Where to invest in Japan's local regions

Toyama

PR video:IN TOYAMA short ver. (1:00)

Toyama Prefecture

Fushiki-Toyama Port

Toyama Prefecture, with low earthquake or flood damage risks, boasts virtually the No. 1 industrial cluster on the Sea of Japan side

Regional News

Contact

Industrial Location & Trade Division, Toyama Prefectural Government

1-7 Shinsogawa, Toyama-city, Toyama Prefecture, 930-8501


Basic information

Population *1

1066 thousand

Labor force *1

556 thousand

Nominal GDP*2

N.A.

Number of Establishments*3

52,660 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

Toyama Prefecture has many excellent foundations that it takes pride in domestically and overseas, including beautiful and rich nature, diverse history and culture, manufacturing traditions and world-class technologies, abundant water, and inexpensive electricity. It is one of the leading industrial clusters on the Sea of Japan side.
Typhoons and other flood damages are rare, and there are very few earthquakes here. It is a safe and secure region optimal for risk diversification.
In addition, located at the center of the Sea of Japan coast, it has a network of land, sea, and air transportation and logistics infrastructure. The Hokuriku Shinkansen links Tokyo and Toyama in about two hours. Toyama is home to the Fushiki-Toyama Port, a comprehensive hub port on the Sea of Japan coast, and the Toyama Kitokito Airport that handles regular international routes. Its expressway network extends to the three major metropolitan areas. Toyama is the "crossroads of Hokuriku," connecting prefectures and regions in the east, west, north, and south, as well as the world. If the Hokuriku Shinkansen line reaches Osaka in the future, it will increase Toyama's geographical advantage further.
And above all, there is a "power of people" that is diligent, persistent, and full of enterprising spirit.
We have a tremendous industrial base to welcome companies to establish bases here.

Foreign company(s) operating in the prefecture: AIG Japan Holdings KK

Incentives

Subsidy for establishment of new businesses facilities (factories, headquarters functions)

Subsidies

Subsidies for business investment spent in building or expanding plants, etc.
[Maximum subsidy amount per plant site] Up to 5 billion yen
[Target industries] Manufacturing, software business, industrial design
[Subsidy targets] Land, buildings, and facilities
[Major requirements]
New establishment: Investment in fixed assets of 500 million yen or more and new employment of 20 or more workers (10 or more in non-manufacturing)
Expansion: Investment in fixed assets of 1.5 billion yen or more and new employment of 30 or more workers (15 or more employees in non-manufacturing)
In the case of the design industry, investment in fixed assets of 100 million yen or more and new employment of 5 or more workers.
[Subsidy rate] 10% (5% for non-manufacturing) of investment amount (Note)
Note: the amount of spending to acquire land, buildings, and depreciable assets (excluding vehicles and transportation equipment, tools, furniture, fixtures, etc.)

Subsidy for the transfer of headquarter functions from outside the prefecture
Subsidies of up to 3 billion yen depending on the amount of investment and the number of new employees.
[Subsidy targets] Land, buildings, and facilities
[Major requirements]
Investment in fixed assets of 50 million yen or more and new employment of 5 or more workers
[Subsidy rate] 10% of the investment amount

Subsidy for establishment of new businesses facilities (R&D center)

Subsidies

Subsidies for investment in building or expanding R&D centers, etc.
Subsidies of up to 500 million yen depending on the amount of investment and the number of newly employed researchers.
[Target industries] Natural science R&D centers
[Subsidy targets] Land, buildings, and facilities
[Major requirements] Investment in fixed assets of 100 million yen or more and new employment of 10 or more researchers.

Subsidies for the employment of researchers, etc.
[Subsidy amount] the number of newly-employed researchers x 0.5 million yen (up to 100 million yen)
[Target industries] Researchers of natural science R&D centers and designers in the design industry
[Major requirements] Investment in fixed assets of 30 million yen or more and new employment of 10 or more researchers

Subsidy for establishment of distribution business facilities

Subsidies

Subsidies for establishing facilities that contribute to upgrading logistics functions within 5 kilometers from the prefecture's social capital (railway freight stations, ports, fishing ports, airports, distribution business parks, and industrial parks, such as expressway interchanges) or wholesale markets.
[Target industries] Manufacturing, truck cargo transport, warehousing, packaging, wholesaling, retailing
[Investment requirements]
New establishment: investment of 500 million yen or more
Expansion: investment of 1.5 billion yen or more
[Employment requirements]
New establishment: new employment of 10 or more workers
Expansion: new employment of 15 or more new workers (excluding drivers)
[Facility requirements]
Facilities that contribute to the sophistication of logistics functions, not only storage and delivery, but also inventory management, inspection, and packaging
[Other conditions]
Logistics facilities that handle only the cargo of a specific company are not eligible
[Subsidy amount]
5% of investment in fixed assets (Note) (up to 100 million yen)
Note: the amount of spending to acquire land, buildings, and depreciable assets (excluding vehicles and transportation equipment, tools, furniture, fixtures, etc.)

Industrial cluster information

Electronic devices-related manufacturing industry

Toyama's location fully meets the requirements of semiconductor and other device manufacturers, such as high quality and abundant water, inexpensive and stable electricity, few natural disasters, and convenient transportation. In the IT-related manufacturing industry, parts and processing manufacturers, such as base/materials used in global products and electrical components/functional parts, have accumulated, providing the base for parts supply and processing to device manufacturers. Similar trends are prominent from Niigata to Ishikawa and Fukui, centered on Toyama Prefecture, forming an "electronic device street."
Toyama Prefecture supports the development of unique technologies and new products or initiatives to enter new fields by companies in the prefecture through cooperation between industry, academia, and government. The Innovation Promotion Center in the Toyama New Industry Organization plays a central role in coordinating between companies, universities, and research institutions.
In addition, the Toyama Industrial Technology Research and Development Center has functioned as a center for technological development in cooperation with industry, academia, and government, and for fostering human resources for manufacturing to further develop the manufacturing industry in Toyama Prefecture.

Local companies

Tower Partners Semiconductor Co., Ltd., Toyama Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., ZEON CORPORATION, and KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION

Educational/research institutes of the industry

Toyama University, Toyama Prefectural University, and Toyama Prefectural Industrial Technology R&D Center

Others

Toyama General Manufacturing Industry Trade Fair (T-Messe)

Pharmaceutical-related manufacturing

Toyama Prefecture has a 300-plus year tradition of pharmaceuticals and still boasts one of the top positions in the country. With approximately 80 pharmaceutical manufacturers and more than 100 manufacturing centers, we are also expanding our lineup of packaging containers and other related industries, which have earned us a high reputation as a pharmaceutical production base.
Toyama Prefecture has established Toyama Prefectural Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, the only public research institute specializing in pharmaceutical affairs in Japan. It is engaged in research and development, testing, analysis, and technical guidance of pharmaceuticals to companies, etc., under three centers: Research Center for Drug Development and Quality Control, Center for Innovation in Pharmaceutical Development and Drug Delivery, and Medicinal Plants Center. The center is furnished with advanced analytical equipment, formulation machinery, and testing devices. It is working to support high value-added research and development of biopharmaceuticals, formulation development by companies, and the establishment of medicinal plant cultivation technology.
In addition, to further develop the pharmaceutical industry, Toyama Prefecture launched the 'Toyama Pharmaceutical Valley Development Consortium' in October 2018. The industry, academia, and government in Toyama Prefecture work closely together to support R&D in the pharmaceutical field, promote the pharmaceutical sector in Toyama Prefecture, and develop and acquire professional human resources.
Furthermore, we support the overseas expansion of pharmaceutical companies through the Hokuriku Branch of PMDA, etc.

Local companies

FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma Tech Co., Ltd., Yuskin Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd., and ActivePhama.co.jp

Educational/research institutes of the industry

Toyama University, Toyama Prefectural University, and Toyama Prefectural Institute for Pharmaceutical Research

Others

Toyama General Manufacturing Industry Trade Fair (T-Messe)

Machinery and metal-related manufacturing

Since before World War II, Toyama has been developing a solid aluminum industry that uses the prefecture's copper and cast metal processing technology, becoming the nation's leading aluminum production center and a world-class manufacturer of fasteners. It is also home to many excellent parts makers that supply to advanced machinery-related manufacturers and automobile manufacturers; an industrial cluster that could be called the "Tokai-Hokuriku Machinery Road" connecting the busy Chukyo and Tokai machinery industry regions.
Toyama Prefecture supports the development of unique technologies and new products or initiatives to enter new fields by companies in the prefecture through cooperation between industry, academia, and government. The Innovation Promotion Center in the Toyama New Industry Organization plays a central role in coordinating between companies, universities, and research institutions.
In addition, the Toyama Industrial Technology Research and Development Center has functioned as a center for technological development in cooperation with industry, academia, and government, and for fostering human resources for manufacturing to further develop the manufacturing industry in Toyama Prefecture.

Local companies

YKK Corporation, Sankyo Tateyama, Inc., NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP., and Mitsubishi FUSO Bus Manufacturing Co.,Ltd.

Educational/research institutes of the industry

Toyama University, Toyama Prefectural University, and Toyama Prefectural Industrial Technology R&D Center

Others

Toyama General Manufacturing Industry Trade Fair (T-Messe)

Living environment

The living standard in Toyama in terms of homeownership and home floor space is amongst the highest in Japan. In addition, it possesses well-developed social capital, such as roads, coupled with a low number of fire incidents, resulting in the best living environment in Japan. Toyama's working households have some of the highest average incomes, a high number of dual-income families, and a high percentage of working women, making Toyama a wealthy prefecture in terms of household finances. Toyama residents are hardworking, value their ties to their families and communities, and are eager to learn about new things.

Logistics and infrastructures

As a center of exchange for Northeast Asia, Toyama maintains air and sea routes with countries around the Sea of Japan through Toyama Kitokito Airport and Fushiki-Toyama Port.

[Land]
Railway to Tokyo (2 hours and 8 minutes), Shin-Osaka (3 hours), and Nagoya (2 hours and 55 minutes)
Expressway to Tokyo (4 hours 50 minutes), Osaka (4 hours 15 minutes), Nagoya (3 hours)
[Air] Toyama Kitokito Airport
Two scheduled domestic flights: Tokyo (55 minutes) and Sapporo (1 hour and 25 minutes)
Four scheduled international flights: Seoul (2 hours), Dalian (2 hours, 15 minutes), Shanghai (2 hours, 30 minutes), Taipei (2 hours, 55 minutes)
[Sea] Fushiki-Toyama Port (international trade port)
Regular container liners operate on routes to China (2 to Dalian, 1 to Qingdao, 2 to Shanghai, 1 to Tianjin, and 1 to Ningbo every week), South Korea (4 to Busan, 2 to Ulsan, and 2 to Gwangyang weekly), and Russia (15 to Vladivostok and 2 to Vostochny monthly).

Map of Toyama

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