Nagoya

Nagoya is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and the largest city and transportation hub in central Japan (Chubu), the area between Kansai and Kanto. The city today looks distinctly modern because much of it was destroyed in World War Two. Even then, Nagoya was an important industrial hub: because it was the center of the Japanese aircraft industry at the time, it became the target of allied aerial bombings. Today Nagoya is a lively city, not unlike Osaka, but with its own distinctive culture and food. In particular, it is famous for akamiso, a variety of Japanese miso with a stronger flavor that is used in many local dishes, including udon noodles and pork cutlets. What is less known is Nagoya's important historical role: it is the birthplace of the three unifiers of Japan in the feudal area, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.