Nagoya
With over two million inhabitants, Nagoya is Japan's fourth most populated city. It is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and the principal city of the Nobi plain, one of Honshu's three large plains and industrial centers. Nagoya developed as the castle town of the Owari, one of the three branches of the ruling Tokugawa family during the Edo Period. Much of the city, including most of its historic buildings, were destroyed in the air raids of 1945. Nagoya's main industry is the automotive business, as many Japanese automotive companies are based out of Nagoya (akin to U.S. automakers being based out of Detroit). Toyota is headquartered in the nearby city of Toyota. Major automotive suppliers such as PPG also have a presence in Nagoya. The Japanese confectionery company Marukawa is headquartered in Nagoya, as is the fine ceramics company Noritake.