Investing in Japan
Regional Information
Sapporo city
Sapporo City, copiously blessed with beautiful natural surroundings, offers ideal location attributes.
- Your Regional Guide
Inquiry form
Manufacturing Development Section, Industrial Investment Department, Economic Affairs Bureau
Nishi 2-Chome, Kita 1-Jo, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-city, Hokkaido Prefecture 060-8611
TEL: +81-11-211-2379 FAX: +81-11-218-5130
- Basic Information
- Regional Profile
- Services for investment in Japan
- Available incentives
- Living environment for foreigners
- Links to Related Websites
Basic Information
| Population | 1.89 million (2008) |
|---|---|
| Labor force | 0.90 million (2005) |
| Area | 1,121km² (2006) |
| GDP | 6,978 billion yen (2004) |
| Major industries | Wholesaling/retailing, service, information |
| Developing industries | Biotechnology |
| Offices overseas | Beijing |
| Offices in Japan | Tokyo |
| JETRO office | JETRO Hokkaido |
Regional Profile
Strength of the region's industries and economy
Sapporo has become a major base for information-related companies, and “Sapporo Valley”, now boasting around 500 companies with approximately 16,000 employees and annual sales of 340 billion yen, is disseminating advanced technology and information to the rest of the world. In recent years there has been a dramatic agglomeration of call centers, which offer IT-related technical support, and more than 40 call centers employing more than 8,000 people have located in Sapporo.
Sapporo in future will redouble its efforts to solicit and promote call centers and other new businesses, IT, digital content, and biotechnology companies, and will assist companies locating to Sapporo with incentive programs and other measures.
Strength of the region's education/research institutes
Sapporo has 15 universities, 9 junior colleges, and 113 special training and other schools, with approximately 80,000 students enrolled. Hokkaido University, Sapporo Medical University, and other institutions have accrued impressive stores of biotechnology and IT research/technology, and recent years have seen very active start-ups of university-launched venture companies.
Strength of the region's infrastructure
The air gateway to Hokkaido, Shin-Chitose Airport is comfortably accessible from Sapporo in only 36 minutes by JR railways. The airport operates direct flights daily to overseas destinations such as Seoul, Taipei, and even Guam as well as to other airports nationwide, making available a full range of travel options.
<Air>
Shin-Chitose Airport (36 minutes by JR railways to city center)
<Sea>
Ishikari Bay New Port (30 minutes by car to city center)
Foreign company(s) operating in the industry
- Amazon.Japan K.K.
- Ingersoll-Rand Japan, LTD.
- Nihon Medi-physics Co.,Ltd.
Services for investment in Japan
| Menu of services | Fees charged? | Content of services |
|---|---|---|
| Support for establishing a base | ||
| Providing incubation facilities or other facilities | Yes | The Sapporo Electronics Center’s Technology Development Office, the Inter x cross Creative Center |
| Introduction of available properties and advice on hiring personnel | No | Introducing realtors for properties to serve as call centers, and assisting companies to secure personnel by holding call center employment seminars and combined company orientation sessions |
| Providing information on subsidy programs | No | Providing information on location support programs for specified call centers and new businesses as well as for IT, digital content and biotechnology companies |
Database of candidate partners
Comprising mainly corporations/companies engaged in information-related business or manufacturing with offices in Sapporo City or in Hokkaido. Business partner searches and other information collection possible.
Available incentives
Sapporo has been working to attract call centers since FY2000, establishing a system in FY2004 to support companies engaged in BPO business. In FY2007 the city created programs to support IT, digital content, and biotechnology companies and has since actively endeavored to attract such companies. Sapporo offers subsidies to companies newly locating to the city and implements a number of carefully tailored follow-up projects to help companies hold down their running costs; these include providing consultations on office selection, holding combined company orientation sessions to find new employees, conducting a variety of training and supporting corporate personnel training efforts.
Living environment for foreigners
| Living environment | Hokkaido’s central city, Sapporo is situated at the northern end of the Japanese archipelago and has the optimal environment for a business location. The city’s population has risen to approximately 1.89 million, making Sapporo the 5th largest city in Japan, and skilled personnel are readily available, with nearly 80,000 students studying at the city’s 137 universities, junior colleges, and technical schools. Offering the convenience of an urban and office environment that might be expected of a major city while at the same time enjoying rich natural surroundings, beautiful scenery, a cool climate, and fresh and abundant food resources, Sapporo is held in high regard throughout Japan as a desirable city for visiting and living. |
|---|---|
| International schools | There is one international school in Sapporo City. |
| Health services catering to foreigners | There are numerous hospitals in the city capable of dealing with patients in foreign languages such as English, Chinese, German, Korean, French, Spanish and Russian. |
Links to Related Websites
