Location Eastern Asia, island chain between the north Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, 40 BOEING FRONTIERS / DECEMBER 2013–JANUARY 2014 and Japan started collaborating on major production work on the company’s twin-aisle airplanes. “When I think of the nature and quality of our customers and partners around the world, Japan ranks among the very best in terms of the duration of the relationship, the quality of the relationship and the clear mutual benefit that we have experienced over the many years,” said Shep Hill, president of Boeing International and senior vice president of Business Devel-opment and Strategy. The mutual relationship can be summed up in numbers. In 2012, Boeing spent more than $4 billion on goods and services from Japan, accounting for 22,000 high-tech aerospace jobs—more than 40 percent of such jobs in the country. In addition to the major components designed and produced by the three large aerospace “Heavies” in Japan, supplier companies there make everything from composite materials to lavatories to video entertainment centers for Boeing jets. That type of “Made with Japan” contribution to the nation’s manufacturing base has been repaid by Japan’s trust in Boeing products. “It’s an important market for us, because 80 percent of the commercial fleet flying today in Japan is Boeing airplanes,” said George Maffeo, president of Boeing Japan. “Also, we have the largest fleet JAPAN AT A GLANCE Sources: U.S. government, World Bank PHOTOS: (Left, from top) George Maffeo, president of Boeing Japan. CHRISTOPHER JUE PHOTOGRAPHY A Boeing F-15J jet fighter manu-factured in Japan. JAPAN AIR SELF-DEFENSE FORCE (Right) A Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 in Japan Airlines livery. JIM ANDERSON/BOEING east of the Korean Peninsula Area More than 145,914 square miles (377,916 square kilometers), similar in size to California Population, 2013 127.2 million people; ranked 10th in the world Capital Tokyo Other major cities Osaka, Kobe, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Kitakyushu Gross domestic product, 2012 $5.96 trillion; ranked third worldwide GDP growth rate, 2012 2 percent Largest export partners, 2012 China, United States, South Korea and Thailand
Frontiers December 2013—January 2014 Issue
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