Nagoya which is located at Chubu region is the fourth largest and most populated city in the Land of the Rising Sun. It is regarded as the base of automotive industry in Japan since most of the factories of major companies in this sector can be found in Nagoya such as but not limited to Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi.
In the past, the Chubu area has been widely known across Japan as one of the country’s biggest manufacturing centers. Despite the prevalence of factories and large manufacturing companies in the area, numerous university students in Chubu particularly in Nagoya prefer to join IT startup or pioneering companies to become entrepreneurs.
With this trend, the region has become an avenue for young entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. There has been a tremendous increase in the number of pioneer companies in the area with innovative and forefront technological products. The more established startup companies also seek to support young entrepreneurs in putting up their prospective businesses.
One of the fastest growing startup companies is the Kamejima Garage which is situated in a convenient shared or coworking space for entrepreneurs in Nagoya’s Nakamura ward. The space on the first floor of the building is intended to be used for free by cafe goers who are mostly potential entrepreneurs or students who are currently looking forward to start up their own business enterprises. Meanwhile, the second floor of the building is comprised of rental offices which startup companies may lease at a relatively lower fee.
Kenta Okumura, the head of Nagoya-based Midland Incubators which started the concept of coworking or shared office space said that “We want to establish a startup hub in Nagoya, by supporting the creation of 50 startups within three years.”
Along with other established startup companies, the firm expressed that they will continue to give business advice to entrepreneurs for them to successfully launch their own businesses and raise the necessary capital for such endeavor. Their goal is to build an entrepreneurial “ecosystem” in Chubu region whereby established companies can pass on their knowledge and skills in order to encourage the next generation of business entrepreneurs in the area.
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Better known as a manufacturing center, Chubu region is turning its talents to nurturing startups
25 Best Things to Do in Nagoya (Japan)
