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Five days in Nagoya: Tokoname lanes or INAX?

Stay four nights in Nagoya, visiting both castles, the aquarium and Noritake on separate days. Choose Tokoname lanes or INAX tile exhibitions for the last day. The outdoor and indoor options have different walks and admission fees; hands-on activities cost extra. Allow time to return to Nagoya for your onward departure. Move or omit the final visit if leaving in the morning.

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Choose a 5 days / 4 nights itinerary

5 days / 4 nights A

Both castles, aquarium, ceramics exhibitions and final-day Tokoname lanes

Stay four nights in Nagoya for both castles, the aquarium, ceramics exhibitions and a pottery-lane walk. Walk Tokoname Route A on the final day. Match castle-bus operating days and exhibition closures with the final-day return trains and your onward departure.

Both castles, aquarium, ceramics exhibitions and final-day Tokoname lanes →5 days / 4 nights B

Both castles, aquarium, Noritake and final-day INAX exhibitions

Stay four nights in Nagoya to add tiles and architectural ceramics to both castles, the aquarium and Noritake. Visit INAX exhibitions on the final day. The walk from Tokoname Station takes about 25 minutes each way, so allow time for exhibitions, lunch and your return train. Hands-on activities cost extra.

Both castles, aquarium, Noritake and final-day INAX exhibitions →
5 days / 4 nights A

Both castles, aquarium, ceramics exhibitions and final-day Tokoname lanes

Stay four nights in Nagoya for both castles, the aquarium, ceramics exhibitions and a pottery-lane walk. Walk Tokoname Route A on the final day. Match castle-bus operating days and exhibition closures with the final-day return trains and your onward departure.

Day 1: Inuyama Castle keep and castle-town streets, then back to Nagoya

  1. Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Inuyama Station

    Use the Meitetsu journey planner to choose both outward and return services for your date. Choose a train stopping at Inuyama and travel in an ordinary car. Special cars require a μticket in addition to the basic fare. Before boarding, check the platform, destination and Inuyama stop.

    Meitetsu: date-specific journey and fare plannerMeitetsu special cars and μSKY

  2. Inuyama Station west exit → Inuyama Castle ticket office

    Leave by the west exit, turn right at Honmachi junction 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 the ticket office.

    Inuyama Castle: accessOtemichi, ticketing and keep entrance

  3. Inuyama Castle ticket office → Keep and castle-town streets

    Buy castle-only tickets at the machine; exchange vouchers and combined tickets at the staffed counter. If stairs are difficult or rain is heavy, focus on the castle-town streets instead. For the keep, remove your shoes at the entrance, climb the internal stairs and have lunch in the streets below afterwards. Hours are 09:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. It closes 29–31 December.

    Otemichi, ticketing and keep entranceInuyama Castle: facilities and visiting information

  4. Castle-town streets and Inuyama Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station

    Retrace your route to Inuyama Station and take an ordinary car on a train stopping at Meitetsu Nagoya. Allow time to walk from the streets to the station and board, then have dinner and rest back in Nagoya.

    Inuyama Castle: accessMeitetsu: date-specific journey and fare planner

Day 2: Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, then back to Nagoya

  1. Nagoya subway station → Sakae and Nagoyako stations

    Take the Higashiyama Line towards Fujigaoka to Sakae, then change to a Nagoyako-bound train on the Meijo Line towards Kanayama. The Nagoyako service continues onto the Meiko Line at Kanayama. Its destination differs from the circular service, so check platform displays. Use the journey planner for your date to allow transfer time.

    Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessTransportation Bureau date-specific journey plannerTransportation Bureau: verified Nagoya → Nagoyako subway fare

  2. Nagoyako Station exit 3 → Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium

    The official walk from exit 3 takes about five minutes. Choose the performances you want to see first, then plan north- and south-building exhibitions and lunch around them. Dolphin performances take place at the north building’s level-3 stadium, so allow time to move from other exhibition areas. Weather and animal conditions can change programmes; check locations and times for your date.

    Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar

  3. Aquarium and Nagoyako Station → Sakae and Nagoya subway stations

    Return to Nagoyako Station and choose a train via Sakae. At Sakae, change to the Higashiyama Line towards Takabata for Nagoya. Check the return planner for through service at Kanayama and the Sakae transfer. Have dinner or rest near the station.

    Transportation Bureau date-specific journey plannerTransportation Bureau: verified Nagoyako → Nagoya subway fare

Day 3: Noritake ceramics and tableware exhibitions, then back to Nagoya

  1. JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori Exit → Noritake East Gate

    From JR Nagoya, walk about 600 metres north, then take the diagonal road to the right at Ushijimacho junction. Continue about 150 metres through Wanouchicho junction; about 50 metres later, enter through the East Gate on your left. Allow about 15 minutes from JR Nagoya, or 20 from Meitetsu or Kintetsu Nagoya.

    Noritake East Gate walking map

  2. East Gate → Craft Center and Museum

    Find the exhibition entrance on the site map and explore ceramics production, historic tableware and design material. Paid exhibitions open 10:00–17:00; painting activities cost extra. Walking the outdoor grounds and visiting exhibitions are separate options. It closes on Mondays, or the next weekday when Monday is a public holiday, and from 26 December to 3 January. Check the separate exhibition calendar if you also want to visit the gallery.

    Site mapNoritake exhibitions and admissionNoritake facility hours and closures

  3. Noritake East Gate → JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori Exit

    After the exhibitions, have lunch nearby and retrace your route to JR Nagoya Station. Allow about 15 minutes plus time for finding your way.

    Noritake East Gate walking map

Day 4: Honmaru Palace at Nagoya Castle, then back to Nagoya

  1. Nagoya Station Taiko-dori Exit SRT stop → Nagoya Castle bus stop

    Take the Nagoya Castle SRT route. It runs on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and public holidays. Choose both an arrival and return departure in the timetable for your date. This SRT itinerary cannot be followed unchanged on ordinary Tuesday–Thursday weekdays.

    Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresReturn timetable effective 11 September

  2. Nagoya Castle bus stop → Main gate and Honmaru Palace

    Walk about four minutes from the stop to the main gate, then about 10 minutes to the Honmaru Palace entrance. Explore the palace and castle grounds, with time for a rest. The main keep interior is closed. The castle closes at 16:30 and palace admission ends at 16:00; allow time to reach the palace entrance and queue.

    Official castle accessMain gate to palace entranceNagoya Castle: facilities and visiting information

  3. Nagoya Castle → Nagoya Station Taiko-dori Exit

    After sightseeing, return to the SRT stop where you arrived and board for Nagoya Station’s Taiko-dori Exit. Reach the stop in time for the castle departure, then have dinner or rest near the station.

    Return timetable effective 11 SeptemberNagoya City: SRT operating days and fares

Day 5: Tokoname pottery lanes, then back to Nagoya

  1. Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Tokoname Station

    Choose an ordinary-car service stopping at Tokoname in the planner for your date. Even on trains towards Chubu Centrair International Airport, check stops and transfers. The verified fare for this route’s direct ordinary-car service is 750 yen per adult one way; special cars cost extra.

    Meitetsu: date-specific journey and fare plannerMeitetsu: verified Nagoya → Tokoname ordinary fareMeitetsu special cars and μSKY

  2. Tokoname Station and Ceramic Hall → Pottery Footpath Route A

    Collect a map at the Ceramic Hall information office, 400 metres east of the station. Route A starts at the hall and covers 1.6 km, with an official walking time of about one hour. Walk sloping lanes with clay pipes and workshops, adding time for lunch and rests. Route B is different: four kilometres and about 2.5 hours. House admission, workshop activities and cafés cost extra. Shorten the hilly walk in heavy rain.

    Information office 400 metres east of the stationTokoname Tourism Association: walking routes A and B

  3. Ceramic Hall and Tokoname Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station

    After the walk, return to Tokoname Station and take an ordinary car on a service stopping at Nagoya. Check the destination, stops and transfers for the journey from Tokoname to Meitetsu Nagoya on your date. Under the verified conditions, the fare is 750 yen one way or 1,500 yen return.

    Meitetsu: date-specific journey and fare plannerMeitetsu: verified Tokoname → Nagoya ordinary fare

Confirmed costs and exclusions: 8,250 yen

Included: Inuyama Castle 1,000 yen + Meitetsu Nagoya–Inuyama ordinary-car fares at 630 yen each way = 2,260 yen; aquarium 2,030 yen + Nagoya–Nagoyako individual subway tickets at 270 yen each way = 2,570 yen; Noritake combined admission 500 yen; Nagoya Castle 1,000 yen + two SRT ordinary fares at 210 yen = 1,420 yen; Meitetsu Nagoya–Tokoname ordinary-car fares at 750 yen each way = 1,500 yen for public-lane Route A.

Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, airport or inter-prefecture travel, extra travel between stations and hotels, shopping, separate activities, special-car supplements and paid facilities outside the itinerary.

This partial total uses ordinary individual tickets for one adult under 65, as checked on 8 October 2026. Transport calculations cover only the sections and ticket types stated for each route; they do not claim the cheapest combination of discount tickets. Recalculate if your return route, ticket type or admission fee differs. Fare-search conditions do not confirm your actual itinerary or secure a seat.

Inuyama Castle: facilities and visiting informationMeitetsu: verified Nagoya → Inuyama ordinary fareMeitetsu: verified Inuyama → Nagoya ordinary farePort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: admissionTransportation Bureau: verified Nagoya → Nagoyako subway fareTransportation Bureau: verified Nagoyako → Nagoya subway fareNoritake exhibitions and admissionNagoya Castle: admissionNagoya City: SRT operating days and faresMeitetsu: verified Nagoya → Tokoname ordinary fareMeitetsu: verified Tokoname → Nagoya ordinary fareTokoname Tourism Association: walking routes A and B

5 days / 4 nights B

Both castles, aquarium, Noritake and final-day INAX exhibitions

Stay four nights in Nagoya to add tiles and architectural ceramics to both castles, the aquarium and Noritake. Visit INAX exhibitions on the final day. The walk from Tokoname Station takes about 25 minutes each way, so allow time for exhibitions, lunch and your return train. Hands-on activities cost extra.

Day 1: Inuyama Castle keep and castle-town streets, then back to Nagoya

  1. Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Inuyama Station

    Use the Meitetsu journey planner to choose both outward and return services for your date. Choose a train stopping at Inuyama and travel in an ordinary car. Special cars require a μticket in addition to the basic fare. Before boarding, check the platform, destination and Inuyama stop.

    Meitetsu: date-specific journey and fare plannerMeitetsu special cars and μSKY

  2. Inuyama Station west exit → Inuyama Castle ticket office

    Leave by the west exit, turn right at Honmachi junction 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 the ticket office.

    Inuyama Castle: accessOtemichi, ticketing and keep entrance

  3. Inuyama Castle ticket office → Keep and castle-town streets

    Buy castle-only tickets at the machine; exchange vouchers and combined tickets at the staffed counter. If stairs are difficult or rain is heavy, focus on the castle-town streets instead. For the keep, remove your shoes at the entrance, climb the internal stairs and have lunch in the streets below afterwards. Hours are 09:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. It closes 29–31 December.

    Otemichi, ticketing and keep entranceInuyama Castle: facilities and visiting information

  4. Castle-town streets and Inuyama Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station

    Retrace your route to Inuyama Station and take an ordinary car on a train stopping at Meitetsu Nagoya. Allow time to walk from the streets to the station and board, then have dinner and rest back in Nagoya.

    Inuyama Castle: accessMeitetsu: date-specific journey and fare planner

Day 2: Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, then back to Nagoya

  1. Nagoya subway station → Sakae and Nagoyako stations

    Take the Higashiyama Line towards Fujigaoka to Sakae, then change to a Nagoyako-bound train on the Meijo Line towards Kanayama. The Nagoyako service continues onto the Meiko Line at Kanayama. Its destination differs from the circular service, so check platform displays. Use the journey planner for your date to allow transfer time.

    Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessTransportation Bureau date-specific journey plannerTransportation Bureau: verified Nagoya → Nagoyako subway fare

  2. Nagoyako Station exit 3 → Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium

    The official walk from exit 3 takes about five minutes. Choose the performances you want to see first, then plan north- and south-building exhibitions and lunch around them. Dolphin performances take place at the north building’s level-3 stadium, so allow time to move from other exhibition areas. Weather and animal conditions can change programmes; check locations and times for your date.

    Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar

  3. Aquarium and Nagoyako Station → Sakae and Nagoya subway stations

    Return to Nagoyako Station and choose a train via Sakae. At Sakae, change to the Higashiyama Line towards Takabata for Nagoya. Check the return planner for through service at Kanayama and the Sakae transfer. Have dinner or rest near the station.

    Transportation Bureau date-specific journey plannerTransportation Bureau: verified Nagoyako → Nagoya subway fare

Day 3: Honmaru Palace at Nagoya Castle, then back to Nagoya

  1. Nagoya Station Taiko-dori Exit SRT stop → Nagoya Castle bus stop

    Take the Nagoya Castle SRT route. It runs on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and public holidays. Choose both an arrival and return departure in the timetable for your date. This SRT itinerary cannot be followed unchanged on ordinary Tuesday–Thursday weekdays.

    Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresReturn timetable effective 11 September

  2. Nagoya Castle bus stop → Main gate and Honmaru Palace

    Walk about four minutes from the stop to the main gate, then about 10 minutes to the Honmaru Palace entrance. Explore the palace and castle grounds, with time for a rest. The main keep interior is closed. The castle closes at 16:30 and palace admission ends at 16:00; allow time to reach the palace entrance and queue.

    Official castle accessMain gate to palace entranceNagoya Castle: facilities and visiting information

  3. Nagoya Castle → Nagoya Station Taiko-dori Exit

    After sightseeing, return to the SRT stop where you arrived and board for Nagoya Station’s Taiko-dori Exit. Reach the stop in time for the castle departure, then have dinner or rest near the station.

    Return timetable effective 11 SeptemberNagoya City: SRT operating days and fares

Day 4: Noritake ceramics and tableware exhibitions, then back to Nagoya

  1. JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori Exit → Noritake East Gate

    From JR Nagoya, walk about 600 metres north, then take the diagonal road to the right at Ushijimacho junction. Continue about 150 metres through Wanouchicho junction; about 50 metres later, enter through the East Gate on your left. Allow about 15 minutes from JR Nagoya, or 20 from Meitetsu or Kintetsu Nagoya.

    Noritake East Gate walking map

  2. East Gate → Craft Center and Museum

    Find the exhibition entrance on the site map and explore ceramics production, historic tableware and design material. Paid exhibitions open 10:00–17:00; painting activities cost extra. Walking the outdoor grounds and visiting exhibitions are separate options. It closes on Mondays, or the next weekday when Monday is a public holiday, and from 26 December to 3 January. Check the separate exhibition calendar if you also want to visit the gallery.

    Site mapNoritake exhibitions and admissionNoritake facility hours and closures

  3. Noritake East Gate → JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori Exit

    After the exhibitions, have lunch nearby and retrace your route to JR Nagoya Station. Allow about 15 minutes plus time for finding your way.

    Noritake East Gate walking map

Day 5: INAX tile exhibitions, then back to Nagoya

  1. Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Tokoname Station

    Choose an ordinary-car service stopping at Tokoname in the planner for your date. Special cars require a separate μticket. Look up your return service too before planning exhibitions and lunch.

    Meitetsu: date-specific journey and fare plannerMeitetsu special cars and μSKY

  2. Tokoname Station → INAX Live Museum

    The official walk from the station takes about 25 minutes. Buy exhibition tickets at the general information desk in the Kiln Plaza and Museum at 1-130 Okueicho. View tiles and architectural ceramic materials indoors, with lunch and a rest nearby.

    INAX: exhibition admission, closures and information deskINAX: walking map from Tokoname Station

  3. INAX exhibitions → Tokoname Station

    Exhibitions open 10:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. It opens on public-holiday Wednesdays and exceptionally on 6 and 13 January 2027. Check the official year-end closure notice for your visiting year. Hands-on activities are separate from exhibition admission; check fees and reservation conditions for each programme. Afterwards, retrace the approximately 25-minute walk to Tokoname Station.

    INAX: exhibition admission, closures and information deskINAX: walking map from Tokoname Station

  4. Tokoname Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station

    Take an ordinary car on a return service stopping at Nagoya. The verified fare under the same conditions is 750 yen one way or 1,500 yen return. If departing onwards after reaching Nagoya, allow time to change stations and prepare to board.

    Meitetsu: date-specific journey and fare plannerMeitetsu: verified Nagoya → Tokoname ordinary fareMeitetsu: verified Tokoname → Nagoya ordinary fare

Confirmed costs and exclusions: 9,250 yen

Included: Inuyama Castle 1,000 yen + Meitetsu Nagoya–Inuyama ordinary-car fares at 630 yen each way = 2,260 yen; aquarium 2,030 yen + Nagoya–Nagoyako individual subway tickets at 270 yen each way = 2,570 yen; Nagoya Castle 1,000 yen + two SRT ordinary fares at 210 yen = 1,420 yen; Noritake combined admission 500 yen; INAX ordinary exhibition admission 1,000 yen + Meitetsu Nagoya–Tokoname ordinary-car fares at 750 yen each way = 2,500 yen.

Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, airport or inter-prefecture travel, extra travel between stations and hotels, shopping, separate activities, special-car supplements and paid facilities outside the itinerary.

This partial total uses ordinary individual tickets for one adult under 65, as checked on 8 October 2026. Transport calculations cover only the sections and ticket types stated for each route; they do not claim the cheapest combination of discount tickets. Recalculate if your return route, ticket type or admission fee differs. Fare-search conditions do not confirm your actual itinerary or secure a seat.

Inuyama Castle: facilities and visiting informationMeitetsu: verified Nagoya → Inuyama ordinary fareMeitetsu: verified Inuyama → Nagoya ordinary farePort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: admissionTransportation Bureau: verified Nagoya → Nagoyako subway fareTransportation Bureau: verified Nagoyako → Nagoya subway fareNagoya Castle: admissionNagoya City: SRT operating days and faresNoritake exhibitions and admissionINAX: exhibition admission, closures and information deskMeitetsu: verified Nagoya → Tokoname ordinary fareMeitetsu: verified Tokoname → Nagoya ordinary fare

Frequently asked questions

Does INAX exhibition admission include hands-on activities?

Exhibitions and hands-on activities are separate. General adult exhibition admission is 1,000 yen; buy tickets at the general reception in the Kiln Plaza and Museum. Check reservations and fees for your chosen activity separately. Hours are 10:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. It opens on public-holiday Wednesdays and exceptionally on 6 and 13 January 2027. Checked 9 October 2026.

INAX: exhibition admission, closures and information desk

Official sources and check dates