Cincinnati, where the Ohio River meets, is the heart of the Japanese automobile industry in the U.S.

The Japanese corporations began making inroads into the Cincinnati area in the late 1980s, and currently there are more than 100 Japanese companies located there.

“Ninety percent of the Japanese Companies in Cincinnati USA are the automobile industry,” Hensley said.

About 80 percent of North America’s automobiles are produced in Cincinnati. In the past 10 years, the annual production rate in the region has tripled from 7.3 percent in 1993 to 21 percent in 2003, as major Japanese automakers, such as Honda, Toyota and Mitsubishi, have opened their headquarters there.

Cincinnati is also home to Kao Brands Corporation, the Japanese innovator of premium beauty and skin care products. With competitors such as Protector & Gamble (P&G) and Avon, Kao leads the chemical industry, which is number one among the other leading industries in the city, followed by the aerospace, automotive and brand design industries.

MICHIKO TAMURA /Rafu Shimpo Tourists climb the 2,670-foot-long Purple People Bridge, the longest and only pedestrian bridge in the country that links two states, Ohio and Kentucky.

“As more and more Japanese companies are moving into the Cincinnati area, the demand for Japanese bilinguals is now increasing,” said Yumiko Tokiwa, vice president, Asian desk manager of Fifth Third Bank. “Yet, the supply isn’t catching up with the demand. I’ve noticed more Japanese employment agencies have been opened up recently in this area.”   One of America’s Most Livable Cities In 2004, Cincinnati ranked seventh on Esquire Magazine’s “America’s Top 10 Most Livable Cities” list. “It’s not too rural or urban; it’s conveniently located. You can go to large cities such as Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis in four to five hours by car,” said Tokiwa, who was born in Fukuoka, Japan and has been living in Cincinnati for 20 years. “People are very nice here, and it’s a very safe place to live. It’s definitely a good place to raise children,” she said, adding that currently more than 450 students, from kindergarten to high school, are learning Japanese at Saturday Nihongo School being held in Northern Kentucky University classrooms.

The only drawback, according to Tokiwa, is that there are only a few Japanese restaurants and supermarkets in this area.

“But overall, it’s a place where Japanese people would comfortably be able to live,” she said.

The most attractive aspect of living in Cincinnati is its affordability. According to the ACCRA survey conducted in 2004, the numerical vale of Cincinnati’s living standard is 93.7, compared to the national average, 100; New York, 215.0; Boston, 137.1; Chicago, 131.1; and Atlanta, 97.4.

“First, people from big cities are reluctant to move up here. But once they come here, they realize what a different lifestyle they can have in Cincinnati...a lifestyle that they couldn’t afford before,” said Christy Meyers, director, investor in Community Relations, Cincinnati Regional Chamber.

According to a report issued by The National Association of Realtors, Cincinnati’s average used house price in 2004 was $146,100, compared to $188,500 for the nation and $ $646,300 for San Francisco.

The first state-of-the-art luxury condominium was built in downtown Cincinnati in 2000, and in six years the downtown population has doubled with the supply of new ownership and rental opportunities rushing to meet the increased demand. The average price for all condos in downtown in 2005 was $282,000 (1,538 sq ft.), with actual prices ranging from $99,000 to $2.5 million, according to downtowncincinnati.com.

About 3,000 residents are currently living in downtown, and the total population is expected to rise to 12,000 by the end of the decade, driven by completion of the Fountain Square Revitalization project.

Fountain Square, often called the symbol of Cincinnati, is currently undergoing a $42 million redevelopment, which will enhance the city’s premier public space into an estimated total 213,000 sq ft. of new and renovated retail space, featuring unique retail, dining and entertainment venues surrounding the redesigned Fountain Square.

America’s Branding and Design Capital

Cincinnati is often called “America’s branding and design capital.” The concept of brand management was first invented in 1931 at Procter & Gamble (P&G), the world’s largest consumer goods company which is headquartered in Cincinnati.

P&G brand management systems began to take shape in the late 1920s. In 1931, the company’s promotion department manager created a marketing organization based on competing brands managed by dedicated groups of people. The system provides more specialized marketing strategies for each brand.

The University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning was ranked one of the world’s top design schools by BusinessWeek magazine in 2006.

The university is known as the global birthplace of cooperative education, having founded the practice in 1906. “Co-op” or cooperative education refers to the practice wherein students are required to alternate academic quarters with paid, professional work directly related to their majors. Under the co-op program, students are able to work at a number of corporations throughout the nation and abroad, and graduate with about 18 months of practical experience. Some statistics show about 75 percent of students with the co-op program experience have a job offer before graduation, according to the university.

Cincinnati was also the first large city to blossom in the American interior, and its rich architectural history can be seen everywhere. Walking down the street, you would encounter many significant buildings from the 19th century and art deco masterpieces throughout the city. There are also many art galleries located downtown and in other parts of the city.
 
Cincinnati and Its Tourism

Cincinnati’s biggest tourist attraction is the Tall Stacks Music, Arts & Heritage Festival, where the world’s largest collection of steamboats assemble. It is only held once every four years on the Cincinnati Riverfront.

The festival, started in 1988, features more than 100 musical acts and several theatrical performances. For five days in October, Cincinnati’s riverfront steps back in time to celebrate the Steamboat Era, when these river crafts ruled the great inland waterways of America.

Tourists can enjoy a firework spectacle every night during the festival. A view from the top of the Purple People Bridge is especially breathtaking. The Purple People Bridge is the longest and only pedestrian bridge in the country that links two states, Ohio and Kentucky. Throughout the year, the public can climb the 2,670-foot-long bridge over the Ohio River and enjoy a full 360-degree view of the region. The climb takes about two-and-a-half-hours, and climbers must be over 12 years of age and 48 inches in height. More information about the Purple People Bridge Climb is available at www.purplepeoplebridgeclimb.com

For those who don’t have much courage to climb the bridge, there is another way to observe the magnificent view

of the Cincinnati region. Built in 1930, Carew Tower is the tallest building located in the heart of Cincinnati downtown. Tourists can visit the observatory platform on the 48th floor seven days a week for $2 general admission ($1 for children 5-11).

One thing you can’ t miss in Cincinnati is its famous chili and ice cream. Cincinnati-style chili began in 1949 by a Greek immigrant. The chili is served in one of three ways: chili alone, chili over spaghetti or all three ingredients combined. Cincinnati local ice cream, Graeter’s, is also popular among locals and tourists from all over the world. The ice cream is made by hand in traditional French pots and popular talk show host Oprah Winfrey calls Graeter’s her favorite.