Most people arriving at Chubu International Airport instinctively head straight for Nagoya city. But if you've already been to Nagoya too many times, or want a different start to your journey, exploring the ceramics capital of the Chita Peninsula north from the airport might be a better choice. This article won't teach you how to rush—it will show you a perspective of "not entering the city upon arrival," helping you rediscover the value around the airport.
Chubu International Airport (中部国際空港) is located in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture. It takes about 80 minutes to arrive from Tokyo, and about 2 hours from Kansai International Airport. This sea-based airport, expanded in 2019, is worth half an hour of exploration—the observation deck offers flight views of planes taking off and landing, and the airport houses a Maneki-neko Art Museum and Buta Yoshi, both airport-exclusive. However, what makes this place truly special is its deep connection with surrounding towns, not the airport itself.
Featured Highlight: The Airport Is No Longer a Transfer Station, but an Entry Point for Regional Exploration
Traditional airport transport guides often treat the airport as "a node you must pass through"—calculating how long it takes to reach the city center and how much to get to your accommodation. But at Chubu International Airport, this mindset actually wastes its geographical advantage. The airport is located on the east coast of the Chita Peninsula, with Tokonake City—famous for its century-old ceramics industry—to the north, and Sakurai Town, the birthplace of colored pencils, to the west. For travelers who have already toured Osaka or Tokyo and are departing from Nagoya, arranging an afternoon of local experience from the airport is far more efficient than dragging luggage into the city center and then out again.
This "airport-first" way of traveling is relatively uncrowded, but precisely because of that, services are less standardized, offering more flexibility instead. You can arrive at the airport in the morning, store your luggage at the counter, then take the Meitetsu Line slowly northward, exploring stop by stop, return to the airport in the afternoon to collect your luggage, and catch an evening flight out. The entire itinerary saves about 1.5 hours of commute time compared to going into the city and back out, while covering areas with the lowest tourist density.
Recommended Spots: Three Deep Experiences Around Tokoname
The first recommendation is the Tokoname Ceramic Trail (常滑焼鋪設ロード). This is a pottery district extending along the old street, originally an industrial cluster dating from the Edo period. Today, over 50 workshops continue to operate. Unlike Kyoto's Kiyomizu-yaki with its upscale feel, Tokoname's pottery style is rugged and bold, focusing on large rice storage jars and flower pots, with prices ranging from ¥2,000 for everyday items to ¥100,000 for artistic pieces. The district is small—two hours is enough to walk through—but you can directly enter workshops to observe the pottery-making process, and some workshops even offer 30-minute simple wheel-throwing experiences for around ¥3,000 to ¥5,000. The most recommended spot is the "Tokoname Ceramic Hall," a complex facility converted from an old factory. The first floor displays and sells works, while the second floor preserves the remains of the old climbing kiln. Admission is free, making it a starting point to understand the region's industrial history. It's a five-minute walk from Tokoname Station, open year-round from 9 AM to 5 PM, closed on Wednesdays.
The second recommendation is Mihama ATami Beach, located about a 25-minute drive north of the airport. This coastline is one of the best swimming spots on the Chita Peninsula, with white sandy beaches stretching about two kilometers, backed by fully developed commercial facilities so you don't need to worry about finding food. Compared to Ise Beach in Mie Prefecture, foreign tourist density here is extremely low—even on summer weekends, you rarely see tour groups from Taiwan or Hong Kong. "SEA SIDE PANKO" next to the beach is a seafood-focused restaurant serving same-day catch set meals, with lunch set prices ranging from ¥1,200 to ¥1,800, and ingredient freshness several levels above chain restaurants in the city at similar price points. If you arrive at Chubu Airport in the evening, watching the sunset from here before a night flight creates a very different kind of airport memory. Mihama ATami Beach has no admission fee and is open all day. July to August is the best season for swimming, while April to June and September see fewer swimmers although swimming isn't allowed—perfect for photography.
The third recommendation is Minamichita Toyota Castle (豊田氏城蹟), located on the hills south of Tokoname city. This is a ruined castle built by descendants of the Mori clan retainers, and it's Japan's only castle named after "Toyota." Compared to Himeji Castle's grand scale, this feels more like a private mountain outpost. Only the stone foundation of the main tower remains, but the surrounding hiking trails are planted with over 200 Somei Yoshino cherry trees. Locals describe the hiking experience during full bloom at the end of March to early April as "like walking into an Edo-period film set." This isn't a place for those expecting spectacular scenery, but if you want to insert a vastly different quiet time into a busy Nagoya itinerary, this offers a completely different sense of nature and history intertwined—unlike urban views. From Tokoname Station, take a bus for about 15 minutes, get off at "Toyota-dan" stop, and walk ten minutes more. Free admission, open all day.
Practical Information: Transportation Options from the Airport
The most flexible way to reach the three recommended spots from the airport is by renting a car or chartering a taxi. The rental counters are mainly located in the right side of the Arrivals Hall at Terminal 1. When splitting among four or more people, it costs about ¥2,000 to ¥3,000 per person—cheaper and faster than public transport. However, if you don't rent a car, the Meitetsu Line can meet basic needs: the express train from the airport to Tokoname Station takes about 12 minutes, with a fare of ¥320. From Tokoname Station, the Ceramic Trail is a five-minute walk away. The only limitation is that Mihama Beach and the Toyota Castle ruins have no nearby train stations—you'll need to transfer to a bus or taxi.
If you arrive before noon, the suggested itinerary is: store luggage at the airport (¥500 per item per day) → take Meitetsu to Tokoname Station (about 12 minutes, ¥320) → walk the Ceramic Trail for two hours (or three hours including a simple experience) → return to Tokoname Station and take a bus or taxi to Mihama ATami for lunch → on the way back, if there's time, detour to Toyota Castle. The entire trip takes about six to seven hours,刚好 connecting with afternoon or evening flights.
Regarding expenses, excluding shopping and special experiences, the total budget for transport plus meals is approximately ¥3,000 to ¥5,000. If traveling with multiple people and time is limited, the total cost of chartering a taxi may actually be lower than using public transport separately—you can decide based on actual circumstances.
Travel Tips: Timing and Luggage Preparation Suggestions
The most important suggestion: if you plan to follow this "airport-first" itinerary, make sure in advance that your luggage can be stored at the airport counter. The luggage storage at Chubu International Airport is located in the left side of the Arrivals Hall on the first floor of Terminal 1, open from 6 AM to 10 PM. The fee is ¥500 per day, ¥700 for three days, with a limit of three pieces of luggage. Some large suitcases may be rejected—it's more flexible to bring compressible soft-shell luggage bags.
Another reminder: all four places belong to "off-the-main-stream" niche options. The probability of encountering Chinese-speaking staff is extremely low, and English-speaking staff are also uncommon. If language is a concern, it's recommended to write down or screenshot the names and addresses of places you want to visit in advance. For key conversations (such as "Can I store luggage here?" "I'd like to join an experience class"), writing the Japanese phrases out to show the other party will communicate better than struggling to converse.
Ultimately, the greatest value of this way of traveling doesn't lie in any single scenic spot's spectacularness, but in the "atypical arrival impression" they create together. Most visitors to Japan remember the hurry of going straight from the airport into the city. But if what you remember instead is the rough texture of Tokoname pottery, the orange glow of the sunset over the sea, cherry blossom petals drifting over castle ruins—these memories will give you completely different reasons to want to return to Chubu International Airport next time.
