Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [183]
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ENTERTAINMENT
Nagoya’s nightlife might not match Tokyo’s or Osaka’s in scale but makes it up in ebullience. Check English-language listings magazines for dates and times.
Misono-za (Map; 222-1481; www.misonoza.co.jp, in Japanese; 1-6-14 Sakae; Fushimi, exit 6) This is the city’s venue for kabuki theatre in April and October, although it does not have the translation facilities of theatres in other cities.
Nagoya Dome (Map; 719-2121; Nagoya Dome-mae Yada) Baseball fans will want to visit this 45,000-seat stadium, home of the Chunichi Dragons baseball team. It’s also a venue for large concerts.
Electric Lady Land (Map; 201-5004; www.ell.co.jp, in Japanese; 2-10-43 Ōsu; Ōsu Kannon, exit 2) An intimate concert venue purveying the underground music scene in a cool, postindustrial setting. Nationally known bands perform in the 1st-floor hall, while the 3rd floor sees more up-and-coming acts.
Club JB’s (Map; 241-2234; www.club-jbs.jp; 4-3-15 Sakae; Sakae, exit 13) Club kids (aged 20 and over) come for an excellent sound system and famous DJs.
Shu (Map; 223-3788; www.geocities.com/mensbar_shu_japan; 10-15 Nishiki 1-chōme; Wed-Mon; Fushimi, exit 7) Nagoya doesn’t have a whole lot of options for gay visitors from overseas (most operate as private clubs), but this tiny, chatty bar for gay men welcomes all ages and nationalities.
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SHOPPING
Both Meieki and Sakae boast gargantuan malls and department stores, good for clothing, crafts and foods. Look for the department stores Maruei and Mitsukoshi in Sakae; Takashimaya, Meitetsu and Kintetsu near Nagoya Station; and Matsuzakaya in Sakae and near Nagoya Station. Regional crafts include Arimatsu-narumi shibori (elegant tie-dying; Click here), cloisonné, ceramics and Seki blades (swords, knives, scissors etc).
A youthful energy fills vintage clothing shops, electronics and music shops, cafes and a hodge-podge of old and new in the Ōsu district, east of the temple around Ōsu Kannon-dōri and its continuation, Banshō-ji-dōri. Komehyō (Map; 2-20-25 Ōsu, Naka-ku) is a multistorey discounter that’s recently taken over much of the real estate, selling electronics, fashion, jewellery, house wares, used kimono etc. Inside, the ingenious yen=g (218-2122) sells used clothing by weight. Momijiya (Map; 251-1313; 3-37-46 Ōsu) creates clothing and accessories patterned after antique kimono fabric, though look closely for its own cute, contemporary twists.
Just east of Ōsu, Ōtsu-dōri is called the Akihabara of Nagoya for its proliferation of manga shops. Ōsu Kannon temple itself hosts a colourful antique market on the 18th and 28th of each month, while Higashi Betsuin has a flea market (Map; 321-9201; 9am-2pm;Higashi-Betsuin, exit 4) on the 12th of each month.
The speciality in the Meidōchō district, by the expressway overpass north of Meieki and west of Nagoya-jō, is okashi, which are Japanese snacks and penny nibbles, including sembei rice crackers, sweet-potato sticks, dried fish and sponge cake, plus small toys like action figures, beads and balloons (imagine a kiddie party). Dozens of wholesalers display their wares in a manner that may dispel any notion of Japanese neatness.
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
Many Nagoyans go to Central Japan International Airport (Centrair; NGO; off Map;0569-38-1195; www.centrair.jp/en), opened in 2005 on a manmade island in Ise-wan (Ise Bay) 35km south of the city, for an afternoon out. On the 4th floor are dozens of Japanese and Western shopping and dining options (at out-of-airport prices), plane-spotting from the observation deck, and Fū-no-yu (; 0569-38-7070; adult/child with towel ¥1000/600; 8am-10pm), hot-spring baths with rotemburo (outdoor bath), which