Nagoya

Nagoya (名古屋市, Nagoya-shi; [naꜜ.ɡo.ja, -ŋo.ja, na.ɡo.jaꜜ.ɕi, -ŋo.jaꜜ.ɕi] ^ⓘ, locally [na.ɡo.ja, -ŋo.ja]) is the capital and most populous city of Aichi Prefecture in Japan. It is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city in Japan (with a 2025 population of 2.3 million), and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is itself the third-most populous metropolitan area in Japan (with a population of 10.11 million). Nagoya is located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, and its seaport is the largest in Japan.

In 1610, the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu moved the capital of Owari Province from Kiyosu to Nagoya. This period saw the renovation of Nagoya Castle. The early 1900s brought a convergence of economic factors that fueled rapid growth in the city during the Meiji Restoration, and it became a major industrial hub for the country as the area's automobile, aviation, and shipbuilding industries flourished; the traditional manufacturing of bicycles, sewing machines, and timepieces was thus followed by the production of ceramic, chemicals, oil, petrochemicals, and steel. These factors made Nagoya a target of American air raids during the Pacific War.

Nagoya's economy diversified following the Second World War, but the city remains a significant centre of industry and transport in Japan. It is linked to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto by the Tokaido Shinkansen and is home to the Nagoya Stock Exchange, as well as the headquarters of Brother Industries, Ibanez, Lexus, and Toyota Tsusho, among others. It hosts educational institutes such as Nagoya University, the Nagoya Institute of Technology, and Nagoya City University. Famous landmarks include Atsuta Shrine, Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Hisaya Ōdori Park, Nagoya Castle, Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, and Nagoya TV Tower. Nagoya will host the 2026 Asian Games, making it the third Japanese city to do so after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.