Getting here & getting around
How to reach central Japan and move around it — from Chubu Centrair Airport to Nagoya, the Shinkansen, the Linimo, and IC cards.
Central Japan is one of the easiest parts of the country to reach, and once you're here, getting around is simple. Here's the short version. (Each tour and destination lists its own meeting point on its own page, and we're happy to arrange a hotel pickup — just ask.)
From the airport
Most visitors arrive at Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO), on a man-made island south of Nagoya. The quickest way into the city is the Meitetsu μ-SKY limited express, which reaches Meitetsu Nagoya Station in about 28 to 30 minutes. The μ-SKY needs a small reserved-seat ticket on top of the basic fare; regular Meitetsu trains run the same line for the basic fare and take a little longer.
By Shinkansen
Nagoya sits on the Tokaido Shinkansen, so the city is an easy hop from much of Japan — roughly 100 minutes from Tokyo, about 35 from Kyoto, and around 50 from Shin-Osaka. If you're already travelling on a rail pass, central Japan slots neatly into a wider trip.
Getting around
Nagoya's subway and local trains cover the city well. For the eastern hills — Ghibli Park, the Expo 2005 Memorial Park and the Toyota Automobile Museum — the fun way is the Linimo, a magnetic-levitation line: take the Higashiyama subway to Fujigaoka, then ride the Linimo a few stops. Nagoya Station to Ghibli Park is about 55 minutes all in.
A prepaid IC card makes everything tap-and-go. The local card is manaca, but nationwide cards (Suica, ICOCA, PASMO and the rest) work on the trains and buses here too, as well as at convenience stores and vending machines.
Meeting points & pickup
For our tours, you don't need to memorise any of this. Each tour page shows its own meeting point, and on most days we can collect you from your hotel — or from the airport — and bring you back. Tell us where you're staying and we'll handle the logistics.
Let us plan the route
Trains, transfers, timing — if it sounds like a lot, leave it to us. Tell us your dates and where you're coming from, and we'll build the day around you, with an English- or Vietnamese-speaking guide.