Nagoya: Japan's Little Tanjong Pagar (Part 2)
This is the second part of my Nagoya travel stories.
When I travel I do nothing but eat, and find ways to kill time between meals. One thing I like to do is to skip the public transport and stroll from place to place. I find that it helps me get in tune with the ‘pulse’ of the place—what the people are like, and what the streets feel like—and it makes me feel like I derive some sort of intangible understanding of the place.
On my way through the city area looking for dinner, there was a noticeable scent of women’s perfume in the air from the sheer number of office ladies on the after-work commute, breezing past on the wind tunnels that the tall densely-packed buildings create. When it got too breezy for me, I made use of Nagoya’s extensive underpass and underground streets to get around (especially around the stations, which have multiple exits).
As a bonus, most of the luxurious malls have comfy resting chairs that I would lounge on while waiting for my next food place to open…
Torikai
(Image credit: Jia Han)
Maruhachi Shokudo (previously featured in part 1) had a huge poster proudly proclaiming that its oyakodon (親子丼, lit: parent-and-child rice bowl, referring to the chicken and the egg) had won the Don Grand Prix for 5 years running, from 2014–2018. While I passed up on that one, I still got my fill of cochin chicken oyakodon at Torikai, another respectable shop with a cosy view on a high floor of the department store, LACHIC.
(Image credit: Jia Han)
Alongside it was a cochin chicken pudding, which caught my eye but not my heart. I couldn’t taste any chicken in it, which made it a delicious egg pudding but nothing special.
Torikai Sohonke LACHIC (Sakae) 鳥開総本家ラシック店
Address: 3 Chome-6-1, LACHIC 7F, Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Aichi, 460-0008
Nearest station: Sakae Station (栄駅)
Opening hours: 11am–11pm (daily)
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
(Image credit: Google Maps)
Since Nagoya was coast-side, I opened the map of Nagoya, scrolled down south, and looked at the stations there. I planned to bring a beer from a supermarket and my best playlist for a blissful evening to myself. I considered going down the right pincer of the crab (that Aichi Prefecture is often said to resemble), but eventually settled on the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium instead, located a short walk away from Nagoyako Station. Best of both worlds––a beautiful view of the sunset greeted me after my aquarium tour in the afternoon.
(Image credit: Jia Han)
There are huge tanks for the belugas and dolphins, and it was relaxing to sit in the dark and watch them coast around in the waters. One tank which made me chuckle was this board with food stuck to it. Within this ecosystem, only the archerfish could shoot down the food, and then all the other fish and tortoises would rush for it.
(Video credit: YouTube / Jia Han)
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium (名古屋港水族館)
Address: 1-3 Minatomachi, Minato Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 455-0033, Japan
Nearest station: Nagoyako Station
Opening hours: 9:30am – 5pm (Closed on Mondays, unless it is a PH. Refer to this page for details.)
Admission fee: ¥2,030 (Adult), ¥1,010 (Child)
Atsuta Shrine
Now you might be thinking that I finally injected some cultural sightseeing into my trip, but you are wrong. The major reason I went to Atsuta Shrine was the rave reviews my friends gave me about the kishimen (きしめん), located on the shrine grounds itself. Here, I’ll shamelessly feature it up even before the shrine’s picture:
(Image credit: Jia Han)
As I stood in the queue, I spotted many options with the kishimen—you could have it hot or cold, and with a variety of toppings from kitsune (sweet beancurd skin) to tempura. I was texting my friend “WHICH ONE SHOULD I GET, I FORGOT TO ASK” in the queue, and he didn’t get back to me in the 2 minutes it took, so hot kishimen with tempura it was.
The hot kishimen was lovely. Visually, the flat noodles reminded me of Singapore’s ban mian (a flat-noodle dish that’s a staple in Singapore’s food courts). The kishimen was firm with a satisfying bite, a clear and very flavourful soup, and delicious fresh ingredients. Vibrant and refreshing. The tempura was a let-down, however. In the 30 seconds it took me to carry my bowl to the table, the batter had already begun to slough off, and it was largely a tasteless piece of prawn that I would not recommend. Go eat the kitsune version for me instead.
And now, back to the shrine.
(Image credit: Jia Han)
Atsuta Shrine is a short train ride away, and the station is conveniently named Atsuta Station. It was a sunny day, and I was glad to enjoy the scenery rolling by and rest my aching feet on the ambling train ride. Atsuta Shrine is not only beautiful, but it also holds an important place in Japanese history. It is said to house one of the three Imperial Regalia of Japan, Kusanagi no Tsurugi. However, these three treasures are so legendary that they are never shown to the public, although they made an appearance in their boxes when the Emperor abdicated in 2019.
(Image credit: Jia Han)
Another reason I went to Atsuta Shrine was to collect the goshuin (ご朱印), which are handwritten calligraphy pages that state the temple’s name, and the day of your visit. I was sorely disappointed by Atsuta’s, a cursory and unremarkable stamp. Compare Ryoan-ji’s heavy swagger on the left, written with a gigantic brush the size of a rolling pin; the deft and stylish strokes of Ninna-ji in the middle; and the miserable Atsuta chop on the right. But on the bright side, while each goshuin usually goes for ¥300–¥500 (~S$4–S$6.50), Atsuta’s goshuin was pay-as-you-wish.
I didn’t wish.
Atsuta Shrine (熱田神宮)
Address: 1 Chome-1-1 Jingu, Atsuta Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 456-8585
Nearest Station: Atsuta Station
Opening hours: 24 hours
Admission fee: Free
Closing
Here is my genuine plug for JR: of course, the train is your most reliable bet when travelling to further destinations. And even for someone who prefers walking (like myself), the stations in Nagoya helped me to avoid getting lost. Rather than spend the walk glued to my phone, I would simply look for signs to the station near my destination, and then orientate myself from there. When I was lost, again the first landmark I would look for were train stations.
This brings my Nagoya travel stories to a close. (I do have more, but three parts? This isn’t The Lord of the Rings.)
Header image credit: Jia Han
Related Articles
Jia Han
Latest Topics
