Aichi Prefecture is Japan's industrial and cultural heartland, anchored by Nagoya — the country's fourth-largest city. Home to the Toyota Motor Corporation, one of Japan's most important Shinto shrines, a national-treasure castle, and a distinctly proud local food culture known as Nagoya Meshi, Aichi blends industrial might with ancient heritage across 5,173 square kilometres of the Chubu region.
Nagoya's transit network is comprehensive and efficient. The Nagoya Municipal Subway operates six color-coded lines covering the city centre and major suburbs. Meitetsu and Kintetsu railways extend into Aichi Prefecture and neighboring Mie and Gifu prefectures. The Tokaido Shinkansen at Nagoya Station offers rapid inter-city connections: Tokyo in 1h 45min, Osaka in 50min, Kyoto in 35min. Within the city, the subway and bus networks handle daily travel seamlessly.
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
Nagoya is one of Japan's most accessible cities. Nagoya Station is a colossal rail hub served by the Tokaido Shinkansen, JR Central lines, Meitetsu Railway, and Kintetsu Railway. The city's six-line Nagoya Municipal Subway covers every major attraction. Chubu International Airport (Centrair) connects directly to Nagoya Station by Meitetsu in 28 minutes. IC cards (Manaca, Suica, ICOCA) work across all networks.
Airports
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Load ¥5,000–10,000 onto an IC card (Manaca, Suica, or ICOCA) before leaving the airport — available at station ticket machines
The Nagoya subway is extremely reliable; trains run within 1 minute of schedule
Central Nagoya is very walkable between Nagoya Station and Sakae (30 min walk or 3 subway stops)
Rush hour (7:30–9:00AM and 5:30–7:30PM) on the Higashiyama Line through Nagoya Station is extremely crowded
For Inuyama day trips, the Meitetsu Inuyama Eco Pass (¥1,360 / ~$9.10) includes unlimited Meitetsu rail and Inuyama Castle admission — buy at Nagoya or Shin-Nagoya stations