The Nagoya Meieki Centre is an imposing glass clad building in the heart of the business district of Nagoya - an industrial city with a rich cultural heritage. Located between Tokyo and Osaka, Nagoya is the centre of Japan's third largest metropolitan region, serving as the economic hub of central Japan. It is home to eight major ports and some of Japan's leading manufacturers are based here. As well as being important for business, with many high-rise office, hotel and commercial buildings, the area around Nagoya Station, known as Meieki, is known for its underground shopping malls. Many Japanese automotive companies are based in Nagoya as are other leading names in sectors as diverse as ceramics, office machinery, refrigeration equipment, rolling stock, confectionery, aerospace, machine tools, materials engineering and electronics. Robot technology is another rapidly developing industry. Mechanised puppets, called 'karakuri ningyo', are a traditional craft in the Nagoya area.