10 Best Family Things to Do in Nagoya

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Garden is even larger than Tokyo Disneyland and Ueno Zoo. It houses a zoo, a botanical garden, an amusement park, and the Higashiyama Sky Tower, home to the largest variety of animals in Japan. This huge site is best visited when you have a full day free to tour the various facilities.

One of the largest elephant houses in Japan is the Asian Elephant House here, which is inspired by the animals' homeland, Sri Lanka. You may even get to see a family of elephants bathing in the water. Also look out for the baby koalas bein cuddled by their mother at the Koala House. At nightfall, you could go up to the 4th floor observation deck of Higashiyama Sky Tower, and spend a relaxing time together in a couple's seat, admiring the view of the crimson sky in evening followed by the city lights under the darkness of night.

Odaka Greens is a vast 100-hectare park with facilities that include Kotsu Koen (Traffic Park) where visitors can have fun with go-carts, mini-golf, and a camp ground. With the Dino Adventure area where visitors can explore the world of dinosaurs, Odaka Greens is an exciting place for children to play all day long.

Admission to the park is free, and each facility charges its own fee: go-carts are 100 yen per person; mini-golf is 250 yen for 9 hours for adults and 100 yen for 9 hours for children; and Dino Adventure is 800 yen for adults, 500 yen for junior high school students and younger. The park is a 5-minute walk from Sakyoyama Station on the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line, but please note that walking times vary depending on the facility used, so checking the website will make things easier on the day.

Nagoya Dome, home of the Chunichi Dragons, is a must-visit for baseball fans. Inside the stadium you'll find the Dragon's Shop, where you can buy limited-edition goods related to the Chunichi Dragons Doala mascot, and the Dragon's Museum, which displays treasures such as gloves used by famous players of the past. During official Dragons games, you can buy a set of 4 prime box seats, which is perfect for family viewing.

Besides the ticket office at Nagoya Dome, advance tickets can be purchased at convenience stores and at online ticket sites. To get to Nagoya Dome, take the Yutorito Subway Line and get off at Nagoya Dome-mae Yada Station, from which it's a 5-minute walk.

Children and adults alike, everyone loves LEGO! LEGOLAND Japan is the world's 8th LEGO theme park. A tour of the LEGO Factory facility will show you how LEGO bricks are manufactured, instantly turning you into a LEGO expert. You can play with LEGO bricks to your heart's content over at Bricktopia, and take a drive in a LEGO automobile at the Driving School facility.

And if you're all LEGOed-out, take a break at the Observation Tower, where you can enjoy panoramic views of Nagoya City. Hungry? Head to the restaurant for a LEGO-inspired menu: LEGO-shaped potatos and hot dogs! Getting here is a 10-minute walk from Kinjofuto Station on the Aonami Line.

Tokugawa Art Museum houses and displays numerous treasures carried down through the generations by the Owari Tokugawa family (Owari corresponds to today’s western Aichi prefecture). The overwhelming quality and quantity of the collection will astound visitors of all ages. The museum has a collection of treasures owned by feudal lords, including the legacy of Tokugawa Ieyasu, as well as many national treasures, important cultural properties and important works of art all presented in ingenious ways.

Of particular note is the reproduction of Ninomaru Palace, which is changed four times a year, showcasing the armours and glittering furnishings of the inner palace. The museum shop is free to enter and offers unique souvenirs such as a mirror with the Aoi no Gomon crest (the Tokugawa family crest), which is familiar from period movies. City buses are convenient for getting here. Just hop off at the Tokugawaen Shindeki stop and walk for 3 minutes from there.

Port of Nagoya Aquarium is a great place to observe a wide variety of marine species. Performances and events by the animals take place daily. The orcas and dolphins are the biggest stars, and the way they fly through the air during public training and performances is amazing to see. Also check out the incredible speed of the penguins as they swim through the tank.

The Penguin Walking spectacle, in which Cape penguins waddle out from the deck and stroll around Shiokaze Plaza, is cute and hugely popular. Elsewhere, loggerhead turtles, green turtles, and hawksbill turtles swim gracefully in the recently renovated Sea Turtle Migration Tank. Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium is a 3-minute walk from Nagoya-ko Station on the Meijo or Meiko Subway Lines.

The centerpiece of Nagoya City Science Museum, one of the most visited tourist spots in Nagoya, is the planetarium, boasting one of the world's largest domes (it has a diameter of 35 meters!) and the highest-quality images. The very reasonable admission fee for the exhibition room and planetarium (on the day) is 800 yen for adults, and free for junior high school students and younger, which only adds to the popularity of the museum. All the tickets for the day of the exhibition are made available at once, starting at 9:30 am, so make sure you get here early to secure your tickets.

If you have to wait, you can make the best use of your time by visiting the free CHUBU Electric Power Electricity Museum, which is within walking distance, or by visiting Nagoya City Art Museum or Shirakawa Park. Access is a 5-minute walk from Fushimi Station on the Higashiyama and Tsurumai Subway Lines.

Nagoya Port Sea Train Land is an amusement park with free admission. You only have to pay for the attractions you wish to use, so feel free to visit and take a look before deciding what to ride. There are 16 different attractions, including the Giant Ferris Wheel, with breathtaking views of the harbor, and the Family Coaster, a mini rollercoaster that the whole family can enjoy. One of the reasons behind the popularity of the park is that many rides are accessible even to unaccompanied children of school age, like the Family Swinger ride that gives a thrilling experience of centrifugal force.

Another highlight is the 4D King ride, which takes you on a 360-degree journey through a story that includes special effects such as vibrations and wind. Located right next to the Port of Nagoya Aquarium, you can drop by on your way home from the aquarium and enjoy the evening and night views from the Giant Ferris Wheel.

SCMaglev and Railroad Park is a fascinating place for railroad enthusiasts of all ages. The C62, the fastest steam locomotive in Japan, and the 955 series Shinkansen test rail automobile, which broke the world's record for the fastest train in 1996, are just a couple of the actual automobiles on display in the exhibition area. The concept here is that you can experience the dynamism that only the real thing can offer, as well as the history of each generation. And if you want to learn about each automobile on display, make sure you use the free voice guidance provided through your smartphone.

You can even board Shinkansen and conventional train simulators to see what it's like being a conductor or driver. The museum shop has plenty of train stickers, hand towels and other items to pick up as souvenirs. Getting here only takes a 2-minute walk from Kinjofuto Station on the Aonami Line.

Nagoya Castle is at the pinnacle of early modern castle structures. As the folk song goes, Owari Nagoya wa shiro de motsu ("The castle makes Nagoya what she is"). It's fair to say that Nagoya Castle is the symbol of the city's prosperity, and it's particularly distinguished by its Kin-no-Shachihoko (golden ornamental grampus). Besides enjoying the castle alone, the Nagoya Omotenashi Busyoutai and Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hattori Hanzo and Ninjas in costume appear here every day.

These friendly people will greet you, show you around, and take pictures with you, keeping the kids entertained. To discover the sights, it's best to explore together with a free volunteer tourist guide. To get here, either take a 5-minute walk from Shiyakusho Station (City Hall) on the Meijo Subway Line or use the Nagoya Sightseeing Route Bus Me~guru.