During four days in Nagoya, should you choose both castles or pottery streets?
Stay in Nagoya for three nights and add Nagoya Castle or Tokoname to Inuyama Castle, the aquarium and Noritake. Choose Nagoya Castle to see both the wooden keep at Inuyama and restored Honmaru Palace. Choose Tokoname to combine one castle with streets lined with pottery workshops. Set your visit order around SRT operating days and Noritake closures.
Choose a 3 nights, 4 days itinerary
Inuyama Castle, aquarium, Nagoya Castle and final ceramics
Stay for three nights to see Inuyama’s wooden keep and Nagoya’s restored palace decoration, with the aquarium and Noritake on separate days. Check SRT operating days and Craft Centre holiday closures, including substitute closure days. The gallery has a separate calendar.
Inuyama Castle, aquarium, Nagoya Castle and final ceramics →3 nights, 4 days BInuyama Castle, aquarium, Tokoname and ceramics
Stay for three nights to see the keep, aquarium and pottery streets. Walk Route A in Tokoname and finish with Noritake. Adjust the order around Craft Centre substitute closure days, and check the gallery calendar separately.
Inuyama Castle, aquarium, Tokoname and ceramics →Inuyama Castle, aquarium, Nagoya Castle and final ceramics
Stay for three nights to see Inuyama’s wooden keep and Nagoya’s restored palace decoration, with the aquarium and Noritake on separate days. Check SRT operating days and Craft Centre holiday closures, including substitute closure days. The gallery has a separate calendar.
Day one: Inuyama’s keep and castle town, then return to Nagoya
- Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Inuyama Station
Choose outward and return services for your date in Meitetsu’s route planner. Use an ordinary car on a train stopping at Inuyama. Special cars require a μ ticket in addition to the base fare ticket. Check the platform, destination and stops before boarding.
Meitetsu: route and fare search by dateMeitetsu special cars and μSKY guide
- Inuyama Station west exit → Inuyama Castle ticket office
Turn right at Honmachi junction and follow Honmachidori; the official walk takes about 20 minutes. Follow Otemichi uphill beside the national-treasure castle monument to the ticket desk.
Inuyama Castle: getting thereOtemichi, ticket desk and keep entrance
- Inuyama Castle ticket office → Keep and castle town
Buy castle-only tickets at the machines; use a staffed counter for ticket exchanges or combination tickets. If stairs are difficult or rain is heavy, focus on the streets below the castle. To visit the keep, remove your shoes and climb the internal stairs, then have lunch in the castle town. Open from 09:00 to 17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Closed from 29 to 31 December.
Otemichi, ticket desk and keep entranceInuyama Castle: visitor information
- Castle town and Inuyama Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station
Retrace the walk to the station and take an ordinary car on a train stopping at Meitetsu Nagoya. Allow time for walking and boarding, then have dinner or a break in Nagoya.
Inuyama Castle: getting thereMeitetsu: route and fare search by date
Day two: aquarium and Nagoya return
- Subway Nagoya Station → Sakae and Nagoyako stations
Take the Higashiyama Line towards Fujigaoka to Sakae. Change to a Nagoyako-bound service on the Meijo Line towards Kanayama that continues onto the Meiko Line. This differs from a loop service; check the platform destination and transfer times for your date.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: getting thereTransport bureau route search by dateTransport bureau: subway fare from Nagoya to Nagoyako
- Nagoyako Station exit 3 → Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
Walk about five minutes from Exit 3. Choose your performances first, then fit North and South Building exhibitions and lunch around them. Dolphin performances take place in the North Building’s third-floor stadium; allow time to reach it from other displays. Weather and the animals’ condition can affect programmes, so check the date, venue and time.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: getting therePort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar
- Aquarium and Nagoyako Station → Sakae and subway Nagoya
Choose a return route via Sakae, then take the Higashiyama Line towards Takabata to Nagoya. Check the service through Kanayama and the Sakae transfer in your route planner. Have a meal or break near the station afterwards.
Transport bureau route search by dateTransport bureau: subway fare from Nagoyako to Nagoya
Day three: Honmaru Palace and Nagoya return
- Nagoya Station Taiko-dori Exit SRT stop → Nagoya Castle stop
Use SRT’s castle route on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday or public holiday. Choose outward and return services from the timetable for your visit date. It does not operate on ordinary Tuesday–Thursday weekdays.
Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresReturn timetable effective from 11 September
- Nagoya Castle stop → Main gate and Honmaru Palace
Walk about four minutes to the main gate, then about ten minutes to the palace entrance. Explore the palace and grounds, allowing time for a break. The keep’s interior is closed. The castle closes at 16:30, but palace entry ends at 16:00; allow time to walk there and queue before that deadline.
Official castle access guideFrom the main gate to the palace entranceNagoya Castle: visitor information
- Nagoya Castle → Nagoya Station Taiko-dori Exit
Return to the same SRT stop for a service to the Taiko-dori Exit. Arrive before departure and allow waiting time, then have a meal or break near Nagoya Station.
Return timetable effective from 11 SeptemberNagoya City: SRT operating days and fares
Day four: Noritake production and tableware exhibitions, then return to the station
- JR Nagoya Station Sakura-dori Exit → Noritake East Gate
Walk north for about 600 metres, take the road diagonally right at Ushijimacho junction for about 150 metres, then continue past Wanouchicho junction for another 50 metres to the East Gate on the left. Allow about 15 minutes from JR Nagoya Station or about 20 minutes from the Meitetsu and Kintetsu stations.
- East Gate → Craft Centre and Museum
Use the site map to find the exhibition entrance for ceramic production and historic tableware and designs. The paid exhibitions open from 10:00 to 17:00; painting experiences cost extra. The outdoor grounds are separate from the exhibitions. Closed on Mondays, or the following weekday when Monday is a public holiday, and from 26 December to 3 January. Check the gallery’s exhibition calendar separately.
Facility mapNoritake exhibitions and admission feesNoritake facility opening hours and closures
- Noritake East Gate → JR Nagoya Station Sakura-dori Exit
Have lunch nearby, then retrace the roughly 15-minute walk to JR Nagoya Station. Allow extra time to find your way.
Included: The subtotal includes Inuyama Castle admission and ordinary-car rail travel at JPY 2,260, aquarium admission and subway travel at JPY 2,570, Nagoya Castle admission and SRT travel at JPY 1,420, and Noritake admission at JPY 500.
Extra costs and conditions: Hotels, meals, storage, airport and outside-prefecture travel, hotel transfers, shopping, experiences, special-car supplements and unlisted paid facilities cost extra.
These are partial totals using ordinary individual tickets for one adult under 65, checked on 8 October 2026. Transport includes only the listed sections and tickets; the totals do not claim to be the cheapest available with discounts. Recalculate if changing the return route, ticket type or admission. Fare search results do not reserve seats or confirm that a journey has been taken.
Inuyama Castle: visitor informationMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Nagoya to InuyamaMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Inuyama to NagoyaPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: admission feesTransport bureau: subway fare from Nagoya to NagoyakoTransport bureau: subway fare from Nagoyako to NagoyaNagoya Castle: admission feesNagoya City: SRT operating days and faresNoritake exhibitions and admission fees
Inuyama Castle, aquarium, Tokoname and ceramics
Stay for three nights to see the keep, aquarium and pottery streets. Walk Route A in Tokoname and finish with Noritake. Adjust the order around Craft Centre substitute closure days, and check the gallery calendar separately.
Day one: Inuyama’s keep and castle town, then return to Nagoya
- Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Inuyama Station
Choose outward and return services for your date in Meitetsu’s route planner. Use an ordinary car on a train stopping at Inuyama. Special cars require a μ ticket in addition to the base fare ticket. Check the platform, destination and stops before boarding.
Meitetsu: route and fare search by dateMeitetsu special cars and μSKY guide
- Inuyama Station west exit → Inuyama Castle ticket office
Turn right at Honmachi junction and follow Honmachidori; the official walk takes about 20 minutes. Follow Otemichi uphill beside the national-treasure castle monument to the ticket desk.
Inuyama Castle: getting thereOtemichi, ticket desk and keep entrance
- Inuyama Castle ticket office → Keep and castle town
Buy castle-only tickets at the machines; use a staffed counter for ticket exchanges or combination tickets. If stairs are difficult or rain is heavy, focus on the streets below the castle. To visit the keep, remove your shoes and climb the internal stairs, then have lunch in the castle town. Open from 09:00 to 17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Closed from 29 to 31 December.
Otemichi, ticket desk and keep entranceInuyama Castle: visitor information
- Castle town and Inuyama Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station
Retrace the walk to the station and take an ordinary car on a train stopping at Meitetsu Nagoya. Allow time for walking and boarding, then have dinner or a break in Nagoya.
Inuyama Castle: getting thereMeitetsu: route and fare search by date
Day two: aquarium and Nagoya return
- Subway Nagoya Station → Sakae and Nagoyako stations
Take the Higashiyama Line towards Fujigaoka to Sakae. Change to a Nagoyako-bound service on the Meijo Line towards Kanayama that continues onto the Meiko Line. This differs from a loop service; check the platform destination and transfer times for your date.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: getting thereTransport bureau route search by dateTransport bureau: subway fare from Nagoya to Nagoyako
- Nagoyako Station exit 3 → Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
Walk about five minutes from Exit 3. Choose your performances first, then fit North and South Building exhibitions and lunch around them. Dolphin performances take place in the North Building’s third-floor stadium; allow time to reach it from other displays. Weather and the animals’ condition can affect programmes, so check the date, venue and time.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: getting therePort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar
- Aquarium and Nagoyako Station → Sakae and subway Nagoya
Choose a return route via Sakae, then take the Higashiyama Line towards Takabata to Nagoya. Check the service through Kanayama and the Sakae transfer in your route planner. Have a meal or break near the station afterwards.
Transport bureau route search by dateTransport bureau: subway fare from Nagoyako to Nagoya
Day three: pottery lanes and Nagoya return
- Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Tokoname Station
Choose an ordinary car on a train stopping at Tokoname. Check stops and transfers even for an airport-bound train. The checked direct adult ordinary-car fare is JPY 750 one way; special cars cost extra.
Meitetsu: route and fare search by dateMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Nagoya to TokonameMeitetsu special cars and μSKY guide
- Tokoname Station and Ceramic Hall → Pottery Trail Route A
Collect a map at the Ceramic Hall, 400 metres east of the station. Route A starts there and is 1.6 km long, with an official walking time of about one hour. Explore slopes lined with ceramic pipes and workshop streets, adding time for lunch and breaks. Route B is longer: about 4 km and two hours and 30 minutes. House interiors, workshops and cafés are separate visits. Shorten the walk on steep streets in heavy rain.
Information centre 400 metres east of the stationTokoname Tourism Association: walking Routes A and B
- Ceramic Hall and Tokoname Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station
Return in an ordinary car on a train stopping at Nagoya. Check the Tokoname–Meitetsu Nagoya destination, stops and transfers. The checked fare for the same conditions is JPY 750 one way or JPY 1,500 return.
Meitetsu: route and fare search by dateMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Tokoname to Nagoya
Day four: Noritake production and tableware exhibitions, then return to the station
- JR Nagoya Station Sakura-dori Exit → Noritake East Gate
Walk north for about 600 metres, take the road diagonally right at Ushijimacho junction for about 150 metres, then continue past Wanouchicho junction for another 50 metres to the East Gate on the left. Allow about 15 minutes from JR Nagoya Station or about 20 minutes from the Meitetsu and Kintetsu stations.
- East Gate → Craft Centre and Museum
Use the site map to find the exhibition entrance for ceramic production and historic tableware and designs. The paid exhibitions open from 10:00 to 17:00; painting experiences cost extra. The outdoor grounds are separate from the exhibitions. Closed on Mondays, or the following weekday when Monday is a public holiday, and from 26 December to 3 January. Check the gallery’s exhibition calendar separately.
Facility mapNoritake exhibitions and admission feesNoritake facility opening hours and closures
- Noritake East Gate → JR Nagoya Station Sakura-dori Exit
Have lunch nearby, then retrace the roughly 15-minute walk to JR Nagoya Station. Allow extra time to find your way.
Included: The subtotal includes Inuyama Castle admission and rail travel at JPY 2,260, aquarium admission and subway travel at JPY 2,570, ordinary-car return travel to Tokoname at JPY 1,500 for the public streets on Route A, and Noritake admission at JPY 500.
Extra costs and conditions: Hotels, meals, storage, airport and outside-prefecture travel, hotel transfers, shopping, experiences, special-car supplements and unlisted paid facilities cost extra.
These are partial totals using ordinary individual tickets for one adult under 65, checked on 8 October 2026. Transport includes only the listed sections and tickets; the totals do not claim to be the cheapest available with discounts. Recalculate if changing the return route, ticket type or admission. Fare search results do not reserve seats or confirm that a journey has been taken.
Inuyama Castle: visitor informationMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Nagoya to InuyamaMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Inuyama to NagoyaPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: admission feesTransport bureau: subway fare from Nagoya to NagoyakoTransport bureau: subway fare from Nagoyako to NagoyaMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Nagoya to TokonameMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Tokoname to NagoyaTokoname Tourism Association: walking Routes A and BNoritake exhibitions and admission fees
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a μ ticket to reach Inuyama or Tokoname?
The ordinary Meitetsu cars used in these courses require the base fare ticket. Special cars require an additional μ ticket. All μSKY cars are special cars. Check stops and the car you will use in the route search for your visit date. Special-car conditions checked on 2026-10-09; ordinary-car fares checked on 2026-10-08.
Meitetsu special cars and μSKY guideMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Nagoya to InuyamaMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Inuyama to NagoyaMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Nagoya to TokonameMeitetsu: ordinary fare from Tokoname to Nagoya
Official sources and confirmation dates
- Nagoya Castle: visitor information ·
- Nagoya Castle: admission fees ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: admission fees ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: getting there ·
- Inuyama Castle: visitor information ·
- Inuyama Castle: getting there ·
- Tokoname Tourism Association: walking Routes A and B ·
- Noritake exhibitions and admission fees ·
- Noritake facility opening hours and closures ·
- Walking map to the Noritake East Gate ·
- Nagoya City: SRT operating days and fares ·
- Return timetable effective from 11 September ·
- Official castle access guide ·
- From the main gate to the palace entrance ·
- Facility map ·
- Meitetsu: route and fare search by date ·
- Otemichi, ticket desk and keep entrance ·
- Transport bureau route search by date ·
- Information centre 400 metres east of the station ·
- Meitetsu special cars and μSKY guide ·
- Meitetsu: ordinary fare from Nagoya to Inuyama ·
- Meitetsu: ordinary fare from Inuyama to Nagoya ·
- Meitetsu: ordinary fare from Nagoya to Tokoname ·
- Meitetsu: ordinary fare from Tokoname to Nagoya ·
- Transport bureau: subway fare from Nagoya to Nagoyako ·
- Transport bureau: subway fare from Nagoyako to Nagoya ·