Investing in Japan
Regional Information
Tottori
Gateway to a growing Northeast Asia From Tottori Prefecture to the rest of the world
- Your Regional Guide: Kazuyoshi Kobayashi
Inquiry form
Tottori Prefecutural Government Commerce Distribution Staff Office for Employment & Economic Policy
1-220 Higashimachi, Tottori-city, Tottori Prefecture 680-8570
TEL: +81-857-26-7661 FAX: +81-857-26-8117
- Basic Information
- Regional Profile
- Services for investment in Japan
- Available incentives
- Living environment for foreigners
- Links to Related Websites
Basic Information
| Population | 0.607 million (2005) |
|---|---|
| Labor force | 0.322 million (2005) |
| Area | 3,507km² (2005) |
| GDP | 2,047 billion yen (2004) |
| Major industries | Electrical manufacturing/electronics industry, food industry |
| Developing industries | Information & communications, IT services, environment/recycling, biotechnology |
| Offices in Japan | Tokyo/Nagoya/Osaka |
| JETRO office | JETRO Tottori |
Regional Profile
Strength of the region's industries and economy
The manufacturing industry, the prefecture’s core industry, has since the mid-1980s seen an increasing number of electronic component/device companies locate their mass production divisions in Tottori. The prefecture’s shipment value of manufactured goods (2006 Census of Manufacturers) totals 1.1374 trillion yen, and electronic component/device manufacturing, information & communications machinery/equipment and electric machinery/equipment companies are especially prevalent in the eastern and central parts of the prefecture, accounting for about 50% of such companies in the prefecture. An upsurge in business activity in the liquid-crystal industry has increased its relative weight in recent years. Food processing/manufacturing and beverage/cigarette manufacturing companies, situated mostly in the western parts, account for about 20% of manufacturing and rank among the prefecture’s key industries.
Strength of the region's education/research institutes
Tottori Prefecture has been working to train industrial personnel in close cooperation with four institutions of higher learning in the prefecture (Tottori University, Tottori University of Environmental Studies, Yonago National College of Technology, Tottori College) and prefectural high schools. Efforts targeting high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, and working adults have been undertaken to systematically train personnel for the electric manufacturing, electronic, and liquid-crystal industries. The necessary curriculum, prepared in collaboration with relevant companies and educational institutions within the prefecture, has been well-received by industrial circles. To foster even more highly specialized personnel, an Electronic Display Research Center will be founded at Tottori University, company engineers accepted to graduate programs to increase the number of doctorate holders among working adults and to help bolster R&D capabilities, and cutting-edge research conducted in relevant fields. Practical internships are being offered by industrial high schools in the prefecture through partnerships established among the prefectural government, boards of education and companies within
the prefecture in order to train personnel for manufacturing jobs.
Industry-government-academia collaboration
<Urban industry-academia-government collaboration project>
The Yonago/Sakaiminato area of Tottori Prefecture includes Sakaiminato, one of the country’s leading ports in terms of fishing catches, as well as concentrations of marine product processing companies and other food product manufacturers, making this area an oft-used import point for marine products from neighboring countries.To enhance the added value of marine product resources, Tottori Prefecture is enhancing such marine products as collagen, fucoidan, and chitin/chitosan as well as other food ingredients through industry-academia-government collaboration involving Tottori University, the Tottori Institute of Industrial Technology, and companies inside and outside the prefecture. At the same time, utilizing the human artificial chromosome (HAC) engineering first developed at Tottori University, mice with HAC-introduced cells and human chromosomes are being produced to assist in R&D for effective and safe food products that help prevent lifestyle diseases. Efforts are being made through these R&D projects to invigorate the health food industry and to develop the biotechnology industry.
Strength of the region's infrastructure
Tottori Prefecture is located in western Honshu, and its location along the beautiful coastline of the Sea of Japan and the verdant mountainous area of Chugoku has blessed it with striking natural surroundings. The Sakaiminato Foreign Access Zone (FAZ), a gateway for land (Yonago Expressway), sea (Sakai Port), and air (Yonago Airport) transport and one of the largest port/harbor zones in the San-in District, is being developed into a base linking western Japan with other locations around the rim of the Sea of Japan -- China, the Korean peninsula, Russia, etc. -- as well as in the Kansai Region and around the Seto Inland Sea. The Takeuchi Industrial Park located within the Sakaiminato FAZ is adjacent to the international trading port of Sakaiminato and offers easy access to Yonago Airport, which operates regularly scheduled international flights to and from Seoul, South Korea.
<Land>
Western Tottori: Access from the Chugoku Expressway Ochiai Junction via the Yonago Expressway (Osaka – Yonago: 3 hours)
Eastern Tottori: Access from the Chugoku Expressway Sayo Interchange via National Highway 373
Tottori Expressway to be fully open for service within the next few years (Osaka-Tottori: 2 hours 30 minutes)
Steady progress is also being made in the construction of the San-in Expressway.
<Air>
Yonago Airport: Seoul – Yonago: 3 flights weekly (1 hour 30 minutes)
Tokyo – Yonago: 5 flights daily (1 hour 10 minutes): Tokyo – Nagoya: 2 flights daily (1 hour)
Tottori Airport: Tokyo – Tottori: 4 flights daily (1 hour)
All airports adjacent to city (about 20 minutes by car)
<Sea>
Port of Sakaiminato (capable of handling 50,000-ton vessels), Port of Tottori (capable of handling 10,000-ton vessels)
South Korea (Pusan): three sailings weekly
China (Shanghai, Ningbo): one sailing weekly, (Qingdao, Dalian): one sailing weekly
DBS Cruise Ferry (Sakaiminato – Donghae (South Korea) – Vladivostok (Russia)) scheduled to begin operation
<Railway>
Access via JR San-in Main Line, Hakubi Line, and Chizu Express Line (third-sector company)
<Access from the Kansai Region>
Western Tottori: Yakumo Express on Hakubi Line, via Okayama Station on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line (Osaka – Yonago: 3 hours)
Eastern Tottori: Super Hakuto Express, direct (Osaka – Tottori: 2 hours 30 minutes)
Services for investment in Japan
| Menu of services | Fees charged? | Content of services |
|---|---|---|
| Providing market information | ||
| Advice on market participation | No | The Organization for Tottori Industrial Promotion will provide support to companies expanding into the prefecture. |
| Consulting by external experts and advisers | Yes | The Organization for Tottori Industrial Promotion will provide support to companies expanding into the prefecture. |
| Support for establishing a base | ||
| Providing incubation facilities or other facilities | Yes | Facilities at the Organization for Tottori Industrial Promotion and the Tottori Institute of Industrial Technology will be made available for use. |
| Introduction of available properties and advice on hiring personnel | No | Support available from Tottori Prefecture Department of Commerce, Industry and Labor |
| Providing information on permits and licensing procedures | No | Support available from Tottori Prefecture Department of Commerce, Industry and Labor |
| Providing information on subsidy programs | No | Support available from Tottori Prefecture Department of Commerce, Industry and Labor |
Available incentives
Tottori Prefecture offers incentive programs, some of the most generous in Japan, to back up companies moving into the prefecture. Municipalities also have their own subsidy programs that can be effectively combined with the prefecture’s.
- Location assistance for overseas companies
- Port/harbor use promotion funds
- Funding to assist the overseas development of companies based in Tottori
- Sakaiminato: subsidy program for new overseas container shippers
- Company location subsidies
- Information & communications-related employment subsidies
- Administrative and managerial employment creation subsidies, etc.
Living environment for foreigners
| Living environment | The clear blue waters of the Sea of Japan and richly green mountains are part of the Tottori’s inspiring natural surroundings. Twentieth Century pears and many other agricultural produce are grown and fresh seafood caught, and the abundance of this environment enable residents to lead relaxed and slow-paced lives. Both the prefectural government and municipalities offer a variety of programs to promote permanent residence in Tottori Prefecture. |
|---|---|
| Health services catering to foreigners | Tottori Prefecture Central Hospital, Tottori University Hospital, and a large number of other medical facilities. |
Links to Related Websites
