Nagoya Castle was built in 1615 as part of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s unification of Japan during the Edo period. All of Nagoya Castle except for the stone walls was burned down in an air raid during World War II. The castle tower was rebuilt in 1959, and the Honmaru Palace was restored in 2018.
Although it is a rebuilt castle, the castle tower and Honmaru Palace have been accurately rebuilt based on surviving blueprints, so you can see how they looked in the past.
The grounds of Nagoya Castle have been developed as a park, where various events are held, and you can enjoy the local B-class gourmet cuisine known as Nagoya Meshi at Kinshachi Yokocho, where Nagoya’s famous restaurants are gathered.
If you come to Nagoya, you should definitely visit Nagoya Castle! Your Aichi tour starts here.

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Arimatsu shibori is a tie-dyed textile produced mainly in the Arimatsu and Narumi areas of Midori Ward, Nagoya. It is typically made by dyeing cotton fabric with indigo, and the pattern changes depending on how the thread is tied. It is a traditional craft of the Arimatsu and Narumi areas of Nagoya, and almost all of the processes are done by hand, so it is very time-consuming and labor-intensive. Another feature of Arimatsu shibori is that each piece is handmade, so there are no two exactly the same. Even outside of Japan, “SHIBORI” means Arimatsu. Although it is a traditional craft, many techniques have been continuously developed and improved.
During the tour, you will receive direct instruction from an Arimatsu Shibori designer and be able to create your own original Arimatsu Shibori piece. From traditional Arimatsu hand towels to fashionable scarves, you will work while listening to an experienced Arimatsu Shibori designer’s instructions, so even beginners can feel at ease. All materials and tools required for the work are available on-site, so you do not need to prepare them yourself.

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The culture of nigiri sushi, which developed as Edomae sushi, has its origins in vinegar for sushi made in Aichi. As the number one producer of vinegar in Japan, Aichi is also the birthplace of nigiri sushi culture. “Honkaku Nigiri Sushi Tamahagane” is a restaurant that recreates a real sushi restaurant from before nigiri sushi became popular as conveyor belt sushi.

Here, a top-class sushi chef will personally teach you how to make nigiri sushi. The taste of the sushi you make yourself will be exceptional, and it will be fun to compare it with the nigiri sushi made by a professional chef.

The restaurant’s name, “Tamahagane,” comes from the fact that the real Japanese swords on display in the restaurant are made of Tamahagane. These Japanese swords are masterpieces that have been polished by swordsmiths in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture. You, the person about to make your sushi, will be able to touch and appreciate these swords directly. This is the only sushi restaurant in Japan where you can hold a real Japanese sword in your hands.

Please enjoy the sushi making experience to your heart’s content at our shop where we create works of art like tamahagane.

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There are certain dishes that are always available at traditional izakayas in Nagoya. One of them is the Nagoya specialty “Dote-ni.” “Dote-ni” is a dish made by simmering pork offal and beef tendons in red miso and mirin. In Nagoya, this dish is made with “Haccho miso,” a traditional miso made in Okazaki City.
“Haccho miso” is a high-quality soybean miso made only from soybeans, salt, and water, and is aged for two years while strictly adhering to a 370-year-old manufacturing method. Hatcho miso has a deep richness and unique astringency, and because the smelly innards are simmered in this miso, the distinctive taste is eliminated and the flavor is enhanced.
Another dish is “fried chicken wings.” It is a dynamic dish in which half a young chicken is fried and grilled as is, then dipped in a secret sauce that has been aged and flavored with various condiments. This has become a taste that many Nagoya residents desire. There are many izakayas in Nagoya that serve “fried chicken wings,” and each store competes with each other to come up with the best secret sauce, creating a taste that is unique to Nagoya.

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inuyama castle
Inuyama Castle is one of Japan’s castles designated as a national treasure, and was built in 1549. The castle tower is one of the oldest surviving castle towers, and is also designated as an Important Cultural Property. From the castle, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Kiso River and the surrounding beautiful scenery, and many tourists visit the castle, especially during the cherry blossom season in spring and the autumn leaves in fall. There are also historical documents and exhibits inside the castle, where you can learn about the history of Inuyama Castle.

Yurakuen
Yurakuen is a Japanese garden near Inuyama Castle, which was built by Yurakusai, a vassal of the Tokugawa family, during the Edo period. The garden features ponds, waterfalls, and teahouses, and you can enjoy seasonal flowers. In particular, the garden also has a teahouse where you can enjoy matcha green tea. It is a space where you can relax your mind and body while feeling nature in a quiet environment.

Kiso River Cormorant Fishing
Kiso River cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method carried out on the Kiso River, which flows through Aichi and Gifu prefectures, and is known as a seasonal feature of the summer. This fishing method, which uses a bird called a cormorant to catch fish, has been practiced throughout Japan since ancient times, but cormorant fishing on the Kiso River is particularly famous.

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