Nagoya in five days: Tokoname’s lanes or INAX exhibitions?
Stay four nights in Nagoya, giving both castles, the aquarium and Noritake separate days, then choose Tokoname’s lanes or INAX tile exhibitions on the final day. The outdoor walk and indoor exhibitions have different walking routes and fees; making activities are separate. Allow time to return to Nagoya before your onward departure. Move or omit the final visit if leaving in the morning.
Choose an itinerary for 5 days / 4 nights
Both castles, the aquarium, pottery displays and Tokoname’s lanes on the final day
Stay four nights in Nagoya for both castles, the aquarium, pottery displays and a lane walk. Walk Tokoname’s Course A on the final day. Match castle bus operating days and exhibition closures with the final day’s return train and onward departure.
Both castles, the aquarium, pottery displays and Tokoname’s lanes on the final day →5 days / 4 nights BBoth castles, the aquarium, Noritake and INAX exhibitions on the final day
Stay four nights in Nagoya to add tile and ceramic architectural decoration to the two castles, aquarium and Noritake. Visit INAX on the final day. Allow about 25 minutes each way on foot from Tokoname Station, alongside the exhibitions, lunch and return train. Making activities are separate.
Both castles, the aquarium, Noritake and INAX exhibitions on the final day →Both castles, the aquarium, pottery displays and Tokoname’s lanes on the final day
Stay four nights in Nagoya for both castles, the aquarium, pottery displays and a lane walk. Walk Tokoname’s Course A on the final day. Match castle bus operating days and exhibition closures with the final day’s return train and onward departure.
Day 1: Inuyama Castle keep and castle-town streets, then return to Nagoya
- Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Inuyama Station
Use Meitetsu’s journey search to select both Inuyama-bound and return services for your date. Choose a stopping service with ordinary cars. Special cars require a μticket in addition to the base-fare ticket. Check the platform, destination and Inuyama stop before departure.
Meitetsu route and fare search by dateMeitetsu special cars and μSKY guide
- Inuyama Station west exit → Inuyama Castle ticket office
Leave by the west exit, turn right at Honmachi intersection and follow Honmachi-dori towards the castle. The official station-to-castle walk takes about 20 minutes. Climb Otemichi beside the National Treasure Inuyama Castle stone marker to reach the ticket office.
- Inuyama Castle ticket office → Keep and castle-town streets
Buy castle-only tickets from the vending machine; exchanges and combined tickets are handled at the staffed counter. If steps are difficult or rain is heavy, focus on the streets below the castle. To visit the keep, remove your shoes at the entrance and climb the interior stairs, then have lunch in the castle town. The castle opens from 9 am to 5 pm, with last admission at 4:30 pm, and closes from 29 to 31 December.
Otemichi, ticketing and keep entranceInuyama Castle: facility and visitor guide
- Castle-town streets and Inuyama Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station
Retrace your route to Inuyama Station and take an ordinary-car service stopping at Meitetsu Nagoya. Allow the walk from the streets to the station and boarding time, then have dinner and rest in Nagoya.
Inuyama Castle: accessMeitetsu route and fare search by date
Day 2: Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, then return to Nagoya
- Nagoya subway station → Sakae and Nagoyako stations
Take the Higashiyama Line towards Fujigaoka to Sakae, then change to a Nagoyako-bound service travelling towards Kanayama on the Meijo Line. It continues from Kanayama onto the Meiko Line. Check the platform destination: the loop service goes elsewhere. Allow transfer time using the journey search for your date.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessTransportation Bureau journey search by dateTransportation Bureau: Nagoya → Nagoyako subway fare check
- Nagoyako Station exit 3 → Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
The official walk from exit 3 to the aquarium takes about five minutes. Choose your preferred performances first, then plan North and South Building exhibitions and lunch around them. Dolphin performances are held at the North Building’s Level 3 stadium; allow time to move there from other galleries. Programmes may change with weather and animal conditions, so check the day’s locations and times.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar
- Aquarium and Nagoyako Station → Sakae and Nagoya subway stations
Return to Nagoyako Station and choose a service via Sakae. At Sakae, change to the Higashiyama Line towards Takabata for Nagoya. Check through-service arrangements at Kanayama and the Sakae transfer in your return journey search, then have dinner or rest near the station.
Transportation Bureau journey search by dateTransportation Bureau: Nagoyako → Nagoya subway fare check
Day 3: Noritake’s production and tableware displays, then return to Nagoya
- JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori exit → Noritake East Gate
Walk about 600 metres north from the JR station, then take the diagonal road to the right at Ushijimacho intersection. Continue about 150 metres past Wanouchicho intersection, then another 50 metres to the East Gate on your left. The walk takes about 15 minutes from JR Nagoya, or 20 minutes from the Meitetsu and Kintetsu stations.
- East Gate → Craft Center and Noritake Museum
Find the exhibition entrance on the site map to see pottery production and historic tableware and design material. The paid exhibitions open 10 am–5 pm; painting activities are separate. An outdoor walk and an exhibition visit are different options. The exhibitions close on Mondays, except public holidays when they open and close the next weekday instead, and from 26 December to 3 January. Check the separate exhibition calendars if adding the gallery.
Site mapNoritake exhibitions and admissionNoritake: hours and closures by facility
- Noritake East Gate → JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori exit
After the exhibition, have lunch nearby and retrace your route to JR Nagoya Station. Allow about 15 minutes for the walk, plus time to find your way.
Day 4: Honmaru Palace at Nagoya Castle, then return to Nagoya
- Nagoya Station Taiko-dori exit SRT stop → Nagoya Castle stop
Take SRT’s Nagoya Castle route. It runs Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and public holidays, so select both your castle-bound and return services in the timetable for your travel date. This SRT itinerary cannot be used on ordinary Tuesday–Thursday weekdays.
Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresReturn timetable effective 11 September
- Nagoya Castle stop → Main gate and Honmaru Palace
Walk about four minutes from the stop to the main gate, then another ten minutes to the Honmaru Palace entrance. Explore the palace and castle grounds, allowing breaks. The keep interior is closed. The castle closes at 4:30 pm and palace admission ends at 4 pm; allow the walk to the palace entrance and any queue.
Castle official access guideMain gate to the palace entranceNagoya Castle: facility and visitor guide
- Nagoya Castle → Nagoya Station Taiko-dori exit
After your visit, return to the SRT stop where you arrived and take a bus for Nagoya Station’s Taiko-dori exit. Reach the stop in time for your chosen departure, then have dinner or rest near the station.
Return timetable effective 11 SeptemberNagoya City: SRT operating days and fares
Day 5: Tokoname’s pottery lanes, then return to Nagoya
- Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Tokoname Station
Use the date-specific journey search to choose an ordinary-car service stopping at Tokoname. Even for airport-bound services, check stops and transfers. The checked adult fare for this direct ordinary-car journey is JPY 750 one way; special cars cost extra.
Meitetsu route and fare search by dateMeitetsu: Nagoya → Tokoname regular fare checkMeitetsu special cars and μSKY guide
- Tokoname Station and Pottery Hall → Pottery Footpath Course A
Pick up a map at the Pottery Hall information office, 400 metres east of the station. Course A starts at the hall and is 1.6 km, officially about an hour’s walking. Explore the sloping lanes lined with pottery pipes and workshops, adding lunch and breaks. Course B is a separate four-kilometre walk taking about two and a half hours. House admission, workshop activities and cafés are additional. Shorten the hilly walk in heavy rain.
Information office 400 metres east of the stationTokoname tourism association: walking Courses A and B
- Pottery Hall and Tokoname Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station
After the walk, return to Tokoname Station and take an ordinary-car service stopping at Nagoya. Check destinations, stops and transfers in the date-specific Tokoname → Meitetsu Nagoya search. Under the same checked conditions, the fare is JPY 750 one way, or JPY 1,500 return.
Meitetsu route and fare search by dateMeitetsu: Tokoname → Nagoya regular fare check
Included: Inuyama Castle regular admission JPY 1,000 + Meitetsu Nagoya ↔ Inuyama ordinary-car fares JPY 630 × 2 = JPY 2,260; aquarium-only regular admission JPY 2,030 + Nagoya ↔ Nagoyako individual subway fares JPY 270 × 2 = JPY 2,570; Craft Center and Noritake Museum combined regular admission JPY 500; Nagoya Castle regular admission JPY 1,000 + SRT regular fares JPY 210 × 2 = JPY 1,420; Meitetsu Nagoya ↔ Tokoname ordinary-car fares JPY 750 × 2 = JPY 1,500 for the public Course A lane walk.
Separate costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, airport travel or travel outside the prefecture, extra journeys between the station and hotel, shopping, separate activities, special-car surcharges and paid facilities outside the itinerary cost extra.
This subtotal covers the listed costs for one adult under 65 using regular individual tickets, checked on 8 October 2026. Transport covers only the listed routes and ticket types; this is not a claim of the cheapest discount combination. Recalculate if your return route, ticket type or admission price differs on your travel date. Fare-search conditions do not represent an actual journey or secured seats.
Inuyama Castle: facility and visitor guideMeitetsu: Nagoya → Inuyama regular fare checkMeitetsu: Inuyama → Nagoya regular fare checkPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: admission feesTransportation Bureau: Nagoya → Nagoyako subway fare checkTransportation Bureau: Nagoyako → Nagoya subway fare checkNoritake exhibitions and admissionNagoya Castle: admission feesNagoya City: SRT operating days and faresMeitetsu: Nagoya → Tokoname regular fare checkMeitetsu: Tokoname → Nagoya regular fare checkTokoname tourism association: walking Courses A and B
Both castles, the aquarium, Noritake and INAX exhibitions on the final day
Stay four nights in Nagoya to add tile and ceramic architectural decoration to the two castles, aquarium and Noritake. Visit INAX on the final day. Allow about 25 minutes each way on foot from Tokoname Station, alongside the exhibitions, lunch and return train. Making activities are separate.
Day 1: Inuyama Castle keep and castle-town streets, then return to Nagoya
- Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Inuyama Station
Use Meitetsu’s journey search to select both Inuyama-bound and return services for your date. Choose a stopping service with ordinary cars. Special cars require a μticket in addition to the base-fare ticket. Check the platform, destination and Inuyama stop before departure.
Meitetsu route and fare search by dateMeitetsu special cars and μSKY guide
- Inuyama Station west exit → Inuyama Castle ticket office
Leave by the west exit, turn right at Honmachi intersection and follow Honmachi-dori towards the castle. The official station-to-castle walk takes about 20 minutes. Climb Otemichi beside the National Treasure Inuyama Castle stone marker to reach the ticket office.
- Inuyama Castle ticket office → Keep and castle-town streets
Buy castle-only tickets from the vending machine; exchanges and combined tickets are handled at the staffed counter. If steps are difficult or rain is heavy, focus on the streets below the castle. To visit the keep, remove your shoes at the entrance and climb the interior stairs, then have lunch in the castle town. The castle opens from 9 am to 5 pm, with last admission at 4:30 pm, and closes from 29 to 31 December.
Otemichi, ticketing and keep entranceInuyama Castle: facility and visitor guide
- Castle-town streets and Inuyama Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station
Retrace your route to Inuyama Station and take an ordinary-car service stopping at Meitetsu Nagoya. Allow the walk from the streets to the station and boarding time, then have dinner and rest in Nagoya.
Inuyama Castle: accessMeitetsu route and fare search by date
Day 2: Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, then return to Nagoya
- Nagoya subway station → Sakae and Nagoyako stations
Take the Higashiyama Line towards Fujigaoka to Sakae, then change to a Nagoyako-bound service travelling towards Kanayama on the Meijo Line. It continues from Kanayama onto the Meiko Line. Check the platform destination: the loop service goes elsewhere. Allow transfer time using the journey search for your date.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessTransportation Bureau journey search by dateTransportation Bureau: Nagoya → Nagoyako subway fare check
- Nagoyako Station exit 3 → Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
The official walk from exit 3 to the aquarium takes about five minutes. Choose your preferred performances first, then plan North and South Building exhibitions and lunch around them. Dolphin performances are held at the North Building’s Level 3 stadium; allow time to move there from other galleries. Programmes may change with weather and animal conditions, so check the day’s locations and times.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar
- Aquarium and Nagoyako Station → Sakae and Nagoya subway stations
Return to Nagoyako Station and choose a service via Sakae. At Sakae, change to the Higashiyama Line towards Takabata for Nagoya. Check through-service arrangements at Kanayama and the Sakae transfer in your return journey search, then have dinner or rest near the station.
Transportation Bureau journey search by dateTransportation Bureau: Nagoyako → Nagoya subway fare check
Day 3: Honmaru Palace at Nagoya Castle, then return to Nagoya
- Nagoya Station Taiko-dori exit SRT stop → Nagoya Castle stop
Take SRT’s Nagoya Castle route. It runs Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and public holidays, so select both your castle-bound and return services in the timetable for your travel date. This SRT itinerary cannot be used on ordinary Tuesday–Thursday weekdays.
Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresReturn timetable effective 11 September
- Nagoya Castle stop → Main gate and Honmaru Palace
Walk about four minutes from the stop to the main gate, then another ten minutes to the Honmaru Palace entrance. Explore the palace and castle grounds, allowing breaks. The keep interior is closed. The castle closes at 4:30 pm and palace admission ends at 4 pm; allow the walk to the palace entrance and any queue.
Castle official access guideMain gate to the palace entranceNagoya Castle: facility and visitor guide
- Nagoya Castle → Nagoya Station Taiko-dori exit
After your visit, return to the SRT stop where you arrived and take a bus for Nagoya Station’s Taiko-dori exit. Reach the stop in time for your chosen departure, then have dinner or rest near the station.
Return timetable effective 11 SeptemberNagoya City: SRT operating days and fares
Day 4: Noritake’s production and tableware displays, then return to Nagoya
- JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori exit → Noritake East Gate
Walk about 600 metres north from the JR station, then take the diagonal road to the right at Ushijimacho intersection. Continue about 150 metres past Wanouchicho intersection, then another 50 metres to the East Gate on your left. The walk takes about 15 minutes from JR Nagoya, or 20 minutes from the Meitetsu and Kintetsu stations.
- East Gate → Craft Center and Noritake Museum
Find the exhibition entrance on the site map to see pottery production and historic tableware and design material. The paid exhibitions open 10 am–5 pm; painting activities are separate. An outdoor walk and an exhibition visit are different options. The exhibitions close on Mondays, except public holidays when they open and close the next weekday instead, and from 26 December to 3 January. Check the separate exhibition calendars if adding the gallery.
Site mapNoritake exhibitions and admissionNoritake: hours and closures by facility
- Noritake East Gate → JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori exit
After the exhibition, have lunch nearby and retrace your route to JR Nagoya Station. Allow about 15 minutes for the walk, plus time to find your way.
Day 5: INAX tile exhibitions, then return to Nagoya
- Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Tokoname Station
Use the date-specific journey search to choose an ordinary-car service stopping at Tokoname. Special cars require an additional μticket. Check the return service before planning exhibition and lunch times.
Meitetsu route and fare search by dateMeitetsu special cars and μSKY guide
- Tokoname Station → INAX MUSEUMS
The official walk from the station takes about 25 minutes. Buy your exhibition ticket at the general information desk in the Kiln Plaza and Archives at 1-130 Okueicho. View tiles and ceramic architectural materials indoors, then allow lunch and rest nearby.
INAX: exhibition fees, closures and general information deskINAX: walking map from Tokoname Station
- INAX exhibitions → Tokoname Station
Exhibitions open 10 am–5 pm, with last admission at 4:30 pm. INAX closes on Wednesdays, except public holidays when it opens; special opening is also listed for 6 and 13 January 2027. Check the relevant year’s official notice for year-end closures. Making activities are separate from exhibition admission, with fees and bookings specific to each programme. Afterwards, retrace the roughly 25-minute walk to Tokoname Station.
INAX: exhibition fees, closures and general information deskINAX: walking map from Tokoname Station
- Tokoname Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station
Take an ordinary-car return service stopping at Nagoya. The checked fare under the same conditions is JPY 750 one way, or JPY 1,500 return. If you have an onward departure after returning to Nagoya, allow station-transfer and boarding time.
Meitetsu route and fare search by dateMeitetsu: Nagoya → Tokoname regular fare checkMeitetsu: Tokoname → Nagoya regular fare check
Included: Inuyama Castle regular admission JPY 1,000 + Meitetsu Nagoya ↔ Inuyama ordinary-car fares JPY 630 × 2 = JPY 2,260; aquarium-only regular admission JPY 2,030 + Nagoya ↔ Nagoyako individual subway fares JPY 270 × 2 = JPY 2,570; Nagoya Castle regular admission JPY 1,000 + SRT regular fares JPY 210 × 2 = JPY 1,420; Craft Center and Noritake Museum combined regular admission JPY 500; INAX regular exhibition admission JPY 1,000 + Meitetsu Nagoya ↔ Tokoname ordinary-car fares JPY 750 × 2 = JPY 2,500.
Separate costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, airport travel or travel outside the prefecture, extra journeys between the station and hotel, shopping, separate activities, special-car surcharges and paid facilities outside the itinerary cost extra.
This subtotal covers the listed costs for one adult under 65 using regular individual tickets, checked on 8 October 2026. Transport covers only the listed routes and ticket types; this is not a claim of the cheapest discount combination. Recalculate if your return route, ticket type or admission price differs on your travel date. Fare-search conditions do not represent an actual journey or secured seats.
Inuyama Castle: facility and visitor guideMeitetsu: Nagoya → Inuyama regular fare checkMeitetsu: Inuyama → Nagoya regular fare checkPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: admission feesTransportation Bureau: Nagoya → Nagoyako subway fare checkTransportation Bureau: Nagoyako → Nagoya subway fare checkNagoya Castle: admission feesNagoya City: SRT operating days and faresNoritake exhibitions and admissionINAX: exhibition fees, closures and general information deskMeitetsu: Nagoya → Tokoname regular fare checkMeitetsu: Tokoname → Nagoya regular fare check
Frequently asked questions
Does INAX exhibition admission include making activities?
Exhibition admission and making activities are separate. Regular adult exhibition admission is JPY 1,000; buy tickets at the general information desk in the Kiln Plaza and Archives. Check booking requirements and fees for your chosen activity. INAX opens from 10 am to 5 pm, with last admission at 4:30 pm. It closes on Wednesdays except public holidays, with special opening also listed for 6 and 13 January 2027. Checked on 9 October 2026.
INAX: exhibition fees, closures and general information desk
Official sources and check dates
- Nagoya Castle: facility and visitor guide ·
- Nagoya Castle: admission fees ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: admission fees ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: access ·
- Inuyama Castle: facility and visitor guide ·
- Inuyama Castle: access ·
- Tokoname tourism association: walking Courses A and B ·
- Noritake exhibitions and admission ·
- Noritake: hours and closures by facility ·
- Noritake East Gate walking map ·
- INAX: exhibition fees, closures and general information desk ·
- INAX: walking map from Tokoname Station ·
- Nagoya City: SRT operating days and fares ·
- Return timetable effective 11 September ·
- Castle official access guide ·
- Main gate to the palace entrance ·
- Site map ·
- Meitetsu route and fare search by date ·
- Otemichi, ticketing and keep entrance ·
- Transportation Bureau journey search by date ·
- Information office 400 metres east of the station ·
- Meitetsu special cars and μSKY guide ·
- Meitetsu: Nagoya → Inuyama regular fare check ·
- Meitetsu: Inuyama → Nagoya regular fare check ·
- Meitetsu: Nagoya → Tokoname regular fare check ·
- Meitetsu: Tokoname → Nagoya regular fare check ·
- Transportation Bureau: Nagoya → Nagoyako subway fare check ·
- Transportation Bureau: Nagoyako → Nagoya subway fare check ·