Tōgan-ji seems like one of those hidden gems that makes you wish you'd had an extra day in Nagoya. This temple's got quite the backstory - originally built back in 1502 (during Japan's warring states period) and then picked up and moved to its current spot in 1714, like you do with temples, apparently!

What caught my attention about this one is the mix of elements - you've got your turtle pond (because who doesn't love temple turtles?), a bamboo grove that's supposedly massive, and then bam - a 10-meter Buddha statue that they call "The Great Buddha of Nagoya." That's quite the combination for one temple!

Easy to reach from Motoyama Station too, which just adds to the "why didn't we make it here?" regret. If any of you make it to this one, let us know if those bamboo groves are as impressive as they sound!