Port of Seattle Increases Japan Import-Export Capacity

Washington state is the nation's third largest exporter of agriculture products, with about one-third of Washington-grown products shipped overseas. Japan, the world's second largest economy, was the state's leading overseas customer in 2008.

Washington just increased that capacity through the Port of Seattle scoring two shipping lines starting in June. Maersk Line and CMA CGM will begin weekly calling with a combined service at Terminal 18 with fourteen vessels, each with a capacity equivalent to 6,500 20-foot shipping units being deployed as part of the joint service.

Read more on this story here.

2009 SakuraCon Results (wow)

Roland Kelts, author of JapanAmerica and former presenter for the Japan America Society, published a report in Japan's Daily Yomiuri on the recent SakuraCon, manga and anime convention, held in downtown Seattle. Frankly, the numbers are staggering. Japanese pop culture doesn't sell in Seattle? I think that argument is officially over.

- 20,000 attendees for each of the three days (at up to $60 per person for attendee)
- 13 million dollar injection to Seattle's economy over three days

Wow, is right.

Japanese Vampire Tourism!

Yep, it's true. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports on the upswing in international tourism to Forks on the Olympic Peninsula where the movie, Twilight, is based. (even though the movie was filmed in Oregon... another case in the trend of movies supposedly based in Washington but filmed in Oregon and British Columbia)

Namely, Japanese tourists. The movie just came out in April 2009 and the state is seeing an upswing in tourism for a normally sleepy season.

Japanese tourists are coming and with the demand and the right connections, there is bound to be great business opportunities for the summer travel season! Over the winter months, the Forks Chamber of Commerce normally sees 40 visitors on a rainy, winter weekend. This winter, they saw an average of 300-500 visitors. Washington State Tourism is in on it. The Olympic Peninsula Visitors Bureau is in on it. - there is even a tour company in Colorado in on it!

Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology puts Cray Xy5 into production

Seattle-based global supercomputer leader, Cray Inc., announced yesterday that the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) has put their XT5 model supercomputer into production. As one of Japan's premier academic research centers, JAIST is using the supercomputer for their main system.

Read the press announcement here.

Seattle Genetics signs deal with Japanese pharmaceutical company

The Puget Sound Business Journal published news that Seattle Genetics, a biotechnology company focused on enhancing the survival of cancer patients, has just made a deal with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Japan's largest pharmaceutical company. Read the article here.