Japan
›
Nagoya
›
Tours
›
Art, Culture, & Historical
›
Mixture of Cultural Heritage and Colorful Peculiarities

the giant green Buddha statue at Togan-ji

Togan-ji, a misplaced giant hand

London Cupcakes Nagoya inside

London Cupcakes Nagoya shop

Nittaiji on a sunny day

Yoki-so Garden area, Hakuun Bridge

Yoki-so main buildings

Yoki-so Garden area

Yoki-so Garden area from Hakuun Bridge

Eikoku-ya, Indian style curry

Togan-ji entrance area

Mixture of Cultural Heritage and Colorful Peculiarities

Art, Culture, & Historical

Joined 2025

Charley S.

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

Nagoya

English (Native), Japanese

4 hrs 30 mins

Private tour (only you and Charley S.)

Up to 5 people

This tour will take us through the Kakuozan and Motoyama neighborhoods of Nagoya. They are right next to each other. First, we'll check out the Nittaiji Temple, which is the house of ashes of the Buddha. Next, we'll move on to the nearby sanctum of Yokiso Garden, which is a splendid Japanese garden. After that, we can enjoy some food from one of the local restaurants, and possibly some colorful cupcakes. Finally, we'll check out the not so well known but very impressive giant green Buddha.

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

09:30 AM

Meeting Point

Kakuozan Station

- You can easily get to Kakuozan Station from Nagoya Station. Just take the Higashiyama Subway line(yellow one) east to Kakuozan Station. Exit the station using Exit #1.

09:40 AM

Nittaiji Temple

Built in 1904, this temple was built to house the Buddha's ashes, which were given to Japan by the King of Thailand. It was built to unify the various Buddhist sects in Japan, and to honor the friendship between Thailand and Japan.

11:00 AM

Yokiso Garden

Yokiso is a suburban villa built by Ito Jirozaemon Suketami, the first president of Matsuzakaya Company, over a period from the 1910s to the 1930s. Matsuzakaya is a very popular department store, which are located in all of Japan's major cities. The garden is stunningly beautiful, a must see. Besides the gardens, there are five buildings still standing, which have been designated as cultural assets of Nagoya's history. I personally enjoy strolling through the garden, as it is quite stunning.

(Closed on Mondays)

12:30 PM

Local Eatery or Colorful Cupcakes, or both.

Two options here, we could make our way back to the road which leads up to Nittaiji Temple, where there are a few local choices for food, like Eikokuya(Indian curry), Delica Kitchen Kakuozan(gohei mochi(recommended), pasta, roast beef salad, etc.)which has an eat-in space and free wifi, or Komeda's Coffee shop(sandwiches, burgers, coffee, shakes, melon soda floats, etc.). Option 2 would be to walk in the opposite direction so as to check out the quirky London Cupcakes Nagoya. They have a very colorful decor, and a vast selection of delicious cupcakes or for the gastrointestinal brave, we could hit both options!

(Eikoku-ya curry shop is closed on Tuesdays.

London Cupcakes Nagoya is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.)

01:30 PM

Toganji Temple (giant green Buddha)

The final destination would be Togan-ji Temple, which is located near the next subway station called Motoyama. They are 800 meters from each other. So, we could walk, take a taxi, or make our way back to the subway station and take the subway for 1 stop. Togan-ji is not so well known by local people. I stumbled upon it by accident myself, when bicycling around the Motoyama area. The temple was established by Oda, Nobuyuki, who was the uncle of the famous warlord, Oda, Nobunaga, to pray for the repose of his father's soul. The giant green Buddha is definitely a site to behold. It is apparently the largest Buddha in Nagoya city. Definitely worth checking out !

Ending Point

See you off at Motoyama station, which is about 200 meters from Togan-ji.

Want to personalize this tour?

This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.

Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

Tour guide fee

What‘s not included

The costs for public transportation and food is not included in the fee. Also, if you want to enter the buildings at Yoki-so, that fee to enter is also not included.

Tour Important Information

This tour involves a fair amount of walking, so please be sure to wear some comfortable shoes.

If you have any food allergies, please inform me about them beforehand.

Yokiso Gaden is closed on Mondays, so if you especially want to enjoy Yokiso Garden, not on a Monday.

Eikoku-ya curry shop is closed on Tuesdays.

London Cupcakes Nagoya is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

We'll have to plan accordingly.

I'm very flexible, so if you want to try something not mentioned in the itinerary, feel free to let me know.

Important message from the supplier

Currently, I am playing music in three different bands, so sometimes we have gigs on Saturdays or Sundays. Therefore, I am not always available on weekends.

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time

Joined 2025

Charley S.

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide Charley S.

Konnichiwa - - - Charley here. Originally, I grew up in Los Angeles and San Diego for the first quarter century of my life. In 2000, I moved to Aichi Prefecture, Japan. One of my main goals was to play music with Japanese musicians, particularly in the underground music scene, which I've been a part of throughout my life. Also, I wanted to enjoy and explore the beauty of living in a foreign country. I've been living here for 25 years, and can gladly say that I have been engaged thoroughly in both of those goals. Since the beginning of moving to Japan, I've always chosen to hang out and engage with Japanese people as opposed to other foreigners. I often find myself in izakaiyas and concert events where I am the only foreigner, but fortunately I am on good terms with the staff and other customers. So if you are looking to see the less touristy aspects of Japan, please feel free to get in touch with me and I would love to share what I have come to appreciate about Japan. Cheers !