Hokkaido was the site of the first big APEC-related business event held in connection with the APEC Trade Ministers conference June 5-6. I had not been to Sapporo in the summer and it is clear that everyone in town is absolutely nuts about flowers. From the airport train through clean air under blue skies, every ...
President’s Message 
ACCJ’s CSR activities have grown since we set up the Community Service Fund after the Kobe Earthquake. The activities of each ACCJ Chapter reflect well on how we act on our corporate values and contribute to the communities that make our businesses possible. On May 23rd we kicked off the “charity and health” Chubu Walkathon. ...
Economist Jesper Koll was upbeat last month when he told us that Japanese CEOs were smiling because their greatly improved profits are beating estimates. So I asked Business and Financial Affairs Advisory Council head Tad Johnson and ACCJ Treasurer Nasir Majid if they had anything that would make me smile. I didn’t hear enough to ...
These are exciting times in Japan. Spring and kafunshou (pollen allergies) affect different folks in different ways. Revisions to history are on the nightly news and revisions to GDP numbers raise questions about the prospects for a double-dip recession and longer term, “How do we pay for this huge stimulus package and why don’t I ...
The outlook for the financial year ending 31 March 2010 has some bright spots. If the economy is not booming, at least the economy is no longer shrinking. Resurgent economic Asian tigers are stimulating exports from Japan. However, domestic demand remains weak despite the government stimulus. Massive auto recalls are damaging Japanese pride in its ...
The ACCJ held its extended Board Planning session on January 15th to outline the leadership lineup, inform (or remind) Board members about their responsibilities and, most importantly, to discuss priorities and agree on our direction and activities for 2010. The 2010 Board has a mix of new and experienced people and represents a good cross-section ...
Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu! 2009 is finished, over, and done with! 2010 is a brand new year and ours to make something of for ourselves, our companies, and our communities. In early January we will have a Board planning session to develop our priorities and major initiatives for the year. We welcome member input to this ...
Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835-1901) is best known as the founder of Keio Gijuku (now Keio University). But he is much, much more. He was part of a group of late Tokugawa samurai who helped Japan understand and respond to the changes that arose from monumental internal and external pressures on nearly all of Japan’s institutions. The ...