Welcome to Nagoya. On behalf its citizens, I extend my warmest welcome to one and all, from home and abroad. It was my genuine pleasure to host this grand event, honored with the participation of so many.
In 1989, the City of Nagoya proclaimed itself a Design City and hosted the World Design Exposition, which received over 15 million visitors. We have accumulated a decade of community building that capitalizes on design, including the hosting of three major international design conferences. In October of 2008, as an acknowledgement of these efforts, Nagoya was appointed to UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network of Design. As a member of this group, we are delighted to hold this event, Creative Design City Nagoya 2009, and take advantage of this opportunity to showcase Nagoya’s accomplishments as a Design City.
In 2010, we will celebrate our 400th anniversary. To commemorate this significant year, we will hold several major events, including Nagoya’s 400th Anniversary and the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP 10.
Our hope is that each and every one of you will explore and discover things about Nagoya that appeal to you, from the making of things on which our industrial history is based, to the samurai culture of early modern times, to our commitment to sustainable environmental practices. We hope that you discover Nagoya’s hidden treasures and individuality, and propose ways that we can express these to the world at large, and that you will lend your assistance to us for the future development of Nagoya.
In opening this event, I extend grateful thanks to all of our supporters and collaborators, and wish guests and participants the best of health and success.
Takashi KAWAMURA Mayor of Nagoya
Copyright © Nagoya, UNESCO City of Design Organizing Committee. All rights reserved.
