Itasca's office in Japan, Itasca Consulting Group Inc. Japan, officially opened April 2006. It is located in Shizuoka city, the capital city of SHIZUOKA prefecture, which is one hour from Tokyo via the westbound bullet train. The office is managed by Dr. Yoshiyuki Shimizu, who worked at Itasca's principal office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA for six years. His work in the development of the distinct element method, and in particular the Particle Flow Code (PFC) — used in the modeling and analyses of material flow, bulk handling and geotechnical processes — is recognized worldwide.
The aim of the new office is to open a window to Japanese clients by offering consulting services from Itasca's staff around the world while keeping close working relationships in Japan. Services are not limited to the geotechnical industry, but will also encompass mechanical and chemical engineering, earth sciences, and more. As well, the Japan office will work in conjunction with ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC, Itasca’s sole Software Agent in Japan) to provide information and support for Itasca software.
