Japan Study Tour for Chinese Entrepreneurs

Nikkei Inc. and Nikkei BP organized a five-day study tour in Japan for 17 Chinese entrepreneurs.

TOKYO, JAPAN, September 12, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In June, Nikkei Inc. and Nikkei BP organized a five-day study tour in Japan for Chinese entrepreneurs, in cooperation with the Jiangsu Sushang Development Promotion Association (SDPA）. From 17-21 June, seventeen executives from SDPA member companies took part in the tour titled "Learning about Japan's cutting-edge industries." Through lectures from experts and site visits, they deepened their understanding of Japanese companies and how they have continued to grow in the wake of Japan's "lost 30 years".

SDPA is a Jiangsu-based private business organization equivalent to a Chamber of Commerce, with about 1,500 member companies, mainly in the manufacturing industry. Jiangsu Province is known as an advanced manufacturing region with many Japanese manufacturers and is part of the Yangtze River Delta Region centered around Shanghai.

With the outlook for the Chinese economy becoming increasingly uncertain, there is increasing concern among Chinese companies that China may fall into a prolonged economic depression similar to that experienced by Japan. To avert such a crisis, there is a growing trend among Chinese executives to learn from the experience of Japan, where stock prices reached new highs after the "lost 30 years." The study tour was arranged with this in mind.

On the first day of the program, experts gave lectures in a hall at the Tokyo headquarters of Nikkei Inc. Toshiyuki Shiga, Chairman of the INCJ (formerly the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan) and former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Nissan, gave a lecture titled "The development of the Japanese automobile industry and challenges it faces," covering the history of the automobile industry and the strengths and weaknesses of Japanese companies. Toshio Fujimura, Visiting Professor at Aichi Institute of Technology, analyzed the electrification strategies of major automobile manufacturers and outlined his theory on the path towards reducing CO2 emissions. Noboru Sato, Visiting Professor at Nagoya University, spoke about global competition in automotive batteries.

From 18-21 June, the delegation visited a number of factories. The six companies visited were: Makino Milling Machine, a major machine tool manufacturer; TMEIC, established by a merger of the electrical equipment and large-capacity motor manufacturing businesses of Toshiba and Mitsubishi Electric; Sanden, a major automotive air-conditioner manufacturer and now part of the Hisense Group; Yokowo, a major automotive antenna manufacturer; ESPEC, the world's largest manufacturer of environmental test chambers; and Mitutoyo, a leading manufacturer of precision measuring instruments. The delegates were briefed on the latest product trends, improvements in production efficiency, frameworks for transfer of technical skills through employee training, and ensuring a work environment that is favorable to women.

After the tour, they visited the Manufacturing World Japan exhibition on June 21

Yu Wenqin, executive vice-chairman of SDPA, who accompanied the participants on the study tour, said "we received various stimuli through the five-day program. It is important to put what we learnt into practice."

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