Located in the centre of Japan, Nagoya is the capital of the Aichi prefecture.  The region is home to 49 universities and museums and counts over 2 million inhabitants. Leading engineers from all over the country have gathered here and have created advanced designs and technology, such as mechanical dolls that are the foundation of today’s Monozukuri manufacturing.

As early as 1989 Nagoya has put design at the forefront of its development. Since then, the municipality has focused on community building, product manufacturing and the fostering of human resources. In Nagoya, design is synonymous with humanism, a philosophy that aims to achieve lasting peace by combining activities directed towards a new way of life, human wisdom, as well as techniques and technologies that have been evolving since antiquity.

Over the years Nagoya has organized various major international design conferences, such as the World Design Exposition and has established the International Design Centre NAGOYA. This centre is intended to promote the design sector through several initiatives including the “creator’s shops”, which support the work of young designers; the gallery showcasing a collection of American Art Deco; and the Design Gallery, an open space for exhibitions by designers and other creators. Equipped with a multi-purpose hall, seminar rooms and the “Design Lab” incubation offices, the centre serves as a comprehensive support base for design. It leverages an international network aiming at the development of a wide variety of creative enterprises.