Business
“Why did so many world-renowned companies emerge from Hamamatsu?“
It is a well-known fact that countless companies based in Hamamatsu went on to achieve international recognition. What made this possible in a city that is, after all, just one of many? The answer to this question becomes clear when you examine certain crucial conditions that were met in this unique region.
Condition 1: Location
Conveniently located midway between Tokyo and Osaka, the city is able to utilize a transportation system that spans the island. Ever since the Meiji era, Hamamatsu has been ideally placed to capture the attention of both the domestic and foreign market.
Condition 2: Accumulation of Technology
Hamamatsu’s manufacturing industries enjoy a history of innovation that reaches back to the Edo era; this legacy in turn provided a solid foundation for the future.
Condition 3: A Favorable Environment
The phrase “Yaramaika” (or “Let’s go for it” in the regional dialect) is representative of the Hamamatsu pioneering attitude. This spirit is shared by entrepreneurs, investors, and research facilities alike, linked together in a broad cooperative system.
The Yaramaika spirit, or challenger spirit, is a unique regional attitude best represented in such well-known entrepreneurs as Torakusu Yamaha, the founder of Yamaha Corporation, and Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Both were born and raised in Hamamatsu.
Thus far, Hamamatsu has developed as a “city of creativity” through its three main industries of transport vehicles, textiles, and musical instruments.
Examples of Hamamatsu-based companies that have expanded into global enterprises include Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawai, Roland, and Hamamatsu Photonics. The city continues to provide the world with motorcycles and other vehicles, pianos, electronic musical instruments and optical technology.
Thus far, Hamamatsu has developed as a “city of creativity” through its three main industries of transport vehicles, textiles, and musical instruments.
Examples of Hamamatsu-based companies that have expanded into global enterprises include Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawai, Roland, and Hamamatsu Photonics. The city continues to provide the world with motorcycles and other vehicles, pianos, electronic musical instruments and optical technology.
Suzuki
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Yamaha
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Kawai |
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Roland
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Hamamatsu Photonics
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Blessed with a mild climate and abundant nature, Hamamatsu continues to grow as a vibrant city full of the enterprising Yaramaika spirit. It is an exciting time; technological projects are constantly underway and the new field of optical technology is flourishing.
On July 1st 2005 Hamamatsu merged with twelve surrounding towns and villages in the Tenryugawa / Hamanako region to become the largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture, with a population of over 800,000 residents. The new city now ranks alongside Nagoya in terms of scale and importance within the Chubu region. After this successful merger, Hamamatsu next turned its sights on becoming an ordinance-designated city – or a city with an administrative authority equal to that of a prefecture. The Cabinet decision to grant designated city status to Hamamatsu was publicly announced in 2006; the actual change took effect in April 2007.
On July 1st 2005 Hamamatsu merged with twelve surrounding towns and villages in the Tenryugawa / Hamanako region to become the largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture, with a population of over 800,000 residents. The new city now ranks alongside Nagoya in terms of scale and importance within the Chubu region. After this successful merger, Hamamatsu next turned its sights on becoming an ordinance-designated city – or a city with an administrative authority equal to that of a prefecture. The Cabinet decision to grant designated city status to Hamamatsu was publicly announced in 2006; the actual change took effect in April 2007.
With regional competition becoming increasingly more fierce, we choose to aim for sustainable local development by actively encouraging new enterprises to locate here. This policy enables us to take advantage of our recent merger and the merits of a designated city to achieve our goals.