Nagoya Castle
This impressive castle was constructed by Ieyasu Tokugawa in 1612 for the Owari Tokugawa family. It was almost completely destroyed by American bombing in 1945, and the current ferro-concrete reconstruction dates from 1959. On top of the building are the two famous golden dolphins which used to symbolise the authority of the feudal lord. Today the castle is a museum, and because of its many cheery trees it is very popular during the cherry blossom season.

1-1 Hommaru
Tel: (052) 231 1700.
Website: www.nagoyajo.naka.nagoya.jp (Japanese only)
Admission charge.

Atsuta-Jingu
The Atsuta Shrine houses the ‘Kusanagi-no-tsurugi', a sword that is one of the Three Sacred Imperial Treasures in Japan. More than 6.5 million people visit this place annually, the second largest of Japan's Shinto shrines after the one at Ise. The sword is said to have been given to the imperial family by the goddess Amaaterasu Omikami. The museum contains several artefacts of national importance in Japan.

1-1-1 Jingu, Atsuta-ku
Tel: (052) 671 4151.
Website: www.atsutajingu.or.jp
Admission charge.

Nagoya City Art Museum
Housed in a modern building designed by Kisho Kurokawa, the city's art museum boasts a collection of 2,500 local and international artworks. It focuses on modern artists of the local Ise Bay area, but also features works by Ecole de Paris and Mexican Renaissance artists to show how these have influenced local artists.

17-25 Sakae 2 Chome, Naka-ku
Tel: (052) 212 0001.
Website: www.art-museum.city.nagoya.jp/english
Admission charge.

Tokugawa Art Museum
A treasure trove of Japanese art, furniture and equipment from the feudal period, the collection at the Tokugawa Art Museum consists of the holdings of the Owari branch of the Tokugawa family, who had very close family and political ties to the ruling shoguns throughout the Edo period (1603-1868). Many of the personal effects of Ieyasu Tokugawa, one of the heroes in Japanese history, can be seen, along with a vast variety of artworks, cultural objects and books stretching back to Medieval times.

1017 Tokugawa-cho
Tel: (052) 935 6262.
Website: www.tokugawa-art-museum.jp/english
Admission charge.

Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
Nagoya has an excellent aquarium down by the port. It is divided in two buildings. In the North building visitors can see large sea mammals like killer whales, beluga whales and dolphins. In the South building there are tanks representing Antarctic marine life (with plenty of penguins), Australian freshwater life and tropical marine life, as well as a deep sea gallery.

1-3 Minato-Machi, Minato-ku
Tel: (052) 654 7080.
Website: www.nagoyaaqua.jp
Admission charge.