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As a relatively newer member of the PCB industry, I found the Japan Printed Circuit Association (JPCA) show, held in June at the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Hall, to be a great experience. This year’s show was considered smaller compared to past years, but I was still impressed by the size and number of attendees. The show was broken up into 3 major halls each dedicated to PCB manufacturing, assembly, and semiconductor/advanced packaging, with a lot of focus on the latter. Some companies were familiar—Eternal, Dupont, Atotech, Uyemura, Schmoll, and atg, to name a few. But most of the companies I saw were unfamiliar names in the North American market.
The language barrier could prove challenging at times, but overall, I had some great conversations with various members of the industry. They informed me that the market in Japan is strong on the technology side, but like North America, they have challenges in acquiring young talent and retaining employees over the long term. I did notice a fair amount of young people who appeared to be in their 20s and 30s at the show.
When I asked the younger generation how they came into the industry, the answers were varied but were consistent around knowing someone who told them about it or having family involved in some way. This I found was just like North America—the PCB market in Japan has potential, but as an industry, we need to figure out a way to make it attractive to young professionals.
The level of automation I saw at the JPCA show was remarkable. Speaking with an industry veteran, he explained that over time, the market shrunk as simpler work was outsourced to other economies (the same as in North America). However, what remains in Japan is a small but dedicated and strong selection of companies that remain on the cutting edge of technology. This has kept them relevant in the market and on the world stage of manufacturing. I felt that the Japanese market remains somewhat insular in certain ways. Their homegrown companies have an excellent reputation within Japan, but only a few companies have gained that reputation worldwide as well.
Standout experiences were the hospitality of the presenters/exhibitors along with their presentations and booths, some of which were quite elaborate. It did not appear as if many North American members of our industry were present at the show. As a representative of IEC, they were pleased to speak with someone from the North American market.
Lastly, I was not only in Japan for the JPCA show, but vacation as well. Tokyo is a massive city but easy to navigate thanks to the extensive train system, which is inexpensive, efficient, and clean. The countryside is gorgeous and the other cities I visited–Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, are beautiful as well, each with a unique identity. The country is easy to navigate on the southern side thanks to the Shinkansen (aka the Bullet Train).
The food and restaurant scene was fantastic, with menus easy to understand. You can have a great meal anywhere. There were many sights to see and every city was terrific to simply walk around in. Showcasing an excellent mix of East and West, the nightlife in the big cities was lively and exciting.
Most importantly, the people I met at both JPCA and outside were courteous, friendly, and accommodating. It was a great trip which I would highly recommend. I already plan on going back!
