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Saturday, May 13, 2017

Introduction to: Nagoya

This article is based on a visit made on Thursday, 17 November 2016.

Edit 13 June 2018: Added excursions.
Edit 5 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Nagoya (名古屋, lit. 'distinguished old house') is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population (third-largest if you count Tokyo and Yokohama together), and the largest city in the central Chubu region.  The city is a major industrial centre of Japan, with auto manufacturers such as Toyota and Mitsubishi based in the area.

Nagoya was founded by the warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1610, who sought a more strategic location for the regional capital.  It played a major role in Japan's industrial revolution during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Since it also fueled the nation's military during World War II, it was subject to Allied air raids from 1942 to 1945, which destroyed many of the city's buildings.  As with many such cities across Japan, it has more than rebuilt itself since then, even hosting the World Expo in 2005.

Main Attractions

By Alpsdake [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
1) Nagoya Station / JR Central Towers: The world's largest train station by floor space, thanks to the twin towers standing atop it.

2) Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology: A museum dedicated to Toyota's history in the textile and automotive industries.

By 名古屋太郎 (投稿者が撮影。PENTAX K10D + smc PENTAX-A 1:2.8 28mm) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
3) Nagoya Castle: A castle from the Edo period, reconstructed after being destroyed in WWII.

Roman SUZUKI [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
4) Sakae: A commercial and transportation hub, with landmarks including the Nagoya TV Tower.

5) Osu Kannon Temple: A Buddhist temple near a major shopping district.

By Saigen Jiro [CC0], from Wikimedia Commons
6) Atsuta Shrine: A very sacred Shinto shrine where part of the Japanese Imperial Regalia is held (but not visible to the public).

7) Port of Nagoya: A redeveloped port area with an aquarium, an amusement park, and some museums.

8) SCMaglev & Railway Park: A train museum run by JR Central, with special focus on the Shinkansen and future Maglev systems.

9) Legoland Japan: A new theme park dedicated to the Lego construction toy.

Orientation & Transportation

The main station, Nagoya Station, lies in the centre-west of the city, with most rail lines running through the station to the north and south. It serves the Tokaido Shinkansen and other JR lines, the Higashiyama (H) and Sakura-dori (S) subway lines, and the Aonami (AN) line.  Meitetsu and Kintetsu own stations directly adjacent to the Nagoya Station.  Other major junctions include the adjacent Sakae (Higashiyama and Meijo (M) subway lines) and Hisaya-odori (Sakura-dori and Meijo subway lines), both east of Nagoya Station, and Kanayama (JR Tokaido (CA), Chuo (CF), Meitetsu Nagoya (NH), Subway Meijo, and Meiko (M) lines), southeast of Nagoya Station.

 The following railway companies operate in the Nagoya area:
  • JR Central, or known in Japanese as JR Tokai, operates the high-speed Tokaido Shinkansen (all services), along with a few regular lines: the Tokaido (CA) and Chuo Main Lines (CF) to the east, and the Kansai Main Line (CJ) to the west.  The Japan Rail Pass is valid on these lines (except for Nozomi Shinkansen trains).
  • Meitetsu, a.k.a. Nagoya Railroad, is a private company operating a dense network of lines throughout Aichi Prefecture.  They provide the most convenient access to certain locations, such as the castle town of Inuyama (via the Inuyama (IY) line), and the Chubu Centrair airport (via the Airport (TA) line).
  • Kintetsu is a private company that operates mostly in the Kansai region to the west.  However, their Nagoya (E) line does terminate at Nagoya Station.
  • The Nagoya Municipal Subway network consists of six lines throughout the city.  The Higashiyama (H), Tsurumai (T), and Sakura-dori (S) lines travel east-west through the city centre, the Meijo (M) line loops around the city, and the Meiko (M) and Kamiida (K) lines spur off of the Meijo loop.
  • The Aonami (AN) line is a private line running from Nagoya Station to the southern port area.  For tourists, the line provides access to the SCMaglev & Railway Park museum and the Legoland amusement park, both at the end of the line.
  • The Linimo (L) is a short maglev-powered train line built for Expo 2005.  It starts at the eastern end of the Higashiyama subway line.
In addition, there are local buses operated by the city's Transportation Bureau, Meitetsu, and Mie Kotsu.  One of the most useful buses for tourists is the Me~guru loop bus, which stops at the city's more famous destinations such as the Toyota Techno Museum, Nagoya Castle, and Nagoya TV Tower.  Me~guru buses depart from Nagoya Station every 30-60 minutes on weekdays, or every 20-30 minutes on weekends and holidays.  Rides are ¥210 each, and a one-day pass, which also includes discounts to attractions, costs ¥500.  More information: (English) (Japanese)

Access

The easiest way to get to Nagoya from other cities in Japan is by the Tokaido Shinkansen high-speed train.  All three Tokaido services stop at Nagoya Station.  Travel times and fares from major cities on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen are as follows:

City Time (Kodama) Time (Hikari) Time (Nozomi)Fare (Reserved)
Tokyo 170 minutes 105-125 minutes 100 minutes ¥11,090
Kyoto 50 minutes 35-55 minutes 35 minutes ¥5,700
Osaka
(Shin-Osaka)		 65 minutes 50-70 minutes 50 minutes ¥6,470
Hiroshima 200 minutes* 150-170 minutes* 135 minutes ¥14,070
Fukuoka (Hakata) 315 minutes* 220-240 minutes* 65 minutes ¥18,360
*Selected trains require a transfer at Shin-Osaka Station.
Times and fares are based on October 2019 schedules and are subject to change.

For air traffic, Nagoya is served by Chubu Centrair International Airport, a.k.a. Central Japan International Airport (IATA code: NGO) (English) (Japanese).  The only train service to the airport is by the Meitetsu Airport (TA) line.  In addition to regular services, there are faster limited-express trains with both non-reserved and reserved seating, and the even-faster "μSky Limited Express" (read "Myu Sky") trains, with only reserved seating.  Both kinds of limited-express trains continue on from Nagoya Station to other destinations, including Inuyama and Gifu.

Service Time* Fare
(Non-Reserved)		 Fare
(Reserved)		 Frequency*
μSky Limited Express 28 minutes N/A ¥1,250 2 per hour
Limited Express 37 minutes ¥890 ¥1,250 2 per hour
Semi-Express 48 minutes ¥890 N/A 2 per hour
*Time and frequency of departures from Central Japan International Airport to Meitetsu-Nagoya Station.

Nagoya's secondary airport is Nagoya Airfield, a.k.a. Komaki Airport (IATA code: NKM), which serves only domestic destinations via Fuji Dream Airways.  Buses between the airport and Nagoya Station take 20 to 40 minutes and cost ¥700.  More information: (Japanese)

There is also a limousine bus service which stops at several hotels on its way to/from the Meitetsu Bus Centre, adjacent to Nagoya Station.  Ride times range from 50 minutes (to/from the Nagoya Tokyu Hotel, near Sakae) to 80 minutes (to/from Meitetsu Bus Centre).  Buses depart once an hour, and the fare is ¥1,200.  More information: (English/Japanese)

Excursions

1) Inuyama: A northern suburb with its own castle and open-air museum.
Access: Meitetsu Inuyama line from Meitetsu-Nagoya to Inuyama (Limited Express: 25 minutes, ¥930; Express: 30 minutes, ¥570).

2) Hikone: A lakeside town with one of Japan's remaining original castles.
Access: Tokaido Shinkansen (Hikari/Kodama) from Nagoya to Maibara (30 minutes), followed by the JR Tokaido line to Hikone (5 minutes, ¥3,280 reserved, JR Pass OK).

3) Ise-Shima Peninsula: Site of Ise Shrine, the most sacred shrine in all of Shinto.
Access: JR Mie Rapid from Nagoya to Ise-shi Station (90 minutes, ¥2,570, JR Pass OK*), or Kintetsu Limited Express from Kintetsu-Nagoya to Ise-shi (80 minutes, ¥2,810).
*Note: Due to the Mie Rapid's use of non-JR tracks, JR Pass holders must pay an extra ¥520 when using this train.

4) Kiso Valley: A collection of preserved post towns along the old Nakasendo highway, which one may hike across.
Access: JR Shinano Limited Express from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa Station (50 minutes, ¥3,070 reserved, JR Pass OK), followed by a bus to Magome (25 minutes, ¥570) (Schedule).

5) Matsumoto: A mountain city with another of Japan's remaining original castles.
Access: JR Shinano Limited Express from Nagoya to Matsumoto (125-140 minutes, ¥6,140 reserved, JR Pass OK).

6) Takayama: A city with a well-preserved old town.
Access: JR Hida Limited Express from Nagoya to Takayama Station (150 minutes, ¥6,140 reserved, JR Pass OK).
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