Living in Nagoya: Guide for Foreigners

Nagoya is a large city that sits between Tokyo and Osaka. It’s home to around 2.3 million people and is becoming an increasingly popular choice among foreigners. While offering everything you would expect from life in a cosmopolitan city, it has still preserved its cultural heritage that gives you a perfect balance between convenience and an authentic Japanese environment. 

The Best Things To Do In Nagoya

Nagoya Castle by knhiraoka is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

Nagoya offers a beautiful mix of old and new. The stunning Nagoya Castle is one of the best known historical sites and is close to another beauty - the Honmaru Palace, known for its luxurious interior and beautiful paintings. 

You can learn more about the history of Nagoya in one of the many museums. Tokugawa Art Museum is located in the gorgeous Tokugawa garden and showcases artifacts from the famous Owari-Tokugawa family. Toyota Automobile Museum is popular for those interested in the automobile industry and manufacturing process, and the Nagoya City Science Museum houses the largest planetarium in the world. 

Nagoya is also known for its vibrant shopping, dining, and nightlife scene, and the main entertainment districts are Sakae, Fushimi, and Nagoya Station area. The streets get especially energetic during festivals, which are organized throughout the year and include traditional Owari Tsushima Festival, but also some strange events such as the Tagata Fertility Festival.  

Living In Nagoya

Nagoya Skyline by AleGranholm is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

From public green areas, museums, and cultural events, to great shopping and dining destinations - it seems that Nagoya has everything you would look for in your new Japan home. The city is surrounded by countless manufacturers, both local and international, which gives expats many opportunities to grow their careers. 

Nagoya has a medium-sized foreign community, which is more than enough to meet other expats on a regular basis, but still allow you to practice your Japanese and live in a mainly local community. Many hospitals offer their services in foreign languages, and you can get all the information you need in the Nagoya International Center. There are also international schools and active foreign communities, which will make it easy to adapt to your new life in Nagoya. 

Nagoya is considered to have one of the best transport networks in Japan. You can access all parts of the city within 30 minutes, and the trains are frequent, which makes them much less crowded than those in Tokyo. The main stations of the city are the Sakae Station, Fushimi Station, and Nagoya Station, where you can catch a direct train ride to Tokyo.

Something that makes Nagoya particularly attractive to foreigners is that it offers almost everything that Tokyo does, but is generally much cheaper. The apartments are more spacious and comfortable, and you can easily find a beautiful two-room apartment for less than 100,000 yen per month, which is the average price of a small studio in Tokyo. 

Summary

Nagoya by Shinya ICHINOHE is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

Nagoya is one of the largest cities in Japan, and lately, one of the most popular destinations among foreigners. Expats can enjoy convenient public transport, lots of beautiful attractions, and vibrant shopping and dining streets with both international and local brands. The city is constantly adapting to the growing number of international residents, which, combined with affordable housing, makes Nagoya one of the best choices for your future life in Japan. 

Sources: All Japan Relocation, Internations, Japancheapo, Real Estate Japan, Japan Visitor, Matcha JP

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