Electronics and food manufacturing are among the Kansai industries that have contributed to leading-edge technologies and cultural developments that are recognized around the world. These industries were cultivated by Kansai's unique business climate. The region's great strengths are an abundance of enterprising spirit, outstanding imagination and creativity, and a large supply of skills necessary to turn ideas into reality.

In addition to being the home of major companies that are known around the globe, Osaka is home of numerous small and medium enterprises that provide unique technologies. In particular, Higashi Osaka has a concentration of small- and medium-sized enterprises with advanced technological capabilities. With this concentration of expertise, the Space Oriented Higashiosaka Leading Association (SOHLA) was established in December 2002 with the goal of launching artificial satellites. In addition, in recent years, research and development bases for cutting-edge industries have grown more numerous. Biotechnology, nanotechnology, advanced medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, digital appliances, and environmental and energy technologies are fields that will all be leading industries in the future.

Desktop Robot PLEN	(c)2008 Astro-Technology SOHLA All Rights Reserved

Kansai, with its flexible mindset and exceptional technological capabilities, has given birth to numerous inventions that were the first of their kind in Japan, and the region has always struggled to develop cutting-edge products. Innovations include, for example, curry packaged in retort packs (1968), instant noodles in cups (1971), and coffee creamer in individual portion containers (1977). All of these had a huge impact on culinary culture. Instant noodles, in particular, have achieved giant popularity abroad. Karaoke and the Nintendo video game system, which inspired new cultural developments around the globe, were also created in Kansai. Industrial products invented in Kansai include the mechanical pencil in 1915 and the radio receiver in 1925. In the field of distribution, one extremely popular discount drug store that is currently very popular opened first in Osaka in 1957.

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