The Top 5 Anime Set in Nagoya to Learn About it

Nagoya is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and has a huge port on the Pacific Ocean.

It’s rich both in terms of geographical landscapes and historical places, making this city one of the most interesting on the whole island.

All the entries in this article are set in Nagoya and are quite accurate in terms of representing it. Some of them like Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki are more like short and educational tours of the city.

We remind you that this listicle is based on our personal opinions and knowledge.

5. Your Name

Your Name is a movie from 2016 that’s been a real media phenomenon since it came out.

Mitsuha is a high school student living in a rural town nestled in the mountains who dreams of life in Tokyo.

Taki is a student living in downtown Tokyo juggling his studies and a part-time job. One day, they will find themselves in each other’s bodies and their respective timelines.

During the whole movie, they will try to communicate and try to unravel this mystery.

Your Name is set between Tokyo and Nagoya. It features many realistic moments based on real-life settings such as the scene in Nagano Station.

There are also many different kinds of foods portrayed in the show. In Nagoya, there is a Your Name Theme Cafe which features many dishes straight from the movie.

4. Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki

Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki is a very quick but educational experience. It’s only 12 episodes, and each of them is just 3-minute long.

The main character Jin Kaito has grown up in Tokyo but is forced to go to Nagoya, due to his parent’s job.

He will meet Yatogame Monaka, a fellow high school student with a marked Nagoya dialect who knows the city very well. The two will become friends and will explore many parts of the city.

This show is basically a light comedy but also shows both good and bad parts about the city. A good point is that it introduces the actual names of the buildings or tourist spots.

This show will really immerse you into life in Nagoya, from the dialect to the food. It’s one of the most complete experiences in anime if you want to feel this city.

3. Haganai: I don’t have many friends

This anime from 2011 is adapted from a light novel by Yomi Hirasaka that also spawned a videogame for the PSP and a live-action movie.

The plot follows Kodaka Hasegawa, a boy who transferred to a new school and is trying to make a good first impression.

He fails spectacularly in this attempt because he soon gets labeled as a violent delinquent because of his intimidating expression.

His life changes when he finds a weird girl called Yozora Mikazuki, who is talking to her imaginary friend in an empty classroom.

After sharing stories of their lonely high school life they decide to become friends to overcome their social difficulties.

They join the Neighbor’s Club, created for people who don’t have friends and start to feel like they belong.

The plot takes place in the fictional Nagaya-City, which is obviously inspired by the Japanese town of Nagoya.

There are many instances where the viewer can see buildings and landmarks pulled straight from real life like the Nagaya Shopping District.

2. A Whisker Away

This movie from 2020 starts off with a light plot like many others but by the end of it, the story will have touched on much deeper issues.

Miyo Sasaki is a young high schooler coming from a broken family. She has a crush on Kento Hinode, a boy who is seen by her as a refuge from her life issues.

When Miyo can’t get Kento’s attention she transforms into a white cat in order to interact with him. The boy nicknames the cat Tarou and Miyo is able to overhear his problems while in cat form.

Miyo realizes that she can’t help him as much as a cat. So she’s stuck in a position where she has to decide if it’s time to confess her power to transform into a cat or not to do so to preserve their relationship.

The movie is set in Tokoname, a city just outside of Nagoya. It’s famous for its pottery production and this is an important trait in the character of Kento, who is studying it.

You will be able to see many sights of the town such as Clay Pipe Hill or the Climbing Kiln Square. We can also see many representative parts of the city like the Ichiki Bridge and Hojo Park.

1. Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign

This is an anime that premiered in the Spring of 2015.

It’s set in a time when a virus is killing everybody over the age of 13 and, as a result of that, a race of powerful vampires comes to protect the survivors in exchange for their blood.

Yuuichirou and Mikaela are two boys who are taken captive from an orphanage by vampires along with many other kids. They are tired of living like livestock so they decide to rebel.

Yuuichirou is the only survivor of the rebellion and is found by the Moon Demon Company, a military unit dedicated to the extermination of vampires in Japan. Yuuichirou will join the Moon Demon Company and seek revenge.

The plot is set in a dystopian version of Nagoya after the apocalypse.

The town is very much transformed but you can recognize some landmarks such as the City Hall and the automobile museum inspired by the Toyota Automobile Museum.