Japan

The world’s second-largest economy, Japan functions naturally as the hub of the Asian region in all aspects of global business, including trade, traffic, and regional headquarters. It has established trading ties with East Asia, China, and Association of South East Asian Nations countries, putting it at the heart of Asian trade.

In response to economic globalisation, Japan has been quick to reform its commercial laws and major elements of its economic legal framework in recent years. This has attracted a greater number of foreign-owned businesses, and many of them have achieved levels of profitability and productivity exceeding those of Japanese firms – for example, Renault, Starbucks and L’Oreal.

Japan’s advanced technology is fostered by its conscious efforts at research and development. Its R&D expenditures and number of researchers are high, and it registers more patents than any other country. This is sustained by an abundance of talented and highly educated workers. Japan boasts one of the highest rates of university attendance among developed nations. Its infrastructure is developed to a high standard for information and communications technology, logistics, and other purposes. In recent years, the costs of doing business in Japan (for example, land prices, public utility charges, labour costs, and interest rates) have decreased dramatically. Taxes have also dropped to a level that compares well with other countries.