9 Best Sights in Nagoya, Nagoya, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula

Traditional shibori (tie-dyed cotton) has been produced in this area for more than 400 years. Here you can learn about the history of the dyeing technique and see demonstrations of the production process. The museum sells samples of the cloth, which features striking white designs on the deepest indigo, as well as clothing, tablecloths, and other items. You can also try making your own tie-dyed souvenirs at one of the regular workshops, which require a reservation and have an extra cost. Arimatsu Station is 25 minutes south of Nagoya on the Meitetsu Nagoya Line.

A shrine has stood at the site of Atsuta Jingu for 1,700 years. After Ise, this is the country's most important Shinto shrine. The Treasure House (宝物館; Homotsukan) is reputed to house one of the emperor's three imperial regalia—the Grass-Mowing Sword (Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi)—and although it is never on public display, there are many other worthy artifacts to see. Nestled among 1,000-year-old trees, making it easy to spot from the train, the shrine is an oasis of tradition in the midst of modern industrialism. Dozens of major festivals and religious events are held here each year. From Meitetsu Nagoya Station, take the Meitetsu Nagoya Line south to Jingumae Station. The shrine is across the road from the West Exit.

Opened in late 2022, this Disney-esque theme park is dedicated to the creations of legendary animators Studio Ghibli, the people behind films such as Spirited Away. Spread over five sprawling zones, it includes the fairytale-like landscape of the Valley of the Witches Zone and the Dondoko Forest Zone, which recreates the world depicted in My Neighbor Totoro. Just be aware that tickets are only available online and sell out extremely quickly. Ghibli is in Aichi Earth Expo Memorial Park, about 15 km (9 miles) east of Nagoya. Shuttle buses run to and from the park from Nagoya Station.

When LEGOLAND Japan opened in the Nagoya port area in 2017, it gave the region something to rival the Universal Studios Japan amusement park in Osaka and Disney Resorts just outside Tokyo. Aimed at kids aged 2 to 12 (and their families), the park brings together more than 40 rides spread across eight zones, including the medieval-themed Knights Kingdom and its Dragon roller coaster and water fights in the Pirate Shores zone. As you might expect from LEGO, there are also plenty of models to check out—10,000 in all using a total of 17 million LEGO bricks.

The main keep of this Nagoya landmark, a 1950s ferro-concrete reconstruction of the 1612 original, was closed in May 2018 to be pulled down and replaced by a fully wooden reconstruction by December 2022. Or that was the plan. As of June 2024, the old keep is still standing, but nobody can enter. However, the castle ground's are still more than worth a visit for the painstakingly rebuilt Honmaru Palace, which was unveiled in 2018. Made mostly of hinoki (Japanese cypress), it is richly decorated with elaborate wall and screen-door paintings, intricate wood carvings, decorative metal fittings, and fine lacquering. It's a modern-day masterpiece of traditional Japanese crafting. Check out the ceilings as you get deeper into the palace, as their design becomes increasingly more complex to reflect the higher status of those allowed into the inner sanctums. Just beyond the ticket office, you'll find volunteer guides from the Aichi Goodwill Guides Network, who are happy to show visitors around in English. Nagoya Castle's east gate is one block north of the Nagoya-jo subway station. If you get hungry while there, just across from the castle's east entrance is a new cluster of a dozen or so restaurants and cafés, collectively called Kinshachi Yokocho.

The seven-story Nagoya City Science Museum is packed with fun, hands-on attractions designed to teach kids of all ages about science. The highlights are a planetarium—Japan's biggest—and several visually impressive "labs" where you can experience a tornado, learn about electricity, or feel the Arctic cold.

Delicate colors and intricate hand-painted designs characterize the china of Noritake, one of the world's largest manufacturers of porcelain. Its garden complex includes a craft center—effectively a mini-factory where workers demonstrate the 15-step manufacturing process from modeling to glazing to hand painting. You can even paint a design and transfer it to a piece of china or decorate a porcelain dinosaur. China-painting workshops run from 10 to 4, but the cost does not include the price of shipping your piece once it has been fired (only plates can be shipped overseas). The upper floors house a small museum displaying "Old Noritake" works with art nouveau and art deco influences. A free Welcome Center shows the diverse industrial applications of ceramics, from circuit boards to racing helmets. There's the odd bargain to be found in the outlet section of the company shop. Noritake Garden is a 15-minute walk north of JR Nagoya Station or five minutes from exit 2 of the Kamejima subway station and can easily be combined with a trip to the nearby Toyota Commemorative Museum.

The seldom-displayed 12th-century hand scrolls of The Tale of Genji, widely recognized as the world's first novel, are housed here. Even when the scrolls are not available, beautiful relics of the lifestyle of the aristocratic samurai class—including swords and armor, tea-ceremony artifacts, Noh masks, clothing, and furnishings—fascinate visitors. If you're visiting specifically to see the scrolls, check out the Hosa Library rooms, which house an incredible collection of other ancient scrolls and texts (some 110,000 in all), some dating to the 8th century. If you've got time, it's worth paying an additional ¥300 for entry to the adjacent Tokugawaen (徳川園), an attractive Japanese garden modeled in the Edo style. Tokugawa Art Museum is a 10-minute walk south of exit 3 of Ozone Station, which is on the Meijo subway line and the JR Chuo Line.

Housed in the distinctive brick buildings of the company's original factory, this museum is dedicated to the rise of Nagoya's most famous company. Toyota's textile-industry origins are explored in the first of two immense halls, with an amazing selection of looms illustrating the evolution of spinning and weaving technologies over the last 200 years. The second, even larger hall focuses on the company's move into auto manufacturing, with exhibits including the Model AA, Toyota's first mass-production automobile. In the Technoland zone, kids can try out a wind tunnel, play with water and air jets, operate a virtual weaving machine, and test out mini electric cars. The museum is a 20-minute walk north of JR Nagoya Station or three minutes from JR Sako Station.