To promote exchanges, residents of the town Kikuyo in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, can receive a JPY$10,000 (USD$63) subsidy for traveling to Taiwan beginning next month.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) confirmed plans to open a second plant in Kikuyo back in April of this year. As TSMC employees and their families relocate to Kikuyo, currently the only city in Japan with TSMC factories, the number of Taiwanese residents has grown significantly, and is expected to continue rising.
According to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), the subsidy of roughly NTD$2,050 per person aims to promote exchanges with Taiwan. Applicants for the subsidy must be registered residents of Kikuyo, fly in and out of Kumamoto Airport, and be traveling to Taiwan for leisure purposes, not business.
The subsidy—a one-time-only incentive for residents—is limited to the first 500 successful applicants and should be applied for following the completion of the trip.
The Kumamoto Prefectural Government is also planning to subsidize group travelers headed to Taiwan through Kumamoto Airport with JPY$5,000 (USD$31) per person, which can be used in conjunction with the subsidy for Kikuyo residents.
On Thursday, NHK reported that Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura is supporting the operation of the first TSMC factory, overseeing the construction of the second factory, and working to alleviate residents’ concerns regarding traffic congestion and groundwater shortages.
Kimura says that the factory establishment can enhance Kumamoto’s status as a semiconductor cluster, hopefully making Kumamoto the birthplace for a myriad of industries originating from semiconductors such as AI and data centers. Kimura says semiconductors are necessary for the future of the planet as they play a critical role in reducing energy consumption.
TSMC CEO C.C. Wei (魏哲家) stated that if supported by local residents, TSMC would consider potentially opening a third factory in Kumamoto Prefecture.