Kitakyushu City : Profile
Location
The City of Kitakyushu is uniquely positioned at the gateway to East Asia, which includes China and Korea. Owing to its geographical advantage between Tokyo and Shanghai, Kitakyushu, has long developed as a base for Asian trade in Japan. The city has an excellent transport and shipping network and direct connections to China and Korea.
Industry
The history of industry in Kitakyushu City started a century ago. In 1901, the first modern steel plant in Japan, Yawata Steel Works, began operation. Since then, many companies have been established, including an industrial robot manufacturer, Yaskawa Electric Corporation (1915), and a sanitary earthenware manufacturer, TOTO (1917). The City of Kitakyushu has since developed essential industries such as iron and steel, chemical, metal, and ceramic industries, playing a significant role in Japanese modernization. Currently, the ratio of high value-added industries is increasing, including the automobile industry with an annual production of over 1,000,000 units *1 and the semiconductor industry with a national market share of 25% *2. Furthermore, certain distinctive industries have been experiencing growth, such as environmental industries with the experience and know-how of combating serious pollution damage.
*1 Performance in 2006 in the north Kyushu area including Kitakyushu.
*2 Market share in the entire Kyushu area including Kitakyushu .
Shipment value of products Top 5 industries
| Industry | Shipment value of products (yen) | Ratio (%) |
|---|---|---|
| General machinery | 229,602,570,000 | 12.2% |
| Chemical | 190,886,810,000 | 10.2% |
| Metal | 168,781,040,000 | 9.0% |
| Electronic products | 123,763,400,000 | 6.6% |
| Ceramic/Soil & stone | 117,556,100,000 | 6.3% |
Source: 2005 Industrial statistics survey, Table 3 Industrial middle classification/number of employees & amount of product shipped by employee scale, etc.
Recruiting companies
The City of Kitakyushu has been actively recruiting domestic and international companies, resulting in 146 companies related to automobile/IT/environment with JPY 231 billion in total investment from 2001 to 2006.
Such achievements are due to the city's advantages such as the existence of excellent human resources, proximity to other Asian countries, abundant land, reasonable investment costs, stable water and power supply, innovative subsidy programs, and an occurrence of natural disasters.
Major companies that have agreed to operate in Kitakyushu (2006 to 2007)
| Company | Features |
|---|---|
| Toho Titanium Co., Ltd. | Sponge titanium manufacturing plant |
| Bridgestone Corporation | Manufacturing plant for large tires in the construction industry |
| Imasen Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Automobile seat adjuster assembly plant |
| Toyota Motor Kyushu, Inc. | Manufacturing plant for hybrid car products |
| Denso Manufacturing Kitakyushu, Co., Ltd. | Fuel pump module manufacturing plant (extended) |
| Kotobuki Industries Co., Ltd. | Manufacturing plant of base materials for special steel |
| Asia Special Steel Co., Ltd. * 100% subsidiary, joint investors: Kotobuki Industries Co., Ltd. and Posteel Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of POSCO (Korea). |
Manufacturing plant of steel ingot for forging |
| Nippon Roballo Co., Ltd * A foreign subsidiary company, solely owned by Rote Erde GmbH (Germany). |
Manufacturing plant for bearings for wind power towers |
| Softbank IDC Corporation | Data Center |
| Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. | Manufacturing plant for automobile interior and exterior parts (extended) |
Lifing environment
The Kitakyushu is compact and comfortable to live in, and is characterized by a mixture of abundant nature surrounding and modern city functions. The climate is mild, and seasonal scenic changes can be enjoyed. Moreover, the city is resistant to the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and heavy snow. Kitakyushu is an optimal environment for selecting living and corporate locations.
Organizations to support the lives of overseas residents are well established, including the Kitakyushu International Association, the Japan-America Society, the Japan-Germany Society, the Japan-France Society, and the Japan-Australia Society.
Furthermore, if the cost of living in Tokyo is 100, it is 89.4 in Kitakyushu. This indicates more than a 10% cost merit. (From the “2006 Average consumer regional difference price index” from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
City data
| Total population | 986,998 persons (Jan, 2008) | |
|---|---|---|
| Population of foreign residents | 11,303 persons (2007) | |
| Number of personnel engaged in manufacturing | 50,955 persons (2005) | |
| City total production (GDP) | JPY 3.4369 trillion (2003) | |
| Shipment value of industrial products | JPY 1.8769 trillion (2005) | |
| Number of offices | 1,244 (2005) | |
| Trade value at the Port of Kitakyushu | Export | JPY 901.6 billion (2006) |
| Import | JPY 828.2 billion (2006) | |
| Container cargo volumes at the Port of Kitakyushu | 468,950 TEU (2006) | |
| Main traffic/logistic facilities | Airport | New Kitakyushu Airport |
| Port | Port of Kitakyushu | |
| Shinkansen | JR Kokura Station | |
| Number of universities | 11 (2008) | |
| Friendship/sister cities | Tacoma (USA) Norfolk (USA) Dalian (China) Incheon Metropolitan City (Korea) |
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