Japan sees microchips as strategic products to strengthen
its economic security and is providing hefty subsidies to Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Co and others to build plants tin o Japan or have them expand
existing facilities.
The ministry plans to put the sales target in Japan's
semiconductor and digital industry strategy, which will be updated by the
middle of the year.
Japan has seen its share in the global microchip market
tumble from 50% in the late 1980s to around 10%, outperformed by nimbler rivals
with deep pockets such as South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.