Back to our first Japan trip in 2013, we had a full day to spent in Nagoya. Arrived at 8 am in Chubu International Airport, we got to Nagoya Station by train with less than ¥900.  Since we had time until midnight before depart to Tokyo, we took time exploring this city by foot all day long…

Here we are sharing things that you possibly do while walking around Nagoya:

1. Drop your baggage at Nagoya Station

First thing to do if you plan to explore Nagoya BY FOOT in one day is bringing your belongings as little as possible. Although you are a backpacker, please do not walk along the street with heavy carrier/rucksack on your back. Save your energy (and your back bones) by putting them in a locker. Nagoya Station has many baggage storage that you can rent for up to 24 hours. Depends on the size, the price varies from ¥300-1400.

2. Learn and experience history of Japan at Nagoya Castle

Just like other big cities in Japan, Nagoya also has a magnificence castle as an icon of the city. Only about 30 minutes away from Nagoya Station, Nagoya Castle offers you a beautiful scenery and bunch of knowledge on Japan’s history (remember that Nagoya is one of the cities that was bombed during the World War II). Area of this castle is quite large, you may spent about 1 hour here. Make sure to check on its regular hours and entrance fee before your visit.

3. Fangirling at Johnny’s Shop or fanboying at SKE48 Cafe&Shop

For those who love Johnny’s, just like us, visiting Johnny’s Shop while you are in Nagoya is a must. Why? Because there’s only 3 Johnny’s Shops in Japan, and Nagoya’s is one of them! Ok, we believe Johnny’s fan have 1000 reasons to go there.  Same story goes to the fans of 48 Group Family. Nagoya has SKE48 Cafe&Shop and SKE48 Theater at the same building. We bet wotas really want to go inside.

4. Partake big portion of lunch at Curry House

Actually, Nagoya has many delicate food that you can enjoy. But once you take a walk in this city you will notice that Curry House CoCo Ichibanya can be found in almost every corner of the street. Probably because they opened their first restaurant in Nagoya. In addition to many kind of curry they offer, there are portions of rice that you can choose. The default portion is 300g and, for us, that’s already too much. Please be informed that this restaurant is not halal certified, but they do have salad and vegetarian curry.

5. Window shopping at Sakae or shop till drop at Osu Shopping Arcade

Sakae is area in the city center full of malls and outlets. They are considered as the upper-class ones, so maybe you just come for window shopping. But don’t worry, you can still shop in Nagoya for reasonable prices at Osu Shopping Arcade. It’s just 15 minutes away from Sakae, anyways. Go buy souvenirs or street food here!

6. Perform prayers at Nagoya Mosque

For muslim travelers, you may want to pay a visit to Nagoya Mosque. We have shared our experience in another post. It’s a bit far form city center,  but still in a walking distance from Nagoya Station.

All in all, our impression of Nagoya is that it is a quite and peaceful city. It’s far less crowded than Osaka or Tokyo, in terms of people, buildings, and traffic. It’s save and easy to walk along Nagoya’s streets. And yes, it’s possible to explore this city by foot!