BCCJ ACUMEN, July 2013

TURNING ON THE TAP

EXILED FROM HOME

EU–JAPAN FTA: UPDATE

FRIENDS BY MISTAKE P. 27P. 25P. 22P. 21

PLUSINDUSTRY & A-LIST: IT & TelecommunicationsTechnology | Food | Motors | EntertainmentHealth | Media | Arts | Community | And much more

July 2013 | ¥900

The Magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan

Fatboy Slimleads British DJs and record crowd at annual dance festival | Page 44

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VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7

July 2013

COVER IMAGE: AKIYOSHI ISHIGAMI

38

16

FOODReds in Bed Manchester United sponsor aims to boost tomato consumption here

4027CHARITYTurning On the Tap NGO opens in Tokyo to improve global water, sanitation, hygiene

MOTORSWanted: Sponsors to Be Scared Silly

LEAD STORYDriving the Dragon Economy

7 PUBLISHERHelping the Other HalfSimon Farrell

8 MEDIAUK–Japan News

11 EXECUTIVE DIRECTORFrom Dundee to MBELori Henderson MBE

12 MEDIAWhat you missed in the Japanese press

15 PRESIDENTUnleashing CreativityAlison Jambert

LEAD STORY16 Driving the Dragon Economy19 Getting the Word Out

21 ANNIVERSARYFriends by Mistake

22 INTERVIEWEU–Japan FTA: Update

25 VISAExiled from Home

27 CHARITYTurning On the Tap

31 TECHNOLOGYThe Power of Word of Mouth

INDUSTRYIT & Telecommunications33 IT: the Future Is Bright34 A-LIST

38 FOODReds in Bed

40 MOTORSWanted: Sponsors to Be Scared Silly

42 ENTERTAINMENTJourney to the Heart of Nature

44 MUSICBrighton Rocks Chiba Beach

46 ARTS EVENTSLegend of Rock at Hibiya Yaon Vol.5, Song for Marion, Kohei Koike Recorder Recital—Handel and His Contemporaries, Waste Land, 56th World Press Photo Contest, Lausanne Gala 2013—In Honour of Prince Takamado

48 COMMUNITYBCCJ, politics, embassy, anniversary, charity, sport, gardening, food, exhibition

51 HEALTHWhen the Cure Is Worse than the Disease

53 IF YOU ASK MEMy Brother and I

54 BOOK REVIEWSAdolescence without EndShutting out the Sun

The British Chamber of Commerce in Japan

BCCJ Mission To strengthen business ties between Britain and Japan, promote and support the business interests of all our Members, and actively encourage new business entrants into the Japanese market as well as Japanese investment into the UK.

Leaders President: Alison Jambert Eat Creative K.K.

Vice-president: Suzanne Price Price Global

Executive Staff Executive Director: Lori Henderson MBE

Operations Manager: Sanae Samata

Executive Committee Paul Atkinson | Individual Member

David Bickle | Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu

Ray Bremner OBE | Unilever Japan

Graham Davis | The Economist Group

James Dodds | KPMG

Simon Farrell | Custom Media K.K.

Philip T Gibb OBE | Individual Member

Anna Pinsky | Canning Professional K.K.

Suzanne Price | Price Global

Reiko Sakimura | Clifford Chance Law Office

Vishal Sinha | British Airways

Yayoi Sogo | Individual Member

Richard Thornley CBE | Rolls-Royce Japan Co., Ltd.

James Weeks | Kreab Gavin Anderson

Ex Officio Sue Kinoshita British Embassy Tokyo

Jeff Streeter British Council Japan

BCCJ ACUMEN Editor in Chief Simon Farrell

British Chamber of Commerce in Japan 12F Ark Mori Bldg. 1-12-32 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6012 Tel: (03) 4360-8361 Fax: (03) 4360-8454 [email protected] www.bccjapan.com

BCCJ ACUMEN is the magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan

JULY 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 5

Mark Schreiber is an author and translator who has been based in Tokyo since 1966. He was employed as a media analyst in market research before turning to freelance writing.

Ian de Stains OBE, a former BBC producer and presenter, has been based in Japan since 1976. From 1987 to 2011, he was BCCJ executive director. Ian now focuses on writing, consulting, coaching and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and convenor of its Japan [email protected]

Julian Ryall is Japan correspondent for The Daily Telegraph.

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Megan Waters is deputy editor at Custom Media K.K.

CONTRIBUTORS

www.bccjacumen.comProduced by Custom Media K.K.

Publisher Simon Farrell [email protected]

President Robert Heldt [email protected]

Creative Director Cliff Cardona

Art Director Paul Leonard

Deputy Editor Megan Waters

Client Services Manager Sam Bird [email protected]

Account Managers Leon van Houwelingen [email protected]

Kieran Quigley [email protected]

Account Executive Mareike Dornhege [email protected]

Marketing Executive Megumi Okazaki

Media Co-ordinator Yoko Yanagimoto

To advertise or order BCCJ ACUMEN: [email protected] Tel: (03) 6804-5267 Fax: (03) 6804-5268

Custom Media Publishers of BCCJ ACUMEN for the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan. Specialists in bilingual brand strategy/visual communications, corporate bespoke solutions. Producers of BIJ TV (businessinjapan.tv), the bilingual online video channel featuring successful business people in Japan.

Akasaka Palace Bldg. 1F 1-4-21 Moto-Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0051 www.custom-media.com

Warning/Disclaimer Custom Media and the BCCJ will not accept liability for any damages caused by the contents of BCCJ ACUMEN, including, but not limited to, any omissions, errors, facts or false statements. Opinions or advice expressed in BCCJ ACUMEN are not necessarily those of the BCCJ or Custom Media.

© 2013 Custom Media K.K.

Geoff Botting is a journalist and translator who has lived in Japan for 25 years.

Lalita Mosorin is the manager for Michael Page Technology in Japan, specialising in technology recruitment across commerce, telecommunications, consulting, B2B and B2C, retail and pharmaceutical. Lalita has been at Michael Page Japan since 2008.

Mike DeJong has been a journalist, broadcaster and public speaker for more than 25 years.

Vid Gunapala is the team leader for Michael Page Technology in Japan. He specialises in technology recruitment across securities, asset management, retail and commercial banks, consumer finance, finance focused consulting and insurance firms. He has worked at Michael Page Japan since 2010.

Dr Tom Lomax is a general practitioner at the Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic. After training in the UK, he obtained a Japanese medical licence in 2008.

Lori Henderson MBE has been BCCJ executive director since February 2011.

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Alison Jambert, a founding director of Tokyo-based branding agency Eat Creative K.K., became BCCJ President in April. Alison has over 20 years’ experience in marketing for premium brands and manages key accounts as well as business development.

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Contributions BCCJ Members and writers are welcome to submit ideas for content, which will

be decided on merit by the Editor. [email protected]

A Touch of Resort Within the City. The nearby Arisugawa Park makes you forget you are in the middle of the city. Ideally located in the Hiroo-Roppongi residential area (4 min. from Hiroo Sta.), close to the business heart of Tokyo, convenient to shopping and cafes, we have 60 units of extended-stay studios and suites for daily, weekly and monthly rates. English-speakingEnglish-speaking professionals are on duty seven days a week, from 8:00am to 8:00pm on weekdays and from 9:00am to 1:00pm & 2:00pm to 6:00pm on weekends and national holidays.We have a nighttime superintendent who assists during the eve-nings.

Our services include concierge, general information, mail/courier, free broadband internet access, and 24-hour building security.We are members of the Fitness Club Hiroo for exercise and fitness studio programs and tickets are for sale at the reception at ¥700/time.

Simon FarrellCustom [email protected]

P artner has become a popular word, with many couples, sponsors, firms, friends, colleagues, countries and ideologues preferring this

warm and fuzzy term to “the missus”, “comrade” or “collaborate”.

For members who suggested more BCCJ events that clearly demonstrate the UK–Japan partnership, three functions have been lined up.

Join us on 18 July at the Conrad Tokyo for 400 Night, to celebrate four centuries of diplomatic, trading and cultural relations between two distant island nations that share much more than an appreciation of a good cup of tea.

This national dress event will feature a slideshow of Choshu Five images, historic maps, photos from 65 years of the BCCJ’s highlights and recent events, as well as games, prizes and refreshments.

On 23 July, InterFM Executive Director Peter Barakan will lead a panel discussion on UK music as an export to Japan, the

state of broadcast media here, and how he is turning around his radio station. As someone who would tune in to radio much more if there were less jive and more jazz, I am looking forward to this one.

Many Japanese like to say how much they love nature, often to cynical foreigners who take for granted organisations such as the UK’s National Trust, and look aghast at the concrete and metal carbuncles that blot an otherwise stunning countryside here.

On 10 September, the Association of National Trusts in Japan presents the case for corporate partners and explains its very different history, culture, vision and challenges. One of its key sponsors will talk about private-sector involvement and how we can help.

Sadly, one partnership has ended in tears. The International Theatre Company London—which performs every year in Japan at universities, high schools and other venues—has lost its sponsor to bankruptcy.

With Japanese subtitles, the six professional actors perform on a shoestring, and to a very high standard, many classic Shakespeare and modern plays, as well as dramatisations of novels.

If your firm is interested in supporting the arts while subsidising ticket sales as a marketing opportunity or to help UK–Japan cultural ties, please email me.

I am often buttonholed at events, for which I am grateful, most recently by a lecturer from an elite university who said she looks forward to using ACUMEN in the classroom, as some content is more relevant than a textbook. I hope we didn’t damage her students’ education too much in the June issue, where we misspelled Prince Akishino on page 9 and made conductor Bernard Haitink KBE look left-handed on page 44. Sorry for that.

PUBLISHER

Helping the Other Half

LATEST UK–JAPAN REPORTS

8 | BCCJ ACUMEN | JULY 2013

Royal Visits Worcester Tool Factory

Prince Charles visited the Yamazaki Mazak Corporation factory in Worcester to learn about its highly regarded training programmes for young workers, The Japan Times reported on 6 June.

He hoped to find out more about both the firm’s apprenticeship scheme and its investment in young engineers.

Yamazaki is one of the world’s leading

machine tool manufacturers and makes numerically controlled metal-cutting and laser-processing machine tools for British and European markets.

Yamazaki’s British operation, which employs 500 people, has twice received the Queen’s Award for international trade in recognition of its contribution to the British export economy.

Crisp Maker to Supply 7-ElevenTyrrells Potato Crisps Ltd has secured its biggest-ever overseas listing with a deal to sell its products at 7-Eleven stores in Japan, The Grocer reported on 29 May.

The firm plans to supply two flavours of its crisps to 5,000 of the convenience chain stores in Japan—the firm’s latest Asian market after China and India.

Owner Langholm Capital has put the crisp manufacturer up for sale.

Bangor Biscuit Firm Receives Big Order from Tokyo RetailerA Bangor-based biscuit firm has won orders for its shamrock-shaped shortbread and oatmeal biscuits from Japanese retailer Otomo Shoji, the Belfast Telegraph reported on 17 June.

Grace’s Traditional Irish Biscuits has received orders from the Osaka-based business—which has about 100 shops in Japan—following an internet inquiry.

The biscuit maker, focused on building sales in global markets, has given a boost to other Northern Ireland firms involved in developing and shipping the biscuits.

BCCJ Firms’ Relief Efforts Help Tohoku SMEsBritish firms in Japan have devised a special programme to reinvigorate businesses in Tohoku that were affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, The Japan Times reported on 29 June.

Members of the BCCJ—including member firms GlaxoSmithKline K.K., Unilever, Jaguar Land Rover Limited and

HSBC Holdings plc—assisted with relief operations, sent supplies, and raised ¥8.3mn to fund projects designed to help small firms and communities in the region.

Although the amount of financial aid given was relatively small, the BCCJ’s Back to Business initiative—according to which BCCJ members travelled to disaster areas

to identify businesses and communities requiring specific assistance—has been identified as special among foreign chambers of commerce in Japan and the international community’s relief efforts.

The BCCJ can also act as a channel for British firms interested in setting up operations in Tohoku.

Poll Reveals Peaceful NationsJapan is the sixth-most peaceful country in the world, while the UK is in 44th place, according to the 2013 Global Peace Index, issued on 11 June.

In its annual report, the Institute for Economics and Peace ranks 162 countries. It measures security in society, the extent of conflict and the degree of militarisation. From this one can see how world peace has changed over time.

The poll shows that levels of peace in the surveyed nations have fallen 5% since 2008, and that in recent years the number and intensity of internal conflicts have

risen. Meanwhile, the number of intra-state hostilities have fallen.

Topping the list is Iceland, with its political stability, low homicide rate and small prison population. Japan, with strict laws on the possession of firearms and good relations with neighbouring countries, has come in sixth. Afghanistan was in last place.

Countries are assessed based on 22 indicators that measure internal peace, as well as on external peace indicators.

The report reveals that the major threats to peace exist within—rather than outside—national borders.

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The Prince of Wales toured Yamazaki manufacturing facility to learn about its programmes for young employees.

Two Tyrells’ crisp flavours will be sold in 7-Elevens here.

Football Team Sign Global DealManchester City Football Club will join forces with carmaker Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. to take advantage of the team’s growing popularity, Mancunian Matters reported on 12 June.

The deal will see the oldest car manufacturer in Japan become the English Premier team’s official automotive partner in Indonesia next season—the first football club to do so in Daihatsu’s 106-year history.

In summer, and as part of the club’s South-East Asian tour, City players will travel to Indonesia and film a TV advert for the motor firm.

TV Show Spotlights Popular Lake DistrictThe Lake District is to be the focus of an episode of the Tabi Salad TV programme, broadcast to more than 9.6mn viewers in Japan, The Westmoorland Gazette reported on 14 June.

The visit reflects an increased interest in the area, which has long been a popular destination for Japanese tourists due to their interest in the Beatrix Potter books.

The area is the second-most popular destination in the UK for Japanese tourists.

Man Sues Travel AgencyA man from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, who believes he was abandoned by his tour guide at Heathrow Airport, is suing Hankyu Travel (Osaka), the Japan Daily Press reported on 7 June.

The man, who speaks very little English, is seeking ¥4mn from the travel agency for the pain and suffering he claims he endured after being left alone in a strange place.

There is a strict luggage screening policy at the airport and, it seems, the tourist missed his flight following his random selection to have his luggage inspected. Unable to find his tour guide he missed boarding his flight, and was left behind.

The man’s lawyers believe the tour guide should have remained in the airport to help the passenger.


Record Exports for Scots Cloth FirmsTextile firms north of the border have secured record sales of £1.3mn in Japan over the past year, after adopting a new strategy to increase business in the Far East, the London Press Service reported on 2 April.

The partnership among Scottish Development International, the Scottish government, Scottish Enterprise, and the Highlands and Islands Enterprise focuses on working with key individuals with influence and retailers in Asia to increase opportunities for firms in Scotland.

The strategy has already proved successful. A Scottish fair at the Hankyu Hanshin Department Store, Inc. in November last year saw sales of £540,000 for the firms involved. Meanwhile, six firms—including Harris Tweed Hebrides—successfully showcased their products on a Japanese TV channel last December. LO

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Unusual Board to Be Displayed in KentChiddingstone Castle in Kent is to exhibit a shogi board as part of its celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the establishment of British trade relations with Japan, Kent News reported on 6 June.

Sets for playing shogi—a Japanese game similar to chess—traditionally have had pieces and the board made of wood, while more luxurious sets had lacquered boards, decorated with gold.

However, the board to be exhibited in Kent—on loan from the Horniman Museum in London—is made of Japanese Kutani porcelain and is thought to date from the 19th century.

Sandwich Index’s Priciest CitiesTokyo is the seventh most expensive city in the world while London is in eighth position, according to a survey for holidaymakers conducted by Hotels.com and released on 13 June.

The Club Sandwich Index, now in its second year, uses the most common item—the club sandwich—on hotel menus around the world as an affordability barometer for holidaymakers.

Geneva took the top spot as the most expensive city in the world in which to order the sandwich. The average price there

is £19.96. The leading provider of hotel accommodation found that the same item costs, on average, the equivalent of £13.57 in Tokyo and £13.53 in London. New Delhi remained the cheapest destination in which to buy the sandwich (£5.97).

The average price is calculated from actual prices paid by guests for the snack in 30 hotels—in five, four and three star categories—either in the capital or an important tourist city of the country being considered. In all, 840 hotels worldwide were surveyed.

Fashion Brand’s 30th AnniversaryA designer is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the opening of her first shop in Japan, the Daily Telegraph reported on 7 June.

Today there are 94 Margaret Howell stores across Japan, nine having opened in the past year, and others scheduled to do so later in the year. In the UK, the brand has just four stores and one outlet.

The designer attributes the brand’s success here to a combination of consistently high-quality design and fabrics.

Not only is Japan the third-most important market for the British fashion industry, but it is also often the starting point for the expansion of British brands in Asia.

ZERO DISTANCE –

THE NEW PROXIMITY

TO CUSTOMERS.

a problem is not a problem when complex systems react immediately.

Your customers should not be affected, when unforeseen events surface.That’s why decisions need to be made and set into motion immediately. Take the Total Airport Management System, for example, which – in thecase of delayed flights – provides all airport employees with informationand shortens waiting times for passengers – enabled by T-Systems.www.t-systems.com/zero-distance

210x297_AZ_Robbe_DE_EN.indd 1 04.07.13 12:34

Lori Henderson MBEBCCJ Executive Director

After talking about Japan and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, I was asked a number of probing questions such as “Why didn’t your building fall down?” and “Have you been to Spain?”.

On 10 June I visited the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) in London and discussed a variety of possible synergies between our organisations, including private sector support for the Japan Matsuri, scheduled to take place in Trafalgar Square on 4 October.

I have since connected the JCCI with the British Council in Japan, regarding a forthcoming mission to the UK, where a JCCI member will address Japanese students on the theme of global jinzai.

Such introductions are a core—although often underplayed—function of the BCCJ.

On the same day, I met the BBC World Business Matters team at the BBC’s new

headquarters. In the summer, I will appear on the programme. It is a live show, with discussion of the business and economic news it covers, aimed at listeners in the US and Asia.

The BBC is interested in connecting with BCCJ members regarding current affairs in the region, so please stay tuned for more information.

Later, I was lucky enough to be given a guided tour of the House of Commons and the House of Lords by Lord Jack McConnell, the first minister of Scotland (2001–2007).

On 11 June, I spoke at the Japan Society on “The Road to Recovery”, detailing five lessons that were learned from the BCCJ’s post-3/11 relief and reconstruction activities.

Moderated by Sir David Warren, the presentation on our Back to Business initiative prompted a lively 45-minute question and answer session, with many of the audience keen to hear what was happening on the ground in Tohoku. Hosted at JETRO, the event will be covered by Kyodo News later this month.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A ccompanied by my parents and brother, I collected my MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) at Buckingham

Palace on 7 June.I was honoured to receive the

medal for services to post-earthquake reconstruction and to the British business community in Japan, awarded in The Queen’s 2013 New Year Honours List.

Words cannot really do justice to the splendour of the investiture experience; suffice to say that no one delivers fanfare, ceremony and tradition quite like the British.

During my trip to the UK I had the opportunity to speak at the graduation ceremony of my old high school about my journey from Dundee to the BCCJ via the University of St Andrews.

I’m not afraid to admit that I hadn’t felt as nervous in a long time at the thought of facing a gym full of 400 teenagers. This is proof, perhaps, that no matter how far you think you’ve come, or how much you feel you’ve achieved, the thought of getting ready for high school still has the power to make one feel a little queasy.

Another crowd I faced was a class of 30, comprising five-year-olds, for whom I assumed the role of mystery reader at my nephew’s primary school in Epsom, Surrey.

From Dundee to MBEA snapshot of my recent trip to the UK

ZERO DISTANCE –

THE NEW PROXIMITY

TO CUSTOMERS.

a problem is not a problem when complex systems react immediately.

Your customers should not be affected, when unforeseen events surface.That’s why decisions need to be made and set into motion immediately. Take the Total Airport Management System, for example, which – in thecase of delayed flights – provides all airport employees with informationand shortens waiting times for passengers – enabled by T-Systems.www.t-systems.com/zero-distance

210x297_AZ_Robbe_DE_EN.indd 1 04.07.13 12:34


BY MARK SCHREIBER

WHAT YOU MISSED IN THE JAPANESE PRESS

MEDIA

“Moonlighting” Mini Cafes Perk up Coffee SalesAccording to the All Japan Coffee Association, the number of coffee shops in Japan in 1981 peaked at 154,630, while the figure for 2012 is expected to reach about 67,000.

This implies not so much a drop in coffee’s popularity as it does diversification of how the beverage is marketed.

Nikkei Business (17 June) reported that in May, Nestlé Professional, a division of Nestlé Japan, launched their Nescafé Milano dispenser machine for the food service industry and their ProCare beverage service programme.

As part of the ProCare programme, shops or outlets can rent a Nescafé Milano machine for a flat monthly payment of

just ¥15,750. In addition, they will receive continuous technical maintenance, café management support and promotional displays. The firm expects to have 500 machine placements by the end of 2013.

The outlets are free to set their own prices, but their merchandise offerings (up to 14 different blends) are expected to undersell the major chains.

Some 60% of the existing owners of the machines are food and beverage outlets, bars and ice-cream parlours, with the remaining 40% located in retail outlets such as bookstores seeking to make use of surplus space.

Nestlé’s marketing manager described the new business—made possible by

lending the coffee-making equipment—as “moonlighting cafes”.

In addition, coffee importer Key Coffee Inc. is seeking to expand its Key café mini-outlets that can be set up in a space as small as 9.9m2.

Currently there are 13 mini-cafés, and the firm hopes to have 30 of the turnkey operations up and running by the end of the year. Key Coffee provides all the equipment necessary, including menus.

Since the firm eschews a franchising system for these cafés, customers are not obliged to pay licensing fees or royalties. The outlets are treated as a niche business, able to fill … small niches.

Keeping up with a 42-year tradition, the Nikkei Marketing Journal (19 June) announced its midyear list of hitto shohin (popular products).

Using an elaborately lettered sumo-style banzuke design, the thrice-weekly publication, which has picked hit products and services in Japan since December 1971, named high-priced wristwatches, jewellery items and home loans as its respective east and west yokozuna (grand champions).

The watches earned top rating according to sales figures issued by Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co. Ltd., which reported a 75% year-on-year increase—perhaps buoyed by Abenomics.

Meanwhile, loosening of the money supply by the Bank of Japan led large numbers of borrowers to inquire about refinancing their mortgages based on historically low fixed rates.

Other strong contenders included Thai tourists in Japan. Having taken advantage of the drop in the value of the yen, their numbers increased for 13 straight months.

In addition, Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. outlets sold 65mn cups of self-service coffee; Dutch electronics giant Philips scored big with its electric multi-cooker that requires no oil; while Ginza’s rebuilt Kabukiza theatre, which opened in April, was expecting 1.1mn visitors in its first year, a projected increase of 20%.

Further down the list was the Volkswagen up!, a one-litre, three-cylinder compact car that in October went on sale in Japan at the basic list price of ¥1.49mn. Since going on sale, Volkswagen Japan has sold over 10,000 units of the vehicle.

Also selling well have been action cameras, which are fastened to helmets or skis to safely record videos while users are engaged in frantic activity.

And Mount Fuji—now a World Heritage Site—is expecting a flood of visitors during the summer climbing season.

The newspaper bestowed special prizes on Tokyo Disney Resort on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, and a “nice try” award on beef bowl chain Yoshinoya Co., Ltd. for offering extra-cheap ¥280 special meals.

For reasons that should require no explanation, this summer’s zannen-sho (booby prize) went to the Boeing 787.

Bling and Home Loans Are Midyear Hits

Over 10,000 units of the Volkswagen up!, with a base price of ¥1.49mn each, have been sold here since going on the market in October.

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MEDIA

Shukan Toyo Keizai’s 25 May issue featured a comprehensive review of Japan’s air and hotel industries.

Of particular interest are the top five performers among the nation’s major hotels in each of four categories (the latest data is from FY2011).

Gearing Up for New WardrobesAccording to the Nikkei Marketing Journal, an internet survey of 1,000 Japanese adults by Macromill, Inc. found that 60.3% of respondents expected purchases of clothes to stay about the same, 20.1% said they would increase outlays this year, while 14.4% said outlays were likely to decline.

The main reason for increased outlays, stated by 54.8%, was “I held back too long on purchases”, followed by “My income will probably increase” (23.9%), and “I need more gear for travel or leisure” (17.4%).

The top item most likely to be purchased for males and females alike was T-shirts, with 45.4% and 50.6%, respectively. After that, the items deviate, with males naming functional underwear, jeans, dress shirts and trousers to complete the top five, while women named dresses, functional underwear, blouses and skirts.

Nearly half (45.6%) the respondents said their outlays would range between ¥10,000 and ¥30,000, and another 29.8% said they expected to spend less than ¥10,000.

Another item on the same page gave the results of a survey, by household goods maker Lion Corporation, of 400 adults aged 20–60. The poll asked if they habitually washed newly purchased clothes and other items before wearing them. Some 62.4% said they did, of whom 26.4% said they always did so, and 36% who said they did on some occasions.

Items most likely to be washed before being worn included towels, T-shirts and cutsew garments. The main reasons stated for washing included, “They were touched by other people” (37.3%), “the odour bothers me” (35.8%); and “I want to wash out residual chemicals” (33.6%).

The largest segment who said they don’t wash new things (47.0%) were males aged 40–50.

Putting the Alpha into Accommodation

Since opening in 1999, the Comfort Hotel chain has adopted a similar tack. It offers a “hitsuji (sheep) room” in some of its hotels with bedding and lighting that is aimed at enhancing sleep.

The hotels also feature choice pillows in all guest rooms. The oversized pillows have different padding in the centre and at the ends, to provide support for different sleeping positions. They have made such a favourable impression on guests that the hotel chain has sold more than 10,000 of them, at ¥7,800 each. (No mention is made of how many have been purloined).

At the other end of the hospitality spectrum, Japan’s business hotels have been appealing to travellers by emphasising kaimin (a good nights’ sleep), reported travel writer Noriko Shioda.

One such example is Hankyu-Hanshin-Daiichi Hotel Group’s Remm chain. In addition to a bed, each guest room is equipped with an electric massage chair, a special rain-type showerhead, and a choice of three varieties of pillow.

The rooms are also available for daytime naps at the rate of ¥8,000 for six hours.

Since its opening in 2007, the Remm Hibiya Hotel has maintained an occupancy rate of over 80%. “Many of our guests are repeat customers who are seeking that ‘plus alpha’ element from their accommodation and are willing to pay extra out of their own pockets, on top of their per diem budget”, said staff member Eri Nozawa. The firm also operates branches in Akihabara and has one branch in Osaka.

The Comfort Hotel’s “sheep room” has bedding and lighting aimed at enhancing sleep.

5,818 4,0285,700 4,5254,954

Food and beverage sales (in millions of yen)

Imperial (Tokyo)

Hotel Okura (Tokyo)

Rhiga Royal (Osaka)

New Otani (Tokyo)

Keio Plaza (Tokyo)

11,613 5,1435,8526,9658,403

Banquet sales (in millions of yen)

Imperial (Tokyo)

Rhiga Royal (Osaka)

Hotel Okura (Tokyo)

Imperial (Osaka)

Hotel Nikko (Tokyo)

55,256 45,00045,43555,00055,000

Price per room (in yen)

Allamanda Shigira Bayside

Suite (Okinawa)

Tokyo Disney Sea MiraCosta

Tokyo Disneyland

Hotel

Mandarin Oriental (Tokyo)

Disney Ambassador

(Urayasu)

96.4 93.193.394.095.9

Room occupancy rate (%)

Harumi Grand (Tokyo)

Dai-Ichi (Osaka)

Daiwa Roynet (Sendai)

New Otani Inn (Yokohama)

Trusty Abeno (Osaka)

Celebrating One Year!

2-16-11 Kaminarimon Taito-kuTokyo 111-0034

Tel: 03-5826-3877 | Fax: 03-5826-3871

www.gate-hotel.jp

Kaminarimon

Tokyo Metro Ginza LineAsakusa Station Exit 2

Toei Asakusa LineAsakusa Station Exit A4

Kaminarimon Dori

Since opening last year, we have been offering warm and professional hospitality with skilled staff who are trained as Asakusa Concierges, a tempting 24-hour restaurant, comfortable guest rooms, and a prime view of both new and old Tokyo from the terrace. These services have been highly appreciated by our customers, and the number of repeat clients is increasing.

We have been focusing on providing a local-based service, which has been a great success. We are very happy that shop owners in Asakusa and people who work in the area use our hotel as a meeting place.

Thank you for your support and we hope to see you all at the THE GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON by HULIC this summer!

Special Plans

13F Restaurant & Bar1–10 August (dinner time only)—• Special meat selection (¥810)• Glass of champagne (¥810)

Balcony Suite RoomOne-night stay for two people, ¥100,000 (service charge and tax included)1–31 August—• Asakusa Concierge service• 24-hour stay available• Unlimited use of 13F Restaurant & Bar• Jinrikisha rickshaw service

(30 minutes)• Please enquire at the reception about

our other services

For more details, please visit our website.

Keisuke Uno, General Manager

gatehotel_julyad.indd 1 7/4/13 11:06 AM

But is Japan making the most of this brilliance? Or could it do better?

In this context, we are constantly being reminded of the need to foster creative thinking and encourage innovation in both schools and the workplace.

Just as firms must compete internationally, global competition is intensifying for all graduates. The debate in Japan’s education-related circles is ongoing.

At the chamber, we like to believe we are providing a platform that will allow new things to develop. Be it inspiration sparked by a thought leader or connections which are made, that kernel of an idea could mean the start of a new business venture.

The British Business Awards (BBA) were developed to recognise the successes of our members and their contribution to the UK–Japan relationship.

Nomination categories for this year’s BBA will be published on the BCCJ website later this month, but there’s one special prize I’d like to draw to your attention.

This year, we’re very happy to announce a new award category for Global Talent, sponsored by the British Council Japan.

Global talent development—perhaps better known as global jinzai—is

currently a buzzword in Japan’s business community. It is recognised as one of the key challenges facing Japanese business when it comes to overseas expansion.

At the BCCJ, we believe that an open, creative and diverse workplace with equal opportunities is key in developing creativity, creating future leaders, and driving the economy.

The British Council award will recognise corporate contributions to the cultivation and development of global talent within Japan.

Please visit the BCCJ website for information on how to prepare nominations for all BBA categories, including the Company of the Year and UK–Japan Partnership.

We’re looking forward to helping you share and celebrate your achievements.

As we head into summer, I would like to extend my best wishes to those who will be travelling during the holiday season. And gambatte to those who suffer due to the humidity and heat of the Japanese summer.

PRESIDENT

T he UK and Japan share a rich creative heritage that includes architects, musicians, filmmakers, video game developers, fashion designers

and technologists across a broad range of industries.

Japanese contemporary culture influences and fascinates people far from these shores. Its glow has pull particularly among those in younger generations.

According to a UK survey, Japan is the world’s most creative country, and Tokyo the city in which most creativity blooms. And, of course, Japan’s appreciation of quality, authenticity and originality provides massive business opportunities for products that are made in the UK.

Unleashing CreativityAn open, creative and diverse workplace is key for creativity, making future leaders, and driving the economy

Alison JambertBCCJ President@BCCJ_President

VICTORIACAZZOLIPHOTOGRAPHY

“There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human

resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress,

and we would be forever repeating the same patterns”.

Edward de Bono Maltese physician,

author, inventor and consultant

Celebrating One Year!

2-16-11 Kaminarimon Taito-kuTokyo 111-0034

Tel: 03-5826-3877 | Fax: 03-5826-3871

www.gate-hotel.jp

Kaminarimon

Tokyo Metro Ginza LineAsakusa Station Exit 2

Toei Asakusa LineAsakusa Station Exit A4

Kaminarimon Dori

Since opening last year, we have been offering warm and professional hospitality with skilled staff who are trained as Asakusa Concierges, a tempting 24-hour restaurant, comfortable guest rooms, and a prime view of both new and old Tokyo from the terrace. These services have been highly appreciated by our customers, and the number of repeat clients is increasing.

We have been focusing on providing a local-based service, which has been a great success. We are very happy that shop owners in Asakusa and people who work in the area use our hotel as a meeting place.

Thank you for your support and we hope to see you all at the THE GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON by HULIC this summer!

Special Plans

13F Restaurant & Bar1–10 August (dinner time only)—• Special meat selection (¥810)• Glass of champagne (¥810)

Balcony Suite RoomOne-night stay for two people, ¥100,000 (service charge and tax included)1–31 August—• Asakusa Concierge service• 24-hour stay available• Unlimited use of 13F Restaurant & Bar• Jinrikisha rickshaw service

(30 minutes)• Please enquire at the reception about

our other services

For more details, please visit our website.

Keisuke Uno, General Manager

gatehotel_julyad.indd 1 7/4/13 11:06 AM

To view interviews or subscribe: BIJ.TV

Would you like to be interviewed or have your event covered by BIJ.TV? Contact: [email protected] | 03-6804-5267

LATEST INTERVIEWSThe first online bilingual video channel dedicated to successful

Expertly produced bilingual video interviews featuring top executives and other thought leaders in Japan and abroad.

See and hear experts analyse key industry issues, trends and insights with subtitles in Japanese or English.

New videos are emailed to our vast database of key business decision-makers every month.

Business in JapanINTERVIEW WITH BCCJ

PRESIDENT ALISON JAMBERT

DEVELOPING FUTURE LEADERS IN ASIA

Elected in April 2013, BCCJ President Alison Jambert tells us what one of the biggest and most influential foreign business membership organisations in Tokyo stands for.

In BIJ.TV’s first role play, David Wagner, a partner in The Carter Group, demonstrates the process and importance of communicative skills and the power of persuasion.


By Julian Ryall

• Pharma, biotech, telecoms, jewellery, food • Warm welcome, near key markets, value• Brands feature history, heritage, quality

J apanese corporations hold Welsh engineering and technological prowess in high esteem, while consumers in Japan are keen on the high-end, niche products

that are increasingly emerging from Welsh firms.

And, judging from the consumption of Welsh ales and ciders at the 12 June British Embassy Tokyo reception, the Japanese have a soft spot for Welsh exports that come in kegs and bottles.

The reception was held at the official residence of British Ambassador Tim Hitchens to mark a visit to Japan both by Edwina Hart, the Welsh government’s minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology & Science, and the Wales national rugby union team.

“There has been significant investment from Japan into Wales, with the first such investment back in 1972”, said Ambassador Hitchens. “And many of those early entrants are present there to this day”.

According to the ambassador, the three key attractions that draw Japanese

Contracts for the Welsh government, told BCCJ ACUMEN.

“There seems to be so much talk now about China and opportunities that might exist there, but we’re actually really trying to target Japan at the moment”, said James, who is on his third trade mission to Japan.

“We see this as a market with fantastic opportunities because there are more than 120mn people [in Japan], who are largely affluent and generally have pretty sophisticated tastes. The companies here like our technology and there is a business structure in place that is similar to what we have in the UK”, he explained.

“The last point is important because our companies can rest assured that deals and payments are going to be secure, while there is also protection of intellectual property rights in this country”.

Several of the firms that took part in the mission have experience in exporting to overseas markets in Europe or North America. Having got the hang of relatively straightforward markets that are closer to home, they are looking to stretch their wings in a more distant environment.

For the firms making their first foray into Japan, James’ team had arranged a series of introductory meetings with potential distributors or clients in their sectors. However, for the firms with some

Driving the New Dragon Economy Welsh target Tokyo for exports and investment

to do business in Wales are the very warm Welsh welcome, the easy access to significant markets in the rest of the UK and in Europe, as well as the affordability of investing in Wales compared with other parts of the UK.

Standing beside the Welsh flag, Hart echoed the sentiments and underlined the importance of the “enduring and excellent relationship that has developed” between Japan and Wales. Hart and the rest of the Welsh government team were also keen to promote the eight firms that were taking part in the eight-day trade mission.

“Our aims can be summed up as [acquiring] more exports and more exporters”, Paul James, manager of International Trade Programmes and

LEAD STORY

“There has been significant investment from Japan into Wales, with the first such investment back

in 1972”.


experience of doing businesses here, the task was more one of facilitating meetings with old clients, or building ties with new partners, he explained.

“I’ll be very pleased with any deals that are signed as a result of this mission, but we’re particularly looking for longer-term deals that will run over four or five years and keep these companies coming back”, he said. “The financial scale of the deal is less important right now than giving these companies a new string for their bow”.

One of the newcomers to the Japanese market was Clogau Gold of Wales Ltd. The “phenomenal” reaction the firm received when it recently started making its designs available on board Japan Airlines (JAL) flights indicates that there is a market here for its traditional and more contemporary designs.

“This is a fact-finding trip for me as I really needed to be here to experience the culture and to understand where we need to be aiming our brand in Japan”, said Aran Turner, manager of the firm’s international customer services.

The Clogau brand appeals to Japanese consumers because of its history and heritage, Turner said. Gold was first discovered in the Clogau Gold Mine in the hills of Snowdonia more than 150 years ago. The jewellery brand was founded in the early 1990s by the Roberts family to ensure that the gold still being excavated from Welsh mountains goes into fine handcrafted jewellery.

The firm won the Brand of the Year prize at the UK Jewellery Awards 2012. This, and the fact that the British Royal

Europe. When I look at the market here, I see lots of potential”, Battersby said.

Meetings with distributors were positive while two potential end-users were “chomping at the bit” to put the systems to use.

“We can work with end-users from a distance, but we will definitely have to come back to work at the distributor level”, he said. “And we’re happy to do that as we start to consolidate relationships.

“I have high hopes for the Japanese market”, he added.

Keith Harris, managing director of specialist chemical manufacturer ISCA UK Ltd., had also enjoyed positive meetings with six potential distributors in Tokyo and Osaka.

Experts in preservative chemicals used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, ISCA UK already works in other markets with some of the big names in Japan’s personal care sector, including Lion Corporation and Kao Corporation.

“We already have close ties with some of the very biggest companies in the industry and we hope that will translate into a presence and sales here in Japan”, Harris said. “We appreciate that it will be a long road but, once we have a foothold, we intend to be here for the long run”.

And that will probably mean opening an office to handle the Japanese side of the Newport-based firm’s operations, he said.

“That’s the sort of presence we want and I’m very optimistic about the market here for us”, he added.

Family has been using Welsh gold for their wedding rings since 1923, are viewed most favourably by Japanese consumers.

“JAL customers certainly understood our brand and in the month that we [advertised on] the front cover of their in-flight sales magazine and had a double-page spread inside, we had one of our best sales months ever”, Turner said.

Other firms taking part in the mission included Abergavenny Fine Food Co., which has previously held exploratory talks with Costco Wholesale Japan, Ltd; pharmaceutical and biotechnology experts Simbec Research Ltd.; and woollen products manufacturers Melin Tregwynt.

Aloha Telecommunications Ltd aimed to build bridges with Japanese firms in the data and telecom sector, while the chief executive officer of IQE plc, Dr Andrew Nelson, brought cutting-edge technology to Japan in the shape of advanced semiconductor wafers with a wide range of applications.

Meanwhile, Chepstow-based Reid Lifting Limited explored opportunities in Japan for its lightweight, portable lifting equipment. Its award-winning designs have proved popular across a wide range of industrial sectors, from construction to clean environments such as the Vatican.

“These are pioneering devices and this year we have won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in two categories”, said Managing Director Nicholas Battersby.

“We have been around for a few years now and also sell [our products] in

LEAD STORY

The Fujisawa Male Choir sang Welsh songs at the event.

Hart ... underlined the importance of the “enduring and excellent relationship that has developed” between Japan and Wales.


Getting the Word Out:Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Note: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a Welsh village with the UK’s longest place name.

region that a Japanese school was set up in 1973 to meet the needs of the families of the burgeoning number of investors and employees who had exchanged Japan for Wales.

The Wales Japan Club operates a Saturday school for children where they can learn about Japanese culture, and helps to make the transition easier when they return home.

Senior Japanese executives who were posted to Wales, and developed a close affinity for the nation and its people, in 1991 set up Clwb Hiraeth (hiraeth meaning “longing” in Welsh). The club’s members see themselves as ambassadors for the nation.

Unsurprisingly, the first chairman of the club was an executive of Takiron.

“Japanese investment into Wales is very important and we are keen to make it even more attractive through measures such as enhancing our infrastructure and helping provide training for the workforce”, she said.

“This is encouraging to Japanese firms, who see us as a springboard into Europe, and like that we are comfortable with [the Continent]”, she added. “It also helps that we are a hands-on government and we very much want to [maintain for] our partners that open-door approach”.

Additional positives are the stability that exists in the Welsh economy, the flexibility of the workforce, and links between Wales and Japan in the area of higher education.

Students from the highly regarded Tokyo Women’s Medical University, for example, take part in exchanges with Cardiff University, a world leader in biomedical research and life sciences.

Another sector that Hart was keen to emphasise during her first visit to Japan is tourism, an area in which she admitted that Wales is “starting at a low base” compared with the rest of the UK.

“We have to analyse [Wales’] demand within the overall UK tourism market, but we are very much trying to attract more Japanese to come to Wales when they arrive in Britain”, she said. “We have some wonderful castles and golf courses and can offer great day outings, but we need to get the word out”.

Hart agreed that the two Welsh football teams—Cardiff and Swansea—now in the Premier League would go far in attracting more Japanese football fans were either or both to sign a high-profile Japanese player.

While Wales may not have a colossal corporation looking to set up manufacturing or large-scale sales operations in Japan, there are a surprising number of specialist or niche firms that have either already made their mark on the Japanese marketplace or have high hopes of doing so in the future.

Representatives of eight firms accompanied the minister on her visit and attended a reception dinner at the British Embassy Tokyo on 12 June, along with the Welsh national rugby team, who defeated their Japanese counterparts in Osaka on 8 June, but lost their second match in Tokyo one week later.

“We have wonderful relations with Japan and, even though we are such a long way apart, I can honestly say that the Welsh people have taken the Japanese to their hearts”, she said. “It’s a lot more than just business: we both share a love of music and dragons, after all”.

LEAD STORY

By Julian Ryall

• Wales hosts 50 Japanese firms • Forty years since first firm arrived• Stable economy, flexible workforce• Castles, golf courses and day trips

S ome of the biggest names in Japan’s corporate world—from Sony Corporation, Fujitsu and Olympus Corporation, to Panasonic Corporation,

Toyota Motor Corporation and Hoya Corporation—already have a firm foothold in Wales. But Edwina Hart says there is plenty of room for more.

Hart, the Welsh government’s minister responsible for business, enterprise, technology and science, was in Tokyo with a delegation of Wales-based firms in mid-June to promote the opportunities that exist in a nation that she believes has a lot in common with Japan.

“There are 50 Japanese companies in Wales [that employ] more then 6,000 people and have been key investors with us for more than 40 years now”, Hart told BCCJ ACUMEN.

“We see ourselves very much as partners and we are here to show what we have to offer”, she said. “We want to consolidate the very good relationships that we already have with Japanese companies and convince more to come to Wales”.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the founding in South Wales of Takiron (UK) Ltd., the British unit of the Japanese PVC sheeting manufacturer. The venture has been so successful and has attracted so many other Japanese firms to the

Hart addressed attendees of a reception dinner held before the Tokyo rugby match.

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The following companies join BCCJ ACUMEN in celebrating four centuries of Japan–UK ties.

www.devere-group.com

20 | BCCJ ACUMEN | JUNE 2013


Custom Media

A s Britain and Japan mark 400 years of close diplomatic and trade ties—an occasion celebrated in both countries with a series of

events throughout the year—it is worth remembering that the relationship originally came about primarily as a result of misunderstanding and misconception on the part of the British.

Professor Timon Screech is head of History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and co-chair of the Japan400 organising committee. In this capacity, he delivered a lecture on 11 June at the British Embassy Tokyo, where he pointed out that the Clove had arrived off the coast of Hirado, Kyushu, four centuries earlier to the day.

The vessel belonged to the East India Company and had aboard an elegantly designed letter from King James I, as well as gifts for the “emperor of Japan”, by which they meant Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had officially retired but still guided the ruling hand of his son, Hidetada, the titular shogun of Edo.

The first British diplomatic mission to Japan was headed by John Saris of the East India Company. He was quickly contacted by William Adams, an English seaman who, already in the country some 12 years, had arrived aboard a Dutch ship and had become a trusted friend and adviser to Ieyasu.

The new arrivals received lavish gifts from their hosts, including gold screens

that since have been lost to history, and two suits of armour, which are kept in the Tower of London.

However, it was a vermilion seal letter (known as a shuinjo) that Saris wanted. Once granted, the letter—which has also survived to this day—gave British nationals official permission to reside in Japan and set up trading stations.

It is at this point, Professor Screech said, that England’s errors become apparent.

“We may ask just what the English thought they were doing in Japan; why go?” Screech said. “Today, it seems obvious—Japan being such a rich and advanced nation—but the East India Company was a spice trading enterprise and Japan [had] no spices”.

The decision to send a ship to Japan was made more than a decade after the firm’s founding in 1600. Then facing stiff competition from the Dutch and Portuguese, the firm was seeking to discover and develop new markets.

According to Screech, a costly expedition to Japan was considered worthwhile for three reasons. “But all three were complete errors”, he said.

The first misconception was Japan’s size. “Japan had never been mapped by Europeans, who relied on Japanese depictions, with European cartographers simply inserting these into their own world maps”, he explained. “Every European map of the period makes Japan about 50 times too big, often several times the size of India.

“This gave the entirely fallacious view that it would be a huge market”.

The second miscalculation concerned the product that England would be exporting. The East India Company had sailed east to purchase spices, but they had to be paid for in either bullion or England’s only world-class indigenous product: wool.

“You can’t sell wool in spice-growing places, where the average temperature is over 30 degrees”, he said. “But since maps proved Japan to be in the north, like Britain, it would surely want woollen [products].

“And if the place was as big as depicted, it would surely consume an endless amount”, he added. “The error here was that, although Japan does have harsh winters, the Japanese had their own perfectly adequate garments already and it was not clear that English ones were superior.

“Moreover, it was hard to transport wool so far without it rotting”, he said.

Strike two for English assumptions. But there was still a plan C.

“On maps of the period, the Russian Far East, Siberia and the Kurile Islands are simply missing”, he said. “This fostered the belief that, while going to Japan via Africa and India was long, a short route existed over the top of Russia”.

An added advantage was that this would avoid areas held by the Portuguese and Spanish, as well as the Dutch-controlled Bantam Strait, on the tip of Java.

Taken together, the concept of a perfect trading route would have seen English wool being shipped over Russia to Japan, where it would be sold for Japanese silver. The silver would then travel down to the “spiceries”, where silver was the preferred form of payment, and exchanged for nutmeg, mace, cloves and pepper. These would then return to London over northern Russia—and with not a Dutchman, Spaniard or Portuguese in sight to interfere.

It was not until well into the 1620s that the English realised their mistakes—and that spices could be purchased in Amsterdam anyway—and dropped the scheme.

Although based on error and short-lived, Professor Screech said that this mutual exposure of the British and Japanese to each other was not forgotten. It made a deep impression that, in time, would grow into one of the modern world’s closest and most enduring trade and political relationships.

Further information: http://japan400.com/

Friends by MistakeThe fourth part of our series on 400 years of UK–Japan relations explains how one of the modern world’s closest associations occurred.

ANNIVERSARY

A replica of John Saris’ diary was displayed at the British Embassy Tokyo.


By Julian Ryall

A 30-strong delegation from the European Commission held a second round of discussions on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Japan over 10 days

in Tokyo in late May and early June.The first round of talks, held in Brussels

in April, is considered to have been a success. There are high hopes that an agreement can be reached that is worth around €1trn in increased trade between the two blocs. A significant portion of this will come from the UK, where bilateral trade with Japan is running at around £18bn a year.

Antonio Parenti, deputy head of the European Commission’s Far East Unit, gave BCCJ ACUMEN an update on the progress of the discussions.

How would you describe progress to date in talks on an FTA? We are still at the beginning of the discussions and it will be a long and complicated process.

So far, we are at the stage of better defining how we can achieve the goals we set out in the preparatory stage. We are preparing the ground for entry into the more substantive part of the negotiations.

I believe [the process] has been going according to plan, and we have had two positive meetings. I don’t think either side expected a breakthrough at this stage but, that notwithstanding, we have seen progress in terms of understanding each other’s position and I feel that will pay off as we go forward.

How long do you expect the discussions to continue?It’s very difficult to say. If you look at how long it took to reach an agreement with South Korea, that was about two-and-a-half years.

I think that, given the time these types of efforts require on both sides, that [time frame] is a reasonable expectation for these discussions.

If it can be done faster, the European side is ready to move forward faster—but not at the expense of substance. This is for the negotiating process, however, and after that will come the ratification process.

Which areas are progressing most smoothly?We have 15 working groups. None of these groups has yet got down to negotiations on the treaty texts.

We are therefore still in the process of explaining what we are looking for, why we want it—and then understanding what the Japanese side wants and why they want it.

I think at this stage we can say there will be areas that are easier to negotiate than others but, overall, the principle of negotiations is that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

Which areas will be easier to negotiate?The institutional issues will most likely be easier in areas such as dispute settlement mechanisms. All the rest will be more complicated, to varying degrees.

We are talking about two major economies that want to integrate here, after all. This agreement will only make sense if we create an economic environment in which companies of both countries can compete in each other’s markets on a fair basis.

How does the EU team prioritise trade issues it wishes to negotiate from the long list of measures to be debated?We are not at the point of prioritising issues yet. This will only come in the later stages for both sides. This will be the crucial time in the discussions.

Negotiations are [deemed] successful if both [the EU and Japan] are able to make compromises that are mutually acceptable.

Will you be calling on EU firms to support the negotiations later? If so, how will you do this?EU companies have already been asked to support the talks and have been contributing. We are definitely looking for their continued support.

I think it is fair to say that we need them to help create solutions. We want, and need, that for the companies operating in Japan.

We need to know their concepts for this market, the problems that they face, and if the solutions we are creating are effective in solving common problems and avoiding the creation of new problems.

EU–Japan FTA: UpdateUK’s key role in deal that could increase trade by €1trn

INTERVIEW

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Jun Yokota, chief negotiator, and Mauro Petriccione, a director for development and management of trade relations

Antonio Parenti is deputy head of the European Commission’s Far East Unit.


The EU has the right to withdraw from negotiations after one year if Japan does not agree to remove certain non-tariff barriers. What precisely are you looking for from the Japanese?We were granted in our mandate the possibility to stop negotiations if, at the end of one year, we were not seeing on the Japanese side the implementation of what was agreed in the preparatory negotiations.

We are looking for the implementation of what Japan committed to as liberalisation in some sectors and the facilitation of work in certain other sectors.

The “scoping exercise” is complete, but its contents are secret. Why is this, and how do European firms know if their trade issues are included in the negotiations or not?Yes, this is a secret document. It is a joint definition of the level of ambition that we want to reach.

It does not contain solutions to specific problems because that is not the aim of the scoping exercise. Its objective is to identify the areas that will be covered in the negotiations.

It is shared with member states and the relevant committees in the European Parliament.

It was prepared with the help we received from industry and that has been very important in understanding what we should be achieving. But formally, this document is not for industry.

There are a number of discussions with stakeholders and ways to address issues and if any companies want to ask us, we can explain about the negotiations and what we are promoting.

Is the “scoping exercise” the last chance for EU firms to lodge trade issues, or are there opportunities to do so further down the road? The scoping exercise is not a legally binding document or an agreement; it is more of a gentleman’s agreement between the two sides to negotiate in good faith and on the stated ambitions.

It is almost more of a detailed agenda of the future negotiations, but it does not solve any of the issues.

Nothing is concluded until everything is concluded. Companies can bring up

issues throughout the process, as long as they are substantive and important.

What is the size of the prize, in terms of increased trade and jobs, if the EU and Japan can agree to a free trade deal?When we did the assessment, we saw that, if we were as ambitions as we could be—and we want to be ambitious—then this deal could bring about an increase in Europe’s GDP of between 0.6% and 0.8%. This is close to €1trn in additional trade, and that means a lot of jobs, too.

What British business sectors are pushing hardest for this FTA to go through?British industry is very much in favour of this agreement. We know that there is strong support from British businesses and we also see strong support from the British government.

There are lots of sectors in which British industry will be able to benefit; Britain produces a number of niche cars, for example, while medical devices, chemicals, and financial services are all also very important.

And which ones have reservations?For Europe as a whole, the area that is most sensitive is cars. The industry is undergoing a difficult period at the moment, but I think that trade can be

INTERVIEW

more of an answer than a problem. If some of the problems in Europe are structural, then it will take time to rebalance from the economic crisis that we have been experiencing since 2009. That is an opportunity to export to foreign markets that are already growing again.

If UK firms have queries about the FTA, how can they go about finding out further information?We often receive questions directly from companies and we try to answer them.

Sometimes they come to us through their national administrations and, for small and medium-size enterprises, their office of foreign trade is usually their first interface.

We are limited in our resources and these are often resource-intensive problems, but we try our best and we often learn something, too. It is never time wasted.

What is the long-term prognosis for Europe–Japan trade relations?If I didn’t believe in a positive future, I would not be doing this job. If we can conclude the discussions in two years and then ratify the agreement, I think we will start to see the benefits fairly rapidly in terms of the liberalisation of markets: maybe in five to 10 years.

“So far, we are at the stage of better defining how we can achieve the goals

we set out in the preparatory stage”.

Japan’s mission to the European Union, in Brussels.

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Custom Media

B ritish nationals living outside the European Union are up in arms over new immigration rules for foreign spouses that, they say, make it difficult—and,

in some cases, impossible—to return to the UK to live.

And given the minimum-earning requirements, the hurdles are even higher for women who are married to foreign men.

The new regulations went into force in July 2012, with the Home Office claiming the rules were designed to ease the burden of migration on the British taxpayer.

Under the tightened rules, a British citizen must show that they will be able to earn at least £18,600 per year to sponsor their non-European spouse’s visa. This figure is raised to £22,400 for families with one child and an additional £2,400 for every extra child.

The regulations mean that couples have been forced to live apart, while children—including those with British passports—have been separated from parents.

Many of the thousands of people affected by the Home Office decision are in Japan.

Gillian Hudson first came to Japan with the Japanese government’s Japan Exchange Teaching Programme and worked in Kyushu. After returning to the UK, she met Tsuyoshi Okuma. They married in 2004 and lived in London. Two years later, they returned to Japan after Hudson had been awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for post-graduate studies at The University of Tokyo.

The couple has a three-year-old daughter and a newborn baby, and 36-year-old Hudson has a number of part-time jobs, including one at a Japanese university.

“With two kids I will need to secure more like £25,000 per year, after a break from the UK job market for eight years, possibly longer”, Hudson told BCCJ ACUMEN. “And of those eight years, two were spent studying and two as a full-time mum and housewife.

“I don’t think I can return to the UK job market straight into a much higher paying position”, she explained.

In addition, with two young children, Hudson doesn’t want to be the full-time wage earner in the family—although the British government’s rules require that she be the breadwinner.

An added problem is that the regulations require the applicant to hold the job for six months before even applying for a spouse visa, which can then take a further six months to process, meaning that the family is effectively separated for one year.

“This is totally unacceptable”, she said, and added that she feels angry, sad, stressed, rejected and bitter.

“I feel exiled from my own country. It’s crazy”, she said. “We have always planned on moving back to the UK. It’s important for our children to experience life in both Japan and the UK in order to fully understand who they are, form relationships with both extended families, and have enough language competence in both Japanese and English”.

Hudson said she has no choice but to remain in Japan for the foreseeable future, but hopes that rules might change.

“It’s very depressing not to have the choice to return to my own country when I need to”, she said. “When I married my husband, I never imagined the consequences would be to lose my right to a family life in the UK”, she added.

The UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Migration is calling for an independent review of the minimum income provision in the regulations, but a spokesman for the Home Office told BCCJ ACUMEN that the changes were only implemented last year and there are no plans to rewrite them.

“British citizens can enter into a relationship with whoever they choose”, Daniel Lyons said. “But we believe that those wanting to establish their family life in the UK should be able to support themselves financially and not be a burden to the taxpayer”.

Melanie Jones said her fiancée, who has a PhD and works as a researcher at a university in Japan, would not be a burden on British taxpayers, but the rules on income make it impossible for her to act as his sponsor.

“I would love to go back to the UK”, Jones said. “My brothers and sisters are having children and I am missing [out on] them growing up. But to [return to the UK] I have to have a job earning over £18,000”.

When 35-year-old Jones returned to the UK in 2010 she spent a year applying for jobs, but the economic situation meant that opportunities were severely limited—and there was nothing similar to the good teaching position she held in Japan.

The pressures of Jones’ predicament have affected her health and she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

“The stress I feel about not being able to return home affects me nearly every day”, she said. “I am sad to say that the whole thing makes me feel rather unpatriotic. It seems as though other people are welcomed into the UK while I have been exiled”.

Pressure is building among women who are affected by the regulations, with thousands of people signing an online petition started by Marianne Bailey—whose Japanese husband will have to leave the UK just days before their first child is due to be born—and addressed to Home Secretary Theresa May.

There is, however, a loophole in the British government’s rules.

In what has become known as the Surinder Singh route, after a historic court case, a British national who works elsewhere in Europe for three months has the right to bring a non-EU spouse into the UK without having to meet the minimum-earnings requirement. This is because their status as a European citizen takes priority over their status as a UK citizen.

Exiled from HomeNew immigration laws hinder some married expats returning to UK

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Hudson: no choice but to remain in Japan.

Summer Events at the Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers

Summer Disco Night 2013Reflexion & DJ Mitsugu Matsumoto with Yokohama KENTO’s

• Onenightonly• MusicbattlewithYokohamaKENTO’sclubbandReflexionand

DJ MitsuguMatsumoto• PortionofsaleswillbedonatedtotheJapaneseRedCrossfor

reconstructionofTohokuregion• IncelebrationofYokohamaBaySheratonHotel&Towers’

15th anniversary,specialguestswillbeattheevent

ReflexionYokohamaKENTO’sclub’sregularbandperformsdanceand1970smusic.Focusingondiscoclassics,soulandR&B,weareofferinganexcitingfunkyperformanceincorporatingtheearlydaysofKool&TheGangandrarefunkarrangedwithanaccuratebeatandpowerfulsounds,includingahornsection.

Mitsugu MatsumotoMitsuguhasenjoyedanalmost40-yearcareerasaDJ,including12yearsthelegendary1980sdiscoShinjukuNewYorkNew York.

Friday, 9 August 2013• Reception:17:00–22:30(doorsopen17:45)• Venue:NichirinbanquetroomattheYokohamaBaySheraton

Hotel&Towers(5F)• Non-reservedseats:¥9,000,includingonedrink,buffet,taxand

servicecharge• Reservedseats:¥12,000,includingtwodrinks,snacks,buffet,tax

andservicecharge• Entryafter20:00:¥5,000,includesonedrink,taxandservice

charge• Nosmokinginthevenue• Changingroomsavailable• Mealsserved18:00–20:00• Nocasualwear

Special Stay PlanPrice:¥16,000–¥23,000perperson(includesone-nightstayandanon-reservedticketforthesummerdisconight)• Single,twinandtripleroomsavailable

Yokohama Pops Vol.3Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra(Conductor: Kazumasa Watanabe)ExperiencegreatBostonPops-styleentertainmentinYokohamawhile enjoyingaglassofwine!WiththethemeofItaly,manyItaliansongsfromfilmsaswellasfolksongswillbeperformedbytheorchestra.Forthefirsttime,concertsommelierSatoshiAsaokawill leadtheshow.

Saturday, 10 August 2013• Afternoonshow:Doorsopen12:30,mealfrom13:00,starts14:00• Eveningshow:Doorsopen17:30,mealfrom18:00,starts19:00• Venue:NichirinbanquetroomattheYokohamaBaySheraton

Hotel&Towers(5F)• Price:¥25,000(reservedseat,meal,drinks,tax,servicecharge)• Meal:YokohamaPopsSpecialMenu(Italian-inspiredcuisine)• Dresscode:Nocasualwear(suitsrequiredformen)• Pleasedonotrecordortakepicturesduringtheshow• Childrenundertheageofsixarenotpermitted• Nosmokinginthevenue• PortionofsaleswillbedonatedtotheJapaneseRedCrossfor

reconstructionofTohokuregion

Special Stay Plan Price:¥32,000–¥41,000perperson(includesone-nightstay,ticketforYokohamaPopsVol.3,YokohamaPopsspecialdinner,drinks,taxandservicecharge)• Single,twinandtripleroomsavailable• Choiceofafternoonoreveningshow

1-3-23Kitasaiwai,Nishi-ku,Yokohama220-8501Tel:045-411-1111|Fax:045-411-1343

www.yokohamabay-sheraton.co.jpForspecialstayplanreservations,pleasecall:

Forgeneralreservations,pleasecall:

045-411-1133(10:00–19:00)

045-411-1126(09:00–20:00)

© satoru mitsuta

YBS_events2.indd 3 7/2/13 9:49 AM


By Julian Ryall

• 783mn in world without safe water; 2.5bn have poor sanitation

• 700,000 kids die annually from diarrhoea due to unclean water

• Charity builds wells, toilets; drills boreholes; improves hygiene

In October 1887, British engineer Henry Spencer Palmer completed work on the first modern waterworks system in Japan. It brought clean drinking water to the 87 households that made

up Yokohama. In addition, it laid the groundwork for the coastal village to grow into the thriving modern city that it is today.

The Yokohama Waterworks Bureau last year marked the 125th anniversary of the occasion with a ceremony attended by representatives of the British Embassy Tokyo and the mayor of Yokohama. Also present was Kaoru Takahashi, the Japan representative of British aid organisation

WaterAid, which is bringing the water wheel full circle.

“We only opened our [Japan] office last August and were registered as a legal entity in February. But we have already made progress and have high hopes for our organisation here”, Takahashi told BCCJ ACUMEN.

“In terms of bilateral aid, the Japanese government is still the largest donor in the world for the water and sanitation sector”, she explained. “We believe it will be helpful if WaterAid can provide information about poor communities of the developing countries in which we work, so that Japan remains a major contributor to water and sanitation projects”.

Set up in the UK in July 1981, WaterAid is today one of the world’s most respected non-profit organisations dedicated to dealing with water, sanitation and hygiene issues.

The organisation currently operates in 27 countries—primarily in Africa and southern Asia—to combat the problem

CHARITY

Turning On the TapNGO opens in Tokyo to improve global water, sanitation and hygiene

The NGO helps local organisations build boreholes.

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TSummer Events at the Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers

Summer Disco Night 2013Reflexion & DJ Mitsugu Matsumoto with Yokohama KENTO’s

• Onenightonly• MusicbattlewithYokohamaKENTO’sclubbandReflexionand

DJ MitsuguMatsumoto• PortionofsaleswillbedonatedtotheJapaneseRedCrossfor

reconstructionofTohokuregion• IncelebrationofYokohamaBaySheratonHotel&Towers’

15th anniversary,specialguestswillbeattheevent

ReflexionYokohamaKENTO’sclub’sregularbandperformsdanceand1970smusic.Focusingondiscoclassics,soulandR&B,weareofferinganexcitingfunkyperformanceincorporatingtheearlydaysofKool&TheGangandrarefunkarrangedwithanaccuratebeatandpowerfulsounds,includingahornsection.

Mitsugu MatsumotoMitsuguhasenjoyedanalmost40-yearcareerasaDJ,including12yearsthelegendary1980sdiscoShinjukuNewYorkNew York.

Friday, 9 August 2013• Reception:17:00–22:30(doorsopen17:45)• Venue:NichirinbanquetroomattheYokohamaBaySheraton

Hotel&Towers(5F)• Non-reservedseats:¥9,000,includingonedrink,buffet,taxand

servicecharge• Reservedseats:¥12,000,includingtwodrinks,snacks,buffet,tax

andservicecharge• Entryafter20:00:¥5,000,includesonedrink,taxandservice

charge• Nosmokinginthevenue• Changingroomsavailable• Mealsserved18:00–20:00• Nocasualwear

Special Stay PlanPrice:¥16,000–¥23,000perperson(includesone-nightstayandanon-reservedticketforthesummerdisconight)• Single,twinandtripleroomsavailable

Yokohama Pops Vol.3Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra(Conductor: Kazumasa Watanabe)ExperiencegreatBostonPops-styleentertainmentinYokohamawhile enjoyingaglassofwine!WiththethemeofItaly,manyItaliansongsfromfilmsaswellasfolksongswillbeperformedbytheorchestra.Forthefirsttime,concertsommelierSatoshiAsaokawill leadtheshow.

Saturday, 10 August 2013• Afternoonshow:Doorsopen12:30,mealfrom13:00,starts14:00• Eveningshow:Doorsopen17:30,mealfrom18:00,starts19:00• Venue:NichirinbanquetroomattheYokohamaBaySheraton

Hotel&Towers(5F)• Price:¥25,000(reservedseat,meal,drinks,tax,servicecharge)• Meal:YokohamaPopsSpecialMenu(Italian-inspiredcuisine)• Dresscode:Nocasualwear(suitsrequiredformen)• Pleasedonotrecordortakepicturesduringtheshow• Childrenundertheageofsixarenotpermitted• Nosmokinginthevenue• PortionofsaleswillbedonatedtotheJapaneseRedCrossfor

reconstructionofTohokuregion

Special Stay Plan Price:¥32,000–¥41,000perperson(includesone-nightstay,ticketforYokohamaPopsVol.3,YokohamaPopsspecialdinner,drinks,taxandservicecharge)• Single,twinandtripleroomsavailable• Choiceofafternoonoreveningshow

1-3-23Kitasaiwai,Nishi-ku,Yokohama220-8501Tel:045-411-1111|Fax:045-411-1343

www.yokohamabay-sheraton.co.jpForspecialstayplanreservations,pleasecall:

Forgeneralreservations,pleasecall:

045-411-1133(10:00–19:00)

045-411-1126(09:00–20:00)

© satoru mitsuta

YBS_events2.indd 3 7/2/13 9:49 AM


To donate:(By bank transfer)

Account name: WaterAid in JapanBank name: Japan Post BankBranch number: 019Account: Current accountAccount number: 0359375

of communities that do not have access to arguably the most fundamental requirements of human life.

According to the United Nations (UN), 783mn people—about one in 10 of the world’s population—don’t have access to safe water supplies. In addition, close to two-fifths of the planet’s inhabitants (2.5bn people) do not have access to adequate sanitation.

Every year, about 700,000 children die as a result of diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. Incredibly, diseases caused by dirty water and inadequate sanitation kill more children every year than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

A lack of safe water close to their homes also forces women and children in developing states to devote time to collecting water. This affects their ability to both work and be educated.

“WaterAid is doing two things in parallel”, said 36-year-old Takahashi, who in 2004 completed a master’s degree at The School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London.

“Our mission is to transform the lives of poor people through access to safe water and sanitation”, she explained. “To make our work effective, we work with local organisations to ensure sustainability”.

WaterAid invests in local organisa-tions to help them construct wells and boreholes, depending on local

needs and the geographical situation. In addition, it helps develop alternative systems to harvest rainfall, and invests in helping local community groups by providing basic latrines and improving hygiene practices, such as hand washing.

“At the same time, we explain to decision makers around the world the importance of clean water to health, education, economic growth and gender equality.

“Some national leaders prefer to focus solely on economic growth for their countries, but we believe that access to water is a basic human right that will inevitably lead to better economic growth”, she said.

The issue is considered to be so critical that water and sanitation were added to the UN’s eight Millennium Development Goals, to be achieved by 2015.

According to the UN, there has been demonstrable progress, the number of people with access to better sources of water having climbed to 6.1bn in 2010—up more than 2bn people from the 1990 figure.

According to WaterAid, great strides have been made in China and India, although much still remains to be done in African countries.

Since the WaterAid office opened in Tokyo, Takahashi has held a series of meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency to underline the importance of continued government assistance in this area.

At the fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development—held in Yokohama over three days in early June—Takahashi organised a seminar at which a spokesman for WaterAid in Africa detailed just how important access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene are to one’s community.

Takahashi is also meeting with a number of corporations, both Japanese and international, to link their corporate social responsibility efforts to the water and sanitation issue. The responses to date, she said, have been very positive.

Once WaterAid is established in Japan, Takahashi plans to reach out to the Japanese public and to promote awareness of the issue that millions of people face on a daily basis.

“At the moment, not enough people in Japan know about WaterAid or the problems that so many people have in simply getting clean water”, she said. “Getting that across to the public and raising interest in the issue is the next step”.

www.wateraid.org

CHARITY

WaterAid educates communities about the importance of good hygiene.

A lack of safe water close to home affects women and children’s ability to work and be educated.

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CR Ad ACUMEN Magazine 1.indd 1 6/28/2013 5:33:21 PM


Custom Media

A dvertising is helpful and promotions have their uses, but entrepreneurs Christian Schmitz and Loren Fykes are firm believers in the

overwhelming power of word of mouth.The new Quchy (pronounced koo-

chee) mobile application, which went live in early May, takes its name from the Japanese term for word of mouth (kuchikomi) and lets users keep track of visited places, organising that collection of locations as recommendations for friends.

Quchy differs from other applications because it is friend-based, Fykes told BCCJ ACUMEN. Users cannot follow unknown account holders.

“This is really important because you are able to see the places friends have been to and you’ll be far more trusting of their opinions precisely because they are friends”, said Fykes, founder and chief executive officer of the firm behind the service, Endymion, Inc., and the brains behind the application.

“With other sites, anyone can make up any sort of false review—basically an advert—so you never know whether a restaurant is any good until you go there yourself”, he added.

Taking a pack of cards as a template, a Quchy user can find a favourite restaurant and add that business card to his or her collection—much like restaurants have business cards alongside the cash register. These digital cards, which can hold a host of information—including opening times, reviews, address and pictures—are visible to friends who might want to visit. The more users share and recommend places, the more points they earn.

Shops see who is talking about them the most and may thank with rewards those customers who opt-in.

Users can add any card from any city in the world. If it’s not there, e-mail them, and it will be added to the database for you. Search for The World’s End, for example, and the user is directed to the popular pub in Camden Town, London.

Cards can also be organised in decks for easy reference, such as the best places

in Tokyo for business dinners, and a user can browse friends’ decks.

An added element is the Connoisseurs page, where people who are knowledgeable about a certain cuisine provide details of the best restaurants.

Quchy traces its genesis to the Kudos Member Benefits Programme, the web-based service that provides members who sign up with significant savings on everything from meals to hotel stays and test drives of top-of-the-range cars.

Schmitz, originally from Germany, took the largely inactive business over in May 2011 and set about transforming it into the meeting place for businesses with products and services that match the needs of a high-end a clientele.

Today Kudos has more than 10,000 members and some 400 partner vendors, Schmitz said, with the typical member a high-earning, internationally minded person.

Quchy will bring the service to mobile with an increased level of user interaction.

“Many stores think that loyalty is about point cards, how much a customer spends, how many times they visit the store—but these are all traditional and out-dated concepts”, Fykes said.

“That’s not real loyalty; true loyalty is a conversation you have with a friend in which you talk honestly about a place and tell them how much you like it”, he explained.

“Conversations are viral, but a lot of service providers do not know how to

capture that conversation and make that into a quantitative and measureable way to generate traffic for their business”, he said.

The firm is working with an engineering team that includes the former head of the genome-mapping project at Stanford University to devise ways to track conversations as they spread and use that data to identify the best way to get conversations started.

Creating the application presented some technical obstacles, Fykes admitted. But the system’s potential was recognised by an angel investor, and additional funds were forthcoming from Samurai Incubate Inc., Japan’s hottest investor in up-and-coming concepts. Endymion is the first foreign-owned firm to secure funding from the start-up accelerator.

With funding in place and the system operational—and new additions to Quchy’s capabilities anticipated soon—Fykes and Schmitz know they have a lot on their hands.

“It is perfect for users, but our focus is supporting shops and small businesses with their social media strategies”, Fykes said. “We are effectively creating social membership programmes for them and creating a network of great benefits for users.

“We’re helping shops to have conversations with their most loyal customers”.

More information:Quchy: http://quchy.com/Kudos: http://firstbenefit.jp/about-kudos

The Power of Word of MouthFriend-based app helps shops create online member programmes

TECHNOLOGY

Christian Schmitz (left) and Loren Fykes’ Quchy app allows users to keep track of places they have visited.

{WE KNOW RECRUITMENTAND WE MATCH HIGH PERFORMERS WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPANIES

Japan Technology Lead - Global investment bank › Technology services head for a major global investment bank › Excellent salary and benefits package

Our client for this position is one of the world’s largest and most famous investment banks. They have a great reputation within the industry, both in Japan and worldwide. Due to continued business growth, technology services are of ever increasing importance to their business in Japan. This position is to manage delivery of technology projects for the technology division in Japan. This person will manage 20-25 people across APAC. Critical thinking skills, a proven track record of delivering technology projects, collaborative skills and a sense of urgency/drive are key to this position. This position requires strong leadership and proactive issue management. He/She must be able to resolve project issues as well as broader strategic or system issues that are creating inefficiencies or hindering progress. The person filling this position is expected to consistently work closely with IT and senior management globally and possesses the ability to package communication succinctly and clearly. This position requires effective people management skills and the ability to recruit and develop talent.

Lead Consultant for financial services IT - Major international consulting firm› One of the largest and most famous consulting companies in the world › Managing delivery of technology projects for major global financial firms

Our client is one of the world’s largest and most famous business and technology focused consulting firms. They have an enviable reputation in the market, with clients across a wide range of industries. In Japan and across the globe, this firm is one of the major players in consulting. The Lead Consultant for financial services IT will manage technology projects and organize a Project Management Office (PMO). The clients in this case will be international securities, asset management firms, banks and insurance companies. Leading a team of project delivery consultants, the Lead Consultant will be involved in providing a range of solutions to these clients. These can include building information security management systems, formulating Business Continuity Plans (BCP), selecting outsourcing solutions, and other related activities to improve the clients’ technology services.

Director of IT - International real estate asset management firm› One of the largest commercial real estate management firms globally; › Position with a wide range of responsibilities and visibility across APAC

The client for this vacancy is one of the largest commercial real estate management firms in the world. They offer strategic advice and execution of property sales and leasing; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; investment management; and research and consulting. The Director of IT has overall responsibility for the success and development of the IT plans, the IT production environments, infrastructure, and IT operations and support staff in Japan. Through direct reports, the person will oversee the operational processes as well as technical level support of internal and external clients. They will also oversee technology focused projects and maintenance of IT operations and support activities in Japan. This includes overseeing daily activities and customer issues in a dynamic and fast paced near 24x7x365 business critical computing environment.

Please contact Vid Gunapala quoting ref: H1812870 or visit our website.



To apply for any of the above positions, please go to www.michaelpage.co.jp/apply quoting the reference number, or contact the relevant consultant on +81 3 5733 7166 for a confidential discussion.

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14188-AC_JP_BCCJ July Issue.v3.indd 1 4/7/2013 3:48:41 PM


IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS | INDUSTRY

By Vid GunapalaTeam leader, Michael Page Technology Japan and Lalita MosorinManager, Michael Page Technology Japan

T he technology sector in Japan has experienced significant growth over the past 18 months. Further, there has been an increased demand for

information technology professionals across start-ups, as well as small and large multinational businesses.

Top performers—particularly those who are bilingual—are being sought by foreign firms that have had the confidence to invest in Japan, especially in the retail-luxury goods and pharmaceutical-medical areas.

In addition, demand for technology professionals within the IT, telecommunications, financial services, business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sectors has been expanding.

Over the coming year, there are expected to be significant and varied opportunities for IT professionals in these areas.

IT & TelecommunicationsInternet technologies are rapidly spreading beyond consumer and business applications.

Cloud computing and the use of offshore IT infrastructure remains a key focus, as large enterprises and start-ups look for new ways to build cost-effective technology platforms.

In addition, telecom carriers are extending their fibre footprints and upgrading networks to the next generation of 4G LTE, to meet new demand from businesses and other consumers.

Driven by these sector trends is a need for talented professionals with skills and experience in mobile infrastructure and cloud computing. There is also a rising demand for IT professionals focused on solutions for emerging technologies, social networking services, data analytics, as well as iPad or iTouch devices. This reflects the large number of firms looking to gain a competitive advantage in the market.

Over the coming year, it is expected that cloud computing and online solutions will continue to grow as consumers and enterprises increase their internet usage by storing and accessing personal and business data online. This can boost their business efficiency at minimal cost. Further, it is anticipated that the need for telecommunications and network engineers can only gain impetus.

Financial ServicesBusiness activity within the financial industry—particularly insurance firms, Japanese megabanks and foreign asset management and consumer finance firms—is benefiting from the Abenomics policies that have been put in place by the Japanese government.

In addition, due to stricter regulations implemented by the Japanese government’s Financial Services Agency, there is a drive to improve information risk procedures.

As a result, hiring activity has increased within the financial services sector, particularly for professionals with IT security and risk management skills.

The increase in demand for business-side, front-line staff means that more IT support professionals are needed. Demand has been growing steadily since employers significantly reduced their IT teams between 2009 and 2012. The trend then was to move this function off shore, to such lower-cost locations as Singapore and Hong Kong.

Security and asset management firms are expected to have a positive outlook on financial market conditions, while the focus on improving information risk procedures should continue.

When it comes to foreign and local insurance firms, Japanese retail and commercial banks, and online finance firms, there is little doubt that demand will continue for IT professionals—particularly those who are bilingual.

B2B and B2CFirms are focusing on software solutions that enable critical decisions to be made in real time, through analysis and delivery of sales and marketing information.

Further, Japanese consumer finance firms are expanding their online presence in East and South-East Asia, in an effort to coordinate projects and service delivery with the Japan market.

In a bid to strengthen IT teams and introduce innovation to the business, there is demand for enterprise resource management consultants and system analysts, specifically in the areas of business intelligence and customer relationship management.

Bilingual skills and regional experience are considered particularly valuable. Employers are also providing these professionals with career development opportunities, to retain their skills within the business.

Many businesses anticipate further growth within their IT teams over the next 12 months to meet the requirements of upcoming technology projects, and as organisations seek to align technology delivery with firms’ goals.

For the latest information on the recruitment market in Japan, including available jobs, salary rates and talent management advice: www.michaelpage.co.jp/en/

IT: the Future Is BrightProfessionals here will have many opportunities this year{WE KNOW RECRUITMENT

AND WE MATCH HIGH PERFORMERS WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPANIES

Japan Technology Lead - Global investment bank › Technology services head for a major global investment bank › Excellent salary and benefits package

Our client for this position is one of the world’s largest and most famous investment banks. They have a great reputation within the industry, both in Japan and worldwide. Due to continued business growth, technology services are of ever increasing importance to their business in Japan. This position is to manage delivery of technology projects for the technology division in Japan. This person will manage 20-25 people across APAC. Critical thinking skills, a proven track record of delivering technology projects, collaborative skills and a sense of urgency/drive are key to this position. This position requires strong leadership and proactive issue management. He/She must be able to resolve project issues as well as broader strategic or system issues that are creating inefficiencies or hindering progress. The person filling this position is expected to consistently work closely with IT and senior management globally and possesses the ability to package communication succinctly and clearly. This position requires effective people management skills and the ability to recruit and develop talent.

Lead Consultant for financial services IT - Major international consulting firm› One of the largest and most famous consulting companies in the world › Managing delivery of technology projects for major global financial firms

Our client is one of the world’s largest and most famous business and technology focused consulting firms. They have an enviable reputation in the market, with clients across a wide range of industries. In Japan and across the globe, this firm is one of the major players in consulting. The Lead Consultant for financial services IT will manage technology projects and organize a Project Management Office (PMO). The clients in this case will be international securities, asset management firms, banks and insurance companies. Leading a team of project delivery consultants, the Lead Consultant will be involved in providing a range of solutions to these clients. These can include building information security management systems, formulating Business Continuity Plans (BCP), selecting outsourcing solutions, and other related activities to improve the clients’ technology services.

Director of IT - International real estate asset management firm› One of the largest commercial real estate management firms globally; › Position with a wide range of responsibilities and visibility across APAC

The client for this vacancy is one of the largest commercial real estate management firms in the world. They offer strategic advice and execution of property sales and leasing; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; investment management; and research and consulting. The Director of IT has overall responsibility for the success and development of the IT plans, the IT production environments, infrastructure, and IT operations and support staff in Japan. Through direct reports, the person will oversee the operational processes as well as technical level support of internal and external clients. They will also oversee technology focused projects and maintenance of IT operations and support activities in Japan. This includes overseeing daily activities and customer issues in a dynamic and fast paced near 24x7x365 business critical computing environment.




To apply for any of the above positions, please go to www.michaelpage.co.jp/apply quoting the reference number, or contact the relevant consultant on +81 3 5733 7166 for a confidential discussion.

Sales & Marketing

Worldwide leaders in specialists recruitmentwww.michaelpage.co.jp

14188-AC_JP_BCCJ July Issue.v3.indd 1 4/7/2013 3:48:41 PM


THE A-LIST OF IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS


Company Name: Hays Specialist Recruitment Japan K.K.

Address: Akasaka Twin Tower 7F 2-17-22 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052

Contact: Jonathan Sampson

Telephone: 03-3560-1188

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.hays.co.jp

We are the experts in recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people across a wide range of specialised industries and professions. We operate across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments.

At Hays, we believe the right job can transform a person’s life and the right person can transform a business. We’re passionate about connecting our candidates with the right job for them.

We operate in 48 locations in the Asia Pacific and our worldwide operations span 33 countries. We find permanent jobs for more than 15,000 people a year and temporary and contract assignments for more than 25,000 people annually, of which we employ more than 10,000 at any one time.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Our areas of expertise in Japan include:• Accountancy & finance• Banking• Finance technology• Human resources• Information technology• Insurance

• Legal• Life sciences• Office professionals• Property• Sales & marketing• Supply chain

Company Name: Michael Page

Address: Kamiyacho MT Building 15F 4-3-20 Toranomon Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001

Contact: Basil Le Roux, managing director

Telephone: 03-5733-7166


Website: www.michaelpage.co.jp

Comprised of the combined operations of Michael Page, Page Personnel and Page Executive, the Page Group is a worldwide leader in specialist recruitment, with 164 offices in 34 countries worldwide. We began operating in Japan in 2001 and in that time have developed an unrivalled level of local market expertise, which is backed by our global strength.

In Japan we specialise in recruiting for both multinationals and local Japanese firms on a permanent, contract and temporary basis. We pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional quality of service, which is demonstrated by the fact that more than 90% of our business comes from referrals and repeat clients.

We specialise in recruitment in the following areas:

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Accounting• Banking&FinancialServices• Engineering&Manufacturing• IT• Haken / temporary positions• Healthcare&LifeSciences• HumanResources

• Legal• Marketing• Procurement&SupplyChain• Sales• Secretarial&OfficeSupport• Retail

Company Name: eSolia Inc.

Address: Sawa Building 6F Nishi-Shinbashi 2-2-2 Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003

Contact: Rick Cogley, CEO

Telephone: 03-6273-3510


Website: www.esolia.com

eSolia is an IT management and services firm providing superior business-centric consulting, project and outsourcing services to a variety of blue-chip organisations. Since 1999, we have had a successful track record in handling complex, high-pressure projects and providing creative problem solving for our clients’ challenges.

eSolia’s full range of services, from IT governance and management, automated system builds, collaboration websites, and unified communications systems for phone and presence, to day-to-day user support are always standards-based, maker-agnostic, and delivered by our experts with the highest standards of ethics, professionalism and integrity.

eSolia sows the seeds that help you build a strong foundation for your business success and meet your commitments.

• IT governance, management, operations and infrastructure• Project and program management• Office moves and changes• Service desk / helpdesk• Unified communications and VoIP• Just-in-Time training• Frameworks, standards and techniques such as ITIL, COBIT 4 and 5, PRINCE, Critical Chain, and Agile

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Company Name: Endymion, Inc.

Address: 9-5-15 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052

Contact: Loren Fykes, CEO

Telephone: 03-5786-0205


Website: www.quchy.com

Endymion is a next-era technology marketing company that focuses on new word-of-mouth marketing methods and quality lead generation.

The firm offers two services that are great marketing platforms for your business—KUDOS FIRSTbenefit (www.firstbenefit.jp) and QUCHY. KUDOS is a web-based membership benefits programme for the international community, and QUCHY revolutionises customer loyalty and direct marketing for shops, restaurants and businesses with its unique mobile and engaging platform.

Contact Loren Fykes or Christian Schmitz to leverage both platforms and build strong communities for your business. Reach and engage your most important customers and amplify their messages for quality lead generation.

Download the QUCHY application in the iTunes or Google Play stores.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Smartmarketing• Webdevelopment,designand

consulting• Smartphoneappdevelopment• Customerloyaltypromotions

• Socialmediaandword-of-mouthstrategy

• Food,travelandtourismmarketing• Eventplanning• Communitymarketing

Company Name: T-Systems Japan K.K.

Address: Toranomon Kotohira Tower 10F 1-2-8 ToranomonMinato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001

Telephone: 03-5788-5162


Website: www.t-systems.co.jp

T-Systems is Deutsche Telekom’s corporate customer arm. Using a global infrastructure of data centres and networks, T-Systems operates information and communication technology systems (ICT) for multinational corporations and public sector institutions.

In Japan, T-Systems offers a broad range of ICT solutions such as private cloud computing services, managed networks and application management as well as client and user help desk operations. T-Systems Japan, in particular, supports multinational corporations who seek to utilise cloud solutions for hosting of SAP and other applications, future workplace and collaboration, as well as big data/real time analytics.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• ICTsolutionsforcorporatecustomersandpublicsector• Cloudcomputingandhostingservices• DynamicinfrastructureforSAPandotherapplications• Futureworkplaceanddesktopsolutions• Realtimedataanalysis

WIT’s support, consulting and management services are dedicated to helping small and medium-size businesses using standard IT packages at low cost.

We strive to provide a personal level of service that our competitors cannot match.

WIT treats all clients as unique and works hard to understand their IT needs.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• ITconsulting• ITinfrastructure• Advice• Remotesupport(telephone,email)• ITinformationmanagement

• Onsitesupport• ServerandPCsetup,management

and maintenance (data backup, and backup log check)

bccjacumen.com/a-list


Company Name: WIT Co., Ltd.

Address: 701A Kobikikan Ginza Bldg 7F2-8-9 Ginza Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061

Contact: Miyako Nakamine

Telephone: 03-5159-2331


Website: www.wit-asia.com

PUBLICITY

T raditional PCs—with the exception, possibly, of those used in computing-intensive areas such as R&D and development—are more than

less a phased-out model.The workplace of the future will involve

the operation of user environments employing virtualisation technologies from the cloud, with centrally managed services and applications.

This brings together the traditional user desktop, mobile enterprise services, as well as unified communication and collaboration.

Implementing a future workplace will enable the chief information officer to deliver tangible improvements in the areas of security, application standardisation, flexibility in the device rollout, end user experience and collaboration.

At the same time, the resultant significant cost improvements can be used for strategic IT investments, or to contribute savings to the organisation.

More security for the whole environment and individual devicesAccess to the centralised environment in the private cloud is highly protected using modern security technologies—and much better than in a distributed environment possible. It includes two-factor authentication with a single sign on.

Dynamic session roaming enables restricted access to sensitive data and software if the user is connected with a device from outside the corporate network.

Moreover, a device that does not carry any data (the applications and files are in the cloud) does not pose any security risk if lost or stolen.

A changing world: be faster, more flexibleCloud-based clients revolutionise device use. Instead of a fat desktop or a costly laptop, all that is needed is a simple, low-cost piece of hardware to gain browser access to data and applications.

The centralised approach permits tremendous speed and flexibility in the rollout and updating of applications. The provisioning of new clients is available within hours. Even large rollouts are extremely quick, since only the hardware to operate the browser needs to be connected to the network to operate a browser.

Changing defective hardware is easy and fast, while work can even continue on another device in the meantime.

The growing trend to utilising personal equipment for professional use can be fully supported (bring your own device). Such assets can be completely and, most important, securely integrated into the corporate infrastructure.

Application standardisation: stay in controlThe available modular client packages, from which end users choose applications in the service portal, can be tailored to specific tasks or departments.

The available applications span a broad spectrum: from office software, web applications and enterprise resource planning to customer relationship management and enterprise-specific applications.

New applications, updates and maintenance are centrally administered and immediately available to all users.

Outdated software and version conflicts, for example, are avoided by having centralised control over the complete installed base.

Enhanced user experience: better acceptanceFuture Workplace delivers a consistent user environment across all types of hardware. User acceptance is extremely high as it is driven by positive user experience and increased usability.

Seamless collaboration: beyond corporate bordersCollaborative business models are entering our daily work more and more. Future Workplace allows you to seamlessly integrate suppliers, customers and external employees.

No hardware needs to be distributed, as all parties can gain easy access to the centralised environment. This ensures access to the same consistent data, and utilisation of modern collaboration tools.

Delivering business benefits AND cost savingsCompared with the traditional model of the x86 (Wintel), the future desktop can provide savings of 30–50% on top of the business benefits.

This is possible with significantly lower requirements on the part of the end user device, as well as savings in IMAC processes as a result of reduced administrative and maintenance overheads.

Future Workplace: a New Model for the User Desktop

Gregor B Maas is managing director of T-Systems in Japan.

hays.co.jp

We are the experts in recruiting IT professionals at the leading edge of Information Technology. Our deep expertise and industry network help you find the best matched job for your next career move.

COUNT THE BENEFITS OUR EXPERTISE DELIVERS REAL RESULTS

The strengths of Hays IT in Japan

• Our client list includes the world’s leading companies in software, hardware, storage, networking, telecommunications and computing services alongside most of Japan’s major corporations.

• Our network and track record of delivery means we are frequently awarded rights to exclusive roles not made available to competitors.

• High level contacts with decision makers in both domestic and foreign companies in the Japanese market – across all levels of suppliers and vendors.

• Deep understanding of our clients’ business – Hays IT division is one of the best suppliers globally to the IT community.

• Server Engineers • Network Engineers• Storage Engineers • Voice & Telephony

Engineers • Telecommunications Engineers• Security Engineers

• Developers (all languages) • Helpdesk/Desktop Support• Team Leaders/Managers• Project Managers• IT Consultants• ERP Consultants• Business Analysts

For more information contact us at [email protected] or 03 3560 1188.

Examples of postions we are currently recruiting for:


By Geoff Botting

• Kagome: Red Devils’ official drinks partner • Football schools planned to support Tohoku • Products include juices, sauces, ketchup• Eating tomatoes can help prevent illness

R ed was the colour of Kagome Co., Ltd’s booth at the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2013. Red is also the colour of tomatoes—known for

being not just delicious but healthy—and are what the firm is about.

The Global Summit, held at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel in mid-June, provided an opportunity to gain key insights into the challenges facing retailers, manufacturers and their service providers in the consumer goods industry.

“We have been in the tomato business for more than 110 years”, states Kagome’s mission statement. “Not only did we pioneer tomato processing in Japan, today we are the country’s undisputed industry leader in this sector”, it continues.

Another Kagome icon appeared at the event booth: the figure 7,500. This is the number—more or less—of the different seed varieties of tomatoes the firm keeps in its seed bank.

But why have so many types of tomato? According to Hidenori Nishi, the firm’s

president, the approach is part of a strategy to keep cultivation as natural as possible.

“Variety is key for quality”, Nishi told BCCJ ACUMEN. “We don’t use any chemicals, additives, sugar or [genetically modified ingredients]. So we introduce our varieties and then train the farmers to cultivate them in ways that use less chemicals”, he explained.

The efficiency stems from tailoring the type of tomato to its growing and marketing conditions, rather than relying on chemicals to do the job.

Red is also the colour of the jersey of arguably the world’s most well-known sports team: Manchester United.

In October last year, Kagome announced a partnership with the Premier League football team to be its official soft drinks partner in Japan. “They chose us because we have a long history—over 100 years—of participating in social activities”, he said.

Kagome and Manchester United have been carrying out their joint Regeneration Challenge Project 2013–2015 to support the reconstruction of the Tohoku region that was devastated by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and disaster. Through the project, Kagome actively supports children’s well-being and dreams, and communicates the importance of remembering Tohoku. In addition,

Kagome and Manchester United in March ran football schools for 160 children who live in the affected areas.

“The main purpose of the schools is to give support to children of the Tohoku region”, Kagome said in a statement.

As part of the effort, former Manchester United player Andrew Cole and club officials made a trip to the region. “They were very shocked”, Nishi said. “Even two years later, the region was still devastated. The visitors were very moved, so they offered a series of support efforts”.

Another aspect of giving back involves Kagome’s relationship with growers, not just in Japan but also overseas. Many efforts involve promoting eco-friendly growing methods, including using manure rather than chemical fertilisers, the advanced selection of agrochemicals, and an application method based on Kagome’s Quality Standard.

Tomatoes originated in Central and South America. Over 500 years ago, explorers from the West introduced them to Europe where they quickly became a regular feature of Western cooking. Tomatoes reached Asia and Japan in the centuries that followed. Thus, the Japanese in olden times didn’t eat tomatoes.

Today, however, tomatoes are a common ingredient in food here. Kagome, with a history dating back over a century, was an instrumental force in making that happen.

The firm’s roots stretch back to 1899, when Kagome founder Ichitaro Kanie started the successful cultivation of tomatoes in Japanese soil. The firm went on to produce ketchup in 1908, tomato juice in 1933, vegetable juice in 1973, and mixed vegetable–fruit juices in 1995.

Kagome’s vertical integrated system produces numerous tomato-based products for a variety of uses from seed form to branded products. To date, the firm has a bewildering range of processed tomato-based products. Beyond the vegetable juices and sauces, there are pulp-free juices similar to cocktail mixers, and biscuits—just to name a few.

The Japanese market famously tries to push the envelope for processed tomatoes, using them in all sorts of surprising ways. Some of these involve seeing the tomato for what it technically

FOOD

Reds in BedManchester United sponsor aims to boost tomato consumption here

Hidenori Nishi: variety is key for quality.


is: a fruit. Examples include confectionary products that combine tomatoes with fresh cream.

Customers of Ginza Cozy Corner Co., Ltd, which operates confectionary and coffee shops and restaurants, can enjoy sweet cream-filled parfaits made from tomatoes.

“[Ginza Cozy Corner] are using a special tomato that we developed,” he explained, referring to just one of his firm’s 7,500 varieties. “The skin of normal tomatoes is usually composed of three layers, but this variety has only one layer, which makes it a bit like a cherry. The skin doesn’t stay in your mouth”, he explained.

Nishi said that such sweet offerings are limited to the Japanese market, but like many Japanese firms, Kagome is gearing up to expand its operations in Asia.

The firm’s first overseas operation was established about 40 years ago in Taiwan to supply to Japan tomatoes as an ingredient. The Kagome Group is now ranked 11th globally in terms of the amount of raw tomatoes used in products.

Asian countries represent a huge potential market. Kagome has two subsidiaries on mainland China, one in Taiwan and Thailand, and another in India.

The average per capita consumption of tomatoes among the Chinese, for example, is about the same as that in Japan: about 10kg per year.

However, there is one big difference. Of all the tomatoes consumed in China, most are eaten raw, such as in salads. In Japan, meanwhile, it’s about a 50-50 split between the markets for raw and for processed tomatoes.

Nishi believes that consumption of tomatoes in Asian nations can be increased by implementing Kagome’s know-how in growing and producing tomato-based products to make the most of their harvests.

Considering the growth of the population in India and Asia, this method will contribute to the sustainability of society. In addition, as health and well-being are becoming very important in these countries, Kagome would like people to eat more tomatoes to ensure a healthy lifestyle.

At home, Kagome is proud of its various technological achievements, one of which is their reverse osmosis. The key technology was patented by Kagome.

“Normally, you need high temperatures but with this technology, we use high pressure with only pure water”, explained Kunihiko Sato, managing executive officer of the firm’s research and development division.

The result is tomato juice with a “raw, fresh flavour”, Sato said. “In addition, the colour comes out nice and bright. So although the juice is made from a concentrate, it’s just like fresh tomato juice”.

Such innovations are underpinned by the roughly 200 researchers employed by Kagome. The firm, which has some 800 products, each year introduces about 90 new ones. The total number of staff at the Nagoya-based firm and its subsidiaries is around 2,200. Last fiscal year, the corporate group posted net sales of ¥180bn; this year, it expects the figure to rise to ¥196bn.

One of the firm’s goals is to get more Japanese people to consume tomatoes. And why not? It’s a healthy fruit, packed with vitamins and other nutrients. What’s more, a growing body of research shows that increasing our

FOOD

consumption of tomatoes removes active oxygen in our bodies, helping to prevent serious illnesses.

Kagome believes that promoting the consumption of tomatoes in Japan is tantamount to contributing to the country’s well-being and longevity.

Tomatoes may not have been a feature of traditional Japanese cuisine, but the firm sees them as being an important part of its future.

“Kagome is trying to introduce different ways of eating tomatoes—not just as juice and tomato sauce—by combining them with Japanese food”, Sato explained.

One idea is to combine tomatoes with miso soup. This might not sound like a usual combination to purists, but then again, if tomato parfaits enjoy good sales, then it seems the sky could well be the limit.

Former Manchester United player Andrew Cole visited Tohoku as part of Kagome’s Regeneration Challenge project.

Kagome and Manchester United’s soccer schools aim to give support to children of the Tohoku region.


By Mike DeJong

• Costs about ¥400,000 to enter GT race• Has won and judged drifts and rallies• Worked on 2006 Tokyo drift movie• Nagoya day job exporting classic cars • Search for sponsors and racing career• Offers brands televised race exposure

T he driver turns his steering wheel sharply as a woman squeals with delight from the passenger seat. But her screams are barely audible—

drowned out by the roar of the car’s engine as the vehicle bounces from side to side on the dirt road.

Hills and trees fly past as the car gains speed yet, just when it appears the journey is headed for a horrible end, the driver pulls back. The car returns to the road and makes it safely to the finish line, where he drops off his passenger to her great relief.

Captured on YouTube, this scene is all in a day’s work for James Wolstenholme, professional racing driver, mechanic, exporter and speed junkie.

Wolstenholme—born in Manchester, north-west England, and raised in Kent in the south-east—is offering sponsors the thrill of joining him on a spin such as on the YouTube video, shot with a friend, around one of Japan’s many racing circuits.

“I like to offer my sponsors a real hands-on experience where they can sit in my car’s passenger seat and have the wits scared out of them by my driving”, said Wolstenholme.

“Depending on where the sponsors live, I have access—albeit limited—to most circuits around [the cities of] Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.

“There is no specific cost for the experience”, he added. “I foot the bill, just [as a way] to give something back to my sponsors”.

Sponsorship is something that will be key to Wolstenholme’s goal of developing a long-term racing career in Japan. The average cost of competing in a race is close to ¥400,000.

“This includes the rental of a car transporter, hotels, fuel, toll roads, entry fees, tyres, brake pads and general maintenance consumables such as oil”, he said. “With up to 10 races per year, I need a minimum of ¥4mn to keep going”.

Wolstenholme, aged 33, got the racing bug as a child while on family holidays in France, where he and his father would listen to the Le Mans 24-hour race on French radio, eventually becoming regulars at the event.

He got behind the wheel of a racing car for the first time at the age of 20, taking on an ex-Renault Cup car in the British Super Coupe Cup—a championship that ran from the mid 1990s to 2003.

“The series was a hot-bed for up-and-coming talent, as well as gentlemen racers”, he said. “It was a great experience as the fresh drivers like me were battling, while the old veterans wanted to prove what experience can do”.

Since that initial event, Wolstenholme has raced in many different types of motorsport including rallies on gravel and tarmac, and has worked as a mechanic in the Super GT championship. In addition, he has competed and won a championship in drifting, a relatively new craze in Japan. Drifting is when the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner.

Wolstenholme’s link with Japan and drifting was strengthened when he worked for Universal Pictures on a project

Wanted: Sponsors to Be Scared SillyRace driver offers ride of life and global exposure to fund GT dream

MOTORS

Wolstenholme took part in the 2006 Clio Cup at the Silverstone circuit.

James Wolstenholme is offering sponsors the chance to join him on a test drive around Japan’s racing circuits.

MOTORS

Wolstenholme took part in the 2006 Clio Cup at the Silverstone circuit.

for The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) movie. Then, in 2008, an Australian friend invited him to Nagoya, where he lives today with his Japanese wife and son, Georgie, aged 3.

“The highest level I’ve competed in was in 2010, when I was offered—purely by chance—a drive in a new Lamborghini Gallardo GT4 while working at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia”, he added. “That was a thrill”.

“The most exciting cars that I have driven are mainly Porsches. My all-time favourite is the 996 GT3 RS. This is the stripped out, bare bones 911.

“Aside from Porsche, I am a big fan of Ferrari. However, on a realistic level, the Mitsubishi Evolution range of cars is simply amazing. [Their] value-performance ratio cannot be beaten”.

Wolstenholme moved to Japan in 2008 and operates a business from his Nagoya home where he sources, purchases and exports classic cars for customers in the UK.

But his ultimate aim is to get behind the wheel of a racing car on a full-time basis in Japan.

“My long-term goal is to drive in the Japanese Super GT Championship”, he said.

“There are many ways to get into GT racing, and the main method—I’m sad to say—depends on the size of your wallet.

“My plan is to spend the next two years becoming known, and then pay a team to drive their car on a race-by-race system.

“The budget for GT racing is about ¥4mn for one race. However, as it is televised in Japan as well as abroad and has a big following, the marketing potential is there. Some drivers are

supported by big brands such as Rolex and Coca-Cola”.

One thing Wolstenholme rules out is a return to Europe for a taste of Formula One.

“Not a chance! At 190cm and the wrong side of 90kg, I doubt I would even fit in an F1 car. My sights are firmly set on International GT racing.

“It’s on a completely different level”, he added.

MOTORS

Welcome to Japan3 ways of Living 7 lives in Tokyo

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Drifting is when the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels.


By Julian Ryall

• First “supercharged nature experience”• Sights, smells, sounds, vibrations• Two-hour, three-stage voyage of discovery

B BC Worldwide is teaming up with Sega Corporation to create a new theme park that will use cutting-edge technology to enable visitors to experience the

natural environment and interact with the wildlife that inhabits the planet.

The ambitious project—named Orbi—was developed over two years with close involvement from BCCJ member firm,

Eat Creative K.K. Unveiled on 29 May, the project’s park will open in Yokohama’s Minatomirai district on 19 August.

“The BBC has been producing wonderful wildlife footage for more than 50 years, and we have decided to try to create something that will be distinctive in the world”, said Sega President and Chief Operating Officer Naoya Tsurumi in a press conference. “We have been able to create outstanding content that has never been seen before”, Tsurumi added.

Orbi, which takes its name from the words “orb” and “orbit” and is designed to have appeal across all nationalities and generations, will be the world’s

first “supercharged nature experience”, he said.

“We want to offer an experience that people can’t get even in the real world”, he said, explaining that this includes, for example, the experience of being in the middle of a stampede of 1.3mn wildebeest.

As well as high-resolution images and the sound of being caught up in the creatures’ annual migration, the attraction will incorporate the vibration and shock waves caused as the animals’ hooves hit the ground.

“We want to transport people from their lives in the middle of the metropolis to the heart of the natural world”, he added.

Eat Creative has been central to Orbi’s global brand development, naming and visual identity since 2011. “We’ve worked closely with the BBC and Sega”, said Executive Creative Director Steve Martin, as he described the one-of-a-kind experience.

“We’ve created a ‘living’ logo that can change and grow as the experience evolves”, Martin said. Integrated into all aspects of the experience, both physical and online, the logo has evolved into a device that becomes a guide as you explore, transporting you between interactive experiences and providing facts and figures along the way.

Orbi will be spread over nearly 4,800m2

in the city’s new MARK IS Minatomirai

Journey to the Heart of NatureNew theme park offers stunning interaction with the environment

Concept images of Orbi theme park in Yokohama

ENTERTAINMENT


building and it will take visitors around two hours to complete the tour.

Orbi will be a journey in three stages. Visitors will initially enter what is termed the pre-show area, which invites them to explore some of the mysteries of the Earth by travelling to 12 different zones, including soaring through the skies, travelling to the depths of the oceans, hiking through dense jungle, and even braving -20°C temperatures in a room that will be a recreation of the Arctic.

Visitors will also be able to learn about biology by communicating with life-size projections of animals through camera recognition sensors.

The main show is a spectacular theatre experience that portrays nature on a grand scale. The 340-seat auditorium has a wrap-around screen that stretches 40m edge to edge and stands 8m tall, making it the largest display panel in Japan.

The theatre will make use of BBC Earth’s vast stockpile of nature images to create an original 20-minute story produced by the BBC specifically for Orbi, and building on the international successes of groundbreaking television series such as Blue Planet, Life, and Planet Earth.

Beyond the visual and the 3D super-stereophonic surround sound system, Sega is using its technological knowhow to work additional elements

into the presentation. This will include the use of smells, a fog generator, blowers to recreate for the audience the sensation of wind, and flashlights to create lightning.

The post-show section—the final area through which visitors will pass—will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how the BBC captures its spectacular wildlife footage and will include a shop and cafe.

“The BBC films the greatness of nature and tries to spread that information around the world”, said Ken Munakata, president of BBC Worldwide Japan Limited. “By using augmented reality, we have been able to spread this knowledge

through commercial facilities so that more people can share the experience and we can expand our business.

“Orbi is the next major step for us, and we want to work with Sega to bring the appeal of nature to as many people as possible”, said Munakata. “We have been able to create an unprecedented project in a multi-sensory way”, he added.

The BBC and Sega have declined to reveal the scale of the investment in the new Yokohama park, but have confirmed that they plan to use it as a showcase to build further theme parks around the world.

http://orbiearth.com/en/

Orbi ... which takes its name from the words “orb” and “orbit” and is designed to have appeal across all nationalities and generations.

ENTERTAINMENT


By Megan WatersPhotos: Akiyoshi Ishigami, Gaku Maeda, Kotaro, Masanori Naruse

U nder a clear blue sky on a long stretch of beach at Makuhari Seaside Park in Chiba Prefecture, the Big Beach Festival ’13 brought thousands

of music lovers together to indulge in the music of some of the world’s best DJs.

Held on 1 June, over 25,000 people—the biggest audience yet—attended the annual festival, considered one of Tokyo’s biggest dance events of the year.

British DJ, musician and record producer Fatboy Slim held his first Big Beach Boutique in 2001 in his hometown of Brighton. In 2009, he brought the festival to Japan.

Supported by the British Embassy Tokyo, the festival had a strong link to the UK with mostly British acts. Including Fatboy Slim, Basement Jaxx, Erol Alkan, Maya Jane Coles and Sasha, they performed on three stages.

For those needing a little respite from the music, there was a range of food to try and numerous thirst-quenching drinks.

But, even better: beds were set up in the bar area for those needing a little nap if it all got a bit too much.

1. Fatboy Slim2. Nervo3. Basement Jaxx4. Erol Alkan

MUSIC

BRIGHTON ROCKS CHIBA BEACHFatboy Slim leads British DJs and record crowd at annual dance festival

BCCJ ACUMEN has one Diesel & Big Beach Festival ’13 official T-shirt, signed by Fatboy Slim, to give away. To apply, please send an email by 31 July to: [email protected]. The winner will be picked at random.

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ARTS EVENTSCompiled by Yoko Yanagimoto | [email protected]


To apply for free tickets, please send us an email with your name, address and telephone number by 31 July: [email protected] will be picked at random.

www.o-arches.com/

For information on other venues and dates, please visit:http://encore.asmik-ace.co.jp/

19 & 27 JULYKohei Koike Recorder Recital—Handel and His ContemporariesRecorder player Kohei Koike in May released his album George Frideric Handel Recorder Sonatas. To celebrate the release, Koike is holding recitals in Tokyo and Osaka, where he will play compositions by George Frideric Handel, a German-born British Baroque composer.

Omi Gakudo (Tokyo Opera City 3F)3-20-2 Nishi-ShinjukuShinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-1407Adults from ¥4,50003-5353-693719 July, 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm)

Anrieu Recorder Gallery3-8-12 AnryuSuminoe-ku, Osaka 559-000306-6678-1011Adults from ¥3,50027 July, 3pm (doors open at 2:30pm)Free Tickets and Discount OfferWe are giving away one pair of free tickets to this event and offering a ¥500 discount on tickets.

www.legendofrock-show.com/index.html

15 JULYLegend of Rock at Hibiya Yaon Vol. 5The line up this year at Tokyo’s biggest and best rock tribute band festival includes The Beggars (The Rolling Stones), Townzen (The Who), Mr. Jimmy (Led Zeppelin), and Queer (Queen), representing the cream of British rock. The outdoor event provides the perfect opportunity for all music fans to rock and roll on a national holiday.

Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall1-5 Hibiya ParkChiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0012

1pm (doors open at 12:30pm)From ¥3,50003-3591-6388

Free TicketsWe are giving away two free tickets to this event.

UNTIL 19 JULYSong For MarionThis film is about Arthur, a shy, grumpy pensioner living in London who is reluctantly inspired by his beloved wife Marion to join a highly unconventional local choir. It is left to charismatic choir director Elizabeth to try and persuade Arthur that he can learn to embrace life. Arthur must confront the undercurrents of his grumbling persona as he embarks on a hilarious, life-affirming journey of musical self-discovery.

TOHO Cinemas Chanter1-2-2 YurakuchoChiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006

Adults from ¥1,50003-3591-1511

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17 & 18 AUGUSTLausanne Gala 2013—In Honour of Prince TakamadoThe Prix de Lausanne is an international dance competition held annually in Lausanne, Switzerland, for young dancers seeking to pursue a professional career in classical ballet. Yuhui Choe, the lead dancer in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, will perform in Asphodel Meadows, which has been choreographed by Royal Ballet Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett.

National Children’s CastleAoyama Theatre5-53-1 JingumaeShibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001

Adults from ¥8,00003-3797-5678

17 August, 5:30pm18 August, 3:00pm

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For information on other venues and dates, please visit:http://gomiart.net/

FROM 20 JULYWaste LandFilmed over nearly three years, Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he travels from his home in Brooklyn, New York, to Jardim Gramacho, the world’s largest garbage dump in his native Brazil. London-based director Lucy Walker is known for her documentaries that typically follow memorable characters on transformative journeys that grant exclusive access to closed worlds.

EurospaceKinohaus 3F1-5 MaruyamachoShibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0044

From ¥1,70003-3461-0211Free TicketsWe are giving away three pairs of free tickets to this event (only valid for the above venue).

For information on other venues and dates, please visit:www.asahi.com/event/wpph/

UNTIL 4 AUGUST56th World Press Photo ContestThe entire collection of winning images is on display at the world’s largest annual press photography exhibition. London-based artist Nadav Kander, known for his portraiture and large-format landscape photographs, won 1st prize in the 2013 Staged Portraits Singles category, with his photograph of British actor and comedian Daniel Kaluuya.

Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of PhotographyYebisu Garden Place1-13-3 MitaMeguro-ku, Tokyo 153-006210am–6pm (open until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays)

Closed on MondaysAdults from ¥70003-3280-0099Free TicketsWe are giving away 20 free tickets to this event.

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The bodies of two-year-old Suhaib Hijazi and his older brother Muhammad are carried by their uncles to a mosque for their funeral in Gaza, Palestine.

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COMMUNITY

British Ambassador Tim Hitchens addressed a crowd at the Japan British Society’s annual Gala Party at the ambassador’s residence on 25 June.

EMBASSYPOLITICS

BCCJ Executive Director Lori Henderson was appointed MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to post-earthquake reconstruction and the British business community in Japan. The investiture was at Buckingham Palace on 7 June (see page 11).

BCCJ BCCJ

Attending the BCCJ’s Running a Railways from Central Japan to the World event on 18 June at the Shangri-la Hotel Tokyo were (from left): BCCJ Executive Director Lori Henderson MBE; Yoshiyuki Kasai, chairman of the Central Japan Railway Company; BCCJ President Alison Jambert; and BCCJ Executive Committee Member Graham Davis, head of thought leadership and events at The Economist Group (Asia/Pacific) Limited.

Prime Minister David Cameron welcomes Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the G8 summit in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland on 18 June.

ANNIVERSARY

Admiring a replica of John Saris’ diary are Professor Timon Screech (left), head of History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and co-chair of the Japan400 organising committee, and British Ambassador Tim Hitchens at the British Embassy Tokyo on 11 June (see page 21).

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Celebrating a grand achievement are (from left) Richard Williams, Nick Rees, Tony Collins, Robert Williams, John Stanton, Ian Smith, Jon Hindley and temporary housing residents and volunteers from the Save Minamisoma Project. In Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, on 1 June, the cyclists feted their 340km ride from Tokyo to Minamisoma that had raised ¥3mn for the project.

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Attending the fifth British Cheese Tasting Party at The White Fox bar and restaurant in Oji on 30 June were (from left) Stephen John Davis, director of I Love Cheese Co., Ltd.; Sean Brophy, director of I Love Cheese Co., Ltd.; and Trevor Blyth, chef and owner of The White Fox.

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British Ambassador Tim Hitchens (left) with Arsenal Ambassador Freddie Ljungberg at the British Embassy Tokyo on 21 June to promote Arsenal’s upcoming Asia Tour 2013. Playing in Japan for the first time in over 40 years, the football team will face Nagoya Grampus on 22 July and the Urawa Reds on 26 July.

Harry PotterTM: The Exhibition, being held at the Mori Arts Center Gallery in Tokyo (until 16 September), showcases scenes from the films’ most popular locations, and features hundreds of authentic props, costumes and creatures.

Tracy Wilson gave a lecture on English gardens and gardening at the annual Barakura Flower Show at the Barakura English Garden in Tateshina, Nagano Prefecture on 14–24 June. Those attending could also enjoy bagpipe performances and British food, including fish and chips and cakes.

EXHIBITION

GARDENING

Toshiaki Hirose (left), captain of the Japan national rugby team, and flanker Takashi Kikutani celebrate after defeating Wales 23–8 in a test match in Tokyo’s Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium on 15 June. It was Japan’s first victory over a major rugby nation in nearly 80 years of international competition.

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By Dr Tom Lomax

M any medical tests can cause problems. These can be indirect, for example when unhelpful or misleading results

cause confusion or delay in reaching a diagnosis.

Harm can also be direct, when the test itself causes some damage. Top of the list is the radiation involved in x-rays and some other types of medical scans. This is a pretty basic issue, but I managed to complete five years of medical school without the matter being entirely clear.

If you are going to take only one thing away from this article, it should be that some scans don’t involve any radiation at all.

These include ultrasound, which uses sound waves and magnetic resonance imaging that, as the name suggests, uses a very big magnet.

No points for guessing that x-rays involve radiation, but it is helpful to know that some involve very low doses indeed. You will get about as much radiation flying from Tokyo to Hong Kong as from a chest x-ray: about 0.02mSv. We are exposed to more radiation in a high-altitude flight since there is less atmosphere above us to filter out rays from space.

Should you choose to skip the x-ray—or not go to Hong Kong—you’ll get this much exposure anyway in two or three days at sea level in the form of environmental background radiation.

Basic dental x-rays and films of the arms and legs are similarly low dose, however other x-rays (of the spine, pelvis and abdomen, or mammograms, for example) require much more radiation to give clear pictures.

A single view of your pelvis or a mammogram will typically expose you to about 0.7mSv—equivalent to 35 chest x-rays or as much radiation as you’d get flying from Tokyo to London and back six times.

While everyone knows that x-rays involve some radiation, the scan that people are most often unclear about is computerised tomography (CT)—

sometimes called computerised axial tomography (CAT)—that is just a modern version of the x-ray.

A CT scanner basically passes a beam of x-ray radiation through you and uses a computer to reconstruct the information into a 3D image.

This is a very powerful tool and in many areas of medicine, CT scans have revolutionised diagnosis and treatment. However, this method does carry a price in terms of radiation dosing.

A CT scan of your abdomen might be expected to give you about 8mSv of radiation—almost the same amount as 400 chest x-rays or as you would receive from between 60 and 70 high-altitude return flights from Tokyo to London—perhaps two or three years of background radiation.

At the top end of the scale, a positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) scan would give two or three times as much radiation as a CT scan (about 20mSv).

In a young person, a single PET scan is thought to increase the lifelong cancer risk by about 0.5%.

Doctors need to know how much radiation patients are being exposed to in order to make careful cost–benefit assessments. This is especially key in children and young adults, who are most vulnerable to the damage caused by radiation, and also particularly when performing screening tests.

Screening—or testing healthy people in the hope of detecting a problem before they notice any symptoms—demands a higher degree of care because it turns up fewer positive results.

If doctors perform chest x-rays on 1,000 people who have had a cough for several weeks, they will find that some have pneumonia while a few will, unfortunately, have something worse.

Were the same chest x-rays performed on completely healthy 30-year-old non-smokers, there is a reasonable chance that none of the x-rays would show anything of particular concern.

It would almost never be appropriate to offer a healthy non-smoker a much higher radiation chest CT as a screening test. Yet, I often see this being done on a routine basis as a part of some higher-end “executive” annual medical check.

This tends to be done without any process of informed consent; healthy people in large numbers are put through the scanner without any discussion about the radiation dose, and are increasingly being encouraged to do this on a yearly basis.

Most alarming of all, I have seen a central Tokyo clinic advertising PET–CT scans in an English-language magazine, but with no mention of the down side.

As this type of screening falls outside the Japanese social healthcare framework, clinics are free to charge what the market will bear—usually over ¥100,000 for one scan.

Not having visited the clinic in question, it may be that, if a healthy 20-year-old requested a PET–CT scan, they would be offered a dedicated consultation explaining the risks of the high radiation dose involved. They then might choose not to go ahead with the procedure.

However, my experiences lead me to believe that a detailed assessment of the need for any given person to have this scan may well be lacking.

The radiation hot spots identified in school and nursery playgrounds in Fukushima Prefecture, following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, were analysed and found to generate an average 0.0038mSv per hour. This would lead to a total yearly dose of about 20mSv—very similar to a typical dose from a PET–CT scan.

How many of us would pay to live in a Fukushima Prefecture radiation hot spot?

HEALTH

When the Cure Is Worse than the Disease Some x-rays and scans involve high doses of radiation

Doctors need to know how much

radiation patients are being exposed

to in order to make careful cost–benefit

assessments.


IF YOU ASK ME

By Ian de Stains OBE

I n the sultry autumn of 2010, I lay close to death in the cardiac intensive care unit of a Tokyo hospital. Around me, an array of equipment that looked remarkably similar to the flight deck

of the Starship Enterprise breathed on my behalf and monitored my vital signs: heartbeat, blood pressure, temperature and oxygen intake.

Intravenous drips administered vital dosages, chest tubes drained away blood, while a catheter removed other body fluids. A bevy of young, dedicated nurses observed the monitors and a team of equally dedicated surgeons performed regular interventions. I was, of course, aware of none of this; those closest to me had the harder time.

Only one day before I had walked into the hospital expecting a routine check-up, prompted by an odd moment of breathlessness when climbing the stairs at Omotesando station. I’d had no pain, and none of the other classic signs of a heart attack. Didn’t I have a healthy lifestyle? I had never been a smoker, hadn’t eaten red meat for 30 years, meditated daily and was fairly good about exercise.

The conditions of the health insurance policy that my employer provided stipulated annual health checks. Only months before, I’d completed a check with nothing unusual to report beyond slightly elevated blood pressure. If I had been busier, I might have skipped the hospital visit. I shudder now to think of the consequences.

The check-up initially consisted of blood work and an ECG, after which the consultant cardiologist decided an angiogram was required. In this procedure, a fine camera-catheter is inserted into the arteries through the groin or (as in my case) the wrist, and is passed through to the heart to determine whether there are any blockages. If any are found, a small balloon is inflated to widen the artery and a spring-like device called a stent can be inserted. It is a painless operation and can be followed on a monitor should a patient be so inclined.

The light banter between the cardiologist and the attending technician

My Brother and I Comparing notes on surviving heart conditions while 6,000 miles apart

gradually ceased as the procedure continued. I could tell that the news was not good. My cardiac disease was too advanced for stents; quadruple bypass surgery was urgently needed.

In the end, five grafts had to be made; veins from both legs and the chest cavity were harvested to make them. The ironic consequence is that the worst scarring from the surgery is apparent today on my legs.

Complications meant that a second surgery had to be performed just hours after the first (and requiring that the heart be stopped by an injection of cold blood). Hence, the life-support system and the big question: would I be able to breathe for myself again and, if so, would there be brain damage?

Awareness slowly dawned. I felt impaled on a wheel of coloured lights, unable to move, looking down on my body. Bright points of light seemed to circle me. A nurse asked if I knew my date of birth. I remember laughing at what I thought was an absurd question. I knew the answer even though I could only think of it in Japanese—English failed me.

Moments later I was unable to tell my doctor how old I was in either language—even simple maths had never been my strong point. Had I been more alert I could have simply cheated and looked at the white plastic strip around my left wrist. But in the post-anaesthesia confusion, other thoughts took hold:

I desperately needed to go to the toilet but didn’t have money for the slot on the door. Where did that idea come from?

For several more days I drifted in and out of consciousness in the overheated ICU, masked and intubated, catheterised and cocooned. The days and nights merged so that I lost track of time entirely.

Friends have suggested that, had they faced the same situation, they would have gone back to the UK. However, I didn’t have the choice; time was not on my side. Yet I have no doubt that I received the finest attention.

It was of great comfort, too, that the hospital had no hesitation whatsoever in accepting my partner as my legal next of kin with all the attendant rights and responsibilities.

Ironically, just days after my release from hospital, my younger brother in Scotland suffered a heart attack and needed similar surgery. He was hospitalised and the surgery was postponed not once, but twice, despite his being fully prepped for surgery in each case. In addition, he was sent home after each postponement. It is hard to imagine the stress that this induced in him and his wife and children.

His condition was arguably more serious than mine (I had not, after all, suffered a heart attack; merely avoided one by the merest whisker) but he was not treated with the same urgency as I was. We have compared notes regarding aftercare, too, and, on balance, we agree I have the better deal here. I now have regular appointments with the senior consultant who performed the surgeries; I am seen on time and thoroughly checked to ensure that my recovery is on track. I am reminded, ever so gently, that while the surgery saved my life, I continue to live with cardiac disease and must adapt accordingly.

Some foreign residents have written critically of the Japanese healthcare system, maybe with good reason. And perhaps without a reasonable command of the Japanese language, my experience may have been different. But I cannot fault the Ikegami Sogo Byoin and the staff there who, without doubt, saved my life and who continue to provide aftercare in the friendliest and most professional manner.

I am reminded, ever so gently, that while the

surgery saved my life, I continue to live with cardiac disease and must

adapt accordingly.


BOOKS Reviews by Ian de Stains OBEBCCJ ACUMEN has one copy of each of these books to give away. To apply, please send an email by 31 July to: [email protected]. Winners will be picked at random.

Shut InIn 1998, a relatively unknown Japanese psychiatrist published a book about a phenomenon he had noticed among his patients, especially young males.

These people—known as hikikomori—withdrew from society, taking to their rooms for months or even years, and rejecting contact with the outside world.

Enabled by parents who indulged their isolation, the so-called hikikomori risked never being able to return to the workplace or to normal social interaction.

The book became an instant bestseller and propelled its author, Dr Tamaki Saito, into the limelight. Today he is one of the most high-profile commentators on Japanese youth and youth culture.

Now, thanks to the University of Minnesota Press, we have access in English to Dr Saito’s findings. The translation of the book by Jeffrey Angles (associate professor of modern Japanese literature and translation at Western Michigan University) is masterful.

Angles successfully echoes Saito’s voice and maintains the same accessible language that made the original publication such a huge success. Thus, even if one has no background in psychiatry or related studies, one is helped to understand the complexities of this condition.

Dr Saito did not coin the term hikikomori; it is acknowledged in the

Tamaki SaitoTranslated by Jeffrey AnglesUniversity of

Minnesota Press$19.95

Michael ZielenzigerVintage Departures

$16.00

A completely different interpretation of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins comes from Michael Zielenziger, an American journalist who spent seven years living in Japan.

Zielenziger is now a visiting scholar at the Institute of International Studies at the University of Berkley in California.

He seems to suggest in his book that the cause of the condition lies in the pathological nature of Japanese society, rather than that it is a personality issue (a notion from which Saito in Adolescence without End deliberately distances himself).

Shutting out the Sun, a product of keen research, is most readable. The book includes some engaging interviews with people whom it must have been

difficult to persuade to talk with the author.

Unfortunately, his argument is weakened by the fact that he uses his own cultural values as a measure of what he perceives to be right.

Zielenziger extends his thinking on the subject to South Korea. Although this is an interesting twist, even here his arguments lack the discipline that is needed to make the case in either psychiatric or anthropological terms.

The book would be far more accessible and the arguments more convincing if the author had remained focused on the phenomenon as it affects Japan.

Nevertheless it is a worthwhile undertaking that deserves the attention it has enjoyed in the mainstream media.

Shut Out

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition—a diagnostic manual, published by the American Psychiatric Association, that is widely used around the world.

However, in the manual the condition is considered a symptom, while Dr Saito argued that it ought to be recognised as a diagnostic category in its own right.

While some have argued that withdrawal is a symptom of depression, Saito points out that not all depressives withdraw from society to the same extreme degree.

Nor do all those that withdraw display the classic signs of depression; within their own world some appear to be content with their choices.

Dr Saito estimates that something in excess of 1mn people are afflicted, although he acknowledges it is very difficult to establish an accurate figure. Individuals suffering from the disorder are reluctant to reach out for help, while their parents and siblings are often too embarrassed to seek assistance.

The so-called hikikomori risked never being able to return to the workplace

or to normal social interaction.

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