Japanese required: Some
Art museum cost (per person): 1200 for adults, 1000 for seniors (66 years of age or older), 700 for students (high school / college), 500 for children (ages 7-14)
Garden cost (per person) for non-local people below the age of 65: 300 for small groups / individuals, 270 for large groups (20 or more), 240 for huge groups (100 or more) - Note that the price is the same regardless of age
Cost for both: 1,350
Good for: Single people, couples
The Tokugawa Art Museum and Garden is a combination of both natural and artificial beauty. The garden is very beautiful and gives the feeling of being "away" from the noise and atmosphere of modern cities while barely being separated from the rest of Nagoya by a small wall. On the other hand, the art museum shows a wide display of human artistry ranging from swords to poetry. Between the two, I find the garden to be more of a place that I could visit several times and still enjoy.
The garden is big enough that, if you want to, you can spend about fifteen minutes enjoying one side, go to the museum, and save the other side for another visit. When I first walked in, I got a good view across a small lake (more of a large pond really). There were a lot of carp in the lake, and the sunlight actually reflected in interesting ways on the rocks (unfortunately, my camera couldn't catch the visual effect). The area around the lake includes several places to sit and a wide variety of trees. The most interesting aspect of the lake is probably looking across it: the way the sun hits the water is really enjoyable.
On one side of the lake, there's a sizable number of trees with pathways leading through them. I ended up taking the most time here, in part because of a few waterfalls and in part because of the atmosphere being so serene. I waited until nobody else was around and sat down to just soak in the feeling of being there. There were seats directly in front of what was, in my opinion, the best of the waterfalls in the garden. The sound of the water combined with the sounds of nature was relaxing. I'd definitely recommend going to the Tokugawa garden by yourself or with one or two other people for a relaxing walk.
The Tokugawa art museum is a pretty interesting place. The first time I went there, I actually got lost because of the way the exhibits are displayed. You have to walk in a pretty specific order to make sure you see everything and reach the exit. The exhibits themselves ranged from very interesting to me to uninteresting. I found the displays of swords and other weapons from long ago to be enjoyable, along wit looking at old paintings and portraits. There were also a lot of beautiful dishes and ink stone holders. On the other hand, the displays of old Japanese poetry and novels and the like were dull because I am not yet able to read them. The old Japanese writing style looked messy to me, and the main art of it all is the writing. There were a few rooms with t.v. displays / audio recordings to explain things in Japanese as well. Although the museum's at least twenty minutes' worth of entertainment, it's not really someplace I'd recommend doing with other people.
