Getting There

By Plane -- If you arrive at Nagoya International Airport on a domestic or international flight, you can take the airport shuttle bus to the Melsa Meitetsu Bus Center, in front of the Sakura Dori exit of Nagoya train station, for ¥870 ($7.25). Buses depart daily every 10 minutes from 8:20am to 10:05pm for the 30-minute ride. The new Central Japan International Airport, nicknamed Centrair and located on a man-made island, is slated to open in 2005.

By JR Train -- The Shinkansen bullet train to JR Nagoya Station takes approximately 2 hours from Tokyo, 40 minutes from Kyoto, and 1 hour from Shin-Osaka Station. The fare from Tokyo Station is ¥10,070 ($84) for an unreserved seat.

By Bus -- From Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, the Chuo Line bus charges ¥5,100 ($43) one-way for the 6-hour trip, with several departures daily. From Kyoto, the Tomei Highway Bus costs ¥2,500 ($21) and takes 2 3/4 hours; from Osaka, the trip takes just over 3 hours and costs ¥2,900 ($24).

Visitor Information

Before departing Tokyo, Kyoto, or Narita or Kansai international airports, stop by the Tourist Information Center for the leaflet "Nagoya and Vicinity," which contains a city map and transportation and sightseeing information. In Nagoya Station, you can pick up a map and the Nagoya Visitors Guide at the Nagoya Tourist Information Center (tel. 052/541-4301; open daily 9am-7pm) in the central concourse, opposite the Central exit wickets of the JR Line; look for the ? and JR signs.

For more detailed information about Nagoya, walk 8 minutes from Nagoya Station's Central exit straight down Sakura Dori (or take the subway one stop to Kokusai Center Station) to the Nagoya International Center on the third floor of the Nagoya International Center Building, 1-47-1 Nagono (tel. 052/581-0100; open Tues-Sat 9am-8:30pm, Sun and holidays 9am-5pm; closed 2nd Sun in Feb and Aug). It's one of Japan's best facilities for foreign visitors and residents, with an English-speaking staff, a lounge area with a TV featuring CNN newscasts, Internet access, and lots of information on the city, including the free monthly publications Nagoya Calendar and Avenues. The center also advises foreign residents on how to get a visa, where to find an apartment, and which doctors speak English. On the fourth floor, you can apply to visit a Japanese family in their home in the local Home Visit system. You must apply in person no later than 5pm the day before you wish to visit; be sure to bring your passport. Call tel. 052/581-5689 for details.

For recorded information in English on events, concerts, festivals, and the arts, call tel. 052/581-0400. You can check the city's website online.

Internet Access -- The Nagoya International Center provides Internet access for ¥250 ($2.10) per 30 minutes. Café Quatre (tel. 052/562-1517; open daily 11am-11pm), on the 12th floor of Towers Plaza above Nagoya Station, charges ¥300 ($2.50) for 30 minutes but you must order something to drink; coffee costs ¥500 ($4.15).

Money Mail -- Nagoya's Central Post Office (tel. 052/564-2106), located to the left of the Sakura exit of JR Nagoya Station, is open for mail and money exchange Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm. In addition to a counter open 24 hours for mail, it has ATMs open Monday to Saturday 5am to 11:55pm and Sunday and holidays 5am to 8pm.

Orientation

Almost completely destroyed during World War II, Nagoya was rebuilt with wide, straight streets, many of which are named.

The ultra-modern, twin-towered JR Nagoya Station, with its many train lines (including the Shinkansen), soars more than 50 stories above the skyline and contains Takashimaya department store, offices, a Marriott hotel, many restaurants, and an observatory. Built in 1999, it has been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as being the world's largest building containing a railway station. Clustered nearby are the Meitetsu Bus Terminal, Meitetsu Shin-Nagoya Station, the city bus terminal, Kintetsu Station, and a subway station for the Sakura Dori and Higashiyama lines, as well as many hotels and a huge underground shopping arcade that stretches 6km (3 3/4 miles) and includes about 600 shops.

Most of the city's attractions spread out east of Nagoya Station (take the Central/Sakuradori exit), including the city's downtown area, Sakae, two subway stops from Nagoya Station and with many shops, restaurants, and department stores. Also in Sakae is Hisaya Odori, a wide boulevard that stretches north and south with a park and a TV tower in its green meridian. North of Hisaya Odori is Nagoya Castle, while south is Atsuta Jingu Shrine.

Getting Around

The easiest way to get around is via the city's four-line subway system, which is simple to use because station names are written in both English and Japanese, and there are English-language announcements and digital signs in trains. Probably the most important line for tourists is the Meijo Line, which runs through Sakae underneath Hisaya Odori and takes you to both Nagoya Castle (stop: Shiyakusho) and Atsuta Jingu Shrine (stop: Jingu-Nishi), with one branch terminating at Nagoya Port with its aquarium; if you take this line in the opposite direction, you'll eventually end up at the Ozone stop. Individual tickets for the subway are ¥200 to ¥320 ($1.65-$2.65), depending on the distance.

To go where subway lines don't, such as the Tokugawa Art Museum, you'll find it convenient to take one of the city buses, for which you'll pay a flat fare of ¥200 ($1.65). City buses depart from Nagoya Station and the Sakae Bus Terminal. There's also the private Meitetsu Bus Line with a terminal located at Nagoya Station; for these buses, take a ticket and pay the exact fare according to the digital panel display at the front when you get off.

There are several transportation passes worth considering if you'll be traveling a lot within a single day. For subways, there's a 1-day pass (Ichinichi Jo-sha) for ¥740 ($6.20) that allows you to ride as much as you want for a full day; for ¥850 ($7.10), you can ride as much as you want on both subways and city buses.

A Note on Directions--All directions are from Nagoya Station unless otherwise noted; the time in parentheses indicates walking time from the subway or bus stop indicated.