Japan – what can we learn? - Construction Labour Research

The Expansion throughout Asia of the JapaneseConstruction IndustryKyoko Hirose1. IntroductionAfter World War Two, the reparation construction of the 1950s beganan expansion throughout Asia of the Japanese construction industry.Subsequently, starting in the late 1970s, Japanese manufacturing’srelocation to East Asia was at the root of acceleration of itsconstruction operations. With the exception of a short-term period ofinvestment in the Middle East, the Japanese construction industry’sdirect foreign investment in Asia has continued to hold primacy(Figure 1).However the Japanese construction industry’s overseas operationsdepend largely on the domestic economy. Also the proportion ofdirect foreign investment of the Japanese construction industry hasbeen only about 5% of the whole of industry (Figure 2).Hundred 億 円 million yen18,00016,00014,00012,00010,0008,0006,0004,0002,0000Figure 1 Change of received overseas orders (from 1955 to 2004)1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000Asiaアジア中Mideast東Africaアフリカ北NA米LAEU中 南 米 欧 州東E欧Europe大Oceania洋 州Resource: overseas operations strategy of Japanese construction industry reportFigure 2A change of receive an order for overseas ratio100%80%60%40%20%Resource: overseasoperations strategy ofJapanese constructionindustry report0%197519771979198119831985198719891991199319951997199920012003海 外foreign国 domestic 内year年 度CLR NewsNo 2/200645