Business Development and Support Division

Last September, the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) organized two Hawaii Investment Seminars in Tokyo (September 8) and in Sapporo (September 11). These seminars, planned and organized with JETRO’s support, are one concrete result of DBEDT and the U.S.-Japan Council’s (USJC) Japan-Hawaii Economic Summit that convened in May 2017.

On November 6 DBEDT met with 12 Japanese companies who previously attended the seminars in Japan and are seeking to invest in Hawaii. Led by JETRO on this reverse mission to explore the feasibility of Hawaii as a location for their specific business activities, they conducted site visits and other market research.

Dennis Ling, Administrator at DBEDT, welcomed the Japan mission during a reception at the Consulate General of Japan. “It was an excellent opportunity to reaffirm DBEDT’s position that Hawaii is an excellent entry point for Japanese companies interested in expanding their businesses to the U.S.,” said Ling.

DBEDT will continue the dialogue with JETRO in 2018 to encourage more missions of Japanese companies interested in pursuing business opportunities in Hawaii.