FUKUOKA, Japan — When Chen Zige was searching for a location for a new chipmaking equipment parts plant, he found an unlikely spot that met his needs: an abandoned pachinko pinball parlor in southwest Japan.
The building sits along a national highway in Arao, a city in Kumamoto prefecture. As president of Feedback Technology Japan, Chen’s goal is to convert the 2,200-sq.-meter structure into a full-fledged plant by the fall to meet demand from U.S. clients.