When I travel I do nothing but eat, and find ways to kill time between meals. One of my favorite ways to explore is by skipping public transport and strolling from place to place. Not only does walking allow me to take in the sights at my own pace, but it also helps me connect with the ‘pulse’ of the city—the rhythm of its streets, the vibe of its people—and gives me a deeper, almost intangible understanding of the place.
It was during such a time in 2019 that the stars aligned on the Japanese calendar. With two public holidays—Respect for the Aged Day and Autumnal Equinox Day—creating consecutive long weekends in September, I seized the opportunity. By just taking four days of leave, I scored myself a 10-day mega-holiday to go travelling. One of the cities I chose to visit for a foodie trip was was Nagoya (名古屋).
Where is Nagoya?
Nagoya is the capital of Aichi Prefecture (愛知県), and an air travel hub. Honestly, I travelled here because I was on my way up to Ishikawa Prefecture to visit a friend, and Nagoya, specifically Chubu Centrair International Airport, happened to be where the low-cost carriers were.
Nagoya is Japan’s fourth most populous city (yes, it beats places like Kyoto, Kobe, and Fukuoka) and a major port to boot. Nagoya Castle and Atsuta Shrine are the two biggest tourist draws that generally come to mind.
To me, Nagoya City felt like Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar of Japanーexpansive streets and office buildings aplenty.
And just like Tanjong Pagar, food haunts face vigorous competition to entice the office crowd. Those that survive are the best, and many that I found were ensconced in classy office buildings rather than in bigger malls.
Nagoya Maruhachi Shokudo, for example, was in the basement of Nagoya Lucent Tower, an intimidating 40-storey skyscraper with a lobby so posh I felt ashamed to enter in T-shirt and jeans.
Nagoya Maruhachi Shokudo Meieki
One specialty of Nagoya is miso katsu (味噌カツ), made from red miso. While red miso is also made from soybeans, the longer fermentation period (compared to white miso) gives it a darker, richer flavour. The zesty tang and sweet-savoury goodness of the sauce gives the traditional porky katsu a lift that I personally find very refreshing.
Another food that Nagoya is famous for is Cochin chicken, a breed of chicken known for its darker, richer flavour (just like the miso). The meat is tougher and more flavourful compared to wakadori (young chicken), and generally comes at a higher price point as well. But it is not absolutely betterーI find the tender juicy lightness of wakadori just as appetizing, and the lighter burden on my wallet makes my chicken taste better, stingy traveller that I am.
A good example of this is tebasaki (literally “chicken wing” in Japanese), where the star is the addictive seasoning sprinkled on the wing. A salty and addictive mix that I liken to Mamee noodle seasoning that will have you scarfing the chicken down.
Nagoya Maruhachi Shokudo (名古屋めし食堂 丸八 名古屋店)
Address: 6-1 Ushijimacho, Nishi Ward, Nagoya, Aichi, 451-6090
Nearest station: Nagoya Station (Nagoya Lucent Tower Exit)
Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology
Toyota, you say. Cars, I reply.
Wrong.
I was absolutely confused to walk into the Toyota Museum to find myself in a textile exhibition that stretched on for rooms and rooms. Housed in the red-brick weaving mill where the conglomerate all began, the guide was informative, and the exhibits well-curated.
I learnt a lot about the industrialisation process of weaving. As a bonus, my tour group had a kid who enthusiastically answered every rhetorical question the tour guide posed, and the experienced guide kindly involved his young helper by passing him thread samples. I felt like I already had my money’s worth by the time I reached the cars.
Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology (トヨタ産業技術記念館)
Address: 4-1-35 Noritakeshinmachi, Nishi Ward, Nagoya, Aichi, 451-0051
Access: 3-minute walk from Sakō Station (栄生駅)
Opening hours: 9:30am–5pm
Admission fee: ¥500 (~S$6.50)
On my way through the city area looking for dinner, there was a noticeable scent of women’s perfume in the air from the sheer number of office ladies on the after-work commute, breezing past on the wind tunnels that the tall densely-packed buildings create. When it got too breezy for me, I made use of Nagoya’s extensive underpass and underground streets to get around (especially around the stations, which have multiple exits).
As a bonus, most of the luxurious malls have comfy resting chairs that I would lounge on while waiting for my next food place to open…
Torikai
Maruhachi Shokudo earlier had a huge poster proudly proclaiming that its oyakodon (親子丼) had won the Don Grand Prix for 5 years running, from 2014–2018.
While I passed up on that one, I still got my fill of cochin chicken oyakodon at Torikai, another respectable chain with a cosy view on a high floor of the department store, LACHIC.
Alongside it was a cochin chicken pudding, which caught my eye but not my heart. I couldn’t taste any chicken in it, which made it a delicious egg pudding but nothing special.
Torikai Sohonke (鳥開総本家)
Multiple locations across Nagoya City.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
Since Nagoya was coast-side, I opened the map of Nagoya, scrolled down south, and looked at the stations there. I planned to bring a beer from a supermarket and my best playlist for a blissful evening to myself.
I considered going down the right pincer of the crab (that Aichi Prefecture is often said to resemble), but eventually settled on the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium instead, located a short walk away from Nagoyako Station.
Best of both worldsーa beautiful view of the sunset greeted me after my aquarium tour in the afternoon.
©Jia Han
There are huge tanks for the belugas and dolphins, and it was relaxing to sit in the dark and watch them coast around in the waters. One tank which made me chuckle was this board with food stuck to it. Within this ecosystem, only the archerfish could shoot down the food, and then all the other fish and tortoises would rush for it.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium (名古屋港水族館)
Address: 1-3 Minatomachi, Minato Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 455-0033, Japan
Access: From Nagoyako Station (名古屋港駅), it’s a 5-minute walk from Exit 3.
Atsuta Shrine & Kishimen
Now, you might be thinking that I finally squeezed some cultural sightseeing into my trip, but you’d be wrong. The real reason I visited Atsuta Shrine was the rave reviews my friends gave me about the kishimen (きしめん), served right on the shrine grounds itself. Here, I’ll shamelessly feature the noodles up even before the shrine’s picture:
As I stood in the queue, I spotted many options with the kishimen—you could have it hot or cold, and with a variety of toppings from kitsune (sweet beancurd skin) to tempura. I was texting my friend, “WHICH ONE SHOULD I GET, I FORGOT TO ASK” in the queue, and he didn’t get back to me in the 2 minutes it took, so hot kishimen with tempura it was.
The hot kishimen was lovely. Visually, the flat noodles reminded me of Singapore’s ban mian (a flat-noodle dish that’s a staple in Singapore’s food courts). The kishimen was firm with a satisfying bite, a clear and very flavourful soup, and delicious fresh ingredients. Vibrant and refreshing. The tempura was a let-down, however. In the 30 seconds it took me to carry my bowl to the table, the batter had already begun to slough off, and it was largely a tasteless piece of prawn that I would not recommend. Go eat the kitsune version for me instead.
And now, back to the shrine.
Atsuta Shrine is a short train ride away, and the nearest station is conveniently named Atsuta Station. It was a sunny day, and I was glad to enjoy the scenery rolling by and rest my aching feet on the ambling train ride.
Atsuta Shrine is not only beautiful, but it also holds an important place in Japanese history. It is said to house one of the three Imperial Regalia of Japan, Kusanagi no Tsurugi. However, these three treasures are so legendary that they are never shown to the public, although they made an appearance in their boxes when the Emperor abdicated in 2019.
Another reason I went to Atsuta Shrine was to collect the goshuin (ご朱印), which are handwritten calligraphy pages that state the temple’s name, and the day of your visit. I was sorely disappointed by Atsuta’s, a cursory and unremarkable stamp. Compare Ryoan-ji’s heavy swagger on the left, written with a gigantic brush the size of a rolling pin; the deft and stylish strokes of Ninna-ji in the middle; and the miserable Atsuta chop on the right. But on the bright side, while each goshuin usually goes for ¥300–¥500 (~S$4–S$6.50), Atsuta’s goshuin was pay-as-you-wish.
I didn’t wish.
Atsuta Shrine (熱田神宮)
Address: 1-1-1 Jingu, Atsuta Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 456-8585
Access: 3-minute walk from Meitetsu Jingumae Station / 8-minute walk from JR Atsuta Station / 7-minute walk from Jingu-Nishi Station.
Closing
Here is my genuine plug for JR: of course, the train is your most reliable bet when travelling to further destinations. And even for someone who prefers walking (like myself), the stations in Nagoya helped me to avoid getting lost. Rather than spend the walk glued to my phone, I would simply look for signs to the station near my destination, and then orientate myself from there. When I was lost, again the first landmark I would look for were train stations.
For a city guy like me, Nagoya was excellent. Picturesque meanders through the cityscape and good food make me happy. And as with all office-heavy districts like Nagoya City and Tanjong Pagar: by avoiding the peak lunch hours and rush hours, you will easily find yourself in the very best places with nary a queue on weekdays. I found a relaxed side of Nagoya, as long as I ate my brunches, late lunches, and late dinners, an itinerary perfect for a lazy foodie holiday.
