Fukuoka city

Fukuoka city has a geographical advantage as the closest Japanese city to Asian cities in China, South Korea, and others. Hakata and Tenjin, the city's economic centers, have excellent access from the international airport, only 10 minutes by subway. Fukuoka ranks first among Japan's government-ordinance designated cities in terms of population growth rate and the young population ratio. In particular, the city is trying to accumulate IT human resources and companies as "Engineer Friendly City Fukuoka," a growing city in which engineers gather and play active roles. Furthermore, the city has been actively supporting startups since 2012. In 2020, Fukuoka was the only city to be selected by the national government as a "global base city" to support the development of startups intensively. Thus it serves as a base to create leading companies.

Fukuoka city provides subsidies to companies establishing businesses in the target fields in Fukuoka city to cover parts of their investment, lease, employment, and establishment expenses according to the business field, location, office floor area, and the number of employees.

Fukuoka city promotes the recruitment of highly-skilled foreign professionals by adding extra points under the point-based system for granting "highly-skilled foreign professionals" residence status for foreign persons working at companies receiving the Fukuoka City Business Establishment Support Program subsidies.

Businesses who are certified under Section 2 of Article 17 of the Local Revitalization Act and fulfill the requirements of "Fukuoka City Ordinance on the Promotion of the Development of Head Office Functions in the Areas for Improving Local Vibrancy" are eligible for preferential tax treatments on buildings, structures, machine equipment, or land (hereinafter referred to as "buildings, etc.") newly acquired for head office functions.

Startup Visa Available

Well-reputed as a town rich in young talent and as an excellent town to work in, a cluster of creative-related industries is developing with a focus on digital content industries, including video games, fashion, design, movies, and music.

In response to the government's international financial center initiative, Fukuoka city has announced to attract international financial functions. It plans to accumulate them by capitalizing on its base cities' characteristics on the Sea of Japan, which can avoid simultaneous damage with Tokyo and Osaka, its proximity to East Asia, and its comfortable living conditions.

The transfer of head office functions to Fukuoka is taking place to promote BCP measures and work-life balance, reflecting the trends for decentralization from the concentration in Tokyo to regions.

Fukuoka city is acclaimed by the British magazine "Monocle" and others as one of the world's most friendly cities for foreign residents. According to a survey on business persons in Japan, Fukuoka city was ranked No. 1 in "good place to live" and No. 2 in "desirable place to live." Thanks to its compact size, the city ranks first in commute time for work or school among the seven major metropolitan areas in Japan. The low cost of living, such as rent, is highly evaluated. Fukuoka City International Foundation established an office called "Rainbow Plaza" to provide the information required for daily life, consultation, counseling, and legal advice for foreign residents in Fukuoka.

The city has daily flights to Busan, Seoul, Shanghai, Dalian, Taipei, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. The flight schedule enables travelers to make a same-day return business trip to Busan, Seoul, and Shanghai. Fukuoka Airport, which serves 19 international and 28 domestic routes, the Port of Hakata with container routes, expressway interchange, and freight railway stations are conveniently located in the city. It has gained a reputation as logistics bases with East Asia recently.

Connected to 19 cities overseas, an increasing number of passengers and cargoes fly from Fukuoka Airport every year as a hub of Asia. It has become Japan's third-largest international airport in terms of trade value, following Narita and Kansai. Fukuoka Airport offers excellent access to major cities in Asia; Shanghai is 90 minutes away, and Seoul is 70 minutes away.

Fukuoka city has established the Global Startup Center (GSC), a one-stop support desk for foreign entrepreneurs starting a business or overseas startups advancing to the city. It also set up the Global Finance Center (GFC), a one-stop support desk specializing in international finance.
Experienced counselors provide advice for setting up a business, startup visa applications, business matching, and other matters for free. Besides, Fukuoka city cooperates with startup support facilities to collect overseas information and support overseas expansions and matching with overseas companies.