Nagoya - Japan's fourth-largest city and an industrial center Map of the Chubu region Nagoya is located at roughly the geographic heart of Japan. Besides being a major urban center and the capital of Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya is also vital to Japan's manufacturing industry. Japan's image as a world leader in manufacturing is, in a large part, due to the industries based in Nagoya and its surrounding area. On the outskirts of Nagoya, for example, is Toyota City, the location of the headquarters of Toyota Motor Corporation, famous all over the world as a maker of motor vehicles. In addition, the Nagoya area is studded with any number of other manufacturing businesses. Historically, Nagoya has also been the birthplace of many historic military figures, including shogun. From the latter half of the Muromachi-era (16th century), such historic figures as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged from the Nagoya area and left their names forever written into Japanese history. These men also left Nagoya with a monument to their prosperity, Nagoya Castle. Built in the Edo-era in the year 1612 by the Owari Tokugawa family, this castle served as their fortress and living quarters at the height of their achievement. The brilliant gold mythical sea creature that adorns the roof of the castle tower has become synonymous with Nagoya itself.

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July Grand Sumo Tournament - Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Naka-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture - July 12th (Sun)-26th (Sun), 2009 This is the midsummer official sumo tournament, held but once a year in the city of Nagoya. Riding high on a championship victory in the May Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo, the West Ozeki-class champion Harumafuji, a native of Mongolia known for his enthusiastic training and study of opponents, is definitely a fan-favorite. Will he rise to the challenge and meet the hopes of sumo fans in Nagoya as well? Tickets go on sale at the box-office at 8 am and bouts start at 10 am, but you can enter the facility at whatever time suits you best and leave at your leisure as well. For the 15 days the tournament is held, local temples and even kindergartens become lodging places for the traveling sumo stables, so you just may even encounter a yukata-wearing sumo wrestler in the neighborhood. http://www.sumo.or.jp/eng/

Nagara River Ukai Fishing (fishing with cormorants) - Nagara River, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture - May 11th (Mon)-October 15th (Thur), 2009 Ukai is an ancient fishing method catching Japanese trout by using tamed cormorants. Against the background of the historic Mt. Kinka and Gifu Castle on its peak, with fires blazing on the river's surface to attract fish, the scene of the master and the cormorants cooperating together enthralls visitors, taking them back some hundred years ago. http://www.gifucvb.or.jp/en/01_sightseeing/01_01.html

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