Gifu Prefecture is located almost in the middle of the Japanese Islands between Tokyo and Osaka.
The area is substantially mountain ranges in the north and abundant natural and beautiful rivers to the south. Gifu Prefecture is one of the few prefectures the do not face the sea in Japan. 
The area is the seventh largest in Japan. The topographic features are complex, and the climate is quite different between the north and central sections, which creates an excellent habitat for a variety of animals and plants.

Area	10,621.17 ㎡
Population	Approx. 2,080,000
Annual Average Temperature	Northern Part: 10.6 C Central Part: 15.5 C

From ancient times, Gifu Prefecture was a place where crafting was a predominant business, such as swords and pottery, and there were many places for these industries, including the new IT industry. Manufacturing is the principal industry of Gifu Prefecture.
Fifteen percent of business entities in Gifu Prefecture are engaged in manufacturing, and the ratio is the highest in Japan.
In Kakamigahara City, where IAC is located, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force has the Gifu Airbase where the Air Development and Test Wing is stationed. Surrounding the airbase, many companies in the area are involved in metalworking for aircraft and automotive parts.
Kakamigahara City is the place where an airplane from France first landed in Japan in June 1917, and the city is also the place where the Salmson 2A-2, the first airplane built in Japan, had its maiden flight on November 9, 1922.
In the city, the Japanese army opened an airbase and deployed air squadrons. It is said that Kakamigahara was suitable for test flights. In the Aerospace Science Museum in Kakamigahara City, a replica of the Salmson 2A-2 and other experimental aircraft that contributed to the development of aeronautical technology in Japan are exhibited.