Two weeks after returning from our big European trip, we did a very short trip within Japan: we visited the string theorists at Nagoya University, or short, Meidai. (You may wonder how this abbreviation comes about. The Japanese name of Nagoya University is Nagoya Daigaku, 名古屋大学. The first kanji of the two words are 名大. The syllable “mei” is the alternative reading of the first Kanji, which is pronounced “na” in Nagoya.)
Even though Nagoya is not a typical tourist destination and we were there for work, we managed to squeeze in some early morning sightseeing. The earlier the better, given the scorching summer heat that reached 37 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. The picture above was taken in Nagoya’s downtown, Sakae.
The campus itself is located at the eastern edge of town and looks very modern. And given the amount of construction that is going on there, it will continue to do so for a while.
More than for its sights, Nagoya is famous for its food. The spicy chicken wings, even though very tasty, are definitely a challenge for the digestive system.
