SEARCH RESULTS: from nagoya
Tokugawa Art Museum & Tokugawa Garden
The Tokugawa Art Museum exhibits over 12,000 items once owned by the Owari clan – one of three branches of the ruling Togukawa family during the Edo Period. The Owari controlled Nagoya, one of the wealthiest regions in Japan during the Edo Period, and as such, they also acquired tremendous wealth. Today, the wealth of the Owari clan can be seen in the museum’s display of their collection including ceramics, paintings, furniture, Noh costumes and masks, along with armour, and swords among other pieces. The collection includes 9 designated National Treasures, 59 Important Cultural Properties and 46 Important Art Objects. Items within the collection are known for their excellent state […]
SCMAGLEV and Railway Park
Showcasing the history and technological ingenuity of the Central Japan Railways Company, the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park is an engaging museum that will entertain casual visitors as much as it does trainspotters. A collection of 39 train cars and locomotives ranging from older, retired to models to the maglev prototypes, are on display on the first floor. The futuristic ‘maglev’ is a notable and fascinating addition to the collection. Set to replace the existing shinkansen network – over a long period of time – maglev trains use superconducting magnets to propel them forward in magnetic levitation = maglev. The second floor is dedicated to interactive learning experiences for children and […]
Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology
The Toyota Commemorative Museum tells the story of one of Japan’s great companies. In doing so, it reflects Nagoya’s position as one of Japan’s industrial centres and traces the country’s rise to become a technological powerhouse. Originally a textile company, Toyoda Kiichiro – son of company founder Toyoda Sakichi – adapted the machinery and technology to the production of motor vehicles and transformation into the Toyota Motor Corporation. Exhibitions are separated into the Textile Machinery Pavilion and Automobile Pavilion, with the museum open daily (other than Mondays) from 09:00 to 17:00.
Legoland Japan
Opened in 2017, Legoland Japan has quickly established itself as one of Nagoya’s most popular attractions. The theme park is divided into seven themed areas reflecting the different worlds of the Lego universe including ‘Knight’s Kingdom’, ‘Pirate Shores’ ‘Ninja World’ and more. Like any good theme park, there are plenty of dining areas, merchandise and a hotel on-site to fully immerse you in the world of Lego. Legoland has its own hotel including themed rooms – a great option for families, particularly those with younger children. Open daily, the price of admission varies slightly due to classification of days as ‘peak’ or ‘off-peak’.
Ghibli Park
Set to open on November 1 2022, ‘Ghibli Park’ is currently under construction in Nagoya, Aichi. The park expansive park will be dedicated to everything Studio Ghibli – a celebration of Japan’s most successful and acclaimed animation company. The opening will be staggered across two years, starting with a ‘soft openning’ of the first areas – three of the five areas in total – in 2022, followed by the official opening of all areas in 2023. The park will be divided into five themed areas, with the ‘Hill of Youth’ based on ‘Ears to Hear’ and ‘The Cat Returns’, the Ghibli ‘Giant Warehouse’ and My Neighbour Totoro’s ‘Dondoko Forest’ openning […]
Explore Koyasan (Mount Koya)
As the centre of the Shingon Buddhism, Mount Koya or ‘Koyasan’ is one of Japan’s most important centres. Founded in the 9th century by the monk Kukai – one of the most significant historic and religious figures in Japan’s history – ‘Koya-san’ is an immense temple settlement spread through the forests of Mount Koya. Shingon Buddhism was first introduced to Japan in the 9th century, by Kobo Daishi. Also known as Kukai, he is a preeminent figure in Japanese history. The Koyasan complex includes his mausoleum – Okunoin Temple – which acts as the start and end point of the ‘Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage’. Notable temples within Koyasan include Okunoin […]
Okunoin Temple
As the mausoleum of Kobo Dashi, founder of Shingon Buddhism, Okunoin Temple is the most important site in the Koyasan (Mount Koya) complex and one of the most important temples in Japan. Also known as Kukai, Kobo Dashi is said to rest in a state ‘eternal mediation’, awaiting the Miroku Nyorai or ‘Future Buddha’. The temple acts as the start and end point of the ‘Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage’ and can be approached from one of two directions. Ichinohashi Bridge is the traditional approach to the temple, a 2 kilometre forest path that leads pilgrims and visitors past more than 200,000 tombstones. The second approach starts from Okunoin-mae Bus Stop, […]
Garan
Garan is one of the most important and central temple complexes in Koyasan (Mount Koya). As such, it has multiple sacred buildings including the main halls, a bell tower, a lecture hall, scripture storage, halls dedicated to a variety of deities and notably, several large pagodas. The Konpon Daito Pagoda stands 45 metres in height and houses a state of the Dainichi Nyorai or ‘Cosmic Buddha’, the principal Buddha in Shingon Buddhism. The large number of buildings including pagodas within the temple boundary makes Garan highly-photogenic and popular with visitors and nearby Kongobu-ji Temple.
Kongobu-ji Temple
Kongobu-ji is the most important temple in the Koyasan (Mount Koya) complex. Constructed during the 16th century, it is the head temple of Shingon Buddhism. As the most important temple of the Shingon Buddhist sect, Kongobu-ji ranks as one of the most important Buddhist temples in all of Japan. Its construction was commissioned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi – the second ‘Great Unifier of Japan’ – in the in late-16th century commemoration of his mother. The original structure was later reformed and joint with a neighbouring temple to become the principal temple of the Shingon sect and focal point of Koyasan temple complex. While the façade is not as grand of some of Japan’s other […]