Nagoya now ranks as one of the nation's economic powerhouses, and is home to the head offices of Toy

The hub of the Aichi region, Nagoya is Japan's fourth-largest city after Tokyo , Yokohama and Osaka and one of the nation's major economic centers. In terms of manufacturing, as home to automaking giants Toyota, Honda, american express travel services Mitsubishi Motors, Nagoya is to Japan what Detroit is to the United States which, along with having been completely flattened during World War II, also explains why it's not one of Japan's top tourist draws and most tourists just zip through on the bullet train on their way between Tokyo and Kyoto. But if you do decide to stick around, there are plenty of car-related attractions, a restored castle, an ancient shrine and surprisingly happening nightlife.
Now a modern metropolis, Nagoya gets its name from an old manor called Nagono which was built in the area in the 12th century. The manor prospered for two hundred years, and people began to refer to the area by the manor's name. Over time, the pronunciation of the Chinese characters in the name "Nagono" shifted to "Nagoya", by which the city is now known.
Three famous local figures later helped to put Nagoya firmly on the map of Japan. Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu all hailed from around Nagoya, and all shared the ambitious goal of unifying american express travel services Japan under one government. Tokugawa finally succeeded in 1603 after winning in the Battle of Sekigahara, and established the Tokugawa Shogunate, which would rule Japan for another 250 years.
Soon after uniting the country, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the construction of Nagoya Castle for his son. He then ordered the people of nearby Kiyosu (on the outskirts of Nagoya) to move to the area around the castle, and a town soon came into being. Cotton, ceramics and timber were the main industries as the town as it grew into a small city.
Following Japan's opening to the world during the Meiji era, Nagoya rapidly industrialized and established transportation links with the rest of Japan that would allow it to easily american express travel services export its goods. During american express travel services World War I, Nagoya became known for its foundries as well as its machinery and heavy industry exports, which would continue to grow throughout the 1930's.
The 1920's marked the beginnings of the automotive industry in Nagoya, which continues in importance to the current day. At the heart of the industry is the Toyota Motor Corporation. Starting from humble beginnings as a loom-making company, Toyota entered into the automobile business in the 1930s. It is now the world's largest automaker, and continues to dominate the local economy along with the car-making giants Honda and Mitsubishi.
During american express travel services World War II, much of Nagoya's manufacturing infrastructure turned to the production of military goods, making it a prime target for bombing raids. Almost 25% of the city was destroyed during the war, with almost half the population fleeing to the countryside to avoid the attacks.
Nagoya now ranks as one of the nation's economic powerhouses, american express travel services and is home to the head offices of Toyota Motor Corporation, Brother Industries, Daido Steel, Makita, Denso Corporation, INAX, Suzuki Motor, Honda Motor, american express travel services Noritake, NGK Insulators, Olympus Optical, Yamaha and many others. american express travel services Unlike other parts of Japan, which borrowed heavily for elaborate and expensive american express travel services public works projects in the bubble years of the 1980's, ketchi (cheap) Nagoya held to a pay-as-you-go philosophy, and has not been as adversely affected by the post-bubble recession american express travel services as other major centres.
The booming economy has also brought many foreigners to the area, and the region now hosts a thriving community of Japanese-descent Brazilian immigrants, who help to keep the wheels of the local economy american express travel services spinning. With its strong economy and growing population, Nagoya is a city to watch in the coming years.
Nagoya's climate varies greatly throughout the year, with average temperatures ranging from a low of 4 C (39.2 F) in January american express travel services to a high of 27 C (80.6 F) in August. The city is known for its incredibly hot and humid summers like many cities in Japan, with high temperatures american express travel services routinely above 30 C (86 F)in August, so those with an aversion to heat would be better off visiting in the milder temperatures of the spring or autumn.
Nagoya Convention and Visitors Bureau , Nagoya Chamber of Commerce american express travel services Industry Bldg. 11F, 2-10-19 Sakae, Naka-ku , ☎ Tourism Dept: +81 52-202-1143 , [2] . Operates three tourist information centers across the city: edit
Nagoya Station Tourist Information , 1-1-4 Meieki, Nakamura-ku ( JR Nagoya Station Central Concourse (towards Sakura-dori side) ), ☎ +81 52-541-4301 ( fax : +81 52-571-1669 ), [3] . Daily 9AM-7PM. Closed american express travel services Dec 29-Jan 1 . edit
Kanayama Tourist Information , LOOP Kanayama 1F, 1-17-18 Kanayama, Naka-ku ( Located at the N exit of Kanayama Station. ), ☎ +81 52-323-0161 ( fax : +81 52-323-0162 ), [4] . Daily 9AM-8PM. Closed Dec 29-Jan 1 . edit
Sakae Tourist Information , Oasis 21 B1F, 1-11-1, Higashisakura, Higashi-ku ( By subway, get off at Sakae Station and take exit 4A. Located in Oasis 21 underground shopping concourse. ), ☎ +81 52-963-5252 ( fax : +81-52-963-5262 ), [5] . Daily 10AM-8PM . edit
If you happen to arrive in Japan at Osaka's Kansai International Airport , Nagoya can be reached american express travel services in no less than two hours by taking the Haruka limited express train to Shin-Osaka station, then changing to the Tokaido Shinkansen.
A small number of air flights operate daily from Tokyo's Narita Airport to Centrair Airport, for the benefit of international passengers. Otherwise, Nagoya is no less than three hours away by taking the Narita Express limited express train to Tokyo's Shinagawa station, then changing to the Tokaido Shinkansen.
Chubu Centrair International Airport (中部国際空港 Chūbu Kokusai Kūkō ), Japan 's third major international gateway, is on an artificial island 30 minutes south from the center of town. Facilities include two hotels, restaurants, a shopping concourse, and an onsen spa with views of the runways. american express travel services Centrair opened in 2005, and this airport replaces the existing Nagoya airport, also taking over its IATA code NGO .
The best way of connecting between Centrair Airport and central Nagoya is the Meitetsu Airport Line . The fastest trains are called "μSKY" ( myuu-sukai ) and depart for Nagoya every 30 minutes. The journey takes 28 minutes american express travel services at a cost of 1200: the 850 regular american express travel services fare plus the mandatory 350 first class charge, also called the μticket american express travel services (ミューチケット　 myuu-chiketto ). Only first class cars are available on "μSKY" trains. Slower Limited Express trains, also operating every 30 minutes, offer both first class (reserved) and ordinary class (non-reserved) american express travel services seating and take 37 minutes for the run to Nagoya.
While all other companies have moved to Chubu, regional flights by J-Air [6] still use the old Nagoya Airport [7] ( IATA : NKM ), also known as Komaki Airport , to the north of the city. Flights are available to a number of domestic destinations including Akita , Yamagata , Niigata , Kochi , Matsuyama , Fukuoka , Kumamoto , and Nagasaki . Shuttle american express travel services buses [8] (¥700) connect to Nagoya station in 28 minutes.
Thru Nozomi trains from western Japan reach Nagoya from Okayama (1 hr 40 mins, ¥10980), Hiroshima (2 hrs 20 mins, ¥13830) and Hakata station in Fukuoka (3 hrs 20 mins, ¥18030). It is slightly longer via the Hikari service; you will need to change trains at least once, either american express travel services at Okayama, Shin-Kobe, or Shin-Osaka.
If you wish to sacrifice travel speed for savings, you can take advantage of the Puratto Kodama Ticket (ぷらっとこだまエコノミープラン Puratto Kodama Economi Puran ) [9] (in Japanese), which offers a discount for Kodama services if you purchase at least one day in advance. You get a reserved seat and a complimentary drink on board. A ticket to Nagoya costs ¥7900 from Tokyo (3 hours; 2 trains per hour), ¥4100 from Kyoto (1 hour; 1 train per hour) and ¥4200 from Shin-Osaka (1 1/4 hours; 1 train per hour). american express travel services A few early-morning Kodama trains cannot be used with this ticket.
Nagoya also serves as the terminal point for the hourly Wide View Shinano , a limited express train that runs from the mountain resort towns of Nagano and Matsumoto . Nagoya is reached in 3 hours and 2 hours, respectively.
Local trains from Tokyo take about 6 hours at a cost of ¥6090, requiring several train changes along the way. However, trips on local trains are more valuable if you purchase and use a Seishun 18 Ticket during the valid time period: american express travel services as low as 2300 per person if five people travel together. Otherwise, consider using a bus starting from ¥5000, or step up to the bullet train for ¥7900 using the Puratto Kodama Ticket.
Nagoya is also served by the Meitetsu (名鉄） [10] and Kintetsu (近鉄） [11] private railways. If coming to Nagoya from Osaka , a travel option that comes cheaper than the Shinkansen is a Kintetsu limited express service called the Urban Liner (アーバンライナー), which runs out of Namba station. The Urban Liner departs at 0 and 30 minutes past the hour, covering the journey in as little as two hours, but at a cost of ¥4150 each way. (The shinkansen, by comparison, makes the run from Shin-Osaka to Nagoya in under an hour for ¥5670). Japan Rail Passes are not valid for the Urban Liner.
As Nagoya is a major city, there are many day and overnight buses which run between Nagoya and other locations throughout Japan, which can be a cheaper alternative than the shinkansen or local trains.
From Tokyo, bus runs to Nagoya are frequent, using either the Tomei Expressway along the southern coast or the Chuo Expressway through the central part of the country. Trips take approximately american express travel services 6-9 hours depending on the route and stops.
Discount bus operator Willer Express [12] runs daytime and overnight buses with a variety american express travel services of seating options. Bus journeys can be booked online in English, and Willer's Japan Bus Pass is valid on all of their routes with some exceptions.
Buses from Tokyo leave from Willer's own bus terminal, located west of Shinjuku Station in the Sumitomo Building. american express travel services Some buses also leave directly from Shinjuku Station's West exit, Tokyo Sta