Nanao

▪ Japan

      city, Ishikawa ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan, on the Noto Peninsula, facing Nanao Bay. During the Tokugawa Era (1603–1867), the castle town served as a naval base for the Maeda daimyo family, who possessed several European ships, while Japan isolated itself from the rest of the world. The port was opened to trade with Russia, China, and Korea after the arrival of a railway in 1899. In its most prosperous days, the port was visited by an estimated 7,000 ships annually. Its importance declined, however, with the development of land transportation in the 20th century. Imports are now largely restricted to small quantities of wood and manganese ore from Russia. Industries include cement manufacture and lumber processing. Pop. (2005) 61,871.

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