"Fukuoka has a reputation as a place where new businesses thrive. Listing on the Fukuoka stock exchange has been the first step to national success for a number of companies. The best known, however, are restaurant chains and other service sector companies; in an age where software and high-tech industries are seen as the future, local authorities are hoping to change that emphasis." By Bethan Hutton

"Geographical links to the rest of Asia are helping to clinch big business deals. Samsung and Daewoo, the Korean conglomerates, are setting up offices in Fukuoka. There is hope that a new Samsung car factory in Pusan, just across the Sea of Japan, will look to procure components from Kyushu -- where the presence of big Toyota and Nissan factories has led to the growth of car parts suppliers. Small and medium-sized companies, regional banks and government bodies based in Fukuoka, have all been setting up offices in Asian countries." By Michiyo Nakamoto (Excerpts from the May 12, 1997 issue) (With the courtesy of Financial Times)

Financial Times http://www.ft.com/