BUSINESSNEWSHYOGO-KOBE

Comprehensive centers providing one-stop
services to Japanese and foreign companies
wishing to start businesses in Hyogo-Kobe

Hyogo-Kobe Investment Support Center Hyogo Economic Development Center
Kobe Commerce, Industry and Trade Center Bldg 4F
5-1-14, Hamabe-dori,Chuo-ku,Kobe, 651-0083
TEL:+81-78-271-8401 FAX:+81-78-271-8403 hkisc@staff.hyogo-iic.ne.jp

November
2 0 1 4 Vol.

Hyogo-Kobe Business Support Center in Tokyo

Todofuken Kaikan Building 13F
2-6-3 Hirakawa-chou, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093
TEL: +81-3-3230-2721 FAX: +81-3-3230-2722

17

HYOGO-KOBE INVESTMENT SUPPORT CENTER

Deciding Factors: Greenery-Rich Natural Environment
and Convenient AccessNishinihon Kokubo Co., Ltd.
To increase its production volume of ice used for cup
iced coffee sold at convenience stores, Nishinihon
Kokubo established a new plant at the Nishiwaki-Kamihie Factory Park. The plant began operation in June
2014. The factors that made the company decide toconstruct the facility at the industrial park were thegreenery-rich natural environment, convenient transportation access, and availability of water that thecompany uses as the main ingredient.

Favorable Sales of Ice
Used for Coffee Sold atConvenience Stores
Kokubo Ice Co., Ltd. (headquarters:
Yachiyo City, Chiba Prefecture), the parent company of Nishinihon Kokubo, isthe leading company in the ice-making
industry, and sells cracked ice under thename “Rock Ice,” which is sold at convenience stores, mass merchandisers, etc.
Kokubo Ice constructed a plant near
Kansai International Airport in Izumisano
City as the company’s operation base inwestern Japan, established Nishinihon
Kokubo, and made the plant the head-quarters of the newly founded company.
Kokubo Ice Co., Ltd. participated in a100-yen/cup coffee project launched by
one convenience-store-operating company as a member for developing ice
used for the product. The coffee using
the ice manufactured by Kokubo Ice developed into a big hit product in the firstyear. The company manufactured “IceGlass,” which contains small crushed ice
in a glass container. Since the sales volume of the coffee increased rapidly insummer, the company judged that it
would be necessary to construct anotherplant in the Kinki region to cover thewestern Japan market, says President
Jun Fukuoka.

Headquarters Relocatedto Nishiwaki City
Nishinihon Kokubo received advice on
where to construct a plant in the Kinki region from the Hyogo-Kobe Investment
Support Center. From eight candidate
sites, the company selected the Nishiwaki-Kamihie Factory Park, Nishiwaki City.
The factors for the company’s decisionwere the proximity to a distribution centerin Kobe to cover convenience stores in
the Kinki region, and the proximity to interchanges on the Chugoku and Sanyo
Expressways for delivering the company’s products to the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. Another feature that attracted the company was that it was

http://www.hyogo-kobe.jp/

possible to dig wells to secure high-quality groundwater. President Fukuoka saysthat the company was impressed to seeat briefings for local residents that residents were willing to accept the construction of the new plant. Believing that acompany’s business should be based on
acceptance by local residents, Nishinihon Kokubo relocated its headquartersfrom Izumisano City to Nishiwaki City inJune.
At the new plant, they manufacture not
only Ice Glass but also packaged products containing 1 kg of Rock Ice, plus
other products. President Fukuoka saysthat the company strives to contribute tothe local community through employment. He also says with strong determination that the company’s future dream isto obtain some other sites (approximately4 ha) in the factory park to manufacture
products for the Kokubo Group.
Nishinihon Kokubo Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: 1348-4 Kamihie-cho, Nishiwaki
City Tel: 0795-22-1169

Nishiwaki-Kamihie Factory Park
Located in the eastern part of Nishiwaki City, thepark boasts a convenient location within a radiusof 60 km from the Keihanshin urban area, thelarge metropolitan zone covering the cities ofKyoto, Osaka and Kobe.
By car: approx. 11 km from the Takinoyashiro interchange on the Chugoku Expressway; By train:approx. 6 km from Nishiwaki-shi Station on theJR Kakogawa Line

BUSINESSNEWSHYOGO-KOBE

Comprehensive centers providing one-stop
services to Japanese and foreign companies
wishing to start businesses in Hyogo-Kobe

Hyogo-Kobe Investment Support Center Hyogo Economic Development Center

Hyogo-Kobe Business Support Center in Tokyo

Kobe Commerce, Industry and Trade Center Bldg 4F
5-1-14, Hamabe-dori,Chuo-ku,Kobe, 651-0083
TEL:+81-78-271-8401 FAX:+81-78-271-8403 hkisc@staff.hyogo-iic.ne.jp

Todofuken Kaikan Building 13F
2-6-3 Hirakawa-chou, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093
TEL: +81-3-3230-2721 FAX: +81-3-3230-2722

taKiki noyoToki【ビジネスニュース17号 裏面地図関係】

ka

essway

事業中

tion networks. Utilizing this superb locationand environment, five industrial parks havebeen established in Hyogo Prefecture.

計画中

一般道
新幹線

私鉄等

主要港湾

空港
〜鉄道〜Park❶Kobe Techno-Logistic
北条鉄道

Located in or near the Keihanshin area, thelarge metropolitan zone covering Kyoto
City, Osaka City, and Kobe City, many partsof Hyogo Prefecture boast extensive, wellestablished land, sea, and air transporta-pr

高速道路・有料道路

JRMaizuru Wakasa
Expressway

Houjyou Railway

This industrial facility is located in Nishinomiya City, whose population has been
increasing partly due to the city’s popularity
as a comfortable place to live. One of thefacility’s attractive features is convenienttransportation access. By car, it takes 13
minutes from the Takarazuka interchange ofChugoku Expressway to Osaka, and 33
minutes to Kyoto. By train, it takes 29 minutes from JR Nishinomiya-Najio Station, located near the industrial facility, to Osaka
International Airport; 29 minutes to Osaka;
and 38 minutes to Sannomiya.

❸Hokusetsu Sanda SecondTechnopark

This technopark is located in a corner of theHokusetsu Sanda New Town, which has realized a combination of housing, industrial
and cultural elements in a greenery-rich environment. This industrial facility features
convenient transportation access, not only
to Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway running
north and south, but also to Chugoku Expressway extending east and west, as wellgo kuExpre

3s sway5 Hyogo-tojo ICSanyo Ex p res sw

ayMikihigashi IC

4

Kakogawa Bypass

Daini

Kobe Dentetsu LineShin meiHigashiharima PortRoad1pressway❷Nishinomiya-Najio New Town

Chuji-Naruto Ex
Kobe -Awa

This industrial park has a directconnection
神戸電鉄
from Kobe-Nishi interchange, which is with〜港湾〜
in the park, via Kobe-Awaji-Naruto
Express東播磨港
way and Sanyo Expressway,神戸港
to an exten尼崎西宮芦屋港
sive highway network leading津名港
to many othercenters across the country. Also, locatedadjacent to Kizu Station on theAo Line of〜インターチェンジ名〜
淡路IC
Kobe Electric Railway, the industrialpark is
東浦IC Higashiura IC
convenient in terms of commuting
aswell.
北淡IC Hokudan IC
津名一宮IC
Tsuna-ichinomiya IC
Featuring the two functions ofmanufactur洲本IC
ing and distribution, the industrial
park cov三木東IC
ひょうご東条ICers the entire process of businessfrom procurement, manufacturing, 〜空港〜
storage, andshipment, to delivery.
大阪国際空港

17

Ex

＜凡例＞

Bantan Expressway

HYOGO-KOBE INVESTMENT SUPPORT CENTER

Industrial Parks in Hyogo Prefecture

Highly Evaluated for Their
Excellent Location andEnvironment

November
2 0 1 4 Vol.

NishinomiyaNajio

2OsakaIntʼl
AirportSannomiyaKobe Port

Nishiakashi
AkashiAmagasaki,
Nishinomiya,Ashiya Port

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
Awaji IC

Kobe Airport
Expressway
under construction
plannedNational RoadJR Line
Shinkansen
Private Railway
PortAirport

Tsuna Port

as to a numberSumotoof otherarterial roads. Thus,
ICthe location is excellent in terms of business
continuity at the time of an emergency.

❹Hyogo Media Garden City

Located in Miki City, next to Kobe City, thisindustrial park is in a convenient location five minutes from Miki-Higashi interchangeof Sanyo Expressway, and with good transportation access, taking only about 30 minutes to Kobe and about 40 minutes to Osaka. As an excellent distribution andmanufacturing base in western Japan, thispark has already drawn 17 companies, suchas Costco Wholesale Japan and Yakult
Honsha Co., Ltd.

http://www.hyogo-kobe.jp/❺Hyogo Tojo New Town InterParkThis industrial park is in a convenient location, providing a direct connection to HyogoTojo interchange of Chugoku Expressway,the main artery of western Japan. A wide
variety of efforts are underway in the areaaround the park to realize a comfortable living and working environment, where bothhousing and workplaces are located close
to each other. The park has been rezoned
effectively to contain lots of various sizes.
This outstanding manufacturing and distribution center accommodates a wide varietyof location needs.