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Trip Japan YLP

Destinations

Three prefectures, one easy base in Nagoya. Explore the highlights of Aichi, Gifu and Mie — and see when each is at its best.

AichiGifuMieWhen to Visit

Aichi

Our home base. Castles, shrines and pop culture — from Nagoya Castle to Ghibli Park.

Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle→

The iconic castle with golden shachihoko and a rebuilt Honmaru Palace.

◷ Cherry blossoms in early AprilLearn more →
Ghibli Park

Ghibli Park→

Step into the world of Studio Ghibli (timed tickets, reserve early).

◷ Year-round; weekdays are quieterLearn more →
Atsuta Shrine

Atsuta Shrine→

One of Japan’s most revered shrines, set in a calm forest.

◷ Peaceful year-roundLearn more →
Nagoya Port Aquarium

Nagoya Port Aquarium→

Orca & dolphin shows and an Antarctic penguin colony, by the bay.

◷ Summer & holidaysLearn more →
Inuyama Castle

Inuyama Castle→

One of Japan’s twelve original keeps, above the Kiso River.

◷ Cherry blossoms in springLearn more →
LEGOLAND Japan

LEGOLAND Japan→

A hands-on theme park for families with younger kids.

◷ Weekdays are quieterLearn more →
Toyota Automobile Museum

Toyota Automobile Museum→

130 years of the automobile — not just Toyotas.

◷ Year-round (indoor)Learn more →
Kōrankei Gorge

Kōrankei Gorge→

One of Aichi’s finest autumn valleys — around 4,000 maples by the Tomoe River.

◷ Autumn colour in NovemberLearn more →
Chiiwa Gorge

Chiiwa Gorge→

A cool, shaded river gorge in Oku-Mikawa with a natural stone arch — a quiet summer escape from the heat.

◷ Green and cool in summerLearn more →
Obara Washi Village

Obara Washi Village→

Traditional handmade washi paper art — and rare cherry blossoms that bloom in autumn.

◷ November (washi & shikizakura)Learn more →
Tokoname Pottery Town

Tokoname Pottery Town→

A thousand-year pottery town minutes from Centrair airport — pipe-walled lanes, Japan’s largest climbing kiln and a street of lucky cats.

◷ Spring & autumn for the walkLearn more →
Katahara Hydrangea Village

Katahara Hydrangea Village→

Around 50,000 hydrangeas across a hot-spring hillside in Gamagori, lit up on June evenings.

◷ June (hydrangea festival)Learn more →
Osu Shopping District

Osu Shopping District→

The liveliest shopping arcade in Nagoya — street food, vintage, anime and a 400-year-old temple at its heart.

◷ Year-round (covered arcade)Learn more →
Takeshima Island

Takeshima Island→

A small forested island off the Gamagori coast, crossed by a 387-metre bridge over the sea — a National Natural Monument with one of Japan’s seven Benten shrines at its heart.

◷ Year-round; sea & greenery best in summerLearn more →
Toyokawa Inari

Toyokawa Inari→

One of Japan’s great Inari sites in eastern Aichi — not a shrine but a Soto Zen temple (Myogonji), famous for Reikozuka’s thousand-plus stone foxes and a temple-front lane of inari-zushi.

◷ Year-round; busiest at New YearLearn more →
Imo Marsh

Imo Marsh→

One of the largest spring-fed marshes in Japan, at the foot of Toyohashi’s wooded Yumihari hills — a boardwalk over three hectares of wetland with some 250 plants, whitening over with star sand-grass in September. A National Natural Monument.

◷ Star sand-grass in early SeptemberLearn more →

Gifu

Mountain heritage. Thatched-roof villages, old towns and hot springs.

Shirakawa-go

Shirakawa-go→

UNESCO World Heritage village of gassho-zukuri farmhouses.

◷ Winter snow & autumn leavesLearn more →
Takayama Old Town

Takayama Old Town→

Edo-era streets, sake breweries and morning markets.

◷ Spring & autumn festivalsLearn more →
Nagara River Cormorant Fishing

Nagara River Cormorant Fishing→

Master fishermen work trained cormorants by firelight on summer nights — a 1,300-year-old tradition below Mt. Kinka and Gifu Castle.

◷ Summer nights, May 11–Oct 15Learn more →
Hida Furukawa

Hida Furukawa→

A quiet Hida town of white-walled storehouses along the clear Setogawa canal — fifteen minutes from Takayama, known for the Hida carpenters and the Furukawa Festival.

◷ Spring (carp & festival); autumn colourLearn more →

Mie

Sacred and coastal. Japan’s holiest shrine and Edo-era streets.

Akame 48 Waterfalls

Akame 48 Waterfalls→

A cool green ravine of five famous falls — the walk for a hot summer day.

◷ Fresh green in summer, leaves in NovemberLearn more →
Gozaisho Ropeway

Gozaisho Ropeway→

Float up a 1,212m mountain where the summer air runs ten degrees cooler, above the 1,300-year-old Yunoyama hot-spring village.

◷ Cool summer escape; autumn leaves & winter rimeLearn more →

When to Visit

When to Visit

Answering "when should I go?" Pick a quieter season or time of day and enjoy it at your own pace.

QuietModerateBusy

Tap a month to see what it’s like — and where to go

Apr

Cherry blossomsTemperature 9–20°CCrowds: Moderate

Cherry-blossom season — castles and rivers turn pink. Aside from the early-April peak and Golden Week, it stays manageable.

Japanese events & holidays

  • Hanami (blossom viewing) — Picnicking under the cherry blossoms — the quintessential Japanese spring.
  • New school & business year — April is the season of fresh starts — entrance ceremonies and new jobs.

Where to go this month

Nagoya Castle
Nagoya CastleLearn more →
Inuyama Castle
Inuyama CastleLearn more →
Takayama Old Town
Takayama Old TownLearn more →

Best time of day

Early morning (before 9:00) and late afternoon are usually quietest. During cherry-blossom and autumn-leaf seasons, weekdays are best.

Found a tour you like?

Just send your dates and group size. We will get back to you. Payment is only after your booking is confirmed.

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