Aichi

Aichi is a prefecture on the Pacific coast of central Honshu, roughly midway between Tokyo and Osaka on the main rail corridor. Its capital, Nagoya, is Japan's fourth-largest city and the heart of the country's car industry, which gives the region a practical, hardworking character.

Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya has drawn pilgrims for centuries and ranks among Shinto's most important sites, while golden shachihoko gleam on the rebuilt castle keep. Ride the Meitetsu line to Inuyama, where one of Japan's few original castle keeps crowns a hill above the Kiso River. The Toyota Commemorative Museum fills in the industrial story.

Nagoya anchors any visit, with miso katsu and hitsumabushi eel giving the city a food identity all its own. The shinkansen stops here between Tokyo and Kyoto, so Aichi slots easily into a longer route. Spring brings castle cherry blossoms, and summer fireworks light the rivers.