The Bavarian Representative Office in Japan

About us

The state of Bavaria founded its representative office in Japan in 1988. Located in Tokyo, it is thus the oldest of the 23 ones maintained by Bavaria outside Germany.

Japan in Bavaria

Some 250 Japanese companies - 100 alone in the last decade - have set up subsidiaries in Bavaria, making the country one of the major international investors in the state. Many of the 6,200 Japanese residing in Bavaria work for these companies. The state’s Japanese community is thus one of the largest in Germany. Fostering this growth is an infrastructure comprised of Japanese and international schools, of Japanese restaurants and grocery stores, and of everything else needed to make the Japanese feel at home in Bavaria.

Bavaria in Japan

Bilateral trade of some €4,6 billion (2009) makes Japan (China is number one) Bavaria’s second most important trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region. Via such major Bavarian companies as Siemens, Bavaria’s business community has been operating in Japan for more than120 years. It was in 1887 that Siemens commissioned its office in Tokyo. Nearly 100 Bavarian companies maintain subsidiaries and outlets in Japan. Fifteen Bavarian communities have entered into partnerships with their Japanese counterparts.