Lucknow, Aug. 23 -- The state government is moving to finalise its 500-acre Japanese City project in Sector 5A Greater Noida, a dedicated industrial township aimed at housing Japanese companies with world-class plug-and-play infrastructure, according to officials. The Japanese City is expected to cater to sectors where Japan has core strength - automobile, electronics, semiconductors, robotics, medical technology and green hydrogen. The push comes after the UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026 in Lucknow on Friday, where the state signed multiple MoUs with the Yamanashi Prefecture. The project received formal approval before chief minister Yogi Adityanath's four-day foreign tour to Singapore and Japan in February. The development comes at a time when UP is aggressively pitching itself as a global alternative for Japanese manufacturing. At the investment meet, chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced a dedicated Yamanashi Desk at Invest UP, 90-day review mechanism for Japanese projects, and invited Japanese Global Capability Centres (GCCs) to Noida-Greater Noida. Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki also announced a Rs 600-crore fund for Yamanashi-based MSMEs to invest in UP. Greater Noida offers strategic advantages such as proximity to Jewar International Airport, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Dedicated Freight Corridor, and a strong existing base of Japanese companies in the region. The plan is to replicate a Yamanashi-style industrial environment with reliable power, water, logistics and common facilities, along with Japanese-style housing, language support and cultural amenities to make it attractive for Japanese managers and their families. With UP targeting 1 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen production and setting up Centres of Excellence at IIT Kanpur and IIT-BHU, the Japanese City is also expected to host pilot projects in clean energy and advanced manufacturing. Officials said a formal timeline for the project is likely after final clearance from the state government. Under the YEIDA's master plan, both Sector 5A and Sector 7 are designated as multipurpose industrial areas. To keep the character industrial-led, strict land-use norms have been fixed, said YEIDA. A minimum of 70% land use has been earmarked for industrial purposes. Residential use has been capped at a maximum of 12%, commercial use at a maximum of 13%, and institutional facilities at a minimum of 5%. This mix is designed to create a self-contained ecosystem: factories at the core, supported by housing for Japanese expats and the Indian workforce, commercial spaces, hotels, hospitals, schools and institutional areas, all built to Japanese standards....