Kanagawa Prefecture

Home , Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Kawasaki Station, Miura Peninsula, Port of Yokohama, Sagami River

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Latest update: August 2013 KANAGAWA PREFECTURE

Prefecture’s flag

Main City: Yokohama Population: 9,079,000 people, ranking 2/47 (2013) [1] Area: 2,415.84 km² [2]

Geographical / Landscape description: Kanagawa Prefecture is located in the southern Kanto region of Japan and is part of the Greater Tokyo Area. Topographically, the prefecture consists of three distinct areas. The mountainous western region features the Tanzawa Mountain Range and Hakone Volcano. The hilly eastern region is characterized by the Tama Hills and Miura Peninsula. The central region, which surrounds the Tama Hills and Miura Peninsula, consists of flat stream terraces and low lands around major rivers including the Sagami River, Sakai River, Tsurumi River, and Tama River. [2]

Climate: The climate is moderate due to the warm current running along the Pacific side of the archipelago. [2]

Time zone: GMT +7 in summer (+8 in winter)

International dialling code: 0081

Recent history, culture Kanagawa has played a major role in some significant periods in Japan's history. The first began in 1192, when the first military government was established in Kamakura. This made Kanagawa the centre of the Japanese political scene. The second period commenced in 1859, when the Port of Yokohama was opened to the world after more than 200 years of strict national isolation. Since then, Kanagawa became the gateway for the introduction of Western civilization. The third period was the 1950s, when the Japanese economy was being reconstructed after World War II. During this period, along with the development of the Keihin Industrial Belt, Kanagawa played a significant role in rebuilding the war-devastated Japanese economy. Kanagawa Prefecture is blessed with a traditional culture along with its long history, Kamakura, as the ancient capital, abounds in historic temples and shrines, including the famous Great Buddha. [3]

Economic overview Many outstanding Japanese and foreign companies with advanced technologies are concentrated in Kanagawa. (Over 400 foreign affiliated companies have set up operations in Kanagawa Prefecture which is the second highest number of all Japanese prefectures after Tokyo). The area functions as a base of research, development and manufacturing, with many knowledge-based and technological industries gathered in Kanagawa. Next to the vast market of the Tokyo area, Kanagawa is ideally situated with well-developed transportation, including an excellent rail and highway network providing direct access to all of Japan's major cities, and the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki for rapid, large-scale international transport. [4]

EU-JAPAN CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION - Head office in Japan EU-JAPAN CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION - OFFICE in the EU Shirokane-Takanawa Station bldg 4F Rue Marie de Bourgogne, 52/2 1-27-6 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0072, JAPAN B-1000 Brussels, BELGIUM Tel: +81 3 6408 0281 - Fax: +81 3 6408 0283 - [email protected] Tel : +32 2 282 0040 –Fax : +32 2 282 0045 - [email protected] http://www.eu-japan.eu / http://www.EUbusinessinJapan.eu / http://www.een-japan.eu

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Economic Indicators Kanagawa Prefecture All Japan Population (2013) [1] 9,079,000 127,350,000 Unemployment rate (2012) [5] 4.4% 4.3% GPD (2010) [6] 6% of Japan’s 495 trillion Yen

Infrastructure

Road/railways For rapid transportation, Kanagawa Prefecture is equipped with a highly convenient road network including the Tomei Expressway, a major artery in Japan that links the Tokyo area with the Chubu and Kinki economic regions. Narita Airport can be reached within about 90 minutes by limousine bus from major terminals in the prefecture such as Yokohama Station and Kawasaki Station. The Tokaido Shinkansen Line stations in Shin-Yokohama and Odawara have helped make Kanagawa Prefecture an important transit hub within Japan. [7]

Shipping Kanagawa Prefecture contains Yokohama Port, Kawasaki Port and Yokosuka Port. Yokohama Port handled a total value of about 10 trillion yen in harbour trade in 2010, ranking third behind Nagoya Port and Tokyo Port. [7]

Civil Aviation It takes less than 30min from Yokohama station to Tokyo International Airport, commonly known as Haneda Airport. [7]

Living Environment With its progressive, diverse atmosphere, Kanagawa is a welcoming place for foreigners to work and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. In Kanagawa, modern progress is blended with history and urban environments are blended with nature, forming an environment that provides for foreign businesses in every aspect including business, housing, education, medical care and recreation. [8]

Major types of economic activities

Agriculture, natural resources Agriculture and commercial fishing play a relatively minor role in the local economy. [2]

Manufacturing In 2011, the manufacturing industry's shipment value was principally composed of transport machinery 20.2%, petroleum and coal 15%, and chemicals 9.2%. [9]

R&D, Innovation, Scientific research In Kanagawa Prefecture, 37 science and technology universities and more than 300 research institutions are concentrated. The number of workers in academic research institutes is approximately 50,000, the highest in Japan. Kanagawa is one of Japan’s leading prefectures for science and technology. Also, with the progress of the globalization of research institutions, the prefecture’s various research institutions interact with advanced research institutions worldwide, allowing technological transfer to proceed among the global manufacturing network. [10]

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Some local R&D centres:  Yokosuka Research Park is an ICT R&D site contributing to the global progress of radio and telecommunication technologies, where public research institutes, enterprises, and university labs are concentrated.  RIKEN Yokohama is home to three research centres that explore life science and the environment from various scientific perspectives.  Yokohama & Kanagawa Bio Business Network conducts industry-academia collaboration activities in the biotechnology sector.

Opportunities for EU Investors / Exporters / Importers

Promising sectors for cooperation Long-established industries: transport equipment, general equipment, chemicals, food products, petroleum products, biotechnology, ICT. [4] [11]

Financial/logistic support *Subsidies for joint R&D Projects *Low-interest financing for SMEs (low interest rates: Laboratory: 0.9% or less for the first 5 years (1.2% as from the sixth year); Head Office and factory: 1.5% or less; Laboratory, Head Office and factory: 1.8% or less) + deferment *Half of the actual rate of real estate acquisition tax *Financial assistance for employment (small businesses only): covering expenses for development of new employee skills *Financial assistance for employment of disabled people: 300,000 Yen per newly hired disabled person *Free temporary office (for up to 50 business days, extendable if necessary) with the help from the Invest Japan Business Support Center (IBSC) Kanagawa *Various consultation services provided by an expert advisor within the IBSC Kanagawa *Overseas Investment Promotion offices in the U.K. *Press releases about companies who have started operating in Kanagawa and follow-up seminars for foreign companies and foreign-affiliated corporations in the prefecture

More information: http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/mlt/f7561/ http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/mlt/f370126/

Setting up a business in Kanagawa International Business Group, Investment Promotion Division, Industry Department, Commerce Industry and Labor Bureau 1 Nihon-odori, Nakaku, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa Prefecture 231-8588 TEL: +81(0)45-210-5565 FAX: +81(0)45-210-8868

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Other contacts:

Kanagawa Prefecture http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/english/index.html Kanagawa Prefecture Overseas Office in UK http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/mlt/f370124/ RIKEN Yokohama http://www.yokohama.riken.jp/english/ Yokohama & Kanagawa Bio Business Network http://www.yk-bio.net/en/index.html Yokosuka Research Park http://www.yrp.co.jp/en/index.html Kanagawa Prefectural Tourist Association http://www.kanagawa-kankou.or.jp/index-e.html

Sources and footnotes

[1] http://www.stat.go.jp/data/jinsui/2.htm [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanagawa_prefecture [3] http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/mlt/f430601/ [4] http://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/region/kanagawa/ [5] http://www.stat.go.jp/data/roudou/pref/index.htm [6] http://www.esri.cao.go.jp/jp/sna/sonota/kenmin/kenmin_top.html [7] http://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/region/kanagawa/infra.html [8] http://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/region/kanagawa/living.html [9] http://www.stat.go.jp/data/e-census/2012/sokuho/gaiyo.htm [10] http://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/region/kanagawa/icinfo.html [11] http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/mlt/f430600/

Central business district Minato Mirai 21 in Yokohama

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Great Buddha in Kamakura

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