Where to invest in Japan's local regions

Niigata

the only designated city in the Sea of Japan

Koshihikari, specialties of Niigata prefecture

Niigata, one of the largest centers of food, machinery and metal industries

Regional News

Contact

Department of Industry and Labor , Industrial Establishment Division

4-1 Shinko-cho, Chuo-ku, Niigata-city, Niigata Prefecture, 950-8570


Basic information

Population *1

2304 thousand

Labor force *1

1184 thousand

Nominal GDP*2

N.A.

Number of Establishments*3

114,895 establishments

JETRO office
  1. *1

    Population Census 2015, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

  2. *2

    Prefectural Citizens'Economic Accounts 2018, Cabinet Office

  3. *3

    "2016 Economic Sensus", Statstics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Basic information updated on:Jan. 2022

Business Environment

Niigata Prefecture is endowed with abundant nature, such as the sea, rivers, plains, and mountains. It is full of beautiful scenery and charm where people can enjoy nature's blessings in four seasons. There are many advantages for operating businesses here: clean air, rich water, and natural resources such as natural gas and petroleum.

Located in Japan's center on the Sea of Japan coast, Niigata has accumulated regional industries such as metalwork. It has well-developed distribution networks based on multiple expressways, Niigata Port, the largest base port in the Sea of Japan in Honshu, and the Niigata Airport. Thus, it has played a significant role as a production and logistics base for Japan and overseas.

It has also been in the limelight as a backup base for diversifying the risk of simultaneous damage in the event of a massive earthquake in the Tokyo metropolitan area or in the Nankai Trough, which could happen in the near future.

Niigata prefecture strives to support companies' global business expansions by fully capitalizing on regional resources along with one of the most generous incentive programs in Japan and providing meticulous one-stop services and follow-up support.

Incentives

Subsidy to promote industrial location for the creation of future

Subsidies

This subsidy supports the establishment of companies that generate high added value and attractive employment opportunities.

General type (mainly for manufacturing)
Subsidy details:
5% of investment in production equipment
1/2 of rent for production facility (for one year)
1/2 of rent for offices and facilities for employees (for one year)
1/2 of annual expenses for recruiting and acquiring employees, etc. (for one year)
1/2 of monthly salary for new employees, etc.(one year).

Subsidy requirements:
Capital investment of 500 million yen or more in production facility
An increase of 200 million yen or more in value added within one year after commencement of business

Growth business type (mainly for IT companies, call centers, etc.)
Subsidy details:
1/5 of rent for offices and facilities for employees (for five years)
1/5 of annual expenses for recruiting and acquiring employees, etc. (for five years)
1/5 of annual salaries for new employees, etc. (for five years)

Subsidy requirements:
An increase of 200 million yen or more in added value within five years after commencement of business (36.28 million yen for a business in the information and communications industry)

Industrial cluster information

manufacturing

Niigata Prefecture boasts a well-developed logistics infrastructure made up of the largest port on the Sea of Japan and expressway networks and clusters of businesses with advanced technologies. It provides excellent and inexpensive industrial sites, including prefectural industrial parks.

List of Niigata Prefectural Industrial Parks
Niigata Nakajo Core Industrial Park:
Total land area available for sale:10.4ha
Price: 9,890 yen/sqm (32,637yen / 3.3sqm)
Access:
23km from Niigata East Port
7km from Nakajo Interchange of Nihonkai Tohoku Expressway
350km from Tokyo, 175km from Sendai
The Tainai Smart Interchange on Nihonkai Tohoku Expressway is scheduled to open near the park in 2022.

Niigata Eastern Industrial Park:
Total land area available for sale: 21.8ha
Price: 9,200 yen/sqm (30,360 yen/3.3sqm)
Access:
25km from Niigata East Port
4km from Yasuda Interchange on Ban-etsu Expressway
320km from Tokyo, 220km from Sendai

Niigata Southern Industrial Park:
Total land area available for sale:15.9ha
Price: 12,300 yen/sqm (40,590 yen/3.3 sqm)
Access:
1.5km from Naoetsu Port
5km from Joetsu Interchange of Hokuriku Expressway
290km from Tokyo, 320km from Nagoya

Local companies

Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd., Canon Tokki Co., Ltd., Bourbon Co., Ltd., Corona Co., Ltd., Kameda Seika Co., Ltd.

Educational/research institutes of the industry

Niigata University, Nagaoka University of Technology, Industrial Research Institute of Niigata Prefecture, Niigata Industrial Creation Organization, etc

IT and Information-related industries

In addition to avoiding the risk of simultaneous disaster with major locations in the Pacific region, Niigata prefecture is the nearest to the Tokyo metropolitan area in the Sea of Japan region. It is also home to universities with information engineering departments and vocational schools for the information-related fields, providing highly-skilled and diligent human resources.
Besides, it is an excellent location for satellite offices that enable both work and personal lives, thanks to the surrounding nature, such as mountains and the sea.

Local companies

BSN INET Co., Ltd., Mebius Corporation, N.S.COMPUTER SERVICE CO.,LTD., Fuller, Inc.

Educational/research institutes of the industry

Niigata High Technology College, Niigata Computer College, Niigata Information College, Forum Information Academy

Living environment

Advisors at the Niigata International Association provides consultation to foreign residents on issues related to living in Niigata.

Logistics and infrastructures

Niigata offers a fully developed transportation infrastructure featuring three expressways: the Kan-estu, Hokuriku, and Nihonkai-Tohoku.
Also, all industrial parks in Niigata are located near an interchange for one of these expressways, allowing for easy access to the major consumer markets within Japan.

Niigata Airport
6 international routes and 8 domestic routes

Niigata Port
Niigata Port's development as the only "Core International Port" on the Sea of Japan side has been making steady progress. It provides direct access to fast-growing China, Russia, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. It is linked to various destinations around the world through transshipment in Busan six times a week.

From Tokyo
Tokyo - Niigata: approx. 2 hours (1 hour and 37 minutes at the fastest) by Joetsu Shinkansen
Tokyo - Joetsu-Myoko: approx. 1 hour and 50 minutes by Hokuriku Shinkansen

From Nagoya
Nagoya-Tokyo-Niigata: approx. 3 hours and 40 minutes by Tokaido Shinkansen and Joetsu Shinkansen

From Osaka
ShinOsaka-Tokyo-Niigata: approx. 4 hours 30 minutes by Tokaido Shinkansen and Joetsu Shinkansen
ShinOsaka-Kanazawa-Itoigawa: approx. 3 hours 40 minutes by Hokuriku line and Hokuriku Shinkansen

Map of Niigata

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