At the time of writing, I’m just about to pop off on maternity leave, handing over the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) reins to new Associate Director Sarah Backley and Senior Adviser Graham Davis, who some readers might remember as the former head of the Economist Corporate Network for Japan and South Korea and former member of the BCCJ Executive Committee. With such an active and exciting BCCJ events programme ahead, it’s a bittersweet time to depart!
Partnerships
For events in February and March, we are partnering with a variety of like-minded external stakeholders to bring you the latest B2B trends, market information and global viewpoints. Events are perhaps the most visible service we offer, creating networking and business exchange opportunities with the people who matter to you and your business in Japan.
PechaKucha
On 20 February, as part of the first-ever International PechaKucha Day—named after a Japanese presentation style in which 20 slides are presented for 20 seconds each—we will be hosting an exploratory lunchtime session entitled Techs in the City at the Core Kitchen/Space in Shinbashi, Minato Ward. Four presenters who have created transformative tech and innovation platforms to tackle some of the 21st century’s most intriguing challenges will invite you to learn and take inspiration from their stories and visions for 2020 and beyond.
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
At our luncheon event on 27 February, we’ll gain insights from the RICS’ most recent flagship global property data survey, comparing how Japanese property is performing relative to other key markets in Asia–Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Our panel of property experts from CBRE Group, Inc., Jones Lang LaSelle K.K. and Savills Japan Co., Ltd. will take a deep dive into the realities that are driving Japan’s market.
Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
We are very pleased to be partnering with the CBI on 4 March at the ANA InterContinental Tokyo to deliver a luncheon entitled New Horizons: What’s Next for the UK and British Business? The event will be led by the CBI Deputy Director-General Josh Hardie, who’ll be visiting Tokyo from London. With the UK having left the European Union—and a transition period now in effect until the end of 2020—Hardie promises to cover:
- Perspectives on the new government and business sentiment post-Brexit
- The new government’s domestic sustainability and infrastructure priorities
- The UK’s business agenda, including EU and Japan trade negotiations
International Women’s Day (IWD)
Marking IWD a little early this year, we are working to bring you a stellar evening on 5 March. Addressing the global IWD 2020 theme of Each for Equal, our event will feature the chief executive of AI firm Cinnamon, Inc., the head coach of the Japan National Rugby Team, a partner from EY Advisory and Consulting Co., Ltd., a Japanese Olympic athlete, as well as the head of economic policy at the British Embassy Tokyo.
Learn about these events on our website and reap the rewards of the new alliances that the BCCJ team is making on your behalf.
