Out and About is a monthly event information service produced by Nagoya International Center volunteers. Its available in a PDF format or in an audio podcast. Download the May 2012 edition.

If you live out of town, can’t figure out how to order tickets online, and don’t want to be disappointed when you turn up at the concert without a ticket – with minimum hassle and minimum Japanese skills you can purchase tickets for movies, concerts, exhibitions, and sporting events at your local convenience store.

Nameless Media and Productions Theatre (NMP Theatre) is a community theatre group bringing together a diverse and international team of Nagoya-based artists. Their second production of 2012 is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This show will be presented with Japanese subtitles and directed by Carl Bradley.

The asari or Japanese carpet shell (also known as the small-neck or Manila clam) is the most common type of clam found in Japan. Digging in the sand for clams is known as shio-higari and the shio-higari season in Japan generally runs from early spring to late summer, but the exact season varies depending upon the species and location. It’s fun and easy, and you don’t need any prior experience to go get yourself some delicious clams for cooking. However, without a solid technique and the right tools it can be back-breaking work in the summer sunshine.

This annual event brings together well over three thousand members of the International and Japanese communities to support the vital work being conducted by local NPOs and charitable organizations. As well as a walking course this fun and memorable family event will have great food, live music and stage shows, a children’s activity zone, and a raffle with great prizes.

This special exhibition, celebrating the first anniversary of the opening of the Nagoya City Science Museum’s new wing, will introduce the evolution of sea creatures from 600 million years ago to the present day, highlighting their journey of evolution and history of diversity.

This special exhibition to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ukiyoe master Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) features a total of 200 prints.

Come and enjoy a multicultural experience on Sunday, October 23 (13:30 – 16:30) at Yokisō Villa, the historic home of Matsuzakaya Department Store founder Suketami Itō. The program includes a guided tour of the historic residence, tea ceremony, music & song, and an ikebana demonstration.

Out and About is a monthly event information service produced by Nagoya International Center volunteers. Its available in a PDF format or in an audio podcast. Download the April 2012 edition.

If you are using a Manaca card to commute on a regular basis, you may not be aware that your card is racking up mileage points that can be easily claimed at Manaca ticket Machines and manaca charging machines located inside subway and Meitetsu stations.

From Saturday, April 21, commuters will be able to use Manaca IC cards at the 148 stations operated by JR Tokai. TOICA card users will also be able to use their cards at the 390 stations and 1639 bus services that currently use Manaca IC cards.

Make your own unique 30cm foot wide giant senbei and see how senbei are made. Participants are provided with pre-prepared dough that that they shape, bake, and decorate to their liking.

Out and About is a monthly event information service produced by Nagoya International Center volunteers. Its available in a PDF format or in an audio podcast. Download the March 2012 edition.

The Manaca is an easy to use and very convenient travel pass and smart card rolled into one!

The Japanese language has numerous dialects and the Nagoya dialect, Nagoya-ben, is famous throughout Japan for its “so called” originality. Why don’t you try some of it out on your Japanese friends and see what they say?

Cherry blossoms mark the annual advent of spring, and the Japanese have traditionally celebrated this with “hanami”. Hanami, literally meaning flower-viewing, are parties that are held under blossoming cherry tress. Throughout Japan, in parks, shrines, temples, and on river banks, crowds flock to picnic under the sea of pink blossoms. Many popular spots are illuminated in the evenings and special facilities are laid out for the visiting hoards.

The term “Nihon Rokkoyo” is used to refer to the six oldest pottery centers in Japan – Seto, just east of Nagoya, was one of them and is now home to the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum愛知県陶磁資料館. As well as having a vast collection of pottery and ceramics on exhibition, visitors can make their own setomono in the museum’s craft studio.

Out and About is a monthly event information service produced by Nagoya International Center volunteers. Its available in a PDF format or in an audio podcast. Download the February 2012 edition.

Figure skaters – Miki Ando (2011 World Champion), Mao Asada (2010 World Champion), and Kanako Murakami (2009 World Junior Champion) are all Nagoya natives, together with Aichi-native Akiko Suzuki (2011 NHK Trophy Winner) they are currently 4 of the top 12 best skaters in the World. Where better to take to the ice than the world’s number-one skating hotspot!

Plan to get in shape this year? Give your New Year resolution a kick-start at one of these low-cost weekly aerobics lessons in Nagoya City.

At a cost of around 16.8 billion Yen the new wing of the Nagoya City Science Museum will open on Saturday, March 19. The highlight of the redevelopment is its new 35m diameter, state-of-the-art planetarium – the world’s largest!

Seven of the Takayama’s famed breweries are open to the public one week at a time, provide a free guided tour that includes sake sampling; a commemorative golden sake cup is also presented to each visitor.

Watch the 1950 musical film inspired by the 1925 stage musical No, No Nanette. The film stars Doris Day in her first lead role.

Out and About is a monthly event information service produced by Nagoya International Center volunteers. Its available in a PDF format or in an audio podcast. Download the January 2012 edition.

What are you doing for New Year? How about celebrating it Japanese-style in Nagoya? Ring the bells at a local temple, visit a shrine, and see the first sun-rise of the New Year.

The Menard Art Museum in Komaki City has a permanent collection featuring works by Georges Rouault, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and other notable European artists. We have 10 Menard Museum 2012 desktop calendars to give away!

Out and About is a monthly event information service produced by Nagoya International Center volunteers. Its available in a PDF format or in an audio podcast.

Don’t be stuck with huge bags of garbage in your apartment until the New Year. Make a note of the last and first garbage collection days of 2010.

The Oasis 21’s Galaxy Plaza will be transformed into a temporary ice-skating rink for the winter season. But there is one catch, its an ice-rink without ice. Instead the rink’s surface has been constructed using a high-tech plastic. The admission price includes special skates and a number of admission discount offers are available.

Asuke-cho in Western Aichi Prefecture is home to Sanshu Asuke Yashiki – a working museum where you can catch a glimpse of what life used to be like in Japan. Visitors to the center can see a variety of traditional Japanese handiwork in the making and make crafts of their own.

From November 26 until December 26, a huge, 15m high Christmas tree and over 45,000 illuminations will be lit up each night between 16:30 and 22:00 in the Tsudoi Plaza at the Port of Nagoya.

New Year family fun at the Nagoya Dome with a large range of floor attractions, games, exciting stage shows, and over 30 bouncy castles & giant inflatables from around the world! The NIC has 10 pairs of tickets to give away!

This walk starts at Mikawa Makihara Station and end at Yuya Onsen Station where you can relax in the local hot springs. Accessible by train from Nagoya, you don’t need a car to enjoy the autumn scenery of western Aichi Prefecture.

Were you aware that children of foreign nationality can enroll in public elementary schools?
If you live in Nagoya City and would like your child to attend a Nagoya City public elementary school from April 2012, you can apply at your local ward office’s citizen’s section. Applications for children born between April 2, 2005 and April 1, 2006 are now being accepted.

The 2011-12 season of the 8 team Japan Basketball League started on October 7. There are 2 Chubu-based teams in the league, the Nagoya-based Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Dolphins and the Kariya-based Aisin Seahorses.

Out and About is a monthly event information service produced by Nagoya International Center volunteers. Its available in a PDF format or in an audio podcast.

There are over 130 municipal sports facilities in Nagoya City – including sports centers (with volleyball, badminton, basketball, and futsal courts), tennis courts, baseball fields, athletic fields, football and rugby fields, gateball fields, and baseball stadiums. All are available for amateur sports use by the public at very reasonable rates. Making a reservation is easy.

Most city-run sports centers have a heated indoor pool and a training room with weights and machines. Many also offer aerobics classes. These low cost facilities are open to the general public.

People residing, working, or attending school in Aichi prefecture can borrow books from Nagoya municipal libraries

In April the Kirin Beer Park Nagoya renewed its tour facilities to bring them into the 21st century. Take a guided tour (in Japanese) around the factory for free and find out about the stages of the brewing process and the history of the beer. Sample the ingredients used to make beer and see a high- technology performance. At the end of the course visitors get to sample the factory produce

The Japanese F1 Grand Prix returns to nearby Mie for the 15th race of the 2011 season. Twenty-four world-class drivers will compete over 53 gruelling laps of the world famous Suzuka Circuit 鈴鹿サーキットgaining top speeds of over 300 km/h. The 2010 race was won by German Sebastian Vettel.

Held annually since 1996 at Will Aichi in central Nagoya, this festival promotes works by female directors. Twenty-three films from around the world will be shown at the festival, including 3 English language films.

Known as the Waikiki of Nagoya it boasts the largest pool in Japan. There are 3 pools; a kid’s pool, a beach pool, & a wave pool, and of course lots of slides & tubes!

Nagoya City has 14 outdoor public pools open just for the summer season.
On July 20, all 16 outdoors pools are open free of charge! Don’t forget your swimming cap!

Known as the Bolshoi Circus in Japan, the Russian National Circus was established in 1929 as the Soviet National Circus.　This national circus consists of 8000 artists and staff, more than 3000 animals, and about 70 temporary and permanent theaters making it is literally the greatest circus in the world.

From Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28 over 210 teams & around 23,000 performers from across Japan and from around the world will take over the streets of Nagoya as part of Japan’s largest dance festival.

During the school summer holiday period the Port of Nagoya Aquarium is open every day until 20:00. Visit after 17:00 and get 20% off the regular admission price!

What is the world’s most climbed mountain? Why, Mount Fuji of course. During the mountain’s official climbing season In July and August each year over 100,000 people lumber to the summit of Japan’s most famous dormant volcano.

It’s summer! Yippee! Long, hot and humid days are here! Resistance is futile so make the most of the weather & hit the beach while you can!

Last year over 1000 people from 30+ countries attended the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual sports recreation day. Join this year’s event as an individual, family, group of friends, school, or company. Participation is free, but pre-registration is required.

TweetSumo! The Boys are Back in Town The 2011 Nagoya tournament runs from July 10 to July 24 at the 7000+ seater Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium located next to Nagoya Castle. Go and cheer on the little guy! Daily bouts start with the lower ranking wrestlers at around 08:30 and climax with the top division at [...]

Toba, located at the northeastern end of the Shima-hanto Peninsula in Mie, is famous for pearls, its aquarium, and stunning coastal scenery. Take a cruise around the scenic Toba Bay, visit the pearl museum, or visit nearby Futami and see the world famous Wedded Rocks. A day trip or an extended stay, Summer in Toba has a lot to offer the visitor!

In cooperation with the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, this exhibition presents some 107 of the artist’s works and 10 works from related artists. The artworks are gathered from the Rijksmuseum, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Louvre Museum, and other major institutions.

A new fun, educational museum for children of all ages opened in Nagoya on Monday, March 14. Show yourself around the museum using a multilingual “i-pod touch-style” hand-held device available from the museum reception!

Located off-shore on reclaimed land in the middle of Nagoya Port is Nagoya’s very own wildflower garden. There are 22 mini-gardens featuring a model garden design by a top British garden designer.

The center’s two floors have numerous interactive displays. Staff members are on hand to explain each display and answer your questions. Experience the Big One in the Earthquake Simulation Room, try to navigate through the smoke evacuation training room, and fly back to 1959 to experience Nagoya’s worst ever typhoon in the 3D simulation room. Unfortunately staff cannot speak English, but the simulations alone are worth the experience.

TOICA is the name JR Central’s rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system. Using TOICA means that you don’t have to buy a ticket each time you travel – the ticket gate automatically calculates your fare! The cards can be repeatedly charged up and can also be used from in-station stores and vending machines.

Japan’s 144-game regular baseball season runs from April 1 until September 25.

There are 16 ward offices and 6 branch offices serving the City of Nagoya. If you work or study full time you may find it difficult to visit your local ward office when you need to. However, Nagoya City Ward Offices & Branch Offices are now open on the 1st Sunday of the month (2nd Sunday in May and January) between 08:45 and 12:00

Located on the hill overlooking Takayama is the Hida no Sato museum – an open air museum exhibiting over 30 typical farmhouses and other traditional buildings from the Hida region.

Thanks to a concentrated marketing effort, Valentine’s Day has become a day on which women in Japan give chocolates or other types of confectionary to men they like.

What are you doing for New Year? How about celebrating it Japanese-style in Nagoya? Ring the bells at a local temple, visit a shrine, and see the first sun-rise of the New Year.

The Higashiyama, Meijo, Tsurumai, and Sakuradori lines will be running ALL NIGHT on December 31!

Your best travel options will be determined by your final destination and how many people you are travelling with. Cost, range, and travel time varies greatly between rail, bus, and driving options.

There are 3 events on at Nagoya Castle this October that you may be interested in, including samurai performances, an art exhibition, and a historical flower show. No additional admission charges are required! Combine your visit with a free English guided tour!

Your vacation is quickly approaching and you want to get out and see this wonderful country. Booking travel and accommodation to visit distant locations is a headache at the best of times, throw in a language and a cultural barrier and the fun begins. However with the onset of the Yokoso! Japan campaign the number of volunteer groups and organizations offering travel booking, accommodation, and tours in English has greatly increased.

Tweet Since the opening of the Higashiyama Line between Nagoya and Sakae in 1957, the Nagoya City Subway has expanded to an 89km, 93 station network, catering for over 1.1 million commuters a day. A total of 131 trains and762 carriages are currently in operation, 48 trains on the Higashiyama Line alone. The busiest 5 [...]

A new addition to Nagoya’s museums opened in April 2010 and exclusively exhibits French artwork from the past 200 years. The museum’s collection features artwork from the French Rococo period, Romanticism, Neo-Classicism, Realism, Impressionism, and the Ecole de Paris.

Tweet 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity (国際生物多様性年) and in October around 7,000 UN officials, NGOs, and governmental officials from around the world will be in the City of Nagoya for the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10). You are biodiversity. Most of the [...]

Tweet Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum (伊賀流忍者博物館) Iga Ueno is a small, tourist-friendly, castle town located in mountains of western Mie. Famous as the birthplace of the Iga Ninja, much of the town’s old architecture and atmosphere remains. To find out more about ninja and for a truly authentic ninja experience, why not visit the Iga-Ryu Ninja [...]

Tweet ■Enjoy Miso Katsu in NagoyaMiso Katsu みそかつis the Nagoya area version of tonkatsu 豚カツ – a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet one to two centimeters thick and sliced into bite-sized pieces, generally served with shredded cabbage. It was originally considered a type of yo-shoku, a Japanese version of European cuisine invented in the late 1800s [...]

Tweet The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Money Museum 三菱東京UFJ 銀行貨幣資料館 The Kahei Shiryo-kan (the Money Museum) has moved to a new location and will re-open on April 20, 2009. As well as an extensive collection of over 10,000 rare bank notes, coins of the ancient world, and coins from Japan’s Edo period, the museum also [...]

Tweet Happy 70th Birthday! Let’s go to the zoo, zoo, zoo… 　 Wondering if they had built it too far out of town, or if they had been too ambitious with their plans, the Higashiyama Zoo opened its doors for the first time on March 23, 1937. It was an instant hit. Soon after, the [...]

Tweet 　 Japan‘s Excalibur Legend Like the legend of King Arthur and the Excalibur sword, Japan’s Kusanagi, or snake sword, has a mythical, romanticism surrounding it. As the legend goes, the sword was discovered by Susano – the Shinto god of the sea and storms – in the province of Izumo (modern-day Shimane Prefecture) inside [...]

Tweet Hidden away on the quiet banks of the Shonai River in Moriyama Ward is the Asahi Brewery アサヒビール名古屋工場. Visitors can learn fun facts about Asahi, the brewery and the basics of brewing. There are many boards and posters that illustrate the brewing process, and these usually have a short English explanation as well. English [...]

Tweet  Take a Walk through Nagoya’s Cultural Heritage The district between Nagoya Castle and Tokugawa-en is an area rich in preserved historical buildings and is known locally as the Bunka no Michi – “the cultural path”. In the Edo Period (1603-1867), the area was where middle and lower-class samurai lived. From the Meiji through early [...]

TweetKnow Nagoya? Nagoya City is made up of 16 wards or Ku. The city was first divided into 4 wards in 1908; Naka, Higashi, Nishi, and Minami. Each ward has its own unique emblem. An explanation of each emblem is shown below. Formed 1908 Naka From the kanji character "naka". Represents a busy intersection.   [...]

Tweet Too Much Christmas Pudding? Holiday Emergency Clinics  ► In Nagoya 　 Emergency treatment is available at one of Nagoya’s designated holiday emergency clinics or dental clinics when regular medical facilities are closed (at night, on Sundays, national holidays, and during the new year holiday period). A list (along with a map) is available on here. [...]

Tweet ■Gujo Odori Dance Festival 郡上おどり ■Where: Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture ■When: August 1 – 5, 7 -12, 13 – 16, 17 – 20, 23 – 24, 30 – 31, September 6. Cancelled only if a typhoon or adverse weather warning is in effect. ■Times: Sundays & Weekdays (20:00 – 22:30), Saturdays (20:00 – 23:00), [...]

Tweet Midland Square – A New Addition to Nagoya’s Skyline. 　 The City of Nagoya has a new addition to it’s skyline. The land across the street from the JR Central Towers has been bustling with bulldozers, cranes, and a multitude or hard-hatted workmen. With ruthless efficiency that puts the builders of London’s new Wembley [...]

The Nakasendo was a highway that ran from Kyoto over an inland route through what is now Shiga, Gifu, and Nagano Prefectures before descending on Tokyo’s predecessor, Edo.

Tweet ■Summer Beer Gardens Get out and enjoy the cool summer evenings at one of Nagoya’s many beer gardens.  ★ Beer Garden Miami ビアガーデン マイアミ 大名古屋ビル店 All you can eat & drink – 150 minute time limit, over 100 dishes to sample! Where: Dai Nagoya Building 大名古屋ビル (Roof Top), above MUFG bank opposite JR Nagoya [...]

Tweet 　 Rediscover science at the Nagoya City Science Museum The Nagoya City Science Museum in Fushimi is a 12 storey complex comprising three sections, the Astronomy building, Technology and Science building, and the Life Science building. Each floor of each building hosts a different aspect of science from telecommunications to disaster prevention. Each section [...]

Tweet Destination Inuyama　犬山へ行こう！ A hop, skip, and a short train ride north of Nagoya, the scenic countryside around the city of Inuyama is home to some of the best days out that Aichi Prefecture has to offer. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Shooting The Nihon Rhine Rapids 日本ライン下り The 13 km stretch of the Kiso River 木曽川between Mino-ota and [...]

Tweet 　 Oceans Apart – Following Futsal in Nagoya 名古屋オーシャンズ　3連覇へ The Nagoya Oceans play in Japan’s 10-team professional futsal league (the F-League) and play their home games at the specially-built indoor 2500-seater Taiyo Yakuhin Ocean Arena大洋薬品オーシャンアリーナ, located in Minato Ward. The league is in its 3rd season and the Oceans are gunning for a third [...]

Tweet Since one slick, quick-thinking fishmonger started an eel sales promotion on one mid-summer’s day in the 18th Century, it has been tradition to eat unagi (fresh water eel) during the summer doyo period. “Doyo no Ushi no Hi” – a day determined by the old lunar calendar that traditionally was considered the hottest of [...]

Tweet There’s Bears in Them There Hills! オスカーさんと、ツキノワグマを見てませんか？by Oscar C. Huygens Bears do not first come to mind when one thinks of Japan. Reliable cars, electronics, manga, karaoke, or even whales might, but usually not bears. And yet, there are lots of bears in this country! Historically, Asiatic black bears occupied all of Kyushu, Shikoku, [...]

Tweet 　 Stores in Midori Ward Start Charging for Plastic Carrier Bags On October 1, 2007 a pilot scheme to charge consumers for plastic carrier bags started in Midori Ward. Shops and stores joined the scheme on a voluntary basis. Shoppers are charged 2 Yen for a small bag, 3 Yen for a medium, and [...]

Tweet 　 Nagoya Day Pass Discounts More than 25 participating attractions in Nagoya City offer discount admission to holders of a valid subway one-day pass (bus only or combined are also OK) or Do-nichi Eco Kippu. Some 7 locations also offer discounts for yurika (ユリカ) card holders! Attraction Discount Nagoya City Aquarium ■Regular admission: 2000 [...]

Tweet   Ichiro Suzuki, simply known as Ichiro, the current MLB Seattle Mariners players has become one of the world’s best known baseball players. At the age of seven, Ichiro joined his first baseball team and asked his father to teach him to be a better player. The two began a daily routine of pitching, [...]

Tweet 　 The Nagoya Kanko Route Bus なごや観光ルートバス The Nagoya Kanko Route Bus is a big, yellow, luxury, air-conditioned city bus service that stops at, and only at Nagoya’s main tourist spots. It departs daily except on Mondays and at New Year. ■Fare: One time: 200 Yen for adults, 100 Yen for children. 1Day Ticket [...]

Tweet The Yanagibashi Chuo Ichiba (柳橋中央市場) 　 Tsukiji Market is one of the most popular tourist sites in Tokyo. A lot of tourists from overseas get up early and go see this, the most famous fish market in Japan. In Nagoya, like any other cities there are several fresh food markets. But did you know [...]

TweetA Very Merry (Japanese) Christmas So this is Christmas….or is it? Chestnuts roasting over an open fire, sleigh bells ringing, partridges in pear trees, silent nights, carol services, turkey, more turkey, turkey sandwiches… the list goes on. But these are all Western Christmas traditions – a mix of Christian beliefs, pre-Christian pagan festivals, and modern [...]

Tweet 　 The End of Free Plastic Carrier Bags in Nagoya  レジ袋有料化の拡大 Based on the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the City of Nagoya has set a unique target to decrease CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions by 10% of its 1990 level by 2010; Japan’s overall target is a reduction on 6%. The City has instigated a [...]

Tweet The Nagoya City Fire & Ambulance Service Their hard work expressed in simple numbers.  5 The number of seats in a fire-engine. 6 The number of minutes it takes on average for an ambulance to arrive at the scene of an accident. 6 The number of months a new recruit attends a training academy [...]

Tokoname has a 900 year-old history of pottery and is one of the six historic pottery towns of Japan. Chances are you’ve already been to Tokoname a few times with even knowing it. Located 40 minutes south of Nagoya, the coastal town of Tokoname is home to Central Japan International Airport.

Tweet   “I could eat a horse!” A quick guide to some of Nagoya’s best all-you-can-eat deals. Loosen your belts, skip breakfast, and prepare to stuff your self silly. Originally printed in the August 2007 edition of the Nagoya Calendar. All information correct as of 2007/08/01   1. Toutenko Nagoya 中国料理 東天紅 名古屋店 ■ About: [...]

Strawberries and cream are associated with summer in the West. However only 5% of Japan’s strawberry crop is produced in the summer. For the most part strawberries in Japan are the “all-season” variety and are produced in the winter and spring in large greenhouses. Many greenhouse farms have all-you-can-eat strawberry-picking deals open to the general public.

Tweet Snow and Sake in the Alps 　 Northern Gifu Prefecture provides some of the most breath-taking winter landscapes in the whole of Japan and Takayama City on the JR Takayama Line is the set-off point for most attractions in the area, including free guided tours of local sake breweries, the snow covered Shirakawa-go UNESCO [...]

Tweet Like its Hollywood counterpart USJ boasts some of the best-recognized names in the movie industry such as Spiderman, The Terminator, and Shrek. If you are ever going to go to a theme park in Japan then the autumn is probably the best time to go; cool, clear, predictable weather and shorter queues – especially [...]

Tweet Image: Courtesy of Kisogawa Kankou   Cormorant Fishing on the Nagara & Kiso Rivers For more than 1300 years the ancient technique of ukai (cormorant fishing) has been passed down through the generations & is still alive on the Nagara River and Kiso Rivers in Gifu. This is not conventional fishing with lines or [...]

Tweet 　 The strength-sapping hot summer is behind us and the cool, refreshing autumn is here. From mid-October to late November the green landscape turns into a patchwork quilt of yellow, orange, red, gold, and brown. Like the cherry blossoms in spring, this is compulsory viewing. Here are some of the more accessible spots for [...]

Tweet After 18 years of active service the 5000 ton Antarctic research ship Fuji docked into port for the final time and in 1985 re-opened as a museum and a tribute to the work of its once 200 strong crew. Visitors are able to wander around the ship and see where the crew lived and [...]

Nagoya celebrated its 400th birthday in 2010 and it was a special year for festivals, events, and exhibitions in the City. The history of Nagoya can be traced back to 1610 when Tokugawa Ieyasu moved the capital of Owari Province from the nearby castle town of Kiyosu to a site that had a better defensive location across the Shonai River.

Tweet It’s still the car in front. Find out how the world’s largest automaker stays ahead of the competition and discover the Toyota Way by joining the Toyota Plant Tour トヨタ自動車工場見学. Take a guided tour around a nearby plant and see how body parts are welded onto a vehicle body and parts are assembled to [...]

Tweet■Take in a Game In 2009, Nagoya Grampus finished 9th in the 18-team top division of the J-League and were beaten Emperor’s Cup finalists. The 2010 season runs from March to December with a mid-season break for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa. Current Grampus players include Japanese internationals Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Seigo [...]

Tweet Shirakawa-go UNESCO World Heritage Site (白川郷) 　 　 Nestled deep in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture are the three neighbouring villages of Ogimachi, Ainokura and Suganuma; collectively known as Shirakawa-go. This area of steep thatched-roved farmhouses gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1995. The people of these gassho-style, or “praying hands” style farmhouses [...]

Tweet 　 Aichi Bokujo Aichi Bokujo is a commercial farm designed for visitors to experience farm life first-hand. Located in the countryside south-east of Nagoya, this open-all-year-round farm is a stone-throw away from Meitetsu Kurozasa Station. Entry to the farm is free and tickets for attractions are sold separately at vending machines located around the [...]

Tweet ■Futsal 101 フットサル入門 Futsal is the official version of 5-a-side football, sanctioned by FIFA and played on a small court. The court (a little bit larger than a basketball court) is delimited by lines and uses a smaller, less bouncier ball than its 11-a-side sibling. The emphasis is on improvisation, creativity and technique. Its [...]

Tweet 　 Since closing its doors to the public last September the 2005 World Expo’s 450 acre site has been transformed. Most of the attractions, buildings, and infrastructure that graced the Expo have long gone to be replaced by the site’s original forested landscape. 9 months of hard work resulted in the July opening of [...]

Tweet Central Japan has many good skiing resorts. Several travel agencies offer all inclusive same-day return coach tours from Nagoya Station to several well-equipped snow resorts in Gifu and Nagano. Ideal if you want to enjoy the best slopes in Japan, but don’t have access to a car. Fares include return coach fee, an all [...]

Tweet Eat too much Christmas turkey? Plan to get in shape this year? Give your New Year resolution a kick-start at one of these low cost weekly aerobics lessons. Places for each session are limited, so arrive at the venue at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time to secure your place. Participation [...]

Tweet Higashiyama Koen is a large park in the eastern suburbs of Nagoya that houses the city zoo, botanical gardens, a 134m Sky Tower, a children’s amusement park, and a city owned tennis club. Open 09:00 to 16:30; closed December 29 to January 1, on Mondays except national holiday and on Tuesdays if the Monday [...]

Tweet If you travel regularly on Meitetsu, you may be interested in knowing that a book of 30 discount tickets is available for use between Meitetsu Nagoya / Kanayama and several major Meitetsu stations. Tickets can be used individually or as a group. They are on sale until March 31 2009 (valid until June 30, [...]

Tweet  Nagoya’s Japanese Gardens 　 Both Tokugawa-en and Shirotori Garden offer visitors the chance to see a Japanese garden. Tokugawa-enTokugawa-en was founded in 1695 by Mitsutomo Tokugawa – grandson of warlord Ieyasu Tokugawa. Originally 44 hectares, the spring in the grounds held boats of considerable size. The residence and gardens were given to the City [...]

Tweet Are you new to Nagoya? Wondering where you can buy those groceries you crave for and other stuff from home? Or are you just looking to spice up your life with different ethnic foods? The following stores may help you find what you’re looking for. Sometimes one has a craving for snacks or familiar [...]

Tweet Can you help me? 　 Q: Are there any regular flea markets in Nagoya? 　 A: The Central Japan Flea Market League (website), the Chubu Recycle Citizens’ Organization (website) and the Aichi Flea Market Association organize and run the vast majority of flea markets in the Nagoya area. 　 Popular flea markets are listed [...]

Tweet   Can you help me?Q: Where can I get cheap movie theatre tickets?  A: As you may know, movie theatres in Japan are prohibitively expensive! A regular adult ticket costs 1800 Yen! However there is no need for you to pay this high price. Discounted tickets are available both in advance and at movie [...]

Tweet Can you help me? Q: How do I know if a product I buy at the supermarket is environmentally friendly? A: Ever tried to buy environmentally friendly products or tried to make a conscious effort to sort your garbage, but have been prevented to do so by the language barrier? There are several symbols [...]

If you are looking for primary education in English, there are several full-time and part-time schools available in the Nagoya area.

Throughout the Noughties the Nagoya area has seen a number of large shopping centers spring up in and around it’s suburbs. If you’re new to the Nagoya area there is much more to shopping than what Sakae and the rest of Central Nagoya can offer.