Nagoya is Japan's fourth-largest city and a major industrial center, with a population of over 9 million people in the greater Nagoya area.

The Hakone Ekiden, a long-distance relay race held annually between Tokyo and Hakone, is one of the most prestigious races in Japanese college athletics.

Japan's surrender in World War II was announced on August 15, 1945, and marked the end of the war in the Pacific.