According to a Focus Taiwan report dated July 27, 2026, the Hsinchu Science Park Administration announced it had signed a cooperation memorandum with Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture and real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan, establishing a park-to-park cooperation mechanism between Hsinchu Science Park and Kumamoto Science Park (E1).
The same report describes Kumamoto Science Park as a project jointly driven by Kumamoto Prefecture, Koshi City and Mitsui Fudosan, aimed at building a "Japanese-style science park" that combines R&D facilities, an incubation center, shared cleanrooms, office space and an industry-government-academia exchange platform (E3).
Per the Hsinchu Science Park Administration, the two sides will deepen cooperation across semiconductors, startup incubation, talent development and industry exchange, with the stated goal of building a joint Taiwan-Japan technology innovation platform (E4).
Focus Taiwan reported that Hsinchu Science Park Administration Director-General Hu Shih-min signed the memorandum on behalf of the park administration, alongside Kumamoto Governor Kimura Kei and Mitsui Fudosan Representative Director Hosoda Kyosuke, who signed for their respective organizations (E2).
On the same day the MOU was signed, President Lai Ching-te awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Brilliant Star to Keiji Furuya, chairman of Japan's Taiwan-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians' Union, according to a CTS report citing CNA (E5).
The same report noted that Furuya was sanctioned by China in April this year over his repeated visits to Taiwan, with the sanctions including a ban on entry into China and the seizure of any personal assets he holds there (E10).
According to the CTS report, Furuya stated that the Chinese sanctions had had "absolutely no impact," and argued that democratic partners should cooperate even more closely as a result (E6).
The same source reported that the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians' Union, which Furuya chairs, now counts 323 cross-party Japanese lawmakers among its members, and that the group intends to keep promoting Taiwan-Japan friendly exchange (E9).
The CTS report cited two figures pointing to existing industrial and people-to-people ties between Taiwan and Japan. First, TSMC's Kumamoto Fab 1 has already entered mass production, while Kumamoto Fab 2 is set to be upgraded to the 3-nanometer process node (E7). Second, two-way visits between Taiwan and Japan surpassed 8.2 million person-trips last year, a record high (E8).
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Members of Taiwan-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians' Union | 323 cross-party lawmakers | CTS/CNA (E9) |
| Taiwan-Japan two-way visits (prior year) | 8.2 million person-trips, a record | CTS/CNA (E8) |
| TSMC Kumamoto Fab 2 upgrade target | 3-nanometer process | CTS/CNA (E7) |
The Hsinchu-Kumamoto science park MOU (E1, E3, E4) was signed on the same date, July 27, 2026, that President Lai honored Furuya Keiji (E5) — a lawmaker who leads a 323-member parliamentary friendship group (E9) and who says Chinese sanctions against him have had no effect (E6, E10). Taken together with the record 8.2 million person-trips between Taiwan and Japan (E8) and TSMC's operating Kumamoto Fab 1 and planned 3-nanometer upgrade at Fab 2 (E7), the park-level agreement sits alongside both an existing semiconductor manufacturing footprint and an active political relationship between the two sides, as reported across the two source outlets.
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