Investing in Japan
Regional Information
Wakayama
Proximity to Kansai International Airport brings Wakayama Prefecture closer to the rest of the world
- Your Regional Guide: Yoshio Yamashita
Inquiry form
Investment promotions Division Commerce, Industry, Tourism and Labour Department
1-1 Komatsubara-dori, Wakayama-city, Wakayama Prefecture 640-8585
TEL: +81-73-441-1933 FAX: +81-73-441-2753
- Basic Information
- Regional Profile
- Services for investment in Japan
- Available incentives
- Living environment for foreigners
- Links to Related Websites
Basic Information
| Population | 1.02 million (Male: 0.48 million, Female: 0.54 million) (2008) |
|---|---|
| Labor force | 0.63 million (Male: 0.30 million, Female: 0.33 million) (2006) |
| Area | 4,726km² (2005) |
| GDP | 3,356 billion yen (2006) |
| Major industries | Petroleum, chemicals, steel, machinery, foods |
| Developing industries | Petroleum, steel, machinery, foods |
| JETRO office | JETRO Osaka |
Regional Profile
Strength of the region's industries and economy
<Leading the way through the 21st century with unique, state-of-the-art technologies>
Wakayama is home to numerous companies pioneering the way into new fields with world-class technologies that have earned them major shares of their respective markets in Japan and around the world.
<Unique character and new values>
Wakayama has a number of local industries that are striving to build on their traditional technologies to add new values for the modern age
Strength of the region's education/research institutes
Wakayama University Faculty of Economics and Faculty of Systems Engineering as well as the Kinki University School of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology are all proactive participants in joint projects with the industrial community. Meanwhile, the Wakayama National College of Technology is involved in research into robotics. Wakayama Prefecture has four universities, one national college of technology, two two-year colleges and fifty high schools.
Strength of the region's infrastructure
Wakayama City is the closest prefectural capital to Kansai International Airport, and the prefecture is served by well-appointed ports, too, meaning Wakayama can handle express freight by air and large consignments by sea. There is also an extensive network of expressways connecting Wakayama with all the major cities and roads in the Kansai region.
<Land>
The southern progress of the Kise branch of the Kinki Expressway, which reached as far as Tanabe City in November 2007, and the planned Keinawa Expressway will see road transport in Wakayama become significantly more convenient. At present, the trip from Wakayama City to Osaka City takes just one hour.
<Air>
The opening of the second runway at Kansai International Airport has dramatically increased the scope for handling of freight and, now that the airport is fully operational 24 hours a day, it can handle night flights, which has resulted in a major reduction in distribution speed. Wakayama Prefecture is just 30-60 minutes from Kansai International Airport by car, meaning that the airport is easily available for effective use by companies in the prefecture as an international logistics base.
<Sea>
Wakayama Shimotsu Port is a Designated Key Port. There are regular sailings of container ships between Shimotsu and Busan, South Korea, which ranks fourth in the world in terms of freight processing volume, and the amount of freight handled at Shimotsu is increasing slowly but surely. There are high hopes of new routes between Shimotsu and China as well.
<Railway>
At an hour from Osaka to Wakayama City, Wakayama is considered to be within commutable distance, meaning that companies operating in Wakayama can hope to draw their workforce not only from within the prefecture, but from southern Osaka as well.
Services for investment in Japan
| Menu of services | Fees charged? | Content of services |
|---|---|---|
| Support for establishing a base | ||
| Providing incubation facilities or other facilities | No | Provided by the Wakayama Prefectural Government’s Investment Promotions Division, including information about rental space in the Shirahama IT Office and Wakayama Research Lab. |
| Arranging the meetings needed to establish a base (real estate, manpower services) | No | Investment Promotions Division makes all necessary arrangements. |
| Introduction of available properties and advice on hiring personnel | No | Investment Promotions Division provides information about properties in the prefecture; the Kinokuni Human Resources Bank is engaged to help recruit all necessary staff. |
| Providing information on permits and licensing procedures | No | The Investment Promotions Division serves as a one-stop assistance center, and provides speedy service. |
| Providing information on subsidy programs | No | Information supplied by the Investment Promotions Division. |
Available incentives
- Up to \10 billion—Wakayama offers one of Japan’s most generous recruitment packages
Wakayama prefecture has beefed up its business recruitment package. Under the new deal, companies that build, buy, lease or extend new facilities (that fall into eligible categories) in Wakayama Prefecture will be eligible to receive aid equivalent to 10-30% of the fixed assets invested in, excluding the price of purchasing, land, pro-rated in accordance with the size of the property and the business investment in the prefecture, as well as a payment of 300,000-500,000 yen (over three years) for each local resident newly employed.
Living environment for foreigners
| Living environment | Wakayama Prefecture has a temperate climate, azure sea, verdant mountains and lovely rivers. Here, people enjoy yachting, canoeing, scuba diving, paragliding, fishing and other such outdoor pursuits. The prefecture is dotted with hot springs, too, which make the ideal oasis for your employees to refresh themselves in. Meanwhile, Wakayama Prefecture boasts a World Heritage Site in the prefecture’s mountainous Koya-Kumano region, making the area a very popular destination for foreign tourists. Wakayama is also known for having the perfect fruit-growing climate: mandarins, navel oranges, hassaku oranges, citrons, jabara citrus fruit, plums, persimmons, peaches, grapes, figs, loquats and kiwifruit are all grown here in this year-round fruit producing region. And, because Wakayama has coasts on the Seto Inland Sea and Pacific Ocean, you’ll have easy access to fresh, sumptuous seafood. |
|---|---|
| Health services catering to foreigners | Wakayama Medical University Hospital, Japanese Red Cross Society Wakayama Medical Center and Wakayama Rosai Hospital |
Links to Related Websites
- Ｗakayama Prefecture
- Wakayama Prefecture A world-class location for world-class Business
- Tourism in Wakayama
- Wakayama City
