Nagakute
Nagakute (長久手) is an area in the eastern part of Nagoya city (Meito ward) in Aichi prefecture, Japan. Nagakute is the town where the later part of Komaki-Nagakute Campaign took place in 1584 (Tensho 12) between Hideyoshi Hashiba and Ieyasu Tokugawa. There remain many historical sites and both tangible and intangible cultural assets relating to the battle. This town of about 50,000 population on the east side of Nagoya is a very nice place to live, with its comfortable residential environment. In 2005 (Heisei 17), the World Expo Aichi 2005 was held, with Nagakute as the main venue; the name “Nagakute” became well known.
Get in
First travel to Fujigaoka which is about 65 minutes from the airport and costs ¥1400 per person.
Using the Higashiyama (yellow) subway line, Fujigaoka is 26 minutes from Nagoya Station and 21 minutes from Sakae, Nagoya's main shopping area. Nagakute town, a 15-minute linear motor car (Linimo) train ride from Fujigaoka station.
Get around
Nagakute has the first publicly used mag-lev train, the Linimo, which can be boarded at the Fujigaoka station and runs past the old Expo site. The Banpaku Kinen Kouen (万博記念公園) is a stop on the Linimo, and the ride offers a slightly elevated view of Nagakute.
Outside of the Hanamizuki-Dori station (花水木通駅) across route 6 is Benkei, a relatively famous a la carte style bakery with everything from pastries, to loaves of bread with chocolate in the middle. Further up the Linimo line between Hanamizuki-dori and the Expo site, you can see the Toyota car museum to the north out of the window.
See
Nagakute is known for being the site of the 2005 World Expo. The Expo site is a large park area; it was returned almost entirely to the natural state that existed before the Expo in agreement to the "nature" theme of the Expo, and large portions of it are now in turn being converted into the Ghibli Park (below).
- 🌍 Ghibli Park (ジブリパーク), within Aichi Earth Expo Memorial Park, 1533-1 Ibaragabasama, Nagakute, Aichi (Take Higashiyama line subway to Nagoya Fujigaoka Station. From Fujigaoka station, take Linimo (maglev train) to Aichikyuhaku-Kinen-Koen station The Linimo ride is 13 minutes). M-F 10:00-17:00, Sa Su holidays 09:00-17:00, closed on Tuesdays (or otherwise noted). Opened November 1, 2022, the first phase includes three areas; “Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse,” “Hill of Youth,” and “Dondoko Forest.” Phase II "Mononoke Village" followed in November 2023 and Phase III "Valley of Witches" in March 2024. This is not an amusement park with big attractions or rides. It's a place to discover the wonders of Studio Ghibli where you can stroll through themed play areas, indoor and outdoor galleries, cinemas, and restaurants. Advance ticket purchases and reservations are required. Adult ¥1,000-4,500, child (4 yr-6th grade) ¥500-2,250, infant (3 yr or younger) Free.
- 🌍 Toyota Automobile Museum (トヨタ博物館 Toyota Hakubutsukan) (take the Higashiyama subway line to Fujigaoka, then take the Linimo line to Geidei-dori), ☏ +81 56-163-5155. Tu-Su 09:30-17:00, closed holidays. Large collection of cars from many countries and manufacturers, up until about 1980. About 1/4 of the collection is dedicated to post-war Japanese cars. Restaurant on-site. ¥1000.
Do
In Nagakute town you can tour the Toyota Car Museum, see a historical recreation of a Meiji era battle or go to a "supersento" multi-story public bath complex. The Fujiura temple about half a mile from Hanamizuki-dori station off the linimo is a beautiful temple with a long and steep stairway going up the facade. It is protected by the Japanese government and one of Japan's former emperors is enshrined there.
Go next
The Linimo line bisects Nagakute horizontally. Fujigaoka station is just west of the Nagakute town border, and the east end of the Linimo is just east of the east border of Nagakute.