One of my early Japanese speaking practice teachers was a woman who lived in Nagoya. When I said I’d never been, she quipped, “Don’t bother – there’s nothing to do here.”
Sadly, that sentiment appears to be shared by many domestic and inbound Japanese tourists. Despite being Japan’s fourth largest city, retailers say they’re seeing little uptick in business. Is there really so little to do there?
Fourth in size, 11th in foreign tourist visits
Japan welcomed a record number of inbound tourists in November 2024. Travel experts predict it’ll see a record-setting 40 million visitors in 2025. Most of them will visit Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. A number will hit other popular destinations such as Hokkaido, the Mt. Fuji area, Fukuoka Prefecture, Okinawa, Shirakawa-go, and other up-and-coming hotspots like Toyama.
One place they’re unlikely to go, however, is this large city of 2.33 million people in Aichi Prefecture.
According to Merkmal (via Yahoo! News JP), the city saw 1.83 million hotel lodgers in 2023. That’s only 80%-ish of 2019’s totals. It pales in comparison to Tokyo, which saw 43.64 million overnight foreign visitors in 2023. Osaka saw 18.76 million.
Aichi Prefecture ranks 11th for foreign tourist stays. By contrast, 92.5% of foreign tourists include stops in Tokyo and Osaka on their itineraries.
The issue, writes Merkmal, is that Nagoya doesn’t have a distinctive neighborhood or ethos that draws in tourists. Kanazawa, for example, has much that harkens back to the country’s Edo-era samurai history. Osaka has the distinctive Dotonbori shopping district. Shirakawa-go has its historical gassho-zukuri slanted roof houses.
Outside of Nagoya Castle, however, some say the city has little to offer visitors. Much of its history was destroyed during World War II. When the city rebuilt, it replaced almost everything with modern buildings. (The exception is Nagoya Castle, which was restored to its original form.)
That’s not to say there’s nothing to see and do in Nagoya. There’s Legoland, of course, as well as Tokugawa Garden, the related art museum, and Atsuta Jingu Shrine, among other sites. The Ghibli Park is also nearby in Nagakute, about 50 minutes to the east.
However, says Merkmal, there’s nothing that distinctively captures the “spirit” of Nagoya – or a sense of Japan’s history – like the aforementioned sites.
The good news: Nagoya is cheap! And uncrowded!
Both the city and Aichi Prefecture are working to raise the city’s profile. Aichi’s new tourist strategy for 2024-2026 includes promoting distinctive Nagoya sites and cuisine, using popular Japan travel influencers to get the word out online.
Merkmal says that, unlike Kyoto, public transit isn’t overcrowded with tourists hauling large suitcases. Hotels have available occupancy – and, unlike in Tokyo, prices haven’t gone through the roof.
In our view, both as journalists and tour guides, “nothing to do” is in the eye of the beholder. Besides the above-mentioned sites, Nagoya is well-known for its distinctive “Nagoya-meshi” cuisine, which includes hits such as Taiwan ramen and miso-katsu.
For anime fans, there are events such as the World Cosplay Summit in August. Other sites, according to the official Visit Nagoya website, include locations such as the Osu Shopping District, the Nagoya City Science Museum, and “three-dimensional” park Oasis21. Meanwhile, the Toyota Commemorative Museum provides an interesting peek into the famous car company’s origins as a textile loom manufacturer.
Point is, if you want some laid-back time in Japan while still being able to soak up some Japanese culture, Nagoya may be a great addition to your trip. Act now, and you can enjoy the city while other tourists are still sleeping on it.
Need help crafting a unique itinerary for Nagoya or anywhere in Japan? Let us help! We can help you identify hidden spots and act as your interpreters so you can engage leisurely with local residents and business owners.
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