WHERE TO STAY
HOTEL OPENINGS AND THE NEW GHIBLI PARK HAVE REINVIGORATED THIS JAPANESE CITY
TIAD
With its high-rise buildings and broad boulevards, Nagoya used to be best known for its industrial heritage — aplace to delve into the history of Toyota, which was founded here, or to browse museums housed in former factories. That changed late last year, when a more fantastical reason to visit sprang up just 30 minutes’ drive to the east: Ghibli Park. As the name suggests, the theme park is based around Studio Ghibli, the country’s most successful anime company, which rose to fame with titles such as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Visitors keen to spot Studio Ghibli characters like No Face, or explore settings such as the house belonging to Satsuki and Mei in My Neighbour Totoro, have a choice of new hotels to bed down in after a visit to the park. These include the new TIAD, Autograph Collection, located in the spruced-up Hisaya Odori Park in central Nagoya. Many of its 150 rooms overlook the neat rows of trees and water features below. All are spacious and thoughtfully designed, with floor-to-ceiling windows and pops of colour — an ochre sofa here, a turquoise armchair there — punctuating muted tones and natural woods.
The views are equally sublime at the hotel’s Table for Tomorrow restaurant, where the terrace overlooks the greenery. The menu is built around local ingredients — think marinated bonito with aubergine fondant. At fine dining restaurant Shuhari, meanwhile, all nine guests sit around the counter to watch the chefs prepare a multi-course omakase menu. From Y39,661 (£217). hotel-tiad.com
