Miso katsuみそかつ
Pork cutlet under a thick, sweet red-miso sauce. The defining Nagoya dish.
Where to try it: Yabaton (Osu)
Chubu
Aichi Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
Home to Nagoya, Japan’s fourth-largest city and a great food town. Highlights include Nagoya Castle, Atsuta Jingu, Toyota’s museums and the castle town of Inuyama.
Open Aichi on the map60 places on the map · 15 local favourites
Local tips
- TipThe Nagoya subway covers the city; Meitetsu trains run to Chubu Airport, Inuyama and Tokoname.
- DoTry a café “morning”: order coffee before late morning and toast or eggs come free.
- Heads upNagoya summers are extremely hot and humid; plan indoor breaks in the afternoon.
- TipGhibli Park requires tickets booked in advance; it is in the Expo park in Nagakute.
- TipFor a quieter outing, walk the Pottery Footpath in Tokoname or the tie-dye streets of Arimatsu.
What to eat
Hitsumabushiひつまぶし
Grilled eel over rice, eaten three ways: plain, with condiments, then with dashi poured over.
Where to try it: Atsuta Houraiken
Tebasaki手羽先
Peppery, sweet-glazed fried chicken wings, an izakaya staple across the city.
Where to try it: Fushimi Entertainment District
Miso nikomi udon味噌煮込みうどん
Firm noodles simmered in dark red-miso broth, served bubbling in a clay pot.
Where to try it: Yamamotoya Sohonke
Ogura toast小倉トースト
Thick buttered toast with sweet red-bean paste, the classic Nagoya café breakfast.
Where to try it: Konparu, Osu
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Chiryu Shrine
Temples & GoshuinchoA local shrine with a multi-story pagoda and an iris garden, on the old Tokaido road. Almost entirely a local-visitor spot.
● Mostly localsTahara & Atsumi Peninsula Lighthouse
Nature & SceneryA coastal lighthouse at the tip of the Atsumi Peninsula, well outside the usual Aichi tourist circuit.
● Mostly localsArimatsu
ShoppingNature & SceneryA preserved Tokaido post town within Nagoya city limits, known for Arimatsu shibori tie-dye. Very few foreign visitors make the trip.
● Mostly localsTokoname Pottery Footpath
ShoppingNature & SceneryNarrow lanes lined with kilns, chimneys, and pottery walls in one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns towns.
● Mostly localsYuya Onsen
湯谷温泉 Hot SpringsSmall hot-spring village in a gorge of the Ure River in Shinshiro, with ryokan offering day baths by the river. Near Horaiji for a combined trip.
● Mostly localsImaike
今池 NightlifeBohemian nightlife district east of Sakae, packed with small izakaya, live music bars and late-night eateries. A local favourite, with no tourist crowds.
● Mostly localsKakuozan
Local FoodShoppingTemples & GoshuinchoA residential Nagoya neighborhood around Nittaiji temple, with independent cafes and craft shops along the approach street. Firmly a locals' area.
● Mostly localsHanda Canal & Mizkan Museum
Local FoodNature & SceneryBlack-walled vinegar warehouses along a canal, with the Mizkan vinegar company museum explaining how Handa vinegar shaped Edo-era sushi.
● Mostly localsSeto Pottery District
ShoppingThe namesake town behind the generic Japanese word for pottery, "setomono" — workshops and small galleries line the streets.
● Mostly localsMasumida Shrine
真清田神社 Temples & GoshuinchoThe top-ranked shrine of old Owari province, which gave Ichinomiya its name. Big and serene, with a morning market held near the gate on some days.
● Mostly localsNagoya City Archives
名古屋市市政資料館 Sights & HistoryFormer courthouse with a red-brick exterior and a grand marble staircase under a stained-glass skylight. Rarely crowded and great for photos.
● Mostly localsHoraiji Temple
鳳来寺 Temples & GoshuinchoNature & SceneryMountain temple in Shinshiro reached by 1,425 stone steps through old cedar forest, with a small Toshogu shrine near the top. A driveway also goes up for the less…
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Ghibli Park
Nature & SceneryMascot CharactersStudio Ghibli theme park in Aichi Expo Memorial Park, opened 2022. Book far in advance — walk-up entry is not available for the main areas.
Legoland Japan
Nature & SceneryStamp RalliesA Lego-themed park at Kinjo Pier, built around miniature Lego versions of Japanese landmarks — squarely a family/kids destination, not a local secret.
Nagoya Castle
Nature & SceneryThe main keep is closed, with the wood reconstruction now not expected until sometime in the 2030s. Honmaru Palace is open and is the actual highlight to visit — the…
Nagoya Port Aquarium
Nature & SceneryThe underwater dolphin-viewing room is a genuinely vivid detail worth building a visit around.
Nagoya Station (Meieki) Area
Local FoodShoppingThe transit and shopping core, with department stores stacked above the station and the Esca underground mall on the Shinkansen side holding most of the Nagoya-meshi…
Meiji Mura
Nature & SceneryShoppingAn open-air museum village of relocated Meiji-era buildings, popular with both locals and visitors.