Nagoya Life and Visitor Travel Tips

(Nagoya, Chubu, Central Honshu, Japan)

A visit to Nagoya can only be enhanced by a little preparation and advance planning. With a population exceeding two million people, Nagoya is amongst Japan's largest cities and can feel a little overwhelming at times. Whilst Nagoya is home to important and busy industrial centres and business districts, much of city life is fairly relaxed, although rush hours should always be avoided if at all possible.

Many useful points of reference make it fairly easy to find your way around Nagoya, with the eye-catching 17th-century Nagoya Castle dominating much of the area and featuring golden dolphins dancing around its rooftop. Various English-language publications are available around the city and include the 'Best of Nagoya' brochure, the 'Info Guide' and also the 'Japanzine' and 'Avenues' magazines, all of which can be found at the main tourist offices. Here are some travel tips about life in Nagoya.

Useful Contact Details

Several good tourist offices are located around the city of Nagoya. The TIC in the central concourse of Nagoya Station is especially popular and provides a comprehensive selection of English-language maps and brochures. Most of the outlets usually have at least one or two English-speaking staff on hand to answer your questions and help you get the absolute most out of your stay in the city.

Just a short walk from Nagoya Station, the Nagoya International Centre is easy to find and lies along the Sakura-dori. Here, the English-speaking staff will be able to help you find a wealth of information about city life and attractions in neighbouring locations. The Nagoya International Centre is also home to a library area and news programmes broadcast on overseas television stations.

Nagoya Tourist Information Centre (TIC)
Address: Central Concourse, Nagoya Station, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 052 541 4301
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 19:00

Kanayama Station Tourist Information Centre (TIC)
Address: Kanayama Station, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 052 323 0161
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 19:00

Oasis 21 Building Tourist Information Centre (TIC)
Address: Oasis 21 Building, Sakae, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 052 963 5252
Open hours: 10:00 to 20:00

Nagoya International Centre
Address: 1-47-1 Nagono, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 052 581 0100
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 09:00 to 20:30, Sunday - 08:00 to 17:00

Language and Dialect

English-speaking visitors staying in Nagoya will find that they get so much more out of their holiday when they try to use a few Japanese phrases. Also traditional Japanese (hyojungo) can seem overwhelming at first, but if you bring a Japanese phrasebook and speak slowly, most locals will soon understand what you are trying to say and will appreciate your efforts. Useful Japanese phrases to use in Nagoya are as follows:

I don't speak Japanese - nihongo ga dekinai desu
Do you speak English? - eigo o hanashimasu ka?
Is there an English speaking member of staff? - eigo o hanaseru hito irasshaimasu ka?
Can we sit at that table? - ano teeburu de ii desu ka?
Do you have this? - kore arimasu ka?
Please can I have a receipt? - ryooshuusho o onegai shimasu?
Please call me a taxi - takushii o yonde kudasai

Currency

Japanese Yen is the currency of Nagoya and Japan as a whole and is split in the following denominations.

• Coins: Y1, Y5, Y10, Y50, Y100 and Y500
• Notes: Y1000, Y2000, Y5000 and Y1000

Credit cards are accepted at all hotels, shopping centres and most restaurants, although there are plenty of ATM cashpoints at the banks around central Nagoya. In particular, Citibank operates a 24-hour Cirrus cashpoint as part of its branch at Nagoya Station, just a short walk away from Sakae Station. Another conveniently located cashpoint can be found at the entrance of Nagoya Chubu Centrair Airport and is a popular place to obtain some currency when you first arrive, as is the Travelex desk on the third floor.