Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas
Our mission for North America
The mission of the Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas is to contribute to the prosperity of the regional and global economy by promoting the mutual development of North American and Yokohama businesses. Our mission is based on Yokohama’s long-held value for economic development: “Growing Together with the World,” which the city has prided itself on ever since it opened its doors as the first international port in Japan in 1859. We firmly believe that promoting business opportunities for both North American and Yokohama businesses will lead to the creation of jobs and stimulate local economies in both regions, which will in turn contribute to global economic development starting from Yokohama.
Services for North American Companies
Our office is ready to support companies seeking opportunities in Yokohama. Working closely with the Yokohama municipal government, Kanagawa prefectural government, JETRO and other partners, we will serve as the first point of contact to connect companies to the right people and resources to maximize their growth prospects in Yokohama. Our agile, free-of-charge services make use of our wide-ranging resources and networks in both Japan and the US and can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual client.
Market Intelligence & Research
Providing economic and demographic data to support comparative analysis and well-informed decision making
Site Selection Assistance
Assisting the selection of the most suitable location for your business, including real estate searches
Early-stage Business Support
Providing information on incubation facilities in Yokohama
Incentives Consulting
Pointing out the most suitable business incentives
Networking Support
Recommending B2B matching platforms and networking events in Yokohama
Workforce information
Providing information on recruitment opportunities
Site Visit Facilitation
Assisting pre-relocation visits in Yokohama in coordination with JETRO and Kanagawa prefecture
Public Relations Support
Assisting public relations in Yokohama (e.g. press release support)
Collaboration Facilitation
Identifying opportunities for collaboration and providing tailored advice
Yokohama City Information
Providing general information on city services, community, and daily life in Yokohama
New York Office – Past Staff Network
Toshi Yazawa
NY Office
Director
10/2018 – 3/2023
Latest News
Yokohama City receives CDP’s highest honor as “A-List City” for environmental impact efforts
The CDP, a non-profit organization that helps other entities and regions understand and manage their environmental impacts, also ranks and scores global companies and cities through its “CDP Scores”...
Yokohama City partners with SmartCityX 2021 startup program
Scrum Studio’s SmartCityX program has just begun recruitment through the end of 2021. The program, started last year, is described as an immersive year-long startup program aimed at helping seed- to...
Yokohama City releases Voluntary Local Review of Sustainable Development Goal progress
At the 10th Annual Smart City Conference held from October 26-28, Yokohama City released a Voluntary Local Review (VLR), a report voluntarily published by local governments to review the area’s...
10th Asia Smart City Conference Panel Discussion: How Connecting with Startups Will Advance Your Smart Cities and Sustainability
View Recording Here This year marks the 10th year of the annual Asia Smart City Conference (ASCC), and one of the main sessions this year will be an online panel discussion titled "How Connecting...
4 US-based companies that chose Yokohama when opening an office in Japan over the last year
US-based companies have continued to choose Yokohama as the location for opening an office in Japan for their entry into the Japanese market, despite the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic having...
SDGs playbook for cities published by Brookings Institution highlights Yokohama’s international cooperation
A compilation of how-to briefs on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was locally compiled by the Brookings Institution. This on-going compilation features member cities (including...