Aichi travel: divide your time between Nagoya, Inuyama and Tokoname
Stay near Nagoya Station if you will use the Shinkansen or make day trips to Inuyama or Tokoname. With one night, choose one castle and Noritake; with two, add the aquarium or Tokoname’s lanes. Three or four nights allow both castles, or more time for Tokoname and INAX exhibitions. JR, Meitetsu and subway services use different boarding areas at Nagoya, so follow signs for your railway.
Castle interiors, aquarium or ceramics?
Choose Nagoya Castle for Honmaru Palace and castle grounds, or Inuyama Castle for an old wooden keep interior. For marine life, visit Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium; for ceramics, choose Tokoname lanes, Noritake or INAX. Lane walks and paid exhibitions have different fees and opening days.
Itineraries by trip length
Base yourself in Nagoya, using SRT or the subway in the city and Meitetsu for Inuyama and Tokoname. Choose one castle, or add the aquarium or ceramics sightseeing to suit your trip length. If reordering visits, match facility closures with SRT operating days.
2 days / 1 night
Choose Nagoya Castle for Honmaru Palace or Inuyama Castle to climb a wooden keep. Visit Noritake the following day before departure. For a morning departure, see whether the exhibitions can move to day one, or omit them.
3 days / 2 nights
Add a day at the aquarium to Nagoya Castle and Noritake, or walk Tokoname’s lanes. The final-day Tokoname option needs enough time to return to Nagoya for your onward departure.
4 days / 3 nights
Give Inuyama Castle, the aquarium and Noritake a day each, then choose Nagoya Castle or Tokoname lanes for the remaining day. Decide between a wooden keep plus restored Honmaru Palace, or one castle plus pottery lanes.
5 days / 4 nights
Visit Nagoya Castle, Inuyama Castle, the aquarium and Noritake on separate days, then choose Tokoname lanes or INAX on the last day. The outdoor walk and indoor tile exhibitions have different walking routes, prices and closures.
Where to stay
Nagoya · 名古屋
The Nagoya Station area is convenient for the Shinkansen and Meitetsu connections; Sakae suits sightseeing by subway. JR Nagoya, Meitetsu Nagoya and subway Nagoya do not share a boarding area.
JR station locker locationsPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessMeitetsu: date-specific journey and fare planner
Inuyama · 犬山
The official walk from Inuyama Station to the castle takes about 20 minutes. Leave time for the streets below the castle too. If based in Nagoya, plan to return on the same day after your visit.
Tokoname · 常滑
The Pottery Footpath follows hilly lanes. Proximity to Chubu Centrair International Airport does not make it suitable for a last-minute walk with luggage before flying. Start at the tourist information office near Tokoname Station and collect a walking map.
Preparations to check separately
Leave time for your final-day departure
If leaving in the morning, move Noritake, Tokoname or INAX sightseeing to an earlier day, or omit it. Allow time after returning to Nagoya for your onward service. For an airport departure, calculate airport travel and boarding deadlines separately. Reordering visits also requires matching SRT operating days and facility closures.
Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresNoritake facility hours and closures
Arrange storage first if you have large luggage
Use hotel storage according to your booking’s conditions. For JR Nagoya lockers, the Sakuradori Exit toilet-area location is number 4 on the official map, and Taiko-dori Exit is number 10. Check available spaces, sizes and prices on site, and leave time to return to the same location after sightseeing. Storage and hotel transfers are excluded from route subtotals.
Transport, meals and related guides
Japan transport guide
SRT to Nagoya Castle, the subway to the aquarium, and Meitetsu to Inuyama or Tokoname use different boarding areas and operating schedules. Check return routes for your destination.
Japan transport guide →Rail pass guide
Inuyama and Tokoname journeys in these routes use Meitetsu; the aquarium journey uses Nagoya subway services. Distinguish them from JR pass coverage, and compare ordinary fares with each operator’s passes.
Rail pass guide →See restaurant and reservation information
Consider hitsumabushi eel rice or miso katsu in Nagoya. Hitsumabushi is enjoyed in stages: plain, with condiments, then with broth. On the aquarium day, have lunch around the port; on the Inuyama day, eat in the castle-town streets to reduce journeys made just for restaurants. Check each city and restaurant’s opening days, menu and reservation conditions. Meals are excluded from itinerary subtotals.
See restaurant and reservation information →Region name
Aichi Prefecture · 愛知県
Day trips from a Nagoya base
These routes stay consecutive nights in Nagoya and make return trips to Inuyama and Tokoname. The two towns are separate from central Nagoya; visit them on separate train-excursion days.
Nagoya Station and Noritake Garden
Combine the Nagoya Station area with Noritake exhibitions on a train arrival or departure day. The official walk to the East Gate takes about 15 minutes; Craft Center and Museum admission is paid. Exhibitions open on public-holiday Mondays and close on the next weekday instead. Check year-end closures too, and leave time to return to the station after your last-day visit.
Noritake East Gate walking mapNoritake exhibitions and admissionNoritake facility hours and closures
Nagoya Castle and Honmaru Palace
Choose Nagoya Castle for palace interiors and castle grounds. The main keep interior is closed, so this is not a keep-climbing visit. Walk about five minutes from Nagoyajo exit 7 to the main gate, then continue to the palace. Palace admission ends before the castle’s overall closing time.
Nagoya Castle: facilities and visiting informationOfficial castle accessMain gate to palace entrance
Nagoya Port and aquarium
Visit Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium for belugas, dolphins and performances. Walk about five minutes towards the port from Nagoyako Station. Plan time around north- and south-building exhibitions and the day’s performances. A separate day from the castle leaves more time to rest and see exhibitions between programmes. Performances and outdoor events follow the same-day schedule.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar
Inuyama Station and castle-town streets
Take Meitetsu to Inuyama for a wooden keep interior. From the west exit, follow Honmachi-dori for the official approximately 20-minute walk to the castle. Combine it with a meal in the streets below, but discuss the steep keep stairs with your companions first. Return by train to Nagoya after visiting.
Tokoname lanes and INAX exhibitions
Choose Pottery Footpath Route A for slopes with clay pipes and narrow lanes, or INAX if indoor tile exhibitions appeal more. Route A is about 1.6 km and one hour on foot, with meals and workshop browsing additional. INAX is a paid facility with its own walk from the station. Although in the same area, lane walks and exhibitions have different fees and opening days.
Tokoname Tourism Association: walking routes A and BINAX: exhibition admission, closures and information deskINAX: walking map from Tokoname Station
Find your route using the correct station and destination
Allow separate walking time from your hotel address to the actual boarding area. Use the official access guides and journey planners below to select outward and return services for your date. Adjust walking directions to your hotel address and on-site access guidance after checking the starting point and destination. Map estimates exclude waiting and sightseeing.
| Section | Transport | Directions and checks |
|---|---|---|
| Nagoya Station → Nagoya Castle | Take the subway to Nagoyajo, use exit 7 and walk about five minutes to the main gate. | Check subway transfers and directions for your date |
| Nagoya Station → Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium | Take the Higashiyama Line to Sakae and connect to a Nagoyako-bound service on the Meiko Line. Walk about five minutes from exit 3. | Distinguish this from the Kanayama starting route in the official aquarium access map |
| Meitetsu Nagoya → Inuyama Castle | Take the Inuyama Line to Inuyama Station, use the west exit and walk about 20 minutes along Honmachi-dori. | Find the Meitetsu boarding area rather than JR Nagoya |
| Nagoya Station → Noritake East Gate | Follow the official walking map for about 15 minutes | Distinguish grounds access from the paid exhibition entrance |
| Meitetsu Nagoya → Tokoname | Alight at Tokoname and go to the tourist information office to the east. Choose Route A or INAX. | This is a different direction from Inuyama. Check trains and fares both ways. |
| Tokoname Station → INAX | Follow the official walking map to the general information desk | Distinguish it from the pottery-lane starting point |
Official castle accessPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessInuyama Castle: accessMeitetsu: date-specific journey and fare plannerNoritake East Gate walking mapInformation office 400 metres east of the stationINAX: exhibition admission, closures and information desk
Choose Nagoya cuisine near your sightseeing area
Plan meals around your sightseeing day: back in Nagoya, or lunch in Inuyama or Tokoname. Meals are excluded from route subtotals.
Hitsumabushi
Finely sliced grilled eel is served over rice and enjoyed in stages: plain, with condiments, then with broth. Consider it for a Nagoya meal if you enjoy eel. Check portions and prices on the restaurant menu.
Miso nikomi udon
Udon noodles simmer in miso broth in an earthenware pot. Choose it if you want a meal of noodles in hot broth. On a castle or aquarium day, look for a restaurant on your way back to the hotel and check its hours.
Before comparing ordinary tickets and passes
The sightseeing costs here are partial totals for specified facilities and ordinary-fare journeys. Airport travel, accommodation and meals cost extra. Add supplements if using special train cars.
Check castle-route SRT operating days
The Nagoya Castle SRT route runs on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and public holidays. Two ordinary fares cost 210 yen × 2; the SRT-only one-day ticket costs 500 yen and is a separate product. On ordinary Tuesday–Thursday weekdays the bus does not run, so choose a subway route.
Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresReturn timetable effective 11 September
Meitetsu and subway services are separate from JR
Inuyama and Tokoname returns use Meitetsu; the aquarium journey uses Nagoya subway services. A pass being called a JR pass does not include these journeys. Meitetsu special cars require a μticket in addition to the basic fare, so distinguish them from ordinary-car costs.
Meitetsu: date-specific journey and fare plannerPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessMeitetsu special cars and μSKY
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Inuyama and Tokoname while staying in Nagoya?
Yes. Stay consecutive nights in Nagoya and make separate Meitetsu day trips to Inuyama and Tokoname. These routes do not stay overnight in either town. Inuyama Castle is about a 20-minute walk from the station, and Tokoname Route A covers 1.6 km, so allow walking and rest time as well as trains. Check return departures for each day. On the last day, allow time after returning to Nagoya for your onward departure.
Inuyama Castle: accessTokoname Tourism Association: walking routes A and BMeitetsu: date-specific journey and fare planner
Official sources and check dates
- Nagoya Castle: facilities and visiting information ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: access ·
- Inuyama Castle: access ·
- Tokoname Tourism Association: walking routes A and B ·
- Noritake exhibitions and admission ·
- Noritake facility hours and closures ·
- Noritake East Gate walking map ·
- INAX: exhibition admission, closures and information desk ·
- INAX: walking map from Tokoname Station ·
- Nagoya City: SRT operating days and fares ·
- Return timetable effective 11 September ·
- Official castle access ·
- Main gate to palace entrance ·
- JR station locker locations ·
- Meitetsu: date-specific journey and fare planner ·
- Otemichi, ticketing and keep entrance ·
- Information office 400 metres east of the station ·
- Nagoya cuisine guide: facilities and visiting information ·
- Meitetsu special cars and μSKY ·
- Nagoya cuisine: miso nikomi udon ·