The population and the shipment value of manufactured products in the Chubu Region (consisting of nine prefectures) account for approximately one sixth and one fourth of Japan's totals, respectively. Accordingly, it has the strongest potential after the Tokyo Region and the Osaka Region, and its economic scale exceeds that of Canada or Spain. The Central Japan International Airport (nickname: Centrair) has been constructed as a round-the-clock international airport in the Chubu Region off the coast of Tokoname City in Aichi Prefecture, aiming at the opening in February 2005. Preparation for the opening is being made for realizing the gateway which would connect the Chubu Region with the world, by utilizing an excellent traffic access, approximately 30 - 40 minutes from the heart of Nagoya City.
Selected Papers No.6(p.11)

A fact-finding survey about pleasure boats in Japan was conducted in the fiscal year of 2002 by the Ports and Harbors Bureau and the River Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as well as the Fisheries Agency. The survey result showed a decreased percentage of abandoned ships compared with the last survey result obtained in the fiscal year of 1996, however, it also turned out that there still exist a large number of abandoned ships in public water areas and those ships cause serious problems for appropriate management of public water areas as well as for maintaining the living environment of the surrounding areas. Receiving this survey result, the Ports and Harbors Bureau and the River Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as well as the Fisheries Agency, jointly established the "Investigation committee on countermeasures against abandoned ships by cooperation among three water areas," and the committee has recently made recommendations on the future direction for countermeasures against abandoned ships.

Kaneda Elementary School of Kisarazu City has classes entitled "Obitsu River Estuary Tideland," in which pupils learn about a familiar environment as a domestic science subject or as comprehensive learning, in all the grades. Children repeatedly learn about tidelands in parallel with various experiences, and gain deeper understanding by changing their objects of interest as they grow. Through this learning about tidelands, children who can gain thoughtful views and visions about the environment are being educated.