Chubu travel guide: Should you choose Nagoya or Shizuoka as a base?

Japan’s Chubu region (中部地方) includes many prefectures. This page begins with two often planned together: Aichi Prefecture (centred on Nagoya) and Shizuoka Prefecture (Mount Fuji, Izu, tea and Lake Hamana). Use the decision table to choose a travel base, with details in the prefectural guides. For travel within and between prefectures, see Transport across Chubu.

Key points

• Nagoya is a transport hub in Chubu. Official information describes it as Japan’s financially strongest region, with historical and manufacturing attractions
• Shizuoka Prefecture is divided officially into four broad areas—Izu, Fuji, Central and Western—and cannot be assumed to fit into one day
• Each prefecture has its own transport tickets; the tickets are not interchangeable

Choose based on your travel goals

Your interests	Look at	Features in official information	Detailed page
Castles, shrines and museums	Nagoya	Nagoya Castle was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu and completed in 1612, rebuilt after the war, with golden shachihoko on the keep; Atsuta Shrine has about 1,900 years of history and enshrines the Kusanagi Sword, one of the three Imperial Regalia; Tokugawa Art Museum has 9 National Treasures	Aichi travel guide
Industry, crafts and Nagoya cuisine	Nagoya	Strong in automobiles, machine tools, robotics, advanced ceramics and aerospace; local dishes include miso nikomi udon, chicken wings, hitsumabushi and miso katsu	Aichi travel guide
Historic castle and pottery streets	Inuyama and Tokoname	Inuyama Castle and Tokoname’s Pottery Footpath	Aichi travel guide
Mount Fuji and World Heritage	Fuji area, Shizuoka	Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, Mount Fuji World Heritage Center, Lake Tanuki and Asagiri Highlands	Shizuoka travel guide
Coast, hot springs and peninsula	Izu area, Shizuoka	Hot springs, geological attractions, seafood and water activities; Mount Omuro and Jogasaki Coast	Shizuoka travel guide
Tea, seafood and mountain scenery	Central Shizuoka	Nihondaira Yume Terrace, Kunozan Toshogu, Miho no Matsubara, sakura shrimp, tuna and Shizuoka tea desserts	Shizuoka travel guide
Lakes and eel	Western Shizuoka	Lake Hamana, Hamamatsu Castle and Kakegawa Castle; Lake Hamana eel and Hamamatsu gyoza	Shizuoka travel guide

Areas of Nagoya

Main areas listed in Nagoya City’s official information:

Area	Features
Nagoya Station	Upscale shopping, Midland Square observation deck and Yanagibashi Central Market
Sakae and Fushimi	Large shopping facilities, Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER and science museum
Osu and Kanayama	Osu Shopping Street and Osu Kannon Temple
Port area	Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium and LEGOLAND Japan
Southern area	Atsuta Shrine, Shirotori Garden and the streets of Arimatsu
Eastern area	Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and Yagoto Koshoji Temple

Official information also states that Chubu Centrair International Airport is south of Nagoya Station, about 30 minutes by limited express train, while Nagoya Airport is about 35 minutes north of the city centre. For details, see Transport across Chubu.

Notes

• The official sources do not list comprehensive prices for travel between prefectures; check each segment on the respective operator’s website
• Admission prices and opening hours vary by date; prefectural pages include official sources and dates checked
• For nationwide Shinkansen and pass information, see the Shinkansen guide and JR Pass and regional passes