December 2010 / January 2011

Feature December 2010 / January 2011

Put Your Trust in Escrow

Less 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.
Economy December 2010 / January 2011

18th FCIJ Survey

Compared 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 December 2010 / January 2011

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 December 2010 / January 2011

JAC Global Conference 2010

For 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 December 2010 / January 2011

Interview with David Bintley CBE

It’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 December 2010 / January 2011

Fashion Mission Hits Tokyo

UK 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 December 2010 / January 2011

Future of the Digital Era

The 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 December 2010 / January 2011

BCCJ Members Celebrate Michelin Stars

In 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.
Business Risk December 2010 / January 2011

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 December 2010 / January 2011

British Airways-Moving Forward

With 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 December 2010 / January 2011

Bright Future for Crucial Market

In 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.
CSR December 2010 / January 2011

It's a Dog's Life for Homeless Pets

Although 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 December 2010 / January 2011

Health Food for Dogs

As 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.
Books December 2010 / January 2011

International Fragmentation of Production: The Impact of Outsourcing on the Japanese Economy

This analysis of the process of outsourcing manufacturing is an unapologetically academic work that grew out of the author’s PhD thesis.
Books December 2010 / January 2011

Challenges of Human Resource Management in Japan

The 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 December 2010 / January 2011

Zen and Japanese Culture

Regarded 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 December 2010 / January 2011

Lyndall Urwick: Management Pioneer

Urwick 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 December 2010 / January 2011

The Grand Design

This 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.
Cover Story December 2010 / January 2011

2010 BCCJ BRITISH BUSINESS AWARDS

The 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.
Review December 2010 / January 2011

Lotus Elise

For 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.
Translation December 2010 / January 2011

『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 1のまとめ

日本語ハイライト 『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 1のまとめ
Media December 2010 / January 2011

Work Visa Cap Plan Threatens FDI

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Book Donation Plan Vetoed

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Call for Action on Child Abductions

Media December 2010 / January 2011

New Organic Shop Opens

Media December 2010 / January 2011

London’s Tokyo-Style Food Hall

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Kuma Design for V&A Dundee

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Brand Debuts in London

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Twinings' Tea Day

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Mazars and SCS Global Agree Tie-up

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Sweet Deal Signed

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Estate Saves Monk's Camellias

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Hello Kitty Tartan

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Suntory Wins Awards

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Newspaper Picks Tokyo

Media December 2010 / January 2011

OAP Claims Oldest TV

Media December 2010 / January 2011

Paper to Stop Printing

Media December 2010 / January 2011

New Artificial Skin Marketed

Media December 2010 / January 2011

World Cup Row

Media December 2010 / January 2011

FSA Probes Insider Trading

Media December 2010 / January 2011

RBS-MUFG in £4-billion Talks

December 2010 / January 2011

UKTI: Here to Help You

December 2010 / January 2011

Big Plans for a Better BCCJ

Ian de Stains OBE
December 2010 / January 2011

Business as Usual

Simon Farrell Publisher
December 2010 / January 2011

BBA: Behind the Scenes