I’m always so impressed with all of the kid-friendly options for sightseeing. playgrounds and eateries in Nagoya. Here are my favourites.
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you make a reservation through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
See here for my recommendations for where to stay in Nagoya with kids.
Breakfast in Nagoya
I recommend a light and really yummy breakfast at Sawamura Bakery Restaurant near Nagoya Station (3 mins walk from the Central Exit gate of Nagoya Station.) This is a walk-in restaurant only, however, they do accept reservations at dinner time. No matter what time you dine here, remember it is a bakery first – so don’t forget to order lots of yummy fresh bread. It is a non-smoking restaurant and they do accept most major credit cards. See the full Sawamura Bakery Restaurant menu here.
The lunch menu is cheese burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken and soups.
SAWAMURA BAKERY RESTAURANT, NAGOYA
名古屋市中村区名駅4-7-1 ミッドランドスクエア B1F
BASEMENT FLOOR, MIDLAND SQUARE, 4-7-1 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN EVERYDAY 7:30AM-8PM
Gluten Free Options in Nagoya
Shunrakuzen is the most incredible supermarket / convenience store. There are 4 branches in Nagoya so google your closest Shunrakuzen Supermarket if you’re looking for a good range of gluten free products – it’s worth the trip.
To go there from Nagoya Station by taxi it will take approximately 20 minutes and cost approximately 4,500 yen. Or, by public transport, take either the Higashiyama, Sakuradori or Chuo lines to Fushimi Station and then the Tsurumai Line to Irinaka Station (and then walk for 3 mins.)
Gluten free products include pasta, donuts, pancake mix, breadcrumbs for cooking and cookies and cakes. It also is a supermarket so you can also buy meat and fruit and veg etc, of course.
This store accepts most major credit cards.
All stores are open from 10am-8pm.
SUPERMARKETS NEAR NAGOYA STATION
Seijo Ishii is right next to Nagoya Station. This supermarket brand happens to be one of the easiest for me to recommend to international travellers as it has a mixture of Japanese products, ready made meals, fresh produce but also many world-wide recognized brands (great if you have a family member who is feeling homesick for a few more familiar looking snacks.) *This supermarket stocks a rice flour bread made by a company called “Happy Bakery.” They have a decent selection of cheese and also a liquor store. The Seijo Ishii Nagoya Umaimon Dori store is open from 7:30am-10pm. To get here from the station, take the Hirokojiguchi Station. If you have a large family, I recommend sending in just a couple of family members (preferably one parent) as the store has thin aisles and can be busy in the evenings. There is another Seijo Ishii under the station in the Dai Nagoya Building (in the basement) – it is open 8am-10pm. Take the Sakuraguchi Exit to get there.
You can use google translate while you’re there but to give you an idea of what is on offer:
Top shelf:
Tuna & Spring Onion Sushi Handrolls, Ham & Egg Sandwiches, Cooked Shrimp & Broccolli Sandwiches, Mixed Veg Sandwiches, Colourful Veg Sandwiches ± a range of salads (sorry I can’t read the labels in the pic)
＊Dressings for salads are sold seperately – get the sesame dressing . Trust me!
Second shelf; Corn & Locally Sourced Colourful Veg Salad, Locally Sourced Green Veg Salad (sold out in this pic), Vermicelli Salad made with Okinawaーgrown Mozuku Seaweed, Burdock Root, Carrot, Sesame Mayo Salad, Crab & Quinoa Coleslaw Salad, (Can’t read this one in the pic- sorry!), Seafood Pasta Salad, (Can’t read the rest of the salad labels here -sorry!)
Second from bottom shelf:
Green & Yellow Veg Duck Salad, Quinoa & Walnut Ingredient Grain Salad, Chicken & Quinoa Salad with Olive Oil Dressing, （can’t see the other salad labels here – sorry!)
Bottom shelf:
Taco Meat Tortilla Wraps, Mixed Tortilla Wrap Pack with Ham & Egg and Cheese & Chicken, Yakiniku Beef & Root Veg Tortilla Wraps, Shrimp Fresh Spring Rolls with Coriander, Steamed Chicken & Egg Salad Spring Rolls, Salmon & Cheese Spring Rolls with Coriander, Shrimp & Steamed Chicken Spring Rolls, Smoked Salmon ＆Avocado Spring Rolls, Potato Salad.
Seijo Ishii supermarkets also stock gluten free bread.
Meidi-ya supermarket is in the Takashimaya Department Store, connected to the station. It is in the B2 basement floor.
This supermarket has lots of fresh produce but also lots of international products. Open 10am-8pm.
Kinokuniya Nagoya Meitetsu Store Supermarket is just 1 min walk from Nagoya Station. Open 10am-8pm. It’s in the basement of the Meitetsu Department Store -connected to Nagoya Station in the “Mens” section of the building.
An amazing ramen joint
A Japanese colleague of mine is from Nagoya and recommended this ramen spot to me – I tried it and could see just why. It’s not a fancy restaurant but the ramen here (and all the generous topping portions) are just sooooo good. It is called Susuru and they specialise in grilled pork pieces on top of their ramen bowls. This is a walk-in restaurant only and they also only accept cash. They welcome families here (please watch kids around big bowls of boiling hot ramen though.) Ramen here is all around 1000 yen. You can order by vending machine – use google translate or you can just tell the staff that you want their most popular options Yakibuta Chuuka Soba (Grilled Pork Ramen) or Yakibuta Chuuka Soba Zenbu Nose (Grilled Pork Ramen with the Lot on top.) This isn’t the type of spot to go to if you wanted alterations to the menu at all.
Please note that the shop closes once they have sold out of grilled pork pieces so it’s best to not leave it until too late.
This restaurant is 2 mins from Fushimi Station or 26 mins walk from Nagoya Station.
YAKIBUTA SUSURU
名古屋市中区名古屋2-11-19 太田ビル 1F
GROUND FLOOR, 2-11-19 NISHIKI, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11AM-2PM & 6PM-9PM
OPEN SATURDAYS 11AM-2PM
CLOSED SUNDAYS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
Delicious Sanuki Udon
Sanuki Udon is known for being more chewy than other styles of udon and is more of a square shape on the edges of the noodles. I’d love to take credit for finding this family-friendly udon restaurant -but it was recommended to me by Catherine from BusyCityKids. The restaurant is called Sanuki Udon Den. Please note that this restaurant does not take reservations (the venue can seat 30 people at a time) and only accepts cash. It is 3 mins walk from Fushimi Station and is 3 mins walk from the Nagoya Science Museum. I recommend budgeting for approximately 1000 yen per person to dine here. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
They have the wax models of all of the dishes so that makes it really easy to literally “see” what you would like to eat (and point if required.)
SANUKI UDON DEN, NICHOME TEN
名古屋市中区栄2-8-11
2-8-11 SAKAE, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-2PM
“Australian” Steak and Seafood
Hate to break the hearts of Americans that love the Outback Steakhouse – but it isn’t even a little bit “Australian” to me. I am partial to a “bloomin’ onion” from here though. I really like it here – especially when dining with kids. The portions are generous and it’s very kid friendly. They even have high chairs. It is 10 mins walk from Fushimi Station or 3 mins walk from Sakaemachi Station. They welcome children- they have a kids menu and space to store strollers while you dine. Please note that a 10% service charge is added to your bill when you dine here. They do accept most major credit cards. I recommend budgeting 2000 yen for an adult lunch meal and more like 4000 yen at dinner time. This restaurant is completely non-smoking. See the full Outback Steakhouse menu here. You can make a reservation on the Outback Steakhouse website.
If it’s your birthday, these guys can do a dessert with a candle, sing you happy birthday and do a commemorative photo. See all the Outback Steakhouse birthday details here. They also have two birthday cakes available for purchase.
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
名古屋市中区錦3-24-22 JPR名古屋栄ビルB1
B1 FLOOR, JPR NAGOYA SAKAE BUILDING, 3-24-22 NISHIKI, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN WEEKDAYS 5PM-10PM (LAST ORDERS 9PM)*OPEN UNTIL 11PM ON FRIDAYS
OPEN WEEKENDS 11:30AM-11PM (LAST ORDERS 10PM)
Our Nagoya Adventures
I’ve taken my the kiddies to this dinosaur themed park here . The outer park has a Dino-themed playground but one section is like a moving, retro Jurassic Park-type deal.
The whole park is called Odaka Ryokuchi Greens Park.
To get there, we took a cab on the way as I was travelling without my kiddies at just wanted to get there and leave it up to a taxi driver to get me to the right spot. It took about 20 minutes and cost a little under 3000 yen ( wasn’t exactly free but I wanted to make the most of our Nagoya trip and not get lost with two kids – and a double stroller- in tow.).
I asked the taxi driver to take us to Number 21 on this map here is the link to Odaka Ryokuchi Greens Park
Number 21 refers to the Dinosaur Open Play Area (kyogryu hiroba). The driver was able to drive right to the playground entrance so it set us right up to start the day. It was another cool retro Japanese park. My kids were thrilled. We stopped for snacks (that I brought with us) and then played some more.
You can also take public transport – and it will cost more like 400 yen per passenger but it will take more like 45 minutes.
Due to many international offices and manufacturing plants being located in Nagoya – there were many more English speaking kiddies and parents in the park and my kids loved joining in on their games.
It was actually hard to convince them to move on after an hour so we could head to the Dino Adventure.
How cool are these Dino slides? The big one ROARS when you go down the slide too!
When we did tear ourselves away, we walked within the park for a tiny bit over 10 minutes to Dino Adventure. It was uphill so hard work pushing that stroller – but we made it!
This mini-theme park is totally kitsch – but in all the right ways.
I was worried that my kids would be scared because I’d read that the dinos move – but they were all over it!
I would have been creeped out there at night with those fake roaring dinosaurs -but my kids were comfy and I think its because there were lots of visible wires and pumps etc…
It was completely worth the 800 yen entry for adults and 600 yen for kids.
When I purchased the tickets, I asked if I should take the stroller and the staff said its quite hilly. So I parked the stroller outside the entrance and Im so glad I did as my kids literally ran between each dinosaur structure. It was really cute. They really thought they were little explorers.
There is a little gift shop at the end of the course with some plastic dinosaurs and some snacks but I strongly recommend bringing food as I didn’t see anywhere in the whole park with something more substantial than chocolates, crisps and some ice-cream (my kids do love a vending machine ice-cream though.). Here is the website for Dino Adventure in Nagoya. They seem to close on random days throughout the month so be sure to check before you go.
And just next to Dino Adventure is another gigantic playground. My kids were so obsessed with the castle and the giant roller slide was very, very cool.
After this playground we were all pretty tired and decided to make our way back.
We walked for 10 minutes to Sakyoyama Station. It took around 40 minutes to get back to Nagoya and we changed trains twice ( to map your journey back, I recommend using google maps because you’ll need different trains for different times of day. )
(My daughter loved the purple “Princess Sofia” train carriages.)
Legoland Nagoya with kids
We have been many times to Legoland Nagoya . It’s an easy train ride from Nagoya Station on the Aonami line.
We thought Legoland was further out of town, but it only took us about 20 minutes on an express train (Note ; when you leave from Nagoya Station, you don’t take the JR line, there is another line just next to it – within Nagoya Station- called the Aonami line. Thats the one you’ll need.)
*Legoland in Nagoya do some cute lego christmas theming in December. A giant lego tree and Lego Santa walks around etc.
See here to read my entire post on visiting Legoland with kids in Nagoya.
Nagoya Castle is probably the most well-known sightseeing spot in Nagoya.
Within the castle grounds were buskers and some food stalls.
We were able to travel to almost the top of the castle by elevator with the stroller and then walked the last two flights.
Warning though ; the castle gets very busy. Best to have cash for food stalls and castle entry.
WHERE TO EAT IN NAGOYA WITH KIDS?
I also wanted to talk about the yummy breakfast spot we tried while in Nagoya. It was walking distance away from the castle, and also just a few minutes from our accommodation.
The Cups has several different branches all over Nagoya so you might want to find which one is closest to your accommodation.
It was very modern and there was a great selection of food.
Gluten free option in Nagoya!
It’s random but a good old reliable option for those who are strictly gluten free. Dominos Pizza does not have gluten free pizzas BUT they do have a wheat free pizza rice bowl. There is a Dominos Pizza in Nagoya – the easiest option to access from the station area is probably Domino’s Pizza Sakae 5-chome Store (5 mins in a cab from The Cups Sakae Branch). See the rice bowl on the Dominos Japan menu here.
Family-Friendly Taco & Craft Beer Restaurant
Sayulita Tacos & Craft Beer is just 11 mins walk or 4 mins (approx 500 yen) in a cab from the Sakae area
Many people call this place the best and most authentic burritos and tacos in Japan. They also serve nachos and quesadillas. This restaurant doesn’t take reservations and seats 16 people so you may have a short wait on a weekend. They do accept most major credit cards. Most meals are around or under 1000 yen. The entire venue is non-smoking. Children are welcome here.
SAYULITA TACOS & CRAFT BEER
3-1 MOZENCHO, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN THURS-MON & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS MIDDAY-6:30PM (LAST ORDERS AT 6:30PM)
CLOSED ON TUES & WED
Another suggestion: Make reservations 2 weeks ahead if you want to eat those fluffy, jiggly viral Japanese pancakes by visiting A Happy Pancake Nagoya (see here for my full list of things to book in advance when visiting Japan with kids.) It is possible to just turn up but wait times can be up to 45 mins long AND some places only take walk-ins until they are sold out. Reservations for famous restaurant called “A Happy Pancake” (also referred to as Shiawase no Pancake in Japanese -and is sometimes spelled this way on google maps) open exactly 2 weeks ahead of your preferred dining date. Reservations open two weeks in advance at midnight Japan time! They have restaurants in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Fukuoka and Okinawa.
Click here to make A Happy Pancake reservation for you and your family. You will need to make an account and log in to do so (so this before midnight to ensure your reservation is as quick as possible.)
The Happy Pancake Nagoya store is just 5 mins walk from Sakae Station. Budget 2000 yen per person to dine here. They accept most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
A HAPPY PANCAKE, NAGOYA
名古屋市中区栄3-15-33 栄ガスビル B1F
B1F SAKAE GAS BUILDING, 3-15-33 SAKAE, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA-SHI
Family-Friendly Taco & Craft Beer Restaurant
Sayulita Tacos & Craft Beer is just 11 mins walk or 4 mins (approx 500 yen) in a cab from the Sakae area
Many people call this place the best and most authentic burritos and tacos in Japan. They also serve nachos and quesadillas. This restaurant doesn’t take reservations and seats 16 people so you may have a short wait on a weekend. They do accept most major credit cards. Most meals are around or under 1000 yen. The entire venue is non-smoking. Children are welcome here.
SAYULITA TACOS & CRAFT BEER
3-1 MOZENCHO, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN THURS-MON & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS MIDDAY-6:30PM (LAST ORDERS AT 6:30PM)
CLOSED ON TUES & WED
Make reservations 2 weeks ahead if you want to eat those fluffy, jiggly viral Japanese pancakes by visiting A Happy Pancake Nagoya (see here for my full list of things to book in advance when visiting Japan with kids.) It is possible to just turn up but wait times can be up to 45 mins long AND some places only take walk-ins until they are sold out. Reservations for famous restaurant called “A Happy Pancake” (also referred to as Shiawase no Pancake in Japanese -and is sometimes spelled this way on google maps) open exactly 2 weeks ahead of your preferred dining date. Reservations open two weeks in advance at midnight Japan time! They have restaurants in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Fukuoka and Okinawa.
Click here to make A Happy Pancake reservation for you and your family. You will need to make an account and log in to do so (so this before midnight to ensure your reservation is as quick as possible.)
The Happy Pancake Nagoya store is just 5 mins walk from Sakae Station. Budget 2000 yen per person to dine here. They accept most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
A HAPPY PANCAKE, NAGOYA
名古屋市中区栄3-15-33 栄ガスビル B1F
B1F SAKAE GAS BUILDING, 3-15-33 SAKAE, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA-SHI
OPEN WEEKDAYS 10:30AM-7:30PM (LAST ORDERS 6:45PM)
*Please note! Pancakes are only sold until 2:30pm!
OPEN WEEKENDS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS 10AM-8:30PM
*Please note! Pancakes are only sold until 2:30pm!
Family-Friendly Italian & Cake Restaurant
We love family-friendly restaurant “To The Herbs.” They serve pasta and pizza and desserts. They also have high chairs. This restaurant is 3 mins walk from Sakae Station.
I recommend budgeting for 2000 yen per adult for lunch to eat here and budget for more like 3500 yen per adult at dinner time. They accept most major credit cards. They have an English menu.
TO THE HERBS, NAGOYA
名古屋市中区栄3-6-1 ラシック 7F
7TH FLOOR, LACHIC BUILDING, 3-6-1 SAKAE, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-10PM
Family-Friendly Italian & Cake Restaurant
We love family-friendly restaurant “To The Herbs.” They serve pasta and pizza and desserts. They also have high chairs. This restaurant is 3 mins walk from Sakae Station.
I recommend budgeting for 2000 yen per adult for lunch to eat here and budget for more like 3500 yen per adult at dinner time. They accept most major credit cards. They have an English menu.
TO THE HERBS, NAGOYA
名古屋市中区栄3-6-1 ラシック 7F
7TH FLOOR, LACHIC BUILDING, 3-6-1 SAKAE, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-10PM
And if you wanted a breakfast closer to Nagoya station, I recommend Sarabeths.
It is a lovely western breakfast/brunch.
This is right inside Nagoya station.
I’m from Melbourne, Australia, and, to me, this kind of breakfast is very very old school. It was yummy and good quality but a bit like having breakfast out in the 80s.
The menu is on their website if you’d like to check ahead. My egg white and cheese omelette was delicious.
They do have high chairs for babies.
They also allow you to bring your own baby food into their restaurant.
*The photos above are from the Sarabeths Shinagawa store. However the menu is almost identical. Please see the website for details.
SARABETHS,NAGOYA
名古屋市中村区名駅1-1-3 タカシマヤゲートタワーモール1階
GROUND FLOOR, TAKASHIMAYA GATE TOWER MALL,
OPEN 9AM-10PM
Denny’s Japan
If you’re looking to start the day with a western-style breakfast, I recommend heading to Denny’s. The Nagoya branch is open from 5am-3am.
Denny’s Japan (note, not the same as Denny’s in the US.).
They have a low common allergens menu. There is a change table in the toilets here. No bookings. Walk-in only. They accept most major credit cards.
See the full Denny’s Japan menu here. Please note, if you are vegan, that Denny’s in Japan do have a zero meat hamburger steak (like a vegan rissole – for the fellow aussies.)
This is us ordering on the Denny’s ipad at our table. See here for more (and less random) suggestions when craving vegetables in Japan.
Family Friendly Italian Restaurant next to Nagoya Station
1 minute from Nagoya Station is Per Adasso, casual Italian Restaurant. This restaurant welcomes children.
It is possible to make reservations here. For adults, I recommend budgeting 2000 yen at lunch time and 4000 yen at dinner time.
Per Adasso accepts most major credit cards. This restaurant is non-smoking. Although it is in Japanese, the Per Adasso menu is here (with some pictures) and you can use google translate for the descriptions.
There are wax replicas of the dishes out the front of the restaurant so it is easy to point and order too.
PER ADASSO, NAGOYA
名古屋市中村区名駅1-1-1 B1F
BASEMENT FLOOR, 1-1-1 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-11PM (LAST ORDERS 10:15PM)
An Indian restaurant with vegan and vegetarian options
Just 3 mins walk from Nagoya Station is Erick South. They accept most major credit cards and also do takeaway. I recommend budgeting 2000 yen per adult to dine here. This restaurant is non-smoking. The restaurant only seats 35 people so it’s a good idea to make a reservation.
ERICK SOUTH KITTE NAGOYA
名古屋市中村区名駅1-1-1 KITTE名古屋B1F
BASEMENT FLOOR 1, KITTE NAGOYA, 1-1-1 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-11PM (LAST ORDERS 10PM)
Family-friendly Hawaiian restaurant just 5 mins by train from Nagoya Station
The Aloha Table chain in Japan is one of our family favourites. Aloha Table Asunaru Kanayama is just 5 mins from Nagoya Station (take a train to Kanayama Station and then walk for 2 mins to Aloha Table. Take the North Exit out of Kanayama Station.) They accept reservations via tablecheck. and you can also try for a walk-in (the restaurant does seat 100 people.) The menu si big and full of lovely options like loco moco, rice bowls, pancakes etc. This is a fabulous place to eat if you are all needing some colourful fresh veggies. You can see the full Aloha Table Asunaru Kanayama menu here. They accept most major credit cards. This restaurant has space for diners in wheelchairs. There is a children’s menu and they can store your stroller while you dine. See the children’s menu here (my kids love the smiley face fries.) I would budget 1500 yen per person at lunch time and more like 2500 yen at dinner time.
ALOHA TABLE ASUNARU KANAYAMA
名古屋市中区金山1-17-1アスナル金山1F
GROUND FLOOR, ASURU KANAYAMA, 1-17-1 KANAYAMA, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-10PM (OPEN UNTIL FRI & SAT UNTIL 11PM)
For a good fried chicken spot, I recommend trying Furaibo (there are 3 locations in Nagoya. They are famous for their chicken wings. They are cooked Tebasaki style – unique to Nagoya. )
And for another random option in the station with kids?
How about a haircut, in a car, holding a bus, watching a show about trains?! Yes??!!!
The children’s hair salon, Zusso ‘s stylists are seriously talented. They somehow manage to style children’s hair like a trendy fashion model. Best to book ahead, take a picture of what you’d like, tell them what kind of thing your child is into so they can set up the dvd player accordingly (ie. trains, mickey mouse, princess…etc) and choose a salon vehicle!! (Just a heads up : this experience is adorable but be ready to pay 4000 yen for the pleasure. ) The salon is on the 8th floor of Takashimaya Department Store in the Station.
*These photos are of the Shinjuku branch but I have visited the Nagoya version as well and it is just as adorable.
ZUSSO KIDS, NAGOYA STORE
名古屋市中村区名駅1-1-4 ジェイアール名古屋タカシマヤ8F
8TH FLOOR, TAKASHIMAYA NAGOYA, 1-1-4 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN EVERYDAY : 10AM-7PM
And speaking of eating out in Nagoya, we had a truly spectacular dinner at The Kawabun.
The staff speak perfect English but, warning, it is a bit fancy so you’ll feel out of place if you don’t dress up a little bit and you might want to arrive at the beginning of dinner hours so you can make an escape before all the customers on dates start piling in.
The restaurant is located inside an old and very majestic Japanese home. There is a beautiful pond and lots of bamboo planted around the grounds too.
We ordered an appetizer to share and a main course each.
The staff were happy to prepare a simple pasta dish for the kids and then we ordered them ice-cream.
I was a bit stressful as I kept handing out colouring pages and stickers to keep the kids quiet – but, selfishly, I’m glad we went. The food was amazing (the restaurant is mostly Italian food but in a Japanese setting.)
Extra tip: If you really really love Japanese egg sandwiches then I recommend taking the train to Fujigaoka Station and then a 3 minute cab ride to “365 Pan.” You can take a look here but their bread rolls contain these perfect tightly wrapped up egg omelettes. They are also famous for their “Hara Peko Sandwich” ( Harapeko means “rumbling tummy” ) which is the egg sandwich but also in the sandwich is ham & lettuce. And they are only 230 yen each.
They do accept credit cards. They welcome children and families. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
Warning, their dine-in area is pretty small so might be easiest to take your egg sandwiches to a park. It’s not super pretty or anything but there is a small park with a slide and some climbing equipment and a swing set just 4 minutes walk away at Hakusan Daishi Park. There is also a public toilet here too with a change table. There is also enough space to play a ball game.
365 PAN
名古屋市守山区森孝東1-707 第2森下マンション 1C
1C DAINI MORISHITA MANSION BUILDING, 1-707
MORITAKAHIGASHI, MORIYAMA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN: 11AM-6PM
CLOSED: WEDNESDAYS & SUNDAYS
One of our favourite lunch or dinner spots to eat lunch or dinner with kids in Nagoya is The Tower Tavern Bar & Grill – just above Nagoya Station.
They have an English menu and the staff speak English really well here. You can make reservations on their website in English but we have also never had a hard time just walking in here for lunch on weekdays (the restaurant seats 155 people.) You can see the Tower Tavern Bar & Grill full menu online here. This restaurant also has free wifi.
The Tower Tavern Bar & Grill accepts most major credit cards. They also have a vegetarian menu. At lunch time I would budget for 2000 yen per adult and more like 4000 yen at meal time.
Please note that this restaurant has a 440 yen per person service charge for customers visiting after 5pm on weekdays and after 3pm on weekends.
THE TOWER TAVERN BAR & GRILL
名古屋市中村区名駅1-1-4 ＪＲセントラルタワーズ タワーズプラザ12F
12TH FLOOR,TOWERS PLAZA WITHIN JR CENTRAL TOWERS, 1-1-4 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-10PM (UNTIL 11PM ON FRIDAYS)
Pizza and Pasta
Another option that is above Nagoya Station is Italian restaurant Pizzeria Mar De Napoli.
It is on the 13th floor of the JR Gate Towers building above Nagoya Station. My kids both LOVE this restaurant. I recommend budgeting for 2000 yen at lunch time and more like 3000 yen for dinner. They accept most major credit cards. The lunch sets include pizza and a dessert. They welcome children. You can try for a walk in but best to do so on a weekday or outside of traditional meal hours. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
PIZZERIA MAR DE NAPOLI, NAGOYA
名古屋市中村区名駅1-1-3 JRゲートタワー 12F
12TH FLOOR, JR GATE TOWER, MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-11PM
And just next to Pizzeria Mar De Napoli is Wired Cafe. We love this brand of restaurant – especially when dining with kids. They serve rice or pasta dishes, salads, waffles, french toast, soups etc. You can see the full Wired Cafe in English and Japanese here.
They don’t accept reservations here – walk-ins only. I recommend budgeting 2000 yen for a mea
l here. Please note that this restaurant is cash only. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
WIRED CAFE , NAGOYA GATE PLAZA
名古屋市中村区名駅1-1-3 JRゲートタワー 12F
12TH FLOOR, JR GATE TOWER, MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-11PM
Within the same building, but on the 13th floor, is a kid-friendly izakaya called Washoku En Nagoya JR Central Towers. Like most izakaya in Japan, the idea is that you order lots of little dishes and try lots of little things and then order more as you go, if you wanted to. This is a wonderful place for adults to try Japanese sake (hot and cold) or lemon sours etc while still dining as a family. I recommend budgeting for 2000 yen per adult here at lunch time and more like 5000 yen at dinner time.
The entire restaurant is non-smoking and they do accept most major credit cards.
You can ask you hotel to make a reservation for you or you could try for a walk-in (I only recommend attempting this before 7pm.)
Children are welcome here but please note that there is not a children’s menu. The restaurant are happy for diners to bring in their own baby food for babies.
They have space to store a stroller while you dine.
WASHOKU EN, NAGOYA, JR CENTRAL TOWERS
名古屋市中村区名駅-1-4 タワーズプラザ13F
13F TOWERS PLAZA, 1-1-4 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-11PM
Have you always wanted to try a Hedgehog or Alpaca shaped crepe?
Well, you can at a store called Crepes de Anne. It is just 3 mins walk from Nagoya Station. They accept most major credit cards. There is space to bring in your stroller here. Crepes de Anne also have free wifi. See pictures of Crepes de Anne’s adorable crepes here.
CREPES DE ANNE
10-4 サン・タウン名駅椿北館 1F
名古屋市中村区椿町10-4 サン・タウン名駅椿北館 1F
GROUND FLOOR, SUN TOWN MEIEKI TSUBAKI KAN, TSUBAKI-CHO, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN TUES-SUN: MIDDAY-7PM
CLOSED MONDAYS
OPEN TUES-SUN: MIDDAY-7PM
CLOSED MONDAYS
A family-friendly Japanese 100% gluten free teishoku restaurant
This restaurant is called Michinoritei and is 3 mins walk from the Taiko-Dori Exit of Nagoya Station. Children are welcome here! Most of my gluten free friends have never been able to have a gluten free katsu. This is the place! I recommend budgeting 2000 yen per adult for a beautiful set teishoku lunch or more like 3000 yen at dinner time. Menu options include katsu, croquette, fish dishes, tempura. See pictures of the full Michinoritei menu here! This restaurant serves complimentary houjicha for guests.
This is a walk-in restaurant only. They accept most major credit cards here. They have an English menu. They also have a takeout bento menu.
This restaurant is popular with the people of Nagoya so a little before opening time or be prepared to wait 15-20 mins.
MICHINORITEI
名古屋市中村区椿町8-7 2F
SECOND FLOOR, TSUBAKI-CHO, NAKAMURA-CHO, NAGOYA
OPEN FOR LUNCH 11AM-3PM (LAST ORDERS 2PM)
OPEN FOR DINNER 6PM-10PM
And if you’d like to dine at a Japanese izakaya in Nagoya with kids…
I recommend Oto Oto Nagoya JR Gate Tower. This is on the restaurant floor of the Nagoya Gate Tower Plaza and children (minimum 6 years old) are very much welcome here. The Gate Tower Plaza is actually connected to JR Nagoya Station – making it a great post-shinkansen dinner option. I recommend trying the tonkatsu and the tempura here.
At lunch time, for an adult meal, I would budget 2000 yen – while at dinner? More like 5000 yen.
Oto Oto accepts most major credit cards. The restaurant is non-smoking (actually, the whole floor is, but there is an enclosed smoking room near the toilets.)
This restaurant seats 89 people but, it is popular with the corporate crowd at lunchtime and after work so I do recommend making a booking.
This restaurant has free wifi.
Sorry but there is no space for a stroller or suitcases in here so you will need to park the stroller outside the restaurant and put suitcases in a coin locker at the station.
See the Oto Oto Nagoya menu here.
WABARU OTO OTO NAGOYA JR TOWER GATE
名古屋市中村区名駅1-1-3ゲートタワープラザレストラン街
RESTAURANT FLOOR, GATE TOWER PLAZA, 1-1-3 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11AM-3PM (LAST ORDERS 2:30PM) & 5PM-10PM (LAST ORDERS 9PM)
A lovely spot to have dinner is Choko Choko – a Japanese izakaya who welcome children and young families. Like most izakaya, the idea is that you order lots of little dishes for the table to share and then order repeats or new dishes as you go. I recommend ordering some cold and hot soba noodle dishes, dashi-maki tamago, edamame, root vegetable kimpira, karaage fried chicken, I recommend budgeting for 4000 yen approx per adult when dining here. Please note that there is a 500 yen service charge per person to eat here (added to your bill at the end – as a “thank you” for that service charge you are also given an ootoshi – which I speak about more here. The restaurant accepts most major credit cards. It is 400 metres from Nagoya Station. You can make a reservation here online via tablecheck. You can reserve a private room, table or counter seating or horigotatsu seating (horigotatsu is where the floor is dug out under the table. It’s looks a bit like you’re kneeling but you’re in a seated position just lower down on the floor.) The entire venue is non-smoking.
This is a great place for the adults at the table to try different hot and cold sake.
CHOKO CHOKO
名古屋市中村区名駅3-26-1
3-26-1 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 5PM-11:30PM (LAST ORDERS 11PM) * FROM 4PM ON SATURDAYS
CLOSED SUNDAYS AND NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
See here for my tips regarding Japanese dining etiquette.
Crab, Crab Legs, Seafood and Shabu-Shabu restaurant
10 mins walk from Nagoya Station a is crab restaurant Sapporo Kanihonke (Kani Honke literally translates to “home of the crab.”) This restaurant welcomes families. You can make a reservation or try for a walk-in (the restaurant does seat 400 patrons.) Make a reservation via the Kanihonke website here. They accept most major credit cards. The interior of this restaurant is traditional Japanese – you can see pictures here. This is also an incredible restaurant to try a kaiseki meal as a family. See the full Kanihonke menu in English (with pictures) here.
I recommend budgeting approx 5000 yen per adult at lunch time and more like 13,000 yen at dinner time. If you don’t like seafood – don’t worry- you can also order a beef shabu-shabu hot pot for the table.
SAPPORO KANIHONKE, NAGOYA STATION STORE
名古屋市中村区名駅南1-17-20
1-17-20 MEIEKI-MINAMI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11:30AM-3PM & 5PM-10PM
OPEN WEEKENDS 11AM-10PM
A family-friendly izakaya where every single table has it’s own private booth/room
Jibundoki Meieki Hirokojidori is probably my favourite place to eat as a family in Nagoya. This izakaya specialises in general izakaya foods but also does tempura beautifully. Every single table has a private room/booth – which really takes off the pressure for kids to sit still the whole time and it also means they could quietly colour or do a puzzle or play nintendo with the sound turned down. The doors are slider doors that are opened frequently to serve food, so I recommend sitting kids on the far side and put adults next to the door.
Like most izakaya in Japan, the idea is that you order lots of little dishes and keep on ordering as you go (more of the same or to try something else.)
They accept most major credit cards. I recommend budgeting approximately 4000 yen per adult to dine here.
This is also a wonderful restaurant for adults to try hot or cold sake or different flavours of sours (sake with soft drink mixers) while still dining with the family.
There are some booths/rooms that do allow smoking so please ask your hotel to ask for one far away when you get them to make a reservation on your behalf.
See photos of the Jibundoki Meieki Hirokojidori menu and special seasonal options here.
This izakaya is 4 mins walk from Nagoya Station.
If you were wondering what items are pictured here.
Top left: (pictured) Agedashi （fried and then served in a warm mild stock) style round ball of maitake mushrooms.
Bottom left: Dashimaki (cooked omelette cooked egg in stock) served agedashi style.
Top right: Tempura Vanilla Ice-cream.
Grilled Kyoto-Vegetable Caesar Salad.
I ordered the potato fries, assorted tempura plate of the day, assorted sashimi plate of the day.
If you have a larger group you’ll be given a larger booth – of course though, the bigger the group the more important it is to make a reservation.
Jibundoki. You order by pressing a buzzer on the table.
This is at Jibundoki.
JIBUNDOKI MEIEKI HIROKOJIDORI, NAGOYA
名古屋市中村区名駅4-26-12 DK名駅笹島ビル 6F
6TH FLOOR, DK MEIEKI SASAJIMA BUILDING, 4-26-12 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 5PM-11:30PM
In the same building as Jibundoki is a Yakitori chain brand called Torikizoku on the 4th floor. It’s a cheap and cheerful – yet reliable brand an is great for families. They welcome children here and it is a non-smoking restaurant. I recommend budgeting approx 2500 yen per adult to eat a full meal here. They accept most major credit cards. They accept reservations. See here for pictures of the yakitori full menu at Torikizoku stores. If one person in the family doesn’t love yakitori, there are a couple of other options like sliced cold tomato, edamame, fried chicken, fries, camembert croquettes etc. Lots of gluten free diners like eating here – Yakitori can be a good option when you are gluten free. But be sure to ask for it to be prepared with salt, not tare (sauce/marinade as “tare” is made using soy sauce.) Ask your hotel to phone ahead and see if this is possible.
This yakitori izakaya is 4 mins walk from Nagoya Station.
TORIKIZOKU, MEIEKI HIROKOJI STORE
名古屋市中村区明駅4-26-12 DK名駅笹島ビル 4F
4TH FLOOR, DK MEIEKI SASAJIMA BUILDING, 4-26-12 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 5PM-MIDNIGHT
And on the 8th and 9th floor of this building is a karaoke chain called Big Echo. As with almost all karaoke spots in Japan, every party gets their own karaoke booth (no need to sing in front of strangers.) You can pick up the phone in your booth at any time and order food or drinks or sweets too.
Unless its Friday or Saturday night, I recommend just trying your luck without a reservation. Not sure how to go about doing karaoke with kids? I have written how to go about it here. Remember, karaoke can also be a great wet weather option in Nagoya as it is also open during the day.
BIG ECHO, MEIEKI SASAJIMA CROSSING STORE
名古屋市中村区明駅4-26-12 DK名駅笹島ビル 7-8F
7TH & 8TH FLOORS, DK MEIEKI SASAJIMA BUILDING, 4-26-12 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-5AM (FROM 10AM ON WEEKENDS)
If you’re craving veggies, I recommend going to WithGreen – a salad bowl restaurant. Best to get takeaway as they have limited seating. All salads are under 2000 yen. There are three branches in Nagoya. This one is closest to Nagoya Station – just 1 min walk from the Sakuraguchi Exit. See pictures of the WithGreen menu here.
WITHGREEN, NAGOYA SUN ROAD BRANCH
名古屋市中村区名駅4-7-25 B1F
B1F 4-7-25 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 10AM-9PM
Katsudon, Tonkatsu, Katsu Curry
For a casual katsudon meal as a family I recommend walking into Katsuya for lunch or dinner. They welcome children and the restaurant is non-smoking. They accept most major credit cards. A meal here is less than 1000 yen per person. In case you aren’t familiar, katsudon means a crumbed and fried pork cutlet on rice with a sweet yet savoury sauce. Scroll down on this page of the Katsuya website to see pictures of the complete menu. You can also order karaage (fried chicken) and rice.
This Katsuya branch is 5 mins walk from Nagoya Station or 4 mins walk from Nikko Style Nagoya.
KATSUYA, NAGOYA MEIEKI STORE
名古屋市中村区名駅4-22-17
4-22-17 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-3AM
Okonomiyaki
Monjyayakiya Rikyu. It’s best to ask the hotel to make a reservation for you as it can get busy. You can try making a reservation on the website here, if you like – but you will need to use google translate. Most popular menu items are monjyayaki, okonomiyaki and yakisoba. You cook it at your table (the staff will help you/do most of the work.) Other menu items include edamame, chilled tomato slices,
They welcome children. The restaurant is entirely non-smoking during the day but in the evenings smoking is allowed on the second floor.
This is a great place for the adults in the family to try some hot or cold Japanese sake or a lemon sour etc. They have space to store a stroller while you dine.
They accept most major credit cards here. To dine here, I recommend budgeting approx 2000 yen for an adult at lunchtime and more like 3000 yen for dinner.
See my tips here on how to order a vegetarian version of okonomiyaki.
MONJYAYAKIYA RIKYU
名古屋市中村区名駅3-17-33
3-17-33 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN EVERYDAY FOR LUNCH 11:30AM-3PM (LAST ORDERS 2:15PM)
OPEN EVERYDAY FOR DINNER 5PM-MIDNIGHT (UNTIL 1AM ON WEEKDAYS)
＊There is another branch of this same restaurant on the ground floor of the same building as recommended izakaya above called “Jibundoki” This is the same brand but the restaurant isn’t as big but the food is just as good.
Italian style izakaya
Garden Farm Meieki is 7 mins walk from Nagoya Station. They welcome children here. You will need to make a reservation. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. They accept most major credit cards. Please note that there is a 460 yen service charge per diner added to the bill at the end. If your kids struggle to sit still for the whole time you can request a koshitsu ( a private room) . Like almost all izakaya in Japan, the idea is that you order lots of small dishes to share at the table (even the pizzas are small and sliced and are designed to be shared.) Then, you order more food as you go. You can also ask your hotel to book on your behalf and organize 1 or 2 hours of an all you can drink or all you can drink menu.
I recommend ordering the omurice, margherita pizza, the four cheese pizza and the fried chicken. I recommend budgeting for approx 3000 yen per adult when you dine here.
See pictures of some of their most popular dishes on the Garden Farm Nagoya instagram page here.
GARDEN FARM, MEIEKI
名古屋市中村区名駅4-14-10 柳橋Food Market 2F
2ND FLOOR, YANAGIBASHI FOOD MARKET , 4-14-10 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN EVERYDAY 11:30AM-3PM & 4:30PM-11:30PM
Yakiniku
If you’d like to try A5 grade Wagyu Beef as a family, I recommend making a reservation for a yakiniku restaurant called Jiro Yanagibashi. You can make an online reservation here. This restaurant is 7 mins walk from Nagoya Station. They welcome children here. All tables have their own barbeque grill.
They also can do takeaway bentos. They accept most major credit cards.
When dining here for lunch I would budget for 2000 yen per person, but more like 7000 yen at dinner time.
JIRO YAKINIKU YANAGIBASHI
名古屋市中村区名駅4-14-10 柳橋Food Market 3F
3RD FLOOR, YANAGIBASHI FOOD MARKET , 4-14-10 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-3PM & 5PM-11PM
Italian
If you are craving good quality Italian food, I recommend making a reservation for Maru. It is 7 mins walk from Nagoya Station. They have an English menu. They welcome children. There is an extensive pasta menu – tomato based pasta, cream based pasta, oil based pasta and 2-3 pizzas of the day. They also have meat and seafood dishes. You can also order french fries or a caesar salad with prosciutto. Please note there is a service charge of 300 yen to dine here. I recommend budgeting for 2000 yen for lunchtime (weekends only) here or more like 4000 yen per adult at dinner time. They accept most major credit cards.
MARU ITALIAN SHOKUDO
名古屋市中村区名駅4-13-4
4-13-4 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN WEEKDAYS 5PM-MIDNIGHT
OPEN WEEKENDS MIDDAY-11PM
Denny’s Japan
Denny’s in Japan is so family friendly. The Nagoya branch is open from 5am-3am.
Denny’s Japan (note, not the same as Denny’s in the US.).
They have a low common allergens menu. There is a change table in the toilets here. No bookings. Walk-in only. They accept most major credit cards.
See the full Denny’s Japan menu here. Please note, if you are vegan, that Denny’s in Japan do have a zero meat hamburger steak (like a vegan rissole – for the fellow aussies.)
Denny’s is right next to Nagoya Station (just on the opposite side of the station from Nikko Style Nagoya.)
Family Friendly Italian Restaurant next to Nagoya Station
1 minute from Nagoya Station is Per Adasso, casual Italian Restaurant. This restaurant welcomes children.
It is possible to make reservations here. For adults, I recommend budgeting 2000 yen at lunch time and 4000 yen at dinner time.
Per Adasso accepts most major credit cards. This restaurant is non-smoking. Although it is in Japanese, the Per Adasso menu is here (with some pictures) and you can use google translate for the descriptions.
There are wax replicas of the dishes out the front of the restaurant so it is easy to point and order too.
PER ADASSO, NAGOYA
名古屋市中村区名駅1-1-1 B1F
BASEMENT FLOOR, 1-1-1 MEIEKI, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-11PM (LAST ORDERS 10:15PM)
Have you always wanted to try a Hedgehog or Alpaca shaped crepe?
Well, you can at a store called Crepes de Anne. It is just 3 mins walk from Nagoya Station. They accept most major credit cards. There is space to bring in your stroller here. Crepes de Anne also have free wifi. See pictures of Crepes de Anne’s adorable crepes here.
CREPES DE ANNE
10-4 サン・タウン名駅椿北館 1F
名古屋市中村区椿町10-4 サン・タウン名駅椿北館 1F
GROUND FLOOR, SUN TOWN MEIEKI TSUBAKI KAN, TSUBAKI-CHO, NAKAMURA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN TUES-SUN: MIDDAY-
Family-friendly Hawaiian restaurant just 5 mins by train from Nagoya Station
The Aloha Table chain in Japan is one of our family favourites. Aloha Table Asunaru Kanayama is just 5 mins from Nagoya Station (take a train to Kanayama Station and then walk for 2 mins to Aloha Table. Take the North Exit out of Kanayama Station.) They accept reservations via tablecheck. and you can also try for a walk-in (the restaurant does seat 100 people.) The menu si big and full of lovely options like loco moco, rice bowls, pancakes etc. This is a fabulous place to eat if you are all needing some colourful fresh veggies. You can see the full Aloha Table Asunaru Kanayama menu here. They accept most major credit cards. This restaurant has space for diners in wheelchairs. There is a children’s menu and they can store your stroller while you dine. See the children’s menu here (my kids love the smiley face fries.) I would budget 1500 yen per person at lunch time and more like 2500 yen at dinner time.
ALOHA TABLE ASUNARU KANAYAMA
名古屋市中区金山1-17-1アスナル金山1F
GROUND FLOOR, ASURU KANAYAMA, 1-17-1 KANAYAMA, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-10PM (OPEN UNTIL FRI & SAT UNTIL 11PM)
For a good fried chicken spot, I recommend trying Furaibo (there are 3 locations in Nagoya. They are famous for their chicken wings. They are cooked Tebasaki style – unique to Nagoya. )
If you’d like a bit of a fancy dinner out as a family (someone’s birthday etc.) we have had a truly spectacular dinner at The Kawabun.
The staff speak perfect English but, warning, it is a bit fancy so you’ll feel out of place if you don’t dress up a little bit and you might want to arrive at the beginning of dinner hours so you can make an escape before all the customers on dates start piling in.
The restaurant is located inside an old and very majestic Japanese home. There is a beautiful pond and lots of bamboo planted around the grounds too.
We ordered an appetizer to share and a main course each.
The staff were happy to prepare a simple pasta dish for the kids and then we ordered them ice-cream.
I was a bit stressful as I kept handing out colouring pages and stickers to keep the kids quiet – but, selfishly, I’m glad we went. The food was amazing (the restaurant is mostly Italian food but in a Japanese setting.)
EXPLORING THE OSU AREA IN NAGOYA WITH KIDS
American Diner
Rockin’ Robin is a little tiny “happy days” style diner. Burgers and shakes and booze, basically. The staff here don’t speak much English but are so kind and friendly. This restaurant is 2 mins walk from Kamimaezu Station. This is a walk-in restaurant only. This is a cash only restaurant. It’s a bit of a dive bar – in the best cozy kind of way.
The stained glass colouring is something I brought along as a restaurant toy. It’s from the 100 yen store and is one of my gift guide suggestions for kids in Japan.
ROCKIN’ ROBIN, OSU
名古屋市中区大須3-44-20 小田ビル 1F
GROUND FLOOR, ODA BUILDING, 3-44-20 OSU, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN 11AM-8PM (LAST ORDERS AT 7PM)
Side note: Just 5 mins walk from Rockin’ Robin and 6 mins from the Osu Shopping Arcade (often referred to as a mini-version of Electric Town in Akiharabara in Tokyo) is Miwa-Jinja Shrine– a small neighbourhood shinto shrine that is worships rabbits. The Goshuin stamps here and the wooden tablets for visitors to write their prayers and wishes are all rabbit themed. If coming directly from Miwa-Jinja Shrine from Nikko Style Nagoya then I recommend taking a taxi for 11 minutes (if you feel like a longer walk- you can walk in 35 mins.)
Prayers and wishes written on the rabbit themed wooden tablets.
A playground
And just 3 mins walk from Miwa-Jinja Shrine or 4 mins walk from Osu Shopping Arcade (often referred to as a mini-version of Electric Town in Akiharabara in Tokyo) is a playground called Uramonzen Park. There is a giant climbing structure in the middle – it looks like a lovely retro pink Mt Fuji to me. Kids spend ages climbing up and then sliding back down. There is also a mental slide, a small sandpit and a few pieces of rocking equipment. There are also two sets of swings – one of them is the bucket type style so it’s fine for smaller children. There is a public toilet here.
Like I’ve mentioned above, the Osu Shopping Street arcade is often referred to as a mini version of Electric Town/Akihabara in Tokyo. But I also find it to be a cute spot to look for vintage clothing.
There is also a “Big Size Store” here – it is very unusual to find larger sizes of clothing in physical stores in Japan. If you are larger than the average Japanese size, you may like to take a look. They stock sizes 2XL-8XL.
BIG SIZE STORE, OSU
名古屋市中区大須3-14-39
3-14-39 OsU, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA-SHI
OPEN 11AM-7PM
CLOSED WEDNESDAYS
If you are craving those fluffy jiggly pancakes in this area – you may like to stop by a restaurant called Gram. It is 5 mins walk from Osu-Kannon Station, 3 mins walk from Uramonzen Park, 10 mins by cab from Nagoya Station. I recommend budgeting 2000 yen per meal to eat here. They accept most major credit cards. They are popular on weekends so best to make a reservation (the cafe does sleep 60 people so you can try for a walk-in and hopefully don’t have to wait too long.) They have an English menu and also space for you to enter the restaurant with a stroller. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. As well as pancakes, they have french toast, salads, ice-cream sundaes, soup of the day and sandwiches. You can see the full Gram menu here.
GRAM, OSU, NAGOYA
名古屋市大須3-14-43 第2アメ横ビル 1F
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-5PM (LAST ORDERS 30 MINS PRIOR TO CLOSING TIME – OPEN UNTIL 6PM ON WEEKENDS)
For breakfast, lunch or dinner in this area, I recommend Komeda’s Coffee.
They have free wifi and the entire restaurant is non-smoking. They accept most major credit cards. They welcome children and there is a baby-change table in the restrooms here. Komeda Coffee is 3 mins walk from Osu-Kannon Station, 9 mins in a cab from Nagoya Station or 3 mins walk from Uramonzen Park (pictured above.) I recommend budgeting 1100 yen per adult for a meal here ( less than 600 yen at breakfast time though as a “morning set” is a thick piece of toast with butter, a boiled egg and a drink. So affordable and always yummy)
KOMEDA COFFEE, OSU NAGOYA BRANCH
名古屋市中区大須2-5-13
2-5-13 OSU, NAKA-KU, NAGOYA
OPEN EVERYDAY 7AM-7PM
And if you have a basketball, there is a basketball court under the highway in Wakamiya Dori Park. It is 2 mins walk from Komeda Coffee (listed above),10 mins by taxi from Nagoya Station. it’s busier on weekends than weekends, of course. If you don’t spot the courts right away – pop “Untitled 1998” into google maps to help you find it. When using the courts, please remember to share the courts with others and take home your own rubbish. It is 8 mins walk from the Nagoya Science Museum.
DRUGSTORES NEAR NAGOYA STATION
Sugi Pharmacy Meitetsu Nagoya is a part of the Nagoya Station building.
It is open 9am-11pm everyday. Please note that, if you need to speak with a pharmacist, you will need to visit between 10am-2pm & 3pm-7pm on weekdays. There is another larger Sugi Pharmacy another 6 mins away too – put “Sugi Pharmacy – Meieki-kita” into google maps to find.
Just on the opposite side of the station (just across from Dennys) is Matsumoto Kiyoshi drug store. Open 7am-10pm.
Daikoku Drug Meieki Store is right next to Nagoya Station. Open 9:05pm-10:50pm. There is also a 100 yen shop right next door/ connected to the drugstore. They accept most major credit cards. They sell baby food and baby shampoo as well as a good selection of diapers/nappies.
The other two Pampers packs are the pull up type (aka “pants type” in Japan)
The darker package of Pampers with the little tiger are nighttime diapers & the next pack along are incontinence nappies designed for adults.
The next shelf down: Merries (as pictured above) and the largest of the packs here is the biggest size of pull up Merries.
You can also pre-order some diapers on Amazon Japan and have them sent to your hotel to meet you (make sure the order name is the same as the check-in name at the hotel though, of course.)
100 YEN STORES NEAR NAGOYA STATION
There is a 100 yen store attached to Daikoku Drug Meiki drugstore next to Nagoya Station.
My favourite brand of drugstore is Seria and there is a branch just 1 min walk from Nagoya Station. The branch name is Seria BIC Camera Nagoya Ekinishi. It’s open 10am-9pm. It’s inside Bic Camera and is on the 5th floor.
Nintendo Amiibo
I must admit that I know NOTHING about Amiibo. However, my son always tells me that the Amibo selection in Japan is way better than other countries. If you are amiibo “shopping” then I recommend first going to your closest Yodobashi Camera or Bic Camera. Toys R Us Japan also has a good selection of Amiibo.
Daiso Kintetsu Passe Store is 2 mins walk from Nagoya Station. It is open from 10am-8pm. It is on the 6th floor.
There is another larger Daiso store 7 mins walk from Nagoya Station. It is the Daiso Aeontown Taiko store. Open 9am-10pm.
Other amazing places to visit with children in Nagoya
The SCMAGLEV and Railway Park (out near Legoland)
The Toyota Museum
The Nagoya Science Museum and the playground next door
If you’re looking to explore other cities in Japan I also recommend checking out my blog posts Takayama with Kids & Kinosaki Onsen with Kids.
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you make a reservation through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
