Investing in Japan
Regional Information
Kobe city
A city with an international culture and an extraordinarily convenient transport hub for air, ocean and ground transport
- Your Regional Guide: Fuyuhiko Takami
Inquiry form
Kobe Enterprise Promotion Bureau Foreign Investment Group
6-5-1 Kano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-city, Hyogo Prefecture 650-8570
TEL: +81-78-322-5337 FAX: +81-78-322-6072
- Basic Information
- Regional Profile
- Services for investment in Japan
- Living environment for foreigners
- Links to Related Websites
Basic Information
| Population | 1.52 million (July 2007) |
|---|---|
| Labor force | 0.72 million (October 2007) |
| Area | 552.80km² |
| GDP | 6,299 billion yen (2006) |
| Major industries | General machinery, transport machinery, electric machinery, iron & steel, food products |
| Developing industries | Medical care, ICT, nanotechnology, fashion, precision machinery |
| Offices overseas | Seattle (Outsourced to the Kobe Industrial Promotion Foundation)/Tianjin (Outsourced to the Kobe Industrial Promotion Foundation)/Nanjing (Outsourced to the Kobe Industrial Promotion Foundation) |
| JETRO office | JETRO Kobe |
Regional Profile
Strength of the region's industries and economy
Since its port was opened to the world in 1868, Kobe has developed as an international port city, and its foreigner-friendly living environment (schools, etc.) is evidenced by the presence of about 44,000 foreign residents from 115 countries. Impressed by these features, about 100 foreign and foreign-affiliated companies have located their head offices in Kobe. Kobe is actively working to attract foreign companies, offering inexpensive rental offices and laboratories in facilities such as the Kobe International Business Center (KIBC), an integrated facility comprising offices, research institutes, and manufacturing space, to serve as business locations, and offering other incentives to help companies expand into Kobe in various formats: renting offices, purchasing land, or leasing land for fixed periods.
Strength of the region's education/research institutes
Kobe University and other universities as well as medical and pharmaceutical schools are joined in the city by numerous research institutions. Campus towns are concentrated on Port Island, Rokko Island, and college towns, a fact useful in recruiting skilled young personnel. While industrial-academic-governmental exchange and collaboration has led to technological improvements and developments, Technology Licensing Organizations (TLO) have been set up to discover and transfer technologies from universities, research institutes, and large corporations and to support commercialization efforts.
Industry-government-academia collaboration
As interest in medical care and health grows, medical-related companies have concentrated in Port Island (Phase II) and R&D bases for cutting-edge medical technology are being established there. Research and personnel training organizations such as the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, the Center for Developmental Biology, the Translational Research Informatics Center, the Business Support Center for Biomedical Research Activities, and the Kobe Biotechnology Research and Human Resource Development Center/Kobe University Incubation Center as well as foreign and domestic companies in relevant fields continue to move into the city. Agglomeration through industrial-academic-governmental collaboration is being pursued as a national project, with attention being garnered from all quarters.
Strength of the region's infrastructure
Kobe undoubtedly offers ideal convenience as a business base, with major cities nationwide – including Tokyo, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Hiroshima – directly reached in one to three hours and with the opening of Kobe Airport offering three-way air, sea and ground access. A new transport system connecting the airport with the city center reduces the trip to as little as 16 minutes, and extensive railway and roadway networks make travel quite convenient. A world-class container port in the immediate vicinity of the airport as well as logistics facilities and land are available for logistics operations, and connections between air, sea and ground routes are smooth and speedy.
<Land>
Kobe has good access to expressway networks, including the Chugoku Expressway, the Sanyo Expressway, the Meishin Expressway, and the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway. Well-developed transportation infrastructure provides widespread networks in all directions.
<Air>
Kobe Airport is used by three airlines -- SKY, ANA, and JAL – that fly to six domestic destinations, among them Tokyo (Haneda), Sapporo (New Chitose) and Okinawa (Naha). The Port Liner, a new transport system that runs right up to the passenger terminal, provides direct access to Sannomiya in as little as 16 minutes, helping to speed up business.
<Sea>
Kobe Port, one of Japan’s most prominent international trade ports, has the latest in deep-water high-standard berths, and ships sail from Kobe on routes to North America, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, Southeast Asia and China to more than 500 ports in more than 130 countries/regions. The world’s leading shipping companies operate direct services between Kobe Port and ports worldwide, connecting Japan with destinations overseas in the shortest lead time. Kobe has a firm reputation among foreign companies as a port convenient for logistics and near the city center, enabling smooth and efficient import/export operations.
<Railway>
In addition to Shin-kobe Station, one stop for the Nozomi express trains on the Shinkansen Line, JR trains, private railways, subways, and highway buses make up a rapid transportation network covering destinations in every direction.
Foreign company(s) operating in the industry
Companies from China, the US, Switzerland, France, Germany, and other countries have located their headquarters and offices in Kobe. When asked their reasons for selecting Kobe, foreign companies responded, “There is really no need for offices in Tokyo. Kobe is highly regarded among employees as a comfortable city in which to live.” (Nestle), “Transport and public safety are both good, and residents can enjoy both urban lifestyles and nature. There is also a wonderful educational environment for children.” (P&G), and “Japan is extremely advanced in the area of life sciences, and research institutions are engaged in very high-level research. We also have expectations of the Medical Industry Development Project.” (Eli Lilly Japan). Kobe Port has had ties with foreign companies since the port was opened in 1868. The city’s residents wholeheartedly welcome companies that do business internationally, and the foundations facilitating expansion by foreign companies into Kobe have long been in place.
Services for investment in Japan
| Menu of services | Fees charged? | Content of services |
|---|---|---|
| Providing market information | ||
| Advice on market participation | No | Advice and information provided by advisors on matters related to market entry |
| Consulting by external experts and advisers | No | Consultations by specialists in growth industries |
| Support for establishing a base | ||
| Listing of potential customers and partners | No | Posting on websites (HYOGO-Kobe, Best Portal Zone |
| Listing of potential customers and partners | No | Introducing partner candidates and arranging appointments for meetings, etc. |
| Support for establishing a base | ||
| Providing incubation facilities or other facilities | Yes | Providing prefecture/city incubation facilities in collaboration with prefecture/city government |
| Providing incubation facilities or other facilities | No | Posting on websites cost simulation programs for use by companies considering expansion |
| Providing information on procedures for investing in Japan | No | Providing information through specialists in legal affairs, accounting/tax matters, expansion matters |
| Arranging the meetings needed to establish a base (real estate, manpower services) | No | Arranging interviews with realtors, staffing companies, etc. |
| Introduction of available properties and advice on hiring personnel | No | Introducing properties owned by the prefecture/city government or the private sector; offering advice on personnel hiring, etc. |
| Providing information on permits and licensing procedures | No | Consultations by specialists |
| Providing information on subsidy programs | No | Explaining and providing information on subsidy programs offered by the prefecture/city government, etc. |
Support service
Hyogo-Kobe Investment Support Center
A general support center helping both domestic and foreign companies locate to Hyogo/Kobe by providing information on industrial parks within Hyogo Prefecture, suitable factory sites and idle land, rental offices, and local conditions needed by companies moving into the area, and consultations on expansion. The prefectural and city governments, local chambers of commerce, and private companies – coordinated by the Hyogo-Kobe Investment Support Center – work in concert to offer one-stop service on various steps leading up to the start of operations, including procuring material after a site has been selected, hiring personnel, and completing administrative procedures.
Database of candidate partners
- HYOGO-Kobe, Best Portal Zone
The sector-specific data on companies seeking collaboration with foreign and foreign-affiliated companies is organized so as to clearly indicate the format of cooperation desired, and the database can be easily searched in English or Chinese for partner candidates.
Available incentives
Living environment for foreigners
| Living environment | Kobe’s living environment has many advantages over those in larger cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. Even while boasting sufficient urban functions, Kobe offers spacious housing, a low cost of living, few traffic jams and packed trains, short commuting times, and good public safety, all the advantages of a more provincial city. |
|---|---|
| International schools | 6 educational foundations, 8 schools in city
|
| Health services catering to foreigners | Higashinada-ku: 21, Nada-ku: 20, Chuo-ku: 45, Hyogo-ku: 12, Kita-ku: 15, Nagata-ku: 9, Suma-ku: 16, Tarumi-ku: 21, Nishi-ku: 10 Total: 169 hospitals/clinics |
Links to Related Websites
- City of Kobe
- Industry and Agriculture Promotion Bureau, City of Kobe
- Kobe Medical Industry Development Project
- Kobe International Business Center (KIBC)
- Kobe International Center for Cooperation and communication
- Information on Tourism in Kobe
