Planning a trip to Nagoya soon? Here are 5 things that have to be on top of your must-do list:

Visit the Nagoya Castle

Constructed at the start of the Edo Period, the Nagoya Castle used to serve as a seat of the reigning Tokugawa clan and was an important castle town back in the day. During World War II, it suffered major damage from air raids and has been rebuilt and renovated several times through the years.

Today, it is a museum that displays paintings, weapons, and other artefacts taken from Japan’s long-spanning history.

Take the Toyota Factory Tour

Toyota is Japan’s number one automotive manufacturer and, if you are curious about the company’s beginnings and want to see some cool old and new car models, make sure to sign up in advance for a Toyota Factory Tour through their website.

A little less than an hour from downtown Nagoya, the Toyota headquarters tour allows visitors to see automotive manufacturing processes up close.

Check out the Tokugawa Art Museum

Constructed on the former residence of feudal rulers, the Tokugawa family, the Tokugawa Art Museum has an abundant display of various historical treasures from the Edo Period, including scrolls, maps, utensils, costumes and masks, swords and armour, and poems.

Only a few minutes’ walk away is the Tokugawa-en, a vast garden that features Japanese landscaping techniques and offers a great viewing spot during the cherry blossom and autumn leaves seasons.

Drop by the Railway Museum

If you love the Shinkansen and want to learn more about it, the Railway Museum in Nagoya is the best place to be. It provides in-depth information on the development and progress of the bullet trains in Japan and has a number of actual trains on display — from the old steam locomotives to the Shinkansen and today’s magnetic levitating trains.

Try some of Nagoya’s specialty food

Being one of the most important economic and agricultural regions of Japan, Nagoya has a solid culinary reputation that is comparable to that of Osaka and Kyoto.

Do not miss out on histumabashi (grilled water eel served with rice), tebasaki (salty or spicy deep dried chicken wings), misonikomi (miso-based noodle dish), misokatsu (similar to tonkatsu but uses miso sauce instead of tonkatsu sauce), and kishimen (flat wheat noodle dish with a fish-based soup and dipping sauce).