Nagoya with Kids: What We Did + Itinerary
Last Updated on September 4, 2026 by Kay
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Considering taking your child to Nagoya and wondering how to plan a family trip that your kiddo will love? We took our daughter there and were pleasantly surprised by how child-friendly it was!
Nagoya is the fourth-largest city in Japan, yet it’s often overlooked by tourists, which is a shame because it’s quite centrally located. It’s quite easy to reach via plane or Shinkansen from either Tokyo or Osaka. You can drive there as well, which is what we did from our home in Osaka.
I visited Nagoya with my husband many years ago when we were young 20-somethings, and I’ll be honest, we were not that impressed. But as parents? We loved Nagoya, and so did our elementary-aged daughter!
In this guide, I’m sharing the places we visited together, what my daughter enjoyed the most, and my thoughts on which attractions are actually worth making time for. I’ll also cover some places we didn’t get to visit but that you may want to add to your own trip.
I’ve included our practical experience with planning a family trip to Nagoya as well, including where to stay, how long to spend in the city, and tips that will hopefully make your own visit a little easier.
Is Nagoya Good for Kids?
Nagoya is a perfectly sized city for children of all ages.
It’s easy to get around, it’s convenient with lots of shops and kid-friendly restaurants, there is plenty for children to do, and best of all, my family didn’t find the downtown area nearly as crowded or overwhelming as other big cities in Japan such as Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka.
But don’t take my word for it. I asked my daughter (age six when we visited) what she thought of Nagoya after we went, and she said it was “so cool”. The way her face lit up when I reminded her of the trip was so adorable.
I have a few friends in Japan who were asking my opinion about whether Nagoya is a good place to visit with babies and toddlers. I think so, especially from age two!
How Many Days Do You Need in Nagoya with Kids?
Our family spent three days in Nagoya, which worked out perfectly fine because we saw all the major attractions. We arrived in the late morning just before 11 AM and left on Day 3 just before 5 PM.
If you want a little extra time in the city to explore it at a leisurely pace, I recommend four days, especially since you need to factor in time to get to and from Nagoya.
The Best Family-Friendly Activities in Nagoya (Kid-Approved)
Wondering exactly where you should take your kiddos? Here are my recommendations based on what we did with our child when we visited Nagoya.
Immersing themselves in the world of LEGOLAND Japan
LEGOLAND Japan was the main reason we traveled to Nagoya.
My daughter’s friend from school went there when she was five years old, and after her visit, her mother told me at a playdate that I needed to take my kiddo. It took a little time before we could visit, so my daughter didn’t go until she was six, but I’m so glad we listened to her and finally made it! It was also perfect timing because my daughter is obsessed with Ninjago.
According to my daughter, LEGOLAND Japan was “good! I liked all the LEGO sculptures and rides. It was so fun!”
You can read about our experience, as well as get some helpful tips, in my LEGOLAND with kids article.
Playing train conductor at SCMAGLEV and Railway Park
My daughter has always enjoyed the Railway Museum in Kyoto, so we knew we wanted to take her to the train museum in Nagoya as well, which is called SCMAGLEV and Railway Park.
What makes this museum particularly special is that they have an entire area dedicated to the SCMAGLEV, a super-fast train that uses magnetic forces to basically float above the tracks. It will eventually be used on the Chuo Shinkansen, which is currently being built between Tokyo and Nagoya.
And you can even go inside a retired Doctor Yellow train, which was used to inspect the Shinkansen tracks and electrical equipment, meaning that passengers can’t ride on it.
You can also eat ekibens (train bento) inside the green car (the fanciest) of a retired Shinkansen. How cool is that?
My daughter also got the opportunity to be a train conductor, as well as try a Shinkansen driving simulator. Tickets for these experiences are limited, so if your child would be interested in these, the earlier you go, the better.
Also, keep in mind that the train museum is closed every Tuesday. This is especially important to keep in mind as this museum is located right by LEGOLAND Japan. (You’ll want to spend one day at LEGOLAND Japan and the previous or following day at the train museum.)
My daughter told me, “I liked being the train conductor and pretending to drive the train. I also liked going inside all the different trains.”
Learning at the FUJI Nagoya City Science Museum
I always try to get my daughter to visit a science museum when we go to different cities, and FUJI Nagoya City Science Museum was one I wanted to visit even before she was born. The outside is seriously so cool!
The museum has several floors with so many interactive exhibits and demonstrations throughout the day, as well as a planetarium. Needless to say, my daughter absolutely loved this science museum, especially since it wasn’t very crowded when we went (on a weekday). This meant she could explore freely without having to wait her turn for many of the exhibits. Even if one was occupied, there was always another open one just a step away.
She was being silly at one exhibit where you can learn about sound traveling and sang some silly song she made up, consisting purely of the words “pee pee, ooh ooh,” into the device because she assumed no one would understand English toilet words. Well, one tourist did, and he started laughing, which both embarrassed her and made her a little happy because someone appreciated her lyrics, haha.
I recommend going to the science museum in the morning because then you can try to snag tickets to the planetarium and the deep freeze room. (Both were gone when we visited in the afternoon, and my daughter hates planetariums anyway…) However, keep in mind that lots of schools visit in the morning on weekdays, and families on weekends, so it might be a little crowded.
I also highly recommend watching the demonstration on electricity. It was so cool because the machine is massive, emitting huge electric currents. But I don’t think it’s good for very young children because it’s loud and the room is dark, so they might get scared.
Here is what my daughter said about the Nagoya City Science Museum: “The science museum was so cool. I liked being able to see experiments, and I could touch a lot of things that would do cool things!” (I think she meant she liked learning from doing, haha.)
We spent about 2.5 hours at the science museum. I imagine this would have been longer had we watched a show at the planetarium (about 50 minutes with commentary in Japanese only).
Note that there is also an area in front of the museum called FUJI Tetsudo Hiroba (FUJI 鉄道ひろば) where you can go inside two different old trains, and one of them (Oha35) allows you to eat and drink inside.
Kids can also play conductor inside the train, which my daughter loved (I mean, what six-year-old doesn’t like pushing all the buttons?).
You cannot sit down on the seats or eat or drink inside the other train (Follow Carriage No.344), which is pictured below:
There is a playground a few steps from here, too, where our kid had to be torn away from:
We didn’t have time on this trip, but in the area you can also walk to the Science Museum of Electricity and Nagoya Touken World, which houses many pieces of Samurai armor as well as katana and other weapons from the Edo period and earlier.
Shopping at PARCO
I always recommend stopping by a PARCO, a trendy department store for youth, when you’re in Japan. This one in Nagoya is about an 11-minute walk from the FUJI Nagoya City Science Museum.
Notably, it has a KIDDYLAND (my husband and daughter sneakily bought my birthday present from here when I was grabbing some coffee from Kannon Coffee Osu):
A Pokemon Center, which features Celebi goods you can only get here:
Chiikawa Land:
Village Vanguard (the perfect place for quirky pop culture Japan goods):
And an Animate (it’s small, though, and quite picked over):
Getting a dose of traditional Japan at Nagoya Castle
Nagoya Castle is probably the most famous landmark in Nagoya, most famously known for the two golden fish (kinshachi) flanking the top. The castle grounds are perfect for spending a morning or an afternoon as it’s not too large.
The castle itself is undergoing repairs, so you can’t go inside. However, just viewing the outside was more than enough for us. Our daughter liked noticing all the little details on the castle, design elements that my husband and I completely overlooked!
Although visitors cannot enter the castle, we were able to go inside Honmaru Palace, which is a reconstruction of the original palace that was built in the 1600s. (It was destroyed in WWII.) The inside is seriously so, so beautiful. It’s small but honestly one of the most impressive palaces I’ve seen in Japan, and I’ve been living here for almost two decades.
If you like gold-leaf paintings, detailed woodwork, and beautifully decorated rooms, definitely go here. You need to line up to get inside, though, and sometimes the line can be quite large. You also have to remove your shoes.
Samurai and ninja cosplayers also show up on the castle grounds throughout the day, and you can take photos with them. My daughter was too shy, though, and told me she would “absolutely die” (zettai shinu) if I made her take a photo with one of them. (Is she six or sixteen? I’m not sure anymore!)
There is also a lovely little garden that’s great for photos, and near the tea house kids can play with a tsukubai:
In my daughter’s words, Nagoya Castle “was so big, and the inside [of the palace] was so pretty!”
We spent 1.5 hours at Nagoya Castle.
If you’re looking for somewhere to eat near the castle, I highly recommend a restaurant called Hosa. I’ll talk more about this restaurant later on.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
The Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in Japan and is especially famous for its killer whales and enormous dolphin pool. I’ve never agreed with keeping killer whales in captivity, but this aquarium uses them for research and conservation purposes, specifically looking into their hormones, vocalizations, and cognition.
The aquarium is divided into two buildings: the North Building and the South Building. The North Building is home to the whales while the South Building has tanks featuring other sea creatures.
The killer whale show on the 3rd floor of the North Building mainly focuses on educating visitors about killer whales, and it includes a video that shows how they hunt. It was perfectly fine for my daughter but if you don’t want your kid seeing that, you might want to skip this show.
The show also has dolphins performing, but again, it’s more about education than theatrics. There is also a separate show for dolphins. We didn’t see that show so I can’t comment on it.
Make sure to also check the Diverse World of Whales area, which is located on the 1st floor and has replicas of fossils showing how whales evolved. (I thought it was super cool, although my kid is still too young to understand, or at least appreciate, evolution.)
The South Building’s performances include a sardine tunnel, as well as penguin and turtle feeding.
We liked the interactive tanks in the South Building of the aquarium, such as ones that show how a fish’s color changes according to water depth, and luminescent coral.
My daughter thought the sea turtles were pretty cool, especially since you can see them from above while the staff feeds them.
There are deep-sea creatures here as well.
You can use little “toys” to try to get the attention of penguins (they reminded me of cat toys, haha), but it didn’t really work for my daughter and me, as the penguins just ignored us. Now that I think about it, the penguins basically ignored everyone!
Twice a day, you can try to get a ticket for the touch pool. We didn’t want to stay for it, especially since my daughter doesn’t like touch pools, so I can’t tell you how quickly the tickets are snatched up. However, you can only spend three minutes at the touch pool, so it might not be worth all the effort.
One thing I did not like was the jellyfish exhibit as it was way too small and crowded!
Make sure to also stop by the small amusement park next to the aquarium called Nagoya Port Sea Train Land. You can ride a glass-bottom Ferris wheel here and have a fantastic view of Nagoya, but keep in mind that it’s long (I believe it took 20 minutes!).
The other rides are fairly old, but my daughter (age six at the time) enjoyed them. Heck, I saw some young Japanese women on the rides and having fun!
If you live in Japan, your kids might be familiar with ぐるり森 (Gururi Mori). If you get the free pass (all-you-can-ride), you can experience this attraction up to ten times as well as watch a movie, which is exactly what my kid did. ぐるり森 is a maze-like attraction and everything is in Japanese, but if you don’t understand the language and still want to try it out while using Google Translate, feel free! Kids like my daughter absolutely love getting cards at the end and the chance to win a prize.
There is also an area near the aquarium called Nagoya Garden Pier. I’ll share more about that later on.
Our Three-Day Family-Friendly Nagoya Itinerary
Wondering how exactly to plan your Nagoya trip so that you’re making the most of your time? Here’s a brief look at our itinerary.
Day 1
We arrived in Nagoya at around 11 AM. Have lunch at Hosa and then walked to Nagoya Castle. Spend about 1.5 hours there before going to the Nagoya City Science Museum.
We stayed there for about two hours and then spent an hour in the surrounding area with the trains and playground that I mentioned earlier in the article. During this hour, I walked to Osu Kannon alone while my husband watched our kid in the park. (Osu Kannon is quite small so I don’t suggest going out of your way to see it.)
I also grabbed a coffee from Kannon Coffee Osu. The shopping alley the coffee shop is located in is so gorgeous! Personally, I didn’t find many noteworthy shops there (other than a mystery book shop that mainly carries Japanese books), but if you have time, definitely explore the area!
Afterwards, I met up with my husband and daughter at PARCO. We stayed there for 30 minutes, but I imagine people who don’t live in Japan might want to spend more time there.
We had dinner a short walk away at Ramuchii at around 6 PM, which I’ll talk about later on in the article. We had to wait about ten minutes to be seated (they don’t take reservations).
When we were full, we checked into our hotel for the night, Prince Hotel Nagoya Sky Tower.
Day 2
On the second day, we headed straight to LEGOLAND Japan. We spent the entire day there and then spent the night at the LEGOLAND Japan Hotel.
We had wanted to stay at the LEGOLAND Japan Hotel the night before our visit, but the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park was closed that day. (Ideally, you want to visit the train museum first, since it’s within walking distance of LEGOLAND, stay at the LEGOLAND Japan Hotel and then go to the park.)
Day 3
On our last day, we checked out of the LEGOLAND Japan Hotel and went to the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park right when it opened. We spent about three hours here.
After that, we drove to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, enjoyed the nearby amusement park, and then went home. Note that the aquarium is about 30-45 minutes by public transport from the Railway Park, while it’s about a 20-minute drive.
When we were done, we drove home at around 5 PM.
Where I Want to Take My Daughter in Nagoya
We weren’t able to do everything on this trip because we only had so much time.
If we visit again (which is likely), here are places where I want to take my kid.
Antarctic Museum and Former Research Ship Fuji
Located next to the aquarium, this is Japan’s first Antarctic icebreaker ship, which was a base for scientists to conduct research for 18 years. There is apparently a block of ice straight from Antarctica inside, which I really want to see.
I think my kid would have been bored had I taken her on this trip, but I hope she’ll be able to appreciate it when she’s older.
Nearby, there’s Nagoya Port Building, which offers a view of Nagoya Port from the Observation Lounge, but since we did the Ferris wheel, we didn’t think it was necessary.
Note that these are temporarily closed from August 1 through November 30, 2026.
Nagoya Marine Museum
Located on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Nagoya Port Building, this museum focuses on Nagoya Port, one of Japan’s most important international trade ports.
The exhibits explain how ports work, what kinds of goods are transported by ship, and the history and development of Nagoya Port. There are also exhibits about ships, cargo, and Japan’s overseas trade, including a crane simulator, making it great for kids who are interested in boats. (So… not necessarily my kid, but I have two friends who read my blog and have vehicle-obsessed kiddos that might enjoy this.)
Note that this is temporarily closed from August 1 through November 30, 2026.
Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology
This is another recommendation that car-loving kiddos will enjoy. Our family especially wants to visit because our car is a Toyota, and we’re big fans!
This museum is located at the birthplace of the Toyota Group and explores how Toyota developed from a textile machinery company into one of the world’s largest car manufacturers. You can see working looms, historic cars, manufacturing equipment, and demonstrations of how cars are made.
It’s particularly good for kids because many of the machines actually move, and there are demonstrations, hands-on learning activities, and workshops rather than just displays to look at.
Oasis 21
I was curious about Oasis 21 but unfortunately we did not have time for it.
Oasis 21 is a futuristic complex in Nagoya’s Sakae area, best known for its glass rooftop called Spaceship-Aqua. Kids might like to walk around the rooftop path beside the water and see the city below.
There’s also a grassy area, shops, restaurants, and frequent events, making it a great place for a break while sightseeing in central Nagoya.
Nagoya Touken World
My kid is really into Japanese swords and other weapons, especially after seeing a picture of her ancestor’s samurai sword (my husband’s great-great-grandfather’s? No one is quite sure…). She also likes the ones with unique designs on the handles, and sometimes the blades themselves, so I would like to bring her here next time.
Nagoya Touken World is a large museum dedicated to Japanese swords and samurai culture. Its extensive collection includes Japanese swords, elaborate suits of samurai armor, ukiyo-e prints, and historic firearms, including several nationally designated cultural properties.
This is a particularly good attraction for kids who are fascinated by samurai, although younger children may enjoy the impressive armor displays more than the detailed sword exhibits.
It costs 1200 yen for adults, 500 yen for high school children, 300 yen for junior high and elementary school children, and it’s free for kids ages six and under.
This is located right by the FUJI Nagoya Science Museum.
I also want to take my kid to the Japanese Sword Collection Room Nagoya, because although it’s smaller, it’s free!
Science Museum of Electricity
This is a free museum in central Nagoya where kids can learn about electricity, energy, and how power reaches our homes through hands-on exhibits and experiments. There are science shows, interactive displays, and visitors can take part in quizzes and games on a huge screen.
Atsuta-jingu Shrine
Atsuta-jingu is one of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines and has a history dating back around 1,900 years. It’s a simple yet stunning shrine nestled among trees, which my daughter would likely enjoy.
I think my daughter would also be interested in the Kusanagi-kan sword museum on the grounds. It houses around 450 donated Japanese swords and has a hands-on area where visitors can actually feel the weight of real Japanese swords and replicas of enormous historical swords.
Where to Stay in Nagoya with Kids
We stayed at Prince Hotel Nagoya Sky Tower. It is fairly new and clean, and within walking distance of Sasashima-Raibu Station, which will take you straight to the SCMaglev and Railway Park and LEGOLAND Japan.
The rooms are clean, modern, and spacious.
It came with children’s amenities as well (toothbrush, slippers, etc):
As well as pajamas:
What my daughter and I especially loved about this hotel is that we could see trains right from our window!
You can check availability for Prince Hotel Nagoya Sky Tower here.
If you’re going to LEGOLAND Japan, I highly recommend spending a night at the LEGOLAND Japan Hotel. That was absolutely a highlight for my daughter!
Here are other hotels we are considering staying at for our next trip:
<div style=”color: black; font-size: 20px; background: #FFFFCC; padding: 0.5em 1em; margin: 2em 0;”><b>Kay’s Tip:</b>You can search all the best hotels in Nagoya here via booking.com. Also, stays at certain hotels are 15% off until early 2027, so make sure to check it out!
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Hilton Nagoya: I love the Hilton brand because their hotels are always high quality. I’ve been fully converted after my friend, who is a huge fan and fellow mom, recommended I stay with them! This is why I think Hilton Nagoya is a great option for families who want to stay somewhere central in Nagoya. The rooms are quite spacious, and there are family rooms with two large beds as well as a 60 m² Japanese-style suite if you want even more space. There’s also an indoor heated pool that hotel guests can use for free, as well as lots of useful amenities for children, such as cribs, bed guards, kids’ pajamas and slippers. The hotel is only a three-minute walk from Fushimi Station, although the downside is that it isn’t right next to Nagoya Station — it’s about a 15-minute walk or five-minute taxi ride away.
Vessel Hotel Campana Nagoya: This is a really convenient option for families, especially if you’re traveling with younger kids. Children 18 and under can stay for free when sharing a bed with a parent or grandparent, and breakfast is free for children five and under. There’s also a large public bath that kids can use, plus lots of useful free items including strollers, cribs, bed guards, diapers, wipes, kids’ toilet seats and even toys and picture books. It’s around a nine-minute walk from JR Nagoya Station, so it’s also a good base for sightseeing. The downside is that the rooms are more functional than exciting, so I’d choose this hotel for convenience and value rather than for a particularly memorable hotel experience.
Getting Around Nagoya with Kids
We drove to Nagoya from Osaka, and it was very convenient being able to get around the city with a car.
I don’t think you need a car to be able to enjoy Nagoya, though. It’s a large city with a great transportation system, but you might need to take the bus more often than you would in cities like Tokyo and Osaka.
The aquarium is also in a location where it’s a bit of a mission to get to using public transportation.
Where to Eat in Nagoya with Kids
Nagoya is famous for miso tonkatsu pork cutlets, which is a little strong in terms of flavor. My daughter enjoyed it, but she’s also very used to katsu (cutlets).
If you want to try this dish, there are many restaurants in the city that offer it. We went to Ramuchii as it’s in central Nagoya and quite popular with locals and had several families dining there. Their cutlets, made with black kurobuta pork from Kagoshima, are loaded with green onions and super flavorful. They require a one-dish order for adults but not for kids, and they provide children’s cutlery. Miso soup and rice are free.
The miso tonkatsu here was absolutely delicious but it is a huge portion, so make sure to show up hungry! Also note that they only take cash and do not take reservations, so you might need to wait to be seated.
If you’re going to Nagoya Castle (which you probably will), I recommend Hosa. They have a kids’ set featuring Nagoya’s kishimen, which are wide, flat udon noodles. They are soft and slightly chewy and are served in a light soy-based broth topped with green onions, fish cake, fried tofu, and bonito flakes.
My child absolutely demolished this meal! (I had the ice cream because she’s a strange child who doesn’t like it, and I’m happy to report that it was homemade and delicious!)
My husband got their eel bowl, and he said it was extremely good, while I got the seasonal cold kishimen topped with sudachi citrus. (I love sudachi anything.)
Here is the rest of the menu if you’re curious:
As you can see, the descriptions of the food items are in Japanese only so if you don’t understand the language, you’ll need to break out Google Translate.
Tips for Visiting Nagoya with Kids
Nagoya is honestly one of the most chill cities I have visited with my child in Japan. I felt like it didn’t need as much planning, but there are a few things I feel like parents should know before visiting.
Firstly, make sure to visit LEGOLAND Japan and the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park back-to-back because they’re right next to each other! You need an entire day at LEGOLAND Japan, but half a day at SCMAGLEV and Railway Park should be enough. Keep in mind that the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park closes every Tuesday.
The aquarium is far from central Nagoya and a bit of a pain to get to, but there is plenty to do in the area, so I recommend dedicating a day to it if you’re with young kids. (Half a day should be enough for kiddos ages 10 and up.)
If your kids like amusement parks, Nagashima Spa Land is only an hour by train and around 35 minutes by car from Nagoya Station. We absolutely love Nagashima Spa Land (read why here) and highly recommend it! They have rides for younger kiddos but also intense, record-breaking roller coasters.
So, Is Nagoya Worth Visiting with Kids?
If you’ve made it through the entire article, you won’t be surprised to hear that I think Nagoya is absolutely worth visiting while you’re in Japan.
Is it an absolute must if you’re short on time? If I’m going to be completely honest, I will have to say no, not at all.