Exploration on an Expansion of Production by Japanese Manufactures based in China and its Influence over Japanese Economy

自20世纪90年代末以来，许多日本制造商在中国建立了生产工厂并扩大了生产规模。在这种情况下，人们讨论了日本制造业是否已经消失。日本制造商在中国的生产对日本经济有什么影响？本研究项目的目的是通过对日本管理人员的访谈，明确位于中国的日本制造商海外生产的目标和战略，并讨论中国本地生产的作用以及他们在中国生产与日本国内生产之间的关系。通过这些采访发现，日本制造商，特别是成品制造商，已经建立了他们的生产工厂，扩大了他们的生产，以增加在中国当地市场的销售。他们增加了在当地采购的零部件和材料，但大部分供应商都是日本公司。另一方面，大多数日本供应商在中国建立了自己的当地工厂，以跟随在中国的客户，他们已经生产和出口到世界市场的零件。他们被迫降低生产成本，以应对多样化的小批量生产和频繁的产品变更。我也了解到日本厂商只在中国建立了量产流程，而产品的研发和设计主要是在日本进行的。他们在公司内部建立了生产部门，并在中国建立了日本公司的生产网络。我可以得出结论，日本制造商在中国扩大生产并没有导致日本工业空心化。

Many Japanese manufactures have built their production plants and expanded their production in China since late 1990s. It has been discussed under such circumstances whether the manufacturing industry has disappeared in Japan. What has the production of Japanese manufacturers based in China influenced over Japanese economy?The purpose of this research project is to make clear the goal and strategy of the overseas production of Japanese manufacturers located in China through the interviews to Japanese managers and to discuss a role of the local production in China and relation between their Chinese production and domestic production in Japan.It is found through these interviews that Japanese manufacturers, particularly the manufacturers of the finished products, have built their production plants and expanded their production to increase a sale in Chinese local market. They have increased parts and materials which have been purchased in local areas, but most of suppliers have been Japanese companies.On the other hand, most of Japanese suppliers established their local plants in China to follow the customers located in China and they have produced and exported the parts for the world market. They have been forced to reduce the production cost to cope with diversified small-quantity production and frequent change of their products.Also I understand that Japanese manufacturers have established only mass production process in China while the research, development and design of their products have been mainly carried out in Japan. They have established a division of production within the company and also a production network of Japanese companies in China. I can conclude that the expanding production of Japanese manufacturers based in China have not brought about the hollowing out of industry in Japan.