Nagoya cuisine (known locally as Nagoya Meshi) has a distinct style from other regional Japanese food. Located on a fertile plain, Nagoya and its surrounding area have developed a culinary tradition renowned for its hearty and rich-flavoured dishes.
As Japan’s fourth-largest city and a major port, Nagoya has a vibrant gourmet culture that mixes the old and new and incorporates foreign influences. Situated between Tokyo and the Kansai region (Kyoto and Osaka), it makes it an ideal stop-off to experience its restaurant, cafe, and bar scene.
Here are Nagoya’s five best food tours!
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1. Nagoya Specialities Food Tour
Explore Nagoya’s downtown Sakae district on a food walking tour with a local. Try local favourites as you feast your way around Nagoya meshi (Nagoya cuisine).
Discover Nagoya’s gourmet scene with a friendly and knowledgeable guide.
- Savour Nagoya specialities like Hitsumabushi (grilled eel on rice), Ebi Senbei (whole prawn crackers) and Oni Manju (steamed sweet potato cakes)
- Learn about Nagoya’s cuisine, culinary culture and history
- Visit various types of restaurants, food stalls and eateries
- Includes: Tasting eight different Nagoya foods and snacks, and a walking tour
- Location: Sakae, Nagoya
- Duration and start time: 3 hours, flexible
2. Eat Like a Local in Nagoya
Eat like a local as you discover Nagoya Meshi (Nagoya cuisine) on a food walking tour. Sample tasty bites as you learn about Nagoya’s historic and modern cuisine.
Explore the city’s thriving food and drink scene on a Nagoya eating tour.
- Savour local specialities like hitsumabushi (grilled eel on rice), tebasaki (deep-fried chicken wings) and miso nikomi (udon noodles in a rich miso broth)
- Try Nagoya’s Taiwan-influenced spicy ramen
- Drop in at an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) for a selection of small plates
- Choose what you’d like to eat or allow your host to guide you
- Includes: 6-8 food tastings, one drink, personalised experience and walking tour
- Location: Nagoya
- Duration and start time: 3 hours, flexible
3. Fish Market Tour in Nagoya
Explore the Yanagibashi Fish Market in Nagoya with a private, experienced seafood guide. Get a fascinating and rare insight into how a Japanese fish market operates.
Enjoy a tour of Nagoya’s fish market with over 400 shops and restaurants.
- See the freshly-caught catch being sold and prepared for local restaurants and shops
- Watch market-workers cut big tuna with special long knives
- Discover how to select the market’s best fish and shellfish
- Savour a special sushi breakfast with the freshest seafood (not included in price)
- Includes: Guided fish market tour and breakfast
- Location: Nagoya
- Duration and start time: 7am, 2.5 hours
Are you interested in discovering Japan’s unique and tasty seafood culture?
In Tokyo, don’t miss an opportunity to take a tour of the Tsukiji Outer Market. I highly recommend it. With hundreds of restaurants, stalls and shops, Tsukiji is Tokyo’s premier seafood experience for visitors. Also, to see the world-famous tuna auction, the new wholesale markets, and eat more tasty sushi, go on a Toyosu Fish Market tour.
In Japan, Hokkaido is renowned for the best seafood. If you’re heading that way, eat the best local catch on a Sapporo Fish Market tour.
4. Nagoya Food Tour at Night
Enjoy an authentic evening out with the locals on a Nagoya night food tour. Step into the world of Japan’s tachinomiya (standing bars with food), a favourite haunt after dark.
Savour delicious bites of food and drinks as you walk around Nagoya’s entertainment district.
- Eat a belly full of Nagoya’s delicious cuisine throughout the night
- Meet the locals as they relax after work with a drink
- Visit three tachinomiya and get an insider’s view into Japan’s nighttime scene
- Learn about the city’s history and culture with sightseeing along the route
- Includes: Dinner (various food tastings), three alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks and a walking tour
- Location: Sakae and Fushimi (central), Nagoya
- Duration and start time: 3 hours, 6.30pm
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5. Geisha Banquet Experience at a Former Samurai’s Residence with Kaiseki-Ryori
Celebrate Japanese high culture with a geisha banquet and show in a former samurai warrior’s house. Immerse yourself in Japan’s most extravagant gourmet entertainment.
Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the company of two geisha.
- Savour Japan’s famous Kaiseki-ryori multi-course banquet meal
- Taste delicious seasonal and local Nagoya cuisine
- Discover the hidden world of geisha and maiko as you speak to them over dinner
- Play games and watch the geisha perform traditional and regional dances with music
- Includes: A luxury Kaiseki-ryori multi-course meal (lunch or dinner), a geisha and maiko show and a professional guide and interpreter
- Location: Nagoya
- Duration and start time: 3 hours, 11am or 5pm
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Discovering washoku through travel in Japan. Sharing the best Japanese food and drink experiences. Living in Osaka. Join me on my journey!
