Top Five Parks Near Nagoya

Apr 17, 2023

Top Five Parks Near Nagoya

A list of the top 100 Japanese city parks was compiled by the Japan Green Parks Institute in 1989, and on that list, you can find five parks in Aichi Prefecture, all within a reasonable distance from Nagoya City itself. If you are looking for a great day trip for you and your family or friends, you could do worse than get outside for a day in the park!

Okazaki Park, Okazaki City

Okazaki Park includes Okazaki Castle, the museum, and many historical points. For 300 years, Okazaki Castle has been honored as the birthplace of the revered local historical figure Tokugawa Iyeyasu and the cradle of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

You can enjoy views of cherry blossoms and Japanese wisteria along the Oto River in spring, nearly unparalleled in the region; Okazaki Park is listed among “Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots.” Another point to note is the “Great Ieyasu Kou Aoi Bushoutai” warlords strutting around the park to entertain tourists in their armor. You can get photos with them, or see their show.

While this park is about an hour outside Nagoya, you will find the scenery and relative peace of the park worth the trip out of town.

 Okazaki Park 〒444-0052 愛知県岡崎市康生町５６１－１

Higashiyama Park, Nagoya

Higashiyama Park includes the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, as well as a variety of smaller attractions, shops, and restaurants, in addition to the usual playgrounds, trees, and grass found in the standard park. This park, however, is anything but typical; it is vast, well-appointed, and well-cared for. Much thought has gone into it, and many special events occur there.

You can feed animals at the zoo, sit under the blossoming trees (cherry, plum, wisteria, and apricot), or stroll through gardens filled with flowering plants.   If that is not enough, there are 500+ species of animal at the zoo, including koalas, giraffes, and even a rare leopard, and the Higashiyama Sky Tower, whose 360-degree view of the Nagoya skyline is among Japan’s most popular night views.

Higashiyama Park has a dizzying array of things to see and do, so you will not likely see it all in one day.

3-70 Higashiyama-motomachi, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi

Odaka Ryokuchi Park, Nagoya

Odaka Ryokuchi Koen is in Midori-ku in the southern part of Nagoya City. While the park is accessible by train, just a 5-min. walk from Sakyoyama (左京山) Station on the Meitetsu Line, the park is a bit out of the way and is most favored by those with access to a car. If you make the trip, it is well worth the effort.

The park is drive-through and offers  attractions worthy of a family outing, including:

• • • • • Year-round campground
        • Day campground (The sand sites without BBQ areas are free to use, no reservation required.)
        • Japanese garden, stream garden, iris garden, plum tree grove, cherry tree grove
        • Miniature golf
        • Go-cart circuit
        • Climbing wall (more for kids)
        • Dog runs
        • Paddle boats on Biwagaike Pond
        • Playgrounds with “long and short” slides
        • (Dinosaur Park)
        • 4 swimming pools
        • tennis courts
        • Baseball and soccer fields 

Takayama-1-1 Ōdakachō  Midori-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken

Meijo Park, Nagoya

Meijo Park includes  Nagoya Castle, Ofuse Pond,  Meijo Park Flower Plaza, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, and the Nagoya City Archives. The park is conveniently located in Kita-ku, just a few minutes from Shiyakusho and Meijō Kōen Station on the Meijo Line.

Mejio Park is a great place to see cherry blossoms in April, and wisteria in April and May. There are ball fields and playground equipment, and one of the most incredible things is a giant windmill in the middle of a tulip garden! While it lacks the “attractions” of our previous parks, it is a perennial favorite for hanami, jogging, and walks in the sunshine.

Ochiai Park Kasugai City

Ochiai Park is best known for its 1ooo cherry trees representing 90 varieties of cherry (making the hanami season last longer than other places) and for the Kasugai Fireworks festival, held annually in July.

It also features a large pond with a fountain lit in 7 colors after dark and what looks like a pumping station made of red erector set pieces.  While quite large and well-appointed with ball fields and playgrounds, it is not easily accessible by public transportation.  t is best reached by car or from Kasugai Station, but from there, it is… a hike.

Get out there and play a bit, and let us know what you thought about these parks, or suggest alternatives if you feel your favorite spot is better than one or all of these. We would love to hear from you!

Photo: Creative Commons “Higashiyama botanical gardens” by KAMUI (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo: Creative Commons “Okazakikoen” by Japandr (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo: Creative Commons “Higashiyama botanical gardens” by KAMUI (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo: Creative Commons “Ōdaka Ryokuchi, May 2011 a” by artiechaut_1868 (CC BY-SA 2.1)

Photo: Creative Commons “Meijo Park” by Alpsdake (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo: Creative Commons “Ochiai_Park_(Kasugai)_7, May 2011 a” by KKPCW (CC BY-SA 2.1)