Nagoya was a major trading city and political seat of the Owari lords, the most important house of the Tokugawa clan. They encouraged trade and the arts under their patronage, especially
Tokugawa Muneharu, the 7th lord, who took a keen interest in drama and plays and lived lavishly. Under his rule, actors and actresses began to visit Nagoya. Arts and culture was further supported by the city's wealthy merchants. Culture flourished after the feudal
Edo period and the beginning of the Meiji era. During the Pacific War many old buildings and artefacts were destroyed. The region's economic and financial power in the post-war years rekindled the artistic and cultural scene. The city is recognized as a "
Design City" by UNESCO. File:Tokugawabijutsukan1.JPG|The Tokugawa Art Museum, which houses some of the finest art treasures of Japan File:Toyotasangyoukinen5.JPG|Textile Machinery Pavilion in the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology File:SCMaglev and Railway Park in Aichi Prefecture.jpg|SCMaglev and Railway Park File:Shirakawa Park 20161119A.jpg|Nagoya City Science Museum File:Aichi Arts Center exterior ac.jpg|Aichi Arts Center in Sakae File:Tokugawaendashizoroe1.JPG|Tsutsui-chō/Dekimachi tennōsai File:Nagoyamatsuri7.JPG|Nagoya matsuri File:Arimatsu festival.jpg|Arimatsu autumn festival File:Osu-2008 Oiran-dochu-02.jpg|
Daidō-chōnin Matsuri in
Ōsu File:Nagoya obi.JPG|The Nagoya
obi, the most popular type for
kimono throughout Japan
Museums Nagoya has multiple museums, including traditional and modern art, handicrafts to industrial high-tech, natural and scientific museums. Nagoya Castle's collection is from the Owari Tokugawa era. The main tower is a museum that details the history of the castle and the city. The Honmaru Palace, destroyed in the Pacific War, was reconstructed in 2018; it is a prime example of the
Shoin-zukuri architecture of the feudal era.
Tokugawa Art Museum is a private museum belonging to the Owari Tokugawa, who lived in Nagoya castle for 16 generations. Among other things, it contains 10 designated
national Treasures of Japan, including some of the oldest scrolls of
The Tale of Genji. The Nagoya Noh Theatre houses various precious objects of
Noh theatre. The
Nagoya City Museum showcases the history of the town.
Yōki-sō is a villa and gardens located in Chikusa-ku, close to Nittai-ji. It was constructed in the Taishō era for Ito Jirozaemon Suketami XV, the first president of
Matsuzakaya. Paintings and sculpture are exhibited at the
Nagoya City Art Museum. The museum's annual report notes that it has presented photography exhibitions and undertaken collecting activity since opening in 1988. A history of photography in the city is covered in
Photography in Nagoya. Modern art is displayed at the
Aichi Arts Center. The Aichi Arts Center also is the venue of rotating exhibitions. The art of
porcelain and ceramics can be seen at the
Noritake Garden. Toyota has two museums in the city, the
Toyota Automobile Museum which shows vintage cars, and the
Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, which showcases company history, including its start as a
textile mill. The
Nagoya City Tram & Subway Museum has trams and subway cars, as well as the
Nagoya City Science Museum. The
SCMaglev and Railway Park opened in March 2011 with various trains from the Central Japan Railway Company. Other art museums in Aichi prefecture are the
Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum and the
Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
Meiji Mura is an open-air museum with salvaged buildings from the Meiji, Taishō and Showa eras. Another museum in Nagoya is the
Mandolin Melodies Museum. Other museums in the city include the
International Design Centre Nagoya, the
Japan Spinning Top Museum and the
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Money Museum. The civic authorities promote tourism and have taken steps to safeguard architectural heritage by earmarking them as cultural assets. Apart from the castle, temples, shrines and museums in the city, a "
Cultural Path" was instituted in the 1980s, located between the Tokugawa Art Museum and Nagoya Castle. This residential area has historic buildings such as the Nagoya City Archives, the Nagoya City Hall main building, the Aichi Prefectural Office main building, the Futaba Museum, the former residence of Sasuke Toyoda, the former residence of Tetsujiro Haruta and the Chikaramachi Catholic Church. Most buildings date from the Meiji and Taishō era and are protected.
Theatres Nō and
Kyōgen theatre date back to the feudal times of the Owari Tokugawa lords. The
Nagoya Noh Theater at Nagoya Castle continues that tradition and is a prominent feature in the cultural life of the city, with monthly performances. Developed during the Edo period, one of Japan's
kabuki grand stages is
Misono-za, which also hosts various other Japanese entertainment such as concerts. In 1912, the musician Gorō Morita invented the
Nagoya harp music instrument. In 1992, the large, modern
Aichi Arts Center was opened in Sakae. It is the main venue for
performing arts, featuring a main hall that can be used for
opera and theatre and a concert hall. The
Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra performs there, as well as many visiting guest orchestras.
Ikebana is a school of
Ikebana, or
Japanese
floral art. It was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Nagoya.
Festivals Apart from the main national
festivals and holidays, other
festivals in Nagoya are unique to the city/region. Major events include the June Atsuta Festival, the July Port Festival, the August Nagoya Castle Summer Festival and the October Nagoya Festival. Wards and areas host local festivals such as the in Ōsu.
Dialect The is spoken in the western half of Aichi Prefecture, centering on Nagoya. It is also called . The Nagoya dialect is relatively close to
standard Japanese and to the
Kansai dialect, differing in pronunciation and vocabulary.
Handicrafts The industry of
Japanese handicrafts in the city is centuries old. • Arimatsu and Narumi dye: during the construction of Nagoya Castle in the 17th century, the lords of Owari called in skilled craftsmen from
Bungo Province in
Kyushu, known for their tie-dyed fabrics. These craftsmen and their families were treated generously by the Owari and settled in the Arimatsu und Narumi neighbourhoods. Only the base fabric is dyed, leaving parts that were knotted as white spots. This highly specialised process requires 6–12 months to complete. •
Geta clog straps: wooden clogs called
geta were the shoes of the feudal era. The Owari devised a unique pattern for the cotton straps of the clogs and ordered them to be made by local weavers. The technique has developed over the generations. The straps became stronger and more resilient but more comfortable for the feet with the discovery of cotton velvet. •
Shippo: the technique for
enamelware called
shippo arrived from the Netherlands towards the end of the Edo period. The patterns appear almost transparent and are often used on pottery. • Candles:
wax is taken from a
wax tree and painted around a rope made of grass and Japanese paper (
washi) over and over again into layers. When cut in half, the candle looks as if it grew like a tree with rings. Japanese candles produce less smoke and are harder to blow out, since the
wick tends to be larger. Artists paint the candles in coloured patterns. •
Yuzen: the art of
silk dyeing was introduced by craftsmen from Kyoto during the rule of Owari Togukawa. The initial designs were extravagant and brightly coloured, but over time became more muted and light-coloured. •
Sekku Ningyo: festival dolls were introduced by markets during the Meiji era. Nagoya craftsmen rank among the top producers. • The city also gave its name to a type of
obi, the sash that is used to tie a
kimono. The term
Nagoya obi can refer to an older type of
obi used centuries ago. This type was cord-like. The current – or to differentiate from the
fukuro Nagoya obi, also called – is the most-used
obi type today. It was developed by a seamstress living in Nagoya at the end of the 1920s. The new, easy-to-use obi gained popularity among Tokyo's geisha, from whom it then was adopted by fashionable city women for their everyday wear. The
Nagoya obi was originally for everyday wear, not for ceremonial outfits, but one made from exquisite brocade can be accepted as semi-ceremonial wear. A more formal version is called the or , which is more formal. •
Japanese pottery and porcelain has a long tradition due to suitable clay being available in
Owari Province.
Seto ware and
Tokoname ware are from the region. In the town itself
Ofukei ware,
Toyoraku ware,
Sasashima ware and
Kawana ware were produced. •
Netsuke artists such as
Tametaka and
Ikkan were well known during the Edo period.
Cuisine The city and the region are known for their unique local . Dishes include: •
Tebasaki: chicken wings marinated in a sweet sauce with sesame seeds, basically a type of
yakitori •
Tenmusu: a rice ball wrapped with nori that is filled with deep-fried tempura shrimp •
Kishimen: flat
udon noodles with a slippery texture, dipped in a light soy sauce soup and a sliced
leek or other flavouring added. It can be eaten cold or hot. • Red
miso: various dishes that use red
miso, such as
miso katsu (
pork cutlet) with sweet
miso sauce and
miso nikomi udon (hard
udon stewed in
miso soup) •
Hitsumabushi: rice dish with
unagi in a lidded wooden container. This dish is enjoyed three ways; as
unadon, with spice and as
chazuke. •
Miso nikomi udon: Firmer texture udon noodles. It is served in a Donabe pot and it usually arrives still bubbling and steaming hot at the table.
In popular culture The world premiere of the first
Godzilla movie was in Nagoya on October 27, 1954. The city, especially Nagoya Castle, has been featured in two other Godzilla movies:
Mothra vs. Godzilla and
Godzilla vs. Mothra. The city is also featured in
Gamera vs. Gyaos and is the main setting of 2003 film
Gozu. The 1995 film
The Hunted starring
Christopher Lambert and the 1992 film
Mr. Baseball starring
Tom Selleck were also filmed in the city. The city was the setting for the 2007 movie
Ashita e no yuigon (translated as
Best Wishes for Tomorrow), in which a
Japanese war criminal sets out to take responsibility for the execution of U.S. airmen. The anime
The Wind Rises by
Hayao Miyazaki, released in 2013, is a highly fictionalized biography of the
Mitsubishi A6M Zero's chief engineer
Jiro Horikoshi and takes mostly place in Nagoya of the 1920s and 1930s. Nagoya is also the setting for the manga and anime series
Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki, which highlights many of the sites and traditions of the city. Haruki Murakami called Nagoya "another world" (異界, ikai) in the book "Tokyo Surume Club: Chikyuu no Hagurekata".
Sports are one of Japan's strongest baseball teams. Nagoya is home to several professional sports teams: In 2007, the Chunichi Dragons won the
Japan Series baseball championship. In 2010, Nagoya Grampus won the J. League championship, their first in team history. Nagoya is also the home of the Nagoya Barbarians semi-pro
rugby football club. A
honbasho sumo tournament is held every July at the
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium. The city has hosted
The Crowns golf tournament since 1960 and the women's
Nagoya Marathon since 1984. In September 2016 the city was awarded the right to host the
2026 Asian Games after it was the only city to lodge a bid. It will be the third time Japan hosts the event after Tokyo in 1958 and
Hiroshima in 1994. The city had a bid to host the
1988 Summer Olympics but lost to
Seoul. The city hosted the official
1979 Asian Basketball Championship. Later, it became one of the host cities of the official
Women's Volleyball World Championship for its
1998,
2006 and
2010 editions. The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Games will be the next big event in the sports world following the
2020 Tokyo Olympics and
Paralympic Games. It will be a very meaningful event for all of
Japan, as it would bring a chance to further deepen ties within
Asia. In order to bid for the
Asian Games,
Aichi Prefecture and
Nagoya City made a 20th Asian Games Proposal. File:Nagoya Dome - 3.jpg|
Nagoya Dome File:Binnenkant van Nagoya Dome, -21 maart 2019 a.jpg|
Chunichi Dragons File:Dolphins Arena 20180923-01.jpg|The
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium is used for Sumo wrestling and other events File:Dolphins Arena02.jpg|
Nagoya Diamond Dolphins File:Mizuho Koen Stadium 20160815-02.jpg|
Mizuho Athletic Stadium File:瑞穂陸上競技場1 - panoramio.jpg|
Nagoya Grampus File:Mizuho Rugby Stadium.jpg|
Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium File:Toyota-Sports-Center-2.jpg|
Toyota Verblitz ==Notable people==