Biggest European companies in Japan
Having looked at the largest foreign-owned companies in Japan in a previous post, we thought we’d take a look at the largest companies in Japan owned by European companies in more detail.
By employee number, they are:
- Mitsubishi Fuso Truck – Germany (89.2% owned by Daimler), #3 overall, 10,633 employees
- Bosch – Germany, #10 overall, 5,254 employees
- Chugai Pharmaceuticals – Switzerland (59.8% owned by Roche), #12 overall, 5,026 employees
- AstraZeneca – UK, #17 overall, 3,700 employees
- IKEA Japan – Netherlands (yes, not Sweden, it’s owned by Ingka Group, which is a franchisee of Inter IKEA Systems B.V.), #19 overall, 3,602 employees
- NOK – Germany (25% owned by Freudenberg Group – maybe not strictly speaking foreign owned therefore), #21 overall, 3,337 employees
- DHL Supply Chain – Germany, #24 overall, 3,000 employees
- Compass Group Japan – UK, #26 overall, 2,684 employees
- Novartis Pharma – Switzerland, #30 overall, 2,600 employees
- GlaxoSmithKline – UK, #32 overall, 2,500 employees
- Louis Vuitton Japan – France, #32 overall, 2,500 employees
- Nestle Japan – Switzerland, #34 overall, 2,400 employees
- L’Oreal – France, #35 overall, 2,350 employees
- Veolia Jenets – France, #41 overall, 2,000 employees
- Phillips Japan – Netherlands, #43 overall, 1,942 employees
- DHL Japan – Germany, #45 overall, 1,900 employees
- Pioneer – Sweden, #46 overall, 1,859 employees
- SAP Japan – Germany, #49 overall, 1,727 employees
- Boehringer Ingelheim – Germany, #50 overall, 1,700 employees
- Valeo Japan – France, #52 overall, 1,660 employees
- Bayer – Germany, #56 overall, 1,591 employees
- Ichikoh industries – France (61% owned by Valeo), #60 overall, 1,485 employees
- Cap Gemini – France, #62 overall, 1,400 employees
- Sanofi – France – #65 overall, 1,334 employees
- Autoliv – Sweden – #66 overall, 1,332 employees
- Lush – UK – #67 overall, 1,300 employees
- Johnson Controls – Ireland, #70 overall, 1,282 employees
- Novo Nordisk – Denmark, #72 overall, 1,274 employees
- Sika – Switzerland, #80 overall, 1,136 employees
- ICON Clinical Research – Ireland, #85 overall, 1,000 employees
- NN Life Insurance – Netherlands, #87 overall, 975 employees
- Zurich Insurance – Switzerland, #89 overall, 946 employees
= 33 BASF Japan – Germany, #92 overall, 920 employees
=33 GKN Driveline Japan – UK, #92 overall, 920 employees
35. Mahle Engine Components Japan – Germany, #96 overall, 880 employees
36. Lacoste Japan – France, #98 overall, 851 employees
37. Dassault Systems – France, #100 overall, 850 employees
There are many missing names from this, so it is just indicative, based on whatever company responded to Toyo Keizai’s enquiries. but overall it seems that European companies represent around 37% of the largest foreign companies in Japan. American companies are around 46% of the largest foreign companies in Japan, with the remaining 17% being owned by companies from Taiwan, Israel, India, China, Hong Kong, Canada and Australia – plus Japan Display, owned by a company, Ichigo Trust, registered in the Cayman Islands, which is technically UK territory.
10 of the 37 are German, 9 French, 6 British (or 7 if you count Japan Display), 5 Swiss, 3 Dutch, 3 Swedish, 2 Irish, 1 Danish. The missing major European economies are Italy and Spain. Judging by size of economy, the UK looks a bit underweight.
8 are pharmaceutical manufacturers or clinical research related and the other main categories are automotive manufacturing/engineering and consumer brands.
At least 6 (7 if you count Japan Display) are the result of acquisitions or at least a major investment in Japanese companies – Compass Group acquiring NKS for example.
If your company is looking to enter or expand in the Japanese market, our partner Japan Intercultural Consulting is holding online seminars on Successful Business Trips to Japan in September. Further details here.
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