It All Began in Niihama City
Over 300 years ago, Niihama City in eastern Ehime first began to develop 
copper mines and refineries. After the second World War, one of the 
largest chemical conglomerates in Japan was built here to manufacture 
chemicals and fertilizers. Eventually, iron works and machine industries 
prospered in this area, with increasing demand for production, 
maintenance, inspection and repair of factories, and thus, a number of 
related enterprises are concentrated in the Niihama and Saijo districts. 
In being widely known to use the latest in high technology, these 
manufacturers now receive a wide variety of orders ranging from metal 
works, industrial and material handling machinery and shipbuilding from 
both local industries and various industries outside Ehime.

The Growth of High Technology Machine Manufacturing
With the recent expansion of the expressway network and a highly skilled 
labor force, electronic devices and machinery manufacturing has flourished 
in Ehime. During the 1980's, manufacturers of semiconductors, VCR's, 
television sets, and their component parts established themselves in the 
prefecture, and now have a significant presence in the area. There are also 
factories which manufacture boilers and factories of related businesses in 
Matsuyama. Ehime is famous both within and outside Japan for their quality 
of high technology goods.
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