Japan is Nippon 日本語
Oval glass roof of Oasis 21 with the Nagoya TV Tower behind under a blue sky
Photo: Alpsdake, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Aichi · landmark

Oasis 21

オアシス21

A multi-level park in Nagoya's Sakae district, crowned by the water-covered glass roof called the Spaceship-Aqua. Walk around it 14m up; it is lit at night.

Shallow water on the glass roof of Oasis 21 with the TV tower and office buildings
Photo: JKT-c, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Oasis 21 glass roof lit up in blue at night
Photo: masturb-8, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A "Spaceship-Aqua" floating over central Sakae

Oasis 21 opened in 2002 in Sakae, the busy shopping and entertainment district in Higashi Ward, Nagoya. It is a "three-dimensional park" that brings together a huge glass roof, a lawn, a bus terminal, an underground event plaza and shops.

Its symbol is the Spaceship-Aqua (Mizu no Uchusen), an oval glass roof that seems to float in mid-air. The roof is 106m long and 36m wide, and a thin layer of water a few centimetres deep flows across it, so sunlight reaches the ground below as rippling patterns. The water on the roof also helps reduce the heat passing down to the underground levels.

A walk in the sky and night illuminations

A walkway about 200m long runs around the Spaceship-Aqua, letting you walk a full circuit about 14m above the ground. Across the water you can see the Sakae skyline, including the nearby Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER (formerly the Nagoya TV Tower).

At night there are seasonal illuminations and special limited-time light-ups, and many people come to take photos. The official website recommends looking up at the Spaceship-Aqua from the southwest side of the Green Earth, the lawn at ground level.

A hub for exploring the city and getting around

The Green Earth at ground level is a lawn where you can also enjoy cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. Below ground, the open atrium of the Galaxy Plaza hosts all sorts of events, mainly at weekends, surrounded by restaurants and shops. The underground level also has a tourist information centre, the Oasis 21 i-Center.

The ground floor is a bus terminal for city buses and long-distance highway buses. Oasis 21 connects directly to Sakae Station on the Meijo and Sakura-dori subway lines and to Sakaemachi Station on the Meitetsu Seto Line, and a passageway links it to the neighbouring Aichi Arts Center. You can only go up onto the Spaceship-Aqua at set times, so check the official website.

Tips

  • From 11 to 17 October 2026, the water on the Spaceship-Aqua will be drained to prepare decorations (dates may change). If you want to see the water, avoid that period.
  • You can go up onto the Spaceship-Aqua until the evening, so for the illuminations, visit after dark.
  • The Oasis 21 i-Center underground is a Nagoya tourist information centre. Drop in if you're unsure how to plan your sightseeing.

Sources

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Keep exploring

Nearby places

Aichi · museum Nagoya City Science Museum 名古屋市科学館 A science museum in central Nagoya marked by a giant silver sphere, loved for its 35m planetarium dome and hands-on shows like an indoor tornado.
Aichi · castle Nagoya Castle 名古屋城 Nagoya's symbol, built by Tokugawa Ieyasu and topped with golden shachihoko. The keep is closed for now, but you can tour the superbly restored Honmaru Palace.
Aichi · park Tsuruma Park 鶴舞公園 Nagoya's first park, opened in 1909, pairs a Western fountain tower with a Japanese garden, and is famed for about 750 cherry trees, roses and irises.
Aichi · museum Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology トヨタ産業技術記念館 A museum in the red-brick Nagoya factory where the Toyota Group began. Follow Japanese industry from looms to cars, with real machines shown working.
Aichi · shrine Atsuta Jingu 熱田神宮 A Nagoya shrine housing the Kusanagi sword, one of the three sacred treasures, long ranked just below Ise. 1,900 years of history in a city-centre forest.
Aichi · zoo aquarium Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium 名古屋港水族館 A large aquarium on Nagoya Port's Garden Pier with orcas, belugas, dolphins and penguins. The dolphin performances in its huge pool are a favourite.