February 2012
News In Brief
Your monthly digest of UK-Japan news.
Volunteers Visit Every Prefecture
Two Britons recently completed a 100-day tour of Japan’s 47 prefectures, in a bid to help bring back foreign tourists to the country, the Mainichi Shimbun reported on 24 January.
Charging Points Outnumber EVs
Sales of electric vehicles in the UK have slumped so badly that there are now more charging points on the road than cars that use them, the Daily Mail reported on 15 January.
Charity Cyclist Is Japan Bound
An intrepid cyclist is attempting to travel 19,312km to Tokyo on two wheels, the Bristol Evening Post reported on 4 January.
Firm Invests in Wind Power
Marubeni Corporation plans to treble its investment in green energy in the UK to more than £600mn over the next few years, the London Press Service reported on 13 January.
What You Missed in the Japanese Press
In 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.
Bittersweet
Wasabi, 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.
Welcome New Additions
Greetings to Mark Schreiber. Mark and I had previously worked together at another publication and I am delighted that he has agreed to offer his exclusive translations to our media pages. Unless you are intimate with Japanese-language weekly and monthly publications, you probably have not read—or even heard—the news he will cover, be it business or lifestyle related.
Blue Sky Thinking
I am sitting at my desk trying to think of a suitable title for this column. Behind me is one of those magical, blue Tokyo winter skies that makes you want to get out and walk in the cold, crisp air.
Special Event: Road to Recovery
On 8 March 2012, the BCCJ will hold a special event to observe the first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Supported by the British Embassy Tokyo, and held at the residence of Ambassador Sir David Warren, the event will celebrate UK–Japan solidarity on the road to recovery.
Investing in the Best
From 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.
Former BCCJ President Appointed OBE
Andy 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.
Dateline: Tohoku
The 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.
JFTC 2011 Essay Competition
Essayists 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.
Market Entry: Case Study
Japan’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.
Jeep: Mean and Green
From 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.
JMEC’s Big Day
You 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 ...”
British Airways Committed to Japan
When 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.Corporate Governance
Corporate 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.
Masters of the Future
This 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.
The British School in Tokyo Celebrates Success
At 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.
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?
Yokohama International School
Founded 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.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.
Gentleman’s Game Played by Ladies
Arsenal 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.
Yayoi Kusama in London
Kusama’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.
Marketing a Mountain Village
Jason 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.
Real Estate: Residents and firms want safety and value
The 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.
