Nagoya is synonymous with Japan’s old automotive industry – but with its peaceful atmosphere, welcoming locals, tranquil gardens, and ancient shrines, the city is so much more than the birthplace of Toyota. With your local host leading you to the spots that truly define Nagoya, you could explore Nagoya Castle, where real-life ninjas put on demonstrations (if you can find them), or you could see 1900-year-old Atsuta Shrine, one of the most significant in Japan. Whether you grab on-the-go tenmusu (rice balls with shrimp tempura) or relax at an izakaya in a secret Fushimi underpass, it won’t be difficult to see why this dynamic city – where tradition effortlessly meets modernity – is referred to as geidokoro: a cultural center of Japan.

You could flip through manga in Osu, a centuries-old shopping district and major otaku hub that hosts the annual World Cosplay Summit and also happens to be home to tranquil temple Osu Kannon and the Kitano and Miwa shrines. Maybe you’ll head to neighboring Sakae, the busy downtown district packed with kishimen noodle bars, neon-lit high-rises, and PARCO Nagoya – Japan’s biggest department store. Or perhaps you’d like to head eight miles south to Ise Bay’s bustling Port of Nagoya – the largest and busiest in the country – where you could hop on the giant ferris wheel at the amusement park, or board a former Antarctic research ship that’s now a floating maritime museum.