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"Bleisure"
Combine Business with Leisure in Nagoya and Aichi
Travel for business and leisure in Aichi Prefecture with hot springs, castle towns, local specialties, and city vibes!
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AICHI PREFECTURE, JAPAN August 2022 -
Japan is opening its borders slowly and cautiously. First with business travelers, and then some easy-to-manage group tours, then hopefully before long, opening up the country to individual tourists. If you are one of the lucky ones to get into the country soon because of an upcoming business trip or conference, why not mix business with leisure to make your stay an unforgettable trip of Bleisure?
As the home of Toyota and its many related companies, and the leader in the steel, aviation, and aerospace industries, Aichi sees a high percentage of American business travelers each year. And especially among US travelers, Bleisure trips count for about half of the business trips taken.
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Stay at Nikko Style Nagoya and Explore the Prefectural Capital Nagoya |
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For a fun weekend in Nagoya after a hard week of work, conferences, and maybe even some jetlag, you could stay and relax in the center of the city at Nikko Style Nagoya. From Nagoya Station, it's only a 10-minute walk, or for your convenience, a 7-minute taxi ride for 450 yen.
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This hotel is one of only 25 in the country awarded with the Tripadvisor Best of the Best Hotel Award 2022 and for good reason. The hotel opened in August of 2020 with a special focus on design, through the use of local arts and crafts, and comfort from the choice of music to the excellent specialty coffee. At the Style Kitchen, you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as afternoon tea made from fresh locally sourced ingredients.
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Of course, the Nikko Style Nagoya isn’t your only hotel choice in this business-oriented industrial city. International brands such as Marriott and Hilton can be found in the center of the city, as well as Japanese household names such as Prince Hotel, Tokyu Hotel, and Kanko Hotel. Even more hotels are coming in the very near future, including The Royal Park Hotel Iconic which is scheduled to open in 2024, and Conrad Nagoya which will open in 2026.
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If you would like to explore Nagoya conveniently via bicycle you can rent a stylish “tokyo bike” right at the reception of Nikko Style Nagoya. Closest to the hotel you will find spots such as the Yanagibashi Central Market where locals buy the fresh catch of the day, as well as seaweed, tea, and other daily items.
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A short bicycle ride or walk away is the Shikemichi District, one of the oldest remaining in Nagoya with warehouses lining an unusually wide street used as a firebreak during the Edo Period (1603 - 1868). Right next to it is the entrance to the Endoji Shopping Arcade, the oldest of its kind in Nagoya. Nowadays bouldering gyms and modern Kabuki cafes stand next to sleepy toy stores and wooden sandal shops. |
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If you explore just a little bit further afield you will reach the center of Nagoya, Sakae, with the best shopping, and nightlife options in the city. Department stores, international brand shops, bars, clubs, and restaurants all are located not far from the central Hisaya Odori Park with the Nagoya TV Tower as its centerpiece.
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The tower, which has been renovated recently, boasts an exclusive hotel and restaurant, coffee shop and coworking space. The top of the tower functions as an observation deck from which views of the city in all directions can be enjoyed. Restaurants serving Nagoya Meshi (this is the name for a wide variety of local dishes) can be found here in abundance.
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If you are into meat, try the Miso Katsu at Yabaton, a deep-fried pork cutlet with a rich and dark-brown sauce made from Miso, a fermented soybean paste. For those of you who prefer fish, Hitsumabushi, grilled eel on rice will be a dish you won’t soon forget.
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The main landmark of Nagoya and the pride of the locals is Nagoya Castle with its bronze-green roof and golden Kinshachi tiger whales protecting it. The keep, as well as the palace, are reconstructions as they were destroyed during World War II but nonetheless, is quite impressive and counts among the best castles in the country.
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At Atsuta Shrine you can find out more about Japanese spirituality and swords. It is one of the most revered Shinto shrines in the country, housing one of the Three Imperial Regalias the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the sword that gives the Japanese emperors the right to rule.
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Many myths and legends surround this sword, and although the legendary sword is never on display, you can admire some rather impressive examples of Japanese swordmaking at the newly opened Kusanagikan Museum. |
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There is also a popular noodle shop called Miya Kishimen that serves flat and broad Kishimen noodles (similar to Udon) just outside the museum. The noodles come in different kinds of soups and with a variety of toppings and because of their characteristic chewy texture are a favorite with the Nagoya locals. |
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Since you are in Aichi on business, chances are you are interested in industry and technology. Why not use your free time to learn a bit more about the local industry by visiting one of the many dedicated museums?
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Nagoya is also the perfect location for day trips in all directions. If you have more than one day of leisure you should consider side trips to Inuyama (more about this below), Toyota to learn more about industry and technology or to relax, Nishio if you love Matcha, or Toyokawa to visit the temple of a thousand foxes. |
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Relax at a private Onsen at Hananomaru Ryokan at Aichi’s Chita Peninsula |
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Perhaps you need to get away from the city on your days off. In that case, you should consider booking a stay at an Onsen Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn with hot spring baths. Not too far from Nagoya, at the tip of the Chita Peninsula is the Hananomaru Ryokan. With rooms with private outdoor hot spring baths and 4 private baths to rent, it is the perfect place to get used to the Japanese bathing culture privately. A private bath is also a great option if you happen to have any tattoos, as these are still forbidden in many public baths. Staying at a Ryokan can be a memorable experience as you can sleep in a tatami mat room with paper sliding doors on a futon bed (if you prefer a room with a bed they are available as well). |
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Dinner is Kaiseki, a multi-course meal prepared with the freshest regional ingredients including seafood from the Mikawa and Ise Bays which sandwich the peninsula from Aichi prefecture's largest fishery only 5 minutes from the hotel, as well as brand beef from Chita Cattle.
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You can get to Hananomaru using the Meitetsu train to Kowa Station, and from there take a free hotel shuttle bus which you can reserve during booking. The whole trip from Nagoya will take 1.5 hours. Or you can take a taxi (around 30 minutes) from Kowa Station for around 5000 yen. |
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As Chita is a popular hot spring resort, Hananomaru isn’t the only Onsen Ryokan in the area. You have many great options to stay and relax such as the Ryokan Shuku Kaifu among others which also directly faces the ocean.
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By hopping on a ferry from Morozaki port not far from Hananomaru Ryokan, you can explore the fisherman life on Himakajima Island off the coast of Aichi Prefecture. The island is especially famous for having some of the best octopus and whitebait and these staples can be tried in many different variations everywhere on the island. Himakajima is small enough that you can cycle around it in around 2 hours with many stops in between. Don’t forget to have a look at the street art, the two giant yet cute octopus statues, and Heidi’s Swing at the western tip of the island. How about staying on Himakajima island at the Himakajima Isuzukan or any of the other traditional Japanese inns located there?
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On the eastern side of the Chita Peninsula lies Handa, most famous for its production of vinegar by Mizkan, a well-known brand throughout the country. The Mizkan Museum is one of these places that make learning fun for the young and old, and if you have never really thought about how vinegar is produced, you should consider stopping by.
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Handa also has the Kunizakari Sake Museum where visitors can learn about traditional brewing techniques. The city used to function as an important shipping port, a fact you can still imagine while strolling the Handa Canal from which the produced vinegar and sake were shipped to the capital. Handa is only around 30 minutes away from Nagoya on the Meitetsu Train line.
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The western side of the peninsula is also worth a visit. Tokoname in particular is not only the home of the Chubu Centrair International Airport that connects people and wares with the rest of the country and the world but also one of the 6 major pottery towns in the country. Along the Pottery Path, you can try your hand at pottery, or visit some of the
many shops selling Tokoname Ware. The winding and narrow paths are plastered with broken pottery making it a great photo spot. But behave! The giant head of a lucky cat by the name of Tokonyan watches over all. From Nagoya, you can reach Tokoname easily via the Meitetsu Train in around 30 minutes.
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Explore the castle town of Inuyama during a stay at Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden
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The international lifestyle boutique hotel, Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden opened only quite recently in 2022. The hotel embraces its location in Inuyama, fully drawing inspiration from the castle, town, and surrounding nature and culture.
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You can feel this by spending the night in one of the carefully designed rooms with spectacular views of the castle, mountains, river, or garden, by using Hakutei no Yu, the only natural hot spring in the city, and by dining at the Indigo Home Kitchen Yamateras restaurant serving French-inspired cuisine prepared with carefully selected local and seasonal ingredients.
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Every guest is enticed to uncover the secrets of Inuyama during a stay and to go on a treasure hunt in the hotel’s neighborhood. Check out their stunning Instagram account for some inspiration. Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden can be reached from Nagoya on the Meitetsu Train. From Inuyamayuen Station it’s a 7-minute walk.
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The hotel in Inuyama was named after the famous Urakuen Garden which has been renovated in the past couple of years and only recently reopened. The landscape garden is beside the hotel, and is the perfect place to enjoy a stroll in nature. |
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Don’t forget to stop by the 17th-century Jo-an tea house which counts among the 3 best in Japan, and was designated a National Treasure, to sip a bowl of matcha green tea with a Wagashi sweet.
Other hotels in Inuyama include the HOTEL μ STYLE INUYAMA experience and many more.
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A visit to Inuyama wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Inuyama Castle, one of only 12 original castles still standing today and one of only 5 castles designated as national treasures. The castle is a rather small wooden structure on top of a hill overlooking the Kiso River and the Inuyama Castle town. The inside is mainly left bare with open wooden spaces and windows in all directions.
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After observing the castle town from the top of the keep, it’s time to get in the hustle and bustle to try some of the local street food which is abundant along the main street lined by typical Japanese wooden houses.
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Here you can find all of the national favorites such as Takoyaki (grilled octopus balls), Dango (rice flour ball skewers), and of course Sushi, but also local specialties such as Miso Dengaku tofu skewers, Goheimochi riceball skewers with walnut miso sauce, and grilled Ayu sweetfish. |
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During the summer months from June to October, you can be witness to one of the oldest traditional fishing techniques using cormorants still practiced today. Ukai is a fascinating practice in which cormorants on leashes dive for sweetfish in the rivers of Central Japan. Cruises to observe cormorant fishing take place twice during the day and at night, some even include a lunch or dinner bento box and drinks on the water. It’s really a unique once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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