“Nothing But a Castle”: Nagoya Left Behind in Japan’s Tourism Rush

While some locals may not mind, businesses and city leaders are disappointed tourists are sleeping on one of Japan’s most populous cities.

One of my early Japanese speaking practice teachers was a woman who lived in Nagoya. When I said I’d never been, she quipped, “Don’t bother — there’s nothing to do here.”

Sadly, that sentiment appears to be shared by many domestic and inbound Japanese tourists. Despite being Japan’s fourth largest city, retailers say they’re seeing little uptick in business. Is there really so little to do there?

Fourth in size, 11th in foreign tourist visits

Japan welcomed a record number of inbound tourists in November 2024. Travel experts predict it’ll see a record-setting 40 million visitors in 2025. Most of them will visit Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. A number will hit other popular destinations such as Hokkaido, the Mt. Fuji area, Fukuoka Prefecture, Okinawa, Shirakawa-go, and other up-and-coming hotspots like Toyama.

One place they’re unlikely to go, however, is this large city of 2.33 million people in Aichi…