Block Council for Promotion ofForeign Direct Investment in Japan
September 2022
Investment Facilitation Division
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

Background on “Block Council”
What is “Block Council” ?
❖ Block Council is a forum held every year since 2014 by all nine METI Regional Bureaus on
a voluntary basis, together with the Investment Facilitation Division of METI and JETRO,and consisting local governments, business associations, financial institutions andcompanies.
❖ The significance of Block Council relates to the "FDI Promotion Strategy" (June 2, 2021)of the Council for Promoting of Foreign Direct Investment at the Cabinet Office, taking
account of the importance to bring together various regional expertise, specialties andneeds. (http://www.invest-japan.go.jp/committee/en_chuchoki.pdf (P.16-17))

Purpose of “Block Council”❖ Exchange candid voices, opinions and needs in the regions❖ Consider comprehensive collaboration and cooperation in the context of national policies❖ Consider innovative projects and ideas that can be launched in the regions❖ Encourage the regions to consider using foreign resources for revitalizing the local
economies and societies

1Rationale for Inviting Foreign Companies❖ METI conducts a survey, to which the local stakeholders (local governments, industrialand business associations and companies) provide responses.
❖ Last fiscal
the following challenges and decided to invite foreign
Regional
Voicesyear,
fromweouridentified
FY2021 Survey

companies to the Block Councils to be held during this fiscal year.

Lack of Promotional
Know-Hows•••

How to establish contact points with foreign companies
How to communicate with foreign governments or companies
How to collect information on foreign companies’ interests

Lack of Capability forEstablishing Networks•

How to find foreign governments or companies that are interested
in particular regions
How to establish local collaborations (i.e. through local Japanese
governments and companies)

Solution for FY2022

Inviting Foreign Companies to Block Councils<Purpose>••

identifying and matching the needs and seeds between local
governments/companies and foreign companies•

enabling foreign companies to directly present their corporate
interests and business operations to the local stakeholders•

enabling getting to know each other and developing dialogues
between local governments/companies and foreign companies
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Details of Block Council（１）DateMeeting
FormatTo be held during Fiscal Year 2022, namely from the end of 2022 tothe end of March 2023 ※For Kanto Bureau, tentatively to be held in November 2022
Each Regional Bureau may decide whether or not to hold themeeting, the frequency of the meeting, the meeting method (inperson, online or hybrid), and the contents of the meeting.

※In FY2021, Block Councils were held in the following eight blocks.
No

Name of the Regional METI BureauCity

1

Hokkaido Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

Sapporo2

Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

Sendai3

Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

Saitama4

Chubu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

Nagoya5

Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

Osaka

6

Chugoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

Hiroshima

7

Shikoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

Takamatsu

8

Kyusyu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

Fukuoka3

Details of Block Council（２）foreign companies, foreign business associations, VC, PE, accelerators,

Targeted Type ofCompanies

with interests in regional investments and collaboration.
※You may participate in as many Block Councils as possible, but this would be subject to content,suitability, availability and time allocation of particular meetings.

Example of Past Agenda

Reference❖ Explanation by METI of national policies (medium- to long-term strategies for FDI in Japan, etc.)
and directions, etc.
❖ Explanation by JETRO of measures to support the attraction of foreign companies (i.e. efforts tocreate regional brands)❖ Sharing of examples, needs, challenges, and requests to the government regarding theattraction of foreign companies to local regions (local governments, foreign companies, local
business organizations, financial institutions, VCs, accelerators)❖ Expectations for cooperation with local and foreign companies❖ Examples of local governments' utilization of foreign vitality in comprehensive policy andregional revitalization❖ Possibility of cross-coordinating regional attractiveness and foreign vitality from the private
sector's perspective❖ Possibility of attracting overseas Start Ups, etc. to start-up ecosystem-based cities❖ Potential for local initiatives in preparation for the Osaka-Kanto Expo 20254

Contact at METI Investment Facilitation Division

If you are interested in Block Councils,
please respond to below by October 17, 2022.
If you have any question, please contact below.
Phone : 03-3501-1662
E-mail : investing-in-Japan@meti.go.jp

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