As Japan's big manufacturers shift output abroad, taking much of their business with them, small parts makers in Ota Ward, Tokyo, are starting to think they may need to cross the waters too if they're going to get any new orders.
In this, they may be greatly helped by Haneda airport, which sits on Ota Ward's waterfront. The ward government is seeking to take advantage of Haneda's foray into international operations to help small businesses, with cutting-edge technology and highly skilled workers, expand overseas.
Metal spinning company Kitajima Shibori Co. is one of some 4,000 such businesses in the area, which have had to suffer through a riptide of decreasing orders thanks to the slumping economy and strong yen.