BCCJ Acumen December 2013

INTERVIEW: AGUSTAWESTLAND

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CLOSEST OF ALLIES

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EVOLVING PALATES

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December 2013 | 짜900

The Magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan

DEFEND, DETECT, DESTROY London and Tokyo trade military assets in security pacts for peace and relief

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INDUSTRY & A-LIST: BUSINESS SUPPORT & OUTSOURCING

UK: OPEN FOR BUSINESS

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VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12

December 2013

33

29 FOOD The Role of Roast in Early Trading

BCCJ EVENT UK: Open for Business Luring long-term investment

16

24 MEMORIAL New Defence Attaché Starts Tokyo Mission

LEAD STORY Defend, Detect, Destroy London and Tokyo trade military assets in security pacts

7 PUBLISHER First for Firsts Simon Farrell

24 MEMORIAL New Defence Attaché Starts Tokyo Mission

8 MEDIA UK-Japan News

27 ENVOY Closest of Allies Push for enhanced UK–Japan ties in security, energy and investment

11 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Diversity in Action Lori Henderson MBE 12 MEDIA What you missed in the Japanese press 15 PRESIDENT Strategic Alliances Building partnerships with key players Alison Jambert 16 LEAD STORY Defend, Detect, Destroy London and Tokyo trade military assets in security pacts for peace and relief 23 INTERVIEW Andrew Symonds AgustaWestland Japan

28 TRADE UKTI Creates Export Website 29 FOOD The Role of Roast in Early Trading 30 WINE Evolving Palates 33 BCCJ EVENT UK: Open for Business “Tax minister” says reforms made to lure long-term investment INDUSTRY Business Support & Outsourcing 35 New Rules for Overseas Property Tax 36 A-LIST

39 DIVERSITY The Business Case for D&I 40 ARTS UK Events in Japan The Bling Ring, Impressionists at the Waterside, London Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet, Tribes, The Beautiful Black List, Sherlock Holmes: The Secret of the Anderson Family 42 COMMUNITY BCCJ, Embassy, Launch, Charity, CSR, Auction, Sport, Music, Art 44 HEALTH Stand Up for a Healthy Workplace Prolonged sitting can be lethal 45 IF YOU ASK ME Occasion for Reflection 46 BOOK REVIEWS What’s in a Surname?

Prince Charles’s Strategy for Global Environment COVER: EUROFIGHTER AND HMS DARING, COURTESY OF BAE SYSTEMS

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 | Individual Member 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 Yayoi Sogo | Individual Member Richard Thornley CBE | Rolls-Royce Japan Co., Ltd. James Weeks | Kreab Gavin Anderson Haruno Yoshida | BT Japan Corporation 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 info@bccjapan.com www.bccjapan.com BCCJ ACUMEN is the magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan

CONTRIBUTORS

Creative Director Cliff Cardona Art Director Paul Leonard Editor Brandi Goode Client Services Manager Sam Bird

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 and coaching and is the executive director of TELL. dest@attglobal.net

Account Managers Leon van Houwelingen Kieran Quigley Account Executives Jody Pang Kasia Mecinski Client Services Megumi Okazaki Gamma Siregar

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

JEREMY SUTTON-HIBBERT

President Robert Heldt

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.

Julian Ryall is Japan correspondent for The Daily Telegraph.

JEREMY SUTTON-HIBBERT

Publisher Simon Farrell

VICTORIACAZZOLIPHOTOGRAPHY

BCCJ 2013 Company of the Year

Suzanne Price is the president of Price Global, a change agent specialising in diversity and inclusion for Asia-Pacific and based in Tokyo.

Visit www.price-global.com or send direct comments or questions by e-mail: suzanne@price-global.com.

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.

Jun Nagamine is the founder and managing partner of Nagamine & Mishima Accounting Office, which was established in 1989 and specialises in firms requiring English assistance in tax, accounting and payroll in Japan.

Brandi Goode is an editor at Custom Media K.K. with journalism experience spanning three countries.

Ingrid Davis is a physiotherapist consulting at Club360, a new health and fitness facility in central Tokyo. She has lived and worked extensively in the UK & internationally with musculoskeletal conditions, occupational health and sports injuries.

Nina Oiki is an economics graduate student at Waseda University and an intern for the BCCJ and the British Business Awards Task Force.

Media Co-ordinator Kana Shimoyoshi To advertise or order BCCJ ACUMEN: inquiries@custom-media.com 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 Business in Japan TV. 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.

Custom Media wishes all BCCJ ACUMEN readers a very happy holiday season.

BCCJ ACUMEN is printed on paper certified by the US Forest Stewardship Council with vegetable oil ink certified by The Japan Printing Ink Makers Association.

Thank you for your patronage and continued support.

Cheers!

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 5

PUBLISHER

First for Firsts

A

Q

s we enter our fifth successful year of publishing BCCJ ACUMEN, here is a list, from A-Z, with some of my favourite firsts the magazine featured in 2013.

ueen Elizabeth II honours both a BCCJ president (Philip T Gibb) and executive director (Lori Henderson) with an OBE and MBE, respectively (January, page 13; July, page 11).

R

ugby world salutes Japan for defeating Wales in test match, 23–8 at Tokyo’s Chichibunomiya Stadium on 15 June (July, page 49).

A

nniversary of the first trading, diplomatic and cultural ties between the UK and Japan is celebrated after four centuries in a series of events held throughout the year (April–November).

B

ritish Business Awards (BBA): External judges choose recipients of five of six awards (October, page 20); members vote on other award; record 62 nominees (November, page 16).

The New National Stadium will be designed by a UK firm.

waiku” tweeted weekly in English and Japanese by British Ambassador to Japan Tim Hitchens, CMG, LVO (February, page 14).

ustom Media K.K., publisher of BCCJ ACUMEN, voted BBA 2013 Company of the Year (November, page 22). aihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s oldest carmaker, co-sponsors a football club for the first time in its 106-year history, signing a deal with England’s Manchester City for 2014 (July, page 9).

ixty-five years of diversity, charity and business—the BCCJ is better than ever as it marks its 65th year in operation (October, page 22).

“T

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U A cultural show at the 2014 Japan Matsuri in London

K Trade & Investment, the trade arm of the British Embassy Tokyo, launches Export to Japan website (this issue, page 28).

K

V

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L

W

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REAT campaign for UK food launched at the British Embassy Tokyo to enlighten critics and forge business partnerships between the two countries (October, page 26).

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X Y

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owzat! Cricket fans mark 150 years since the first match was played in Japan, between the Royal Navy and a team of Yokohama civilians in 1863 (May, page 40).

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lections contested and campaigning held for members to appoint BCCJ Executive Committee (May, pages 11, 15). armer in Dorset is first in Europe to successfully grow commercial quantities of quality wasabi, selling the fickle plant to posh restaurants and celebrity chefs (January, page 36).

mmigration piece draws record 271 comments on news website that picked up our report (July, page 25).

S Teruzuki, the newest destroyer of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, escorted and berthed next to HMS Daring, a £1bn Royal Navy Type-45 destroyer, at Harumi Pier in central Tokyo (this issue, page 21).

agome Co., Ltd. co-sponsors Manchester United and treats hundreds of children from quake-hit regions to a football match, to promote health, exercise and community renewal (August, page 28).

GBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) event held as part of BCCJ series on diversity and inclusion (this issue, page 42). iddle-aged men in lycra commit to cycling from Tokyo to Fukushima Prefecture for charity, thanks to a discussion during Brits at Lunch (March, page 26). ew National Stadium becomes the first such venue in Tokyo that will be designed by a London firm, which edged 45 bidders to win the contract (March, page 16). rbi, the first joint project by BBC World and Sega Corporation, opens in Yokohama as a “supercharged nature experience” (July, page 42). rime ministers: Four past and present UK leaders featured in BCCJ ACUMEN (John Major and Tony Blair, October cover; Margaret Thatcher, May, page 49; David Cameron, July, page 48).

IP visits included David Cameron, Hugo Swire, William Hague, Lord David Russell Howell, Simon Burns, Mumford & Sons, Prince Andrew, Sir John Scarlett, Sir Malcolm Grant, Jeremy Hunt and Sir Craig Reedle. omen take five of 15 BCCJ Executive Committee seats and the top three chamber posts of president, vice-president and executive director (May, page 11).

-rated word used in headline (September, page 47).

okohama F. Marinos, of the J-League, beat English Premier League champions Manchester United 3–2 in front of 65,372 fans at the Nissan Stadium on 23 July (August, pages 28, 54).

Z

ero kills target set by Kent mum in Sea Shepherd quest to stop bloody whale hunt in Pacific (February, page 26).

Simon Farrell Custom Media simon@custom-media.com

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 7

LATEST UK–JAPAN REPORTS

Music Firm to Expand in Asia London-based Spotify Limited has raised ¥25bn to expand its US operations and launch its music-streaming services in Japan, the London Evening Standard reported on 22 November.

The five-year-old firm employs over 100 staff at its headquarters in the Soho district, but has its research and development headquarters in

Automaker Chief Cautions over EU Exit

Survey Reveals Depression Stats A recent study shows that Japan and the UK are among the few countries in which the population is affected by a lower-than-average number of years lived with depression, media reported on 6 November.

The study, published in the academic journal PLOS Medicine, said depression is the second-most-common reason for disability worldwide. It compared clinical depression with more than 200 other diseases and injuries.

It also revealed that rates of major depression are lowest in Japan. In the UK, the disease ranked third compared with other afflictions, in terms of years lived with a disability.

Rates of major depression were highest in Afghanistan and other conflict zones.

Taxis in the UK capital have taken the prize for best in the world, with Tokyo trailing behind in third place, according to a survey from hotels.com, Japan Today reported on 8 November.

This is the sixth consecutive year that London’s iconic black cabs have won the award. The city garnered 22% of all votes, while New York came in second with 10% and Tokyo third with 9%.

In the 30 countries surveyed, London taxis swept five of the seven categories, such as safety and knowledge of the area.

Attraction Eyes Foreign Tourists THE WORLD OF BEATRIX POTTER

Nissan Motor Corporation has warned it may “reconsider” its UK investments if the country decides to leave the European Union, the BBC reported on 8 November.

In response to a question on how Nissan would react if Britain withdraws from the EU, Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn said, “If anything has to change we [would] need to reconsider our strategy and our investments for the future”.

He was speaking at the launch of the automaker’s new Qashqai model, which will be built at the firm’s Sunderland facility.

The Qashqai is Nissan’s best-selling car in Europe. Ghosn added that he considers the exit scenario unlikely.

Stockholm. Its services are available in 32 countries.

With the latest round of funding, Spotify is now valued at ¥4trn, according to The Wall Street Journal. Although the firm’s revenue more than doubled to ¥60bn last year, Spotify’s UK division recorded a loss of £10.1mn due to investment and expansion.

London’s Black Cabs Voted No. 1

Shop to Sell Citrus “Superfood” Waitrose will start selling the juice of a Japanese citrus fruit as part of its Cooks’ Ingredients line, the Daily Mail reported on 13 November.

Yuzu, hailed by many as the next superfood because of its vitamin C content, up until now has been unavailable in UK supermarkets.

Celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Nigel Slater are fond of cooking with the fruit’s juice, which is said to contain three times as much vitamin C as lemon juice.

The 60ml bottle from Waitrose will sell for £4.59.

8 | BCCJ ACUMEN | DECEMBER 2013

Yuzu tastes like a cross between a lemon and grapefruit.

The chief executive of The World of Beatrix Potter, a tourist attraction in north-west England, recently came to Tokyo on a trade mission to boost tourism in the Lake District, media reported on 13 November.

Peter Rabbit has long been an object of fascination for people in Japan, and the Lake District establishment already receives a massive influx of Japanese tourists. Staff members have described how these visitors quickly take in the displays and snap pictures of the characters, before descending on the shop, which seems to be their main focus.

The shop manager said Japanese groups are by far his best customers.

Iconic Designer Returns to Catwalk

Actress Receives Award Jane Birkin was awarded the Japanese Foreign Ministry Prize on 14 November for her contributions in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan Today reported on 15 November.

Birkin immediately booked a flight to the disaster-struck area after hearing news of the quake and ensuing tsunami. Her relief work included organising support concerts for those affected by the tragedy.

Anime Film Wins at Festival Yasuhiro Yoshiura’s latest anime feature garnered two top prizes at the Scotland Loves Animation festival, the Asahi Shimbun reported on 18 November.

Patema Inverted is a story about a princess whose curiosity leads her to venture to a forbidden zone outside her underground world. It won both the Judges Award and the new Audience Award at the animation festival held in Glasgow and Edinburgh during October.

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

A Japanese fashion designer who shot to fame for his work on David Bowie’s stage wardrobe held his first runway show in 42 years in London on 1 November, The Japan News reported on 19 November.

Kansai Yamamoto became the first Japanese to show his designs on the UK capital’s catwalk in 1971, making his international debut.

The 2013 revival was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

This year’s show was themed “Basara”, a term referring to the extravagant spirit of the Sengoku era (1493–1573).

Inspiration for the clothing spanned a range of motifs, from ukiyo-e woodblock prints to fishermen’s banners. True to Yamamoto’s style, the evening’s entertainment didn’t stop at fashion; breakdancers also wowed spectators.

Kansai Yamamoto: first Japanese to show designs in London

Rock Band’s Hit Album to Be Revived Production is under way for a 40th anniversary edition of legendary British rock band Deep Purple’s Made in Japan album, hennemusic.com reported on 22 November.

The live recording was originally issued in December 1972 in the UK, and featured music from the group’s performances over three nights that year in Osaka and Tokyo.

Made in Japan went platinum shortly thereafter and reached No. 1 in several countries in the weeks to follow.

The anniversary edition compilation will be sold with remixes from the three nights’ shows, a new documentary and a 60-page booklet. The revival album is set to be released in March 2014.

Duo Takes Paralympic Master’s Title

Jordanne Whiley

PARALYMPICS GB

A UK–Japanese women’s pair claimed the International Tennis Federation’s Wheelchair Doubles Master’s title in California on 11 November, the Dudley News reported on 14 November.

Jordanne Whiley became the first British woman to earn the trophy, with her partner Yui Kamiji. Both players were Wimbledon runners up, and edged a doubles pair from Germany and South Africa in their final match in Mission Viejo.

Whiley and Kamiji will also compete together in the Australian Open in January.

Scottish Isle in Starring Role The Isle of Skye was chosen as a backdrop for scenes in the upcoming film 47 Ronin, the Deadline Press & Picture Agency reported on 1 November.

When the London-based production team realised they did not have enough live footage from their time in Japan, they chose the Hebridean island as a stand-in.

The movie, starring Keanu Reeves, revolves around samurai warriors seeking revenge for the murder of their master.

Culture Group Opens Shop Hyper Japan, the team that organises regular culture-themed conventions, has opened a new shop in Camden Town, according to a press release on 4 November.

The store serves as a retail centre for Japanese products, including snacks and kawaii (cute) merchandise, as well as a gathering place for enthusiasts of all things Japanese.

Hyper Japan chose Camden because it is the “hub of London’s street fashion and popular culture scene”. The team believes the location is strategic for its appeal to trend-conscious UK shoppers.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 9

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速

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Diversity in Action Conveying the varied cultural and commercial fabric of a 21st century nation

I

t’s been another jam-packed month at the BCCJ, throughout which I’ve been reminded of the important role we play, here in Japan, in highlighting the cultural and commercial diversity of the UK. On 26 November, I attended the annual gala dinner of the Japan British Society (JBS), at which Ambassador Tim Hitchens encouraged around 160 mainly Japanese guests to share some updates with friends.

“Many of our top companies have foreign CEOs . . . We are very happy to have Japanese, German, French, American, Chinese companies running some of our most sensitive and important sectors: energy, communications, transport networks, nuclear”, Hitchens said. He reminded the audience that foreign inward investment against gross domestic product in the UK is about 50%, compared with 4% in Japan. I personally look forward to continuing to serve on the JBS board in 2014, where a number of high-level opportunities exist for strengthening our bilateral partnership.

Earlier the same day, we held the fourth event in our series on Diversity and Inclusion, focusing on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) issues.

With the vast majority of organisations in Japan—including British ones—keeping LGBT initiatives “in the closet”, it was a little challenging to find speakers. On the day, Barclays plc, QOCCI, Granvia Hotel Kyoto and TELL shared with an audience of around 40 their efforts to engage, both in the workplace and the marketplace, potential LGBT individuals. An article on the event, moderated by BCCJ VicePresident Suzanne Price, will follow in the January 2014 issue of BCCJ ACUMEN. In mid-November, Haruno Yoshida, director of BT Japan Corporation, was voted onto the BCCJ Executive Committee, becoming our third female Japanese board member. At 40% of the total, we now have more women on the Executive Committee than ever before, including President Alison Jambert, the second female president in the BCCJ’s 65-year history. I consider this rather a feat in Japan, where women account for less than 2% of board members.

At the end of November, I spoke at the Gunma Prefectural Women’s University, as part of their “Working Women in Japan” series, devised by British lecturer Rodney Biddle. During the Q&A session, I was hugely impressed by the motivation levels of the audience.

Around 60 bilingual students all seemed to be hungry for the chance to work in an international environment. I sincerely hope that these talented young women can help diversify Japan’s workforce and make their country shine on the global stage during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the time of writing, we have almost concluded the recruitment period for our membership and marketing position. We received 121 enquiries, which led to 105 applications representing 28 nationalities, 30 telephone interviews, and a short list of 11 candidates. I look forward to sharing news of our successful candidate before the year-end.

And, as 2013 draws to a close, I would like to thank all BCCJ members and friends for their wide and varied support over the past 12 months. I wish you, your colleagues and families an enjoyable festive season—and a dynamic and diverse 2014.

Lori Henderson MBE BCCJ Executive Director

MEDIA

WHAT YOU MISSED IN THE JAPANESE PRESS

BY MARK SCHREIBER

New Retail Trend for Low-Cost “Fast Sundries” The word zakka is generally translated to mean miscellaneous goods or sundries. On 27 September and 2 October, two new shops specialising in such items opened in Tokyo’s Aoyama district.

Their names, reports the Nikkei Marketing Journal (1 November), are Asoko, which opened in Harajuku in September, and Flying Tiger Copenhagen, which opened in Omotesando in October. The Tokyo store openings followed on the heels of the launches of affiliated stores several months earlier in Osaka.

Some 15,000 people visited the new Asoko outlet during its first two weeks in business. The prices of most of its merchandise range from ¥100 to ¥500. Flying Tiger Copenhagen’s price range is fairly similar, and the store is said to introduce some 100 new items each month.

This new category of goods has been nicknamed “fast sundries,” a nod to the fast food industry and fast fashion retail sector, which includes such major players as Uniqlo.

One thing that characterises both of the latest Tokyo shops is the fashionable manner in which merchandise is displayed. In the case of Asoko, one sample of each item is set on a white table, somewhat resembling the manner in which items are shown in an art gallery.

Customers wishing to purchase one of the display items can collect from a rack below the sample goods.

The Nikkei reviewer writes, “With such emphasis on tasteful design, these two stores don’t convey the image that they are selling low-priced goods”.

The parent company of Flying Tiger plans to eventually open 50 outlets, each with floor space in the range of 300–500m2.

Asoko has also set a target of establishing 50 outlets within the next three years.

Crowds lined the streets on 30 November to enter the Harajuku Asoko outlet.

The Flying Tiger Copenhagen opened in Omotesando in October.

Worker Turnover Highest in Hotel, F&B Sectors This year will be remembered for, among other things, the proliferation of burakku kigyo (black firms). While this term is not specifically defined, it usually refers to firms that pay low wages, demand long working hours without compensation for overtime, and tolerate or encourage “power harassment” of their workers.

But author Ryu Nitta says a better definition might be firms at which top management has no desire to reward workers, and where Japan’s labour laws are knowingly violated.

Citing data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Nikkan Gendai (31 October) lists the business sectors in which staff leave their employers within three years of being hired.

12 | BCCJ ACUMEN | DECEMBER 2013

In descending order (with percentages in brackets), they were: • Hotel, food and beverage (51%) • Education and educational support (48.9%) • Living-related, recreation (45.4%) • Real estate, leasing (39.6%) • Medical, welfare-related (37.7%) • Retailing (37.7%) • Academic research, technical services (32.5%) • Wholesaling (27.9%) • Construction (27.6%) • Shipping, post (23.1%) • Data communications (22.6%) • Finance, insurance (19.6%) • Manufacturing (17.6%) • Mining, gravel, other raw materials (13.6%) • Electric power, gas, heating, water (8.8%)

Why is personnel turnover at hotels and restaurants so high? “Due to the spread of reservations via the internet, the hotel industry is caught in a price-cutting war.

There are efforts afoot to slash costs; even reception desk staff are being made to perform cleaning tasks, and shift assignments are also very demanding”, said Rumi Sato, a former editor at a magazine for classified job ads.

She also pointed out that the food and beverage industry has always suffered from high worker turnover.

But, apparently, many of the industry’s employees take short-term jobs to improve their skills and then move on to better positions in the same field, so not all such businesses are necessarily “black”.

MEDIA

Convenience Stores Leading Coffee Market The average coffee consumer in Japan drinks 10.73 cups a week, according to data from the All Japan Coffee Association. Nearly half of that is consumed in the form of instant brews. Based on International Coffee Organization statistics, Japan is the fourth-largest consumer of coffee in the world, after the US, Brazil and Germany.

As coffee drinkers are placing higher value on increased convenience, the number of kissaten, traditional coffee shops, continues to decline. Shukan Toyo Keizai (28 September) reported on major shifts in Japan’s coffee market.

Coffee demand grew 6% in the first eight months of this year. Part of that growth can be attributed to automated coffee dispensers that have been installed near the sales counters of a growing number of convenience stores.

Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. reported average daily sales of 91 cups at 15,800 outlets, with nationwide sales of 40mn cups in August. Lawson, Inc. reported its stores had average daily sales revenues of about ¥10,000. Family Mart Co., Ltd. posted daily turnover for coffee of ¥6,000, and Circle K Sunkus Co., Ltd. sold 40 cups a day per outlet.

By the end of September, Seven-Eleven had achieved sales of 200mn cups, and projected it would sell 450mn coffees in 2013—making it likely to become the top-selling convenience store chain for coffee sales in the nation.

Even if the quality of the coffee isn’t up to the level of that available at cafés, people can buy it nearby, round the clock, the article said.

The winner among Nikkei Trendy magazine’s best 30 products and services for 2013 is “convenience store coffee”.

Shukan Toyo Keizai also addresses whether the new growth sector would adversely affect vending machine sales of canned coffee beverages.

“Sensing the threat from the changing market brought on by so-called ‘counter coffee’ last year, we renovated our bestselling product, Dydo Blend Coffee”, a spokesman for Dydo Drink Co. told Weekly Playboy (11 November).

Nearly all of Dydo’s sales are from vending machines. He added that as a result of a major advertising and PR campaign, sales had increased 1.2%.

Seven-Eleven is likely to become the top-selling convenience store chain for coffee, thanks to its automated dispensers.

Return Rate Rising for Mail Order Items

Sagawa tries to help its client mail order firms cut costs.

In 2012, total revenues for mail order sales in Japan exceeded ¥5.4trn. Along with the growth in sales has come an increase in items returned. Certain mail order items tend to have higher rates of return than others.

In Japan’s case, items of clothing approach 4.9%, followed by accessories and jewellery at 4.7%. Overall, for every 100 items sold, two or three, for whatever reason, are returned to the seller.

Comparing the flow of mail order items from business to customer with blood in the arteries, Nikkei Business (30 September) equates this reverse flow of goods with “veins”. The return of goods to sellers is a function that is increasingly being filled by Sagawa Express Co., Ltd. Sagawa, which competes fiercely with such rivals as Yamato Transport Co., Ltd., has been finding new ways of helping cost-conscious mail order firms hold down costs. For example, Sagawa can produce shipping vouchers and disburse refunds to customers. In the case of recalls, for reasons such as product flaws or hazardous goods, it will also set up a call centre for customers and notify them directly about the need to collect the faulty goods. In some cases, drivers will even perform simple maintenance on personal computers.

Undertaking these tasks on behalf of its corporate clients, Sagawa has roughly doubled its revenues over the past five years. “We have affected businesses’ positions in terms of the way companies sell goods or make recalls”, said President Hideo Araki.

Experts in the mail order trade foresee the percentage of product returns in Japan increasing, and even eventually approaching the roughly 30% return rate that is common in North America and Europe.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 13

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New Year sunrise

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Kamina

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Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Asakusa Station Exit 2

Toei Asakusa Line Asakusa Station Exit A4

PRESIDENT

Strategic Alliances Building partnerships with key agencies, market players

1. Strengthening business ties between the UK and Japan 2. Promoting and supporting the business interests of members 3. Actively encouraging new British business in the Japanese marketplace as well as Japanese investment into the UK I am delighted that many member firms are already providing a variety of services as part of the Export to Japan programme.

These activities allow firms currently operating in Japan an opportunity to

CHRISTOPHER JUE

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n 25 November, the Export to Japan digital platform was officially launched, at a ceremony hosted by British Ambassador to Japan Tim Hitchens.

The website was initiated by a team at UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Japan, and the chamber is one of three strategic partners, along with British Airways Japan and Business Link Japan.

This partnership builds on the very strong working links the BCCJ has established, over its lifetime, with the British Embassy Tokyo and UKTI Japan.

Export to Japan is a concrete example of the chamber’s core mission:

Main partners at the Export to Japan website launch were (from left): Steve Crane, chief executive of Business Link Japan; Alison Jambert, BCCJ president; Satsuki Inoue, Japan sales manager for British Airways; and Ambassador Tim Hitchens.

engage with new market entrants, as well as with each other, to showcase their bestin-class products and services. For more information on how to become involved in Export to Japan, see page 28.

Also, as many members are aware, the BCCJ is exploring collaboration opportunities with UKTI as part of the UK government’s Strengthening Overseas Business Networks programme.

The initiative remains on track, but we are still in the early stages of mapping out how the collaboration should look.

As ever, I will continue to ensure members are kept properly informed of

all key developments. In the meantime, if you have questions, please email us at info@bccjapan.com.

As another year draws to an end, I wish you and your families a very merry Christmas and safe travels for those who are on the move. Thank you for your support in 2013 and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Alison Jambert BCCJ President @BCCJ_President VICTORIACAZZOLIPHOTOGRAPHY

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Contact Sam Bird for details on arranging interviews, event coverage and sponsorship opportunities: samuel@custom-media.com

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©YASUHIRO SHIMADA

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s MCH-101 helicopters are based on AgustaWestland’s EH101 model.

DEFEND, DETECT, DESTROY

London and Tokyo trade military assets in security pacts for peace and relief

By Julian Ryall • • • • • •

Nations share special relationship with US Maritime cooperation especially strong 9/11 attacks forever changed things Regional threats now more important Military clothing an area of cooperation New business opportunities for UK firms

16 | BCCJ ACUMEN | DECEMBER 2013

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he Duke of York has called on Britain and Japan to embrace the challenges and promises of globalisation and to work more intensively together to make the best of the bilateral partnership that already exists and a historically long and successful relationship.

The duke was speaking at a conference in October titled “Rejuvenating UK– Japan Relations for the 21st Century”, jointly organised by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and the Royal United Services Institute.

The two-day conference considered the state of the UK–Japan security partnership in the modern global context, as well as the possibilities of enhanced cooperation on the

development and deployment of defence equipment, measures to counter non-conventional threats, and how the UK–Japan relationship fits into Tokyo’s close military alliance with the United States.

In his keynote speech, the duke pointed out that, since he was piloting a helicopter for the Royal Navy, there have been dramatic changes in the world—not least in the speed of communication and information dissemination among countries.

“I would begin by saying that the 21st century has become a different place in the 13 years that have unfolded, and we must therefore be cognisant of this when we look at security relationships”, the duke said.

LEAD STORY

and security outlook for London and Tokyo, the duke suggested.

And, he emphasised, Britain’s commitment to freedom of navigation in the region is unflagging, despite resource constraints. He underlined that point by mentioning the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the presence of HMS Daring on maritime manoeuvres this year (see page 21).

The duke also pointed out that, while both Britain and Japan each have a “special relationship” with the US, when it comes to defence, that does not preclude closer military ties between Tokyo and London.

He called on Japan to take advantage of Britain’s position as the most “globalised” of all the European powers.

Many of the duke’s comments had been touched on the previous day by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when he addressed the conference.

Describing the bilateral relationship as “a natural a priori partnership”, Abe added that the Royal Navy and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force “are joined through the mission we share, of maintaining the maritime order”.

“Of course, the United States remains our ever-unchanging primary cooperation partner”, he said.

“This is certainly also true for the United Kingdom. On that basis, I would

The Duke of York spoke in Tokyo on 1 October.

like to state my eagerness for Japan and the UK to exchange knowledge and share experiences with each other, and to walk forward together as partners who jointly accept responsibility for world peace and stability”.

The conference was also attended by Sir John Scarlett, who spoke the following morning at the BCCJ breakfast event on UK–Japan Defence Collaboration.

Taking the microphone, Sir John vowed not to worry those attending—but then set about doing precisely that.

“Intelligence officers are, by definition, gloomy, and we are here to make people wary”, Sir John told the packed audience.

“We are not optimists as professionals, even if we are in person. It’s the politicians who are the optimists”.

And, while he agreed we may be living in deeply troubling times, Sir John

COURTESY OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Ties between Japan and the UK date back to 1600 and the arrival of British sailor William Adams. Thirteen years later, the first British diplomatic mission came ashore from the Clove, an event that is being celebrated in both nations as Japan400.

The height of the bilateral military alliance, according to the duke, was between 1902 and 1923, including the years when the two nations fought alongside each other in World War I. “Despite being on the other side of the world and being culturally quite different—differences I believe we should celebrate—there are many similarities between our nations, probably more than we would regularly recognise”, he said.

“Quite apart from our obvious differences, we are both island nations stuck close to significant continents, constitutional monarchies, historical maritime powers, established democracies—there are other things people seldom refer to”, he said. “I refer to our special relationships with the US ... also our belief in a globalised, free-market economy and our common interest in countering nuclear proliferation”.

The signing, in July, of the Information Security Agreement as well as the Defence Equipment Cooperation Framework (see page 20) marks the start of a new defence

JULIAN RYALL

Britain’s commitment to freedom of navigation in the region is unflagging, despite resource constraints.

Royal Air Force soldiers guide a Eurofighter Typhoon from 6 Squadron onto their target at the Cape Wrath practice range in Scotland.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 17

LEAD STORY 1 A Lynx helicopter from HMS Dragon fires infrared flares during an exercise over the Type 45 destroyer.

2 The UK and Japan are considering joint projects on technology to detect and destroy land mines.

3 Transport of humanitarian aid, such as this load destined for Pakistan, is a common use of UK military vessels.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

admitted that his tenure as director general of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) during the tumultuous period from 2004 to 2009 would have paled in comparison with the pressure felt by his predecessors in 1914 and 1940.

An intelligence officer for 38 years, Sir John’s background is in Cold War affairs, and he was in Russia when the Soviet Union collapsed. He was also involved in democratic revolutions in South Africa and in the Balkan Wars.

He had taken over the chairmanship of the British government’s Joint Intelligence Committee precisely six days before the 11 September attacks on the United States in 2011.

That “major cataclysmic event” changed forever the way in which intelligence, security and defence experts work, he said.

Terrorism has become a global threat and there is a newfound need to examine regional issues to see how they feed into the overall global security situation.

Sir John, who now acts as an advisor to a number of multinational firms, went on to examine some of the causes of the upheaval that has afflicted the Middle East and North Africa in recent years, including the on-going instability in Egypt and the civil war in Syria.

He concluded that “the region is full of risk”, and that Iran and its alleged efforts to acquire nuclear technology will remain the focus of Western attention for the foreseeable future.

Pakistan and Afghanistan remain unpredictable in southern Asia, while North Korea—whose “language and behaviour are becoming more extreme and bizarre”—and the tensions between Tokyo and Beijing are causes for concern in Japan’s immediate vicinity.

“China’s actions in the East China Sea are worrying”, he said. “There is an assumption in the international community that China and Japan will not allow the situation [around the Senkaku Islands] to get out of control, and that is probably true—but it’s difficult to be certain”.

Sir John took part in the chamber event with David Bullas, head of the Asia–Pacific region for the UK Trade & Investment team focusing on defence and security. Two British firms with a strong

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Japanese firms can bring cutting-edge materials, fuel efficiency, miniaturisation and other technologies to the table. presence in those sectors, Rolls-Royce plc and BAE Systems plc, also participated.

Bullas underlined the importance of the recent agreements reached between the UK and Japan on closer cooperation in defence and security.

“We have for a long time supported firms in their relationships with Japanese industrial partners and the Self-Defense Forces”, Bullas said. “But now we feel this is a real window of opportunity to take that cooperation to a different level”.

And while the campaign to provide the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter plane to the Japanese military may have been unsuccessful, he said, the hard work that went into the bid demonstrated to Japan that “there is a really credible alternative” to simply purchasing US equipment, and that the UK–Japan partnership is on the cusp of tangible benefits to both sides.

That message was echoed by Richard Thornley, president of Rolls-Royce Japan

2

Co., Ltd. His firm has developed alliances with six Japanese firms to build the hugely successful Trent aircraft engines, as well as turbines, heat exchangers and an array of other components.

The two nations’ complementary skills and knowledge should be used to their industries’ advantage, he added, saying that, while Japanese firms can bring cutting-edge materials, fuel efficiency, miniaturisation and other technologies to the table, Britain has been able to prove its systems and weapons in combat, and has experience meeting international customers’ requirements and putting forward competitive bids.

Christine Zeitz, president of north-east Asia operations for BAE Systems, used the example of the Eurofighter to drive home the point about teaming up to produce cutting-edge defence equipment.

The result of collaboration among the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain, the aircraft has been adopted by each of those nations and sold to Austria, Saudi Arabia and Oman. France pulled out of the project at an early stage to focus its efforts on the Dassault Rafale. To date, no Rafale aircraft have been sold overseas, and total sales are just one-fifth of those of the Eurofighter.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 19

COURTESY OF THE BRITISH EMBASSY TOKYO

LEAD STORY

AgustaWestland’s AW101 helicopter is used by affiliated squadrons of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Royal Navy.

COURTESY OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

HISTORIC PACTS CEMENT COLLABORATION

British firms lead the world in developing body armour.

20 | BCCJ ACUMEN | DECEMBER 2013

Custom Media

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his year marks the signing of two UK–Japan agreements on defence cooperation and information security, making Britain the first country in the world to sign a comprehensive deal since Tokyo eased its guidelines on the overseas transfer of defence equipment.

The agreements, signed in London by Foreign Secretary William Hague and Japanese Ambassador Keiichi Hayashi, are designed to create a legal framework for closer cooperation between the two long-standing allies.

A British Embassy Tokyo spokesperson said work is already well under way to develop closer ties between the two nations’ defence industries, support collaborative efforts and further contribute to existing security and defence cooperation.

“While all the discussions have been going on at the political level, work has been going on in the background”, the spokesperson told BCCJ ACUMEN. Japan’s Technical Research and Development Institute, which comes under the Ministry of Defense, and its British counterpart, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down, have started to collaborate on the development of clothing designed to provide protection against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

“One attraction of this project is that Japan has some superb technology, especially in materials, and our operational experience—such as with live agents, which the Japanese are not permitted to handle—make joint development sensible and effective”, the spokesperson said.

And while protective clothing may lack the glamour of developing a new class of warship or aircraft, the Ministry of Defence in London believes the project is “a very important milestone” that will lead to further joint projects in the years ahead.

Initial projects will focus on the development of non-lethal equipment that can be broadly used in humanitarian crises, peace-keeping operations, disaster recovery efforts and search-andrescue operations.

These might include the development of body armour—an area in which British firms lead the world—and the technology to detect and destroy land and sea mines.

Defence exchanges are also being stepped up. November saw a visit by HMS Daring, the first British ship to make a port call in Japan since HMS Kent in 2008 (see page 21).

Aviators from 829 Naval Air Squadron have visited Japan’s 111 Squadron in Iwakuni to share engineering and flight safety knowhow. Both squadrons fly AgustaWestland helicopters. Also scheduled to visit Japan are fliers of 3 Squadron, based at Royal Air Force

LEAD STORY FCO

“We see this as a time of great opportunity as we both play our part in maintaining world order. My ambition is to forge even closer ties with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Forces”.

The Daring passes under the Rainbow Bridge during its port of call on 30 November in Tokyo.

MADE TO SERVE

Leuchars in Scotland. They will hold discussions with Japanese fighter pilots stationed at the Air Self-Defense Force’s Chitose base.

Although the British pilots fly Typhoons and their Japanese counterparts F-15 Eagles, they have a great deal in common, as both units are tasked with “chasing off Russian intruders”, according to a military source.

“The relationship is complex, but it is clear that the Japanese military has deep respect for the British armed forces”, the embassy spokesperson said, adding that the Japanese are also keen to learn about the combat effectiveness built up by British forces through their deployment in conflict zones around the world. That knowledge is something that Japanese forces have been unable to develop due to limitations imposed on the military here by the nation’s longstanding warrenouncing constitution.

As well as the benefits of the Defence Equipment Cooperation Framework, Hague has emphasised that the Information Security Agreement “sets out the standards and arrangements for the security protection of classified information exchanged between the UK and Japan”.

That also translates into increased business opportunities, with four British firms—Thales UK, BAE Systems, AgustaWestland (see page 23) and RollsRoyce—in the forefront of the global defence industry already establishing solid ties with Japanese firms.

HMS Daring, the lead ship of the Royal Navy’s Type-45 air-defence destroyers, pulled alongside Tokyo’s Harumi Pier on 30 November for a four-day port call.

The £1bn warship is on a 139-day tour that will see her visit 12 countries—including Australia and the US state of Hawaii—and travel well over 34,000 nautical miles.

“It is a real privilege to be here and my crew have been looking forward to coming here immensely. We are six months into a nine-month deployment and this is one of the highlights”, said Commander Angus Essenhigh.

Quoting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s description of Britain’s defence and security relationship with Japan as “a natural a priori partnership”, Admiral Sir George Zambellas said, “That comes from our shared political and economic beliefs, but also from our shared reliance on the sea.

“Next year marks the anniversary of the start of World War I, and we remember with thanks and affection the contribution that Japan made as Britain’s ally in the Great War”, Zambellas said.

“A number of your sailors died in the Mediterranean, just as ours did, so we have a shared history there. That should never be forgotten”.

“But what of the future?” the First Sea Lord asked. “We see this as a time of great opportunity as we both play our part in maintaining world order. My ambition is to forge even closer ties with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Forces”.

The 8,000-ton Daring was taking part in an annual exercise as part of the Five Power Defence Arrangements. These defence pacts involve the UK, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore, and are designed to protect Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore from external aggression. The recent Exercise Bersama Lima 2013 was under way off the

Malay Peninsula when Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines.

Ordered to break away and make best speed for the devastated region, the sailors and Royal Marines aboard were able to provide a measure of assistance to the hundreds of thousands of people affected by one of the most powerful and destructive storms in recent years.

In coordination with the government of the Philippines, Daring was able to put its helicopter to good use in search-and-rescue operations and the movement of humanitarian relief aid.

“The speed at which we have reorganised ourselves to prepare to help those in such desperate need in the Philippines demonstrates the flexibility of the Royal Navy and the high standards of my team on board,” said Cdr Essenhigh, ahead of the ship’s arrival in the disaster zone.

“We are fully prepared to assist with the aid effort, having been trained in disaster relief shortly before we deployed, and are ready to put those skills to good use”, he said.

“We have a strong team, with no shortage of useful skills and equipment, who are busily preparing for what we may encounter”.

The British government was quick to pledge £10mn in aid and dispatched a Royal Air Force transport aircraft to assist in the relief effort, codenamed Operation Patwin.

The 200 personnel aboard Daring are well trained in such relief operations; the ship’s staff includes a doctor, dentist, engineers and first aid teams, as well as crews for aircraft and small boats.

The warship stocks 700 ration packs and 550 litres of bottled water, and can provide 20,000 litres of potable water within 24 hours. Generators, fire-fighting equipment and thermal imaging cameras are included among the items on board.

The destroyer’s crew has the capacity to set up eight feeding stations that can provide for 240 people at a time. In addition, Daring has an evacuation holding centre that can accommodate up to 700 people for 48 hours.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 21

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INTERVIEW

Andrew Symonds President AgustaWestland Japan Tell us about the firm’s partnership with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Custom Media

What are the scope and goals of your operation here?

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is an international helicopter manufacturer providing total capability solutions. We established our Japanese operation in March 2008 to create closer working relationships with customers and suppliers and gain greater access to the Japanese military, government and commercial markets.

Our goals are: establishing an infrastructure inside Japan that provides first-class support for our helicopters, expanding our business footprint to deliver greater value, and reinforcing our position as a key member of the Japanese aerospace community.

What have been your greatest achievements since coming here?

AgustaWestland has been selling commercial helicopters in Japan for many years, but the financial crash in the late 1990s saw the disposal of many highvalue assets, including helicopters. The sale of the first civil EH101 model to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in 1999 and the selection of the EH101 by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in 2003 re-established AgustaWestland in the Japanese market.

The ministry’s selection of an AgustaWestland model for the design of its MCH-101 helicopters has been our greatest achievement. We became the first European aerospace firm to secure an agreement for its product to be built in Japan by the Japanese aerospace industry, thereby penetrating a market dominated by US equipment.

We’ve built on that success and trebled our business in the past five years.

How has your firm been involved with the MCH-101 helicopters for JMSDF?

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) decided in the late 1990s to replace its MH-53E mine countermeasure helicopters. In 2003, they selected the EH101 for its safety profile and ability to fulfil a very demanding mission.

The helicopter, rebranded as the MCH101 (Mine Countermeasure Helicopter),

Symonds is also the head of North East Asia operations.

has outstanding safety levels, centred on three Rolls-Royce Turbomeca engines.

A large, standing headroom cabin with a rear ramp accommodates Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) mission system. The helicopter’s long range, extensive endurance and multirole capabilities were exactly what the customer was looking for.

Although the helicopter is an AgustaWestland design, the AMCM development will be very much Japanese.

AgustaWestland provided extensive support in aerodynamics, stress and fatigue analysis, and modelling to ensure the apparatus required to deploy and retrieve the AMCM equipment was correctly designed and manufactured.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ AMCM system has added another dimension to this multi-functional helicopter.

How were you involved in the signing of two important defence pacts in July?

As a member of the European Business Council and the UK Defence Committee, AgustaWestland actively supported the initiative that became the Defence Equipment Cooperation Framework and the Information Security Agreement. We nominated several collaborative concepts for the benefit of both nations and their respective industries, and are pursuing these concepts as part of our strategy for business development in Japan.

I believe AgustaWestland and our colleagues from the UK aerospace industry have supported the political process in establishing these agreements by working with our counterparts in Japanese industries and political bureaus.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries assembles the MCH-101 at its factory in Gifu Prefecture. In addition, the firm installs a significant amount of specific Japanese equipment to enable the helicopter to perform dedicated MSDF roles and interact with the other armed forces inside the MoD. Both of our firms are well positioned to take advantage of the relaxation of defence export controls, and we’ve had discussions on opportunities for both the Japanese and wider international markets.

This partnership has developed across all aspects of the business between our companies, and the takeaways reach beyond Japan, extending throughout AgustaWestland and creating benefits for other customers’ programmes.

How does the defence industry today compare with that of a decade ago?

The past decade has seen a continual decline in national defence budgets, resulting in fewer opportunities for contractors. Thus, each project is more competitive, and not solely because there are fewer of them. Purchasers are increasingly seeking programmes that offer long life, sustained capability and achievable through life costs. Competitions in some countries can become protracted processes involving significant costs.

What security developments do you foresee or hope for in the future?

Traditional land, sea and air defence will continue, but with increasingly sophisticated equipment, special relationships with the US and the support of international security operations.

Helicopters are a prime example of sophisticated, multi-role equipment with capabilities in defence, transportation and natural disaster relief.

One new area of activity in the defence industry is the threat of cyberattacks on command and control systems. Autonomous helicopter forces offer rapid responses to such threats.

However, as equipment becomes more sophisticated, so must the operators, and specialist training is an increasingly large part of the AgustaWestland product portfolio.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 23

MEMORIAL Text and photos by Julian Ryall

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Captain Charles Ashcroft (left) with Ambassador Tim Hitchens

New Defence Attaché Starts Tokyo Mission

A poppy wreath was laid on behalf of the BCCJ.

24 | BCCJ ACUMEN | DECEMBER 2013

eneath leaden skies suitably reminiscent of Britain at this time of year, the alwayspoignant Remembrance Sunday ceremony was held at the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Yokohama on 10 November.

The New Zealand Embassy presided over this year’s memorial service, the only one of its kind in Japan. Also present were representatives of the embassies of Britain and 16 other Commonwealth states— ranging from Fiji to Lesotho, Bangladesh to Nigeria—and the US. The British Chamber of Commerce in Japan was represented, with Executive Director Lori Henderson MBE stepping forward to place a wreath of poppies before the Cross of Sacrifice in the cemetery. Similar wreaths were laid on behalf of the Royal British Legion, the Royal Naval Association, the Royal Air Forces Association, the St. Andrew Society of Yokohama and Tokyo, St. David’s Society Japan and the British School in Tokyo.

As a long-serving officer in the Royal Navy, Captain Charles Ashcroft has attended numerous Remembrance Sunday ceremonies around the world, but the new defence attaché to the British Embassy Tokyo agreed that the Yokohama cemetery is one of the nicest sites he has ever visited.

“These are always very moving places, but I have been very impressed by the cemetery”, Ashcroft told BCCJ ACUMEN. “Visiting a place such as this brings home just what a dreadful and violent time these people had to live in”, he said.

“For those of us from Commonwealth countries, this is a time to reflect that our freedoms were won by the sacrifices that these people made.

“We should never forget the service they performed on our behalf”.

One effective way of visualising the scale of the loss of life, he said, is to imagine a man standing alongside every one of the 1,555 grave markers that are carefully aligned throughout the cemetery. That brings the names, ranks and numbers on the plaques to life, he explained.

Ashcroft started his career in the Royal Navy as a pilot flying helicopters for the Fleet Air Arm before going on to command HMS Manchester, a Type 42 missile destroyer, and then HMS Berkeley, a Hunt-class minesweeper.

He carried out minesweeping operations in the Persian Gulf in 1998 and

MEMORIAL

If I should die, think only this of me; That there’s some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England.

There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam, A body of England’s, breathing English air, Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

—from “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke, 1887–1915

Officials and flags from Britain and 16 other Commonwealth states were present at the ceremony.

1999 and was involved in operations off the former Yugoslavia during the Balkan conflict (1991–1999).

He later attended the Royal College of Defence Studies and was seconded to the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida.

Ashcroft arrived in Japan with his family for the first time in August and will serve a three-year assignment focused in part on developing defence and security ties between the UK and Japan.

“There are all sorts of things that make us a good fit”, he said. “We are both island nations off a larger continent with which we have had a complicated historical relationship.

“We share the common values of democracy, an open society and hard work”, he said. “Most interesting for me are the relationships that go beyond the bilateral and bring in the US.

“Britain is re-expanding its interest in East Asia, and Japan is looking to broaden its partnerships around the world, and is taking more of an interest in shouldering the burden of ensuring international peace and stability in the future”, he said.

“That has brought us together and we can build on that now”.

The Sunday ceremony, however, was all about remembering the past.

Commemorative observances were read out by representatives of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish and Buddhist faiths, before Mark Sinclair, the New Zealand ambassador, read “The Fallen”, a poem written by Laurence Binyon that ends with the unforgettable line “We will remember them”.

To signal the end of the two minutes’ silence, Bugler Leading Seaman Mamiko Nishimura sounded “Reveille” before

Frank Hunter played the bagpipes as the dignitaries placed their wreaths.

At the conclusion of the official ceremony, individual ceremonies were held at the national sections within the cemetery, with clusters of people walking quietly along the rows of grave markers.

The placards in the British section bear the names of some of our most famous regiments—the Gordon Highlanders, the Sherwood Foresters, the Bedfordshire Yeomanry, the Cambridgeshire Regiment—many with brief messages from loved ones written beside the names.

On the plaque marking the last resting place of RAF Aircraftsman W.J. Price, for example, is a message that reads, “For freedom, liberty and truth, he gave his happy youth. Dad.” Price died in December 1942, aged just 20.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 25

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ENVOY

Closest of Allies Push for enhanced ties in security, energy and investment

By Brandi Goode • UK–Japan bonds being revitalised • Both nations have strong maritime history • Sharing skills in N-power, pharma

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n 19 November, British Ambassador Tim Hitchens CMG, LVO addressed members of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, nearly one year after assuming his post in Tokyo.

Japan has frequently been the subject of international headlines during the ambassador’s tenure here. The topics have included the implementation of Abenomics—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic recovery programme—and the on-going challenges relating to the 2011 earthquake and accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant.

The ambassador’s presentation focused on the evolution of the UK–Japan relationship and how he envisions mutual growth going forward.

As 2013 marks the 400th anniversary of the bilateral relationship, he began by relating the story of Captain John Saris landing on the shores of Hirado in 1613.

Saris presented the shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, with a telescope from King James, while Ieyasu gave Saris a gift of body armour for the king.

“The telescope allows us to look further away than we can imagine, to far off worlds where we find friends. A telescope seems to me the best metaphor for the way in which Japan and Britain keep discovering and rediscovering each other”, the ambassador said.

Hitchens related how the UK–Japan relationship has been one of ebb and flow. Although the nations forgot about one another for over 200 years after that first trade mission, during his last stint as a diplomat here in the 1980s, Britain and Japan were “the closest of allies”.

During 1989, there was more Japanese investment into the UK than ever before or since. Following Japan’s two so-called lost decades, he feels the relationship is being revived.

“It’s not a coincidence that the British foreign secretary now calls it ‘our most important partnership in Asia’”, he said.

Likening the relationship to a “voyage of discovery,” Hitchens touched on both nations’ strong maritime history.

He also described Britain and Japan as “psychologically natural partners … [both] slightly reserved in our approach, always trying to think about how to get our points across politely, and with a long-term view”. Personally, he said, he has always felt completely comfortable in Japan, whenever his life has brought him here.

“Each year more Japanese companies select the UK for their investment projects than anywhere else”.

Target areas for stronger collaboration The ambassador then outlined three areas in which there is great potential for expanded UK–Japan collaboration.

First, security: just this summer the two governments signed a landmark defence framework agreement (see page 20). “I want to see more joint research and production of specific defence equipment”, he said. In addition, he encouraged cooperation on risk analysis, exchange visits by naval vessels (see page 21), more affiliations between squadrons, and “deeper collaboration between our major aeronautical and defence companies”.

Next, Hitchens spoke of the energy sector and the mutual benefits that the UK and Japan can derive in the field of nuclear technology. Nuclear power is a critical part of Britain’s energy mix,

he stated, highlighting the country’s expertise in running a safe nuclear industry. This experience includes knowledge about decontamination and decommissioning.

“I want to see even more Japanese investment in Britain’s nuclear power sector, and even more British support for Japan as it decides the kind of energy future it wants”, he said.

Finally, in the area of investment, he positioned the UK as “the best environment in Europe for Japanese firms: low corporation tax [see page 33], flexible labour laws, a skilled workforce, a gateway to Europe without excessive European social regulation”.

“Each year more Japanese companies select the UK for their investment projects than anywhere else”, he said, adding that about 140,000 jobs are created in Britain from such investment.

Of particular interest to the UK–Japan partnership are the automotive and pharmaceutical sectors. Like Japan, Hitchens stressed, Britain exports more cars than it imports, owing to the presence of major manufacturers such as Nissan Motor Company, Ltd, Toyota Motor Corporation and Honda Motor Company, Ltd. Life science research is also going strong; 17 of the top 20 pharmaceutical firms in the world have research and development or production bases in the UK. In addition to these topics, the ambassador spoke about the impact of links between ordinary Japanese and Britons. Currently, 500 British instructors are in the country through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, and Hitchens wants the figure to double.

Finally, he sent a message of encouragement regarding Japan’s role on the international stage, a topic that, of late, has frequently surfaced in the press.

“I want to see an even more active Japan in the world … I would simply say that an active international Japan, confident of its instincts, and working within the international system with partners and allies, will be a significant asset as we try to navigate our way to a prosperous and secure Asia and wider world in the 21st century”, he concluded.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 27

TRADE

CHRISTOPHER JUE

UKTI Creates Export Website for Firms Entering Local Market

Naoko Hirayama of Candlewick Co., Ltd. browses the new website at the opening event.

Custom Media • Portal supported by 27 partners • Special offers available to site users

U

K Trade & Investment (UKTI) has created a website to enable more British firms to unlock the Japanese market.

A reception to mark the launch was held at the official residence of British Ambassador Tim Hitchens in late November, attended by representatives of the 27 firms and organisations behind the not-for-profit initiative.

The site brings together UKTI, British Airways, the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan and Business Link Japan to share their knowledge and understanding of what can be a daunting market for firms with scant experience in how business is done in this country.

“Trade and investment is at the very heart of what we try to do here at the embassy”, Ambassador Hitchens said.

“It is all about partnership, and we work with our formal partners in order to provide a service to aspirant companies coming to this market who need advice.

“We would like to expand the quality of our services to these companies and the information that we can provide them”, he said.

The new site—www.exporttojapan. co.uk—is also an educational reference

28 | BCCJ ACUMEN | DECEMBER 2013

for firms that are considering entering the Japanese market. The information available includes facts and figures about the local economy, details on British firms that are already established here, and a list of Japanese firms that are looking for foreign partners across a wide range of sectors.

Newcomers can also benefit from the Getting Started section, which includes a tool for assessing market potential here and advice on how to set up a business in the world’s third-largest economy.

The site even covers travel essentials for anyone arriving in Japan for the first time, as well as an all-important primer on local business etiquette.

Export to Japan lists upcoming trade events and introduces market specialists who can provide local insight. Yet another service at users’ fingertips is live web seminars (webinars) with subjectarea experts.

In a video presentation broadcast at the reception, Foreign Secretary William Hague said the impression most people have of diplomacy is that it is largely focused on political and security issues.

While those are naturally important, he said, British embassies and consulates around the world are “heavily engaged in providing practical support to British companies, large and small”.

“I know that exporting can be challenging, especially if a business is just starting out”, he said. “Understanding new cultures, overcoming language

barriers and knowing who to trust to represent you are critical issues.

“The Export to Japan website provides you with access to all the information, services and partnerships that your company and other British SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] need to explore this huge market”, he said.

“Japan is a large and under-exploited market for UK companies”, he said. “And you are not alone”.

Each of the site’s partners is offering special deals negotiated to benefit UK firms that choose to work with UKTI in Japan. These offers include a 25% discount on British Airways flights to Japan and other beneficial arrangements from a range of businesses, including public relations and marketing assistance, support from accountants and translators, and hotel discounts.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of the International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways, also addressed the reception through an introductory video, which is available on the website. In his speech, he describes Japan as a “fantastic, lucrative, exciting market”.

“We all know that Britain needs more British companies travelling to places like Japan to sell their goods, their innovations, their technology, their services”, Walsh said. “Export to Japan will provide you with all of the help that you need ... if you want to explore the opportunities that exist here”.

Those sentiments were echoed by Steve Crane, chief executive of Business Link Japan and recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year accolade at the recent British Business Awards.

Describing the initiative as a “oneclick shop”, he said the website provides advice to UK firms considering doing business here and keenly encourages them to put their plans into action.

BCCJ President Alison Jambert underscored the chamber’s support for the initiative, pointing out that several member firms are already involved—and expressing her hope that even more will take part in the near future. Jambert also said she is confident tangible results will soon be visible that will lead to strengthened bilateral ties and increased investment into Japan by British firms.

FOOD

The Role of Roast in Early Trading Meal served to mark first tasting of UK fare in Japan

By Julian Ryall • Hirado chief in 1613 had affinity for traditional English dish

O

f all the extraordinary culinary experiences for which Britain is famous, roast beef must be very high on the list—if not at the very top. Served with roast potatoes and parsnips, carrots, Yorkshire pudding, horseradish sauce and a thick gravy, there is nothing more quintessentially English for a Sunday lunch.

Matsura Hoin, the 26th daimyo (feudal ruler) of Hirado, was in complete agreement when the dish was first presented to him on 13 October 1613, from the kitchens of the English trading station set up in the coastal Kyushu town by the East India Company. So impressed was the daimyo with the unusual and exotic tastes that he requested the same dish be served once more exactly one month later.

And while the meal clearly appealed to Matsura Hoin, Timon Screech, a professor of history of art at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, admitted that the dish “would have been cooked with turnips and onions and would probably have been inedible by today’s standards”.

Screech is the joint chair of the Japan400 organising committee.

The group has been setting up a wide range of events throughout 2013 and will continue doing so into next year, to mark four centuries of close diplomatic and trade ties between Britain and Japan.

“The beef would have been stewed and given the unfortunate name of ‘sod’”, Screech told an audience at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) on 5 November, 400 years and just a couple of weeks after one of Britain’s trademark national dishes was tested on a Japanese audience for the very first time.

Appropriately, guests at the FCCJ were served roast beef with vegetables, followed by apple pie.

Accounts from 1613 relate that Matsura Hoin “had the generosity to compliment”

his visitors from across the world on their cuisine, Screech said, but added that the daimyo may have been demonstrating the politeness for which Japan was already becoming renowned.

“Whether he really did enjoy it, we will never know”.

The FCCJ event was also attended by Akira Matsura, who would have been the 41st daimyo of Hirado and is a direct descendent of the first Japanese to taste a traditional roast beef.

“Matsura Hoin was reportedly very inquisitive about British food and wanted to try turnips and other vegetables cooked in a broth with pieces of meat”, Matsura said. He added that his ancestor’s comments had been recorded in the diary of John Saris, who headed the first diplomatic mission to Japan that departed from London in April 1611.

“Saris wrote how [Matsura Hoin] enjoyed the meal of beef with vegetables and wine very much”, he said. “I also suffer from gout and I believe that is in my DNA from my ancestors due to their love of British food”.

Screech then recounted the long and arduous journey the British delegation had undertaken before coming ashore at Hirado.

Three ships had initially set out from London, the Clove the newest of the trio and built specifically to undertake the long journey. The ship’s name was

significant in that it signaled the intent of the owners—the East India Company, with the backing of King James—to discover new sources of spices and set up lucrative trading routes back to the markets of Europe.

And unlike the fleets that had previously been dispatched to the Far East by Portugal and Spain, the British sailors were under instructions not to build fortifications wherever they came ashore—a tactic that had immediately alienated locals when the Spanish or Portuguese dropped anchor.

“They were traders”, Screech said.

“And they were already aware that Japan was a sophisticated country and they knew that they would need to make contact with the ruler of the country in order to ask permission to trade”.

That was achieved with the assistance of William Adams, an English seaman who had arrived aboard a Dutch ship a dozen years prior and had since won the ear of Tokugawa Ieyasu—who had officially retired but still guided the hand of his son Hidetada—and Hidetada himself, the titular shogun in Edo. Four hundred years later, trade, as well as diplomatic and cultural ties, are flourishing between two island nations many thousands of miles apart. This is thanks in no small part to a daimyo with a taste for roast beef.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 29

WINE

Custom Media • Burgundy does well in this market • Firm’s history goes back 300 years • Greater production potential here

W Simon Berry is chairman of Berry Bros. & Rudd.

Evolving Palates Japan is becoming an increasingly sophisticated wine consumer

hen Simon Berry first came to Japan to gauge the local demand for wine and spirits, the market was unquestionably dominated by the latter. Two decades later, things are very different.

“There were the first signs of interest in wine, but it was a relatively unsophisticated market”, the chairman of Berry Bros. & Rudd told BCCJ ACUMEN. “But in the last 20 years, Japan has become one of the most sophisticated markets in the world”.

Japan’s consumption of Burgundy is testimony to this, he points out, with more of the varietal sold here than even Bordeaux wine.

“That is unique in the world”, he said.

“People usually start with Bordeaux because it is simpler. But in Burgundy, they delight in making it complicated— and that goes down well in Japan.

“The more complicated it is, the more they like it here”.

Simon Berry, who oversees the operations of the oldest wine and spirits merchant in Britain, was paying a regular visit to the firm’s outposts in Hong Kong and Tokyo, as well as its new office in Singapore. The original shop in London has been based at the same address on St. James’s Street since 1698.

“We’re doing well in Japan now, even though it’s a complicated market for us”, he said. “But, little by little, we’re understanding it better and we have a great 17-strong team here, so I’m very pleased with the way in which we are growing.

“There is still a long way to go in Japan, and even though we have been here for

20 years, you must remember that we’re working from a history that goes back more than 300 years”.

The head of the wine merchant believes that the secret behind longevity is that they never stop changing. The firm was initially in the tea and coffee importing business. These caffeinated beverages represented the luxury drinks of the day in 1700. Tea cost £10 for 454 grams (1lb)— at a time when the average annual wage was £15.

It also helps that the firm, the fiftholdest in Britain, has remained a family concern, which appeals to Japanese partners. This also means it can plan over the long term.

“That gives us a completely different perspective and fits neatly with the people who are making these wines and spirits”, he said.

That commitment to evolution is evident in a number of additions to the firm’s spirits lines, as well as an injection of new life into some classic older recipes.

The King’s Ginger liqueur, for example, was specifically formulated for King Edward VII in 1903, and for the following three decades it was only supplied to the British royal family. For 70 years thereafter, it was largely to be found in the hip flasks of the aristocracy.

The liqueur is now finding huge favour as a mixer in cocktails, and is particularly popular in the trendy bars of San Francisco as well as China.

Further, the chairman believes that a drink designed to keep the British winter at bay could very well find a solid following in Japan.

The Glenrothes Single Speyside Malt whisky was acquired in 2010 as part of the deal entailing the sale of the Cutty Sark brand, which Berry Bros. & Rudd created in 1923, to The Edrington Group. Cutty Sark had grown into a huge name in the whisky world, he said, and the decision was made to focus on more specialist, niche brands.

FREE BUBBLES! Celebrate the holidays with a bottle of original Champagne courtesy of Berry Bros. & Rudd.

We are offering five lucky BCCJ members a bottle of Berrys’ United Kingdom Cuvée, Grand Cru, Mailly. To apply, send an email by 20 December to: editor@custom-media.com Winners will be picked at random.

The King’s Ginger was formulated in 1903.

30 | BCCJ ACUMEN | DECEMBER 2013

WINE

One of the firm’s newest additions is the No. 3 London Dry Gin, which Berry said the firm decided to create as a backlash to “all these new gins that are fashionable, and have the flavour of roses but don’t have the real taste of gin at all”.

Another recent debutant is the vanillainfused Pink Pigeon Mauritanian rum, which is quickly becoming a favourite of cocktail aficionados. A sister rum, the aged Penny Blue, has just been launched in the UK and will be available in Japan early next year.

Berry Bros. & Rudd is always looking for new additions, with some Japanese wines recently catching Berry’s eye.

“I’ve tasted some very good white wines grown close to Hakone, in the foothills of Mt Fuji”, he said. “It’s quite right that Japan should be producing good wine when you consider that every single state in the US is now producing wine.

“Advances in technology and a thirst for the product have driven the ability of people to create wine in some very unlikely places”, he said. “And given the fact that there are so many micro-climates the length and breadth of Japan—from the

www.bbr.com

Berry Bros. & Rudd’s original shop on St. James’s Street, London.

almost Scottish climates of Hokkaido to semi-tropical Okinawa—there are plenty of places to grow.

“Look at Japanese cuisine”, he said.

“This is a nation that loves experimenting and has a delicacy of taste, and there is no

reason why, in say 40 years’ time, Japan should not be as well known as New Zealand for its wines”. www.bbr.com Online shop in Japan: www.bbr.co.jp

BCCJ EVENT

UK: Open for Business “Tax minister” says reforms made to lure long-term investment

By Julian Ryall • Corporate tax rate to drop to 20% in 2015 • Goal to keep wealthy taxpayers in country • Monetary policy parallels with Japan

R

ecent changes to Britain’s corporate taxation rules have been designed to promote the UK as a good place to do business, a message that David Gauke MP, exchequer secretary to the treasury, was keen to impress on Japanese firms and government officials during a visit to Tokyo in November.

“There is a great deal of interest among Japanese companies in terms of the investment opportunities that we are creating in the UK, and the purpose of this visit is primarily to make them aware of what we have done to make ourselves more competitive in this area”, Gauke told BCCJ ACUMEN. “But it’s not just about telling them what we have done,” he said. “It’s also getting across why we have taken these measures and reassuring them that these are not just short-term policies that we can reverse very easily.

“These changes are built on what is in the best long-term interests of the UK economy as well”, he added, having just arrived in Japan from Singapore, where he explained the changes to firms there during a similar mission.

When it was elected in 2010, the coalition government faced a number of serious economic problems, including the largest budget deficit among the Group of 20 (G20) nations, a sovereign debt crisis, and levels of borrowing that were higher than at any time in Britain’s peacetime history.

It was then clear that some tough decisions needed to be made regarding fiscal priorities and future directions, Gauke said during a 15 November luncheon organised by the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan at the Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo.

“We had to have fiscal credibility”, he said.

The UK government’s monetary programmes have some interesting parallels with those of Japan, where tax is also something of a political hot potato,

David Gauke: Fiscal credibility is vital for a government.

particularly in light of the consumption tax hike next year.

Like Tokyo, London has applied quantitative easing as part of a broader policy of monetary activism, while at the same time it has enacted structural changes designed to make the UK more productive.

The reforms include a review of planning laws to permit the construction of new housing, changes to the employment law for small businesses, and a commitment to increased infrastructure spending, particularly on transport links. Related projects include Crossrail in London and the HS2, which will run from London to Birmingham, and then on to Manchester and Leeds.

Attracting the best When it comes to alterations to the tax regime, the headline announcement in the UK this year was the reduction in corporate tax from 28% to 23%, with a further cut to 21% expected in April 2014 and, in April 2015, a final reduction promised to 20%—the lowest rate among the G20 member states.

“That does not make us a tax haven, but it does make us very competitive”, Gauke said.

Further measures include the creation of a 10% Patent Box regime, designed to encourage innovation by further reducing corporate tax for firms that exploit patents to develop or manufacture in the UK, as well as making the tax credit regime for research and development within Britain more generous.

Gauke acknowledged that cutting the top rate of income tax from 50% to 45% had met with opposition, but countered that, “If we want to send out the message that Britain is open for business, this is the sort of measure we have to take”.

“There are serious risks to the UK economy over the long term if we are not competitive”, he said, pointing out that the top 1% of income-tax payers in Britain contribute on average 30% of all income tax revenue.

And given the mobility of today’s wealthy elite, he said, failing to reduce that rate elevated the risk of them leaving the UK for a rival nation with a more lenient tax regime.

Gauke said the Japanese corporations he had met during his visit had been encouraged by Britain’s commitments on tax, although some had raised questions about future commitments to the European Union.

“The point that I made is that we want the EU to be much more pro-enterprise, pro-free trade and dynamic in order to open up the economy, and that Europe will have to reform to ensure that happens”, he said.

“There is genuine disquiet in the UK that the EU is not helping Britain as much as it should be—or, indeed, helping itself as much as it should be—in terms of being open and dynamic”, he said.

Gauke also touched on the overall state of the British economy, reporting that, “We are turning a corner in the UK after some tough years, largely because of the aftermath of the effects of the financial crisis”.

The rebound has been visible in the last two fiscal quarters, which have seen growth in the economy with further positive prospects emerging.

He noted that, for next year, the Bank of England is predicting a growth rate of 2.8%, which is a significant improvement on recent rates.

“It is vital that we maintain our discipline, and make some of the remaining difficult decisions on, for example, public spending”, he said.

“But equally, we have already taken some very substantial steps to increase our competitiveness and to ensure that the UK will succeed in the 21st century”.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 33

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BUSINESS SUPPORT & OUTSOURCING | INDUSTRY

New Rules for Overseas Property 2012 statement defines items that must be reported to authorities

By Jun Nagamine Partner Nagamine & Mishima

• Penalty of up to 35% can be levied • Reporting threshold set at ¥50mn • First deadline in March 2014

“Statement of Property Located outside Japan” is a new reporting system introduced in the 2012 set of tax reforms.

It became effective in 2013 and the first reporting deadline is 17 March 2014.

Background The number of overseas properties owned

by Japanese has been on the rise recently.

For example, investment in overseas securities and the balance of foreign currency deposits increased from ¥10.1trn in 2000 to ¥14.4trn in 2010.

Previously, measures were taken to collect information on overseas properties by having the owners file a statement of assets and liabilities.

Persons who earned more than ¥20mn would file this statement as an attachment to their individual income tax return. Banks were also required to file a payment report for overseas remittances exceeding ¥1mn.

However, collecting information on overseas properties was difficult and insufficient, due to jurisdiction challenges and other constraints.

There are a growing number of cases in which income gained from overseas properties has not been properly reported in income tax returns. And, increasingly, overseas properties are being omitted in inheritance tax returns.

Under such circumstances, appropriate taxation support for overseas properties was a critical item in the 2012 tax reforms; hence the “Statement of Property Located outside Japan” (hereinafter the Statement) was introduced to target those individuals who own a certain amount of property abroad.

Overview Residents (excluding non-permanent residents) who possess overseas properties valued at more than ¥50mn as of 31 December must submit a Statement to a tax office to report the type and

amount of overseas property they own, as well as other pertinent information, by 15 March of the following year. In the case of 2014, because the date falls on a weekend, the deadline will be Monday, 17 March.

Who is required to file?

The obligation to file applies to residents (excluding non-permanent residents) of Japan. “Resident” is a legal term used in the individual income tax code to define an individual who has a domicile in Japan or has been living in Japan for a year or more until the present.

People without Japanese nationality become subject to the filing obligation once they have resided in Japan longer than five years.

“Non-permanent resident” is also a legal term. It defines a resident without Japanese nationality who has not lived in Japan more than five of the previous 10 years. Therefore, people without Japanese nationality become subject to the filing obligation once they have resided in Japan longer than five years.

Evaluation of property As already mentioned, a filing obligation applies when a qualifying resident owns overseas properties worth, as of 31 December, more than ¥50mn.

This figure refers to the property’s market price, based on the actual value of the property, not the acquisition price.

When it is difficult to obtain a market price for overseas real estate, reasonable estimates of prices are permitted.

Location assessment Determination of whether property qualifies as being in or outside Japan depends on the type of property in question.

Real estate is assessed by its physical location, or the financial deposits made by the location of the office in charge.

Shares, bonds and other securities are judged, in principle, according to the location of the head office of the corporation that issued them.

However, those instruments issued under the custody of a securities firm are assessed by the location of the branch office that actually issued them. For example, shares issued under a foreign office of a securities firm are considered overseas properties regardless of their components.

Hence, if such shares are issued by a branch office located in Japan, they are viewed as domestic properties.

Stock options given by a foreign corporation are overseas securities, but they only need to be reported in the Statement when they are enforceable as of 31 December. Values are calculated by subtracting the exercise price from the market price as of 31 December.

Filing procedure For those individuals who are required to file, the Statement should be submitted by 15 March of the following year to the same tax office that a person uses to file their individual tax returns, or a tax office that administers a person’s domicile if the person has no tax-filing obligation. The format for filing is specified on the National Tax Agency’s website, and it can be downloaded directly from www.nta.go.jp.

Penalties and relief Penalties will be imposed on persons who submit late or incorrect returns or fail to file altogether. Such persons may incur a basic penalty tax of up to 15% on deficient returns, and an additional tax of up to 20% for either no return or returns received after the due date—for a total penalty of up to 35%.

However, taxpayers may be eligible for a 5% deduction from the total penalty if a proper Statement is submitted prior to their return.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 35

THE A-LIST OF BUSINESS SUPPORT & OUTSOURCING

Our Business Process Solutions (BPS) practice provides cost-effective outsourcing and technical skills to foreign companies moving into or expanding in Japan.

Our team of highly skilled experts covering finance and accounting, taxation, human resources management, strategic consulting and risk assessment is ready to help you increase the efficiency of your Japan operations.

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ECOVIS APO provides trusted economy & vision consulting to make your business a success in Japan.

APO (AP Outsourcing Ltd.), originated as an accounting & payroll service unit at Arthur Andersen Tokyo and went on to join KPMG International, becoming independent upon enactment of the new Japanese CPA Law in April 2004.

APO joined ECOVIS International as ECOVIS APO in November 2009. We are proud to announce our association with ECOVIS, and as an exclusive partner we are delighted to contribute to the further success story that is ECOVIS. ECOVIS APO is committed to helping our clients realise their objectives, and with additional support from ECOVIS, provide highly qualified bilingual specialists with extensive knowledge of financial operations, payroll and tax services.

Company Name:

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Now with even more support Company Name:

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Ecoviswww.hays.co.jp APo is proud to announce our association with Ecovis, and as an exclusive 36 || DECEMBER DECEMBER 2013 partner we 2013 are delighted to 36 || BCCJ BCCJ ACUMEN ACUMEN contribute our part to the further Website:

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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 region 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.

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Due to mounting requests from clients, we now have a dedicated team of accounting professionals providing outsourcing services both on- and off-site.

Our goal is to support frustrated companies that are repeatedly disappointed by the internal accountants they recruit.

Save money and reduce headcount by outsourcing all or part of your accounting department. For example, you can transfer the burden of paying employees’ health insurance and other payroll taxes. External accounting professionals can also save you money in other ways, such as by catching potential fraud and preventing the incurrence of penalties for being non-compliant with the tax code.

Our skilled, experienced and trained team of professionals will streamline your accounting process, as they possess higher levels of expertise than most internal recruits in the market.

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Robert Walters is one of the world’s leading specialist professional recruitment consultancies for permanent and contract recruitment.

Robert Walters Japan possesses the distinct advantages of size and a proven track record, allowing you to tap into an unparalleled global network that enables clients and candidates to come together in the most efficient and productive way possible.

Our Tokyo and Osaka-based offices have been active in building integrated partnerships with clients and bilingual professionals—consistently delivering the most relevant match of skills and culture. This remains our ultimate goal as recruitment and sourcing specialists.

Company Name:

Robert Walters Japan K.K.

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A unique HR consultancy in Japan, TMT / Glasford International Japan specialises in retained executive search and pioneered labour/personnel policy consulting, strategically addressing people problems, pay systems, costs and restructuring in an organisation.

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Since 1978, TMT has provided unparalleled services in personnel policy, personnel/HR consulting, and scouting capable candidates for hard-to-fill positions at more than 700 multinational firms in Japan.

In partnership with Glasford International, represented in about 40 countries, our clients are assured of consistent and personalised executive search solutions across diverse business cultures.

Founder Tom Nevins has authored several books, including Gaijin Boss’s Power Pill, which is available free to corporate clients.

Company Name:

TMT Inc. / Glasford International Japan

Address:

TMT Building 4-2-22 Shibuya Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002

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Personnel Policy Consulting • Strategic rules of employment • Compensation & benefits— design and change • Problem employee solutions • Union and personnel relations

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 37

GVA Law Office Our six lawyers provide a range of highquality professional legal and advisory services. In addition, we have more than 60 advisor companies. Please contact us if you would like to come to Japan to expand your business or if you have any problems concerning a particular legal matter here.

Email: info@gvalaw.jp Tel: 03-6908-7301 Fax: 03-6908-7302

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DIVERSITY

The Business Case for D&I Diversity and inclusion can boost the bottom line

By Suzanne Price President Price Global • Thoroughly analyse staff satisfaction survey • Diversity often a factor in proposal requests

I

am constantly surprised by the number of conversations I have with organisations that are beginning to deliver diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives without having any sense of their business case for embarking on these measures. Therefore, I thought it relevant to offer some ideas on how to assess and articulate sound supporting reasons for D&I programmes within an organisation.

Taking the time to craft a convincing, company-specific business case is crucial.

The chief executive needs to be able to sell the idea to senior executives in a way that allows them, in turn, to persuade their teams of the initiatives’ value to them and the firm.

Below are five key areas to consider when assembling your business case.

Hiring the best from the widest talent pool Firms want to attract the most talented people to join their workforces. But, what they often don’t realise is that they subconsciously eliminate more than half the available talent pool through bias in their selection processes, and by failing to convince diverse groups that they can have a thriving career in the organisation.

If candidates are not presented with convincing evidence that “someone like them” is doing well, they will vote with their feet.

Subconsciously, recruiters and hiring managers believe that, in their search, HIRING MANAGERS TEND TO EMPLOY PEOPLE LIKE THEMSELVES ...

Affinity bias: A form of interviewer bias resulting from interviewers showing preference for certain types of people for whom they have an affinity, such as respondents who are similar to them or that they find attractive, and including them in the sample at higher rates than others.

they are getting the best employee out there by looking for people who match what is typically a very limited success profile. Hiring managers tend to employ people like themselves, often because of affinity bias, while recruiters can be reluctant to put forth candidates who don’t fit this typical profile because they want a successful placement.

Appealing to a wide and diverse pool of talent increases the likelihood that you are truly hiring the best person available for the job.

Unless your firm can show you have effective D&I initiatives in place, you may very well lose out on business opportunities.

Retain talent by increasing engagement There is a direct link between diversity, inclusion and engagement. When people feel included and that they are being treated fairly, their level of motivation, productivity and pride in their place of work is usually high.

Imagine what the impact on the bottom line would be if your organisation had less attrition and people were more productive. Organisational traditions, systems and policies on many occasions favour the typical success profile. People who do not match that profile often become disengaged.

If possible, analyse the results of your employee satisfaction survey by comparing across gender, age groups, nationality, ability, background and other aspects of diversity. Inclusive systems, managers and corporate culture are key to cultivating and retaining a highly engaged, diverse workforce.

Market opportunities This market-based argument varies depending on a firm’s industry.

Who are your clients? In what ways are they diverse? Does your organisation have people who can easily relate to clients and share their perspective? Do you have a workforce made up of employees who can adapt to a range of expectations in terms of business culture? Have you considered the values of your clients?

Increasingly, organisations are beginning to include questions about diversity and inclusion in their requests for proposals. Sometimes candidates’ responses to these questions can count for up to 10–20% of their total score once proposals are assessed.

Unless your firm can show you have effective D&I initiatives in place, you may very well lose out on business opportunities, no matter how strong your proposal is.

Improved innovation People with different backgrounds and perspectives have their own individual ideas, which can be widely disparate.

However, our human need to belong often results in “group think”.

This calls for an environment and leaders that encourage different opinions, out-of-the-box thinking, constructive challenges and dissent. If every member of a team feels included and that they have a voice in decision-making, together they have the potential for more creativity and more innovative thinking.

Rising to, or above, the competition It is highly likely that many of your competitors already have a D&I agenda in place, in which case you need to catch up fast. In industries and markets slow to catch on to the benefits of diversity and inclusion, you have the opportunity to be the pioneer—if you don’t claim that prize, your competition certainly will.

Your organisation’s specific approach to D&I can be a strong differentiating factor, and position your brand favourably for attracting new business and human capital management.

Much more than simply saying D&I initiatives are “the right thing to do,” elaborating on the vision and actually implementing programmes—as a business imperative—can give your firm a competitive advantage, as well as have a positive impact on the bottom line.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 39

ARTS

UK EVENTS in JAPAN

To apply for free or discounted tickets, please send an email with your name, address and telephone number by 20 December to: coordinator@custom-media.com. Winners will be picked at random.

Compiled by Rui Sarashina and Kana Shimoyoshi

FROM 14 DECEMBER ©2013 SOMEWHERE ELSE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The Bling Ring Sophia Coppola’s latest film, starring UK actress Emma Watson, tells the story of a group of teenagers obsessed with fashion and fame who burglarise celebrities’ homes in Los Angeles. What starts out as teenage fun quickly spins out of control and leaves viewers with a sobering view of today’s consumer culture. Watson also played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films.

Shibuya Cine Quinto Shibuya Parco Part 3: 8F 14-5 Udagawacho Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042

03-3477-5905 Adults ¥1,800

http://theblingring.jp

UNTIL 5 JANUARY Impressionists at the Waterside Depicting Urban Resorts: Paris, the Seine and Normandy In the 19th century, when cities were being developed, coastal suburban areas became popular places to holiday. The peaceful nature of these sites, along with abundant greenery and beautiful beaches, attracted a number of impressionists such as British painter Alfred Sisley.

©TATE, LONDON 2013

Tokyo Fuji Art Museum 492-1 Yano-machi Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0016

6）春の小さな草地.jpg Alfred Sisley, The Small Meadows in Spring, 1880, Oil on canvas Tate: Presented by a body of subscribers in memory of Roger Fry 1936.

10am–5pm (closed Mondays, 24 December and 27 December– 1 January; open 23 December)

042-691-4511 Adults ¥1,200 Free tickets We are giving away five pairs of free tickets for this event.

www.fujibi.or.jp

8–10 JANUARY

©KEVIN LEIGHTON

London Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet Widely recognised as one of the world’s leading orchestras, the music of this award-winning group’s brass quintet has been used in films such as the Harry Potter series.

8 January Kioi Hall 6-5 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 9 January Mitsui Sumitomo Shirakawa Hall 2-9-15 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya-shi 10 January Izumi Hall 1-4-70 Shiromi, Chuo-ku, Osaka

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Open 6:30pm, starts 7pm 03-3574-0969 Adults ¥5,000 Discounted tickets BCCJ ACUMEN readers can receive a ¥500 discount on admission.

13–26 JANUARY Tribes Produced by Setagaya Public Theater Words are an essential element for communication, but how well do they communicate the truth? To what extent do they help people understand one another? Nina Raine, an English director and playwright, was inspired by a documentary about a deaf couple who were expecting a child and hoped their baby would be deaf.

Tribes raises questions about the ways in which people truly relate.

JUNJI ISHIGURO

New National Theatre, Tokyo The Pit 1-1-1 Honmachi Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0071

Actors (from left) Tomoko Nakajima and Kei Tanaka

Various show times 03-5352-9999 Adults from ¥4,000

http://setagaya-pt.jp

UNTIL 19 JANUARY The Beautiful Black List Tracing the 50 Years of D&AD Awards Design & Art Direction (D&AD) is a UK-based non-profit organisation that initiated what are widely considered the most selective design and advertising awards in 1963. The coveted black pencil is given to creators whose works are considered groundbreaking. This exhibition shows the prizewinning works of black pencil recipients over the past 50 years.

Advertising Museum Tokyo Caretta Shiodome 1-8-2 Higashi-Shimbashi Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-7090

Weekdays: 11am–6:30pm Weekends & holidays until 4:30pm Closed on Mondays 03-6218-2500 Admission free

www.admt.jp

22 JANUARY–4 FEBRUARY Sherlock Homes: The Secret of the Anderson Family At the close of the 19th century in London, two gunshots ring out on Christmas night in the home of a distinguished family. Adam Anderson and his twin brother Eric soon discover that Adam’s fiancé Lucy is missing. This musical debuted in Daehangno, South Korea, and won the 17th Korea Musical Awards in 2011.

Tokyo Metropolitan Theater 1-8-1 Nishi-Ikebukuro Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0021

Various show times; closed 27 January 03-5391-2111 Adults from ¥7,350

www.s-holmes.com

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 41

COMMUNITY

NINA OIKI

BCCJ

BCCJ Vice-President Suzanne Price moderated the Diversity Beyond Gender: LGBT event at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo on 26 November.

LAUNCH

FCO

EMBASSY

The BCCJ collaborated in “Leadership & Innovation in Business Transformation” on 18 November at the Australian Embassy, Tokyo. Attendees included: Sam Walsh, Rio Tinto Group chief executive (back row, third from left); H.E. Bruce Miller, ambassador of Australia to Japan (back, fourth right); and Nobi Yamaji, Rio Tinto Japan president (right).

A gala reception was held on 28 October at the British Embassy Tokyo to launch the “GREAT creative week in Japan.” Attending were (from left): violinist Diana Yukawa, Food is Great Ambassador Harry Sugiyama, designers Jasper Morrison and Jasper Conran, and Ambassador Tim Hitchens.

Attending the opening ceremony of Oxford Instruments Japan’s new office were (from left): Masashi Iwatsuki, executive vice president, Jeol Ltd; Jonathan Flint, CEO, Oxford Instruments plc; Julia Longbottom, minister, British Embassy Tokyo; Hiroyuki Nishiya, president, Oxford Instruments Japan; and Toshio Kajimoto, vice president, Hitachi High Technologies Corporation.

CHARITY

Refugees International Japan Events Coordinator Adam Becker sparred with Serena Wang, event volunteer, before Executive Fight Night III on 8 November at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo.

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Attending Crown Relocation’s Movember Charity Quiz & Raffle at Hobgoblin Roppongi on 28 November were Crown employees: (left front to back) Hiroki Naoyoshi, Kuni Maeda and Kazu Miyazaki; and (right front to back) Kenji Oba, Takashi Okamoto and Aki Harada.

COMMUNITY CHARITY

The Royal British Legion Tokyo Branch held its Annual Poppy Appeal Charity Quiz Night at The FooTNik Osaki on 5 November. Attendees included (from left): Ibrahim Bileh, Anna McMenamin and Steve Trevellick.

CSR

Royal Bank of Scotland, Japan’s Ernie Olsen (left), country executive, and Chad Sheridan, head of CSR, at the ninth annual Financial Industry in Tokyo For Charity Run on 17 November at Tokyo’s National Stadium.

AUCTION

MAASERHIT HONDA

SPORT

Attending TELL’s 18th Annual Connoisseurs’ Auction on 22 November at the Embassy of the Republic of Angola were (from left): Craig Saphin, chairman of the board of directors; Tsuyoshi Akiyama MD PhD, chairman emeritus; and Ian de Stains OBE, executive director.

The Japan Cricket Association held the inaugural Sano UK Festival in Sano city, Tochigi Prefecture, on 23 November. Taking part were Yoshitaka Uehara (left), Sano development officer, and participants from Ishizuka Elementary School.

ART

MICHIKO YAMAMOTO

MEDIA DRIVE UNIT CELL

MUSIC

Japanese guitar legend Tomoyasu Hotei performed on 9 November at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London.

Hokusai Exposed: Re-create was held until 17 November at The Old Truman Brewery, London. This image is part of the Projection Mapping sequence.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 43

HEALTH

Stand Up for a Healthy Workplace Extended, unbroken periods of sitting can lead to an early grave

By Ingrid Davis • Problems stem from slowing metabolism • Worst in countries with market economies • Exercise is not enough to avoid harm

M

y husband recently sent me an article from the Daily Mail. He was horrified that his efforts to hit the gym and eat a healthy diet might not be enough to prolong his life; sitting at work was also killing him.

There is a growing body of evidence that shows many hours spent sitting can indeed lead to premature mortality and contribute to a range of illnesses, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, mental illness and cancer. A 12-year study of 16,500 adults recently published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise found that the more time people spent sitting, the earlier they died.

44 | BCCJ ACUMEN | DECEMBER 2013

The problems stem partly from a slowing metabolism during long periods of inactivity. When you are stuck in your chair you use less blood sugar and burn less fat, resulting in a higher risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Time spent sitting has also been shown to suppress a key enzyme called lipid phosphate phosphatase–1 (LPP1), which helps regulate blood clotting and the conversion of bad cholesterol into good.

Not only does sitting thicken the waistline, it can also lead to mental health issues. A recent English study found that extended screen time was directly linked to an increase in depressive symptoms.

Physical activity promotes circulation and helps transport essential proteins and body chemicals, including feel-good beta-endorphins, to the brain. When our leg muscles and larger muscle groups are inactive, this essential circulation slows, and regulation of the brain chemistry is impaired.

Whether you are commuting, working or relaxing at home, sitting has become a big part of the modern lifestyle. Excessive sitting is emerging as a serious global public health issue across the developed world. The World Health Organisation Global Burden of Disease project found the mortality and morbidity costs of physical inactivity were highest in countries with market economies.

Worse still, a recent Australian study found that the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic exercise are not enough to counteract the harmful effects of sitting all day at work.

In Japan, where it is considered normal to work overtime, the threat looms larger. The financial impact of disease on the health system and to the Japanese economy through lost working days and reduced productivity is substantial.

In recent years, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has been focused on reducing the average length of a workweek to prevent issues arising from fatigue and illness. The ministry has encouraged firms to apply new standards that would limit employees to less than 45 hours of overtime per month.

Chances are if you have read this far you are now looking for any excuse to get

out of your chair. Don’t hesitate; a twominute walk every 20 minutes is enough to improve your glucose metabolism.

Here are some ideas to improve your health while at work.

• Be an active leader: Promote good work habits and encourage co-workers to get out of their chairs. Schedule a regular lunchtime walk with your team.

• Micro-breaks: Take more trips to the water fountain or printer, walk over to speak to a colleague rather than send an email, take phone calls standing up, or stand and stretch between tasks.

• Walk and talk: Organise walking meetings. These may even be more productive than roundtable discussions, as the brain chemicals that stave off depression also help promote creative thinking and can aid mental acuity.

• Modernise your workstation: Adjustable work surfaces that allow you to modify monitor and keyboard heights to alternate between sitting and standing are ideal.

• Chair change: Alternating between a traditional chair and a stability ball or saddle chair encourages use of the larger trunk and leg muscles, and promotes circulation and core strength.

• Get the app: A variety of smartphone applications are available relating to ergonomics. Information therein may include advice on proper desk setup or a regular alarm reminding users to take activity breaks after up to 30 minutes in one position.

• Active workstation: Under-the-desk devices that allow you to move as you work are becoming more popular, including fixed pedals or stair steppers.

For the seriously committed, a treadmill workstation is perhaps a more conspicuous option and presently the focus of studies in Oxford and the US. • Outside the office: Spend less time in front of the TV and choose active entertainment options, such as interactive video games that require movement to control the on-screen action. Popular systems include the X-box One with its recognitionsensor camera, PlayStation 4 or Nintendo’s Wii.

IF YOU ASK ME

Occasion for Reflection

By Ian de Stains OBE

A

t this time of the year, I often stop to think about how the light changes, and the sky, too. The clouds—when there are any—are different. On other, cloudless days, airplanes’ exhaust vapour leaves chalk trails in skies that are almost impossibly blue.

At the time of writing, to walk along the riverbank is to celebrate the signs of autumn: drifts of leaves in orange, crimson and gold. The carp are lethargic, the turtles hibernating, and at the end of the walk, a snow-capped Mt Fuji stands in the distance. And so the year begins to wane and we are left to reflect once again.

There was a time when the year-end was all about excitement: Christmas was coming, the geese were getting fat, and as children we delighted in all the pleasures of the season. There were public decorations, the exuberances in the shops, the Salvation Army’s carolling and the dressing of the tree and promise of presents at home.

For some, too, there was a deeply spiritual dimension, a celebration of a profound mystery. My childhood Christmas memories take a page from poet John Betjeman, though the reality of them was probably a lot more prosaic.

The combination of living so far from the country of my birth for so many years, in a culture that is so very different, plus the very fact of growing older means the year-end is increasingly a time for reflection. The rituals are different. I write fewer Christmas cards than I ever used to, but I find myself thinking more of friends and loved ones, especially those who are far off and whom I rarely see.

I try to live a life that is both mindful and purposeful, so my yearend meditations tend to focus on remembering the many kindnesses that people have shown me. I also try to put aside and forgive the few discourtesies I may have encountered.

Inevitably, at my age, I sometimes remember people who’ve touched my life in some way and who, within the past year, have gone the way we all must ultimately go. But there is also the occasional joy of hearing about new souls that friends have welcomed into their families, most often as grandchildren.

I can’t help feeling that, because my birthday falls at this time of year—as a child I resented it being so close to Christmas—I am somehow more susceptible to drift into nostalgia. It’s not only the year that is turning: so, too, am I. It is hard to believe that were I still living in Britain, I would from this month be officially classified as an old-age pensioner. Time, as we know, plays tricks.

The TARDIS time machine could transport its occupants to any point in time and space.

Last month marked the 50th anniversary of an event that was all to do with time, specifically time travel.

A little after 5pm on 23 November 1963 (a start time slightly delayed due to coverage of President John F Kennedy’s assassination), the BBC aired the first episode of what was to become one of the corporation’s most successful series.

I still remember the highly unusual theme music, composed by Ron Grainger and realised by Delia Derbyshire in the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop, which introduced Dr Who and his spaceship the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space). It may have looked like a simple police box you would have found on many a UK street corner in those days, but on the inside it was significantly larger—a concept I found infinitely intriguing.

The time machine could transport its occupants—the doctor and his female companion and helper—to any point in time and space, where they would battle a variety of monsters and evildoers.

Perhaps the most famous of these latter were the Daleks, a group of robot-like exterminators that were responsible for the BBC’s first major success in blockbuster character merchandising.

Yet no one at the start could have guessed that Dr Who would become one of the most recognisable characters on television, albeit having been played to date by 11 different actors, with a 12th lined up for the next series. Though his appearance may change, the doctor and his commitment to wiping out wrongdoing remain constant. To get to play the good doctor is somewhat akin to being chosen to portray 007. Some of the finest names in television have been only too willing to play cameo roles in the series.

The Guinness World Records lists Doctor Who as the longest-running science fiction programme in the world.

The 50th anniversary special, incredibly, was aired simultaneously in 90 countries, which simply goes to show the fantastic technical advances that have been made in the last half-century. I regret that I was unable to see it—I believe it was broadcast here—because it would have taken me back through my own journey in time, when life seemed so much more innocent.

DECEMBER 2013 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 45

BCCJ ACUMEN has one copy of each book to give away. To apply, please send an email by 20 December to: editor@custom-media.com. Winners will be picked at random.

BOOK

Reviews

A Rose by Any Other Name

By Ian de Stains OBE

What’s in a name?

This is a question pondered by Juliet, in Shakespeare’s classic story of starcrossed lovers. Most people probably give little thought to where their names originate. David McKie, on the other hand, has spent a lot of time and effort exploring the fascinating world of surnames, at least those that are common in Britain.

His research is incredibly detailed, and there is apparently a great deal of information to investigate.

Unlike South Korea, where almost 50% of the population share just five names (Choi, Chong, Kim, Lee and Park), there are a staggering number of names on the British Isles, and McKie delves into their origins with great relish. Some surnames are derived from people’s occupations, for example the Smiths, Bakers or Taylors; some from the families’ forebears, such as the Thompsons, Davidsons or Dysons; still others from the locations of individual births (the Trees, Hills or Bunkers).

By far the most amusing chapters of this delightful book are those in which the author contemplates whether a person’s name influences his choice of occupation, or whether there is some magical influence that drives certain names to certain professions.

Is it coincidence, for example, that the fastest man on earth is named Bolt?

A recent publication about the polar regions and the future of the planet Earth is authored by a certain Daniel Snowman. Richard Trench is credited as a co-author of a subterranean guide to what’s under London. The head of Danone Ltd. is said to be Bruno Fromage, and some people claim there is a legal partnership in Ireland named Argue and Phibbs. The most humorous example of all is an article on incontinence in the British Journal of Urology (vol 49, pp 173–176, 1977) by A.J. Splatt and D. Weedon.

McKie explores the changes that have taken place in the composition of British names over the centuries.

Many have remained constant

David McKie Random House £14.99

(and usually in specific parts of the country), but we may feel relieved that certain names have disappeared.

Who, after all, would like to be named Swetinbedde or even Gyldenbollockes?

Perhaps the latter was a nod towards a future soccer great.

Prince Charles: Environmental Warrior

By Rui Sarashina

Charles Phillip Arthur George has been a prince for more than 50 years, yet many of his social contributions are barely known.

The Prince of Wales has long been a champion of the environment. However, the fact that he recognised the looming threat of climate change decades before others has been mostly overshadowed by the royal activities of Queen Elizabeth II. The book offers a detailed summary of relevant historical events along with an overview of Charles’ activities to date while serving as a royal heir.

The prince’s solutions to the Earth’s problems are outlined thereafter. What is interesting is that, despite his regal position, he attacks these issues from the view of an ordinary citizen, while demonstrating a deep understanding of British culture and history.

For instance, he asks, “Can you imagine what would happen if the famous salmon that dwell in rivers in Wales disappeared?”

Charles espoused several sustainable development projects. A number of celebrities, politicians and organisations have supported his efforts, including

46 | BCCJ ACUMEN | DECEMBER 2013

Sir Richard Branson. Charles’ approach to today’s climate challenges centres on seeking long-term solutions to problems rather than quick fixes.

Nowadays, his activities have become more global than ever. To drive home the severity of global warming and the need for each nation to accept responsibility, Charles has flown around the world for meetings and conferences, giving speeches and helping work towards solutions alongside national bureaucrats.

As of this book’s publication date, Charles had visited 389 countries.

From the late 1960s through the early 1970s, Charles’ environmental interests were seen as strange. However, the world has undergone great change over the past 20 years. The author maintains that Charles was ahead of his time when he organised environmental forums and tried to educate people on pressing issues.

If he encountered an unfamiliar situation he would consult experts on the topic. At times, this would even include indigenous tribes. He joined conferences across the world, to gain information and support, and to make connections.

Perhaps what most stands out for readers is the level of detail that the

Naotaka Kimizuka Keiso Shobo ¥2,200

author has achieved. He collected facts for the book by interviewing persons close to the royal family. He clearly is well informed about UK history and present circumstances. This book provides a peek into what Prince Charles’ reign would look like were he to be king.