Three Mechanisms Operating Simultaneously: A Look at the Facts

In Higashi-Hiroshima City, three distinctly different movements are overlapping.

The University of Idaho has opened a semiconductor talent development base on the Hiroshima University campus. Local automotive parts manufacturers are steering away from a structure that relies 75% on Mazda. Eleven prefectural high schools in Hiroshima are set to begin nationwide recruitment starting in spring 2027.

University, factory, high school—these appear to be disparate in scale and context. However, when placed side by side, a common question arises: “Is there a system in place for those who are invited to take root here, rather than simply ‘calling people from outside’?” Rather than the flashiness of the mechanisms, I want to understand the arrangements and structures behind them.

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A “Foreign” Entity within Hiroshima University—University of Idaho Hiroshima Campus

In October 2023, the University of Idaho opened its campus in Hiroshima University’s Higashi-Hiroshima campus. Its official name is “University of Idaho Hiroshima Campus.” The very format of a U.S. state university campus existing within a Japanese university is itself unusual.

The curriculum spans two years. Students will learn the design and manufacturing processes of semiconductors in English, and upon completion, they can transfer to the main campus of the University of Idaho. The initial intake is small, at around 30 students. However, what stands out is not the scale but the “meaning of the location” where this campus is situated.

Hiroshima University houses the Institute of Nano Device and Bio-Convergence Science, and Micron Memory Japan’s Hiroshima factory is located within Higashi-Hiroshima City. While Kyushu is often discussed as the geographical center of semiconductors due to TSMC’s expansion into Kumamoto, Hiroshima is also one of the leading memory manufacturing hubs in Japan. In 2023, Micron announced an investment plan for its Hiroshima factory amounting to up to 360 billion yen, and as the mass production line for next-generation DRAM begins operations, the demand for engineers who can immediately contribute on-site will undoubtedly grow.

The design philosophy of the University of Idaho Hiroshima Campus is to “close the gap between demand and supply within the same city.” While it may not be within walking distance, the learning and working environments are in the same city. The shorter the distance between the university and the factory, the less friction there is for internships and collaborative research. Before attracting people, a geographical structure that facilitates movement for those invited is created. This is more of a system than a mere mechanism.

Whether one views the figure of 30 students as “small” or as “the first 30 who will pave the way” is subjective. The domestic market size of the semiconductor industry was approximately 5 trillion yen as of 2022, and the government aims for a tripling of sales (15 trillion yen) by 2030. The shortage of skilled labor is a common challenge across the industry, with estimates from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry suggesting a shortfall of tens of thousands of specialized personnel over the next decade. Thirty may indeed be small. However, if the system operates effectively, the numbers will follow. What is initially needed is to draw a line stating, “If you learn here, you can work here.”

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The Weight of the 75% Figure—The Shift for Parts Manufacturers

The manufacturing industry in Hiroshima Prefecture, including Higashi-Hiroshima City, has operated within a pyramid structure topped by Mazda. For parts manufacturers, the 75% sales ratio to Mazda is both a source of stability and a point of dependency. If Mazda’s sales increase, they thrive; if they stagnate, they sink together. There is now a movement among local parts manufacturers questioning, “Is it acceptable to continue like this?”

What is specifically progressing is the diversification of the customer base centered around resin molding technology. Observing the growing demand for lightweight materials in the automotive industry, companies are emerging that aim to supply not only Mazda but also other vehicle manufacturers—such as Lexus, a luxury brand under Toyota, and dedicated EV manufacturers. Resin parts are lighter than metal parts and will be crucial for range in the EV era. The technology has existed for some time; what has changed is the decision-making regarding “who to sell to.”

I want to pause here for a moment. The phrase “breaking away from dependence on Mazda” sounds bold, but the reality is much more subtle and nuanced. It does not mean reducing transactions with Mazda. Instead, while maintaining the 75% ratio for Mazda, they are gradually replacing the contents of the remaining 25% and increasing the proportion of new customers. By enlarging the overall pie, the relative ratio of Mazda will decrease—this is the design. Without breaking existing relationships, they are building new pillars alongside them. While it may lack flash, this is the only realistic path for companies with local employment to choose.

How does this movement connect to Higashi-Hiroshima’s “mechanism for gathering people”? The answer is simple: new technicians are needed to develop new customers. Mold design, resin flow analysis, quality assurance—all of these are highly specialized roles. In addition to the traditional route of hiring talent from local institutions like Hiroshima University and the Faculty of Engineering at Kinki University (Higashi-Hiroshima Campus), hiring engineers from outside the prefecture and abroad is now on the table. When factories change, the flow of people also changes.

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Erasing the Boundaries of the Classroom—Nationwide Recruitment by Eleven Prefectural High Schools

The third mechanism appears the most understated but will have the longest-term impact.

The Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education announced that starting from the spring 2027 entrance selection, eleven prefectural high schools will implement nationwide recruitment. The target schools include not only general studies but also schools with specialized courses in agriculture, industry, and commerce. While the Shimane Prefectural Oki Island High School is known as a precedent for nationwide recruitment, moving eleven schools simultaneously is significant in scale.

The framework of the system is as follows: information on dormitories and lodging will be provided to students coming from outside the prefecture, along with programs for interaction with local residents. The key point is that it is not merely about “please come” but also about “how to support life after coming here.”

It is noteworthy that this initiative is not just about Higashi-Hiroshima City. The eleven schools are dispersed throughout the prefecture. However, for Higashi-Hiroshima City, the existence of higher education institutions like Hiroshima University and the University of Idaho campus already provides a foundation, making the opening of the “high school” entry point to the nation significant. Students who come to Higashi-Hiroshima for high school may progress to Hiroshima University and find employment at Micron or local parts manufacturers—this pathway is connected within the system.

While I wrote that “the pathways are connected,” whether this will actually happen is another matter. Whether high school students develop an attachment to the place where they live for three years will be determined not by the curriculum but by the tactile experiences of daily life. A convenience store they stop by after club activities, helping out at festivals, casual conversations with local adults—these small points of contact accumulate to create a circuit for settling down. While the system can be prepared, the warmth cannot be designed. This is why the depth of the local community that receives these students is crucial.

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Reinterpreting the Three Mechanisms through “Who to Facilitate”

The semiconductor campus makes it easier for recruiters from semiconductor companies. When the learning and working environments are close, the cost of matching decreases.

The diversification of parts manufacturers alleviates the concerns of managers and employees who have been anxious about dependency on a single company. With an increase in customers, they can avoid being affected solely by the economic fluctuations of one company.

The nationwide recruitment of high schools makes it easier for middle school students and parents who feel there are few options locally. At the same time, it eases the situation for local high schools facing a decline in student numbers.

Each mechanism addresses the specific “challenges” of certain individuals. And these challenges overlap with the structural issues faced by local cities across Japan: population decline, industrial dependency on a single entity, and regional disparities in educational opportunities. What makes Higashi-Hiroshima special is not the type of challenges but the intersection of coincidence and necessity where the three mechanisms are “operating simultaneously within the same city.”

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The Framework is in Place; What Remains is the “Connection”

When the three mechanisms are lined up, the next thing to consider is the “connections” between them.

Is there a pathway for graduates of the University of Idaho campus to find employment at local parts manufacturers? When high school students recruited nationwide develop an interest in semiconductors, is there a designed connection to related departments at Hiroshima University? When parts manufacturers acquire new customers, is there a place within the region to learn that technology?

Each individual mechanism has begun to move. However, there are still many unseen areas connecting one mechanism to another. Since the operating entities of universities, companies, and high schools are different, these connections will not form naturally. Someone needs to intentionally design them. Who will take on the role of “connector”—Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima University, or local economic organizations? This is where the greatest focus for the future lies.

Infrastructure challenges also remain. The development of dormitories for high school students coming from outside the prefecture, living environments for university students and engineers from abroad, and the redesign of transportation networks accompanying factory expansions. The accumulation of mundane and concrete arrangements behind the system will determine the success or failure of these mechanisms.

Higashi-Hiroshima is a city that, while adjacent to Hiroshima City, has its own unique industrial cluster and also presents itself as an academic city centered around its universities. With a population of about 190,000, it is not a rapidly expanding city. This is why the space and warmth that allow newcomers to feel “I can be here” are necessary outside the system.

Each of the three mechanisms contains a promise that “if you come here, there will be a next step.” Whether that promise remains just words or transforms into a tangible experience in daily life will be determined not by those who created the system but by the people living within it.