Course Summary
Doing business in Japan: A gateway to the Asian market. Japanese regions: economic profile. Investing in Japan. Foreign direct investment FDI
Japan: The world's second-largest market.
Japan's population is over
126 million. Most Japanese reside in densely populated urban areas. Japan's capital city is Tokyo.
A member state of the
United Nations since 1956, Japan has served as a non-permanent Security Council member for a total of
19 years, most recently in 2009. It is also one of the G4 nations seeking permanent membership in the Security Council. As a member of the G8, the
APEC, the "
ASEAN Plus Three" and a participant in the East Asia Summit, Japan actively participates in
international affairs and enhances diplomatic ties with its important partners around the world.
Bilateral Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with Japan (as of April 2009):
Singapore,
Mexico,
Malaysia, the
Philippines, Chili, Thailand,
Brunei,
Vietnam, Switzerland and
Indonesia.
The Japanese economy is the second largest market economy in the world. Japanese brands like Toyota, Sony, Fujifilm, and Panasonic are famous across the
globe.
Manufacturing is one of Japan's strengths, but the country has few natural resources. One common pattern is for Japanese companies to import
raw materials and then process them to make finished products, which are sold domestically or exported.
One of the most promising fields for future economic growth is
robotics, in which Japanese technology leads the world.
Sample of the Course:
Japanese regions: economic profile.
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Hokkaido. Fishing and forestry are important parts of
Hokkaido’s agriculture and underlie much of the island’s industrial activity,
including food processing, woodworking, pulp, and paper industries. The capital
city is Sapporo.
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Tohoku. The Tohoku area is primarily agricultural
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Kanto. This region, which includes such key cities as Tokyo,
Yokohama, Kawasaki, Saitama, and Chiba, is the most populous region of Japan.
The
hub of the region, the Tokyo-Yokohama district, is the core of Japan’s
commerce and industry.
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Chubu. It has three industrial areas: the Chukyo Industrial
Zone, which is home to the main facility of Toyota Motors; the Tokai Industrial
Region, where Yamaha is based; and the Hokuriku Industrial Region.
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Kinki Kansai. Located in west central Honshu, the Kinki
region is Japan’s second most important area in terms of industry. The ancient
capital of Kyoto is in Kinki.
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Chugoku (Hiroshima and Nagasaki)
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Shikoku, is the smallest of Japan’s four main islands
Kyushu (Okinawa). The Kita Kyushu Industrial Zone contains a
concentration of heavy and chemical
industries.
Tokyo is the center of one of the world's largest metropolitan
regions, and is a hub of dynamic economic and consumer activity. Half of Japan's
publicly listed corporations are headquartered in Tokyo, along with a high
number of venture capital firms and SMEs with unique technology.
The Port of Tokyo operates a total of 15 container berths,
including the piers at Oi and Aomi, which can handle 50,000-ton, large container
vessels.
Approximately 360,000 foreign people from 170 countries are living in Tokyo.
Osaka, being located practically in the center of Japan, is the
largest city in western part of Japan and one of the most important urban
conurbations as well. Osaka
Port is one of Japan's leading ports. The Kinki
region, with Osaka at its center, boasts an economy larger than those of
Australia and the Netherlands, and possess huge potential for such reasons as
its strength in trade with Asia and other areas.
Investing in Japan. Foreign direct investment FDI.
In addition to possessing high purchasing power, Japanese consumers are early
adapters and move quickly to stay on the cutting edge of the latest
technologies. Many global products have originated in Japan or have gained a
competitive edge by being developed in Japan. Japan is often seen as a superb
test market for the introduction of new global products and services.
Japan is one of the world's largest markets for luxury goods.
GOTO INC is the world's leading manufacturer of planetariums.
Bringing together opto-mechanical and digital video imaging systems in order to
offer an entirely new planetarium experience, the company has developed a "GOTO
HYBRID PLANETARIUM™."
Japan’s Retail Market. Japan boasts the world’s second largest
retail market, with a value exceeding US$1,124 billion (135 trillion yen, 2007).
In addition to its size, the enormous influence of Japan’s retail industry
attracts global attention as being the origin of many Asian trends.
ESCAP - World Trade Organization
Business, Japan, Japanese, Economy, Foreign Trade, Tokyo, Osaka, Doing Business, gateway, Asian, market, Japanese, regions, economic, profile, Investing, Foreign, direct, investment, FDI
