Nagoya’s Cherry Blossom Magic

Nagoya has grown into Japan's busiest port due to its location on the Pacific Ocean. It's also been a major production centre for traditional industries like ceramics and textiles for a long time. The ceramics industry began here in the 12th century, and because of its numerous workshops and factory visits, it has become somewhat of a tourist draw. Many of the city's historic sites have been preserved and are popular tourist destinations. These include the beautiful 16th-century castle, reconstructed after WWII, along with much of the city centre. This big city is now a joy to explore thanks to its excellent network of wide modern avenues, world-class attractions such as museums and art galleries, and many sites of interest, such as its many mediaeval shrines and temples. There is enough to see and do in this city. Capital- Aichi ken International Airport: Chubu Centrair International Airport Population - 9,572,000 Currency: yen Time: GMT+9 Driving side left Main Electricity: 230v Official Language: Japanese Religion: Shinto and Buddhism

The Atsuta Shrine was founded in the first century AD and is often regarded as Japan's most prominent Shinto shrine. Nagoya Castle was restored in 1959 and is now one of the city's most important (and visited) structures. The Meiji-mura Village Museum in Inuyama, located just 24 kilometres north of Nagoya's city centre, is an open-air museum with many beautiful specimens of Japanese architecture from the Meiji period (1868-1912). The outstanding Tokugawa Art Museum is perhaps the best-known of Nagoya's world-class art facilities.