Regional Business Conference (RBC) in Hokkaido

June 2019

From June 3 to 7, JETRO jointly held a Regional Business Conference (RBC) in Hokkaido with the prefectural government and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). With the attendance of 20 companies from Hong Kong interested in doing business in the prefecture, the advantages of Hokkaido, such as its abundant tourism resources, and the benefits of doing business locally were publicized by Governor Naomichi Suzuki and the heads of individual municipalities in Hokkaido.

An RBC is a program in which METI and JETRO work together with local authorities to invite overseas companies and conduct direct promotion by the governor and other leading figures and matching with local companies. Hokkaido has repeatedly reached out to business people in Hong Kong to invest into the prefecture through efforts such a visit to Hong Kong by then Governor Harumi Takahashi in January 2018 and holding an investment consultation seminar in the city the following October. As a result of these efforts, 28 business people attended this RBC from 20 companies involved in management of facilities related to tourism among affiliate companies of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC), Hong Kong's largest economic association with approximately 4,000 members.

At the welcome reception on the evening of June 3, Governor Suzuki delivered an impassioned message to the Hong Kong companies: "Currently, 200,000 people come to Hokkaido from Hong Kong every year. In addition to being an important export destination for Hokkaido, Hong Kong is an invaluable partner in terms of investment, as can be seen in the example of Niseko, a town enjoying an economic boom with investment from Hong Kong. I hope for all of you to see our potential in various fields." Tsuyoshi Makino; Director-General of the Hokkaido Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry; stated that his bureau would energize the tourism industry with the Hokkaido Government through the promotion of adventure tourism* and expressed his hope that attendees would consider investment into the industry through the program. Following that, a representative of the Hong Kong companies offered the following response: "We are excited to learn what business and investment opportunities await in Hokkaido. In this regard, we are eager to deepen our understanding of the region’s nature and food."

At the reception venue, Muroran City, Esashi Town and Kamoenai Village, municipalities in Hokkaido with strong interest in drawing investment from overseas, set up introduction corners where the mayor of each conducted direct promotion.

* Adventure tourism: A type of tourism consisting of at least two of the following elements: "activity," "nature" and "cross-cultural experience"

In addition, Hideki Asano, General Affairs and Administration Manager at BLUE WAVES Group (headquartered in Singapore), introduced its outdoor facility opened in Akaigawa Village as an example of investment into adventure tourism in the prefecture. The facility has been attracting tourists while increasing the activities that can be experienced every year. He also announced plans to open another activity cottages incorporating an Ainu style in Niseko at the end of 2019.

During the question-and-answer session, requests were made by participants for more information on Eastern Hokkaido as it was the first time to learn about the area’s advantages. Specific questions, such as about incentives for investment and salary levels when hiring employees in the prefecture, were also asked one after another, indicating great interest in Hokkaido among the Hong Kong companies.