Japanese business delegation visits Taiwan ahead of TSMC’s fab launch

Japanese business delegation visits Taiwan ahead of TSMC’s fab launch

2024-02-02

TSMC’s new plant in Kumamoto, Japan is nearing completion, and is set to open on Feb. 24. Ahead of the launch, Japanese businesses are gearing up for a surge of Taiwanese expats. Local supermarkets have started to stock up on Taiwanese products, anticipating a wave of new customers. Earlier this week, two Japanese business groups flew in to explore new contracts in product procurement.

A gift exchange between Taiwan and Japan. Two business groups from Kumamoto are visiting Taiwan, for talks with the Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei. The visit comes just weeks before TSMC opens its Kumamoto plant, targeting production in the fourth quarter. The plant is expected to drive big opportunities for Kumamoto businesses.

Akito Kuga
Kumamoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman
During this visit, we are inviting Taiwanese college students to intern at the Kumamoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Taiwanese food brands are in talks with Japanese business groups to expand into Kumamoto. Local supermarkets have begun to stock up on Taiwanese products, at the suggestion of TSMC staff.

Akito Kuga
Kumamoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman
In communities where TSMC employees have settled, supermarkets offer about 110 Taiwanese products. The employees themselves have made requests, asking for more variety.

With TSMC in Japan, some 30 suppliers have also made the move, ramping up trade exchanges between Taiwan and Japan. There are currently 12 direct flights a week between Taiwan and Kumamoto, run by China Airlines and Starlux. According to the Kumamoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, that’s no longer enough.

Akito Kuga
Kumamoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman
We came to Taipei from Fukuoka, because we couldn’t get a direct flight from Kumamoto. Two flights will be added in February, but if that’s still not enough, we hope that they will add more flights as quickly as possible.

With a world-leading chipmaker setting up shop, Kumamoto is ready for a surge in investment and consumer demand.

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台積電日本廠2/24開幕看好台日商機!熊本工商團體訪台

2024-02-02

台積電日本熊本廠即將在2/24開幕，首相岸田文雄也受邀出席，並預計在第四季開始生產。台灣和熊本的互動也越來越多，熊本2大工商團體率領58人訪團，拜訪台北市進出口公會，也強調日後雙方的經貿交流，只會越來越密切，以目前2家航空公司，直飛12個航班來說，還不夠!

雙方交換紀念品，熊本縣2大工商團體率領大型訪團來台，與台北市進出口公會交流，期待台日雙方更多合作。就是因為台積電日本熊本廠即將在24號盛大開幕，第四季生產，廠商看好大量台灣移居人口，帶來的龐大商機。

[[熊本縣商工會議所連合會會長久我彰登]]
“這次訪問台灣的目的，是邀請台灣大學生，來熊本商工會議所實習”

另外，也有台灣餐飲品牌和商工會洽詢，有興趣到當地展店。當地超市也陸續收到台積電員工建議，希望多進一些台灣食材。

[[熊本縣商工會議所連合會會長久我彰登]]
“台積電員工聚集居住的社區，附近超市提供約110種台灣商品，他們也提出需求，希望可以提供更多”

台積電赴日，帶動30幾家供應商一同前往，經貿往來密切，會長說以目前台灣熊本直飛，華航和星宇每週12個航班，還不夠!

[[熊本縣商工會議所連合會會長久我彰登]]
“這次訪台是從福岡飛台北，無法買到從熊本直飛的機票。2月份會增加2個航班，如果還不夠的話，希望他們可以儘快增加更多航班”

晶圓代工龍頭台積電落腳熊本，所帶來的投資和消費商機，值得期待。

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Outside the legislative speaker’s office, rows of flowers fill the space, celebrating the election of the KMT’s Han Kuo-yu. Some of the flowers were from President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect Lai Ching-te.

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I give my highest blessings to the new legislature. I hope very much that in future the Legislative Yuan, with both cooperation and competition among the political parties, can pass more bills that benefit the country and the people.

For a legislative speaker, the core duties are presiding over legislative proceedings and conducting parliamentary diplomacy. Both jobs are seen as challenging for Han, who’s known for his sharp and memorable rhetoric. Questions hang over whether he will resolve bitter squabbles between the opposition and ruling parties, or whether he will only intensify confrontation.

Han Kuo-yu
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We hope to avoid the violent clashes that used to erupt at the drop of a hat. We want everyone to be able to sit down and talk. The Legislative Yuan is a place for reason, not fisticuffs. Of course we wouldn’t resort to using police power.

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Now his words have much more weight. As legislative speaker, his catchy phrases will be more exciting than ever.

According to a Taiwan-based foreign observer, Taiwan’s successful parliamentary diplomacy is at risk of waning under Han’s leadership.

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During Legislative Speaker You Si-kun’s tenure, hundreds of visiting delegations from dozens of nations came to Taiwan. China would always protest and put pressure on them. Does Han dare to offend China? When there’s a clash between Taiwan’s interests and China’s interests, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu, which side will you choose?

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Actually Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu’s English is very good so this is all nonsense. People say these kinds of things because they don’t understand him.

From mediating between parties to expanding Taiwan’s international space, Han’s challenges as speaker are only just beginning.

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Spring festival shuttle buses and itineraries

The Spring Festival holiday is approaching. Do you have any plans? The Tourism Administration has launched a variety of shuttle buses that bring people to popular tourist areas and tour itineraries. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the details.

Yehliu Geopark is one of Taiwan’s most unique tourist attractions. The park has a new attraction: Taiwan’s first cliffside bookstore. With the spring festival approaching, the Tourism Administration has launched shuttle buses to key tourist areas such as Yehliu, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Maolin National Scenic Area, and Taroko National Park.

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This year we have also planned nine dedicated routes. We hope that everyone can go to the Tourism Administration’s website to learn about it. In addition, we also strongly encourage everyone to take the Taiwan Tourist Shuttles which will take people to Taiwan’s popular attractions. There are currently 60 routes. The route is half-price if you use electronic payment methods. We hope to encourage people to take advantage of it.

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In response to the traffic jams last year, for example, in Sun Moon Lake, we will put forward some warnings during the Spring Festival. We hope that people can use our information to avoid these road sections when there are traffic jams. We will have information about it on our official website. We will update it every day.

With Spring Festival fast approaching the Tourism Administration has also launched discounts on park admission packages or tickets. They hope to encourage more people to take public transportation to visit Taiwan’s theme parks.

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Chiang Wan-an
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I’ll definitely go with the kids. They’re just the right age – one is two and a half, the other just turned a year old. It’s the right age for a trip on the Maokong Gondola, followed by a stroll in the zoo.

Visitor
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Although the latest census conducted in 2021 showed the number of people in Macao who are either full or mixed Portuguese has increased by nearly 5,000 compared to 2011 and 2001, shortly after the handover, it’s still just under 2 percent of Macao’s population of about 680,000, according to official statistics.

The Portuguese population, which also makes Macao unique, is also expected to decline.

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Max Groza is visiting Pacavalj, a Paiwan village in Taitung’s Dawu Township.

He’s greeted warmly by Wang Hsiao-tung, director of the Pacavalj Fabric Workshop. After Typhoon Morakot in 2009, women in the village won government support to set up this workshop and use their expertise in weaving and embroidery, where they could earn money while taking care of their families.

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Paiwan people love life, love the sun, love to be close to nature. We value our land, no matter how steep it is – we will never leave the place where we live.

Paiwan culture is known for being both elaborate and restrained, using a tricolor palette of red, yellow and green. Wang says every item made in the workshop is the Louis Vuitton of the South-Link Line.

Groza is working on a project for the National Science and Technology Council. This is the fourth village he’s visited in Taitung. He’s here to learn all about their work and make a record with his phone.

This small workshop is a bastion of cultural heritage. The layout of the space and the work itself is all full of Paiwan culture. Even a first-time visitor from abroad can easily learn a lot.

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It’s my first time here. I feel amazed. I’ve never seen such an interesting place, full of so many beautiful cultural things, and so much richness.

Groza is throwing himself into his research of Taiwan’s Indigenous cultures. It’s a unique experience and challenge for the academic. He even wants to start learning the Paiwan language, and hopes to conduct more field research to bring himself even closer to Indigenous culture.

This story was provided by the program "We Are Family"
Funded by New Immigrant Development Fund

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