10 Things to Do in Nagoya on a Small Budget

CHUBU Electric Power Electricity Museum is a free exhibition facility operated by Chubu Electric Power Company, and it's perfect for families with children to entertain. And there's more to it than just wandering and looking, as there are hands-on experiments to help make learning about science fun. At the Ohm Theater on the 3rd floor, with its 350-inch screen, children can try their hand at various games and quizzes. Elsewhere, the Fushigi no Kuni (Wonderland) space on the 4th floor you'll find a collection of wonders that will leave you doubting your own eyes and ears, as well as challenging your other senses.

With free admission and extensive exhibits where you can easily spend half a day having fun, this museum is an incredible bargain! Check the website for theater and experiment times before heading out. To get here, it's just a 2-minute walk from Fushimi Station on the Higashiyama and Tsurumai Subway Lines.

With one of the world's largest planetariums, Nagoya City Science Museum is a classic spot for a romantic date beneath the stars. The planetarium has a "family hour" specifically for families and "general projection" at other times. A smart choice is to get your tickets for the planetarium as soon as it's open, go sightseeing in the surrounding area, and come back before the projection begins.

A surprisingly popular place in the hall is the luggage locker. (Yes, you read that right!) Designed with the names of elements from the periodic table, it's a bizarrely Instagrammable attraction. Inside the museum, you'll find an exhibition room called "Our Universe" that is designed around the concept of a salon for adults. Follow the positions of the zodiac and let your mind go deep into space.

Obata Ryokuchi is a vast public park with four gardens: the Main Garden, West Garden, East Garden and Central Garden. Admission is free of charge, and you can enjoy nature to the full by strolling along a Ki no Michi (wooden path) made of timbers in the forest, and observing water plants and fish at the Keiryu Hiroba (Stream Square) site where firefly viewing events are also held. There's also a children's plaza with playground equipment, tennis courts and a baseball field. It's the perfect place for a picnic lunch.

Since the site is very large, the nearest railroad station varies depending on which of the four parks you are visiting. For the Main Garden, take the Meijo Subway Line to Osone Station, transfer to the Yutorito Line, get off at Obata Ryokuchi Station, and then take a 3-minute walk. Parking is abundant, so coming here by automobile is also a good option.

Nagoya is home to the world-famous Toyota. Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology is recognized as a Heritage of Industrial Modernisation. The museum is a joint creation of the Toyota Group using the location and historic red-brick buildings of a pilot factory built in 1911 by Sakichi Toyoda, the company's founder, to research and develop automatic looms. The admission fee is set at a wallet-friendly price of 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for junior and senior high school students, and 200 yen for elementary school students, plus free admission for elementary school students during long vacations.

Particularly impressive is the Automobile Pavilion, a 7,900-square-metre exhibition space that holds an entire automobile factory. Here you can see classic Toyota models of the times as well as manufacturing from the 1930s. In the "Exciting Hands-on Neighborhood", you can create straps and wind-up automobiles using the processing equipment used to build actual automobiles. To get here, take the Nagoya Sightseeing Route Bus Me~guru from Nagoya Station and get off at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology stop. The museum is just a short walk away.

Asahi Beer Nagoya Brewery invites you to take a free factory tour (by reservation only) where you can taste popular bevvies such as Asahi Super Dry and Asahi Super Dry Dry Black. The 75-minute tour kicks off with an up-close look at the huge outdoor tanks where beer yeast is added for maturation. You can touch the hops, the raw ingredients, see the kiln in the brewing room, and taste the freshly brewed beer in the spacious guest hall. Tasting is provided for up to 3 tumblers per person!

After the tour, you can visit the gift shop for novelty goods, food products and other items only available at the factory. To make reservations, visit the website or call ahead. Asahi Brewery Nagoya is a 15-minute walk from JR Shin-Moriyama Station on the Chuo Line.

Shikemichi, where the Nagoya Sightseeing Route Bus Me~guru makes a stop, is named after the street that was widened for fire prevention and commercial activities after the Great Fire of 1700. Located along Horikawa River close to Nagoya, the picturesque streets are lined with traditional storehouses and townhouses built on stone walls, making the area ideal for a leisurely walk.

The relaxed ambience of the streets evokes the Edo period, with many cafés and restaurants renovated from old houses and warehouses. On Minoji, one street away to the east, you'll find the 40-metre-long townhouse of the wealthy merchant Kawaito-ya, which is another must-see. At the entrance on the south side is Sengen Shrine, where a tree more than 300 years old provides pleasant shade.

Shirotori Garden is one of the Chubu region's largest Japanese gardens. Featuring an artificial hill that looks like Mt. Ontake, the garden depicts the scenery of the Kiso River flowing through the foothills of the mountain and down into the valley, which really sets it apart from the surrounding city. The garden entrance fee is 300 yen for adults and free for junior high school students and younger, so it certainly won't break the bank.

To check out all the highlights, it's a good idea to take a free guided tour. Local professional Kodan and Rakugo storytellers perform free of charge in the garden as part of the Shirotori Yose (comedy theater) on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. The garden's café, Shioiri no Niwa, offers a set of matcha green tea with fresh Japanese candies, and the tea is prepared as soon as you place your order. Shirotori Garden is a 5-minute walk from Jingu-Nishi Station on the Subway Meijo Line.

Nagoya Castle is undoubtedly the symbol of Nagoya. Just viewing the famous golden Shachihoko (mythic carp) from the outside is something to behold, but if you've come all this way, you really should visit the inside of the castle, which is widely held to be at the pinnacle of Japanese castle architecture. Beside, the admission fee is reasonable at 500 yen for adults and free for junior high school students and younger. The Nagoya Sightseeing Route Bus Me~guru is a convenient way to get to the castle, with a one-day ticket of 600 yen giving you unlimited rides. It stops right in front of the castle.

The Honmaru Goten (main palace), which has been restored to its former glory after 10 years of renovation, is the obvious highlight here. It's pure luxury, with gold leaf at every turn. Free guided tours are offered several times a day, and ninjas and warlords even appear as attractions. This historical site is sure to wow visitors of all ages.

One of the sites en route when taking the Nagoya City Sightseeing Route Bus Me~guru is the Nagoya City Archives and Museum. Originally built in 1922 as the Nagoya Court of Appeal, it's now listed as an Important Cultural Property. The Neo-Baroque style of red bricks and white granite combined with black slate is stunning, and the majestic atmosphere of the central staircase is breathtaking.

This free-to-enter museum is a 5-minute walk from the Me~guru bus stop Shiseishiryokan Minami (Nagoya City Archives South), or an 8-minute walk from Shiyakusho Station on the Meijo Subway Line. The area around the museum has many historical heritage sites in an area called Bunka-no-michi (Cultural Path). As well as Nagoya Castle, the Nagoya Noh Theater, dedicated to preserving the history and charm of Noh, is also well worth a visit.

Cultural Path Futaba Museum is a building from the Taisho era (1912-1926) set on a vast site covering more than 6,600 square meters. This is a reconstruction of a building that blends Japanese and Western styles, where Sadayakko Kawakami, who is said to be Japan's first actress, and Momosuke Fukuzawa, who was known as the king of electric power, resided. Its photogenic interior is fascinating as well, with stained glass and lighting fixtures from the era on display.

You might be familiar with the story of Sadayakko and Momosuke from the NHK historical drama series Haru no Hato (Spring Waves), but at any rate this is a must-see for anyone interested in Taisho romanticism. Admission is 200 yen for adults and it's free for junior high school students and younger. Take the Nagoya Sightseeing Bus Me~guru and get off at the Bunka no Michi Futabakan stop.