Aichi: how should you divide Nagoya, Inuyama and Tokoname?
Stay near Nagoya Station for Shinkansen travel or day trips to Inuyama/Tokoname. One night pairs one castle with Noritake; two nights add the aquarium or Tokoname lanes. Three to four nights can include both castles or extend to Tokoname/INAX exhibits. JR, Meitetsu and subway Nagoya stations have different boarding points; find the one for your line.
Castle interiors, aquarium or pottery?
Choose Nagoya for Honmaru Palace/grounds, Inuyama for a wooden keep interior, the aquarium for marine exhibits or Tokoname/Noritake/INAX for pottery. Lane walks and paid exhibits differ in prices/dates.
Itineraries by trip length
Keep a Nagoya hotel, using SRT/subway locally and Meitetsu to Inuyama/Tokoname. Choose one castle or add aquarium/pottery according to trip length. Match facility closures and SRT dates when changing order.
2 days, 1 night
Choose Nagoya for Honmaru Palace or Inuyama for a wooden keep. Visit Noritake before departure the next day. For a morning departure, consider moving exhibits to day 1 or skipping them.
3 days, 2 nights
Add an aquarium day to Nagoya Castle/Noritake, or walk Tokoname lanes. Final-day Tokoname requires time for Nagoya return and onward departure.
4 days, 3 nights
Allow separate Inuyama, aquarium and Noritake days, then choose Nagoya Castle or Tokoname lanes for the remaining day. Compare both wooden keep/restored palace with one castle plus pottery lanes.
5 days, 4 nights
After separate Nagoya/Inuyama castles, aquarium and Noritake visits, choose final-day Tokoname lanes or INAX. Lane walking and indoor tiles differ in walking routes, prices and closures.
Where should you stay?
Nagoya · 名古屋
Nagoya Station suits Shinkansen/Meitetsu connections; Sakae suits subway sightseeing. JR Nagoya, Meitetsu Nagoya and subway Nagoya do not share one boarding point.
JR station locker locationsAquarium accessMeitetsu dated route/fare search
Inuyama · 犬山
Official guidance gives roughly 20 minutes walking from Inuyama Station to the castle. Pair it with the castle-town streets. From a Nagoya base, plan to return the same day after visiting.
Tokoname · 常滑
The Pottery Footpath follows hillside lanes. Being near Chubu Centrair International Airport does not make it a suitable stop with luggage just before your flight. From Tokoname Station, find the tourist information centre first and get a walking map.
Preparations to check separately
Leave time before your final departure
For a morning departure, move Noritake/Tokoname/INAX to earlier days or skip them. Add time after Nagoya return for onward boarding; for the airport, allow airport travel and flight deadlines separately. Match SRT dates and facility closures when changing order.
Nagoya city: SRT dates/faresNoritake facility-specific closures/hours
Choose luggage storage first
Hotel storage depends on your booking. For JR Nagoya lockers, the official map marks Sakura-dori Exit toilets as location 4 and Taiko-dori Exit as 10. Check availability, size and price on site and allow return to the same place after sightseeing. Storage and hotel travel are excluded from subtotals.
Transport, meals and related guides
Japan transport guide
Nagoya Castle’s SRT, aquarium subway and Inuyama/Tokoname Meitetsu have different boarding points/operating days. Check return routes for your destination.
Japan transport guide →Rail pass guide
These Inuyama/Tokoname routes use Meitetsu; the aquarium route uses Nagoya subway. Distinguish JR pass coverage and compare ordinary tickets with each operator’s passes.
Rail pass guide →Restaurants and reservations
Consider hitsumabushi eel rice or miso katsu in Nagoya. Hitsumabushi offers different ways to eat: plain, with condiments or with broth. Plan harbour-area lunch on aquarium days and castle-town meals in Inuyama to avoid extra intercity trips just for restaurants. Check your visiting city and restaurant’s opening days, menu and reservation conditions. Meals are separate from partial route totals.
Restaurants and reservations →Regional names
Aichi Prefecture · 愛知県
Day trips from a Nagoya base
Current routes keep a Nagoya hotel for Inuyama/Tokoname return trips. These are separate cities, so allow distinct train-trip days.
Nagoya Station and Noritake Garden
Pair Nagoya Station’s area with Noritake exhibits on train arrival/departure days. Official walking time to East Gate is roughly 15 minutes; Craft Center/Museum admission is paid. Public-holiday Mondays open, with closure the next weekday. Check year-end closures, and allow station return after final-day viewing.
Noritake East Gate walking mapNoritake exhibits and admissionNoritake facility-specific closures/hours
Nagoya Castle and Honmaru Palace
Choose Nagoya Castle for palace interiors and grounds. The keep interior is closed, so this route does not climb it. Walk roughly five minutes from Nagoyajo exit 7 to the main gate, then continue to the palace. Palace last entry precedes castle closing.
Nagoya Castle: facility/visitor guidanceOfficial castle accessMain gate to palace entrance
Nagoya Port and aquarium
Visit the aquarium for belugas, dolphins and shows. Walk roughly five minutes towards the port from Nagoyako. Plan time around north/south exhibits and dated shows. A separate castle day leaves more exhibit/rest time between programs. Follow that day’s show/outdoor-event schedule.
Inuyama Station and castle town
Take Meitetsu to Inuyama for the wooden keep. Official walking time from the west exit along Honmachi-dori is roughly 20 minutes. Pair castle-town meals with the visit, deciding with companions whether to climb steep keep stairs. Return to Nagoya afterwards.
Tokoname lanes and INAX exhibits
Choose course A for sloping ceramic-pipe lanes, or INAX for indoor tile exhibits. A is roughly 1.6 km/one hour walking; meals/workshop browsing add time. INAX is paid and requires its own station walk. Distinguish lane and exhibit prices/dates even in the same area.
Tokoname tourism association: walking courses A/BINAX prices, closures and general information deskINAX walking map from Tokoname Station
Distinguish stations and destinations when planning routes
Allow walking from your hotel address to the actual boarding point separately. Choose dated return services using official access guidance/planners below. Adjust walks to hotel addresses and on-site passage directions after identifying endpoints. Map estimates exclude waiting and sightseeing.
| Section | Transport | Directions and checks |
|---|---|---|
| Nagoya Station → Nagoya Castle | Take the subway to Nagoyajo, leave through exit 7 and walk roughly five minutes to the main gate. | Check dated subway transfers/directions |
| Nagoya Station → aquarium | Take the Higashiyama Line to Sakae and change to a Nagoyako-bound connection onto the Meiko Line. At Nagoyako, walk roughly five minutes from exit 3 to the aquarium. | Distinguish Kanayama departures on the official aquarium access map |
| Meitetsu Nagoya → Inuyama Castle | Take the Inuyama Line to Inuyama. Leave through the west exit and walk roughly 20 minutes along Honmachi-dori to the castle. | Use Meitetsu boarding points, not JR Nagoya |
| Nagoya Station → Noritake East Gate | Follow the official walking map to Noritake East Gate; allow roughly 15 minutes. | Distinguish park access and paid exhibition entrance |
| Meitetsu Nagoya → Tokoname | From Tokoname Station, walk east to the information centre, then choose course A or INAX. | Different direction from Inuyama; check both trains/fares |
| Tokoname Station → INAX | Follow the official walking map to general information | Distinguish it from the pottery-lane entrance |
Official castle accessAquarium accessInuyama Castle accessMeitetsu dated route/fare searchNoritake East Gate walking mapInformation centre 400 m east of the stationINAX prices, closures and general information desk
Choose Nagoya-meshi near your sightseeing
Decide between meals after returning to Nagoya and lunch in Inuyama/Tokoname around sightseeing days. Meals are excluded from partial totals.
Hitsumabushi
Hitsumabushi is chopped grilled eel over rice, eaten plain, with condiments and with broth in turn. Consider it for a Nagoya meal if you enjoy eel; check portions and prices on the restaurant menu.
Miso nikomi udon
Miso nikomi udon is simmered in miso broth in an earthenware pot. Consider it if you want hot broth and noodles. On castle or aquarium days, look for a restaurant on the way back to your hotel and check its hours.
Before comparing ordinary tickets and passes
These sightseeing costs are partial totals for specified facilities/ordinary-fare sections. Airport travel, hotels and meals are separate. Add special-car supplements if using them.
Check SRT castle-route dates
Castle-bound SRT runs Friday–Monday/public holidays. Two ordinary rides cost ¥210 × 2; the SRT-only ¥500 day pass is separate. Use a subway route on ordinary Tuesday–Thursday weekdays when this bus does not run.
Nagoya city: SRT dates/faresReturn timetable effective 11 September
Meitetsu/subway are separate from JR
Inuyama/Tokoname returns use Meitetsu; aquarium travel uses Nagoya subway. The JR pass name alone does not include these sections. Special Meitetsu cars need an extra μticket; keep them separate from ordinary-car costs.
Meitetsu dated route/fare searchAquarium accessMeitetsu special cars and μSKY
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep a Nagoya hotel for Inuyama and Tokoname day trips?
Yes, make separate Meitetsu day trips while keeping your Nagoya hotel; neither route stays overnight locally. Inuyama Castle is roughly 20 minutes on foot from its station and Tokoname course A is 1.6 km. Add walking/rest time to trains. Check each return and allow Nagoya arrival before onward departure on a final-day visit.
Inuyama Castle accessTokoname tourism association: walking courses A/BMeitetsu dated route/fare search
Official sources and dates checked
- Nagoya Castle: facility/visitor guidance ·
- Aquarium opening calendar ·
- Aquarium access ·
- Inuyama Castle access ·
- Tokoname tourism association: walking courses A/B ·
- Noritake exhibits and admission ·
- Noritake facility-specific closures/hours ·
- Noritake East Gate walking map ·
- INAX prices, closures and general information desk ·
- INAX walking map from Tokoname Station ·
- Nagoya city: SRT dates/fares ·
- Return timetable effective 11 September ·
- Official castle access ·
- Main gate to palace entrance ·
- JR station locker locations ·
- Meitetsu dated route/fare search ·
- Otemichi, tickets and keep entrance ·
- Information centre 400 m east of the station ·
- Nagoya-meshi food: facility/visitor guidance ·
- Meitetsu special cars and μSKY ·
- Nagoya-meshi: miso nikomi udon ·