Nagoya

About Nagoya

Located between Tokyo and Osaka, Nagoya is Japan's fourth most populated city. But the city deserves more than a cursory stopover on the Tokaido Shinkansen. Nagoya boasts over two million residents. The capital of Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya sits almost in the center of Japan. History buffs will also know the area was central to the unification of Japan after a period of fractious infighting between clans. Warlord Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, his protégés, helped draw in an era of relative peace. History not your forte? For those with an interest in things industrial and automotive, Nagoya is one of Japan's main hubs for robotics. Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the district's main businesses. Its headquarters are located just outside of the city. Another world-famous company calling Nagoya home is Noritake, makers of fine porcelain. For foodies, Nagoya means chicken, cochin chicken, to be exact. A local breed, the meat is reddish and slightly chewy, a bit more gamey than other poultry. Chicken wings, deep-fried chicken wings, are another chicken specialty. Dark red, earthy hatcho miso paste, used to make soups and also used as a sauce for katsu meat cutlets, also hails from the region. The 2005 World Exposition was held on the outskirts of Nagoya. Some attractions and parks remain in use today.