Nagoya
capital city of Aichi prefecture, Japan
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 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.
The public source identifies “Nagoya” as capital city of Aichi prefecture, Japan. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Nagoya, capital and city.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Nagoya”, the useful work is to connect “capital city of Aichi prefecture, Japan” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q11751. VIAF identifies the subject as 148860643. The Library of Congress control number is n96096101. Authority coordinates are 35.181, 136.906. 3 of 7 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2025 and 1610.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Nagoya”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Nagoya primary sources, Nagoya archive and Nagoya research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Nagoya”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Nagoya” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.