The city of Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture, is located just
between Tokyo and Osaka. Nagoya has a history as a homeland of "samurai"
warriors who had fought to unify the country in the 16th and 17th
centuries. In fact the first political leader in history, called a
"shogun, " came from this region. Nagoya Castle and Main Palace are part
of our influential heritage and show the achievement of outstanding
samurai in those days.
Present Nagoya is the fourth largest city
in Japan and the leading city of the manufacturing industries across the
nation especially in the automobile, aviation and iron & steel
industries. Over the years, this success is still greatly owed to the
samurai rulers. These rulers encouraged skilled craftsmen to move to
this region to promote the local industry while the central samurai
government had failed to protect them due to strict economy policies.

Nagoya
is a hub. Nowadays, many tourists from abroad see the advantages of
visiting Nagoya. We have Chubu International Airport which is a
40-minute train ride to and from the center of Nagoya. The Shinkansen
Bullet train from Nagoya station connects the city to many destinations
nationwide. Furthermore, accommodation is more reasonable in regards to
price compared to any other big tourist cities like Kyoto, Tokyo and
Osaka. Please make the best use of your JR Pass to go back and forth.
While you are in town, you will surely feel at home, too. It's easy to
get around with public transportation such as the subway, buses, and
private train lines.
For tourists visiting Nagoya for the first
time, Nagoya Castle including Main Palace should be top of the list. You
may also like to visit the popular temple in downtown Nagoya and also
one of the three main great shrines in Japan. Aside from these, you may
like to visit Toyota Museum of Industry and Technology, Tokugawa Art
Museum or one or two Japanese gardens. Depending on how long you will be
in Nagoya, I will customize the best tour for you accordingly so you
can really get the most out of your stay.
Let's explore Nagoya! I hope you find the city charming!