Industry in central Shizuoka Prefecture: The highest production of plastic models and air conditioners nationwide!

Hirokazu Kobayashi

CEO, Green Insight Japan, Inc.

Professor Emeritus and Visiting Professor, University of Shizuoka

The term “Baby Boom Generation” is often heard, but the generation that followed is called the “Post-Baby Boom Generation” or the “Post-Student-Movement Generation.” This refers to people born between 1950 and 1955. I belong to this generation. I recognize that we are the generation that has been able to live comfortably thanks to the Baby Boom Generation, who opened up various “doors” in society. During my childhood, plastic models were the toys that boys aspired to have. Cars, tanks, motorboats, and other models were more intricately crafted than their tin counterparts, and they moved with motors. Moreover, they could be assembled by hand. This captivated children. We even found the smell of Cemedine (adhesive) pleasant, despite it primarily being toluene, a neurotoxin, and we did not consider it a problem at the time. When I moved to Shizuoka City at the age of 36 in 1991 and saw the sign for the Headquarters of Tamiya Inc., I wondered why plastic models were so popular in Shizuoka City. In 2022, Shizuoka Prefecture accounted for approximately 33.8 billion yen, being equal to 233 million US dollars, in plastic model shipments, the highest in Japan and equivalent to 85% of the national total.

Let's trace the timeline. The previous generation of models, before plastic models, included rubber-powered model airplanes. These consisted of a fuselage stick made of balsa wood and wings constructed from bamboo strips covered in paper. Assembling these was challenging for younger children. Tamiya's company history notes that it began producing wooden models after World War II. Shizuoka City had already developed advanced wooden model-making and precision woodworking techniques before the war. Why is that? The northern part of Shizuoka Prefecture, which stretches east to west, is covered by forests such as the Tenryu Mountains, the Southern Japanese Alps, and the foothills of Mount Fuji, where high-quality cypress and cedar are produced. These woods were transported using rafts along the Tenryu River, Oi River, and Abe River, which have steep slopes. From these river mouths, barges were pulled by tugboats to Shimizu Port. Speaking of which, back in 1991, there was an underwater timber storage area around Shimizu Port, and children were warned not to play there. From Shimizu Port, the timber was transported to Tokyo and throughout the rest of the country. Following the Meiji era, which began in 1868, the construction of railways, such as the Tokaido Main Line and the Iida Line, further facilitated the transportation of timber, both by land and sea. Shizuoka Prefecture is geographically advantageous, located between Tokyo and Nagoya—two major urban areas with high demand for construction materials—and was able to supply timber steadily to these regions. During World War II, the wood was used for various purposes, such as construction, shipbuilding, railroad ties, and military barracks, in cooperation with air bases and military factories in Hamamatsu, Fujieda, and Shimizu. Going further back in history, in the Tenryu district of Hamamatsu City, “Tenryu Forestry” developed during the Edo period (1603-1868) and became the foundation of the local economy.

In 2021, Shizuoka Prefecture ranked first in Japan in terms of air conditioner shipments, accounting for approximately 280 billion yen, equivalent to 1.9 billion US dollars, or about 39% of the national total. I have had the pleasure of knowing the presidents of Hitachi Shimizu Engineering Co., Ltd. (now part of Hitachi Global Life Solutions, Inc.) and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Shizuoka Works. Why is air conditioner production so thriving in Shizuoka City? Shizuoka City is geographically located between the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Chukyo region, which includes Nagoya. It is situated along major transportation arteries such as the Tomei Expressway (E1), Shin-Tomei Expressway (E1A), National Route 1, Tokaido Shinkansen (the bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka), and Tokaido Main Line. This enables highly efficient logistics for both component procurement and product shipment. In terms of international trade, Shizuoka City has the Port of Shimizu, which was rapidly developed after World War II and has established itself as a major export port for industrial products. In other words, Shizuoka City is highly suitable as a parts assembly plant and has a geopolitical advantage as a hub in the supply chain.

Shizuoka City is blessed with a mild climate. It is not only the place where Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder and first Shogun in the Edo period, spent his later years overlooking Mount Fuji. Its geographical characteristics, including its northern mountainous region, southern coastline, and central location between Tokyo and Nagoya, have contributed to its development up to the present day. In addition to the manufacturing industries in western Shizuoka Prefecture, such as Suzuki Motor Corporation and Yamaha Corporation, the central region of Shizuoka Prefecture also boasts high productivity. Despite not including any of Japan's six major cities, Shizuoka Prefecture has a total production (GDP) of approximately 18 trillion yen, 124 billion US dollars, ranking 10th in the nation.

Video version (Runway Gen-4)