Tokoname Voyage Tips and guide

Tokoname City (常滑市) is a city in southern Aichi Prefecture. Located to the south of Nagoya, the city is the home of Chubu Centrair International Airport, which serves Nagoya and the whole Chubu region.

Tokoname is located on the western coast of the Chita Peninsula, facing Ise Bay. The city has been famous for its pottery of Tokoname-Yaki (常滑焼), which is one of the oldest ceramic kiln industries among six cities in Japan (六古窯, rokkoyō).

After the establishment of Chubu Centrair International Airport in 2005, the city's transportation has been improved to serve the airport and other cities well. It has some large shopping malls and tourist sites. You can have some fun and kill some time before going to the Chubu airport.

• The local tourist association provides a multilingual guide site. If you wonder, the cat at the top-left corner is maneki-neko (招き猫), a figurine that serves as a mascot for attracting customers in stores throughout Japan. You will see this cute little thing in almost every store in Japan. Most maneki-neko in Japan are made in Tokoname, so it has become the city's mascot. In fact, you can see some maneki-neko that are really big.
• Tokoname City government website

34°52′48″N 136°49′12″E

Map of Tokoname

As the city hosts Chubu Centrair International Airport, one of the most important airports in Japan, it is very easy to access the city by any means.

Everyone arriving at 34.858333136.8052781 Chubu Centrair International Airport (中部国際空港 セントレア).   (NGO ^IATA) will arrive Tokoname if they aren't going to transfer or using ferries. The fastest option to/from the airport is the airport line of Meitetsu - You can stop at either Rinku Tokoname (りんくう常滑) or Tokoname (常滑) station.

As mentioned above, stop at either 34.8795136.82822 Rinku Tokoname Station (りんくう常滑).   or 34.890422136.8356283 Tokoname Station (常滑駅).   of the Meitetsu airport line. It's just that Rinku Tokoname is closer to the city's large shopping malls while Tokoname station is closer to the downtown. If you are from Nagoya by Shinkansen, ride the line from Meitetsu Nagoya Station (名鉄名古屋). You cost JPY 980 and around 30~50 minutes, depending on the train you ride.

If you are from the airport side because you rent a car from the airport (except for Budget, which will explain below), the Rinku Interchange (りんくうインターチェンジ) is the obvious choice for arriving city. If you are from the Nagoya end, take Chitahanto Road (知多半島道路, E87), go Chitaodan Road (知多横断道路, E87) through the Handa-chuo junction (半田中央ジャンクション), and leave at Rinku Interchange. While Tokoname Interchange (常滑インターチェンジ) sounds like the place you want to leave, it is a little further from downtown than Rinku Interchange.

If you are using national routes, take the National Route 155/247 from the north/south end. For those from the east end, take Aichi Prefectural Road Route 265.

• 34.887354136.8315694 Budget Rental Car Chubu International Airport Branch (バジェット･レンタカー 中部国際空港店), 愛知県常滑市新開町２丁目８４番地, ☏ +81 569-36-3100. 09:00-19:00. If you are going to rent a car from Budget and you arrive from the airport, you must contact them by phone, since their store is in Tokoname instead of Chubu Airport, unlike other car rental companies. They offer a free shuttle bus service to the store 20 minutes after contacting them from the airport.  

If you are from Tsu, Mie, you will take a ferry to Chubu Airport, then go to the city by train.

There's a free shuttle bus around the city, including Chubu Airport. It covers most spots a tourist may be interested in.

Generally, it is easy to drive a car in the city. The two Interchanges are the only thing that may confuse drivers who have driven in the city first time. This is especially important for first-time drivers who probably rent their car from Chubu Airport or Tokoname. Since the city features large shopping malls designed for cars, first-time drivers can consider driving to these malls and around the city to familiarise themselves with the local traffic before going elsewhere.

• 34.890361136.8260871 Mentai Park Tokoname (めんたいパークとこなめ), 愛知県常滑市りんくう町1-25-4, ☏ +81 569-35-9900. 9:30〜17:30. You may want to see how pollock roe (鱈子, tarako) was made there. (updated Nov 2025)
• 34.885929136.8228242 Rinku Beach (りんくうビーチ), 愛知県常滑市りんくう町１丁目. (updated Nov 2025)
• 34.938333136.8253 Ōno beach (大野海水浴場). (updated Nov 2025)
• 34.890578136.8394724 Pottery Footpath (やきもの散歩道), 愛知県常滑市栄町３丁目８. (updated Nov 2025)
• 34.890057136.8382515 Tokonyan (とこにゃん). A big cat statue in the city. Need to take a walk to get there. (updated Nov 2025)

There are big shopping malls at the west end of Tokoname and facing Chubu Airport by the sea. It can be accessed by Rinku Interchange or Rinku Station. If you have some time, go there to buy anything you forgot to bring back before going to the airport.

• 34.882996136.8262861 Aeon Mall Tokoname (イオンモール常滑), 愛知県常滑市りんくう町2丁目20番3 (Next to the Rinku Tokoname station). 9:00 - 22:00. A big mall in the city. You can even take a day of shopping if you want. It is also very close to Chubu Airport, so time management can be easier. Another point worth visiting is the big maneki-neko in the mall called "Otafuku" (おたふく). (updated Nov 2025)
• 34.890133136.8263672 Costco Wholesale Chubu Airport Warehouse (コストコホールセール 中部空港 倉庫店), 愛知県常滑市りんくう町1-25-14 (15 minutes walk from either stations, 3 minutes drive from Rinku IC). 10:00 - 20:00. Well, you can have an enjoyable experience when you have a Costco membership and a car, just like other Costco Warehouses. While any Costco member can enter every Costco Warehouse in the world, only a car can carry large goods from Costco. Therefore, only buy from Costco if considering driving in Japan. It also has a petrol station, so you can fuel there before returning the car to the car rental companies. (updated Nov 2025)

• 34.894719136.8331281 Okuramochi (大蔵餅), ☏ +81 569-35-2676. 9:00-18:00. A little famous store in the city that provides various Wagashi (Japanese sweets) that can be presents. (updated Nov 2025)

Hotels located in Chubu Airport are listed in Chubu Centrair International Airport. Have a look there if considering a sleep in the airport. Also, note that hotels in Tokoname charge a ¥200 accommodation tax for a person per night from 2025, including those in the airport.

• 34.879242136.8286341 J Hotel Rinku (Ｊホテルりんくう), 愛知県常滑市りんくう町３－２－１ (Next to the Rinku Tokoname Station), ☏ +81 569-38-8320. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. (updated Nov 2025)

• Nagoya - A legitimate choice before going elsewhere in Japan.
• Chita - Another city to go before Nagoya.
• Chubu Centrair International Airport - if you are going to leave the region.