Economy
Ōita Prefecture's industrial activity is centered on agricultural products. Fishery products and manufactured goods rank second and third respectively in terms of Ōita's industrial activity.
Ōita is Japan's number one producer of the following products:
Kabosu Limes. Ōita Prefecture is Japan's number one producer of kabosu, which is a citrus fruit that is similar to a lime. Kabosu are available year round but peak season for taste and quality is from August to October. Kabosu are rich in vitamin C and contain beneficial acids, such as citric acid. Kabosu have been produced in the Taketa and Usuki areas for many years.
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms. Ōita is also the largest producer of dried shiitake mushrooms in Japan, and the cultivation of shiitake mushrooms is said to have originated in Ōita. Ōita's dried shiitake rank number one in Japan both in terms of production quantity and quality. Shiitake are said to be beneficial in the prevention of high blood pressure and arterial sclerosis.
Saffron. Saffron has been cultivated in Ōita since the late 19th century, and Ōita's Taketa area produces 80% of Japan's total amount of saffron, making Ōita the top producer of saffron. The quality of Ōita saffron has gained international acclaim as active component levels are several times higher than foreign saffron. Saffron is said to have many benefits including circulation enhancement, and is used as a food coloring and natural medicine.
Galingale. Ōita is Japan's top producer of galingale (シチトウ｜shichitō?), which is one kind of rush plant, a grass with a distinctive triangular profile, belonging to the cyperaceae family. It is grown in Kunisaki Peninsula of Ōita Prefecture, and is used in the production of Ryukyu-style tatami mats, as it is dust and moisture absorbent and has a pleasant scent.
Madake Bamboo. The madake variety of bamboo makes up 60% of Japan's cultivated bamboo, and Ōita is Japan's top producer. It is the most popular variety of bamboo used in handiwork and traditional crafts since it is very flexible and pressure resistant.
Ōita also ranks number one in Japan (and second in the world next to America's Yellowstone National Park) for the amount of hot-spring output and geothermal power. Ōita also ranks number one in Japan for the amount of limestone production.
Other Ōita industries:
Seki-aji and seki-saba are two types of mackerel that are well-known seafood products of Ōita. Ōita has gained nationwide recognition for their promotion of "The Oita Brand", which is labeling local products with the prefectural name.
Key "Ōita Brand" products are as follows:
Agricultural Products- tomatoes, leeks, strawberries, spring onions, kabosu limes, greenhouse tangerines, prairie gentians (トルコギキョウ, torukogikyō?), roses, chrysanthemums, pears (Hita City, Shonai Town in Yufu City and Kokonoe Town in Kusu are all production regions for Japanese pears. Oita pears are shipped nationwide, with large distribution quantities throughout Kyushu), and Bungo beef (The Kujū highlands are a perfect feeding ground for cattle and cattle farmers in Oita are involved in breeding and shipping cattle. Bungo beef is a well known local product.)
Forest Products- Dried shiitake mushrooms and Oita-style seasoned timber (Oita is one of the leading production centers for Japanese cedar, ranking second in Japan for amount of lumber reserves and number of cedars produced. Oita cedar producers use a special method for drying the cedar which combines benefits of natural and artificial drying methods to produce cedar that has cracks, and retains the natural cedar scent and color.)
Marine Products. cultured flatfish, cultured yellow jack, cultured yellowtail, cultured loach, pearl, cultured kuruma prawn, natural kuruma prawn (kuruma ebi), cuttlefish, hairtail, butterfish, blue crab, conger eel, clam, and Japanese mitten crab.
Economic development of Ōita was greatly aided by the One Village One Product movement of long-time governor Morihiko Hiramatsu. This movement has gained international attention and increased international exchange activities between Oita and foreign cities and countries.
The following companies operate factories in Oita: Toshiba Corporation, Nippon Steel Corporation, Canon Inc., Texas Instruments Inc., Sony, Daihatsu Motor Co. Ltd., Showa Denko K.K., Kawasumi Laboratories Inc. (川澄化学工業株式会社), CKK, Asahi Kasei Medical Co. Ltd.（旭メディカル）, NEC Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.
Read more about this topic: Ōita Prefecture
Famous quotes containing the word economy:
“Even the poor student studies and is taught only political economy, while that economy of living which is synonymous with philosophy is not even sincerely professed in our colleges. The consequence is, that while he is reading Adam Smith, Ricardo, and Say, he runs his father in debt irretrievably.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I favor the policy of economy, not because I wish to save money, but because I wish to save people. The men and women of this country who toil are the ones who bear the cost of the Government. Every dollar that we carelessly waste means that their life will be so much the more meager. Every dollar that we prudently save means that their life will be so much the more abundant. Economy is idealism in its most practical terms.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)
“Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them.... for really new ideas of any kind—no matter how ultimately profitable or otherwise successful some of them might prove to be—there is no leeway for such chancy trial, error and experimentation in the high-overhead economy of new construction. Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings.”
—Jane Jacobs (b. 1916)