Nagoya
Ok, yes, Nagoya is more Central Japan than Western but it is technically closer to Kyoto than Tokyo.
The capital of the Aichi prefecture, and apparently the 4th largest city in Japan, it felt like a fairly small city in terms of the vibe. One of its specialties is miso katsu, of which I had a surprisingly large portion for dinner.
A short ride on the shinkansen from Osaka, I arrived in the morning, promptly dropped my backpack at the hotel (I sent my suitcase ahead to Tokyo), and then wandered off. I only spent one full day here as a pitstop on the way to Tokyo, but I will go back! Much less frantic than the big cities and not as big of a tourist destination, it seems.
Hotels
Recommended
Sure :)
Notes
The biggest selling point of this hotel is its proximity to Nagoya Station. A 10-minute walk, if even that. Staff was friendly, check-out was at a kiosk, and I don’t remember the room quality, which tells me it was just fine. A comfortable stay!
Restaurants
Misokatsu Yabaton
Recommended
If time allows
Notes
The restaurant was decent; nothing particularly fancy. I might go here again, but likely would try another spot. Not bad; I just only remember being uncomfortably full. So much food.
Scenic
Nagoya Castle
Notes
I visited after the typical 3 days of New Years celebration and there were still food booths up. Warmed up with some amazake (traditional sweet drink made from fermented rice) and made my way over to the castle. I don’t think people can go in the castle itself but there’s still lots to see. Entry to the grounds cost 500 yen.
Name
Nagoya Castle
Recommended
Highly
A short train ride south of the castle, this tower lights up at night. I arrived too late (after my giant meal) to go up the tower itself but it does have an observation deck. I got a nice photo from the deck of Oasis 21, a shopping mall / tourist attraction nearby. Didn’t go in the mall itself, though, so I won’t list it under shopping.
If time allows
I visited this temple in the late evening and the food booths were all packing up, except for one giant tent that was packed. Still, I don’t believe I had visited a shrine at night before and it was a pretty cool experience. There’s also a shopping street nearby that is worth cruising through if you’re in the area!
Highly
Shopping
TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE Noritake Shinmachi
Recommended
If time allows
Notes
Located in AEON Mall, there is also small park nearby. There’s a sign that asks you not to stop on the stairs to take photos (of course some people did anyway) but you can get a decent photo from the 2nd level, facing the stairs. Wandering was the plan for the day but there are no trains that run near here. You can bus or walk like 30 min to Nagoya Castle and see some smaller streets.
A central arcade of various shops, very close to Osu Kannon temple. Worth a stroll if you’re checking out the temple.
If time allows
Not unique to Nagoya, but an electronics store where I picked up a Switch game and a playmat (or was it sleeves) for Magic.
If time allows