Nagoya abuzz with preparations to welcome Asian Games visitors

NAGOYA - With the Asian Games less than a month away, businesses and local authorities in Nagoya are stepping up preparations to welcome spectators from Japan and abroad, ranging from special events such as a cosplay parade at a shopping arcade to the training of hotel staff to better serve guests.

Located in the heart of the capital of Aichi Prefecture, the Osu shopping district is abuzz with plans to give a warm welcome to visitors in the run-up to the games from Sept. 19 through Oct. 4. Offering people the experience of pounding a mochi Japanese rice cake and a cosplay parade are in the works, organizers say.