This paper reviews factors affecting the growth of electronic industry in Hiroshima prefecture and problems in future by using mainly the Census of Manufactures and financial reports.
According to the Census of Manufactures in 2004, the value of manufactured goods shipments (hereinafter referred to as the "shipment value") of Electronic Industry mounted up to 1134.4 billion yen in Hiroshima Prefecture. The shipment value of Electronic Industry in 2004 was 2.5 times as much as in 1990. That's because sales of camera phones made by the Sharp's plant in Higashihiroshima city had been increasing since 2002. It's likely that the shipment value of three production bases of Sharp in Hiroshima prefecture became about 700 billion yen in 2004. It accounts for more than 60 percent of the shipment value of Electronic Industry.
However, it is uncertain whether three production bases of Sharp have maintained this level after 2005. Therefore, we should keep located plants so that the shipment value of Electronic Industry can keep increasing in Hiroshima Prefecture. In addition, we should positively attract new plants supplying car electronic equipment.