Silicon Valley,
a Tokyo research center mainly for artificial intelligence and IT. Volkswagen AG said last year it will hire more than 1,000 IT experts, tapping high-technology sectors, gaming industry and top-level research centers, in the next three years.
“The demand for IT talents is growing exponentially,” said Deloitte’s Zhou. “Japan has many strong electronics makers and home appliance manufacturers, and a lot of their embedded software capabilities could be put into the infotainment systems in connected and autonomous cars.”
HIGH-TECH LINE
The Nambu Line has historically been a working-class conduit that moved people to and from factories in the Kawasaki area. Now, with a suburban sprawl spreading out from Tokyo, it’s gentrifying and becoming more of a place where people are looking to shop, live and work. On weekends, some take the line to the two horse racecourses and three cycling tracks along it for wagering.
It became known as the “hightech line” partly thanks to the city of Kawasaki’s efforts to build an innovation hub in recent years, attracting a cluster of IT R&D centers. About 7.1% of the labor force in Kawasaki work in the IT industry, the highest proportion in Japan, according to the government of the city.
Toyota’s hiring posters caught the attention of engineers because of the enticing, straight-forward language, including one that says as blatantly as “Oh, you work at THAT manufacturer? Why don’t you come and join us?” The campaign also went viral on social media, with Twitter users arguing whether “THAT” manufacturer actually refers to NEC, Toshiba or others.
Toyota expects engineers from companies along Nambu Line to apply for jobs at the car maker, said spokeswoman Kayo Doi, without giving more details.
“It’s very eye-catching and has an impact, and it’s quite a bold move to target a station right in front of other companies,” Junya Ashida, a 39-year- old engineer said of Toyota’s advertisements at Mukaigawara station. “But I doubt top-notch companies like Toyota really think they want talents from here more than from the Silicon Valley.” — Bloomberg