As a destination, Nagoya is not the biggest tourist magnet, yet there is reason enough for dawdling here instead of just whisking through on the Shinkansen.
Nagoya has its grand castle, ferroconcrete, yes, but grand nonetheless. Nagoya has Atsuta, one of the country's most venerable Shinto shrines. And lively Nagoya will soon be home to Japan's latest airport -- the dreadfully named but spanking-new Centrair.
Best of all reasons, though, for stopping off at Nagoya is its proximity to Inuyama.