An Overview of Nagoya and the Weather to Expect
Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is popularly known as one of Japan’s biggest business centers because of all the blue chip companies that this area has, namely Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nippon Sharyo, and much more. The city is also one of Japan’s major ports, joining cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Kitakyushu. Travelers should not let this notion of a business-minded city cloud judgment about Nagoya because it certainly offers more than just business and opportunities. This place is blessed with several attractions spread throughout its land. On an average, the temperature in Nagoya is around 20 °C. The hottest month of the year is August, where temperatures reach heights of 28.1 °C, and the coldest month is January, where temperatures drop to an average of 4.4 °C. The suggested season of touring this city is in the months of February to May and the months of October to December. These months are the best time to go adventuring through the city because it is neither too hot nor too cold and these are also the months where rain is least likely to ruin a hike or an outdoor activity.
The Unique Chubu Centrair International Airport
The tourists that go to Nagoya usually arrive via airplane or train. Those who arrive through airplanes will see one of the nicer airports around the world, The Chubu Centrair International Airport. Being that this airport is in Japan, it’s already a given that this place will be near spotless, if not perfectly clean. The unique features to be noticed about this airport is its reliable Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) spots, the Central Japan Travel Center, and the lounges. Usually, the Wi-Fi connections offered in airports have a lot of ads that delay the users from connecting immediately. These connections also tend to be limited to an hour so it is quite an inconvenience to use. The Wi-Fi connection in Nagoya’s airport is nothing like what was mentioned above. It is easy to connect to and you are not timer when you use it. This is a big bonus for those travelers who will be highly dependent on the Internet connection for contacting people for pick-ups and such alike. The Central Japan Travel Center offers what its name suggests. This is an area that offers maps, suggested tourist locations, translation books, and any other relevant material for tourists to have easier time getting around the city. Lastly, there is the lounge area. This is an area worth mentioning because of how cozy it is. Being in this lounge will make you feel like you are strolling down an area of the mall wherein all the spas and relaxation services are. With all this being said, Nagoya’s airport seems to set the perfect mood for the relaxing adventure that awaits in the city.
The Nagoya Food Trip: Ramen, Cafe, and Sushi
A lot of Nagoya’s attractions focus on spiritual and historical landmarks such as temples and ancient shrines. One of the biggest historical attractions is the Nagoya Castle. This castle was built on the orders of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Nowadays, it serves as a museum for displaying Edo period armor and art but its fame came from the history that this castle holds in its walls. This castle also holds the art treasures that survived the bombing of World War II. Coincidentally, there is another attraction right in front of the Nagoya castle called the Hommaru Palace. The Palace was just restored recently opened to the public so this is a fairly new attraction added to Nagoya’s long collection of these types of landmarks. These and all the other landmarks are all beautiful sights but if other tourists are looking for a new perspective for journeying through Nagoya, their food & cuisine would be the next best thing to give you an idea of what Nagoya is about.
A perfect example of this is a café called Nagoya Osu Manekineko Mae Restaurant. This café got famous because of their maid themed servers who certainly make you feel like you’re a don in a mansion. Aside from the unique experience it offers because of its unusual vibe, people also love going here because the food is truly delicious. On the slight chance that ramen is what some travelers might want, there is a place called ‘Ramen and Bakery’ that can be found in Mililani. This place is as authentic as it gets with the way they serve their ramen. Another bonus to this place is that it never gets too crowded so the wait for the food is quick. Their dessert is also something to notice when you visit this place because they are as good as the ramen they offer. Not looking for pastries or ramen? No worries! One can find a sushi restaurant in Nagoya that will make you visit quite frequently and it is called the Kaitensushi or “Sushi-Go-Round” but it is most popularly known as the “Best Sushi in Nagoya”. It is found in the basement of Oasis21 and it is one of those sushi conveyor belt restaurants. The customer would just pick the type of sushi he or she wants from the moving belt as it passes by. Reviews also say that the variety of sushi that can be found here has never disappointed so rest assured knowing that your money would be well spent. Now if a group of friends wanted to just pig out and go to the best buffet in Nagoya, the buffet they go to should be the All Day Dining in the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel. Prices differ depending on the time and age of the customer but to briefly summarize it, a breakfast buffet would be about 2900 Yen, a lunch buffet would be no more than 3500 Yen, and a dinner buffet would be around 5000 Yen. This place is also a great place to take photos so be sure to dress up accordingly to maximize the ambiance of this great place.
It is important to emphasize that these options of food places above are not the only options worth trying in Nagoya. These are simply those promoted the most because of the popularity that these attractions have obtained throughout the years of tourism in Nagoya. There are certainly still some hidden gems in this city because it is ever-growing and the travelers should consider it a challenge to find these secret locations that would add to the new perspective on Nagoya.
Navigating Through Nagoya: Hotels, Station, and Map
All adventures need some downtime or rest. Luckily, the hotel mentioned above also happens to be one of the best hotels in Nagoya, so if accommodations are in talks, put this hotel on the list. It is a prime location for travelers to stay in because its position allows tourists to easily go to the shrines like the Ise shrines and the Nagoya Castle. Another place it is near is the Toyota Factory Museum. This is a unique and very educational museum because of how they constructed their tour to be quite interactive and extreme creative. Now, if you find the Marriott Hotel unfit for your liking, you might also want to check out the Royal Park Hotel. The level of service is said to be amazing because of the delicious food they serve for their breakfast buffets, the friendly staff, and the cleanliness of the whole area. Unlike Marriott, the Royal Park Hotel isn’t necessarily near the main attractions of Nagoya but it is situated in an area that makes the walk to Nagoya Station a 10-minute stroll. This is great news because Nagoya Station is somewhat a must-see in Nagoya.
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It is Japan’s and the world’s biggest railway station. The Nagoya Station complex, known as Meieki, stands with a floor area of 410,000 sq.m. This area is used for different things like department stores, restaurants, and even the JR Central Towers. The station also links tourists to the other attractions via train. Getting to this station allows quick trips to places like Osaka, which would take 51 minutes to reach, Kyoto, which would take 36 minutes, and Tokyo, which would take 110 minutes. These trips are considered quick because one would have to ride just one JR train to reach these cities. For example, a tourist would like to go to Tokyo from Nagoya. All that needs to be done is to go directly to the Meieki and he or she would already be able to purchase a ticket that would allow them to get on these JR trains to take then straight to Tokyo. Going back to Nagoya from Tokyo would entail the same process since these JR trains take passengers directly to and from these cities so city hopping would be less of a hassle for our travelers. Prices for the tickets change depending on the distance of the city from your origin but on average, the ticket prices hover around the range of 11,000 yen for a one way trip. There will also be price differences from having a regular ticket and having reserved a ticket in advance. Reserving a ticket in advance would cost about 100 yen more but at least the seat would be ensured. It is recommended to reserve tickets if the our adventurers are sight seeing in the peak seasons which would be from December 27 to January 4 and adjacent weekends, April 29 to May 5 and adjacent weekends, and the week centering August 15. There are also trains from the Nagoya station that would take you to Okazaki, Gamagori, Toyohashi, Gifu, Ogaki, and Tajimi. These trips take longer but not much longer because the railway system they have in Nagoya is very efficient. Being that the Nagoya station is the biggest in the world, there will obviously be more places accessible through this station that those mentioned above. These locations are too many to mention so let the will to explore the rest lead you to go to these less known areas. Do not be worried though, Japan is famous for the safety and efficiency of their entire train system so going to and from a place is something that is as easy as learning the alphabet. Day or night, it doesn’t matter; you will be able to get to where you want to go using these trains. Nevertheless, here is a map of their subway network to guide you in your travels.
Nagoya’s Beliefs and Priorities
When talking about Japan, people usually focus on the food, the sights, the culture, and the entertainment from the different places and attractions that Japan has to offer. Never has there been a review about how the government in a certain city of Japan works or what they focus on. The reasons for this are unknown but what the government focuses on says a lot about what goals the city has and tells travelers a bit more about the heart and soul of the city. In the case of Nagoya, it is very noticeable that there is a focus on supporting the international students and visitors of the city. The establishment of the Nagoya International Center is solid proof that their government targets a great improvement in their international affairs. This center was made to provide the foreign community in Nagoya with information on education, transportation, housing, and other relevant programs and events that serve as opportunities to mingle and learn more about the local community. Aside from events and programs, the center also offers services in the form of free consultation on a variety of issues and these issues can be discussed in nine languages: Japanese, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, French, and Vietnamese. Presently, the government of Nagoya is still constantly trying to improve their services by testing an interpreter service through Video Phone Calls. Essentially, the plan is to have a tablet at every branch of the International Center to make communication between foreigners and the staff one without language barriers.
Now, looking deeper into their programs for such things like housing and education, there is the “Silver Housing Project” which aims to provide housing for the elderly in special residential units. This shows Nagoya’s desire to encourage private ownership of homes instead of having houses for the aged for these elderly residents. This is a good thing because it also promotes self-dependency for the residents. Some might even say that this also contributes to the children’s early appreciation for traits like independence so this project is very commendable. As for education, Nagoya is filled with schools for all levels. There are 261 elementary schools, 109 junior high schools, 15 senior high schools, and 31 institutes of higher education. With this number of educational facilities, it is definitely obvious that Nagoya prioritizes education. Furthermore, the city has 17 libraries which are all easily accessible and they also provide different lectures and programs in centers they call “Lifelong Learning Centers” which can be found in each ward. Let us not forget that Nagoya is one of the biggest metropolitan cities in Japan, if not the biggest, so their drive towards progress and advancement is perfect for the city to be able to propel to new heights.