When expats in Nagoya take you to one side and say "don't bother with all those skanky gaijin pubs, I know a place that's much better...", 9 times out of 10 they're talking about Heaven's Door.

This hip music bar has become steadily more popular over the past few years, as more and more people cottoned onto the fact that, hell, the combination of affordable drinks, quality tunes and an oh-too-perfect location slipped down pretty easily.

The music does the talking here: the shelves behind the bar house some 3000 LPs, mainly 60s and 70s rock, which the master rules over with military authority - strictly no requests (well, unless you're a regular and there's no-one else within earshot). They've got Heartland on tap (a rarity in this neck of the woods) and a mean selection of spirits, while the food menu includes some fairly tasty tacos and pizzas, among other things.

18:00-Late Tuesday - Sunday. Closed Monday.
City Point Bldg B1F, 3-23-10 Nishiki, Naka-ku, Nagoya

Take Exit 8 out of Sakae subway station and head west, past Sunshine Sakae (the big shopping center with the Ferris wheel tacked on the outside). Take the first left, at the corner with the Coco curry house on it. Heaven's Door is just down the stairs on the right; they're normally blaring music out onto the street, so it's pretty hard to miss. If you get to the Outback Steakhouse, you've gone too far.

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Forget the castle: it's a 1950s concrete repro with neon strip lighting and a lift in the middle. If you want traditional culture in Nagoya... well, you probably should've gone somewhere else, but that doesn't mean you have to go home empty-handed.

The Owari branch of the Tokugawa family were one of the most powerful daimyo (feudal rulers) of the Edo period (1603-1867), and their vast array of heirlooms are showcased here. It's a mighty impressive collection, running the gamut from swords to pottery to exquisite centuries-old paintings and kimono. Everything is presented beautifully, and the displays are pretty much all bilingual.

The jewel in the museum's crown is a large portion of the 12th-century Illustrated Tale of Genji, but owing to its fragility it seldom goes on public display. Small sections are shown at certain times of the year, and there are also regular special exhibitions. Check the website for details.

1017 Tokugawa-cho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya 461-0023
(052) 935-6262
www.tokugawa-art-museum.jp/english/index.html
Adults: 1,200 yen, Seniors: 1,000 yen, Students: 700 yen, Children (7-14): 500 yen
Open 10:00-17:00 Tuesday-Sunday (last admittance 16:30). Closed Mondays (except national holidays, in which case closed on Tuesdays).

Getting there:
By train - Take the JR Chuo line to Ozone station. The museum is a 10 minute walk from the South Exit (Minami-guchi).
By bus - If you're going from Nagoya Station, take the City Bus for Hikarigaoka or Idaka Shako from Green #7 Bust Stop at Eki-mae City Bus Terminal. If you're going from Sakae, take the City Bus for Hikiyama or Sankenya from #3 Stop at Sakae Bus Terminal (Oasis 21). For both, get off at the Tokugawaen Shindeki bus stop. It's a few minutes' walk from there.

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