Nagoya and Aichi: Castle, Cars, and a Food Scene of Its Own

Nagoya Castle's main keep is a postwar concrete reconstruction — the original burned in WWII air raids — but the grounds and the rebuilt wooden Honmaru Palace are worth the visit. Restoration and seismic work on the keep has been ongoing at various points, so check the current status of what's actually open before you go.

The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, housed in a former Toyota textile factory, traces the company's shift from automatic looms to automobiles, with working machinery demonstrations. It's one of the better corporate museums in Japan and worth a visit even if you're not particularly interested in cars.

Nagoya has a food culture distinct from Tokyo or Osaka: hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice, eaten three different ways from one bowl), miso katsu (pork cutlet under a thick red miso sauce), and tebasaki (fried chicken wings) are all local specialties worth trying here specifically rather than assuming you'll find the same quality elsewhere.