Located in the rich Japanese heartland and bordering Kyoto, Yamato is a valuable asset for its owners. Yamato gives its name to the earliest Japanese empire, which originated here, and Todai-ji, Japan's largest temple, can be found here. The word "Yamato" is often used in conjunction with subjects and values that are seen as traditionally very Japanese: it has a deep resonance in the culture. This was why the largest warship (other than modern aircraft carriers) ever constructed was the Imperial Japanese Navy's Yamato, a 73,000 ton super-battleship armed with 410mm guns. The ship saw only limited action in the Second World War, and was sunk by US aircraft in April 1945. The great vessel capsized and then exploded; the captain and commanding admiral went down with their ship.