Nagoya Beyond the Stopover: Castle, Shrine, Eel Rice and Ghibli Park

Many travelers know Nagoya only as a stop on the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto. That is a missed opportunity. Nagoya is Japan's fourth-largest city, with about 2.3 million residents, and it combines a major castle, one of the country's most venerable Shinto shrines, a food culture all its own and the factories that built the Japanese car industry.

It is also close to a newer attraction, Ghibli Park, which has turned the region into a family destination. This guide explains the city's history in three famous names, then walks through the castle, shrine, museums and meals that make it worth a stop of a day or two.

The City of Three Unifiers

Nagoya sits at the heart of the region where three men who shaped Japan's unification, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, all have connections. Ieyasu was born in Mikawa Province, in eastern Aichi, and in 1610 he ordered the construction of a new castle at Nagoya for the Owari branch of his family. The castle town that grew around it became the center of the region.

In the modern era, the city became an industrial powerhouse. Automotive manufacturing is the main industry today, and Toyota-linked companies such as Denso, Lexus and Toyota Industries have headquarters in or near the city. The port of Nagoya is Japan's largest by international trade value, and the city has long balanced manufacturing strength with a taste for tradition.

Nagoya Castle and Its Golden Shachi

Nagoya Castle was built from 1610 as the seat of the Owari Tokugawa family and served that role until the Meiji era. Its symbol is a pair of golden shachi, mythical creatures with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp, which sit on the roof of the keep and have become a popular emblem of the whole city. The castle was destroyed in air raids on May 14, 1945, and its concrete keep was rebuilt in 1959.

The keep has been closed to visitors since May 2018 because it is not earthquake-resistant, and the city plans to rebuild it in wood. Current reports say the project is not expected to finish before 2032, so check the latest status. The Honmaru Palace, rebuilt with traditional materials from 2009 to 2018, is open and includes entrance and reception halls and rooms prepared for a visiting shogun, with replicas of the Kano school paintings that once decorated its sliding doors. The grounds, moat and stone walls are lovely year round.

Atsuta Shrine

Atsuta Shrine (Atsuta Jingu) is one of the most venerated Shinto sites in Japan, second only to Ise in standing. Tradition says it houses the Kusanagi sword, one of the three Imperial Regalia, though the sword is never displayed to the public. The shrine is traditionally said to date to the reign of Emperor Keiko, an ancient founding date that reflects its long importance.

Its forested grounds are calm and surprisingly spacious for a city setting. Among the sights is the Nobunaga-bei, a 7.4-meter wall donated by Oda Nobunaga in 1560 after his victory at the Battle of Okehazama. The main buildings were rebuilt by 1955, and the Bunkaden treasure house, completed in 1966, holds more than 4,000 relics. The shrine holds over 70 ceremonies and festivals each year, including the Rei Sai on June 5, so there is often something happening.

Nagoya Meshi: A Cuisine of Its Own

Nagoya meshi (Nagoya-style food) is distinctive and bold. Hitsumabushi is grilled eel served over rice, and it is eaten in three stages: plain first, then with toppings such as green onion, wasabi, nori and mitsuba, and finally as chazuke with dashi or tea poured over the rice. The restaurant Atsuta Houraiken claims to have originated the dish in the Meiji period, serving the rice in wooden tubs so bowls would not break during deliveries, though the dish's exact origin is debated. The name hitsumabushi became widely used in the 1950s, when farmed eel became common.

Miso katsu is a pork cutlet served with a sauce made with red miso, while kishimen is a flat, wavy-edged udon noodle in broth, and miso-nikomi udon is firm udon simmered in a red miso soup. Tebasaki, sweet and sesame-coated chicken wings, and tenmusu, a nori-wrapped rice ball with tempura shrimp, are popular snacks. Try them in Sakae, the central district around the Nagoya TV Tower, or around Osu, a shopping district beside Osu Kannon temple.

Industry and Craft Museums

The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology in Nishi-ku opened in June 1994 inside an old red-brick textile factory. Its displays begin with textile looms and move on to the history of cars and robots, which makes sense because Toyota began as a textile company before it became an automaker. It suits families and anyone curious about Japanese manufacturing.

Noritake's porcelain factory is also open to visitors, and the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium offers a break for children. Together they show a side of the city beyond the castle and shrine, one built on skill, patience and engineering. Allow a half day for the Toyota museum, and check hours and any reservation requirements before you go.

Ghibli Park Nearby

Ghibli Park opened on November 1, 2022, in Nagakute, Aichi, on part of the grounds of the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park. It includes five areas: Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, the Hill of Youth, Dondoko Forest, Mononoke Village and the Valley of Witches, which opened on March 16, 2024. Highlights include the Kusakabe family house from the Totoro film and a life-sized replica of Howl's Moving Castle.

Advance reservations are required, with tickets released by month, so plan ahead. The park is reached by the Linimo, a maglev line running from Fujigaoka Station, to Aichikyuhaku-kinen-koen Station, at the park entrance. The park has no private parking lot. See the official site for the current ticket schedule.

Plan Your Visit

Nagoya Station is a major hub for the Tokaido Shinkansen, with Meitetsu and Kintetsu stations next door and the twin JR Central Towers of 51 and 53 floors above. Nozomi trains stop there, and Tokyo is roughly an hour and forty minutes away. The city subway reaches the castle in about ten minutes from the station, with a short walk to the east gate. The Meguru loop bus is another option and takes about 25 minutes to the main gate, which suits travelers who prefer to stay above ground and see the streets.

In the center of town, Sakae pairs the Nagoya TV Tower with Hisaya-Odori Park, a long green strip that is pleasant to walk in the evening. Osu is a shopping district with the temple of Osu Kannon close by, and it makes a lively last stop on a full day.

Plan a base of two nights if you add Ghibli Park, and book tickets first. Autumn and spring are comfortable seasons for walking the castle and shrine grounds, while summer is hot and humid. The castle's palace is open from 9:00 to 16:30, with the last entry at 16:00, but confirm current hours and closures on the official site before you go.