Japan

General Overview

Population:

127,463,611 (July 2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity):

US$4.018 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP per capita:

US$31,500 (2005 est.)

GDP (real growth rate):

2.7% (2005 est.)

Industries:

motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods

Imports:

US$451.1 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Import commodities:

machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw materials

Alberta's export to Japan:

CDN$1.2 billion (2005 est.)

Alberta's main exports to Japan:

canola seeds, pork, wheat, woodpulp, coal, hay, lumber and cobalt

Canada's main exports to Japan:

lumber, coal, pork, canola seeds, copper, woodpulp, wheat and aluminum

For detailed information about Japan, the following websites provide economic, political and historical information:

CIA World Factbook
Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy
Library of Congress Japan Country Profile

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Export Statistics

For detailed statistical information on Alberta and Canadian exports to Japan, consult the following statistical publications and databases:

Alberta's International Trade Review
An analysis of Alberta's international exports of goods and services. Published by Alberta Employment, Immigration & Industry.
Trade Data Online
Customized reports on Canada's trade with over 200 countries.

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Alberta-Japan Relations

Alberta has a multifaceted relationship with Japan, which includes strong business ties, cultural exchanges and educational initiatives.

World Relations
Alberta International and Intergovernmental Relations summary of Alberta's relationship with Japan.

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Sector Opportunities

Alberta International Marketing Strategy (AIMS)

Ensures the Alberta government's trade promotion and investment attraction activities are focused on key international markets.

According to AIMS, Japan has been identified as a priority market in the following sectors:
- Agri-food
- Education and Training
- Energy
- Health and Bio-industries
- Information Communication Technologies
- Petrochemical and Refined products
- Tourism
Agri-food

Japan relies on imports for about 60 per cent of its caloric needs and as such will remain a major agri-food importer for the foreseeable future. In 2004, Japan imported $712 million worth of Alberta agri-food products making it Alberta's second largest agri-food export market after the U.S. Japan will continue to provide opportunities for Alberta's highly competitive meat and oil seed sectors as well as niche opportunities for high-quality processed foods.
Education and Training

For many international students, Alberta is the preferred destination to obtain high quality education credentials and to learn about Canadian culture. Japan is an important market for Alberta's educational services, especially english as a second language (ESL) programs, and is the fourth largest international source of students. Alberta institutions are actively marketing in Japan. Japanese students enhance the diversity of knowledge in Alberta classrooms and, upon completion of their studies; their understanding of Alberta may lead to new international business or cooperation in trade and research. As of 2003, there were approximately 53 linkages and cooperation agreements between primary, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions in Alberta and Japan. One of these agreements, the Alberta-Hokkaido Regional Student Exchange (REX) program, allows Alberta high school students to develop their Japanese language skills in a total immersion program in Japan. Another program offers a reciprocal scholarship between Alberta and Hokkaido providing the opportunity for one student to pursue post-secondary studies in the other province.
Energy

Japan continues to import about 80 per cent of its total energy demand and is quite dependent on the Middle East. Japan is interested in diversifying its supply of energy and is quite interested, from a trade and investment point of view, in the Oil Sands. Japan is also interested in new clean energy technologies.
Health and Bio-industries
- Nanomedicine:
  
  The Japanese government is highly supportive of the development and application of nanotechnology. Nanomedicine is expected to reach sales of $9.5 billion by 2015.
- Health service (homecare and support):
  
  A low birth rate and a low level of immigration contribute to a steadily ageing population. Households headed by 65 years old or older will account for 37.1% of all Japanese households in 2025, and therefore products and services geared towards this market segment will be in high demand.
Information Communication Technologies (ICT)

Japanese companies are looking for new technologies to enhance what is already the second most technologically advanced country in the world. The information & communication technologies (ICT) market value of Japan is upwards of 116 trillion yen (CAN$1.16 trillion). Household penetration ratio for ICT equipment was 94 per cent for mobile phones, 78 per cent for personal computers, and 54 per cent for faxes. More than 80 million mobile phones are currently in use in Japan, 85 per cent of which are mobile Internet accessible, and 60 per cent are camera-equipped. Broadband has over 15 million users, 3rd largest market in the world (amount of users). Internet medium is changing from "PC only" to a "wide variety" of appliances, such as TV and mobile phones.
Tourism

Despite its past economic woes, Japan remains a very rich country, with enormous personal savings. With the economy in Japan continuing its improving trend, Japan, as the second largest economy in the world remains a key market for Alberta tourism. Outbound travel from Japan took a big hit in 2003 due to the fact that the Japanese are traditionally very sensitive to world events that create an unstable global environment, adversely affecting their attitudes to travel. Although 2003 saw a major drop in tourism from Japan, 2004 proves that Japanese tourism is on an upward trend again. In 2004 56,000 visitors from Japan went to Alberta. It is expected that 64,000 visitors will travel to the Province in 2005. If previous years are an example of spending patterns, then the expected revenue from Japanese tourism in 2005 is $63 million. Japanese visitors continue to be the top spenders.

For additional information on business opportunities and resources for market intelligence, visit:

Export Source - Market and Business Opportunities
Online tool for new and experienced exporters.
Virtual Trade Commissioner
Gateway to market information.

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Exporting Your Products - Services for Exporters

Export Alert!
A resource for exporters to learn about changes in foreign export regulations.
Exporter Needs Continuum
Lists services that can benefit your company and who offers them.
Export Resources
Resources for both new and experienced exporters.
International Trade Canada
Sector reports as well as a list of staff contacts that can assist exporters.