Shrinkage of an Industrial District of Furniture Production in Okawa, Japan, under the International Competition and Promotion Policy for Its Survival

1 はじめに2 日本木製家具製造業の縮小と大川産地に関する先行研究, 2.1 日本と大川における木製家具製造業の縮小, 2.2 縮小期大川産地に関する先行研究3 木製家具の輸出入と大川産地, 3.1 木製家具の輸出入, 3.2 大川産地と国際的連関4 公的機関による振興政策, 4.1 リバイバルプラン以前の振興政策, 4.2 大川インテリア産業リバイバルプラン, 4.2.1 リバイバルプランの性格, 4.2.2 資金, 4.2.3 新ブランド開発, 4.2.4 大川インテリア塾, 4.2.5 販路開拓, 4.2.6 リバイバルプランに対する自己評価5 おわりに文献The purpose of this paper is to depict shrinkage of furniture production in Japan as well as in Okawa, to show some relationship of furniture companies in Okawa with Asian countries, and to evaluate the promotion policy for resurgence of the industrial district of Okawa by the public sector. According to previous researches, the reasons for the decline of the Okawa industrial district are mismatch between the needs of Japanese people and the main products in Okawa, lack of the designing ability, dependence on the mass production, comparative and competitive disadvantage against the Asian countries, and recession/depression of Japanese economy for more than ten years. These claims are more or less appropriate. However, more powerful companies in Okawa have either directly invested in the Asian countries or adopted strategic alliance with the foreign furniture companies and imported cheaper parts and final goods as complement for their own products to supply Japanese consumers with a full set of furniture. They produce gorgeous wooden cupboard for the western style rooms by themselves. It is certain that the ratio of imported furniture in the domestic market has rapidly increased, but more than eighty per cent of the demand is supplied by the domestic producers still now. The furniture manufacturing in Okawa has surely lost the competitiveness in cost in comparison with companies in the Asian countries, and would lose its competitive advantage in quality, if no strategy would have been adopted. Therefore the public sector has supported it and sought to make the district resurgent. Local governments of Okawa city and Fukuoka prefecture launched the revival plan of interior industry in Okawa in 2004. There are not only furniture manufacturing companies but also various wooden industries for the interior in Okawa. The local government Okawa has professed itself to be an interior industrial city since the late 1980s, and the Total Interior Promotion Center of Okawa was established in 1987, funded by the local government, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cooperative Association of Furniture Companies in Okawa, Association of Door Carpenters and ten other associations of manufacturing and service industries including the Association of Truck Companies in the locality. The main undertakings of the revival plan are bringing up of human capital especially in design, craft and management by means of open of training courses with subsidy from the national government, development of new goods with a new brand especially for single dwellers in metropolitan areas, and marketing through participation in international fairs as well as open of an experimental shop for the new brand in Tokyo. Financial aid also comes from the Fukuoka prefectural government and local government of Okawa. The associations of the local SMEs participated in the implementation of the programs of the revival plan. Faculty of Design at the Kyushu University and a professor and his collaborators at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music collaborate with them especially in the development of human capital and new furniture with the special brand. During the three-year practices, local people have increased their motivation, and mind to contribute to the resurgence of the district and this atmosphere has spread among the local enterprises steadily. We can appreciate it that they are creating new social capital as a byproduct of the accumulation of human capital in the district. Therefore, the two local governments, Okawa and Fukuoka, decided to continue the promotion policy in March 2007, although they cannot expect subsidy from the central government anymore. We should, however, point out some problems. Could we expect singles in metropolitan areas as a voluminous potential of purchaser of the furniture with the new brand? Could the strategy as a whole lead to the survival of an industrial district characterized with combination of cooperation and competition among SMEs, even if it could contribute to upgrading of some companies? They should not limit their scope to the domestic market, but open it not only to the advanced countries but also to the Asian, where potential of the rich who can afford to buy expensive furniture with the new brand is growing. In order to do so, they should learn the housing culture of foreign countries