PRINCIPAL POLICIES OF THE TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT

Revitalizing Industry

Tokyo contains over 720,000 business establishments, more than 90 percent of which are small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Clearly, then, revitalizing the health and energy of these SMEs holds the key to kick-starting the economy of Tokyo Metropolis as a whole.

On a negative note, the rate of new businesses starting up in Tokyo has fallen below the rate of business closures, leading to a drop in the net number of enterprises that focus on the manufacturing industry. For this and other reasons, the status of Tokyo industry has suffered a sustained decline in recent years.

To counter this negative trend, the following high-priority programs are being advanced in support of these objectives: "The optimum use of fiscal resources for Tokyo's industrial revitalization"; "The promotion of policy measures matched to the regional characteristics of Tokyo"; and "The promotion of practical approaches geared to the needs of the region and its corporate workplaces."

The Tokyo Center for Intellectual Property

Strategic Support Measures to Bolster Tokyo's Industrial Strength

The former leaders of large companies and other business veterans will pioneer sales routes, new product development and other pivotal support for SMEs. To promote greater use of intellectual property - an area in which Japan still lags behind the United States and Europe - an intellectual property utilization headquarters will be established and staffed by experts capable of devising and implementing support measures for individual SMEs.

In promoting fluid collaboration between the business, academic and government sectors, studies will be undertaken to look into the possibility of establishing industrial technology graduate schools, which will target integrated collaboration between companies and universities at the cutting edge of craftsmanship.

To accelerate regulatory reform, to cultivate human resources and to protect intellectual property in support of craftsmanship and other needs, the Industry Strength Enhancement Conference has been established to conduct studies that pool the opinions and perspectives of all Tokyo government offices.

Promotion of Industry Revitalization Projects Mobilizing Regional Fiscal Resources

Practical projects will be implemented after full consideration of proposals from individual wards, municipalities and regions, as well as the progress made in assessing community development, cultural promotion and other conditions in the field.

Emergency SME Measures

To deal with the harsh economic environment, the job situation and other factors negatively impacting small and medium-sized enterprises, institutional financing will be expanded and enhanced, station-front night schools will be opened and other strategic measures advanced to improve occupational training opportunities.