Welcome to NAGOYA!
PLACES OF INTEREST:
Nagoya Castle, Osu Kannon Temple, Atsuta Shrine,
Tokugawa Art Museum and Nagoya Dome

NAGOYA:
Nagoya, located in the middle of the islands of Japan, is the nation’s 4th largest city and has a population of 2.6 million. Often overlooked by tourists, Nagoya is home to several historic sites including Nagoya Castle, the Tokugawa Art Museum and Osu Kannon and Atsuta Shrines. Nagoya is the capital of Aichi prefecture which is known for such scenic areas as Ise Bay, Nobi Plane and the Kiso River, as well as for its great industrial centers. Perhaps the most famous is Toyota City which is both Toyota’s chief manufacturing city as well as small metropolis and residential community. The Port of Nagoya on Ise Bay is an important part of the industrial complex and is connected to the both the east and west sides of the city by modern suspension bridges.

Nagoya’s history dates back to ancient times and has been greatly influenced by both its geographic location and the ‘kuroshio’ (black tide). Nagoya was one of the major stops along the Tokkaido (Eastern Sea Road), which dates back to the seventh century and was the connecting route between Kyoto (Japan’s ancient capital) and Edo Tokyo– Japan’s capital during the heyday of the Tokugawa regime. Hokusai, the famed Edo period ukiyo-e (woodblock print) artist became famous for his visual interpretation of this historical ‘highway’ in his ‘Thirty-six Views of Fuji,’ which includes one of the most recognized ukiyo-e images in the world – ‘Stormy Sea off Kanagawa’ – the famed white-capped wave with Mt. Fuji in the background.
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The kuroshiro, or ‘black tide’ is a great ocean current which starts in the Philippines and touches the shores of this seaside city. According to historical records, in 797, there was a migration of people from Malaysia and Indonesia who were carried by boats with the current. They brought with them cotton seeds which were planted in the fertile fields of the Nobi Plane; and Aichi prefecture subsequently became one of Japan’s leading producers of this much coveted fabric.

NAGOYA CASTLE
Nagoya Castle is one of Japan’s best examples of feudal castle architecture. It was first built by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1612 as a military fortress when the feudal lord was engaged in creating a centralized government. It was rebuilt in 1959 following its destruction in World War II. One of its noteworthy features is the pair of golden ‘shachi’ (mythical creature resembling a dolphin) statues which adorn both ends of the castle’s peaked roof.

VIEW FROM NAGOYA CASTLE
Nagoya Castle is surrounded by traditional Japanese gardens and stands in sharp contrast with the city’s modern skyline.

OSU KANNON TEMPLE
Located in the heart of downtown Nagoya, Osu Kannon Temple is a Buddhist temple dedicated to Kannon – the Deity of Mercy. It was built in neighboring Gifu prefecture during the Kamakura period (1192-1333) and relocated to Nagoya in 1612 by Tokugawa Ieyasu.

ATSUTA SHRINE
Atsuta Shrine, founded some 1,900 years ago, is one of the most famous in Japan. It houses an ancient sword said to be the original sword of the Imperial Regalia. The sword, along with a mirror and a jewel are the most sacred objects in Shinto. According to the Japanese creation myth, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu was lured from her place of hiding by a mirror. Her son, Susanoo slayed an eight headed dragon and discovered a sword in its tail. Amaterasu charged her grandson to bring the sword, the mirror the sacred jewel to earth who in turn gave the regalia to his grandson Jimmu, Japan’s first emperor.

TOKUGAWA ART MUSEUM
The Tokugawa Art Museum, built on the estate grounds of the Owari branch of the Tokugawa family, houses many treasures which once belonged to the legendary Tokugawas. Among the more than 10,000 objects in the museum is the magnificent 12th century illuminated scroll of “The Tale of Genji.”

NAGOYA DOME
Nagoya Dome, with a seating capacity of 40,000, is home to the Japanese Major League baseball team, the Chunichi Dragons. It was built in 1997 and is the world’s largest simple lattice structure.

JapanCorner 2005