is a city

Cities of Japan

||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 located in Aichi

Aichi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. It is located about 35 minutes from Nagoya by way of the Meitetsu Seto Line

Meitetsu Seto Line

The is a Japanese railway line which connects Sakaemachi Station in Higashi-ku, Nagoya. Aichi Prefecture with Owari Seto Station in Seto, Aichi Prefecture. It is owned and run by Nagoya Railroad .-Stations:-Rolling stock:...

.

As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of 133,121, with a household

Household

The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....

 number of 53,253, and the density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 1,192.63 persons per km². The total area is 111.62 km².

History

Seto city was founded on October 1, 1929. It's one of the three areas that border what's known as Mikuniyama (Mikuni Mountain). Many years ago, the three areas were known as Owari, Mino, and Shinano, though now they are known as Aichi, Gifu, and Nagano, respectively. Seto City borders Mikuniyama.

In English, the Chinese characters for Seto translate to "the place where the river runs quickly." However, while there is a river in Seto, it is not significantly large, nor quick-moving. Seto City is famous for its pottery and ceramics, so much so that the generic word for ceramics in Japanese is . The main street along the river is lined with dozens of pottery shops. Every 3rd Saturday and Sunday in September, there is a very large pottery festival called Setomono Matsuri http://www.seto-homestay.jp/e_content_1.html(瀬戸物祭り) This festival attracts about 20,000 visitors from around Japan and abroad every year. There is a new station building next to Owari Seto station at the end of the Meitetsu Seto Line named Parti Seto. It offers visitors small restaurants, a computer teaching center, an English language school, a hair salon, and an entertainment venue. It houses the new Seto international center and even a community gym.

Other places of interest in Seto include Seto Gura, where there is a Seto City History museum, the local Apita (a store for all your everyday needs) and the city park (Seto Koen), which is even home to a family of monkeys. You may see raccoon dogs in this area, as they are also happy inhabitants of the Seto area.

Seto has six local high schools: Seto H.S., Seto Nishi H.S., Seto Kita H.S., Seto Yogyo H.S., Seirei H.S, and Saint Capitanio. Every Christmas, the chorus from Seirei Girls H.S. sings a holiday concert in Nagoya.

Seto also boasts Nagoya Gakuin University

Nagoya Gakuin University

is a small, private university located in Nagoya, Japan . Founded in 1887 by Dr. Frederick C. Klein, an American Methodist minister, Nagoya Gakuin University follows the principles of “fearing God and loving people” in trying to educate students "to become virtuous and gentle people with care and...

, which hosts a large number of international exchange students in addition to awarding degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...

 levels.

On March 25, 2005, Expo 2005

Expo 2005

Expo 2005 was the World's Fair held for 185 days between Friday, March 25 and Sunday, September 25, 2005, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of the city of Nagoya. It was a Specialized International Exhibition under the scheme of the 1972 protocol of the Convention relating to International Exhibitions...

 opened with its main site being in Nagakute

Nagakute, Aichi

is a town located in Aichi District, Aichi, Japan.On March 25, 2005, Expo 2005 opened with its main site being in Nagakute...

and additional activity in Seto. Buses ran to/from the EXPO from both Parti Seto and Seto Gura. The expo continued until September 25, 2005.

External links

• Seto official website (English version)