16March2014

Availably Combined Use- Tokyo and Kobe
However, I don t mean to say that Tokyo is
totally

unnecessarytous.

Actually,

because I m responsible for Government

Relations, I spend approximately 20 to25% of my time in Tokyo for businessreasons. For my case, I can go to Tokyo

Kobe as a Base for Businessand return to Kobe on the same day byHigh Productivity, Diversity andLiving Environment for Employees

inviteKawai,

Senior

without

experienceanyawayfrom

theirfamilies

forsection staff who need to always bestationedinTokyo.

However,headquarters function is only at Kobe.

Government

theHyogo-Kobe as the Choice
Conclusively Kobe is a very productive

attractiveness of Kobe, where P&G locates theirplace from cost standpoint and fromJapan Head Quarter.

employees to use their energy effectively.
It also provides an environment that

Cincinnati in 1837 by William Procter andJames Gamble, a candle maker and a soap

maker who started a small business
together that have achieved its 175thanniversary

thisyear.

Thecompany

Pampers(BabyDiaper),provides many branded products like Ariel(Detergents),
Pantene(Shampoo),

SK-II(Cosmetics)

globally. Number of employees globally isabout 130,000.

In Japan, we started business in Osaka in1973,and

have

since

werelocatedachieved

its

40thanniversary this year. It has been 20 years
ourJapaneseheadquarters to Kobe in 1993. Currently,
we have approximately 4,000 employeeswith female employees over 50% andemployees from 22 countries, a very
divers organization.

I d like to talk about the value of Kobe
from two points of view ‒ High Productivity
orCostPerformance,Environment for Employees.

allows various employees to enjoy bothrent itself and the other is benefits paid toP&G, Procter & Gamble was founded inandLiving

Superior Productivity andCost Performance
Office for corporation is a place to create

than about half that in Tokyo and do notdiffer much from Singapore, Shanghai, andHong Kong. So office rents in Kobe areglobally competitive. In an environment

where the information and communication
technology is well developed right now,the needs to keep the headquarters inTokyo by paying additional cost is not that
high.

Also, as the housing and parking cost islower for employees in Kobe, even if

companies play the equally, the quality oflife is very different. Commute in Kansai ismuch easier than in Tokyo, so it helps

employees to be more productive. InTokyo, it s very difficult to get a seat evenwith the first train but in Kansai people canmostly sit in the trains running in earlymorning and can avoid the rush by shifting

the time. Productivity will go down if
employees spend long hours for commuteand get tiered by the rush. On the other

hand, by reducing it, we believe it helps
them to fully use their energy for work andprivate life, therefore, can have a fulfilling life
by maximizing their performance at work.

innovation but also has an element asorganization formed by diverse people
creates innovation, leverages their uniquestrength to contribute for the business,andbothcompany

andemployee

develop. To make this happen, it isimportant to have an environment thatpeople can enjoy life regardless of theirnationality, gender, age. Kobe is the bestplace from these points. Urban and an

exotic location, at the same time, canenjoy the nature at the sea and mountain,and easy for young and people with family

to live. The relatively short commute helps
employees that are raising children. We
also believe the image of Kobe is also
helping us to recruit good talents.

Also, since Kobe has been accepting
foreigners and lived with them together, it
is an environment that is very easy forforeign employees to live in. There aremany schools for foreigners and decent

services available for foreigners such as
churches and sports clubs. For a company

where diversity of the organization is oneof

thebusinessemployees

arestrategies,

necessary

wherethey

comfortably is very important.

http://www.hyogo-kobe.jp

people can enjoy their life and have a

People are P&G s greatest asset. A diverse

environment

cost. As a cost for the company, one is thework and life. It is a city where different

Diversity asa Productive Backgroundemployees as commute allowances.

As for office rents, in Kobe it costs lessand natural environment. The below describes some examples of an excellent
living infrastructure to support business persons from foreign countries.

foreignandcananliveInternational Schools,Communities for Foreigners

privatereasons, and PR members and otherRelations, Procter & Gamble Japan, spoke about theP&G s History

manufacturing

natural features and rich history, Hyogo-Kobe has established a reputation for its

200 employees, including those posted

foreign-aﬃliatedManager,manyTokyo, where there are approximately

companies to launch their businesses in Japan, Mr.
Masao

networks,excellent living setting with a harmonious relationship between the urban areas

work

problems. Of course, we have an office inwith its products. At a promotional seminar held lasttotransportation

canconvenient access, I never mind any

4.6 billion people in over 180 countries and regions
Tokyowell-organizedtaking an airplane. Also by staying at acommuting rush. Since Kobe has very

is a global company that touches the lives of about

inFeaturing

companies with outstanding technologies and its wide variety of climates such as

hotel in the downtown area of Tokyo, I

Improve the Lives of the World s Consumers ‒ P&G

October

Living Climate
Favored byForeign Culturesfulfilling life regardless of whether they areJapanese or foreigners, Male or Female,Single or Married. I believe we made theright choice.

A business base in an international competition needs to be
selected as a place where residents, workers, and visitors respect

each other. Ever since one of the overseas trade ports wasdesignated in Kobe at the end of the Edo period, the city has been

eagerly cultivating such a climate. Today, age of a global society,where human resources, goods, services, and information flow on
aglobalbasis,

Hyogo-Kobeisreadytowelcome

international-minded human resources and companies. Currently,

there are 12 international schools in Hyogo Prefecture, including

St.Michael sInternational SchoolCanadian Academy, St.Michael s International School, Marist

Brothers International School, and Deutsche Schule Kobe. There are also manymosque/churches, clubs and communities for foreigners.

Cultural Facilities and Natural Environment
Boasting rich nature and beautiful cityscapes, Hyogo-Kobe
has a long established history. In this place, you can feelculture in every aspect of daily life, and in turn, nurture yourmental wealth. So it is possible to ensure sustainable

Procter & Gamble Japan K.K.
The Japanese corporation of the global
manufacturer of daily necessities whosegroup headquarters is located in the U.S.
The company ﬁrst opened an oﬃce inOsaka in 1973 and moved to Kobe Rokko
Island in 1993.
■Address
1-17、Koyo-cho,Naka,Higashinada-ku,Kobe,658-0032,
Japan■Description ofbusiness
Detergents, Baby
Diaper and Sanitary
Goods, Foods,
Shampoo &Cosmetics,
Electrical Products■Employee number
4,000 employees(globally about 130,000)

development through interacting with a wide range ofcultures(values of life), invaluable assets of wildlife, andconserving rich natural environments such as in forests,
rivers, and the sea. There are also many museums based onHyogo Prefectural Museum of Art

art, industrial and natural themes such as Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Kobe CityMuseum, Hyogo, Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum, , Suma Aqualife Park Kobe etc.

Hospitals 〜Medical Services in Foreign Languages
Due to differences in language and culture, many businesspersons from overseas may have some difficulties living inJapan. When such business persons and their families needto receive medical services, a response suited to eachindividual is needed. It must be imperative to receive theappropriate treatment before the problem gets worse. InHyogo, presently, 324 hospitals (with more than 20 patientbeds) provide medical examinations in foreign languages,

Kobe City Medical CenterGeneral Hospitalsuch as English, French, German, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Of

particular note are emergency services in foreign languages are available at 10 facilities
such as Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe University Hospital, Hospitalof Hyogo College of Medicine, Akashi City Hospital (by Hyogo Prefecture s medicalinformation) To help people from abroad live in Kobe-Hyogo comfortably, the Hyogo

International Association also has established an information center for foreign
residents, where they provide information, and living consultation service in English,
Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese.

http://www.hyogo-kobe.jp