many facilities, including the gorilla and chimpanzee house—home to famously handsome gorilla Shabani—the Asian elephant house, and the koala house. Here, you can not only watch the animals, but also learn about their ecologies and habitats through educational displays, so you can learn while having fun. Including the greenhouse and the natural woods on the hillsides, the botanical garden is home to around 7,000 species of plants. The cherry blossom pathway has around 1,000 cherry trees of about 100 different species, which all bloom in the spring. In the fall, around 500 trees—mainly surrounding the back pond and Japanese-style garden—burst into color and become one of the city's best fall f… See More

Mandolin Melodies Museum　*closed

Records featuring mandolin music since 1920 and mandolins are displayed. Approximately 220 SP records, about 140 LP records, about 10 EP records, and approximately 400 CDs are displayed. Visitors wishing to listen to them can listen in the museum for a charge (SP: 300-yen, LP and CD: 100-yen). See More

Yokoyama Art Museum

Opening October 1, 2017 in Higashi-ku, Nagoya. Find pottery and ceramics made for export during the Meiji and Taisho eras displayed, with a focus on items returning back home to where they were made. You can view a number of dramatic pieces with awe-inspiring detail such as pieces made in the Nagoya area for export, old Noritake pieces which are the first western-style pottery and ceramics of Japan, and rarely viewable Sumida-yaki gathered up by type. See More

Nagoya Ceramics Hall

This retro Showa-style modern building was built in 1932 as the office for the Nagoya Ceramic Trading Union. The exterior features a large half-circle window and terracotta bricks, and all four sides are covered in ceramic scratch coat tiles. The interior has Art Deco-style ceiling decorations and Ina ware mosaic floor tiles. The areas open to the public on the first floor include exhibitions of ceramic ware made in Nagoya before and after the war, a painting workshop, and a shop selling ceramics. The second floor and above are rented out to tenants—primarily architectural and design. See More

Nagoya City Archives

This site once housed the Nagoya Court of Appeals, District Court and Ward Court buildings. The Court of Appeals building, the oldest such building still in existence, was built in 1922 and is now a national cultural asset. There is much to see here, including one of Japan's best stained-glass windows, a reproduced courtroom under the old Constitution, a restored conference hall, prisoner lock-up and a commemorative exhibit from the Expo 2005 Aichi. See More

Higashiyama Sky Tower

Higashiyama Sky Tower stands right next-door to Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and was built in 1988 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Nagoya City. The building is 134 meters tall, but because it stands on an 80-meter tall hill, its observation deck is at a total height of over 200 meters. On clear days, you can see as far as Mt. Ontake, the Suzuka mountains, and the Japanese Alps, and at night there's a romantic night view you can gaze at over dinner that has been selected as a Night View Heritage of Japan and one of Japan's 100 best night views. See More

Nittaiji (Kakuozan)

Nittaiji Temple was established in 1904 to enshrine Buddha's ashes and glit bronze received from the king of Thailand in 1900. This is the only non-sectarian Buddhist temple that every sect of Buddhism manages in order. In the temple site, there are a Gandhara style tower, a Hoanto, where the skeletal remains are maintained, a garden called Hassoen, and a tea ceremony room, Soketsuan. The five-story pagoda was built in April 1997. A street fair is held on the 21st day of the month. See More

Toganji

It is a temple of Soto sect of Buddhism. Oda Nobuyuki, the 3rd son of Oda Nobuhide (the father of the famous warlord, Oda Nobunaga) established this temple to pray for the repose of his father's soul. In its site, gorinto (a gravestone composed of five pieces piled one upon another) is built. Today, Toganji is widely known as the temple of Benzaiten (a Goddess of eloquence, music and art) and show-business personalities visit and pray for a better performance. This temple possesses several temple treasures in the motif of men and women united in conjugal acts including the so-called Sleeping Benzaiten. A 10-meter high statue, the Great Buddha of Nagoya, was erected in 1987. See More

Tsuruma Park

The first Nagoya City municipal park, opened in 1909. It has a Western-style garden with flower beds and a rose garden spread around a fountain on the west side, and a Japanese-style garden with two ponds—Kochogaike Pond and Shobuike Pond—on the east side. The Japanese-style garden has 750 cherry trees, and starting with the cherry blossoms in April, people gather for flower festivals of all kinds—azaleas, roses, irises, and more—that follow one after another. The park also holds a public hall, library, and playground, and is a place of rest and relaxation for citizens. See More

Chikusa Park

Located within a quiet residential area that suddenly opens up into a verdant space, Chikusa Park is also famous for being one of the best places for lilies in Nagoya. Committed to creating a barrier-free place that everybody can use easily, the park is equipped with paths through the park that wheelchairs or strollers can use and multipurpose toilets. See More

Yamazaki River

The Yamazaki River, which goes through Mizuho-ward, Nagoya is popular with the inhabitants of the ward. As it is known as the "dankei", the Yamazaki River connotes a valley and there is an area where trees on the steep slope of the bank cover the stream flow. The row of cherry blossom trees is especially widely known and attracts many people. See More

Nagoya City Agricultural Center dela Farm

The center was established on April 1, 1965 to promote the development of agriculture in Nagoya as urban agriculture. Today, it is opened to the public as a place for relaxation with a lot of green and water. It is also used as an agriculture park to promote agricultural education and to experience agriculture. Fresh milk and ice cream are available at the milk factory. See More

Kenchuji Temple

Kenchuji is a temple belonging to the Jodoshu sect of Buddism and was established by the 2nd lord of Owari-han, Tokugawa Mitsutomo, in 1651 to pray for the soul of his late father, Yoshinao. Since its establishment, this temple has been the family temple of the Owari Tokugawa Family. There is a Gongen style mausoleum which is registered as prefectural cultural property at the back of the main building and ancestral memorial tablets of successive lords are enshrined in it. The temple's gate which was built in 1652 is the tower gate of sangen-ikko style (a 3x2-bay gate). See More

Former Residence of Sasuke Toyoda

Sasuke Toyoda was a business man and also the younger brother of Sakichi Toyoda, master of invention. At that time, the residence of Risaburo Toyoda was also located here. Although the gate and fence of Risaburo's place remain, only Sakichi's house exists to this day. On the 1st floor, you can see lights in the shape of lotus buds and air vents with the word "Toyota" designed into the motif of a crane. See More

Catholic Chikaramachi Church

The church was established in 1888 by the French Catholic missionary Fr. Augustin Tulpin and Japanese doctor Shusai Inoue, thus making it the oldest church in Aichi. See More

Yagotosan Koshoji Temple

Yagotosan Koshoji Temple is a Shingon Sect temple in Nagoya City. It was built in 1688 by Buddhist priest Tenzui Ensho, who received Kukai's five-pronged vajra. It became known as a place of worship for the Owari Tokugawa family after the second lord of the clan, Tokugawa Mitsutomo, began devoting himself to the priest's teachings. Also called Owari Koya, it became a place of learning and training, as well as an object of worship for many people. See More

Showa Museum of Art (Goto Hoon Association Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)

Showa Museum of Art opened in 1978 as a private-collection museum. This natural-forest garden in a peaceful neighborhood in the east of Nagoya is home to the sukiya-style Nanzanjuso (an Aichi Prefecture designated cultural property), a former samurai villa that was relocated there in 1935. The tea ceremony room within is called Nejikago no Seki, and is opened up for guided visits about 10 times a year (reservations required). See More

Yokiso

Yokiso is a villa constructed from the Taisho to the Showa Era on the hilly land of Kakuozan by the 15th-generation Ito Jirozaemon, the a founder of Matsuzakaya Department Store. This is a representative suburban villa in Nagoya. 1) The north garden has many highlights around a pond. No reservation necessary. 2) A tour to the buildings and the south garden is conducted by a guide. Prior application required. See More