GREATER NAGOGYA INITIATIVE Monthly Newsletter Issue No.11 (Apr, 2007)
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GREATER NAGOGYA INITIATIVE Monthly Newsletter Issue No.11 (Apr, 2007)
Greater Nagoya Means Greater Business Opportunities
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1. Event: Hanover Messe in Germany (Apr 16 to 20, 2007)
2. Full-Page Articles on Greater Nagoya by the Wall Street Journal (Mar 28, 2007)
3. FY2006 Achievements and Results of Greater Nagoya Initiative
4. Zicofe, A Company from Uganda Serving Coffee with Supreme Quality
5. Opening of Midland Square, the Tallest Skyscraper in Greater Nagoya
6. Greater Nagoya a Place for Culture and Arts
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1. Event: Hanover Messe in Germany (Apr 16 to 20, 2007)
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Greater Nagoya’s research institution, Gifu Research and Development Foundation (who is promoting development of Robotic Advanced Medical Cluster), will exhibit their achievements at Hanover Messe in Germany. This exhibition is one of the largest in Europe and it is held every year. It is for corporations and organizations in any industries and fields. Each year, the exhibition is held with 5,000 corporations (including about 50 Japanese corporations) from 65 countries with 200,000 visitors. Gifu Research Development Foundation will demonstrate robots for surgery etc. developed with its advanced robotics technologies. Please contact GNIC if you would like to see demonstrations of the robots at the exhibition.
Gifu Research and Development Foundation (in Japanese only): http://www.gikenzai.or.jp/
Robotic Advanced Medical Cluster: http://www.cluster-g.jp/english.html
Hanover Messe in Germany: http://www.hannovermesse.de/homepage_e
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2. Full-Page Articles on Greater Nagoya in the Wall Street Journal (Mar 28, 2007)
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The Wall Street Journal wrote articles on Greater Nagoya in its March 28th issue. The Wall Street Journal is one of the world’s leading business and economic newspapers in the United States with its circulation of about 1.9 million in the world (about 1.7 million in the US, about 90,000 in Europe, and 80,000 in Asia)
Articles contain Greater Nagoya’s economic strength and its attractiveness. There are stories on Greater Nagoya’s strength in combinations of skilled production and innovation in manufacturing which led Japan’s economic recovery in the past five years. Advanced technologies are owned by small and medium size firms and such technologies helped grow large-scale firms and boosted Greater Nagoya’s economy. There are also articles on concentration of R&D centers in Greater Nagoya, concentrations of Japan’s leading industries, education of engineers and skilled workers by the university as well as public and private enterprises, concentration of service industries by the new building complexes, improvement of the living environment for foreigners, and more. If you read the article, you will be able to learn more about Greater Nagoya’s strength and attractiveness.
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3. FY2006 Achievements and Results of Greater Nagoya Initiative
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For the fiscal year 2006, 18 foreign-affiliated corporations successfully established their offices with Greater Nagoya Initiative’s support. Since Greater Nagoya has its strength not only in automotives, but also in many different industry and fields, those established offices are specialized in different fields. For example, there are corporations specialized in IT, automotives, food service, apparel, manufacturing, logistics, human resource, real estate, advertising, home furnishing, and travel. They are also from different countries such as US, China, UK, Uganda, Germany, Nepal, Australia, France, and Sweden. In FY2006, GNI also held seven seminars in Japan with participants of about 1,000 people (in total) and organized 245 business-partner-matching meetings. Many of those who had business-partner-matching meetings have been keeping and building relationships continuously. GNI visited eight overseas countries for promotions. During the visit, GNI visited about 30 corporations and held five seminars with participants of about 270 people (in total). As for the invitation program, GNI held 13 invitation programs and invited 104 foreign-affiliated corporations. Those invited are specialized in different fields and from different countries. GNI partners club members became 370 corporations and organizations.
For the coming FY 2007, additional three municipals and one chamber of commerce in Greater Nagoya agreed to participate in and support GNI. In addition to GNI’s current activities, GNI is planning to bring and attract researchers and workers with advanced skills and professions from overseas. GNI will continue to support not only those planning to establish offices, but also those already established offices in Greater Nagoya. We will try to support until they succeed in their business in Greater Nagoya after their establishment.
GNI partners club: https://greaternagoya.org/eng/index.php?mid=9&cid=79
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4. Zicofe, A Company from Uganda Serving Coffee with Supreme Quality
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Greater Nagoya is not only a place for automotive industry, but for many different industries. Kato Investment Ltd. (the company), a company from Uganda specialized in marketing coffee beans, established an operation with Greater Nagoya Initiative’s support and opened a coffee shop called Zicofe Cofee Shop (Zicofe) in Greater Nagoya. Zicofe is located in the city center and serves and sells Uganda’s finest natural grown Arabica coffee and African food. The company’s affiliated corporation in Uganda is called Zigoti Coffee Works Ltd. (Zigoti) with employees of about 200 specialized in marketing the finest organic Arabica coffee beans grown in the high mountains in Uganda. Uganda’s Arabica coffee beans are known in the food industry in the world as their supreme quality and taste. Zigoti has contracted farmers in order to keep the quality of the coffee beans it markets. In addition, it add value to the coffee beans by roasting, grinding, and packaging. These beans are traded in Gremany, France, UK, Spain, U.S, and Malaysia.
One of the reasons for Zigoti to establish an operation in Greater Nagoya is because they participated in the 2005 World Exposition held in Greater Nagoya (participating country of 121 and 5 international organizations with over 22 million visitors). This made Zigoti familiar with the area and people to consider an establishment in Greater Nagoya. Since it is known that the Japanese people consume large amount of coffee and there are increasing needs for coffee with good taste and quality, the company is planning to promote Uganda’s coffee in Japan and expand its business in Tokyo and Osaka area in the future. The company is also planning to market its coffee beans into department stores, supermarkets, large scale retail stores, etc. as well as to open another coffee shop in Greater Nagoya’s suburban area. Zicofe opens from 7am to 10pm everyday and is bustling with people who come to enjoy the coffee and African food.
Zicofe Coffee Shop in Japan: http://www.zicofe.com/index_e.html
Zigoti CoffeeWorks Ltd. in Uganda : http://www.zicofe.co.ug/
2005 World Exposition in Greater Nagoya: http://www.expo2005.or.jp/en/index.html
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5. Opening of Midland Square, the Tallest Skyscraper in Greater Nagoya
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Greater Nagoya is bustling by the constructions of many high tower complexes. The tallest complex in Greater Nagoya called “Midland Square” was just opened on March 6. The building is a 247m 53 floor skyscraper with offices and commercial facilities. Many leading corporations in service and manufacturing industries moved into the tower. One of those includes Toyota’s domestic and overseas operation division with about 3,000 employees. Including Toyota, total of about 7,000 people are working in this building. In addition to the office tower, 60 stores and restaurants as well as a 7-screen multiplex cinema were opened. Luxury brands such as Louis Vitton, Dior and Cartier opened their flagship shops in the building. Since Midland Square is located right in front of Nagoya station (a central station for many local and long destinations), it can fully enjoy geographical advantage as well as flow of people.
Greater Nagoya is a hub for different transportations; it is easy to access everywhere by land, sea, and air. Nagoya station has an easy access to Chubu International Airport (Centrair) (takes about 30 minutes from Nagoya station by train. It also has easy access to Nagoya port, a center of exports and imports in Japan. It has easy access to Japan’s other cities (takes 52 minutes to Osaka and 95 minutes to Tokyo by the bullet train). Opening of the new expressways such as Tokai Ring Expressway (connecting Greater Nagoya’s major cities) and Ise Bay Roadway are also enhancing the geographical advantage and concentration of business and people in the area. There are other high-tower complexes that are under construction in the area. CEO of Louis Vuitton Malletier (Louis Vittion’s headquarter in Paris) mentioned that because of the geographical advantage as well as the area’s potential in its further economic growth, they have decided to open their flagship shops in Midland Square. It is expected that Midland Square will further attract new business, trade, culture, and international exchange.
Midland Square (in Japanese only) : http://www.midland-square.jp/
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6. Greater Nagoya, a Place for Culture and Arts
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In Greater Nagoya, there are many places, facilities and events where people can enjoy culture and arts. Cultural activities have long been enjoyed and have appreciated by the people in Greater Nagoya. It is said that the development of culture and art became more and more flourished during Edo era (about 300 years ago). This is said to be because the load of this region (Muneharu Tokugawa who ruled the Greater Nagoya area) during this period encouraged and promoted such activities, which then led the development of cultural as well as commercial activities. Greater Nagoya’s geographical location further accelerated such development, since it is a place where the culture and arts of east (Tokyo) and west (Osaka) interacts.
Today, Greater Nagoya has many art museums and theaters in different fields such as Aichi Arts Center, Tokugawa Art Museum, Mino-Ware Tradition Industrial Hall (museum for traditional ceramics art), Mie Prefectural Art Museum, etc. and many other. Within Aichi Arts Center there are art museums, theater, art library, and so on. Many special exhibitions of the world’s famous museums are also held in museums in Greater Nagoya, such as exhibition of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in Russia, the Henri Rousseau’s works, etc. Tokugawa Art Museum is famous for its collections of historical treasures of Japan’s Edo era in the 17th Century. There are many other art museums from small to large scale for modern arts, traditional crafts, ceramics, etc. People can enjoy culture and art with any interests and preferences.
Aichi Arts Center: http://www.aac.pref.aichi.jp/english/index.html
Tokugawa Art Museum: http://www.tokugawa-art-museum.jp/english/index.html
Mino-Ware Tradition Industrial Hal: http://www.minoyaki.gr.jp/minoyaki2/english/densan.htm
Mie Prefectural Art Museum: http://www.pref.mie.jp/bijutsu/hp/en/home.htm
