●What is Information & Strategy Office?
In severe financial conditions, many municipalities are attempting to focus on policies for the efficient and effective financial operation. What is the necessary policy for the social and economic development? Municipalities are also expected to engage in marketing.
The ‘Information & Strategy Office’ was set up in URC (Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Center) as an advisory team serving for Fukuoka City with a mission to contribute to the economic growth of Fukuoka City.
In daily operation, it collects and analyzes data and information, consults to city bureaus and the general public, builds up policy options and recommends priorities to support Mayor’s decision making.

●”Fukuoka Growth 2014-2015 Global City Status”
we would like to introduce the data indicating the global position of Fukuoka. We hope this series will be useful to boost the presence of Fukuoka City in the global economy.

In a series of reports called “Fukuoka Growth – Growth Potential of Fukuoka City –” published by Information & Strategy Office on our website last year, we had introduced the growth ability and the quality of life of Fukuoka City. In this new series of reports called “Global City Status”, we would like to introduce the data indicating the global position of Fukuoka. We hope this series will be useful to boost the presence of Fukuoka City in the global economy.
July 24, 2014

Fukuoka City is situated in a location that has a 2000 year-long history as an international communication gateway. Currently, Fukuoka is Japan’s 6th largest city with a population of 1.5 million. As a hub city of the Kyushu Region where more than 13 million people live, the city is full of vitality with the high rate of population growth and young people.
The city is also known as a compact city with good living environment, and its urban development has been introduced by UN-HABITAT Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific – Fukuoka as the “Fukuoka Model” which was created as a quick indicator for the developing cities with a population size of one million in Asia.
The city is located at the gateway between the fast-growing East Asian regions and Japan. The comparison of population in overseas metropolitan areas within 3 hour-flight-distance shows that Fukuoka City using Fukuoka airport is significantly larger than the Tokyo using Narita and Haneda airport (See figure 1-1 and 1-2). More than 70 million people live just in these Asian greater metropolitan areas, which hold hundreds of millions of markets behind them.

Figure 1-1: International Regular Flight Destinations from Fukuoka

Source: Fukuoka Airport Building Co., Ltd., July 2014.

Figure 1-2: Comparison of Population in 3 hour-flight-distance Metropolitan Areas

Sources: Fukuoka Airport Building Co., Ltd.; Narita International Airport; Haneda Airport International Passenger Terminal; Demographia, 2014; Population of cities.
Note: See the attached tables at the bottom of this page for the breakdown of total population.

As the national population is expected to decline in Japan, companies that have found a way out to foreign nations are under pressure to consider relocation of function or resources which are concentrated in Japan’s three major metropolitan areas which are Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. It starts to become apparent that Fukuoka City close to Asia is in the critically important position as the next hub following the Metropolitan area where a lot of companies are headquartered.
Many companies have already established their branch offices in Fukuoka City. In addition to the position as one of existing branch offices located across the country, Fukuoka City has a potential of becoming the hub with the significant meaning of the city as part of Asia.

Most large cities in Asia have a high proportion of manufacturing industry in the breakdown of Gross Regional Product (See figure 1-3). And yet, Japan’s high value-added productivity such as research and development remains as its advantage, and the role of Fukuoka City in connecting Asia and Japan can be considered to become more important.

Figure 1-3: Breakdown ratio of GRP in Asian Urban Cities

Sources: Global MetroMonitor, 2012, http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/global-metro-monitor-3 (accessed 23 July 2014); Fukuoka City, Economic Calculation.

This spring, Fukuoka City was designated as a National Strategic Economic Growth Area, and measures such as national regulatory reform are going to be deployed comprehensively and intensively. In particular, as the “Startup City”, the city is looking into support measures on the establishment or deployment of new businesses.
With the preferential treatment from the special zone in Fukuoka City, the benefits of business deployment with an eye to Asia will become larger.

We can also expect that the opportunities for Fukuoka City to receive attention from foreign highly skilled professionals, entrepreneurs and investors will increase.

Figure1-4: Trends in the ranking of Fukuoka City in the Monocle’s Annual Global Quality of Life Survey

Source: Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey.

For the first time Fukuoka City was ranked in the top 10 in the Monocle’s eighth annual Global Quality of Life Survey: “the most livable 25 cities in the world” this year (See figure 1-4). The quality of life in Fukuoka City has showed its presence in the world, and has received a reputation.
The presence of Fukuoka City strengthening a connection with Asian cities is expected to become increasingly stronger.

Breakdown of the Figure 1-2 above (Comparison of Population in 3 hour-flight-distance Metropolitan Areas)

Source for Duration: Fukuoka Airport Building Co., Ltd., May 2014.
Source for Population of cities except for Jeju: Demographia, Demographia World Urban Areas, May 2014 revision, http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf ( accessed 23 July 2014).
Source for Population of Jeju: Jeju Special Autonomous Province, December 2013.
Note: Duration of the fastest flight.

Source for Duration: Narita International Airport, May 2014; Haneda Airport International Passenger Terminal, May 2014.
Source for Population of cities except for Jeju and cities in Russia: Demographia, Demographia World Urban Areas, May 2014 revision, http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf ( accessed 23 July 2014).
Source for Population of Jeju: Jeju Special Autonomous Province, December 2013.
Source for Population of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Population of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City and its administrative wards from Russia Population Census, 2010.
Source for Population of Vladivostok: City population from Vladivostok City, 2012.
Source for Population of Khabarovsk: City population from Khabarovsk Region website, 2009.
Note: Duration of the fastest flight.

Share This Post: http://urc.or.jp/?p=5518