I have a free trip to Nagoya!
 

Wow I'm so excited. My dad has been urged for months to go visit the World Expo in Nagoya by his Japanese friend for a few weeks now. He finally caved in and decided to...send me and a friend there instead!

So. It is likely that we'd be there end July (yes I reckon it'd be hot...but still), and we'd probably stay 4 nights or so. Seeing that the main point of the trip is to pay a courtesy visit to that said friend (whom I've never met) and to visit the Expo, we may not have too much time to wander anywhere else. Still, I'd like suggestions on what I could do in that few days. I could take a day (or overnight trip) to Kyoto, yes? How much is the train fare? What can I see in Kyoto for 1 or 2 days?

I like culture, shopping (esp flea markets), food.

Would appreciate any advice and comments.

Bonjour Janna,

Lucky you !

From Nagoya, Kyoto can be visited as a daytrip. Pick your day carefully if you want to enjoy a fleamarket: 12th at Myorenji temple, 21st at Toji - the most convenient on a daytrip as it is 15min on foot from the station -, 25th at Kitano Tenmangu shrine.

Have a look at Kyoto Visitor's Guide (and pick a paper copy at the Kyoto tourist office in the station) for an overview of events in July: http://www.kyotoguide.com/index/index.html

Thanks for the info and the link, Florence! The latest seems to be that we'd only be going end August - which means I wouldn't get to go to the flea markets you listed, pity. Is the weather cooler end August/early September?

It stays extremely hot until mid-September/sometimes late September. Then it becomes tolerable. July or August will both be very, very hot and very, very humid. Plan your days accordingly...start early, take an afternoon break in air conditioning somewhere. Flea markets are held monthly, so you could also hit them in August or September. Expo ends September 25. I'd try for the beginning of September for Expo as school will be back in session...the crowds are heavy. Also, midweek over a weekend.

On Japan Rail it would cost about $110 roundtrip nonstop on the shinkansen. Half that on JR local trains (2 changes of train). A bus might be more cost effective.

Thanks! Do you have an English link on bus and train servuce in Japan? Can I assume that the shinkansen is the bullet train? What are the timing difference between the shinkansen, normal train and bus journeys?

for train, go to hyperdia.com
for bus, I don't know
yes,shinkansen = bullet train
1 hour shinkansen, 2.5 hours local, ? bus