Japanese companies keen on Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is a popular location for Japanese companies. Two seminars held in Japan in September received overwhelming responses.
Tokyo Bank
The Bank of Tokyo, together with the Netherlands’ Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) and amsterdam inbusiness, organised the seminars.
Roughly 300 Japanese companies were informed of the benefits of establishing their companies in the Amsterdam area.
Japan / Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
The benefits of settling in the Netherlands and in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area seem evident, given that Japan is the second largest investor in the Netherlands, after the United States. Japanese firms choose to locate in the region; 332 Japanese companies or about one sixth of all foreign companies in the region are currently located here. Some examples of Japanese companies that have opted for the region are: Canon, Yamaha, Ricoh, Hitachi and Yakult.
Japanese community in the region
The presence of Japanese companies has attracted many Japanese expatriates to the Amsterdam area. The Japanese expat community in the Netherlands is Europe's largest after London and Düsseldorf and continues to grow. The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is committed to accommodating Japanese expats, says Jan-Willem Groot, Alderman for Economic Affairs in Amstelveen. He was closely involved in the seminars in Japan and stated, "We pursue an active policy to create a pleasant environment for Japanese expatriates.”
Government has successfully demonstrated their commitment to the Japanese in the region by the many services designed specifically for them. A Japanese nursery, Japanese dentist, well-stocked Japanese bookstore, and more recently, a separate information counter in the Amstelland Hospital, are examples of services provided for the Japanese.
Favourable environment for business
Katsuya Ohara, director of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) in the Netherlands, explains in the Dutch business newspaper, The Financial Times, that the popularity of the Netherlands among Japanese firms is due to, "The high quality of life, and excellent climate for business.” Ohara continues: "It is especially good that the Dutch share their thinking with us."
Taxation
An example of positive trade relations between the Netherlands and Japan is the tax treaty that both countries agreed to in late August 2010. "A mutually beneficial arrangement came out of this treaty, which made it fiscally attractive for Dutch companies to invest in Japan and vice versa," said Ohara.
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