April 2012
Economy Bets on for Legal CasinosAt a packed press conference in Miyazaki on 3 April, Hajime Satomi, chairman and president of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc., added his considerable weight to a debate that has been bubbling for more than a decade. |
BCCJ Event Iberian Feast of Food and WineRestaurant Davis plays host to Berry Bros. & Rudd wine guru for evening of excellence. |
Cover Story Oldest Rocker in TownAs they stomp noisily into their fifth decade of making punk rock music, the U.K. Subs are also doing their part to assist the people of north-east Japan affected by last year’s disasters with the first date of their nationwide tour being staged in Sendai. |
Design Classic Meets ContemporaryThe Tokyo office of advertising agency I&S BBDO recently won a Best of Show Design Lotus Award at Adfest in Pattaya, Thailand, with a creation for food retailer Umino Seaweed. |
Creative A Novel IdeaThe only professional British manga writer based in Japan has launched Kickstarter campaign to drum up pledges for a new graphic novel that will tell the tale of US left-wing activist, economist, speaker and writer Michael Albert and have an introduction by Noam Chomsky. |
Interview Donald KeeneAn exclusive interview with Japanese literature expert, Donald Keene, since becoming citizen of Japan at age 89. |
Sport Rugby Sevens Returns to TokyoWorld-class sevens returned to Tokyo on 31 March and 1 April, when the International Rugby Board (IRB) brought Round 7 of the Sevens World Series to Japan. |
NPO Beware the "Burma Rush"Much has been made in recent weeks of apparent progress in the campaign for democracy and human rights in Burma (Myanmar), but aid organisations warn that international pressure on the regime must not let up. |
Opinion Taking Care of StakeholdersWhen all is said and done, a firm survives and prospers only with the consent of key stakeholders. |
Visiting Japan High Tea—at 30,000 FeetThere is nothing more quintessentially English than afternoon tea—and Japanese people flying with Virgin Atlantic Airways are lapping up the new service. |
Travel Wish you were here!Volunteers tell world Japan is open again for tourism. |
Opinion A "Young" NationIn March I visited Goa, in western India, for a biannual global partners’ meeting of Glasford International, a partnership of independent, retained executive search firms with offices in some 40 countries, and represented in Japan by TMT Inc. |
Nuclear N-Power Splits EUThe impact of the disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant on the rest of the world’s acceptance of atomic energy will be relatively brief and the issue will be “off the agenda” in as little as eight years, according to Professor David Cope, director of the Houses of Parliament’s Office of Science and Technology. |
Olympics Hiroshi HoketsuThe first time 71-year-old Hiroshi Hoketsu competed in an Olympic Games, most of the other athletes who will be at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games had not even been born. |
Motors Safety FirstFor cars coming out of the Asia-Pacific region, the task of ensuring that they meet safety requirements falls to Michael Mulvaney and his team of 10 at the VCA offices in Nagoya. |
Books Book ReviewsIan de Stains reviews Nicholas Comfort’s “Surrender: How British Industry Gave Up the Ghost 1952-2012″ and Tony Banks’ “My War and After” |
Industry Why Software Projects FailInformation technology (IT) project implementations are complex anywhere, but even more so in Japan given its management style and project team structures. |
Arts & Culture Arts EventsArts events compiled by Shoko Nakamura |
Japanese Media What You Missed In The Japanese PressTo reduce fixed costs, more firms have been relocating away from Tokyo’ s high-rent areas by delegating their back-office functions such as accounting, administration, personnel, procurements, etc., to outside the metropolitan area, or in some cases outside Japan. |
MediaJapan / UK News |
March 2012
Cover Story Lord of the RingsLord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games organising committee, offered Tokyo some advice on how to bid successfully for the 2020 event: focus on the why, not the how. Coe’s moving 2005 speech, about how the Olympics inspired his own sporting career, is often credited for tipping the balance in favour of the UK capital’s bid to host the games. |
E-BULLETIN EXCLUSIVE Cast-Iron Cookware Makes ComebackThe kitchen might not seem the most obvious place to find cast iron straight from the foundry, but in ecological circles traditionally made pots, pans and kettles are making a huge comeback. |
E-BULLETIN EXCLUSIVE Will We Ever Learn?Corporate learning isn’t working. Heroically, time and treasure are being used by leaders at firms to improve staff performance. Inherent in that goal is that we, as recipients, learn something new or re-learn what we supposedly should know already. |
Japanese Media What You Missed In The Japanese PressCatching on, according to the Sankei Shimbun (26 February), is the idea of “collaboration rooms”, an arrangement according to which hotels tie up with manufacturers and direct-marking businesses to promote their products. |
Disaster Aftermath 3/11: Rebuilding JapanThe response to the disasters of March 2011 from all sectors of the British community in Japan—corporate, charitable and individual—has been phenomenal. “We don’t just want to give communities money; we want to get them going again.” |
Publicity How GSK Helped People in TohokuAlthough its Tokyo headquarters sustained only minor damage from the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011, GSK quickly realised that many others were considerably less fortunate. After first confirming that all employees were safe and determining the amount of damage, the focus turned to helping those most in need. |
BCCJ Event Special 51 Night: Road to RecoveryThe UK community’s compassion, caring and commitment to the people of north-east Japan were underlined at the unprecedented “Special 51 Night: Road to Recovery” event at the British Embassy Tokyo on 8 March, with more than 200 people gathering to mark almost exactly one year since the Great East Japan Earthquake. |
UKTI Market EntryA small firm based in Cheltenham is thriving proof that Japan’s electronics giants do not have the monopoly on cutting-edge technology. |
Disaster Aftermath Business Continuity PlanningIt’s only when disaster strikes and technology fails—such as after the 11 March earthquake and tsunami last year—that we realise how dependent we are on technology. |
Opinion A Case for InternshipsDuring my rewarding internship with Refugees International Japan (RIJ), I had a valuable opportunity to closely observe something that has been in the news a lot recently: how organisations—especially NGOs—should achieve accountability. |
Opinion Taking Care of Crises“Crisis” is a word firms hate and consultants love. A crisis to a firm’s board usually means share price freefall and heads rolling. To a consultant, it’s more likely to signal exciting work and big fees from clients who aren’t in a position to argue. |
Interview Crawford GilliesAppointed chairman of Scottish Enterprise/Scottish Development International (SDI) in 2009, Crawford Gillies is also chairman of Control Risks Group Holdings Ltd and a non-executive director of Standard Life plc. |
Motors New Jeeps for New JapanThe philosophy was to take the road less travelled. Those roads can be difficult to find in Japan, which is far better known for elevated motorways and traffic-cluttered back streets. But the vehicle that emerged from the toughest possible proving ground —war-torn Europe of the 1940s—has a spirit that can also be seen in its owners. |
Review 2012 Jeep CompassLaunched here in March this year, the nifty and responsive Compass is a functional wagon with light and consistent steering, clear views all round, and very low noise. |
People Baptism by FireBy now, Victoria Yoshimura expected to have a successful career in public relations or marketing for a multinational in London. |
Arts & Culture Rock Challenge JapanThe Rock Challenge was marked its fifth year in Japan, although the event had been put off from November because of the lingering impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake. |
Investment The New Tokyo Pro-Bond MarketThe TOKYO PRO-BOND Market, a debt-securities exchange market for professional investors, was set up in May 2011 by Tokyo AIM (Alternative Investment Market), Inc. |
Industry Banks in Japan Continue to HireJapan’s banking sector is a standout in Asia, as banks continue to hire people with specialist skills and vacancy activity grows. While this activity has not returned to levels predating the global financial crisis, it shows, nevertheless, that the impact of current global economic conditions has not been as intense in Japan as in some of its Asian neighbours. |
Industry The New Rules of MoneyPlanning your finances and understanding how to protect and build your wealth requires professional advice. If you haven’t started planning yet, now is the time to start. |
Sports Head and ShouldersJapan may not have been designed for someone who stands 1.9m tall and weighs nearly 18 stone (114kg), but James Haskell says he is fitting in just fine. |
Exhibition Postcards to and from JapanWhen a postcard arrived for a colleague from their parents after the Tohoku Disaster in 2011, the author found new hope that all was not lost. |
Books Book ReviewsThis month: Viewed Sideways and Toshioita neko tono kurashikata |
Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』VOLUME 3 / ISSUE 3のまとめ |
MediaJapan / UK News |
February 2012
Cover Story BittersweetWasabi, yuzu, black vinegar, nettles and seaweed might seem unlikely ingredients for a British chocolatier building a growing reputation in London, but a touch of inspiration from his Japanese wife is helping keep William Curley’s boutique stores in Belgravia and Richmond very busy. The products are proving so successful that a selection of William and Suzue Curley’s creations will soon be available at Takashimaya department stores for the first time. |
Japanese Media What You Missed in the Japanese PressIn its predictions for 2012, the magazine Nikkei Trendy (December) notes that Japan’s music fans are expected to mark the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ cutting their first single. “Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You” was recorded in June 1962 and released in the following October. |
FDI Investing in the BestFrom Mr. Men to contact lenses, aircraft-leasing, green energy, technology, cars and parts, Japanese corporations are stepping up their deals in Britain. That has, in part, been encouraged by the strength of the yen, but long-standing ties between the two tea-drinking island nations that have for generations stressed their similarities are also convincing more Japanese firms that the UK is the place they need to be. |
Awards Former BCCJ President Appointed OBEAndy Mankiewicz, BCCJ president for three years until April 2010, has been appointed OBE for his services to British business in Japan. The award had been announced in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List on 11 June 2011, and the investiture was held on 14 December 2011 at Buckingham Palace. |
BCCJ Event Dateline: TohokuThe world came to Japan’s assistance in the immediate aftermath of the disasters that devastated much of the north-east in March last year but, nearly 12 months on, the people of those coastal communities need a helping hand that is slightly different, according to those taking part in the BCCJ’s “Dateline: Tohoku” panel discussion. |
Publicity JFTC 2011 Essay CompetitionEssayists from Jamaica and the Philippines fought off entrants from 43 countries around the world to win the top awards in the Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc.’s, 2011 Essay Competition and accepted their prizes in a ceremony at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo on 6 January. |
UKTI Market Entry: Case StudyJapan’s pharmaceuticals market is the second-largest in the world in terms of prescription drug sales; it is home to several major pharmaceutical firms with affiliate operations in Europe and the US, as well as a large number of medium-sized and smaller firms that are either focused on the Japanese market, or looking to expand their businesses into Western markets. |
Review Jeep: Mean and GreenFrom the driver’s seat of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara, I have risen above the fray. Instead of exchanging looks with taxi drivers at sedan height, I am admiring the view over their roofs and getting a new angle on Tokyo. And, on this city’s congested streets, it’s a sensation that I could get used to. |
Market Entry JMEC’s Big DayYou could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Perched on the edge of their seats, the competition participants are on tenterhooks; the proverbial envelope is ready to be opened. You can almost hear the roll of a drum and the voice over the loudspeaker announce: “And the winner is …” |
Travel British Airways Committed to JapanWhen British Airways (BA) started its services out of Tokyo (Haneda) International Airport on 19 February last year, it had no inkling of the tragic events that were about to engulf Japan. The new route had to be suspended, but it’s now up and running again, and there was never any question of Britain’s flag carrier reconsidering its commitment to this market. |
Opinion Corporate GovernanceCorporate governance reform has been a hotly debated topic in Japan for more than 15 years. In 1997, Sony Corporation radically reformed its board of directors and replaced insiders with independent non-executives. |
Education Masters of the FutureThis century has been predicted as the era in which Asia emerges from the shadow of Europe and the US to become the driver of global growth. It is expected that the changes taking place in Asian regional powers, such as Japan, China and India, as well as throughout South-East Asia—politically, socially and, most importantly, economically—will shape the future of the world. |
Publicity The British School in Tokyo Celebrates SuccessAt the British School in Tokyo (BST), we love to celebrate success and it is usually our students who do so well. This time, however, we are celebrating success as a whole school community after a team of independent inspectors confirmed that we are an “excellent” education facility, the highest mark possible. |
Industry What Are Teachers Talking About?It’s great when your child comes home and shows you the big capital “A” his or her teacher has written on that last piece of homework. You’re a successful parent. The child has been successful. Oxford … Harvard … medical school … law school … the world is opening up before you both. But what actually constitutes an A? |
Publicity Yokohama International SchoolFounded in 1924, the Yokohama International School (YIS) has a pioneering spirit and rich history—being the world’s second oldest establishment with “international school” in its name. |
Management Smoke and Mirrors“I don’t understand!” Well in Japan, particularly, that statement can be quite a Pandora’s Box—or treasure trove, depending on your point of view. Employees who respond in this way may have a number of subterranean issues bubbling away. As managers, our ability to plumb the depths of what they are saying is integral to success. |
Sport Gentleman’s Game Played by LadiesArsenal Ladies had two wins and one draw on their three-match tour of Japan in late November. But, for last season’s treble-winning team, just as important as the results was the chance to express their support for, and solidarity with, the people of the Tohoku region. |
Hospitality Marketing a Mountain VillageJason Holt may be building a business, but he says that building a community is his overriding aim. President of Tokyo-based EastEdge Partners, Inc., Holt spends as much time as possible in his adopted hometown of Nozawa Onsen, and he hopes the five properties the firm has across Nagano Prefecture—serviced apartments, hotels and, most recently, a completely refurbished ryokan—will revitalise the village and the region. |
Property Real Estate: Residents and firms want safety and valueThe past 12 months has been a testing time for the property industry—in both its commercial and residential sectors—but the general sense is that Japan is just too big and important a market for the downturn to last for long, although it may change its form. |
Exhibition Yayoi Kusama in LondonKusama’s life has taken her from rural Japan to the New York art scene and contemporary Tokyo, and throughout her career she has continuously innovated and re-invented her style. |
Books Beyond the Kama SutraNippon Shunga Hyakka – Volumes 1 and 2 |
Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 3 / Issue 2のまとめ |
MediaJapan / UK News |
January 2012
Cover Story DISASTER AFTERMATHRed tape and rigid adherence to regulations stopped a number of foreign firms from providing help and specialist expertise in the immediate aftermath of the 11 March disasters in north-east Japan, while other firms say their efforts to render assistance to the homeless and destitute were frustrated because the markets here are effectively closed to outsiders. |
Feature Article New Year Gongs for UK Envoy and DriversAmbassador David Warren receives a KCMG (Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George) for displaying exceptional qualities of leadership and empathy through the immediate aftermath of the massive earthquake in northern Japan which caused a tsunami and a nuclear disaster at Fukushima, during which the British Embassy Tokyo remained open and fully operational. |
Awards Japan Decorates Two BritsTwo people from Britain have received decorations from the Japanese government for their contributions to bringing the nations closer together. |
Environment OFF THE MENUJapan is likely to abandon its whaling operations in the Southern Ocean within three years, due to economic reality and pressure—with Britain playing an important role— by environmental groups and governments around the world. The term Southern Ocean, created in 2000 by the International Hydrographic Organization, is the fifth and newest world ocean comprising the southern parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans to completely surround Antarctica. |
Exhibition VIVIENNE WESTWOOD SHOES 1973–2012The grand dame of avant garde, Vivienne Westwood, is celebrating 40 years in the business with a global exhibition of her iconic footwear. It was featured at Omotesando Hills in December and early January, following stops in London, Moscow, Beirut and Shanghai. |
Creative The Classroom RevolutionRecognised as being among the best in the world, British universities specialising in the creative arts are being sought out by Japanese firms that are looking to add to their corporate profiles a new way of thinking and interacting with their clients. |
Energy Japan Opens to Investment in Renewable EnergyIn July this year, when the Act on Special Measures concerning the Procurement of Renewable Energy by Operators of Electric Utilities (the Renewables Act) goes into force, the Japanese government will introduce a feed-in tariff (FiT) to encourage the use of renewable energy nationwide. |
Business Risk UK Bribery ActThe first case tried under the UK Bribery Act was relatively minor: last November, an administrative clerk was found guilty of taking a bribe to clear convictions of speeding motorists from an English court database. |
Embassy Nuclear: Old and NewAlack of fundamental understanding and the capacity to accurately measure small amounts of radioactive components are at the heart of people’s fears concerning nuclear energy. This was an observation made by Dr Keith Franklin of the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) during a presentation made to BCCJ members at the ambassador’s residence in the British Embassy Tokyo compound on 22 November. |
Charity Oxfam Opens in JapanAstaple of high streets the length and breadth of Britain, charity shops are conspicuous by their absence in Japan. But nearly 70 years after the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief was set up, Oxfam Japan has opened its first two shops in Tokyo. |
Fundraising 25th Christmas Cracker Raises Record AmountOver the years, BCCJ members and others in the wider Anglo-Japanese community have come to anticipate with pleasure an annual event that, for many people, marks the start of the winter holiday season. |
Charity UK Stars Support Tokyo CharityOne of Japan’s leading cancer charities has launched a fundraising album featuring British artists Sir Tim Rice, Maxi Priest and Julian Lennon, together with other global stars. The brainchild of Tyler Foundation for Childhood Cancer founders Mark Ferris and Kim Forsythe, “Shine On! Songs Volume One” also stars Alan Menken, Amber Lily, Monday Michiru, Tin Cup Gypsy and Wendy Parr, among others. |
Industry Corporate Compliance: Protection from the InsideLegal compliance in the corporate world is, in some ways, similar to earthquake preparedness in the layman’s world. On 11 March 2011, few people had an earthquake kit prepared. On 12 March, most everyone had their earthquake kit and you could see the sidewalks filled with people wearing hardhats. Such is human behaviour. We reach our most heightened state of preparedness after a crisis takes place. |
Entertainment TV ADDICTSRicky Gervais, Terry Pratchett and David Jason are just a fraction of the British entertainment scene’s stars who, in late October, were up for grabs at the trade show that ran in conjunction with the Tokyo International Film Festival, in which the UK was a first-time participant. |
Sports Wakako TsuchidaFour years after her last Paralympic dream ended in a six-person crash on the final straight in Beijing—and put Wakako Tsuchida in hospital for two months—the world number-one is determined to take the gold medal at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. |
Sport Shingo KuniedaWith a slight squeak of rubber on the surface of the court, Shingo Kunieda changes direction and stretches out his racket to meet the ball. In one fluid motion, it returns over the net and lands unerringly within the white lines. |
Sport Howzat? New Home for Noble GameAt a council meeting in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, on 6 December, the executive committee discussed an item more commonly associated with Commonwealth nations—promoting the “noble game” of cricket. A curious entry, this may seem, but it’s at the heart of an ambitious plan to make Sano the centre of cricket in Japan. Days later, the city unveiled a cricket supporters’ club with the catchphrase “Sano, Home of Cricket”. |
Music Secrets of the StarsAfter 20 years of interviewing the good, bad and ugly from the world of rock and roll, Guy Perryman has plenty of anecdotes to tell about the stars, from those whose laid-back approach to a schedule drives their Japanese handlers berserk to others whose egos have trouble fitting through the door with them. |
Books Book ReviewsThere is nothing inherently amusing about the idea of battle. Indeed, the very thought of writing a book that seeks to find humour in the fact that men go to war and kill and wound each other is, on the face of it, extremely distasteful. |
Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 3 / Issue 1のまとめ |
MediaJapan / UK News |
December 2011
Cover Story Who Guards the Guards?Michael Woodford is getting all the plaudits for uncovering shady deals to allegedly cover up $1.5bn in investment losses at Olympus Corp., but the British former chief executive of the firm emphasised that credit for the scandal being uncovered belongs elsewhere. |
Entertainment EIGHTH BRITISH MUSIC MISSION TO JAPANFrom Clapton to The Bongolian, Muse, The Rolling Stones, Beverley Moore, Neon Plastix and even Susan Boyle, British music rocks. |
Communications Power of PRWith a falling population and fading growth opportunities at home, many Japanese firms will have to expand operations abroad to prosper in the long term. |
Education What Children of the Future Need from SchoolsHow are schools preparing children for the future—when change will be rapid and technological innovation even more so? What jobs will exist? |
Science Chemistry between Two CountriesThe Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) opened an office in Ochanomizu, Tokyo on 1 November, with Chief Executive Dr Robert Parker using the occasion to call on the British government to follow in the steps of Japan by increasing spending on the sciences to drive economic growth. |
Review DYSON HOT+COOL AM04The first thing that struck me about the Dyson hot+cool AM04, which recently hit the Japan market, is its trendy design—just like the firm’s other fans (all with Air Multiplier technology) and its popular line of stylish vacuum cleaners. |
Banking Extra Red TapeIf you’ve tried to open a yen corporate bank account for a newly registered entity this year, you may have realised that the process takes longer and has become more bureaucratic, with obligations harder to meet for some firms. |
Opinion Why I’m Staying in JapanWhen firms search for the right country in which to invest, many considerations come to the fore: corporate governance, logistics, legal issues, IP protection, security, education, available skills, politics and social stability. |
Entrepreneur SECRETS OF A SERIAL PUB OWNERThe secret of a great bar or restaurant—to which people want to return time and time again—according to John Watkins, is creating a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, providing a wide selection of reasonably priced food and drinks, and leaving the music selection to the younger members of staff. |
Fashion More than a MissionThe Japanese fashion market has challenges and quirks, but it is one place in which British firms taking part in the recent UK Trade & Investment mission here most definitely want to be. |
Sports Cycling Challenges Golf’s Old GuardAfter battling back from an injury that could have completely derailed his road-race cycling ambitions, James Machin is keen to develop the sport here in Japan even further. |
Exhibition Forty Years of Queen“Queen Forever”, organised by Universal Music, was held at Tokyo Tower from 23 November to 11 December. |
Industry How to Make Your Projects Work in JapanOften it is said that global project management is a difficult task, “global” here meaning the project membership is cross-national, which requires a high level of internal collaboration. |
Arts & Culture Night at the OperaThe 1960s saw the gradual reemergence of Japan onto the world stage as post-war efforts to rebuild the nation increasingly focused attention on metropolitan Tokyo. |
Market Entry Market Access and MoreHe says it with a twinkle in his eye, so you know that Intralink is not seriously looking at opening an office in Pyongyang in the immediate future. |
Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 12のまとめ |
MediaJapan / UK News |
November 2011
Publicity "What we Learn with Pleasure we Never Forget" — Alfred MercierAt the British School in Tokyo (BST), we pride ourselves on ensuring that our students leave us as well-rounded individuals, fully equipped for the challenges of the future in this fast-changing world. Academic success is one way in which we prepare our students and I am hugely proud of our GCSE and AS results this year. |
Cover Story BRITISH BUSINESS AWARDS 2011The fourth British Business Awards (BBA) attracted a record number of entrants across the five categories, with the glittering presentation ceremony on 4 November that raised about ¥3.2mn to support business regeneration and capacity-building in Tohoku. |
Interview LORD GREEN Minister of State for Trade and InvestmentLord Green of Hurstpierpoint, appointed minister of state for trade and investment in January, has been a frequent visitor to Japan for many years. He was last here in late October for a series of meetings, including ones with Yukio Edano, his new counterpart at the Ministry of Trade, Economy and Industry. |
Publicity Australia Still Welcomes Japanese Investment into Increasingly Crowded Resources SectorNew investors in Australia’s resource assets are often in the news nowadays, but the headlines often overlook the long history of successful Japanese investment in the country and the Japanese have not been forgotten. |
Business Risk Fishing for Fraud in the Supply LineWhile the triple disaster in March this year severely threatened—and even crippled—some supply chains in Japan, it is all too often that international firms remain unaware of a greater and more consistent threat to their supply chains, namely, fraud. |
Publicity From Japan to the WorldOOIL (Orient Overseas International Limited) is one of the largest integrated global container transportation, logistics and terminal firms. With a strong presence in Japan for many years serving brands such as Toyota, Canon and other well-known global firms, our huge network covers not just Asia, but also Europe, North America and Australia where our clients include Laura Ashley, Walt Disney World and Wal-Mart. |
Environment When “Cure” is Worse than DiseaseFears concerning radioactivity released from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant since the 11 March triple disasters have been blown out of all proportion, according to a leading British professor of physics. He has also said that ordering thousands of people to evacuate their communities will cause far more serious physical and mental damage to local residents than might result from leaks of the plant’s radioactive matter. |
Technology London’s Silicon ValleyTech City is a cluster of technology, digital and creative firms that have congregated in the Shoreditch and Old Street districts of east London. They aim to attract more like-minded businesses—including Japanese firms that are looking to enter, or expand their presence in, the UK and Continental European markets. |
Industry Changing Landscape of SCM RecruitmentAs competitive pressures increase and supply chains become increasingly global and complex, efficient and proactive supply-chain management has been transformed from an operations and back-office concern to a factor critical to business success. Throughout 2011, the logistics industry in Japan has been impacted by the continued emergence of the Asian region as a key growth area, as well as the disasters that occurred earlier in the year. |
Industry Minimising Operating RiskOver the past 10 years, open account trading has become the standard approach taken by exporters wishing to maintain a competitive position vis-à-vis importers. Moreover, since this form of trading—which helps firms better manage their cash flow while also providing credit protection—now accounts for more than 85% of cross-border trade transactions, the letter of credit has become a niche product. |
Exhibition World-Famous Wax FiguresOdaiba Decks is currently hosting an exhibition of 20 astonishingly lifelike, full-scale wax replicas of famous people on loan from the world-famous Madame Tussauds collection. |
Training Bird Man v BureaucratsGary Dyer has a chance encounter with one of Japan’s leading botanists to thank for his current job as a birdkeeper at Kobe Kachoen, a popular bird and flower park located on the city’s Port Island. |
Creative Gardening World CupBritish designers performed well at the Gardening World Cup in October, staged at the Huis Ten Bosch park, near Nagasaki, but were unable to repeat the victory of England’s Andy Sturgeon Best in Show in last year’s inaugural event. |
Cuisine Smell of SuccessIf you had no idea what Anthony Flenley did for a living, you would probably be able to sniff out his core business within seconds of entering his premises, located a stone’s throw from Osaka Dome. |
Arts & Culture Gongs for Actor, SculptorDame Judi Dench and Anish Kapoor accepted Praemium Imperiale awards in Tokyo on October 19, becoming the latest in a long list of Britons to receive the prestigious honour. |
Books Book ReviewsThis month: Case Studies in Japanese Management, Dealing with Disaster in Japan – Responses to the Flight JL123 Crash, and Japanese Fashion Designers – The Work and Influence of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo |
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Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 11のまとめ |
MediaJapan / UK News |
October 2011
British Business Awards Some Guest Seats Still Available!The BBA recognises excellence and promotes success and innovation across all industries, while acclaiming the important social contributions made by organisations through their commitment to community, ethical behaviour and environmental sustainability. |
Cover Story Haneda or Narita?The chrome and glass at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport and the international terminal at Haneda Airport gleam and sparkle, the lines for immigration and customs are orderly, rapid and unfailingly polite, while both facilities are efficient, clean and secure. |
Publicity Jetstar Japan to Say Konichiwa in 2012After becoming the first low-cost carrier to fly internationally to Japan in 2007, Jetstar Airways recently announced its participation in a joint venture to establish a new low-fare domestic airline under the Jetstar brand that is expected to stimulate fresh travel demand in Japan.* |
Confab/Expo Japan’s First Aviation Finance ForumAs its name suggests, Ascend is on the up. The London-based provider of data, analysis and advisory services to investors in the aerospace sector recently opened an office in Tokyo and hosted Japan’s inaugural aviation finance conference over two days in late September. |
Interview Innocent Passion for English Cabbages & RosesFounded in 1988, Innocent Inc. initially focused on importing and selling European antiques, clothes and lifestyle items. With 60 NIMES outlets across Japan and 250 staff, that business has been performing well—but founder and owner Hisa Tsuchida and director Nori Sakaue have long held a particular passion for British style, design and taste. |
UKTI Revitalising UK-Japan trade and spreading the messageTwenty Japanese firms are among the first to benefit from the joint campaign launched this summer by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and British Airways (BA) to reinvigorate business between Japan and the UK, in the wake of the tragedies of 11 March. |
Embassy New Way to Apply for UK PassportThe British passport has seen a fair few changes over the years, from that rather large blue book through to the many versions of the current biometric one. Now, the way we apply for passports overseas is also changing. |
People Wood’n You Believe It!He may be 71 years old, but CW Nicol still gets a twinkle in his eye when he has a new project. And as he outlines his latest scheme—to reintroduce horse logging to Japan’s neglected forests—his blue eyes are positively gleaming. |
Environment E-idea Winners AnnouncedThe remarkable work of young Japanese eco-entrepreneurs has been recognised by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Ltd. (LRQA) and the British Council, with the six winners of the E-idea Competition having received their awards in a ceremony at the British Embassy Tokyo on 21 September. |
CSR Pride and PurposeTakeshi Kamigouchi’s shirt is drenched, his face slightly sunburnt and his callused hands beginning to resemble those of a hardened labourer rather than a top business executive. “I think I might have overdone it a bit”, he said, leaning breathless on his spade and wiping away perspiration dripping down his forehead.” |
Fundraising Children’s Cancer Charity Event Raises MillionsMore than 350 people attended the Tyler Foundation’s White Hot Extravaganza Night on 28 September which raised ¥25mn from auctions and donations to support its programmes in Japan that improve the quality of life for children with cancer and their families. |
CSR Going to the DogsLife has been particularly hard for the pets of the Tohoku region abandoned since 11 March, according to Elizabeth Oliver who founded Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK) in 1990. |
Visiting Japan Peter V HandalThe technology that was considered the best and cutting-edge a century ago today is long past its sell-by date. The first jump from a moving aeroplane took place in March 1912, while that marvel of engineering, the RMS Titanic, started—but failed to complete—her maiden voyage across the Atlantic in the same year. |
Publicity See the Real JapanWalk Japan Ltd. pioneered and specialises in off-the-beaten-track walking tours of Japan. Since 1992, it has been introducing little-known areas of Japan that would otherwise remain elusive to most visitors. Avoiding tourist buses, Walk Japan’s tours bring fascinating aspects of the country up close, and enable participants to mix with local people and experience a slice of their way of life. |
Sport Football Gentleman Scores Latest GongChristopher W McDonald OBE— Chris to his many friends—looks as if he’s stepped out of central casting to play the British ambassador: tall and distinguished; handsome and urbane; witty and intelligent; astonishingly well-connected. |
Sport FA Gives Japan New CupEnglish Football Association (FA) Chairman David Bernstein presented his Japanese counterpart, Junji Ogura, with a trophy modelled on the cup originally given by the FA to Japan in 1919. The event, which took place on 23 August at Wembley Stadium, is part of a year-long celebration organised by the Japan Football Association (JFA) to mark its 90th year. |
Entertainment Blown AwayDown a rain-slicked back alley in Chigasaki, the sound of The Waterboys’ A Man Is in Love wafts from the windows of a second-floor bar. The singer’s voice is deep and mellow; the flute-player’s notes hang in the air hauntingly. |
Books Book ReviewsThis month: Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation, Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, and Japan |
MediaJapan / UK News |
September 2011
Cover Story The Straight-talking ScouserTaking over as president of Olympus Corporation on 1 April, Michael Woodford MBE joined the small but growing group of foreign bosses at Japanese firms. Based in Tokyo and known as the man who turned around Olympus’ European operations, the 51-year-old Liverpudlian talks about being an insider, an outsider and making changes. |
Education School ReportAfter a bad case of the jitters in the immediate aftermath of the 11 March earthquake and tsunami, life is returning to normal across the Kanto region. Six months later, firms are operating at full tilt once more. And so it is with the schools charged with giving hundreds of children the best international-oriented education possible. |
Language Success in Business EnglishForeign business people often complain about the low level of spoken English among their Japanese contacts, while human resources managers at Japanese firms complain that employees’ English is inadequate. However, on the basis of having taught English and run corporate training programmes in Japan over the past six years, I know this is not true. |
Visiting Japan Sir James DysonJapan has a special place in the heart of Sir James Dyson. It was where some of his first vacuum cleaners were sold, providing him with the money to start the firm back in the UK which bears his name. It’s also somewhere he feels his firm’s products are truly appreciated. |
Legislation UK’s Tough New Anti-corruption LawOn 1 July, there came into force the UK Bribery Act, probably the world’s most ambitious and far-reaching anti-corruption law to date. |
Publicity Firms Moving Fast to Grab Top TalentIn preparing our July–September Quarterly Report, we found that employers in Japan have been reacting to the major shortage of candidates by speeding up recruitment and making offers of employment to suitable candidates more quickly than in the past, to avoid losing talented applicants to a competitor. |
Business Risk Staff Jumping ShipIt could be a board of directors’ worst nightmare—a mass exodus of key executives to a rival firm. Losing key people in unanticipated and dramatic circumstances creates a crisis that tests the ability and resolve of senior management and, if not handled correctly, it can threaten the future of an enterprise. |
CSR Corporate VolunteersThe windows on two floors of the Tokyo offices of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Japan are blacked out. Most of the lights are turned off in the spacious lobby, while the air-conditioning has clearly been set to operate at a higher temperature than might be expected in summer—although it is still comfortable. And, instead of a throng of employees coming through the front door shortly before 9am on a regular working day, there is only a steady trickle. |
Relocation New Dynamics Six Months after the Earthquake and TsunamiPartly obscured by the sound of tannoys announcing flight departures, the message over the phone was terse and to the point: the key to the house was under the mat, and the relocation team should let themselves in, pack everything and send it to the family’s home overseas. |
Industry Retaining Your Best TalentSo you’ve secured the perfect candidate for the position and they start next week. Considering the time and money invested in recruitment, you will want the individual to remain engaged in a productive career with your firm for the long term. This is particularly important if they have bilingual skills, which in Japan are in extremely high demand and short supply. |
Industry Recruiting Using Social MediaAlthough social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn now boast over 600 million users combined, while micro-blogging services such as Twitter offer a similarly large audience, it is not these numbers that have caught the attention of the recruitment industry. |
UKTI New Strategy for Exporters and InvestorsA new initiative by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) marks a step-change in the government’s support for exporters and investors. As never before, Britain is open for business. |
Culture Hyper Japan 2011London hosted all that is cool, creative, cute and crazy in Japan with cuisine, cosplay, culture, comedy, community, clothes, competitions and more at Hyper Japan 2011. |
Sport “Cradle of Rugby” in First Japan TourThe high school rugby team of the UK’s famous Rugby School toured Japan in August in the establishment’s first visit to the country. Rugby School—where the sport was invented in 1823—played three high schools in Yokohama, Tokyo and Nagoya. |
Books Drinking Japan: A Guide to Japan’s Best Drinks and Drinking EstablishmentsThis unusual book is a look at life in Tokyo from the perspective of commuting to and from the city on the Odakyu line. The author, a British academic who taught English at Nihon University from 1997 to 2011, rode the line to work from his station at Mukougaoka Yuuen. |
Books Book ReviewsThis month: Tokyo Commute: Japanese Customs and Way of Life Viewed from the Odakyu Line, English in Japan in the Era of Globalization, and Japan as a ‘Normal Country’?—A Nation in Search of Its Place in the World |
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Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 9のまとめ |
MediaJapan / UK News |
August 2011
British Business Awards British Business Awards 2011Date: 4th November 2011 |
Review Bonding on the BattlefieldThere is a sharp report followed by a profanity. Someone has just been shot. A round impacts against the wooden crates to the side of me, making it clear that my position has been detected. Another shot kicks up dust at my feet and I know it’s time to move. |
Cover Story When Driving Is a JoyFor Yuuichiro Nakajima, nothing comes close to driving his Morgan with the hood down and the wind in his hair. This classic motor may have a few drawbacks on the roads of Japan—his British racing green Plus 4 four-seater is somewhat lacking in the suspension department, for example—but there’s still nothing quite like taking out a special car for a spin, he believes. And it doesn’t hurt that it attracts so many covetous glances from others. |
UK in Kansai Our Man in OsakaSimon Fisher understands why Tokyo, as Japan’s political and financial heart, tends to dominate talk of the country’s commercial ties with Britain. But as the UK consul-general in Osaka, he knows, too, that the western part of Japan—stretching from Aichi Prefecture in the middle to Okinawa in the far south—plays a key role in bilateral trade and investment. |
Interview Yuzo Yagi - Honorary OBE President, chairman and Ceo Yagi Tsusho LimitedIn June, Yuzo Yagi was awarded an Honorary OBE (Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his support of the British fashion industry through his firm, Yagi Tsusho Limited, which has its headquarters in Osaka. |
Mergers and Acquisitions Special FeatureTimes of uncertainty tend to witness a dampening down of economic activity in general, and riskier deals such as mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in particular. However, the post-disaster environment appears to be focusing the attentions of Japanese firms on buying abroad, even as the strong yen and challenging domestic economic landscape have not put paid to all inbound M&As. |
CSR Teamwork: Two NPOsThis year’s Japan Market Expansion Competition (JMEC) business-plan writing challenge took on an unusual client, the Tyler Foundation, which is dedicated to improving life for children with cancer and their families. A non- profit organisation set up in 2006, the foundation is funded by private and corporate donations and employs a minimal number of staff. |
Putting Theory into PracticeAn acquaintance recently told me how impressed he was by the outpouring of support for Japan’s earthquake victims from British and other foreign firms. This, he said, showed the strength of CSR among modern businesses. |
Embassy Watch Out for Mickey FinnFor most people, residents and visitors alike, the image of Tokyo is that of a teeming but safe metropolis. Life here is generally trouble-free, with relatively low levels of common crime such as theft, mugging, burglary and such. It is generally safe to walk about at night and to travel on public transport. |
Arts & Culture UK’s Creative ShowcaseAcross the UK, in June and July members of the public get a glimpse of the future of British design at graduate shows. About 5,000 fashion students graduated in the UK this summer, along with 10,000 others studying the design of products, furniture and jewellery, etc. |
Exhibition At Home in JapanAn exhibition at the geffrye Museum in London until 29 August aims to question the widespread stereotype of the minimal Japanese home characterised by large empty spaces devoid of people and clutter. In the West, the Japanese home has reached iconic status for its architecture, decoration and style. However, is the neat, carefully constructed version of Japanese life in fact a myth? “At Home in Japan” is offering a real glimpse of a typical Japanese home today. |
Arts & Culture 23rd Praemium Imperiale AwardsOn 11 July, the Japan Art Association (JAA) named two Britons among the five new laureates of the Praemium Imperiale, one of the world’s most valuable art awards. Sculptor Anish Kapoor and actor Dame Judi Dench—each of whom will receive ¥15mn (£113,000)—were recognised “for their achievements, for the impact they have had internationally on the arts, and for their role in enriching the global community”. |
Books Book ReviewsThis collection of essays by 80 contributors—with a wide range of backgrounds, including CEOs, academics, authors and even a football manager— offers thoughts and potential solutions for the economic, social and demographic challenges that Japan faces. The project was underway before 11 March, but some chapters were either added or rewritten in the wake of the triple disaster, which has since become a focal point for reforming Japan. |
Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 8のまとめ |
MediaJapan / UK News |
July 2011
Review “World First” Magic WandThe Kymera Wand is the world’s first motion-sensitive, button-less universal remote control using gesture recognition. It can learn 13 infrared remote-control codes and replay them at your command with the same number of easy-to-learn gestures, giving you power over any remote-controlled device with just a flick or a swish. Codes can be overwritten if you change devices. |
Cover Story Cloud Over BCPAnyone who was in Japan on 11 March will remember where they were at 2:46pm that day. Anyone in business will equally recall the chaos of the following days—of staff marooned when train lines shut down, of power cuts and the loss of communications, of dealing with concerned head offices and relocating facilities and staff to other parts of the country—or even overseas. |
Foreword Requiem for the Euro?“The report of the euro’s death was an exaggeration”, Mark Twain might have said. But the famous author, known for his acerbic views on politicians, would also have noted that the current debacle in the eurozone was predictable and the severe problems we—including the major European economies outside the eurozone, such as Britain and Switzerland—face must be laid at the feet of policymakers who have consistently put political fantasies ahead of economic realities. |
Publicity Location and Structure Key to BCPWhen our two Nakano Central Park Buildings (NCP Buildings) open in spring 2012, their functional and comfortable design with good access to public transport will represent the birth of a new urban space integrated with 3ha of greenery and an exciting new style of working environment. |
Visiting Japan Dr Vince CableOn a four-day visit to Japan, Business Secretary Vince Cable met Tokyo, Kansai and Chubu government and business leaders who play a vital role in UK-Japan trade. Accompanied by a business delegation, he also launched a campaign to encourage bilateral business. |
Feature The Ever-Evolving MBAThe coveted Masters in Business Administration (MBA) is not a new qualification, but in recent years it has benefited greatly from being reinvented, enhanced and improved upon to make it arguably more relevant and important than ever for getting ahead in business. |
Language Not Lost in TranslationWith Europe’s longest place name—Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery-chwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch—Welsh can be more like an exercise in tongue twisting than a language. Yuko Nakauchi, however, has got her vocal chords around all those tricky consonants and stray vowels and so was, in May, named winner of the British Council Japan’s inaugural UK Alumni Talent Show for people who had studied in Britain. |
Publicity JFTC Essay Competition 2011Since 2005, the Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc. (JFTC) has sponsored the JFTC Essay Competition to encourage students, young researchers and business people to express their opinions on matters of national and international importance. |
Education Learning English EarlierIn April, elementary schools started teaching English as a foreign language to 5th and 6th graders, marking a huge step forward for the subject in Japan. This is largely the result of pressure from business, which increasingly wants staff who can use English in practical settings, and who have the international and cross-cultural skills to function well in a global marketplace. |
Collaboration Pet ProductsThe usefulness of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan and BCCJ ACUMEN was recently brought home to me after I had signed a business deal that stemmed directly from having joined the chamber and been featured in its magazine—so I thought I’d share my experience with readers. |
Environment Cool and GreenIndications are that Japan is in for another long, hot summer—the effects perhaps exacerbated by power shortages—although there is a revolutionary range of new methods of staying cool and green. Unsurprisingly, they come from a British firm that has earned a reputation for innovation, effectiveness and style. |
Embassy When Things Go WrongAt the height of concern about the nuclear situation at Fukushima, hits on our Japan travel advice webpage soared. For several weeks, web traffic was more than 100 times higher than usual. The Japan page was recording considerably more hits than the travel advice pages for Libya, Egypt and other Middle East countries facing crises of their own. Interest in our Facebook and Twitter pages also surged. |
Mergers and Acquisitions Two-Way Trade in IT FirmsWhile Japanese providers of IT services are searching for growth opportunities abroad, foreign firms are looking to secure a beachhead or expand their presence here by buying local firms. The industry is ready for consolidation, but how important are cross-border transactions? |
Industry Are You Lean?Successful firms often talk about focusing on driving growth, maintaining profit, or increasing cost-savings and efficiency. At the same time, they are using antiquated project-management programs focused on document production and rigid project structures. |
Industry Flavour of the MonthCloud computing is the industry du jour—and is particularly relevant for the Japanese market, given the impact of the 11 March disasters and the significant restructuring that Japan will have to undertake. |
Business Risk The Case for Digital EvidenceThe flow of electronic information seems to be forever increasing. We now have incredible amounts of data being stored via the internet, cloud computing and hard-drive storage devices. Well over 90% of important business data is stored electronically and email is increasingly being used as a primary form of communication. |
Insurance Counting the CostAt magnitude 9.0, the Great Tohoku Earthquake was one of the largest in Japan and, indeed, the world, with the insurance industry taking a major hit. While media attention soon turned to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, it is the earthquake and tsunami that took not only a terrible toll of human life, but also caused potentially the world’s largest economic loss from a natural disaster. |
Books Book Reviews |
Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 7のまとめ |
MediaJapan / UK News |
June 2011
Cover Story The €100bn DealAfter years of tough negotiations, the European Union and Japan at last agreed in Brussels on 28 May to discuss a free-trade deal that would link the world’s largest market with the third-biggest economy. |
Review One LifeOne Life is a nature documentary, produced by BBC Earth Films, that shows how creatures in all parts of the world manage to survive and pass on life to the next generation. Featuring insects, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians, mammals, and plants, the film captures the extraordinary range of intelligence needed to survive amid the many challenges of their lives. |
BCCJ Event New Events StrategyThe BCCJ Events Committee is very pleased to announce an exciting new strategy for 2011–2012 that includes the introduction of five event categories. The change is designed to increase the value members derive from the BCCJ, while clarifying the nature and objectives of all events throughout the year. |
BCCJ Event The “Nuclear Sideshow”Sir John Beddington was in Japan in late May for discussions with his Japanese counterparts about the ongoing situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. He also gave a full and frank briefing on the status of the facility at a BCCJ luncheon attended by more than 110 members and guests. |
Interview Social EntrepreneurshipIn the Setagaya suburbs, a small team of social entrepreneurs at the Board Director Training Institute of Japan (BDTI) is tirelessly working to improve corporate governance at Japanese firms. BCCJ ACUMEN interviewed Nicholas E. Benes, BDTI’s founder and representative director. |
Transport For a Green and Pleasant LandExperts agree that reducing carbon emitted by road vehicles is critical for the UK government’s target of cutting emissions by 80% (compared with 1990 levels) by 2050. To illustrate how this might be achieved, those behind some of the UK’s latest automotive R&D recently showcased their solutions in Japan. |
Industry Post-Disaster PreferencesDrastically changing consumer preferences and perceptions in Japan since the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March have emerged as the economy took a debilitating hit and then showed signs of recovery, according to surveys by I&S BBDO Japan. |
Industry What Leaders NeedUnfortunately, for many management consultants and change specialists, the word “crisis”, in either Chinese or Japanese, does not translate into “danger and opportunity”. But perhaps a better translation from the English—and a more accurate definition—is a dangerous moment when one’s full attention is needed. |
Entrepreneur “Not Grim up North”When Nick Bonner arrived in Beijing in 1993 to study and teach landscape architecture, he had no idea that before the year was out he would have laid the foundations for what are today the most successful travel and cultural exchange organisations operating in the world’s most isolated nation. |
Anniversary Against the OddsThe Chinese came over the hillsides “like ants”, said Ben Whitchurch, who also recalled wishing, as a private in the spring of 1951, that he had been armed with something that had a faster rate of fire than an Enfield rifle. |
Arts & Culture Having Designs on TraditionThe studio is an oasis of understated calm, a breath or two away from a major Tokyo intersection. The artist working from it is a strikingly beautiful young woman dressed in an exquisite kimono; a base of white silk with a delicate floral motif in purple, the colour echoed slightly deeper in the obi sash that also bears at the rear a single white hydrangea. |
Literature Bookworms, Ltd.The list of authors The English Agency Japan has represented is long and impressive. They range from JG Ballard, Kazuo Ishiguro and Ian McEwan to Nick Hornby, John Updike, Ian Rankin and Ed McBain. Chuck in David Peace, Noam Chomsky, Bill Bryson and Bill Clinton and it’s clear that an outfit born in a poky, one-room office in Nishi-azabu back in August 1979 has come a long way. |
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Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 6のまとめ |
Books Book Reviews |
MediaJapan / UK News |
May 2011
Feature Article The Royal WeddingI am delighted to send this message to the readers of BCCJ ACUMEN on the occasion of the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The day of the wedding was a national holiday and a day of celebration across Britain. In all parts of the United Kingdom, families, friends and neighbours celebrated the wedding at home as well as in many colourful street parties. |
Cover Story Pitching the EurofighterThe opposition may have impressive pedigrees, but they are up against a thoroughbred in the shape of the Eurofighter Typhoon as the race to provide the Japan Air Self-Defense Force with its next-generation fighter enters the final stretch. |
Environment E-idea for Young Eco-EntrepreneursE-idea, like all brilliant ideas, is very simple but wonderfully effective. Young entrepreneurs, with strong environmentally focused ideas, submit a proposal into a national competition to be judged by a specialist panel. The winners receive funding, get plugged into a vast global business network, and are then given commercial and marketing mentoring from industry specialists. |
My Day Matthew BroadwayMy Blackberry alarm wakes me at 6am most days, just in time to organise myself and get to the pool at Atago Green Hills Forest Tower Spa for opening time 30 minutes later. |
Mergers and Acquisitions Post-Earthquake M&A ProspectsThe devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March has had a profound impact on Japan’s productive capacity and psychology, not to mention the massive loss of life and livelihoods. The ensuing development at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is casting a long shadow over recovery, restoration and redevelopment efforts. |
Business Risk China Plus OneAs the Chinese market grows and operational risk rises, many global organisations are seeking to supplement their Asia strategy by pursuing new countries in the region. For the past two decades, global corporations have opened factories and service businesses in China to access booming Asian markets and profit from relatively low costs. |
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Survey Disaster Aftermath Business Confidence SurveyInevitably, the 3/11 disaster had a significant influence on the “Foreign Chambers in Japan Spring Survey”, especially the outlook for the economy and firms’ short-term (six months) business performance. Compared to the previous survey (autumn 2010), this one shows uncertainty about the economic situation in Japan, especially over the short term. |
Embassy Why You Should RegisterFor most British subjects living in, or visiting, Japan contact with the British Embassy Tokyo’s consular team comes in the form of routine notarial or documentary services. Others may have been helped by the team in times of distress—from losing passports and wallets, to hospitalisations, or dealing with bereavement. |
Trade and Investment Investing in Life SciencesIn June 2009, Eisai Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s major pharmaceutical firms, invested more than £100mn in opening its European Knowledge Centre in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. This enabled it to integrate all functions on one site with more than 500 staff, combining manufacturing, discovery and clinical research, marketing, and European headquarters facilities. |
Industry Less Drug Lag, More DevelopmentFirst of all, we would like to offer our deepest condolences to the people and regions affected by the 11 March earthquake and subsequent incidents in the north-east of Japan and neighbouring areas. The pharmaceutical industry in general, and our firm in particular, are monitoring recovery efforts and focusing on ensuring the continuity of the healthcare system and drug deliveries despite current circumstances. |
Industry Major Growth AheadThe pharmaceutical industry in Japan is preparing for major growth. As firms compete for market share in the recovering economy, we see hiring freezes have been lifted since last year, while budgets have been adjusted for an anticipated increase in staff numbers. |
Entrepreneur When Small Is BigFor a compact car, the Mini has acquired a very large following. Nowhere is that more so than in another nation that values the aesthetic worth of the compact and intricate over the big and bulky. |
Sport Marketing the Manchester MagicOne of the UK’s oldest and best known football schools, the Bobby Charlton Soccer and Sports Academy (BCSSA), recently visited Japan to set up a coaching programme with an English-language school and to forge links with local football clubs. |
Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 5のまとめ |
MediaJapan / UK News |
April 2011
Opinion Best Intentions“What can I do to help? What do you need?” are the two most frequent questions I hear, several times a day. And not just from people in Japan. |
Feature Article The British EffortThe UK was among the first of about 100 countries to offer help after the Great Tohoku-Kanto Earthquake struck on 11 March. Here is the harrowing story of how three innovative British aid agencies made a difference, written and photographed by two of the first witnesses of the aftermath. |
Feature Article Earthquake: The British EffortBCCJ Members were quick to respond to the Great Tohoku-Kanto Earthquake. Here is a selection of organisations that have donated or are donating products, services or manpower. |
CSR Two Hats, One JobAs a teenager, Jane Best MBE says she was “terribly shy”. That is a little hard to understand, given her position today. As president and CEO of Refugees International Japan (RIJ), she is constantly required to meet people in remote—and sometimes dangerous—parts of the developing world, and to be equally at ease in settings with high-flying businesspeople, diplomats and other officials who support the organisation. |
Visiting Japan Simon BerrySimon Berry, the chairman of Britain’s oldest wine merchants, laughs at the first question I ask. As we sit down to our early morning breakfast meeting at The Peninsula Tokyo, I enquire what wine he would recommend pairing with the full English breakfast he has just ordered. |
Jobs The Good News Salary GuideThe dark days of late 2008 and 2009 have been well and truly left behind for the specialist recruitment industry, with the 2011 Hays Salary Guide underlining the strength of the rebound in Japan and across the key markets of Asia. |
Entrepreneur Original IdeasWhether they are enjoying a quiet drink after work or staging their long-planned wedding ceremony, Japanese people want a sense of place and authenticity in their venue. That’s where Sue Anamizu comes in. |
CSR Lending a Listening EarFor almost 40 years, one organisation has been at the front line in Tokyo when it comes to community mental health care: the non-profit Tokyo English Life Line (TELL). But it offers more than just a telephone counselling service, having the two additional core competencies of counselling for children and for families. |
Investment Effects of Earthquake on the Australian Dollar and YenJapan’s importance to Australia is undoubted, as it is the country’s second-largest market after China, taking 19% of exports. Disruption to Japan’s economy might, therefore, be seen as a short term negative for Australia. |
Industry Security Is Key to a Smooth MoveRelocating an employee to a foreign country is an information-intensive activity. Personal information about the employee, their firm, family and budget is collected and sent to relocation firms, realtors and their contractors. In the past, this data was mailed or faxed overseas and filed in a physical set of drawers under the employee’s name. But now, this information is sent digitally and stored the same way. |
Interview Willie WalshWe initially provided support to a number of parties who were helping with search and rescue operations, immediately mobilised our teams to get whatever help we could from the UK to Tokyo, and provided assistance to anybody who urgently needed to travel. |
Arts & Culture Serenading CEOsAt Tokyo Sinfonia’s Tchaikovsky °Serenade in Oji Hall, on 18 March, donors among the 126 people present generously left almost ¥100,000 in the boxes for Japan’s disaster relief efforts. The Tokyo Sinfonia and I should be out there performing as much as possible for people who now more than ever need to experience the healing power of our music. |
Olympics, Sport More than SportAs a newspaper headline, “The Japanese are Coming,” would catch the eye of anyone involved in UK-Japan ties. And that’s exactly what happened in June 2009, when the Leicester Mercury covered the Japanese Olympic Committee’s (JOC) signing of an agreement to use Loughborough University as a pre-tournament training camp for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. |
Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 4のまとめ |
MediaJapan / UK News |
March 2011
Exciting Era AheadSince 1 February, I have been shadowing and learning from our incumbent Executive Director Ian de Stains in the lead up to his departure on 31 March. Following nearly 25 years of dedicated service and commitment to the membership, Ian’s retirement naturally presents the organisation with a significant challenge, but also with the opportunity to learn and grow in new directions. |
Advocacy Industry AdvocacyRules and regulations that are applied to firms in the financial-services sector in Japan have been eased over the past five years or so, a development that has been broadly welcomed by foreign firms operating here. |
Great British Brands British AirwaysBritish Airways began its new service from Heathrow to Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport, on 20 February, underlining the importance the carrier places on its routes to Japan and its ongoing commitment to convenience, flexibility and choice. |
Business Risk FCPA EnforcementGlobal regulators are intensifying corruption prosecutions and enforcement. Although the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) took effect more than 30 years ago, there has recently been an increase in indictments, cases of civil enforcement, fines and other penalties. |
Trade and Investment Gift Show Nostalgia TripRecently demonstrating children’s colouring products at a gift show in Japan brought back wonderful memories of my childhood. This may sound like a strange activity in which to engage, but it is just one practical way we can support UK firms expanding into overseas markets. |
Embassy Chevening ScholarshipsThe British Embassy Tokyo’s annual Chevening Scholarship programme offers Japan’s future leaders a chance to study in the UK’s world-famous educational institutions and be part of the future of UK-Japan relations. |
Arts & Culture Save our SoulsIn a recession, it is inevitable there will be arts funding cuts, but what are these going to be and how will they impact art’s ability to sustain and invigorate society? With rumoured cuts of 25-40%, arts organisations are facing funding uncertainty in three main areas: government, local authorities and private sources. |
Entrepreneur Fusion FingersThe quaint image of a lavender-lined path and pink roses trained around the door of a thatched cottage is one that many Japanese bring back from a visit to the UK. And despite Japan’s own considerable gardening heritage, some want to recreate their very own English garden here. |
Industry Rise of the RedbackIf there is to be a rival to the US dollar as the dominant global reserve currency in the 21st century, it surely must be the Chinese renminbi. Home to the world’s second-largest economy, China is likely to have the highest gross domestic product by the 2030s. |
Entertainment Japan’s Got TalentThe number of Japanese musicians and singers who have made it in the lucrative markets of Europe and North America is miniscule. Artists who cut their teeth in this market have fared somewhat better in other parts of Asia, but J-pop is still a relatively minor export. |
Books People Who Eat Darkness: The Fate of Lucie Blackman“Lucie Blackman died … before I ever knew that such a person existed. In fact, it was only because she was dead or missing … that I took an interest in her at all”, admits Richard Lloyd Parry at the beginning of his book. |
Books Japanese Consumer DynamicsThe 11 chapters chart the course of the Japanese consumer market from the high growth post-war decades through to the most recent financial crisis, analysing the groups and trends that have emerged, through the eyes of eight contributing authors. |
Books Lost in Transition: Youth, Work, and Instability ...Telling the story of the “lost generation” who have experienced the breakdown of secure employment patterns since the 1990s, this book looks at how the system that once channelled young people smoothly from school to work has come apart in the subsequent decades. |
Books Japan-Bashing: Anti-Japanism since the 1980sFrom the “yellow peril” to the fear—now seemingly ridiculous—of a Japan-dominated world, the book looks at the portrayal of anti-Japanese sentiment in Western media, political circles, popular culture and public opinion. |
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Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 3のまとめ |
Industry 2011 Tax Reform ProposalsOn 16 December 2010, the Japanese government published the 2011 tax reform proposals. They include changes designed to promote the country as a principal Asian financial market. |
Great British Brands Lloyds TSB BankAlthough some two out of three adults in the UK enjoy a financial relationship with the Lloyds Banking Group, many residents of Japan are unaware of the firm’s global size and long history. |
Interview Keiichi HayashiAppointed Ambassador of Japan to the United Kingdom on 11 January 2011. |
CSR Helping HandsIt’s a busy weekday evening at the Azabudai offices of Hands On Tokyo, where the air is filled with the clunking of plastic bottles and the scent of luxury toiletries. |
Education Learning “Real World” LanguageThe world of business changes rapidly and this has never been more true than over the past 10 years. |
MediaJapan / UK News |
February 2011
Feature Article So. Farewell ThenAfter close to a quarter of a century as executive director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Ian de Stains OBE believes he has had “a good innings”. He is stepping aside to allow some new blood to head the organisation and to pursue a number of new ventures. |
Books Playing to Wiin: Nintendo and the Video Game ...Tracing the history of media-shy Nintendo, from its origins as a 19th century family business specialising in playing cards to a world-beater. |
Books What's What in Japanese RestaurantsThis 180-page guide to eating out in Japan provides a wealth of information for those who want to expand their culinary horizons and know what they’re ordering and eating. |
Books Have Japanese Firms Changed?A look at how Japanese firms have adapted to the changes that have occurred since the bursting of the economic bubble. |
Feature Article Hans Dietmar SchweisgutThe first EU ambassador under the European External Action Service (EEAS) framework and head of the Delegation of the European Union to Japan talks on trade, politics, the death penalty, child abductions and his goals. |
Feature Article Autos AdvocacySelling British cars and motorbikes in the Japanese market might at first appear like shipping the proverbial coals to Newcastle. But there is still sufficient skill and know-how in the UK automotive industry—particularly in the area of niche and specialist vehicles—to drive solid demand in Japan. |
Feature Article Japan Summit 2010Japan faces challenges on many fronts as it tries to rebuild a sagging economy, instil a degree of confidence in its political leaders and revitalise a dispirited public. |
Feature Article Simon FraserSimon Fraser underlined the strategic importance of the political and economic relationship between the UK and Japan on a recent trip to Japan. |
Feature Article What the Consular Team DoesHelping Britons cope with arrest, abduction, death and hospitalisation; facilitating births and marriages |
Feature Article Skeletons in the CupboardAsia is helping to haul the global economy out of its malaise as US and European economies continue to underperform. As a result of its sustained strong performance, the region continues to attract substantial investment, although the associated risks remain high. |
Feature Article Dyson’s New Digital Slim DC35 Multi FloorThoroughly cleans any home or office-floor surface; reaches parts others can’t, and twice as powerful as its closest rivals—that’s Dyson’s latest cordless vacuum cleaner, the DC35. |
Feature Article Harmonious Society, Harmonious Handover?British firms must redouble their efforts to do business in China, as forthcoming regulatory changes and the intricacies of domestic politics threaten to stifle foreign involvement in the world’s second biggest economy. |
Feature Article Your Own Private Banyan TreeAs anyone who has tried it will tell you, there is nothing quite like kicking back in the shade of a banyan tree. A native of tropical Asia, it is revered for providing shelter to weary travellers. |
CSR The Soft Side of RockUtilising everything from rap through songs by Abba, with numbers by Michael Jackson to classical arrangements and traditional Japanese music, several hundred children took to the stage at the Yokohama Kannai Hall on 22 November to compete in the Rock Challenge Japan 2010. |
British Council For an Outward-looking GenerationAnyone who has even glanced at the Japanese media recently cannot fail to have noticed the concern over the future of the workforce. “Global personnel” and an “inward-looking” generation are hot topics. |
Sport Theatre of Broken DreamsIt is early evening on 2 December 2010; there is snow on the ground. The large reception hall at Zurich Exhibition Centre is buzzing with anticipation and anxiety, as the many hopeful delegates try to hide their sense of foreboding or excitement behind glasses of water, wine or champagne. |
Industry Choosing the Right SchoolFor most expatriate parents, few activities cause as much stress, worry and annoyance as selecting the right school for their child. Negotiating personally held beliefs regarding quality education and those pedagogical principles practiced within a new environment can be difficult, even for professionals in the field. |
Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 2のまとめ |
Industry For a Values-based EducationFaith, intellect, awareness, community and growth are the values-based learning goals of an education at the International School of the Sacred Heart (ISSH). A member of the worldwide network of the schools of the Society of the Sacred Heart, ISSH is a learning community that warmly welcomes international families of all faiths and prepares students for the 21st century. |
MediaJapan / UK News |
December 2010 – January 2011
British Business Awards, Cover Story 2010 BCCJ BRITISH BUSINESS AWARDSThe very best of business acumen in the challenging Japanese market was on display at the 3rd annual British Business Awards, held at the Conrad Tokyo hotel on 19 November — an event guest speaker Ian de Stains OBE described as demonstrating the “excellence” that has been applied here by firms both large and small. |
Economy 18th FCIJ SurveyCompared with this spring’s Foreign Chambers in Japan (FCIJ) survey, the latest poll indicates uncertainty about the Japanese eco-nomy, especially over the short term. |
Trade and Investment Asia Task Force in Action“Rewards repay investments many times over for British firms in Japan”, was a key message from a major initiative to boost exports to 12 Asian markets, organised by the RBS Group and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). |
Jobs JAC Global Conference 2010For Japanese firms having a tough time with global recruitment, UK-based agency JAC Recruitment held its annual conference in Tokyo on 25 November attended by 55 delegates from 48 firms. |
Arts & Culture Interview with David Bintley CBEIt’s a long way from Huddersfield to Tokyo, but the new artistic director of the National Ballet of Japan, David Bintley CBE, already feels very much at home. |
Market Visit Fashion Mission Hits TokyoUK Trade & Investment (UKTI) organized a Fashion Sector Market Visit to Tokyo on 8-12 November for the British industry to meet local buyers, agents and the media, as well as to make contacts and learn more about the opportunities in Japan. |
Confab/Expo Future of the Digital EraThe first day’s highlights included keynote speaker Marvin Chow, marketing director for the Asia Pacific at Google Inc. Chow said that digital ad spending represents just 15% of the present advertising market capacity of $550 billion. However, he expects the figures to grow to $1,000 billion and above 50%. |
Hospitality BCCJ Members Celebrate Michelin StarsIn its fourth eponymous guide to the world’s finest dining and accommodation (including, for the first time, the cities of Yokohama and Kamakura), Michelin intro-duces gourmands in Japan to 312 establishments: 266 restaurants and 46 hotels — a number of which are BCCJ Members. |
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Business Risk Are You Prepared for a Crisis?Anyone who said, in summer 2008, that top financial institutions would soon implode or be bailed out, and predicted the crash of the global economy would have attracted laughter. |
BCCJ Event British Airways-Moving ForwardWith demand for air travel rebounding, Heathrow Terminal 5 over its teething problems, new aircraft ready to join the fleet, and alliances with other airlines enhancing its coverage, British Airways looks to have put behind it the turbulence of recent years, according to CEO Willie Walsh. |
Visiting Japan Bright Future for Crucial MarketIn mid-October 2008, “the lights suddenly went out for the industry”, admits Nigel Heap, managing director for the Asia-Pacific region at specialist recruitment experts Hays Asia Pacific. Today, they are burning brightly for a firm that has only been in Japan since February 2007, but has quickly become a market leader in specialist recruitment. |
Feature Put Your Trust in EscrowLess than a decade ago, trust banks had a stranglehold on a business that is known in other countries as escrow, but was still rarely invoked in Japan. Changing business habits — not least the increase in cross-border M&As — and the government’s decision to ease the rules on firms permitted to provide escrow services have led to both a number of established firms adding the facility to their portfolios, and several specialist firms opening for business. |
CSR It's a Dog's Life for Homeless PetsAlthough Japan is an advanced nation, it is sadly lagging behind others in terms of animal welfare. While pedigree dogs, cats and “exotics” fetch high prices, about 300,000 unwanted, abused or stray pets are put to sleep each year by authorities. |
Entrepreneur Health Food for DogsAs one of Britain’s top police dog handlers, Geoff Bowers was accustomed to putting the 500 animals in his charge through their paces. These days, he is happy to admit that a run with his small number of pet dogs leaves him exhausted. The reason: they are fed a diet comprising completely raw and natural ingredients — a food more than a decade in the making without the additives, grains and cereals found in conventional dog food. |
Review Lotus EliseFor weekend thrill seekers, here’s a street-legal head turner that is racetrack-orientated, econo-mical to run, fun to drive and wrapped in a beautiful body. |
Books The Grand DesignThis is a book that has the ability to make you feel either quite smart or a bit stupid, and sometimes both within a relatively short space of time. |
Books Lyndall Urwick: Management PioneerUrwick probably remains the single most important figure in the history and development of management in Britain, and this 225-page biography sets out to show how the man and his ideas were formed, rather than examine his contribution to the field. |
Books Zen and Japanese CultureRegarded as one of the most important works of the last century on the subject, Suzuki’s writing — all the more impressive for having been originally written in English — is easy to read and engaging. |
Books Challenges of Human Resource Management in JapanThe 32nd release in the Routledge Contemporary Japan Series, the book is split into two halves, an “international perspective” written by seven foreign writers, and the domestic view from eight Japanese academics. |
Books International Fragmentation of Production: The Impact of Outsourcing on the Japanese EconomyThis analysis of the process of outsourcing manufacturing is an unapologetically academic work that grew out of the author’s PhD thesis. |
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Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 1のまとめ日本語ハイライト |
MediaJapan / UK News |
October-November 2010
Exploiting E-BusinessThe term “new media” could be considered a misnomer as it has been around for more than a decade and the shift from print to digital has been a work in progress since well before the turn of the century. Yet, it is also appropriate as the forms that media take today are constantly evolving and changing direction. |
Cover Story, Great British Brands FT Stands for Authority, Integrity and AccuracyFamously pink, the Financial Times is instantly recognisable and globally respected as the autho- |
My Day David WarrenDavid Warren became British Ambassador to Japan in July 2008. Born in 1952, he graduated from Oxford University before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1975 and later studied Japanese at the School of African and Oriental Studies and at the British Embassy language school in Kamakura. |
Business Risk Organised Crime in Finance SectorRecent months have seen more sophisticated activities by Japanese organised crime syndicates, with large numbers of domestic and some international firms targeted by Japan’s yakuza organised crime groups. |
Investment Put Your Performance into PerspectiveWe all know that investing typically requires a long-term approach when markets are in turmoil, as they are now, but it’s easy to lose that perspective and focus on what’s happening over the short term. It can be reassuring, though, to understand how the stock market has behaved historically. |
CSR Bring on Bailey!At the Tyler Foundation’s Rhinestone Cowboy fundraising gala dinner on 1 October, the star of the glittering show was not among the many generous bidders for the donated auction items, nor one of the petite cowgirls in revealing denim shorts. |
Entrepreneur Fresh ChallengeOfficially, the unprepossessing split-level restaurant beneath the railway tracks close to Yurakucho Station is known as Shin Hinomoto. More commonly, among regulars and people who have heard legends of the place, it is Andy’s izakaya. |
Visiting Japan Investing in The ArtsIn times of financial strain, the arts are often among the first victims of government funding cuts. But the austerity measures being implemented in Britain and elsewhere should not deter those responsible for promoting culture from reaching out to new audiences, said Lord Tony Hall, chief executive of the Royal Opera House in London. |
Jobs Recovery for RecruitmentThere is a sense of cautious optimism over the state of the economy, both domestically and globally, but Robert Walters felt the change earlier than most. |
Feature Shattering the StereotypesMany female executives who have built firms and their own careers overseas are frustrated that outdated and stereotypical images of what it takes to make one’s way in Japan’s corporate world are preventing a lot of very talented women from following in their footsteps here and being similarly successful. |
Industry Hidden Costs of a Bad HireFirms budget for the financial costs of employing good staff, but many fail to consider the potentially severe implications of a bad hire. Before an employee is terminated, substantial costs are often incurred in terms of the time that management spends on corrective action, mediation and negotiation. |
Industry Winning the Race for TalentAsk most country managers or HR directors of foreign multinational firms operating in Japan and top of their priority lists is finding the best bilingual talent. It’s a tough task and when a firm does finally find and offer a job to the dream candidate, can they close the deal? |
British Teen Becomes Tokyo "tarento"About a year ago, Beckii Cruel was a teenager bopping around her bedroom to Japanese pop music and posting her videos on YouTube. Today, she is a global internet phenomenon, seen by an estimated 10 million viewers, and no nation more than Japan loves her every move and sound. |
Anniversary Remembering the "Forgotten War"British veterans are returning to South Korea throughout 2010 to mark the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War that killed 1,000 UK troops. |
Survey UK-Japan RelationshipThe British Council has released a research report entitled “The Cultural Relationship between the UK and Japan”, which is one of a series from around the world. The research is based on a mixture of statistical indicators, an on-line survey, and in-depth interviews with key individuals involved in the bilateral relationship. |
Translation 『BCCJ ACUMEN』第6号のまとめ日本語ハイライト |
MediaJapan / UK News |
August-September 2010
Cover Story BIG IN JAPANAn entire wall of the lobby at the IBSC JETRO Invest Japan Business Support Center is taken up by colourful pamphlets declaring “Fascinating Kanagawa: Best place for your business”, and “Saitama City: Business hub in the new era”, plus the more prosaic “Industry of Ehime”. Clearly, Japanese prefectures want foreign business. |
British Business Awards 2010 BCCJ British Business AwardsNominations are invited for the third annual BCCJ British Business Awards to be held at the Conrad Tokyo hotel in Shiodome on 19 November. |
Investment Time to Buy into Japan?Japan has been in a bear market for nearly 20 years. With a stock market index at one quarter of its 1989 value, it looks as though the world’s second-largest economy may soon lose that place to China. |
Business Risk Mitigating against Corporate Fraud in AsiaIt is generally true that fraud is harder to conceal when credit is tight or during a major financial crisis. Corporate fraud occurs when there is a clear opportunity and detection appears remote, or when the corporate culture is insufficiently robust and people believe dismissal is the worst that could happen. |
Great British Brands Grosvenor’s 1,000-Year HistoryThe floors are burnished hardwood and the kitchen surfaces flecked marble. The architect’s clever use of light lends the apartments a sense of space and airiness. The over-sized windows take in the green expanse of Yoyogi Park, while the night view from the roof garden… |
Great British Brands Unilever - CSR and Global PioneerEver since the predecessor of Unilever was founded in 1884 by Lord William Hesketh Lever, it has had priorities other than profit margins and the bottom line. Lever Bros. was one of the few firms of the day that cared about its workforce… |
Visiting Japan Sir Robert Fry KCB, CBEWhat will the next strategic shock be? When, and where, will it occur? Those were the unsettling questions posed by Sir Robert Fry, former deputy commander of coalition forces in Iraq and newly appointed executive chairman of the British global business performance advisers, McKinney Rogers. |
Hospitality Convenience is KeyAs Tokyo vies with New York, London and Asian capitals to be the global business center, MORI LIVING is innovating to help exceed the expectations of international and local residents alike by offering the convenience and comfort of all-in-one central locations. |
The Case for ArbitrationThe fine art of arbitration has been a formal part of the legal landscape since it was recognised by England’s Arbitration Act of 1697 — although this form of dispute settlement was in use long before then, notably by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks — and it has become an increasingly important part of doing business in a multi-national world. |
Embassy New UK Bribery LawsThe UK has passed new legislation on bribery (the 2010 Bribery Act) and, like the existing law, it will also apply to UK citizens and businesses based overseas including in Japan. |
Politics Championing UK Business AbroadUK firms operating in Japan and elsewhere overseas are to be given a significantly greater helping hand from the British government, said Foreign Secretary William Hague at the British Embassy in Tokyo on 15 July. |
My Day Roland Buerk: BBC Tokyo correspondentRoland Buerk became the BBC’s Tokyo correspondent in January 2009, following five years in South Asia covering war, poverty, elections — and the Indian Ocean tsunami that he survived. |
Education Global Learning in Japanese SchoolsFor Japanese and foreigners with children here, living in Japan offers a safe, clean environment and the opportunity to pursue numerous pastimes. However, when it comes to education, the picture often looks less rosy. |
CSR NPO Helps Vulnerable FamiliesWe know a number of families in Japan have problems, as families do in all countries. Some here face disability, health problems, depression and stress. Mothers in particular can feel isolated at home with babies or young children and there are significant problems with poverty, child abuse and neglect. |
Review Dyson DC31 MotorheadI gave my mum the new Dyson DC31 motorhead vacuum cleaner because she has owned another Dyson model for a few years. She adores it for the powerful suction and unmistakable — if rather eccentric — design. |
Industry How BI Software Drives Intelligent BusinessA survey conducted in January by Gartner, Inc. predicts that the list of spending priorities for technology chief information officers will continue to be led by software for business intelligence (BI), the umbrella term applied to methods and technologies used to gather and analyse information for improved decision-making. |
Industry IT with ServiceIT is changing before our eyes. Thus, firms looking for new systems or upgrades should know how to navigate relevant changes to remain competitive; this means, for large firms, ensuring the accessibility and efficiency that lead to customer satisfaction. |
Industry Getting from There to HereThe dramatic changes in hiring seen since January in the area of logistics and procurement accurately reflect the lively movement in market prices. While many businesses are still understandably cautious, there is a growing optimism in supply-chain businesses, as they seek to better position themselves for the expected period of expansion with selective hiring. That said, salaries have not grown to levels seen in previous years. |
MediaJapan / UK News |
June-July 2010
Cover Story, FDI, Main Feature Britain: Open for BusinessBritain was an attractive destination for Japanese foreign direct investment long before the yen’s dramatic appreciation against sterling. The doomsayers who warned, years ago, that Japan would pull out of the UK unless it joined the euro zone have been proved wrong. On the contrary, Britain attracts more Japanese investment than any other country in Europe. |
Economy FCIJ Business Confidence SurveyThe latest Foreign Chambers in Japan (FCIJ) survey, published on 13 May, shows improvements, in many cases rather significant, regarding the outlook for the Japanese economy and the performance of the respondents. |
Great British Brands The Royal Bank of ScotlandBusiness has been difficult for large, global banks over the past two years and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is no exception. The good news, however, is that RBS has restored stability after a near-fatal collapse 18 months ago and is ahead of its five-year strategic plan as laid out in February 2009. |
Seminar Good Advice on Grey Areas ...The popular pastime of pachinko, according to Tokyo-based barrister Tim Marrable, is a compelling parable for the legal twilight zone in which many businesses in Japan can find themselves. |
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Tax Advocacy Tax AdvocacyThe tweaks and adjustments that Japan’s financial authorities have made to tax regulations in recent years have been broadly welcomed by the industry here, and there is a degree of optimism that the new government, for all its political problems, is at least indicating willingness to consider opinions on further revisions. |
Embassy London 2012: Much More than SportWithout question, the UK-Japan relationship is both broad and incredibly important to the economic well-being of both nations. This relationship provides many opportunities for the British Embassy and BCCJ members to further our corporate objectives. |
Interview Lord Peter Levene KBE Chairman, Lloyd’s of LondonLord Levene of Portsoken visited Tokyo in March to open the new Lloyd’s of London office. After he addressed a BCCJ luncheon on “Fresh Challenges for the City of London” covering a wide range of issues affecting the world’s economies, he was interviewed by BCCJ ACUMEN writer Julian Ryall. |
Industry Financial Services Tax ReformMany articles analysing taxation of the financial services industry in Japan look at the challenges many foreign operators face: a high tax rate for corporations and individuals; lack of a clear beneficial funds regime (such as that in Hong Kong and Singapore) to encourage fund investors and managers; and an inspection regime that some perceive as being too strict, bureaucratic and time-consuming. |
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Industry Winning Talented WomenForeign banks have a tough diversity agenda in Japan meeting government targets for disabled staff, ensuring ethnic diversity — and with gender too. |
BCCJ Event En Primeur, Bordeaux 2009“The greatest wines represent the ultimate liquid investment”, said esteemed US wine critic Robert Parker Jr. They also make for excellent enjoyment, as was the case at the BCCJ’s Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR) En Primeur Bordeaux wine tasting held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo on 3 March. |
Industry Business Support & OutsourcingThroughout my career in the Asia-Pacific region, I have enjoyed helping businesses in a number of ways, more recently to consider and implement outsourcing. I have helped large businesses and SMEs outsource key processes and this article features some of the considerations and opportunities related to successful outsourcing. |
Feature Article But What Does a Coach Actually Do?A coach is not a consultant, therapist, counsellor or mentor. Let’s use the simple analogy of riding a bike to explain the differences. |
Entrepreneur Social Enterprise SymposiumThe social enterprise movement, in which the UK is considered a pioneer, encourages positive social change and inclusion, and supports civil society. |
Investment HFT: Implications for Global MarketsHigh frequency trading (HFT) that uses superfast computers and algorithms to exploit fractional differences in share prices, or delays in updating market prices in different parts of the world, can make huge profits with sell or buy orders… |
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Business Risk Protecting Corporate Value in an Adverse EnvironmentThe global economy is emerging from the most severe economic jolt since the Great Depression, but the fallout continues to be felt around the world. Firms can fold with little or no notice and, while a business may be in good condition, counterparty risk or sudden closure of a key element in the supply chain may damage the entire enterprise. |
JMEC 2010 Business Plan CompetitionBCCJ President and JMEC judge Philip Gibb cong-ratulated Kristi Mackintosh after she took the honours for Britain at the annual Japan Market Expansion Competition (JMEC) awards on 4 June. |
CSR Managing Real Estate RiskWith increasing securitization of the industry, asset owners recently have began to require the independent third-party risk assessment that ERS provides. |
MediaJapan / UK News |
April-May 2010
Main Feature ADVOCACY AT WORK“Women are also more likely than men to speak English, which is useful if they work for foreign firms or Japanese firms with foreign clients or overseas offices staffed by foreigners” |
Feature Article DysonThere are some ideas so revolutionary, so simple, and so blindingly clever that they deserve all the acclaim they receive. As millions of house-proud people around the world would tell you, the bag-free vacuum cleaner launched in 1993 by Dyson is right up there with sliced bread. |
BCCJ Event Ultimate TeamworkGenerations of executives have attempted to adapt the mindset of the battlefield to the business world, from developing a strategy to defeat corporate rivals to building camaraderie in an inhospitable environment… |
Relocation Manage Your Money When Living AbroadOne thing you don’t want to be worrying about when you’re organising a new job, accommodation, schools and a whole new life abroad is the financial aspects of your future life… |
Industry Cut your office costs without cutting corners…The economic outlook for 2010 and beyond is looking increasingly bright. However, current conditions are challenging and most businesses are focused on cutting costs, including overheads… |
Industry Make Moving EasierWhat is the complication in “Helping People Move” these days? Why is there so much involved in finding that house under budget for someone moving to Japan? |
Business Risk Overview of AsiaManaging and growing a sustainable business in Asia can present unique challenges to foreign multinational corporations and overseas investors… |
Visiting Japan Jancis Robinson, OBEAlthough already renowned for its sake and beer, Japan has yet to share the international recognition for its wines that is enjoyed by other wine-producing nations such as Australia and New Zealand… |
Hospitality More Than LocationServiced apartments have weathered the recession well, partly due to the nature of the industry, said Martin Fluck, Japan country manager of Oakwood Asia Pacific… |
Industry Expatriate Cross-Cultural TrainingWhat is cross-cultural training and what will I learn from it? This is often the first question newly arrived expatriates and their spouses ask me… |
Investor FDI Tax ChangesIn recent years, there have been a number of changes to the Japanese tax system that have had an impact on foreign investment in Japan and Japanese investment overseas… |
Politics Keeping the “D” in the DPJThe curious case of Yukio Ubukata highlights tension in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) over its internal consultation processes. |
Books Extract Value from Consultants How to hire, control and fire themOutsourcing is on everyone’s lips these days, as firms look to cut costs and add value without compromising quality… |
Feature Article Exporting Innovative DesignDuring the post-war reconstruction period and the 1980s Bubble era, international architects transformed Japan’s traditional building aesthetic with modernist designs… |
Embassy Parental Child Abduction and The Hague ConventionThe high number of cases of international parental child abduction has recently started to come under the spotlight in Japan… |
Industry Blended DevelopmentSome managers believe the best solution to employee development is “Let’s buy a training course”. Perhaps that means implementing traditional classroom training or even an online training programme. |
MediaJapan / UK News |
February-March 2010
Feature Article Business RoundtableGiven the myriad challenges of today, now may seem an inopportune time to talk about Japan’s future. |
Great British Brands Land Rover of Hope and GloryLines on the flanks are clean and smooth; interior is immaculate cream leather smelling factory fresh; dashboard is gleaming state-of-the-art, and the V8 happily purrs away under the bonnet. The Land Rover has come a long way. |
Legislation New UK Bribery BillIn recent years, the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) may not have been all that vigorous in its investigation of corruption cases involving jurisdictions outside the United Kingdom, but Richard Alderman is determined to inject a new sense of urgency into the organisation “to make it very clear that corporations involved in corruption will not flourish”. |
Interview Minoru Mori, KBE: CEO & President of Mori Building Co., Ltd.In December 2009, in recognition of his distinguished contribution to relations between the UK and Japan, and his significant contribution to collaboration between the two countries in the arts, Her Majesty The Queen appointed Minoru Mori to be an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. |
Feature Article 20 Years of Breakfast ToastmastersFormer BCCJ President Graham Harris stands in front of the crowd to explain how, 20 years ago, the world changed forever. Moments earlier, speechwriter John Harris had taken the podium to reveal the secret of his craft lies not in “data delivery”, but in the telling of a good story. |
Hospitality Embracing the BestFergus Stewart, general manager of the ANA InterContinental Tokyo, is one of the few in Japan’s beleaguered travel industry to report a successful 2009. But he is quick to point out that the hotel’s positive performance had much to do with both the widely held perception that the flagship hotel is an affordable luxury option and the loyal following in Japan. |
Investor For Love of MoneyStanding in the back streets of one of Tokyo’s numerous neon-lit “entertainment districts”, what you see is not necessarily all you get. The garish establishment with prices advertised by the hour… |
Health Investing in the Healthcare IndustryAccording to the United Nations, the global population will increase from 6.7 billion today to 9.4 billion by 2050. One-third will be over the age of 60. |
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Feature Article Staffing Challenges in a Complex MarketWith the world’s second-largest economy, Japan continues to be one of the most important markets for… |
Feature Article Danger of New Drugs |
Feature Article Ozawa Fights OnThe political funding scandal surrounding the Democratic Party of Japan’s (DPJ) powerful secretary-general Ichiro Ozawa has rocked the party and shone the spotlight on challenging aspects of its transition to power. |
Education Universities Boost UK-Japan TiesThe internationalisation of higher education is a priority issue for governments worldwide. By leveraging the reputation and expertise… |
Feature Article ECO CIRCLEDiscarded clothes and textiles take up a tremendous amount of space in landfills and have a major impact on the planet when incinerated. An innovative recycling technology introduced by Teijin can help make the clothes entirely sustainable. |
Feature Article New Organic Certification ServicesWith more than 10 years of experience in providing organic certification services to Japanese and international clients, Ecocert-QAI Japan Ltd. is diversifying. |
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Feature Article Magazines Make it MatterCustom Media KK extensively promotes CSR and environmental issues through BCCJ ACUMEN and WIFM lifestyle magazine. In addition, it supports the UK charity Help for Heroes, providing free advertising to help raise funds for soldiers’ rehabilitation, medical treatment, and reintegration into society. |
Arts & Culture Nezu MuseumPopular for tourists in Tokyo’s uber-trendy Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, is the Herzog & de Meuron Prada building—a glass-lozenge mecca for fashionistas that has graced travel and style journals since 2003. |
Books The New Rules of Marketing & PRThis second edition, which has been completely revised and updated, explains to the technical novice how the web has changed the rules of marketing and PR and how to leverage the potential of the individual media… |
MediaJapan / UK News |
December 2009 - January 2010
CSR Funds Aid Fight for RightsRefugees International Japan (RIJ) began in 1979 with advocacy efforts to improve conditions for Indochinese refugees, particularly Cambodians in camps in Thailand. |
Feature Article 2009 British Business AwardsIt may have been a testing 12 months for firms large and small everywhere, but the BCCJ’s 2009 British Business Awards gala dinner on 26 November underlined the excellence in the UK business community here. |
Economy Business SurveyThe global economic uncertainties seem to have eased and the economic outlook for Japan in the next six months is positive, according to the latest Foreign Chambers in Japan (FCIJ) Business Confidence Survey. |
Economy Road to RecoveryAfter four consecutive quarters of contraction, Japan’s economy is slowly moving along the road to recovery. Industrial production bottomed out in February and… |
Great British Brands Triumph over AdversityThere’s nothing quite like the rumbling, throaty growl of a Triumph as it kicks into life. In the country renowned for mass global motorbike production, the president of Triumph Japan says… |
Politics End of ‘Iron Triangle?’The speed of change under the government of Yukio Hatoyama has been faster than most expected. Arguably, the most profound changes are being made to the way Japan governs itself… |
Feature Article Not Scotch MistFew companies have emerged from the global downturn unscathed, but Scotland’s whisky industry has proven relatively resilient — with increased exports to Japan. “It’s an affordable luxury”, says David Croll, who established Whisk-e… |
Industry Interactive DialogueAmong the reforms to the regulatory inspection process recently announced by Japan’s Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC) is an emphasis on “more interactive dialogue” with management. |
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Feature Article Clean up with green investmentBy the time you read this, Copenhagen and its relevance to Climate Change will have been forgotten. Memories of the Little Mermaid statue in the harbour and of the Danish capital as the home of Tuborg beer will have been restored. |
Education 20 Years of TeachingThis year marks the 20th anniversary of The British School in Tokyo. Today, we are a two-site school for over 650 students, with a reputation for providing a British education of the highest calibre to Nursery children… |
Industry Workplace TrendsMobile business tools have widened the potential definition of the workplace well beyond the confines of a specific piece of real estate. Yet we still cling dearly to our tactile office, and employees become defensive of personal space and amenities during renovation or relocation. |
Feature Article Tribute to Creative UKFor the first time, four of the five laureates in Japan’s prestigious Praemium Imperiale Awards are from the same country — a result hailed as a reflection of the creative depth and cultural diversity of Great Britain. |
Books Conflict and ChangeThe biggest surprise about Conflict and Change was learning that, according to the publisher, it is the first book on the challenges associated with foreign takeovers of Japanese firms. At a BCCJ luncheon at the Hilton Tokyo hotel on November 11… |
Jobs 2010 HR TrendsEmployment figures — a key indicator of economic activity — are revealing welcome trends for early 2010, as firms begin to position themselves to exploit opportunities in the economic upturn. Data from the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications suggest hiring activity will start to pick up [...] |
Embassy Are you a British National in Japan?Welcome from the British consular network in Japan. Some of you may have used our services, some of you may have heard of us, and some of you may have no idea who we are or what we do. I hope we can help clarify! |
MediaJapan / UK News |
Business News