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Saijyo city
A city offering a comfortable environment where people get together and communities are active
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Saijo Industry Promotion Section of the Planning Economy Department
164 Akeyashiki, Saijyo-city, Ehime Prefecture 793-8601
TEL: +81-897-56-5151 FAX: +81-897-52-1200
- Basic Information
- Regional Profile
- Available incentives
- Living environment for foreigners
- Links to Related Websites
Basic Information
| Population | 0.115 million (April 2008) |
|---|---|
| Labor force | 0.054 million (October 2005) |
| Area | 509.04km² （2005） |
| GDP | 441.93 billion (2004) |
| Major industries | Manufacturing, service, real estate, transportation/communication and electricity/gas/water supply |
| Developing industries | Manufacturing, service, fisheries, mining and real estate |
| Offices in Japan | Osaka (opened on April 1, 2006) |
| JETRO office | JETRO Ehime |
Regional Profile
Strength of the region's industries and economy
The area has a number of manufacturing businesses with outstanding technological capability because Sumitomo Group companies are located in adjacent Niihama City. Currently, it is becoming the center of the basic material industry and the processing/assembly industry. The area is developing as the core of the Toyo New Industry City and as one of the largest industrial areas in the Setouchi district. Based on the Ehime Technopolis Development Plan, high-tech industries including electronics, fine chemical, and biotechnology, as well as a leading steel manufacturer and a brewery decided to locate in this area. Advancement of local industries and diversification of the industrial structure by the use of leading-edge technologies is successful. In recent years, in addition to the concentration of general and electric machinery industries, shipbuilding-related companies moved to the area, enriching the diversification of the industry. Under the circumstances, the city became the biggest industrial city in Shikoku, boasting of a production shipment value of 783 billion yen in 2006. On the other hand, an agricultural zone spreads in the west of the City, which is one of the largest in the prefecture, producing naked barley, the largest production in Japan, Atago persimmon and a variety of agricultural products. Agriculture and manufacturing are two major industries of this area.
Strength of the region's education/research institutes
People are education-minded and education continuance rate to universities is high, producing excellent human recourses. They tend to choose working in hometown and the stability of the work force is high. The adjacent city of Niihama has a college of technology and Saijo City, and the college often work together through technological research and product development. Saijo Industrial Information Center and Toyo Industry Creation Center play a leading role in developing human resources and providing technical guidance for companies.
Industry-government-academia collaboration
Saijo Industrial Information Center is a joint public-private venture invested by Saijo City. The City, particularly the Center, has been endeavoring to promote the creation of a local food industry cluster since 2005. After the launch of the cluster council, it has conducted a fact-finding survey on foodstuff distribution, an industry-academic-government matching project and food-related cross-industrial collaboration seminar. On July 28, 2006, the project was selected as one of the five model areas for cluster promotion in Japan by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. After the conclusion of an education/research exchange agreement with Tokai University (Kanagawa Prefecture) in February 2006, it consecutively concluded agreements with Kyoto University (Kyoto Prefecture) in December 2007 and Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo Metropolis) in March 2008 to promote activities for realization of the food processing/distribution complex including MH freezing/refrigerating system and close liaison including altitude training, disaster prevention and field university plan.
Strength of the region's infrastructure
<Land>
Three expressway interchanges are located in the City. Expressways are accessible from the city center in about 10 minutes.
<Air>
- Within three hours from Tokyo to Saijo via Matsuyama Airport
- 2 hours and 30 minutes from Osaka to Saijo via Matsuyama Airport
- International flights to Seoul and Shanghai are available from Matsuyama Airport.
<Sea>
The industrial area is adjacent to a designated port, Toyo Port. Two ferry services are available daily between Toyo and Osaka.
<Railway>
The City has seven JR stations. Approximately three hours from Iyo-Saijo Station to Osaka Station
Foreign company(s) operating in the industry
| Company name | SEN Corporation, an SHI and Axcelis Company |
|---|---|
| Industry sector | Production of semiconductor ion implanters |
| Date of entry | 1983 |
| Motivation for selecting region | The company was established as joint venture between Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Eaton Corp. of the U.S. It uses part of the Saijo Factory of the Sumitomo Heavy Industries for its production. |
Available incentives
The City established a variety of subsidy system including subsidy to promote companies to locate in Saijo City. It also provides consistent one-stop service for administrative formalities required for the move to the City and securing manpower after operation started.
Subsidy to promote companies to locate in Saijo City
Target industries: manufacturing, transportation/communication, wholesale, part of service industry, information/telecommunication Categories:
- Subsidy to promote companies to locate in Saijo City: Exemption of fixed asset tax for three years (300 million yen maximum) If the company moved the headquarters to the City, additional exemption of corporate resident tax (200 million yen maximum)
- Subsidy to promote employment: 500,000 yen per new employment (50 million yen maximum)
- Subsidy especially designed for the information/telecommunication industry: One-third of the annual rent and half of the annual telecommunication cost of using the dedicated communication circuit for five years (100 million yen maximum), 500,000 yen per new employment (50 million yen maximum)
The Industry Promotion Section of the Planning Economy Department provides one-stop service for consultation and information about location as well as support of formalities required for the move to the City. It has established a seamless and speedy support system through close liaison with related departments inside/outside the city government.
Living environment for foreigners
| Health services catering to foreigners | Hospitals understanding foreign languages (Saiseikai Saijo Hospital, Saijo Chuo Hospital, Murakami Memorial Hospital, Saijo City Shuso Hospital, etc.) |
|---|---|
| Other | Support by international exchange organizations (five in the City) |
Links to Related Websites
