Things to do whilst at JMoF 

Japanese Meeting of Furries (or JMoF) is a furry convention that usually takes please in January in Aichi. This blog post is less about the convention and more about my experiences in Japan and some suggestions of activities you can do while you’re out there.

Come armed with a rail pass

Aichi is a bit of an awkward location for tourists, situated between Tokyo and Osaka, so it can be a little off putting for internationals. 

The good thing about Japan is how well they cater to tourism though, you can get unlimited travel throughout the country for a week for around £200 via the JR Rail Pass. I honestly wouldn’t travel to Japan without the intention of getting a rail pass as it makes a massive difference to what you can do while you’re out there, it includes most of the bullet trains as well.

Things to do around Nagoya

One of my favourite free and fun thing to do in Japan is walk around the parks. The entire country has a ton of gorgeous parks to visit, but since JMoF is near Nagoya, here’s my three favourites from there:

Higashiyama Park

A spacious park offering beautiful walking trails, a Japanese garden, and the Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens, where you can enjoy diverse wildlife and expansive plant collections.

Tsuruma Park

Known for its stunning seasonal flowers, especially the cherry blossoms in spring, Tsuruma Park is a peaceful spot with a large pond, playgrounds, and a relaxing atmosphere for picnics or leisurely walks.

Shonai Green Park

A family-friendly park with wide open spaces, sports facilities, and playgrounds, perfect for outdoor activities. The park also features a large pond, walking paths, and seasonal events.

If parks aren’t really your thing there’s plenty of other activities around Nagoya itself, so let’s quickly talk about those.

Nagoya Castle

A historic and iconic symbol of Nagoya, Nagoya Castle features beautiful gardens, a reconstructed main keep with a museum, and impressive golden shachihoko (dolphin-like figures) on the roof, offering stunning views of the city.

Atsuta Shrine

One of Japan’s oldest and most revered Shinto shrines, known for housing the sacred Kusanagi no Tsurugi sword. The shrine is surrounded by lush forested grounds, providing a tranquil escape in the heart of the city.

Osu Shopping District

A vibrant and eclectic area offering a mix of traditional Japanese shops, modern boutiques, and street food stalls. Osu Kannon Temple adds a cultural touch to the bustling shopping experience, making it a popular spot for both shopping and sightseeing.

Farther away activities

As I mentioned, you can essentially travel the entire of Japan for £200 a week if you opt for a rail pass. I can’t recommend this enough. Here’s some of my general favourite things to do in Japan.

Visit the Hiroshima Museum

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is the most beautiful museum I have ever been to. I’m not kidding when I say it’ll change your entire outlook on life, and world peace. I went in 2019 and I think about it all the time.

Visit Miyajima

While you’re in Hiroshima, you can also use your rail pass to get a JR Ferry over to Miyajima. This island paradise is home to some gorgeous temples, a brewery and there are wild deer walking around everywhere! It feels like a little paradise beach resort!

Kumano Kodo

Okay so I haven’t done Kumano Kodo myself yet, but you have to look in to it, especially if you’re a walking fur. Kumano Kodo is a series of trails, temples and forest walks all wrapped up in to one big nature reserve. You can see tiny villages, waterfalls and some of the most stunning views Japan has to offer.

There’s several routes available depending on your walking ability, and busses to get you outta there when you need it. This is my absolute number one must-do next time I go!

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I purposely missed out Tokyo in this post because I’d probably make a Tokyo trip in to an entire guide all on its own, plus there’s a lot of closer things to do when doing things around JMoF is your goal.

January is a great time to visit Japan too, the country gets super humid during the hot months and provided you avoid too much rain I’d always try to go during the colder season.

I’d love to share and showcase some furry travel pictures, so if you’re in the country, or visiting JMoF and want your photos adding to this post, please get in touch!