Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [178]
KAKUŌZAN & NITTAI-JI
The Kakuōzan neighbourhood, a few subway stops away from Sakae, is an old-style spot that you might expect to see in the countryside instead of in flashy Nagoya, and perhaps that’s why it was chosen as the site of Nittai-ji (Map; 751-2121; 1-1 Hōō-chō, Chikusa-ku; admission free; 9am-2.30pm; ; Kakuōzan, exit 1). Nittai-ji means ‘Japan Thailand temple’, and it is here that, in 1904, Thai King Chulalongkorn chose Nagoya over Kyoto to bestow a Buddha relic and a 1000-year-old Buddha statue (the relic is kept elsewhere); Thai royalty continue to visit here on trips to Japan. The temple was rebuilt in 1984 and is, rare for Japan, accessible for travellers with disabilities.
Daily otsutome (Buddhist worship) is held at 12.30pm. On the 21st of each month, the street leading to the temple, Kakuōzan-Nittai-ji-dōri, bustles with a street fair with stalls selling food, ceramics, tea, knives and crafts.
Nearby is Yōki-sō (Map; 759-4450; 2-5-21 Hōō-chō, Chikusa-ku; admission free; gardens 9.30am-4.30pm; Kakuōzan, exit 1), a pretty villa that hosted students from Southeast Asia during the early 20th century. The building is open only limited hours by tour only, but the garden in a ravine is modelled after Shūgaku-in Rikyū in Kyoto. From Nittai-ji, face away from the main hall, turn left before the five-storey pagoda, head downhill, turn right at the street and take the first driveway.
South of the City Centre
ŌSU KANNON AREA
The much-visited Ōsu Kannon temple (Map; admission free; 5.30am-7pm; Ōsu Kannon, exit 2) traces its roots back to 1333 and was considered so auspicious that Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered it moved here around 1610. Although the current buildings are 20th-century reconstructions, it still retains a traditional atmosphere. Chanting is often piped throughout the temple grounds.
Ōsu is equally famous for the vibrant shopping district just east, which draws bargain hunters. Click here for more on shopping.
ATSUTA-JINGŪ
Hidden among 1000-year-old cypress trees, the 1900-year-old Atsuta-jingū (Map; 671-4151; www.atsutajingu.or.jp; 1-1-1 Jingū; admission free; 24hr; Jingū-mae, Meitetsu Nagoya line or Jingū-nishi, exit 2) is one of the most sacred shrines in all of Shintō. It houses the kusanagi-no-tsurugi (sacred sword; literally the ‘grass-cutting sword’), one of the sanshu no jingi (three regalia) that were, according to legend, handed down to the imperial family by the sun goddess Amaterasu-Ōmikami. (The other two are the curved jewels at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Click here, and the sacred mirror housed at Ise-jingū, Click here.) You won’t be able to view the regalia, but don’t feel left out; no one but the emperor and a few selected Shintō priests ever get to see them.
There is a small museum (Treasure Hall; Hōmotsu-kan; adult/child ¥300/150; 9am-4.30pm, closed last Wed & Thu of each month), housing a changing collection of Tokugawa-era swords, masks and paintings, including some Important Cultural Properties.
The shrine is about three minutes’ walk west from Jingū-mae Station on the Meitetsu Nagoya line, or five minutes’ walk east from Jingū-nishi Station on the Meijō subway line.
NAGOYA/BOSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
This excellent museum (Map; 684-0786; www.nagoya-boston.or.jp; 1-1-1 Kanayama-chō; special & long-term exhibitions adult/child/senior & student ¥1200/free/900; 10am-7pm Tue-Fri, to 5pm Sat & Sun; Kanayama via JR, Meitetsu or Meijō subway lines) is a collaborative effort between Japanese backers and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Rotating exhibitions showcase both Japanese and non-Japanese masterpieces, and have good English signage.
The museum is to the right of the south exit of Kanayama Station.
NAGOYA PORT AREA
Nagoya’s cargo port has been attractively redeveloped and now boasts several high-profile attractions. The hi-tech Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium (Map; 654-7000; www.nagoyaaqua.jp; 1-3 Minatomachi; adult/child ¥2000/1000; 9.30am-8pm Tue-Sun 21 Jul-31 Aug, to 5.30pm