NAGOYA -- As Nagoya's big coming-out party winds down, thoughts turn inevitably to what's next. The issue of how the prefecture can capitalize on the Aichi Expo is on everyone's mind.

Unlike the expo held in Tsukuba, Ibaraki prefecture, in 1985 that was intended to kick-start the city's flagging growth, Nagoya was already in great shape.

Known for its "monzukuri bunka," or "culture of making things," Aichi Prefecture has profited enormously from its niche in high-end manufacturing, particularly in the automotive and aerospace sectors, and the strong research and development and wide-ranging supporting industries that are integral to such success.