Nagoya is Japan's fourth most populous city after Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka, and is the hub of economy and industry in central Japan. Facing the Ise Bay, the region produced three great historical figures; Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. These samurai warriors played pivotal roles in the country's unification, with the Tokugawa Shogunate ruling Japan for 250 years.
Nagoya's major historic draws include the Nagoya Castle (built in 1612 by Tokugawa Ieyasu and restored in 1959) and the Atsuta Shrine which is counted as one of the most important shrines in Japan.
Towering skyscrapers of JR Central Towers, Midland Square, and Oasis 21 are examples of modern architecture while the SCMAGLEV (Superconducting Magnetic Levitation) and Railway Park Museum and the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology will please tourists interested in industrial technology. Enthusiastic shoppers will have a field day in the vast network of underground shopping centers and Osu shopping mall, and foodies may have a hard time choosing from the endless eateries that serve local delicacies such as Miso cutlets and Miso noodles or dishes with plenty of shrimp inside.