What industries are leading in Japan. industrial production in japan
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1. Metallurgy suffered for Lately strong changes. Instead of many outdated factories, powerful plants equipped with the latest technology have been built. Lacking its own raw material base, Japan focuses on the import of iron ore and coking coal. Malaysia and Canada have been and remain major suppliers of iron ore. The main suppliers of coal are the USA, Australia; to a lesser extent, India and Canada. Japan is the world's second largest producer of refined copper, after the United States. Deposits of polymetallic ores form the basis for the development of zinc and lead production.
2. Japan's energy industry focuses mainly on imported raw materials (mainly oil and oil products). Import of oil is more than 200 million tons (own production of 0.5 million tons in 2007). The share of coal in consumption is decreasing, the share of natural gas in consumption is growing (it is imported in a reduced form). The role of hydropower and nuclear energy is growing. Japan has a powerful electric power industry. Over 60% of the capacity falls on thermal power plants (the largest of 4 million kW). A nuclear power plant has been under construction since the mid-1960s. Currently, more than 20 nuclear power plants operate on imported raw materials (more than 40 power units). They provide about 30% of electricity. The country has built the most powerful nuclear power plants in the world (including Fukushima - 10 power units).
3. Japan's shipbuilding is very diverse: the world's largest supertankers and other ships are leaving the stocks of the shipyards of Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe, Nagasaki and many other shipbuilding centers. Shipbuilding specializes in the construction of large-capacity tankers and bulk carriers. The total tonnage of ships built in Japan is 40% of the world's tonnage. In shipbuilding, the country firmly ranks first in the world (2nd place - the Republic of Korea). Shipbuilding and ship repair enterprises are located throughout the country. The main centers are located in the largest ports (Yokohama, Nagasaki).
4. The production of non-ferrous metals is material and energy intensive. They belong to the “environmentally dirty” industries, therefore, a significant reorganization of the industry has been carried out. In the last decade alone, the smelting of non-ferrous metals has decreased by 20 times. Converting plants are located in almost all large industrial centers.
5. Mechanical engineering in Japan includes many industries (shipbuilding, automotive, general engineering, instrumentation, radio electronics, aerospace industry). There are a number of large factories of heavy engineering, machine-tool building, production of equipment for the light and food industries. But the main industries were electronics, the radio industry and transport engineering.
* For the production of cars (13 million units per year) in last years Japan also ranks first in the world (industry products account for 20% of Japanese exports). The most important centers of the industry are Toyota (Nagasaki region), Yokohama, Hiroshima.
* The main enterprises of general engineering are located within the Pacific industrial belt: in the Tokyo region - complex machine tool building, industrial robots; in Osaka - metal-intensive equipment (near the centers of ferrous metallurgy); in the Nagoya region - machine tool building, production of equipment for other industries.
* Enterprises of the radio-electronic and electrical engineering industries are oriented towards centers with a skilled labor force, a well-developed transport system, and a developed scientific and technical base. In the early 1990s, Japan accounted for over 60% of the production of industrial robots, ½ of CNC machine tools and pure ceramic products, from 60 to 90% of the production of certain types of microprocessors in the world. Japan maintains a leading position in the production of consumer electronics and electronic equipment. The share of the country in the world production of color TV sets (taking into account the production at foreign enterprises of Japanese companies is more than 60%, video recorders - 90%, etc.). The products of science-intensive industries account for about 15% of the total industrial production in Japan. And in general, for engineering products - about 40%.
* Enterprises of the oil refining and chemical industries gravitate towards the main centers of the Pacific industrial belt - in the Tokyo agglomeration of the Alan industrial belt. In the Tokyo agglomeration (Kawasaki, Chiba, Yokohama), in the Osaka and Nagoya regions, enterprises use imported raw materials. In terms of the level of development of the chemical industry, Japan occupies one of the first places in the world.
Japan is an island nation located in the northwestern part of Pacific Ocean. The industries of Japan, despite its small area, are very developed. An important role in the country's economy is played by the automotive industry, robotics, the agricultural industry, education and science.
Agriculture
Japanese agriculture is multifaceted. Farming is an important and fundamental part of agriculture. The main crop is rice, but other crops are not deprived of attention. Legumes and tea are also in great demand.
Rice. 1. Rice cultivation in Japan.
The most prominent role is played by horticulture, horticulture, sericulture and animal husbandry. Agriculture in Japan also includes pearl fishing, sea fishing, and fishing.
In the Land of the Rising Sun, the cultivated area is 5.4 million hectares, and the sown area is several times larger. This happens for one simple reason. The fact is that in some areas they harvest 2-3 crops a year.
More than half of the entire area is allocated for grain crops, about 25% - for vegetables, the rest of the land is occupied by fodder grasses, industrial crops and mulberries.
The number of cattle in the country reaches 5 million heads (half of them are dairy cows). Pig breeding is developing in the southern regions (about 7 million heads).
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Fish plays an important role in the life of a Japanese. Rice and fish have always been part of the daily diet of the Japanese, which contributed to the development of fishing.
Automotive industry
The automotive industry is one of the main branches of specialization in Japan. The country has a well-developed road and rail network. In the second half of the 20th century, the automotive industry reached unprecedented heights and began to make up the bulk of Japanese exports.
It is believed that Japan's rail transport is one of the best in the world. About 250 Shinkansen high-speed trains operate in the country.
Robotics
The development of robotics and electronics is one of the main tasks for the state. Japan is a high-tech country, where mass production of robots began already in 1980. The country produces 60,000 robots a year, half of which is exported.
Rice. 2. Robotics Japan.
Metallurgy
Metallurgy remains an important industry in Japan's industry. The boom in ferrous metallurgy occurred in the 60-70s. XX century. This industry is currently experiencing better times. However, the country still remains one of the main exporters of steel, exporting 25 million tons annually.
In Japan, the mining industry is extremely underdeveloped, as there are few minerals. Not mined in the Japanese islands a large number of coal, sulfur, mercury, silver, copper, zinc, lead, manganese, but this is barely enough to meet the most modest needs of local residents. Japan is also very poor in oil, there is practically none there. the only thing that is available in sufficient quantities is limestone, dolomite, pyrite, quartz sand.
Rice. 3. Coal mining in the Japanese islands.
What have we learned?
In terms of socio-economic development, Japan belongs to a post-industrial society. Although industry remains the most important area of the Japanese economy, the importance of the non-manufacturing sector is growing at a faster pace, especially in finance, the service sector, and scientific research. In Japan, the main industries are robotics, automotive, agriculture and metallurgy.
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In recent decades, Japan has emerged as one of the leading economic powers and is the second largest national economic power in the world. The population of Japan is approximately 2.3% of the global population, but creates about 16% of the gross world product (GMP) calculated at current exchange rates, and 7.7% in terms of the purchasing power of the yen. Its economic potential is equal to 61% of the US, but in terms of production per capita, it exceeds american level. Japan accounts for 70% of the total product of East Asia, its gross domestic product (GDP), calculated on the basis of current exchange rates, is four times that of China. It has achieved high technical excellence, especially in certain areas of advanced technology. The current position of Japan in the world economy is the result of its economic development in the second half of the last century. In 1938, it accounted for only 3% of the VMP.
Black and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical and food industries are developed in Japan. Although Japan is the largest importer of raw materials for most of these industries, nevertheless, the country often ranks 1-2 in the world in the output of many industries. Moreover, industry is concentrated mainly within the Pacific industrial belt (almost 80% of industrial products are produced in 13% of the country's territory).
The industry of Japan at first developed mainly along an evolutionary path. Such basic industries as energy, metallurgy, automobile and shipbuilding, chemical and petrochemical, and construction industries were practically created anew on imported raw materials. After the energy and raw material crises of the mid-1970s, the revolutionary path of development began to prevail in industry. The country began to increasingly limit the growth of energy-intensive and metal-intensive industries that depend on imported fuel and raw materials and to focus on the latest high-tech industries. She became a leader in the field of electronics, biotechnology, and began to use non-traditional energy sources.
I. Metallurgy has recently undergone major changes. Instead of many outdated factories, powerful plants equipped with the latest technology have been built. Lacking its own raw material base, Japan focuses on the import of iron ore and coking coal. Malaysia and Canada have been and remain major suppliers of iron ore. The main suppliers of coal are the USA, Australia; to a lesser extent, India and Canada. Japan is the world's second largest producer of refined copper, after the United States. Deposits of polymetallic ores form the basis for the development of zinc and lead production.
II. Japan's energy industry is oriented primarily to imported raw materials (mainly oil and oil products). Oil imports amount to more than 200 million tons (own production of 0.5 million tons in 1997). The share of coal in consumption is decreasing, the share of natural gas in consumption is growing (it is imported in a reduced form). The role of hydropower and nuclear energy is growing. Japan has a powerful electric power industry. Over 60% of the capacity falls on thermal power plants (the largest of 4 million kW). A nuclear power plant has been under construction since the mid-1960s. Currently, more than 20 nuclear power plants operate on imported raw materials (more than 40 power units). They provide about 30% of electricity. The country has built the most powerful nuclear power plants in the world (including Fukushima - 10 power units).
III. Japan's shipbuilding is very diverse: the world's largest supertankers and other ships are leaving the stocks of the shipyards of Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe, Nagasaki and many other shipbuilding centers. Shipbuilding specializes in the construction of large-capacity tankers and bulk carriers. The total tonnage of ships built in Japan is 40% of the world's tonnage. In shipbuilding, the country firmly ranks first in the world (2nd place - the Republic of Korea). Shipbuilding and ship repair enterprises are located throughout the country. The main centers are located in the largest ports (Yokohama, Nagasaki).
IV. The production of non-ferrous metals is material and energy intensive. They belong to the “environmentally dirty” industries, therefore, a significant reorganization of the industry has been carried out. In the last decade alone, the smelting of non-ferrous metals has decreased by 20 times. Converting plants are located in almost all major industrial centers.
V. Mechanical engineering in Japan includes many industries (shipbuilding, automotive, general engineering, instrumentation, radio electronics, aerospace industry). There are a number of large factories of heavy engineering, machine-tool building, production of equipment for the light and food industries. But the main industries were electronics, the radio industry and transport engineering.
- 1) In recent years, Japan has also ranked first in the world in terms of car production (13 million units per year) (the industry's products account for 20% of Japanese exports). The most important centers of the industry are Toyota (Nagasaki region), Yokohama, Hiroshima.
- 2) The main enterprises of general engineering are located within the Pacific industrial belt: in the Tokyo region - complex machine tool building, industrial robots; in Osaka - metal-intensive equipment (near the centers of ferrous metallurgy); in the Nagoya region - machine tool building, production of equipment for other industries.
- 3) Enterprises of the radio-electronic and electrical industry are oriented towards centers with a skilled labor force, a well-developed transport system, and a developed scientific and technical base. In the early 90s, Japan accounted for over 60% of the production of industrial robots, ? CNC machines and pure ceramic products, from 60 to 90% of the production of certain types of microprocessors in the world. Japan maintains a leading position in the production of consumer electronics and electronic equipment. The share of the country in the world output of color TV sets (taking into account the production at foreign enterprises of Japanese companies is more than 60%, video recorders - 90%, etc.). The products of science-intensive industries account for about 15% of the total industrial production in Japan. And in general, for engineering products - about 40%.
- 4) Enterprises of the oil refining, as well as the chemical industry, gravitate towards the main centers of the Pacific industrial belt - in the Tokyo agglomeration of the Alan industrial belt. In the Tokyo agglomeration (Kawasaki, Chiba, Yokohama), in the Osaka and Nagoya regions, enterprises use imported raw materials. In terms of the level of development of the chemical industry, Japan occupies one of the first places in the world.
- 5) Japan also has a developed pulp and paper industry.
- 6) It retains no less importance for the light and food industries. However, competition from developing countries in many types of labor-intensive industries in light industry (due to the cheapness of labor in other countries).
Another important traditional branch of Japanese industry is fishing. In terms of fish catch, Japan occupies one of the first places in the world. There are more than 3 thousand fishing ports in the country. The rich and diverse fauna of the coastal seas contributed to the development of not only fishing, but also Mari culture. Fish and seafood occupy a very large place in the diet of the Japanese. Pearl fishing is also developed.
A very important feature of Japan's industry is its exceptionally strong involvement in international economic relations.
Japan is an archipelago country located in the center of the Asia-Pacific region, spread over the four large islands of Honshu, Hokaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. In addition to them, the territory of the state also includes about 4 thousand small islands, which stretch for three and a half thousand kilometers from the northeast to the southwest. The shores form bays and a large number of bays. All the seas and oceans that wash the archipelago play a huge role for Japan, as they are the main sources of its resources.
Population
By population Country rising sun is in the top ten in the world. The Japanese can boast of the longest life expectancy in the world (76 years for men and 82 for women).
For national composition characterized by relative homogeneity. The Japanese form almost ninety-nine percent of all the inhabitants of the country. Among other peoples living in Japan, there are quite a lot of Koreans, as well as Chinese. The vast majority practice Shinto or Buddhism. The most densely populated are the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Nearly eighty percent of Japanese live in large cities, eleven of which are cities with a population of one million.
Japanese industry
(On the assembly line, robots have practically replaced humans)
Japanese industry is almost entirely dependent on imported resources. Recently, the country has been forced to reduce the growth of energy-intensive and metal-intensive production, which depends on imported raw materials, focusing on the science-intensive industry. Nevertheless, both ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, automobile and shipbuilding, construction industry, energy, chemical and petrochemical, food and pulp and paper industries are well developed in Japan.
And, of course, Japan is one of the few countries where people are trying to replace people with industrial robots almost everywhere on the assembly line.
(Industrial plant in Japan)
The largest metallurgical centers, almost completely working on imported raw materials, are plants located in Osaka, Tokyo and Fujiyama. The scale of the primary smelting of non-ferrous metals in Japan is gradually decreasing, but most of the plants located in the largest industrial centers are still functioning today.
The light and food industries play an important role. The electric power industry mainly uses imported raw materials. Oil and natural gas are the predominant components in the Japanese raw material base, while the share of coal is declining, the role of hydro and nuclear energy is increasing. In the field of energy, sixty percent of its capacity comes from thermal power plants, and twenty-eight percent comes from nuclear energy. Hydroelectric power plants are cascaded on mountain rivers.
(Robots assemble in a car factory)
Mechanical engineering is well developed in Japan. The leading sub-sectors are electrical engineering and electronics, the radio industry is very well developed, and transport engineering is growing intensively. The country leads in terms of construction of tankers and bulk carriers. The main shipyards are located in the ports - Yokohama, Nagasaki, Kobe. Japan is also a stable leader in the field of automotive construction. Thirteen million cars roll off the assembly lines of Japanese factories every year.
(The city of Tokyo is partially powered by solar panels.)
In recent years, the country has begun to actively implement the so-called program " Sunshine”, which consists in the development of non-traditional energy sources. Among economically developed countries, Japan also ranks first in terms of the share of expenditures on the development of science and biotechnology.
Agriculture in Japan
(Unusual drawings in rice fields in Japan)
Agriculture provides approximately two percent of the country's gross national product and continues to be one of the most important sectors of its economy. This area employs six and a half percent of the population. Basically, Japanese agricultural production is concentrated on food products. Japan provides seventy percent of its own food needs. Thirteen percent of the territory is allocated for agriculture. The leading role belongs to crop production, in particular the cultivation of rice and vegetables, and horticulture is widespread. Animal husbandry is also developing intensively. So, in Japan they breed a large cattle, poultry, pig breeding is developed.
(Fishing boat at the port of the Sea of Japan)
An exceptionally good location determines the abundance of fish and seafood dishes in the diet of every Japanese. Fishing is carried out in almost all areas of the oceans. Japan has an extensive fishing fleet of over 400,000 vessels. In addition, the country owns over three thousand fishing ports.
Industry, which was the "locomotive" of the development of the Japanese economy, retains its economic importance, although its share is declining due to the transition to the stage of post-industrial development, accompanied by the expansion of the non-material sector. In terms of industrial output, Japan is second only to the United States.
The structure of Japanese industry is dominated by science-intensive, high-tech industries. It is a leader in the production of robots, CNC machines, pure ceramics, ultra-large-scale integrated circuits, certain types of microprocessors, as well as practical application progressive types of equipment, including flexible production systems. In addition, it maintains a leading position in the global automotive industry, the production of electronics and electrical engineering, steel smelting, and the production of chemical products.
In the ownership structure of Japanese industry, liberalized after the war, the role of the largest diversified concerns, such as Mitsubishi, Toyota, Matsushita, representing the interests of leading financial and industrial groups, has again increased.
A distinctive feature of Japanese industry is at the same time the large role of small and medium-sized enterprises: they account for 99% of the total number of industrial enterprises in the country, 74% of employees and about 52% of the value of manufactured products.
- automotive
Almost half of those made in Japan cars goes for export. Cars made by Japanese companies are assembled and operated all over the world. Many are now made in factories located overseas. In addition, cars are not the only mode of transport exported by Japan. Japan also makes buses, trucks, ships and other vehicles.
The Japanese automotive industry leads the world in low production costs. According to foreign experts, this leadership is noticeable, for example, in the organization of inventory management. If General Motors could manage its inventory as efficiently as Toyota, it could free up several billion dollars that it has frozen in warehouses and shops in the form of work in progress, raw materials and parts. Working on the system of "delivery just in time", Japanese companies create significant reserves to fight price competition in foreign markets.
Unlike large American companies that tried to reduce production costs by increasing the number of cars in the series, Japanese companies began to focus on the introduction of flexible production systems that allow the production of small series of models on the same conveyor, taking into account the personal requests of customers.
The volume of car production in Japan in Aug. 2009 decreased by 199 thousand 702 units, i.e. by 25.9% year on year. At the end of the month, the indicator amounted to 571 thousand 787 units. against 771 thousand 489 units. for the same month a year earlier. Such data was published by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).
At the same time, the production of passenger cars in August. 2009 year on year decreased by 24.6% - up to 493 thousand 661 units, production volume trucks decreased by 32.9% - up to 71 thousand 698 units, and the volume of production of buses by 31.9% - up to 6 thousand 428 units.
The volume of exports of passenger cars from Japan in Aug. from. decreased by 43.3% - to 244 thousand 27 vehicles, the export of trucks decreased by 55.5% - to 24 thousand 181 units, and the export of buses fell by 40.3% - to 6 thousand 978 units.
Three of the country's largest automakers - Toyota Motor, Honda Motor and Nissan Motor - continued to reduce production volumes in June. Toyota's production fell 24% year-over-year to 565,541 vehicles, Nissan's production fell 22% to 240,827 units, and Honda's production fell 20% to 257,852 units. The main reason was the decline in sales in the main export market - the United States. “Globally, car sales have bottomed out,” said Ashwin Chotay, managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia. "In the medium term, sales in the US will not be able to reach the levels of 2005 and 2006, so it is difficult to expect a significant recovery in the sales of Japanese companies."
- electrical industry
The enterprises of the radio-electronic and electrical engineering industries are oriented towards centers with a skilled labor force, a well-developed transport system, and a developed scientific and technical base.
Japan maintains a leading position in the production of consumer electronics and electronic equipment.
Summing up the results of the activities of the leading Japanese manufacturers of consumer electronics in 2008/9, which ended on March 31 this year, revealed that some of them had large losses. Panasonic, Sony and Pioneer turned out to be the most vulnerable in the conditions of the global economic crisis, forced to take urgent restructuring measures.
Panasonic management (referring primarily to a sharp decline in demand in the automotive niche and the unfavorable exchange rate of the yen) announced that the group experienced a net loss in the past reporting year in an amount equivalent to 2.9 billion euros on a turnover of 60 billion euros (-14% on compared to 2007/8).
At the beginning of 2008/9 Panasonic expected a net profit of 2.4 billion euros, but subsequently the situation deteriorated so much that in February 2009. a statement appeared about the closure of 27 factories and the elimination of 15 thousand jobs.
Sony, announcing its own loss in 2008/09. (760 million dollars), noted that she had it for the first time in the last 14 years, and began to prepare an “adequate response” in order to adapt to new economic realities in advance. At the end of the previous year, a decision was made to cut 16,000 jobs and close 14 of its 57 manufacturing centers.
As for the Pioneer group, which now specializes mainly in car audio, TV decoders, DVD players and some types of professional equipment, its loss in 2008/9 was was equivalent to 1 billion euros with a turnover of 4.2 billion (-27.8% compared to the previous reporting year).
Net loss of the world-famous Japanese manufacturer of household appliances and electronics Panasonic Corporation in the first quarter. FY 2009/10 (April-June 2009) amounted to 52.98 billion yen (555.75 million dollars) against 73.03 billion yen (766.13 million dollars) of net profit for the corresponding period of 2008/09 financial year, according to the company's financial report released on Monday.
According to a statement from company representatives, the losses are related "mainly to the effect of a sharp drop in sales and lower prices." Company founded in 1918, 1 Oct. 2008 changed its name from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. to Panasonic Corporation, better known to the world consumer.
- chemical industry
Among the products of Japanese chemical export: organic compounds(34.1%), plastics (27.9%), paints and dyes (7.5%), pharmaceuticals (6.5%), inorganic compounds (5.7%), refined petroleum and aromatic hydrocarbons (3 .2%).
Khimprom occupies the 10th place in the structure of the national industry, yielding to metallurgy, mechanical engineering, the food industry and a number of other industries.
A number of experts are of the opinion that most developed countries have already entered the so-called. "an era of economic globalization", characterized by the merging of international capital and the creation of TNCs. Japan today more and more remains aloof from this process. Japanese chemical producers are suffering heavy losses, being unable to compete with the combined Euro-American monopolies. A typical example is the active displacement of Japanese companies from their traditional markets by the trade and industrial associations Hoechst and Rhone-Poulenc. The creation of such TNCs in the chemical sector of the market is becoming a standard. It allows you to implement further modernization of production, reduce costs, reorganize financial portfolios, and ultimately increase competitiveness and increase profits. Japan's lagging behind in the process of economic globalization, including in the chemical industry, is considered today as one of the main reasons for the deepening economic crisis. The problem of dependence on raw materials and the problem of fluctuations in prices for chemical raw materials can be effectively solved in the current conditions only within the framework of transnational trade and industrial associations.
It is expected that "thanks" to the severe economic crisis, the Asian chemical market will change dramatically by the beginning of the 21st century. Japanese companies will have to prove their competitiveness not only in the US and Europe, but now also in Asia. Globalization and speed will become the most important criteria for development.
Modern chemical production in Japan specializes mainly in petrochemistry; the country has developed the production of synthetic rubber, chemical fibers, and plastics. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to "fine chemistry" and biochemistry.
- metallurgy
Ferrous metallurgy is the only one in the complex of energy- and material-intensive industries that basically retains its high production and export potential. Japan's metallurgical plants, established in the post-war years on the basis of the most advanced technology, underwent significant reconstruction after the crisis of the mid-1970s. The old facilities were partially scrapped (and not only blast furnaces and open-hearth furnaces, but also electric steel smelting facilities), and were partially modernized. The “lower”, resource-intensive and environmentally harmful “floors” of metallurgical production were largely moved abroad, and pig production, cleaner and more economically profitable, was concentrated in Japan. In terms of steel production (110.5 million tons in 2003), it ranks second in the world after China. The export quota of the industry is estimated at 24%, the share of Japan in the world market of ferrous metals is approximately 25%. The total number of enterprises in the industry in Japan is in the hundreds, but the most important are the steel plants located near Osaka and Tokyo, focused on large centers of metal consumption. The oldest Japanese metallurgical region in the north of Kyushu (Kitakyushu), which originated on the basis of the use of local coals, retains its role. Outside the industrial zone, the Muroran plant is located in Hokkaido, also built in the pre-war period with a focus on local iron ore deposits. The largest not only in Japan, but also in the world, the Fukuyama plant of the Nippon Kokan company with a capacity of 16 million tons of steel per year is located in the city of the same name on the southeast coast of Honshu. Another four full-cycle plants (in Mizushima, Kawasaki, Kashima, Kimi-tsu) have a steel capacity of more than 10 million tons each. Ferrous metallurgy in Japan works almost entirely on imported raw materials and fuel, so the vast majority of large plants are located in the areas of large ports.
Non-ferrous metallurgy, almost all of whose production is material- and energy-intensive, as well as environmentally hazardous, turned out to be the most subject to reorganization in Japan. The primary smelting of non-ferrous metals has been greatly reduced. There is a scrapping of production units, the removal of production to other countries. Converting plants are located in almost all the leading centers of the industrial belt, some large enterprises are located in the ancient centers of non-ferrous metallurgy, which arose on the basis of the processing of local ores - Niihama (on Shikoku), Hitachi and Asio (in the northern part of Honshu).
According to Japanmetalbulletin, the five largest Japanese steel companies plan to increase steel production in the second quarter. (July-Sept.) 2009 Steel production will be increased on average by 30% or up to 18.3 Mt. The companies made this decision after the domestic market and demand for steel showed a recovery. Steel production in Japan was reduced by 40% in the first quarter. 2009 due to the financial crisis.
- mining industry