GREATER NAGOGYA INITIATIVE Monthly Newsletter Issue No.20 (Jan, 2008)

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GREATER NAGOGYA INITIATIVE Monthly Newsletter Issue No.20 (Jan, 2008)
Greater Nagoya Means Greater Business Opportunities
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1. Event: Greater Nagoya Cluster Forum (Jan 23 & 24, 2008)
2. Event: “Asia SPA Seminar and Consulting Event” in Greater Nagoya (Jan 31 & Feb 1, 2008)
3. Industry: Shooting more crafts from Greater Nagoya in to the sky
4. A Birthplace of the World’s Famous MIKIMOTO Pearl
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1. Event: Greater Nagoya Cluster Forum (Jan 23 & 24, 2008)
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This is an exhibition on “Monozukuri” (manufacturing “the drive to create products of value”) organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as well as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Many corporations participating in industry cluster projects run by METI and MEXT will be participating in this Forum and exhibit their technologies, research findings, products and services. Overseas corporations will also be invited to participate in this event. Participating corporations are specialized in manufacturing, IT, biotechnology and varieties of industries. In addition to exhibitions, lectures and symposiums will be also held in order to create industry clusters and exchange of business of Greater Nagoya. There will be also opportunities for business partner matching meetings for the creation of new businesses.
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2. Event: “Asia SPA Seminar and Consulting Event” in Greater Nagoya (Jan 31 & Feb 1, 2008)
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Greater Nagoya Initiative will host “Asia spa seminar and consulting event” on January 31 and February 1, 2008. Peter Sng, President of the International Spa Association’s Pacific Chapter (ISPA) and Spa Association Singapore, and Chawanat Singthukiow, President of Chaiang Mai Thai Spa Co., Ltd. visit Greater Nagoya for the events, and subjects of the seminar are to discuss on spa business activities cooperated with Greater Nagoya Initiative, launching in the area, and Mr, Peter Sng and Ms, Chawanat Sigthukiow expect business matching opportunities with local companies. Two technicians and mission members also visit the hot spa region in Greater Nagoya called Gero, where is well known as one of the greatest hot springs in Japan in January 31 2008 to observe the current state of traditional Japanese tourism and spa area in Greater Nagoya and to consult with local tourism industry representatives to support transfer of modern techniques of relaxation and massage into the long-established tourist regions to enchant people.

Gero Spa Website: http://www.gero-spa.or.jp/english/about.html
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3. Industry: Shooting More Crafts from Greater Nagoya in to the Sky
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A series of H-IIA rockets made in Greater Nagoya, blast off into space one after another. The most recent rocket, H-IIA No.13 was lifted off in September 2007 by Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd located in Greater Nagoya area. The H-IIA No.13 delivered a Japan’s first large Selenological and Engineering Explorer, better known as “KAGUYA” (SELENE) onto the Moon. The H-IIA rockets series are developed by Japan’s national aerospace agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. is in charge of producing and operating them. Greater Nagoya has a cluster of aerospace companies in Japan, and the related companies focus on producing state-of-the-art technology and assembling bodies in this area. Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works top management said to a local newspaper, “Compared to other companies, our rockets are much lighter, and this characteristic would produce the advantage in the future to reduce the cost.” They also said how important business activities such as launching rockets are in order to appeal potential clients of the world. The name of H-IIA comes from the chemical symbol of hydrogen “H,” and rockets have evolved from H-I, H-II, and the most recent series is called H-IIA. A term, a launch vehicle, is often used to describe H-IIA series since a purpose of rockets is to launch explores or satellites into space. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. also showed the upcoming H-IIA No.14 to media at Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works. The launch day of H-IIA No.14 carrying the super high-speed Internet satellite “KIZUNA” (WINDS) has been set at February 15, 2008.

The nation’s industrial heartland, Greater Nagoya also gets attention as a business cluster area of the aircraft industry as well as aerospace industry. Recent achievement of three Greater Nagoya based companies – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.,
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. – in involve of producing main parts for The Boeing Company’s mid-sized aircraft 787 Dreamliner are the proof that aircraft industry in Greater Nagoya has one of the top-notched technologies. “Because these industries produce materials and parts with state-of-the-art technology, it is possible to apply these technologies into other industries.” according to the Kyoritsu Research Institute, a think tank company in Greater Nagoya, which invest, research and economy of local industries. “They could bring more economic benefits into Greater Nagoya area.” Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd representative said on the local newspaper. “We try to aim at receiving orders in rocket businesses near future by showing efforts of cost reduction and increasing the reliability.”

H-IIA Launch Vehicle info on JAXA: http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2a/index_e.html
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency: http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.htm
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.,: http://www.mhi.co.jp/indexe.html
Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works (Japanese): http://www.mhi.co.jp/nasw/
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4. A Birthplace of the World’s Famous MIKIMOTO Pearl
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MIKIMOTO Pearl is well known in the world for producing cultured quality peals and its jewelries. The name MIKIMOTO is well known in the world with its flagship shops all over the world. For example, they have flagship shops in Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong, London, and in Paris at the Place Vendôme with the world’s most fashionable and famous jewelers and salons in the square. Though the name MIKIMOTO might be famous in the world, it might not be well known that the MIKIMOTO peals were first cultured in Greater Nagoya by the MIKIMOTO’s founder, Kokichi Mikimoto who was born and brought up in Greater Nagoya. It was Kokichi Mikimoto, who first succeeded in the world for a mass-production of quality cultured peals in late 19th. Because Greater Nagoya is rich with its ocean’s bounties, it made it possible to culture pearls with Mikimoto’s techniques and efforts. Production of peals in Greater Nagoya now is still very high and is the second largest in Japan (According to the statistic of June 2007 by the Statistic Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Japan.)

Cultured pearls have actually been produced over hundreds of years, but there had been always questions in terms of their quality. After Kokichi Mikimoto’s success, he played an important role in the world for producing quality cultured pearls and to provide products with superb features. Kokichi Mikimoto succeeded to produce cultured pearls at the peninsula called, Shima Peninsula in Greater Nagoya. The coastline along with the peninsula is deeply-indented and has different bays, and is called “Rias coast line”. Pearls with superb quality can be cultured within these bays because the unique shape of the bay protects waters of the bay from the waves of the ocean. The area is also known as its beautiful landscapes and the scenery of the sunset over the water is magnificent. The area is called Ise-Shima National Park and is registered as one of Japan’s national parks. MIKIMOTO now has an island called “MIKIMOTO Pearl Island” for tourists where Kokichi Mikimoto first succeeded in culturing pearls. A British company called “Inside Japan Tours Ltd.” established an office in Greater Nagoya, (specialized in tailored tours in Japan for foreign visitors) is providing tours for foreigners to discover these areas as well as the origin of MIKIMOTO pearls.

MIKIMOTO: http://www.mikimoto.com/
MIKIMOTO Perl Island: http://www.mikimoto-pearl-museum.co.jp/en/index.html
Ise-Shima National Park: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/mie/shima.html
Inside Japan Tours Ltd.: http://www.insidejapantours.com/index.php