Interesting facts about Nagoya

nagoya

Nagoya is the fourth largest city in Japan.

It is situated north of Ise Bay on the Nōbi Plain.

As of June 2020, the population of Nagoya is about 2.4 million people.

The city covers a total area of 326 square kilometers (126 square miles).

nagoya-2

The history of Nagoya dates from 1610, when a great castle was erected by the Owari branch of the powerful Tokugawa shogunate.

After the Meiji Restoration (1868), which marked the end of shogunal government, Nagoya continued as a commercial centre.

The traditional manufactures of timepieces, bicycles, and sewing machines were followed by the production of special steels, chemicals, oil, and petrochemicals, as the area’s automobile, aviation, and shipbuilding industries flourished.

nagoya history

Nagoya was impacted by bombing from US air raids during World War II.

After the war, Nagoya developed into a major port and transport center.

Today, Nagoya is a lively city, with its own distinctive culture and food.

Nagoya Castle was the heart of one of the most important castle towns in Japan during the Edo period (1603 and 1868). Most castle buildings were destroyed in the air raids of 1945, including the castle keep and the palace buildings. The current ferro-concrete reconstruction of the castle keep dates from 1959.

nagoya castle

Atsuta Shrine is a Shinto shrine traditionally believed to have been established during the reign of Emperor Keikō (71-130). The shrine is familiarly known as Atsuta-Sama (Venerable Atsuta) or simply as Miya (the Shrine). Since ancient times, it has been especially revered, ranking with the Grand Shrine of Ise. The 200,000-square-meter (2,200,000 square-foot) shrine complex draws over 9 million visitors annually.

atsuta shrine

Ōsu is a popular area located in the Naka ward of Nagoya. It is a historic area which has many small shops offering everything from Japanese traditional food to handicrafts. There are a number of temples and shrines and religious institutions in this area.

osu

Ōsu Kannon is a popular Buddhist temple located in Ōsu. Originally built during the Kamakura Period (1192-1333) in neighboring Gifu Prefecture, the temple was moved to its current site by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1612 after the original temple had been repeatedly damaged by severe flooding. The current buildings are 20th century reconstructions.

osu kannon

The Nagoya City Science Museum is a museum located in Sakae, the center of Nagoya. The museum houses the largest planetarium in the world and has three main sections on modern technology, life sciences and general science with a variety of hands-on exhibits.

nagoya city science museum

The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology also known as Toyota Tecno Museum, is one of Nagoya’s best museums and a main attraction in this industrial power house of a city in central Japan. It is housed in the original red brick buildings of the Toyoda (the forerunner of present-day Toyota Corp) textile factory and research center.

toyota commemorative museum of industry and technology

The Nagoya TV Tower is the oldest TV tower in Japan, and was completed in 1954. The tower is 180 metres (590 feet) high, and has two main observation decks at the heights of 90 metres (295 feet) and 100 metres (328 feet). The tower also includes a restaurant and gallery at 30 metres. Nagoya TV Tower closely resembles the Eiffel Tower. Recently, the tower became known under the nickname of “Thunder Tower” due to the nighttime illumination. The tower also included a bowling alley at the top.

nagoya tv tower

Legoland Japan is a theme park in Nagoya. It opened on April 1, 2017. It is the first Legoland theme park in Japan, the second in Asia after Legoland Malaysia Resort, and the eighth worldwide. The park is projected to attract over two million visitors annually.

legoland japan

Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium is one of Japan’s biggest and best aquariums. Home to Orca killer whales, dolphins and Beluga Whales, and featuring marine life from Japan to Antarctica, is laid out in two main pavilions, the North and South Buildings. The North Building has the world’s biggest outdoor tank.

port of nagoya public aquarium

The city’s name was historically written as 那古野 or 名護屋 (both read as Nagoya). One possible origin is the adjective nagoyaka (なごやか), meaning ‘peaceful’.

Due to differences in culture, historical contact between other regions, climate, vegetables and other ingredients, Nagoya cuisine has unique features. Although many dishes derived from local tradition, Nagoya cuisine has been inspired by foreign cuisines such as Italian cuisine, Taiwanese cuisine, Indian cuisine, and mainland Chinese cuisine.

The city is often compared to Detroit because of its industrial reputation and numerous car manufacturing plants.

The world premier of the first Godzilla movie was in Nagoya on October 27, 1954.