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Introduction

Most people don't mean to end up in Nagoya. It just isn't that kind of place. Long dismissed as just a stop on the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka, it is burdened with the reputation of being the dowdiest of Japan's major cities. Easy to live in? Certainly. But worth a visit...?

Well, it depends who you ask. For businesspeople, the answer is increasingly an unequivocal yes. Investment in the Nagoya area has risen steadily during the past few years, most conspicuously in the form of the new Toyota Motor Corporation offices recently constructed opposite Nagoya station. Since Centrair international airport opened in spring 2005, too, the city has become even more accessible to visitors, both domestic and from overseas.

To some, this surge of interest in the region probably doesn't come as much of a surprise. Nagoya lies at the center of Japan's manufacturing heartland, and has long been associated with business and industry. Some of the area's ancient craft centers survive to this day, including Seto and Tokoname (ceramics), Arimatsu (shibori dyeing) and Mikawa (textiles). More recently, they've been joined by a number of internationally-renowned names, among them Toyota and Noritake.

It's not all work around here, though. Nagoya offers a range of options for anyone in search of some history, culture or straight-up entertainment. Though the city was all but leveled during World War II, traces of its rich past remain, not least the austere Atsuta Shrine, one of the three most important shinto sites in the country.

There's a wide selection of excellent local cuisine to sample, along with an ever more diverse array of international eateries. Unsurprisingly for one of Japan's most affluent cities, Nagoya also boasts excellent shopping - and, on a tangential note, is the birthplace of that great money-sapping pastime, pachinko. When the sun goes down, meanwhile, the city's fertile nightlife culture revs into life, including a vibrant music and clubbing scene.

Trust us: if you find yourself at a loss for things to do here, you just aren't looking in the right place.

This guide is intended to help you get the most out of Nagoya, whether you just stepped off the train or have been living here for decades. We hope that you find the information contained herein useful, and that you enjoy your time in this dynamic, ever-changing city.