F E AT U RE Trucks donated by Asian Tigers to store runners belongings during a charity run held in Tokyo in aid of breast cancer research THOMAS MOROCZ, GENERAL MANAGER AT SANTA FE RELOCATION TOKYO The market is becoming more diverse, so it will be easier for us to find our niche global every day. We see great potential here. With some of the worlds most important corporations located in Tokyo including dozens of Global 500 companies Morocz believes that it is imperative to have a high-quality international moving company here. While not everyone considers Japan to be a major hub, the country is well-located enough to allow the servicing of numerous markets across Asia. At FIDI Affiliate Nippon Express Co., Ltd, General Manager Atsushi Tempaku agrees that Tokyo is a priority in terms of being a location for an international mover. Asian countries are gathering attention, especially from the economic and production points of view. International moving is very active between Tokyo and other foreign Asian cities, he says. Tokyo is home to companies in all types of industries, both domestic and international, making it a natural home for an international moving company, says Tomomi Fujita, Managing Director of Asian Tigers Japan. ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE Japan offers huge opportunities for companies that can crack its potential. But in terms of pure economic numbers, China is now outpacing Japan. The Chinese economy grew at around 6.3 per cent during 2019 compared with 1.1 per cent for Japan. While its overall growth is certainly not as ferocious as that of China, the Land of the Rising Sun is a 66 FF295 FebMar20 pp64-71 City on the Move Toyko.indd 66 massive powerhouse and among the worlds leaders in technology, think Fujitsu, and cars think Honda and Mazda to name just two business sectors. From a certain point of view, the Japanese economy is growing slowly. However, thanks to information technology and high-quality products based in Japan, our economy is very active, says Tempaku at Nippon Express Co., Ltd. In particular, our automotive industry is leading our economy, and this benefits the international moving industry. With leading global players such as Toyota and the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance headquartered in Japan, automotive clients are key accounts for FIDI Affiliates such as Santa Fe. For this company, the pharmaceutical industry is currently most profitable. We (also) see high potential in consumer goods, says Morocz. At Nippon Express, customers come from all industrial fields. In terms of tonnage, manufacturing industry customers and trading companies are its biggest business sectors. Asian Tigers Japan works with a wide variety of industry sectors and, for them, no single business sector stands out in terms of business volumes. Pharmaceuticals, tourism-related businesses, renewable energy and business services are growing strongly in Japan, says Asian Tigers Fujita. But, she adds: It is not so much individual industries, rather overall business activity and growth WW W. F I D I FOC U S . OR G 20/01/2020 15:39