What is “Linimo”?
What is “Linimo”?
Linimo is Japan’s first commercialized magnetic levitation train.
It is used by many people as a form of daily public transportation.
The train uses electromagnetic force to levitate and run above the track, providing a quiet, smooth, and eco-friendly ride.
The train runs above ground, allowing you to enjoy the scenery along the route.
The Linimo Line opened just before Expo 2005 Aichi and continues to serve as a symbol of sustainable transportation.
How does Linimo float?
Linimo uses magnetic levitation (maglev) technology to run slightly above the track.
When an electric current flows through the electromagnets attached to the train body, a magnetic force is generated, lifting the train off the track.
The distance between the train body and the track is constantly monitored and controlled by “gap sensors,” ensuring stable and smooth operation.
Why Ride “Linimo”?
- Convenient!
- The area along the Linimo Line is home to many higher education institutions, including universities and corporate research facilities, and is also popular as a bedroom community for Nagoya City with the area's population continuously growing.
Linimo trains run approximately every eight minutes, except during the early morning and late at night, making them very convenient for commuting to school or work.
- Fast!
- It takes about 17 minutes to get from Fujigaoka Station to the final stop, Yakusa Station.
A major feature of Linimo is that it is not affected by road congestion, making travel times easy to predict and allowing for smooth travel.
You can use this train service with peace of mind for a variety of purposes, such as sightseeing or commuting to work or school.
- Eco-friendly!
- Aichi Prefecture promotes the initiative “Eco-Mobility Life” (Ecomobi),
which is designed to promote a smart travel style that makes effective use of private cars and public transportation, depending on the situation.
Switching from private cars to the more environmentally friendly Linimo as a means of commuting will help ease traffic congestion, leading to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
Useful Tips for Taking Linimo Comfortably
- When is Linimo crowded?
- Linimo trains can be crowded between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on weekdays.
This is because many people commute to work or school during these hours.
Also, on weekends and holidays, especially between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., trains can get crowded with people heading to Ghibli Park and other tourist spots.
For a more comfortable ride, we recommend avoiding these busy hours whenever possible.
- Etiquette for Riding Linimo
- When using Linimo, please ensure the following:
- Be mindful of the other passengers around you.
- No eating or drinking on the train.
- Keep conversations to a minimum and set your cell phone to silent mode so as to maintain a quiet and comfortable environment inside the train.
Thank you for your cooperation.
- Linimo 1-day free ticket
- When you go out, be sure to take advantage of the Linimo
1-Day Free Ticket!
Recommended Spots
around Linimo Stations
We will introduce facilities where you can receive discounts and other benefits by showing your Linimo 1-Day Free Ticket. Use the Linimo to enjoy cafes, shopping, and sightseeing.
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- Oasis21
- The Oasis21 shopping complex was born in Nagoya City's Sakae district in 2002. Its glass rooftop "Spaceship-Aqua" structure floating in the sky may at first glance look like the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek has landed in Nagoya's bustling Sakae area! However, this symbol of the city is equipped with a pond of beautiful rippling water and offers an incredible view of the cityscape. A nearly 200-meter long railing encircles the rooftop, giving you an idea of its massive size as if its position 14 meters in the sky weren't enough.
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- Semmi Yakushiji Temple and Semmi Shikizakura no Sato Park
- This ancient temple of the Buddhist Shingon sect has been cherished for eons by local residents of the Obara area in Toyota City. The Main Hall's wooden, joined block construction statue of Boddhisatva Yakushi Nyorai, built in the latter half of the Muromachi period (1336–1573), is a municipal cultural property. The Main Hall itself is available after a climb up sets of stairs with 88, 22, and 42 steps in classic Japanese fashion. And just a stone's throw away is Semmi Shikizakura no Sato Park, which is home to about 1,200 <span style="font-style:italic;">shikizakura</span> four-season cherry trees which bloom not only in spring like most cherry trees but autumn as well. This spot is the most highly regarded as a location to enjoy the Obara area's famous trees. When a breeze blows through, the cherry blossoms and trees displaying beautiful fall colors wave in unison all the way down the hill in just one of the many unbelievable scenes the park has to offer. And just down the river running through the park, the autumn leaves and cherry blossoms paint both banks in fabulous hues. The Kakigairi Path lets you stroll through and admire the natural beauty. In spring, moss phlox reminiscent of cherry blossom pink blooms with the cherry trees, making for beauty no matter the season. Blossom times differ by the weather and temperature each year, but they usually come into full bloom around the beginning of the consecutive Golden Week holiday at the start of May.
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- Osu Shopping District
- Osu once flourished as Nagoya's No. 1 entertainment quarter, and is a place where you will find extensive shopping arcades. The area developed after the war as a place of electrical and second-hand clothing stores, and now the district is a proud center for nerd, idol and other sub-cultures, securing its enduring popularity. Besides anime merchandise, shoppers can also pick up all manner of other interesting items that individual storekeepers have in stock. It's a fun place to go even if you just stroll around. Located directly east of Osu Kannon Temple, the covered arcades run parallel and perpendicular to one another, featuring over 1,200 stores selling anything from the kitsch to computers, cameras to trendy (even tacky) fashions, antiques, new and used kimono and clothing, restaurants and cafes, variety and souvenir stores, and pretty much everything in-between. Many of the shops offer Duty Free services for tourists too. The arcades have become famous for being the pop-culture center of not just Nagoya, but the world, as Osu is one of the venues for the annual World Cosplay Summit. Various pop-culture themed anime specialty shops, sci-fi goods outlets, Maid Cafés and costume shops cater to the many Cosplayers who gather there regularly.
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- Aichi Farm (Aichi Bokujo)
- Aichi Farm is an admission free-of-charge dude farm on the periphery of Nagoya-City that is home to about 160 milking cows, horses, sheep, goats, deer, pigs, rabbits, ducks, peafowl, guinea pigs, and maras. Most of the animals may be touched and fed, which makes for great entertainment, especially for kids. Besides welcoming guests, the facility produces milk on an industrial scale, and that milk is used to make soft serve and gelato sold on the premises, mostly made with fresh produce. Kids of ages 2 or older are allowed to mount ponies or hand-lead horses. There is also a hands-on experience of milking the cows. The facility accepts reservations for use of the barbecue space, with the farm providing all the necessary items and ingredients.
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- Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art
- The museum is on the 10th floor of Aichi Arts Center, which is next door to Oasis 21 and Sakaemachi subway station. The art gallery covers ancient, modern, Eastern and Western art, including paintings in Japanese and Western styles, sculpture and prints, with a focus on modern to contemporary works.
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- Osu Kannon Temple
- One of Nagoya City’s leading landmarks, Osu Kannon Temple was originally built in nearby Hashima-City in 1333 and was moved to its present site in 1612 on the orders of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu during the construction of Nagoya Castle. Now surrounded by tall buildings and rows of shopping arcades, the Osu Kannon Temple remains a connection to Nagoya’s illustrious past, being one of the famed 33 Kannon Temples of Owari (Owari being the old name of western Aichi Prefecture). Destroyed in the wartime bombings of Nagoya, the current building was reconstructed in 1970, and the bright red pillars and beams makes it one of the more exciting and photogenic temples in the area. Dedicated to the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy and Compassion, Kannon, this holy place has, enshrined in the main prayer hall, a wooden statue of its namesake deity said to have been carved by none other than the Buddhist saint, Kobo Daishi (774-835) himself. The temple also contains a library of over 15,000 ancient Japanese and Chinese books and texts, many of them designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. The oldest extant hand-written edition of the Kojiki, the Annuals of Mythological Japan, is also maintained here.
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- Aichi-Kogen Quasi-National Park - Iwayado Park (Aichi-Kogen Kokutei Koen - Iwayado Koen)
- The main attractions of this natural park are the dynamic nature revealed in the unusually shaped rocks and waterfalls, and the gorgeousness of the valley created by the Toriharakawa River. As part of the much larger Aichi-Kogen Quasi-National Park (Aichi-Kogen Kokutei Koen), this spot allows visitors to fully enjoy each season, with the beautiful sakura cherry blossoms in spring, swarms of fireflies in early summer, paddling in the water in mid-summer and the tinted maple leaves in autumn. The park also contains the Seto-City portion of the Tokai Nature Trail (Tokai Shizen Hodo) and is a much sought-after destination for hikers and trekkers due to the countless sightseeing places along its way. About 40 min. away on foot from Iwayado, you will find the Mt. Iwasu Observation Deck (Iwasusan Tenbodai), which offers spectacular views. During clear days, even the buildings of downtown Nagoya-City can be spotted in the distance.
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- Maneki-neko Museum
- The Maneki-neko Museum boasts Japan's largest collection of <span style="font-style:italic;">maneki-neko</span>, or beckoning cats, with upwards of thousands of pieces from personal collections. But what is a "beckoning cat"? Beckoning cats are porcelain statues of cats with a paw up, beckoning onlookers as if to welcome customers into stores and in turn welcome prosperity to merchants and families. And this museum has all sorts of them! The establishment combines Taisho-period Japanese architecture with Western accents, which were popular to the then, still internationally segregated Japan. The impressive outside of the building acts as a landmark for Seto City, where the museum is situated. Local sculptor Yasumaro Ozawa's tiles and three-dimensional pieces dot the premises as well as cat decorations in nooks and crannies around the building. See if you can find them all.
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- The Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum "Nagoya Touken World"
- The Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum "Nagoya Touken World" is a museum of the finest Japanese swords and opened in 2023 in the central Nagoya City area of Sakae, Naka Ward, Aichi Prefecture. Known as “touken” in Japanese, over 200 elegant Japanese swords will be on display, including valuable Japanese swords designated as Important Cultural Properties. Furthermore, roughly 50 suits of Kacchu armor (as well as Yoroi Kabuto armor helmets) are anticipated to be on display in a large-scale exhibition. Adding historical depth to the exhibits, also in the plans is a display of ukiyo-e prints depicting military personalities, sword-crafting, swordsmanship and other martial themes. The concept of the museum is “a place where anyone can encounter and enjoy Japanese culture,” making it a welcome addition as one of Nagoya's newest tourist facilities.
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- Matsudaira Toshogu Shrine and Matsudaira-go
- Matsudaira-go, or Matsudaira Village, is known as the beginning of the Matsudaira clan's family line, from which Tokugawa Ieyasu—the final unifier of Japan—came. The village sits atop a gently sloping hill with Mt. Horoku and Mt. Rokusho nearby as well as the flowing Tomoe River. You may also see Japan's beloved scarlet dwarf dragonflies flying around as just some of the wildlife in the surrounding, lush nature. Also making Matsudaira-go home are many locations tied to the Matsudaira clan, such as Matsudaira Toshogu Temple—the former residence of the Matsudaira clan—and Bodaiji Temple, more popularly known as "Kogetsuin Temple", meaning "the Temple of the High Moon".
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- STUDIO 894
- Seto is one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan and one of the world's few kiln communities with a history of more than 1,000 years. That's where STUDIO 894–read as "Yakushi", the Japaneseword for "to fire" or "to bake"—makes its home. The studio's kiln is a variety known as <span style="font-style:italic;">yakushigama</span> and has created auspicious items such as Chinese zodiac decorations and <span style="font-style:italic;">manekineko</span>, or beckoning cats, for 70 years since its establishment. The Chugai Toen ceramics company manages the studio as a hands-on complex with all sorts of fun available to all who visit. The interior puts together the three themes of Experience, Artistic Appreciation, and Relaxation while encouraging visitors to experience Seto pottery's diverse allure for themselves.
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- Donguri no Sato Inabu Rest Stop
- The area of Inabu has always been a busy place since ancient times. Back then, it was known as Busetsu-Shuku, a shukuba stop along the Sanshu-Kaido road - known as one of the several Shio-no-Michi Salt Routes of old Japan, and which connected Mikawa area to Shiojiri-Shuku in the Shinano area (current Shiojiri-City in Nagano). At the vibrant Donguri Yokocho Gallery, famous products such as Hatcho-Miso of Okazaki, fruits from Ida, agar from Yamaoka, tea from Shinshiro, among many other goods, are offered along local produce from settlements along the highway, including the soft rice bread made with flour from the popular Inabu Rice - as the area is also known as Homeplace of Rice. See also the expansive hot spring facility Donguri-no-Yu, the blueberry field, hand-kneaded soba buckwheat noodles shop, and the Donguri Kobo Workshop where you can make Gohei-mochi rice cakes on a stick, and experience farming.
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- Hisaya-odori Park
- Hisaya-odori Park is a combined park and shopping space. The MIRAI TOWER area and the north area reopened on September 18, 2020! A brand-new shopping complex within the park, RAYARD Hisaya-odori Park features popular stores from across Japan, introducing a total of 40 places to shop and eat (22 of which are new to Nagoya). As an everyday place for relaxation and refreshment, the park offers various services in fashion, sports, food, and more.
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- Sanshu Asuke Yashiki Living Museum
- Sanshu Asuke Yashiki is a living museum located in beautiful Korankei Gorge. The museum and hands-on facility is just that: hands-on. With a policy of making things on your own, Sanshu Asuke Yashiki lets you experience for yourself the way farmers in rural, mountainous Japan once lived with your own hands. Try weaving, indigo dyeing, creating straw crafts, blacksmithing, and more, keeping alive the now fading traditional craftwork of Japan. Near the entrance is Hinoki Teahouse Restaurant, which offers local dishes such as <span style="font-style:italic;">gohei mochi</span>, or rice cakes on a stick, covered in a sweet miso sauce; salted and grilled sweetfish; and soba or udon noodles. And at Katakago Cafe, you can drink coffee made from beans roasted in-house with charcoal made at Sanshu Asuke Yashiki.
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- Kinshachi Yokocho Gourmet Towns
- The Kinshachi Yokocho Gourmet Towns are complex facilities centered around food, born in March of 2018 at Nagoya Castle's base. It is comprised of two zones: The Yoshinao Zone and its collection of go-to, longstanding Nagoya bistros, and the Muneharu Zone, bringing together flashy and emerging eateries. Both open their gates for you to get a taste—literally—of Nagoya's cuisine and history.
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- Atsuta Jingu Shrine
- Atsuta Shrine is Japan's second most revered Shinto shrine after the Great Shrine of Ise, and dates back over 1900 years. The shrine is home to the sacred Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword, likened to the legendary Excalibur, it is one of the Three Imperial Regalia of Japan.
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- Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Higashiyama Sky Tower (Higashiyama Do-Shokubutsu-en, Higashiyama Sukai Tawa)
- Japan’s second busiest zoo behind Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, Nagoya’s Higashiyama Zoo is home to an impressive over 550 species of animals, including elephants, penguins, bears, tigers, giraffes, birds, reptiles, hippos, apes, lions, skunks, rhinos, seals and more. One of Asia’s biggest zoological gardens, the well-planned Higashiyama is famous for the story of the keepers trying to save the elephants during wartime, and for having introduced Koalas to Japan. Recently Shabani the Gorilla has been making world-wide headlines for being the “World’s most handsome gorilla”. The zoo also has one of the oldest monorails in operation. Still futuristic looking in design, the two-station monorail provides transportation around the park, and spectacular views too.
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- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
- One of Japan’s biggest and best aquariums is the exciting Port Of Nagoya Public Aquarium at Nagoya Port. Home to Orca killer whales, dolphins and Beluga Whales, and featuring marine life from Japan to Antarctica, is laid out in two main pavilions, the North and South Buildings.
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- Nittaiji Temple (Kakuozan)
- People may not know about Buddhist practices with much detail, but most of the world certainly heard about Buddha. Historians agree that he really existed, and that the burial ashes accidentally found in 1898 are really his. Enter Kakuozan Nittaiji Temple, a holy repository of part of the Buddha sacred remains that were given as gift to Japan from King Chulalongkorn of Siam, the country now named Thailand.
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- Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (Moricoro Park)
- Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (also known as "Moricoro Park") was built for the EXPO 2005 AICHI JAPAN, held in 2005. The expansive park premises offer grassy plazas, areas to play in the water, a cycling course totaling 5.1 km, playground equipment letting you experience nature, and many other exciting spots for both children and adults. Why not hop on Japan's first maglev train—the Linimo—and experience the park for yourself?
