Many studies have shown that Japanese automakers and their respective suppliers cooperate closely even in product development processes. However, most of these studies merely analyzed individual product development projects and discussed factors affecting it, such as development lead times, development man-hours, and product quality, thereby failing to cover cooperation between them in the advanced research and development processes.
The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the latter aspect of electronic and electrical components in the Japanese automobile industry by using patent map analysis method.

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International specialization is the predominant model in the electronics industry, both for semiconductors and for the electronic products, such as PCs and digital appliances. Management skills, involving brand, design, business model, and standardization, are now as important as the latest developments in technology. The low return rate of Japan's general electronic products manufacturers, which in many cases hold in-house semiconductor divisions, is caused by insufficient adaptation to three major trends: international specialization, changing differentiation factors, and expanding low-end demand in emerging markets.
In this paper, I analyze the policies being taken to restore the international competitiveness of the Japanese electronic products industry.
I compare the electronic parts and materials industry with general electronics manufacturers, and find that general electronics manufacturers should make a clear distinction between fields in which they can use international specialization to their advantage and those in which they can maintain competitiveness through integration with materials and equipment technology. Different strategies must be developed for each of these areas of business.

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Although it does not have a significant position among major Japanese industries, the pulp and paper industry is still quite important. Paper and its processed goods are used in a variety of commercial applications, including both lifestyle and industrial use.
The pulp and paper industry has a long history dating back to the 6th century, when the technology of handmade paper was introduced into Japan from China. Moreover, after the Meiji Restoration, the technology of modern mechanically produced paper was introduced from Europe.
Shikokuchuo-shi, in the eastern part of Ehime Prefecture, is one of the areas where the pulp and paper industry developed and remains strongly competitive. The fundamental reason why the pulp and paper industry in this area is so successful is that it developed endogenously. Concretely speaking, almost all of the paper companies have their headquarters in the city; therefore, there are many functions of management, finance, R & D, personnel management, and marketing that are shared among these companies. There are also related industries nearby, i. e. machinery for paper manufacturing, carriers, wholesale raw material, printing and so on. There are many supporting organizations, including local government, an industrial association, a public industrial research institute and so on. Moreover, there are multiple networks which connect these organizations to each other and share important information from individual business activities and networks of innovation. So the paper and associated industries in this area have built a representative industrial grouping, paper industry cluster. Consequently, they can continue to achieve innovation and acquire even greater competitiveness.

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The objective of this study is to clarify if conglomerate electronics manufacturer who produces digital consumer appliances could have an attractive subsystem for decommoditization. In this article, it is defined that consumer electronics manufacturer is not a firm manufacturing any specialized electronic product line but a conglomeratized firm with both assembled appliance division and intermidiate component division as its business. The study hypothesizes that decommoditization of digital consumer appliances produced by such manufacturer is originated from the changes specifically in product strategy which is one of the elements constructing competitive strategy. Consequently, in order to clarify an existence of decommoditization subsystem in this industry, the study conducts a detailed analysis focused on leading digital appliances consisted of single lens reflex DSC, plasma TV (PDP module), platform LSI for digital appliance (UniPhier), blue-ray video recorder (BD), and location free TV system (Location Free).
The analysis applies existing (preceding) theoretical framework consisted of product architecture alteration, vertical integration of component manufacturing, platform integration, advancement of black box technology, and category innovation. Materials for the analysis is provided from actual product strategy conducted by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. and Sony Corporation.
In conclusion, the study demonstrates that Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd and Sony corporation are promoting alternative product strategies in order to achieve decommoditization of digital appliances which is substantially apart from the past strategy employing modular architechture at first priority. It is worth enough to consider that these strategy alterations lead to the reversed rise of retail prices as for leading digital appliances which actually occurred in Japan in June 2007.

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As interest in the environmental impact of business activities has increased, environmental measures are now shifting from the “end of pipe” stage to the next stage, and design for environment (DfE) and social efficiency based on eco-efficiency considering the life-cycle is now highly evaluated. It is increasingly seen in Europe that environmental policy at the regional government level has shifted in concept from regulation-oriented policies to management support programs that help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increase their competitiveness through improving their environmental efficiency. This article discusses and compares two environmental programs: the Efficiency Agency NRW (EFA) and the Eco Business Plan Vienna (EBP). This article focuses on the partnerships among the parties involved in the programs and on program operations.
The goal of this article is to understand and convey the meanings of the roles local agents need to play in fostering environmental conservation. One of the major program of EFA is PIUS-Check, which consists of a package of simple tools and consultancy. Both of the programs, which are not based on forcing SMEs to defer environmental measures but on supporting SMEs' own efforts to decrease their environmental burden, are composed of various different elements such as legal systems and controls, financial methods, consulting systems, multifaceted partnerships and so forth. Targeting technical consultants and SMEs, both programs have revitalized local business communities. On the other hand, mechanisms to reward SMEs for their commitment to environmental improvement are also vital, as seen in the case of Vienna City where SMEs have become certified as having achieved targeted results. Motivation is maintained through staging certification ceremonies and so forth. This comprehensive program, which is appropriate for local areas, can be a model for local governments to follow in implementing bottom-up community-empowering policies in an attempt to boost local industries and facilitate the diffusion of eco-innovation.

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The mass retirement of Japan's baby-boomers has been a source of concern in recent years as one of the so-called “2007 problem”. Japan's baby-boomers, born in the 1947 to 1949 period, account for a little less than 10% of the country's work force. Japan's baby-boomers have built up the experience and knowledge, and played important roles in the mass production in Japan. They also have cultivated and enhanced foundation technology in the design, production and repair of products. However, many enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises are facing a shortage of younger workers in production and difficulty in transfering skills.
The purpose of this paper is to describe methods of skills transfer in the age of information technology. What are methods of skills transfer from one generation of workers to the next in the age of IT?
In this paper, first, I analyze the factors behind skills transfer. I point out factors such as mass retirement of veteran baby-boomer, a shortage of younger generation of workers, constant advances in technology and global competitive pressure. Second, the paper contends diversifying of channels on skills transfer. Enterprises are developing many methods of skills transfer, for example, database of know-how, manuals, textbook, video, e-learning and training. Thirdly, I make reference to skills transfer through use of IT, conversion of explicit knowledge through use of IT and manuals. Skills that have traditionally been difficult to convert to explicit knowledge are replaceable by IT.
In conclusion, I note that skills transfer of the foundation technology through use of IT or digitization is progressing. The digitization of skills transfer is one of work process, visibility of skills or technology database through use of IT. The factors of skills transfer through use of IT or digitization are an increasing sophistication of technologies, shortening of technology cycles and lack of human resources to assist the transfer of skills. The positive effects of skills transfer through use of IT on enterprises are the reduction of working hours, cost-cutting and the speeding up of work process. On the other hand, the negative effects are the leakage of technologies and the lack of preparation for technological security.

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The former three major local industries in the Hamamatsu area; the textile, musical instrument and transport machine industries, have changed their roles significantly as the economic environment has shifted. The textile industry especially had lead the economy in the Hamamatsu area throughout the time before and after the World War II.
However, the textile production and the gross output have been decreasing to the present day, after reaching the peak in the early 1970s.
The textile industry in the Hamamatsu area has centralized in producing and processing fabrics, and has comprised of the three main mid-stream businesses; weaving, dyeing & finishing, and “SANMOTO.” This mid-stream businesses also have included other preliminary sectors such as yarn dyeing, yarn twisting, sizing and warping, so that the textile industry in this area has retained the highly-developed division structure. Specifically the “SANMOTO” have functioned as a leading sector in the textile industry, and have undertaken the projects of new products production control and securing markets.
Affected by the declining textile industry in Japan, the textile industry in the Hamamatsu area has been suffering from the severe demands for the diversified products, downsizing lot production and short-term production, and the production itself has been decreasing. Consequently “SANMOTO” cannot secure the same amount of business for the weaving and dyeing & finishing sectors as before. Some of the textile producers started to separate from “SANMOTO”, attempting to emerge from the piecework situation, and “SANMOTO” themselves has begun to do business with the areas other than Hamamatsu.
Considering the Hamamatsu area as an industrial cluster, this research tries to verify whether the current movement of “SANMOTO” and other manufacturing sectors in the textile industry would cause the corruption of the cluster, or, on the contrary, would result in its reconstruction.
Also this research is going to reveal the information function and competitiveness of “SANMOTO”, and to specify its role in the textile industry as well as in the economy in the Hamamatsu area. Additionally, reconsidering the history of the textile industry in this area, I also consider the hints for the solutions of the current issues.

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From the late 1990's, technical innovations speed up and the globalization grows in Japanese electric machinery industries. Under these circumstances, many firms in this industry use alliances. Recent studies have revealed the mechanism of alliance.
But, only few attempts have so far been made at quantitative grasp or empirical approach about alliances.
So the purpose of this paper is to reveal the actual conditions of alliances in Japanese electric machinery industries and to discuss the point is revealed by recent studies. Especially, this paper is concerned with the firms which concentrate business category.
To begin with, this paper organizes the contentions of resent studies, and considers using the investigations of METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), and Japan Fair Trade Commission.
Then, this paper grasps alliances in Japanese electric machinery industry quantitatively by using Nikkei-Telecon21 system, which is article retrieval system in Nikkei Inc.
Finally, this paper discusses about contentions of resent studies by comparing to the result showed in preceding section, and concludes this paper.

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Chery Automobile, one of new entrant to Chinese passenger car market as an Independent Chinese Automobile Manufacturers (ICAM), has achieved a high speed growth since 2000. About Chery's high speed growth, scholars had indicated that it extremely benefited from Chery's strategy that used key parts in their own cars, for example such like engine, which are made by outside supplier for other assemblers. See Marugawa (2007). But the point is that there was no mention had been delivered on inner processes of competitiveness creation those had been carried out by Chery Automobile in any existing studies. So, the aim of this paper is to clarify those inner processes through three aspects that mainly relate with reinforcement in Chery's R & D ability.
Firstly, this paper will give the reason that why Chery depended on outside key parts. We will see that outside key parts did help Chery expand rapidly in its early stage. But on the other hand, it made Chery be involved in intellectual property right troubles with Volkswagen and GM since 2002. These troubles impeded the possibility of Chery's further growth greatly.
Secondly, this paper will clarify how Chery avoided those intellectual property right troubles by trying to reinforce its inner ability of R & D by a) headhunting competent engineer both from domestic and oversea companies, b) taking in skill and know-how systematically through joint-project on R & D with famous foreign research institutions, c) organizing own key supplier chain by founding subsidiaries with multinational parts supplier and engineers who have experience on parts R & D.
Finally, as conclusion, this paper will note that behind the high speed growth achieved by Chery that not only support from outside key parts in early stage, also the reinforcement on inner R & D ability do so much more to the current Chery's competitiveness comparing with the former.

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How does re-structuring of production system change Inter-Firm Relationship between supplier and assembler? I try to answer this question through analysis of Japan's Motor Cycle industry. Three points were especially highlighted. 1) what kind of environment in the Japanese market decided to change the production system in the Motor Cycle Companies? 2) what kind of process did occur in the re-structuring of the Motor Cycle Companies? 3) why the supplier cannot/does not cooperate with the re-structuring of the Motor Cycle Companies?
To summarize the analyses of this article, I will argue firstly, that the Japanese market is characterized by large-variety manufacturing and low-growth era. Secondly, that Honda Motor attempted to re-structuring to adapt to such characteristics as the environment in 2001. The re-structuring focused particularly on two aspects: (i) integrate assembly line; (ii) cooperate with the supplier. Thirdly, nevertheless, the re-structuring of Honda Motor did not fully succeed. Because the suppliers did not fully cooperate. I came to think that this result can suggest the change of the Inter-Firm Relationship between supplier and assembler in the Motor Cycle Industry.

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This paper describes the global supply network for the booming European Residential Air Conditioning Market through a Japanese Air Conditioning Manufacturing Company (hereinafter, the Company) which is the second largest manufacturer in the world. The Air Conditioning market has been growing globally, and it is rapidly increasing and expanding, especially in the low-end market. Therefore, it is necessary for the Air Conditioning manufacturers to develop not only the production system but also the supply network according to the characteristics of the market demand for the Air Conditioning business. For this business, it is not only important to secure (increase) the production volumes, but consideration of when, where, which models, how many, and where to supply is also very important. It is especially difficult to produce the appropriate quantity and supply for the market (in order to fulfill the abovementioned conditions) while projecting the top sales season and avoiding any loss of sales opportunity without also over producing. This is because the sale of Air Conditioners is highly influenced by climate/weather conditions such as a heat wave or cool summer.
To realize the product supply without any negative impact against business, it is absolutely essential to improve the infrastructure for the production capacity itself. It is also extremely important to establish the appropriate production system, which can reflect the market demand directly into the production plan. In addition, a steady business improvement (e. c. Kaizen activities) is vital, which can make progress in the supply capability to deliver the completed product to market without the necessity of storing production in factories. To attempt to minimize the loss of sales opportunity, the supply plan for the Company's European branches is a combination from two regions, Europe (the nearest production to market) and Asia which are coordinated according to the strength of each supply system. Even with this two-supply system, especially in view of the market growth in emerging countries, the current supply system of the Company still has some weak points. This paper introduces an idea to overcome the weak points and find countermeasures for them.

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