| Low Operating Costs |
| Both residential and commercial land
prices in the Chugoku region are continuing to decrease. Warehouse
and office building rental costs in this region are much lower than
those in Tokyo and Osaka. Moreover, the average salary and related
wages in each prefecture of the region are lower than the national
average. |
| Highly Developed
Transportation Network |
| The Chugoku region borders the Kyushu,
Shikoku, and Kinki regions, making it a transportation hub for all
of western Japan. The infrastructure includes international and regional
airports, seaports, high-standard railways and expressways, enabling
quick movement of people and goods from this region to other parts
of Japan and overseas. You can ship your product or meet your business
partners with ease and with competitive costs relative to those of
Tokyo and Osaka. |
| Skilled Workforce |
| The advancement rate of high school graduates
to universities and other institutions of higher education in the
Chugoku region is 46.5% (based on "Survey Report of Schools,"
2002), which is above the national rate. Whether it is local managers
or entry-level staff, highly skilled human resources are abundant
here. |
| High Technical Standards |
| In the Chugoku region, there are a number
of companies engaged in research & development of advanced, cutting-edge
technologies, and more than 100 research institutions. These include
private research facilities, national and other public organizations
that engage in experimental research. |
| Attractive Tax Incentives,
Subsidies and Financing |
| A full set of incentives are available
for businesses which are established in the Chugoku region. These
include a variety of benefits in terms of national, prefectural, and
city/town/village tax exemptions. Moreover, each prefecture offers
its own subsidies, financing and other incentives. |
| Comfortable and
Convenient Living Environment |
The Chugoku region takes pride in its
comfortable living environment.
The average housing space per person is larger than the national average,
and prices are lower than those in Tokyo and Osaka.
This region is blessed with diversity of nature, offering a variety
of leisure activities throughout the year, such as skiing, hiking,
swimming, fishing, bird watching and so on.
Multilingual medical services and a high-quality education for international
students are also available. |
| Successful Investment
in the Chugoku Region |
Many foreign corporations have succeeded
as a result of their investment in the Chugoku region.
Vibracoustic (automobile parts), Gore-Tex (fabrics, medical supply),
Visteon (automobile electronic parts), Webasto (automobile sunroofs),
and Cable & Wireless IDC (telecommunication) are among them. |