I had another early morning (thanks to – once more –  jetlag) and another lengthy breakfast (to kill some time and wait out the rain). Eventually I headed out for Tokyo main station to catch the Shinkansen Nozomi Super-Express to Nagoya and got there around midday.

After leaving my stuff in the hotel, I had a walk through town, heading for Noritake Gardens … the place of a former porcelain factory – now a nice park with shops and an attached mall. From here it was on to my main destination in Nagoya – the impressive Toyota Commerative Museum of Industry and Technology. This museum tells the story of the  Toyata company – from the early days building looms and other related machinery and the innovation going into it (all with working machines available and constant demonstrations) … to the air-driven looms of today (and – yes, you can still buy Toyota looms). From here it was over to the car business – how Toyoda was motivated to invest  into this new line of business and then the development from the early days in the 1930s until today, from initial struggles to becoming a world brand. Advances in both production methods and product  development  were showcased – again with plenty of working machinery and demonstrations. There was also an introductory  showcase on the Toyota Production System – essentially the basis of the global kaizen movement.  In short this was easily the best industrial museum I have ever been to.

I made  the walk back into town for a bit of dinner and an introduction into the Nagoya craft beer scene – before it was time to head back to the hotel for some deserved rest.