Chiba is one of Japan's biggest industrial areas. This is because it has a long coastline on Tokyo Bay. Chiba was chosen as the place for a major Kawasaki Steel factory in 1950. The prefectural government started a very big land reclamation program. They filled in the water areas to make big, new waterfront properties for factories, warehouses, and docks. Chemical production, petrochemical refining, and machine production are the three main industries in Chiba. They are 45% of Chiba's exports. In recent years, the government has given more than eighty industrial parks money. This is to bring development further inland.