Investing in Japan

Aomori

The information below is as of March 2011.

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• Basic Information
• Regional Profile
• Services for investment in Japan
• Available incentives
• Links to Related Websites

Basic Information

Population*1	1.37 million
Labor force*1	0.71 million
Area*2	9,645 km²
GDP*3	4,475,137 million yen
Major industries	Agriculture, forestry and fisheries; manufacturing; construction; wholesale
Developing industries	Electrical machinery; general machinery; wholesale and retail
JETRO office	JETRO Aomori

*1 Population Census 2010, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications　*2 Area data 2010, Geospatial Information Authority of Japan *3 Prefectural Citizens' Economic Accounts 2008, Cabinet Office

*Ask the local government for the latest data.

Regional Profile

Strength of the region's industries and economy

In addition to making an active effort to attract advanced leading-edge companies in such industries as automotive, FPD, and environmental recycling, Aomori is working to develop a cluster of industries that take maximum advantage of the prefecture’s abundant nature and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries resources as well as its local talent in advanced technologies and other areas in order to develop a distinct “Aomori-type Industry”. Above all, Aomori has sought to encourage a concentration of automotive-related industries in the prefecture in order to capitalize on the major economic effect these industries have on local companies and others, due to the fact that automotive-related industries are intertwined with a broad range of other industries.

Strength of the region's education/research institutes

Aomori is a leader in producing superior human resources in the sciences thanks to the presence of Hirosaki University, Hachinohe Institute of Technology, Aomori University, Hachinohe National College of Technology and numerous other advanced polytechnic institutes, vocational polytechnic colleges, industrial high schools, etc. The number of new graduates each year is around 18,700, with approximately 3,600 of those specializing in the sciences. In addition, the Aomori Prefectural Industrial Technology Research Center (Aomori City), Hirosaki Regional Laboratory (Hirosaki City), and Hachinohe Regional Laboratory (Hachinohe City) provide technical guidance and improvements.

Strength of the region's industry-government-academia collaboration

Aomori is undertaking four specific initiative strategies aimed at helping it achieve its goal of being recognized for a distinctive “Aomori-type Industry”.

• Strategy1: Cultivate Aomori as the “Crystal Valley” and take advantage of cutting-edge technology in nanotechnology research and other areas
• Strategy 2: Make use of environmental and energy industry creation zones and Aomori eco-friendly towns to develop the environmental and energy industries and to establish Aomori as a base for research and development
• Strategy 3: Use the prefecture’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries resources through the “agro-industry ‘best mix’ for new industry creation” concept to develop new products with high added-value and to promote commercialization
• Strategy 4: Develop the medical and health and welfare-related industries using the “Wellness Land” concept, among others
• Strategy 5: Use the Aomori automotive-related industry promotional strategy to develop the concentration of the automotive-related industry in Aomori

And in order to cultivate the superior human resources needed to support the implementation of these strategies, a sixth initiative strategy - the “cultivation of human resources suited to the development of Aomori-type industry” - will be implemented jointly with Hirosaki University, Hachinohe Institute of Technology, Hachinohe National College of Technology and other education and research institutions.

Strength of the region's infrastructure

Aomori is at the center of the increasing concentration of semiconductor-related industries and automotive-related industries taking place in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions. The prefecture maintains expressways, railways, sea transport and other transport facilities enabling growth into the surrounding Tohoku and Hokkaido regions.

<Land>

Currently the Tohoku Jukan Expressway runs between Aomori City and Hachinohe City, and in addition, an organic network of roads ties the entire prefecture together.

<Air>

All major cities in Japan can be reached from the Aomori and Misawa Airports. Also, Aomori Airport is the first locally administered airport to maintain a category III instrument landing system, which drastically reduces the danger posed by dense fog and offers other features which greatly increase the safety and reliability of the airport.

<Sea>

The Port of Mutsu Ogawara, the Port of Aomori, and the Port of Hachinohe are specially-designated ports that run domestic feeder routes connecting with the Port of Yokohama as well as domestic RORO trade routes connecting with the major cities in Japan. In addition, these ports maintain regular container routes connecting with North America, Korea and Southeast Asia.

<Railway>

In 2010 the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) will reach Aomori City, the seat of the prefectural government. Tokyo Station can be reached from Shin-Aomori Station in as little as three hours and twenty minutes by the fastest train, enabling people to travel from the main cities in Aomori to the Tokyo metropolitan area and back within a day.

Services for investment in Japan

Menu of services	Fees charged?	Content of services
Providing market information
Advice on market participation	No	Any questions that companies might have will be responded to promptly.
Support for finding customers
Listing of potential customers and partners	No	Companies will be introduced to affiliate companies, technical support institutions (Aomori Prefectural Industrial Technology Research Center) and others.
Listing of potential customers and partners	No	Any questions that companies might have will be responded to promptly.
Support for establishing a base
Providing incubation facilities or other facilities	No	Companies will receive advice on selecting optimal sites to meet their expansion plans and will be introduced to the full range of preferential treatment afforded by Aomori Prefecture.
Providing information on procedures for investing in Japan	No	Any questions that companies might have will be responded to promptly.
Arranging the meetings needed to establish a base (real estate, manpower services)	No	Aomori offers one-stop service through the Aomori Industry Promotion Division and its branch offices outside the prefecture in helping make the necessary arrangements for establishing facilities in Aomori.
Introduction of available properties and advice on hiring personnel	No	In addition to helping companies choose sites optimally suited to their business expansion plans, Aomori offers one-stop service through the Aomori Industry Promotion Division and its branch offices outside the prefecture in helping secure human resources using the prefecture’s placement center which is specifically focused on providing perfectly matched human resources as a means of attracting corporate expansion into Aomori.
Providing information on permits and licensing procedures	No	Aomori offers one-stop service through the Aomori Industry Promotion Division and its branch offices outside the prefecture in providing information relating to procedures for obtaining approval and licenses.
Providing information on subsidy programs	No	Aomori offers one-stop service through the Aomori Industry Promotion Division and its branch offices outside the prefecture in providing information relating to Aomori’s subsidy system.

Available incentives

In addition to offering a subsidy system whereby up to 2 billion yen is offered as support for initial capital investment in buildings and machinery, there are a number of large-scale industrial parks, such as the Mutsu Ogawa Development Region, which help subsidize site acquisition.
As for running costs, facilities established in the areas surrounding the nuclear power generation and other power generation facilities of Rokkasho Village, Misawa City and elsewhere will receive power at a discounted rate for the first eight years of operation. In some cases this discount can be nearly 100%. Also, nearly all municipalities offer a preferential treatment through tax exemption and other tax relief for three to five years for fixed property tax and corporate enterprise tax.

• Industrial location guide: Location guide for enterprises in Aomori Prefecture

Links to Related Websites

Local governments and related organizations

• Official website: Aomori Prefectural Government
• Industrial location guide: Location guide for enterprises in Aomori Prefecture

Transportation / living

• Healthcare: Medical facilities in Aomori which have foreign-language capabilities.
• International exchange: Aomori International Exchange Association
• Other living information : Aomori Cultural Sightseeing Guide