Rally Japan has opened in Nagoya. This is the world rally, a grueling motorsport held on public roads around the globe. The spotlight is on Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, who became the first Japanese driver in 34 years to win a world rally. This season, he is in excellent form, achieving the first back-to-back wins by a Japanese driver. Expectations are high for his long-awaited victory at Rally Japan. The fierce competition will take place in Aichi and Gifu prefectures, the battlegrounds, until the 31st.
Nagoya
Nagoya is a major city in central Japan, historically significant as the seat of the powerful Owari Tokugawa clan during the Edo period. Its most famous landmark, Nagoya Castle, was built in 1612 and largely destroyed in World War II, but has been partially reconstructed. Today, Nagoya is a thriving industrial and cultural hub, known for its automotive industry and unique local cuisine.
Aichi
Aichi Prefecture, located in central Japan, is a historically and culturally significant region best known as the heartland of the samurai and the birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Its capital, Nagoya, is home to the iconic Nagoya Castle, originally built in the early 17th century, and the Atsuta Shrine, one of Shinto’s most important shrines housing the sacred sword Kusanagi. Today, Aichi is a major industrial and economic hub, famous for automotive manufacturing, while preserving its rich heritage through festivals, crafts, and historic sites.
Gifu
Gifu is a city in central Japan known for its rich history and scenic beauty, particularly the iconic Gifu Castle perched atop Mount Kinka. The area flourished during the Sengoku period as a strategic stronghold for warlords such as Oda Nobunaga. Today, it is famous for traditional cormorant fishing (ukai) on the Nagara River, a practice dating back over 1,300 years.
