The $9-million plant, the third in Asia after Japan and China, was built on an area of 11 hectares.

Director of the company Mikio Juaman said the Da Nang-based plant would produce about 2,600 products per year.

He said the plant would supply Japanese and Vietnamese enterprises, gradually replacing imported products.

The city has developed a 100-hectare, US$150-million industrial park for Japanese businesses, aiming at large investments from Japan.

Japan has 60 projects worth $350 million in Da Nang. Japanese exports account for 37 per cent of the city’s total imports, while 30 per cent of the city’s industrial production value comes from Japanese FDI projects.