(Nihon Keizai Shimbun, February 11, 2002)

　Route 16, which circles around Tokyo and connects cities such as Hachioji in Tokyo and Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture, is catching attention as a new venture business zone in the metropolitan Tokyo area.

(Omitted)

Local community also started supporting venture companies: the ﾒCyber Silkroadﾓ plan prepared by the City of Hachioji and the Hachioji Chamber of Commerce. The plan aims to nurture venture companies related to information technology (IT) and optical communications, to vitalize the Hachioji area. The leader of the plan, Mr. Katsuhito Kouya, Executive Advisor of Agilent Technologies, shows enthusiasm: ﾒWe want to energize the collaboration between venture companies to facilitate structural changes.ﾓ Mr. Kouya currently has his eyes on Frontiers Co., Ltd. (President: Hiroshi Tango), a system design venture. Mr. Tango, the president, was responsible for development and marketing of optical components at Nippon Mining Co. (now Japan Energy Corporation), and founded Frontiers Co. in 1996. Some of his colleagues at Nippon Mining later joined him. Frontiers Co. set eyes early on WDM (Wavelength Division Multiple Access) equipment, which transmit data over optical fiber lines, and is developing its business with WDM technology as the core.

(Omitted)

　The area along Route 16, which runs through the western metropolitan area, is an advantageous environment located about 50 kilometers from downtown Tokyo, with many research centers and factories of major companies such as NTT and NEC scattered in the area. For municipal governments that are concerned with aging of population, promotion of new industries is an essential theme in vitalizing the community. As Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry is also promoting a plan to build a Japanese Silicon Valley along Route 16, various venture companies are emerging in the area, aided by the follow wind of developing the environment for venture companies.