BCCJ Acumen July 2014

July 2014 | 짜900

The magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan

ACUMEN EMBASSY EXPORT MEDIA ARTS BOOKS MOTORS SPORT COMMUNITY EVENTS and much more

INDUSTRY & A-LIST IT & TELECOM AND TECHNOLOGY

bccjacumen.com

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Sellafield know-how for TEPCO clean-up

Olympic lessons from the best

JET alumni: where are they now?

Getting ready for

RUGBY Two nations team up for 2015 and 2019 world cups

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Welcome to Japan Three ways of Living Eight lives in Tokyo

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July 2014

7 EDITOR Teach and learn kathryn wortley 9 EMBASSY Passport update Extra temporary measures 10 MEDIA UK–Japan news 12 ANNIVERSARY Happy birthday, Ma’am!

15 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Getting creative lori henderson mbe 16 MEDIA Japan news 19 PRESIDENT Seize the day david bickle 20 EXPORT It’s a deal!

Trade mission brings new business to English firms 22 TOP STORY Sellafield know-how for TEPCO clean-up UK talent and skills help N-task 26 BCCJ EVENT Olympic lessons from the best London 2012 can offer insights for Tokyo 2020 29 EXCOM A sporting chance 30 SPORT Getting ready for rugby Two nations team up ahead of 2015 and 2019 world cups

COVER: GETTY IMAGES FOR ENGLAND RUGBY 2015

32 MOTORS Viewers love British villains 34 TRAINING A business plan to enter and expand in Japan

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INDUSTRY IT & telecommunications and technology 38 A-LIST 41 EXPORT TO JAPAN Keeping ahead Collaboration key for IT and telecom 32

42 CHARITY A ride for good Cyclists support Tohoku community 44 ARTS UK events in Japan • Photo exhibition • Anime adaptation • Imaginative film drama • Traditional and modern ballet • Rock festival • Shakespeare tragedy 46 COMMUNITY Photos from UK–Japan events 48 JET Lifelong links Talent pool: Sarah Parsons, chair, JETAA UK 49 IF YOU ASK ME Veering to the right EU election results shake up politics 50 BOOK REVIEW Burnt shadows ian de stains obe

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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: David Bickle Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Vice-president: Anna Pinsky Individual Member EXECUTIVE STAFF Executive Director: Lori Henderson MBE Operations Manager: Sanae Samata Membership and Marketing Assistant: Sarah Firth EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Jonty Brunner | British Airways Graham Davis | Individual Member James Dodds | KPMG Simon Farrell | Custom Media K.K. Iain Ferguson | Lloyd’s Japan Inc. Philip T Gibb OBE | Canning Professional K.K. Alison Jambert | Eat Creative K.K. Yoko Kosugi | The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Anna Pinsky | Individual Member Reiko Sakimura | Clifford Chance Law Office Richard Thornley CBE | Individual Member James Weeks | Kreab Gavin Anderson K.K. 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

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

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CONTRIBUTORS

BCCJ members and writers are welcome to submit ideas for content, which will be reviewed by the editor. kathryn@custom-media.com

Graham Davis

Julian Ryall

Mark Schreiber

Martin Foster

A member of the BCCJ Executive Committee.

Japan correspondent for The Daily Telegraph.

An author and translator who has been based in Tokyo since 1966.

Mark was employed as a media analyst in market research before turning to freelance writing.

A writer who has lived in Tokyo since 1977. After a career in financial journalism Martin has recently ventured into environmental issues, including the over-fishing of bluefin tuna and alternative energy.

Joshua Ferris Senior manager at Michael Page Japan. Joshua has been in the country for more than 10 years.

He has worked in the firm’s Japan IT business for seven years, specialising in IT vendor clients.

Vid Gunapala Team leader for financial services technology at Michael Page Japan. Vid has over seven years of recruitment experience in London and Tokyo, specialising in this field in Japan since 2010.

Paul Leonard Studio manager at Custom Media and designer of BCCJ ACUMEN. Paul has 27 years of experience in publishing and design.

Kana Shimoyoshi A project coordinator at Custom Media. Kana compiles the events pages of BCCJ ACUMEN.

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Custom Media BCCJ 2013 Company of the Year

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. Daiwa Azabudai Bldg. 6F 2-3-3 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0041 (03) 4540-7730 www.custom-media.com

PUBLISHER Simon Farrell

SALES MANAGER Leon van Houwelingen

PRESIDENT Robert Heldt STUDIO MANAGER Paul Leonard

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jody Pang Hiroshi Torobu Rick Ahern Genevieve Seah

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Michael Pfeffer

CLIENT SERVICES EXCECUTIVE Joseph Gummer

DEPUTY EDITOR Kathryn Wortley

VIDEO PRODUCER Gamma Siregar

CLIENT SERVICES DIRECTOR Sam Bird

MEDIA COORDINATOR Kana Shimoyoshi

MARKETING MANAGER Megumi Okazaki

PROJECT COORDINATOR Reika Igarashi

To advertise or order BCCJ ACUMEN: inquiries@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. Š 2014 Custom Media K.K.

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EDITOR

W

hat could be more coveted or valuable for taking on a challenge than experience? Most interestingly perhaps, it can be the trying times, as well as the positive ones, that shape us for the better.

Participants in the Japan Market Expansion Competition (JMEC) are certainly firm believers of this idea. They shared their sense of achievement on completing the challenging programme at its annual award ceremony on 11 June (page 34).

A key aspect of JMEC, now in its 20th year, is a focus on developing young professionals; project clients, judges and sponsors agree it is achieving its goal.

Armed with valuable crosscultural skills honed through instruction, hands-on learning and an international working environment, graduates of JMEC are ready and able to provide a cross-cultural contribution that is of increasing necessity in Japan today.

JET: giving back Similarly, international exchange is featured in a new column this month (page 48). The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme promotes mutual understanding through

Teach and learn

Youth and community efforts help drive progress kathryn wortley kathryn@custom-media.com

grassroots exchange activities, foreign language education and sport between participants from countries worldwide and their Japanese host communities. It has won domestic and international acclaim, for not only the great work participants have done while serving as JETs, but also the long-lasting impact they continue to have afterwards, both

professionally and socially. As such, the scheme provides a pool of talent for UK–Japan activity.

The new ACUMEN column will showcase former JETs, in the UK and Japan, who continue to foster bilateral ties across a wide range of fields. As a former JET myself, I too, feel that the power of my positive experience keeps the spirit of the programme very much alive in me.

Rugby, olympics Tapping into lessons learned is something that the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) executive committee (excom) is keen to do. Excom member Graham Davis outlines BCCJ’s work to engage Tokyo in the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 for the benefit of members and the wider UK business community across the country (page 29).

Reader competition This issue also includes the chance to experience the thrill of driving Jaguar’s new F-TYPE coupé for a weekend, as part of our feature on why British actors make such excellent baddies (page 32). Simply tweet #bestbadbritactor, naming your favourite film or TV villain from the UK, and giving a reason for your choice. Enter by 22 August for a chance to win. Get your creative juices flowing—which Executive Director Lori Henderson MBE believes are so important (page 15)—or why not pool ideas with friends and family? After all, you could be getting away together in one of the best getaway vehicles money can buy. In fact, perhaps I should start thinking of my top choice, too.

EMBASSY

Passport update Extra temporary measures to help British nationals living abroad

H

er Majesty’s Passport Office, currently dealing with the highest demand for passports in 12 years, has issued over 3 million passports so far this year. Recognising people’s understandable concerns about possible delays, the home secretary has announced a series of additional measures to ensure individuals and families are able to travel and continue to live overseas.

three months (or seven months if they are going to a country that requires travellers to have a six-month period of validity on their passports) • There is a minimum of three blank pages in the passport • There is no current passport application in progress, even if the passport is still in the applicant’s possession If you would like to apply for the passport extension, please

You will need to bring your current passport, another form of ID and a completed application form. If you are applying for a child’s passport, you may be asked to provide further documentation.

If you need to travel urgently, you may be able to apply for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD). Please contact the British Embassy in Tokyo or the British Consulate General in Osaka for further information. If you have

of both a first time or renewed child’s passport.

You will need to provide the same information as when a child has not held a British passport before, along with evidence that all

British nationals who live overseas can have their passport extended for one year if they meet the following requirements: • The passport has expired within the past six months, or is due to expire in the next

contact the British Embassy in Tokyo (03-5211-1100) or the British Consulate General in Osaka (06-6120-5600) to make an appointment, which is essential. There is no charge for the service.

lost or had your passport stolen and you need to travel, you may also be able to apply for an ETD. For parents or guardians applying on behalf of a child living overseas, it is now possible to apply for an ETD in place

those with parental responsibilities agree or evidence of sole responsibility for the child.

For more information, follow the instructions to apply for an ETD on www.gov.uk/emergencytravel-document.

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Monthly reports and data analysis

UK-JAPAN NEWS

MEDIA Solar firm eyes new market

Wagyu can now be exported from Japan. • PHOTO COURTESY OF ZEN-NOH

Imports now possible for “authentic” Japanese beef The recent lifting of a Europe-wide ban on Japanese wagyu, or beef, means the famous product can now be exported to the UK, The Grocer reported on 10 June.

The meat, genetically predisposed to intense marbling, had previously only been available from UK-reared herds or from imports originating in countries such as New Zealand.

Yoshimi Nakano, chairman of the supervisory board of the Zen-Noh National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, said the group was delighted with the development and any wagyu imported from Japan would bear a Universal Wagyu Mark.

A Japanese firm producing solar devices plans to enter the UK market, pv-tech.org reported on 9 June.

Solar Frontier K.K., which develops and manufactures copper, indium and selenium (CIS) thin-film solar modules, at present earns around 90% of its sales from the domestic market, but hopes for a breakthrough in the UK commercial rooftop and utility-scale markets.

Senior Vice President Atsuhiko Hirano said the market for its products was booming in the UK.

Young PR pros lead in creativity Japan and the UK took gold and silver, respectively, in the Young PR Lions competition at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, reported prweek.com on 16 June.

The contest, launched this year, challenged teams of PR professionals, from 13 countries to create a campaign against human trafficking.

Francis Ingham, chief executive of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation, a competition supporter, said contestants were the best young PR creatives in their respective countries.

While Japan claimed the top prize in the youth group, it secured only four nominations in the main contest, behind the UK with a total of 11 nominations.

Art workshops for child therapy

Alternative band gains new followers Sheffield pop ensemble Screaming Maldini are making waves in the Japanese music scene, The Star reported on 29 May. The quirky group, which features a range of instruments and a six-part harmony, has just returned to the UK from a successful tour of Japan.

Frontman Nick Cox said he believed their success is thanks to Japanese fans’s appreciation of the crazy aspect of their music.

Recent singles, “The Awakening” and “The Extraordinary” have appeared in Tokio Hot 100, the official music chart programme of J-Wave radio station. The latest release is accompanied by a video of the band’s Japanese adventures.

Screaming Maldini boasts members with a classically trained musical background.

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Screaming Maldini at Kamakura in June.

Internationally acclaimed artist Mackenzie Thorpe will team up with Eiko Todo, founder of The Edge—the Japan Dyslexia Society—to offer art workshops for children as therapy, Japan Today reported on 20 June.

Thorpe, who is well known for his highly emotive creations, and long-term collaborator Todo will host a series of workshops in Okinawa and Fujisawa to illustrate the power of art. Proceeds will be donated to the Association of Parents with Handicapped Children in Okinawa and The House of Sun, for handicapped children in Fujisawa.

Thorpe’s global work with charities and children includes support of those affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

JULY 2014

Business | Lifestyle | Arts | Events Products | Fashion | People | Sport Travel | Food | Drink | Technology Science | Culture | Health | Energy Music | Motors | Politics | Charity

JT joins e-cigarette market

Green light in rail talks

Japan Tobacco Inc. is to buy UK rival E-Lites in a bid to enter the electronic cigarette market, the Financial Times reported on 11 June.

The global tobacco manufacturer will buy all outstanding shares of E-Lites’ parent firm, British e-cigarette maker Zandera Ltd. The e-cigarette market grew from minimal sales in 2008 to global sales of ¥0.3bn by the end of 2013. The products typically use a rechargeable battery, and vaporise liquid containing nicotine and other elements that are contained in a cartridge.

Three firms of the Japan Railway group have agreed to open their equipment procurement markets for firms in the European Union (EU), The Japan News reported on 23 June.

The new development came during Japan–EU talks on an economic partnership agreement and is likely to lead to significant progress in negotiations on railway equipment. As part of the move, details of the tender selection process, annual business schedules and other relevant information will be UK imports of Japanese trains are increasing. ©HITACHI, LTD. available in English to enable foreign firms to participate in bidding.

In the other direction, Japanese manufacturers have been exporting more train-related products to Europe. One such firm, Hitachi Ltd. won contracts in which it sold 866 train cars for use in Britain.

Audio deal to help coast guard efforts Drumgrange Ltd. has delivered a £1mn contract to supply acoustic hailing devices (AHDs) to the Japanese Coast Guard, Maritime Journal reported on 9 June.

The UK systems engineering house offers two types of AHDs, designed for high-speed intelligibility at distances of up to 1.5km, both on land and at sea.

The devices will aid the coast guard in their continuing efforts to patrol the country’s coastal waters and provide long range audio communications.

Poll reveals global beer price Tokyo and London are among the most expensive cities in the world for buying a small beer, according to a recent survey, The Daily Mail reported on 11 June.

The study, conducted by online travel search engine goeuro.co.uk, assessed the average price of a 33cl bottle of beer in 40 of the world’s biggest cities.

Tokyo ranked third, at the equivalent of £2.45, followed by London, in fifth place, at £1.72. The cheapest cities surveyed were Warsaw—64 pence and Berlin—66 pence.

Naren Shaam, a spokesperson for GoEuro, said the survey was a great way to get a feel for how expensive, or cheap, a city will be for travellers from around the world.

Rugby star recruit for 2019 World Cup

THE WORLD'S PRICIEST CITIES FOR BEER

1 oslo £2.87

2 zurich £2.46

3 tokyo £2.45

4 tel aviv £1.92

5 london £1.72

The study assessed the average price of a 33cl bottle of beer in selected cities worldwide.

Head of the Saracens Football Club and former England captain Steve Borthwick is to become the rugby forwards coach of Japan’s national side, The Daily Telegraph reported on 26 May. Aviva Premiership Rugby’s most capped player is set to retire from the London professional rugby union club and end his 16-year playing career after the premiership final. He is scheduled to begin coaching the Cherry Blossoms next season.

A Japan Rugby Football Union spokesperson said Borthwick would play a vital role because the forwards are key to a successful campaign in the World Cup (page 30). Borthwick had previously been working part time for the Japan side as a line-out consultant.

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ANNIVERSARY

Happy birthday, Ma’am!

Special message from Tim Hitchens, British ambassador to Japan

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I

am delighted to send a message to the readers of BCCJ ACUMEN on the occasion of Her Majesty The Queen’s 88th birthday—known as beiju in Japanese and considered a particularly lucky anniversary.

Every year, we receive many kind messages from all over Japan that show the great warmth and affection in which the Japanese people hold the British Royal Family, be they Her Majesty, or baby Prince George. This sentiment reflects the deep and abiding relationship between the UK and Japan.

Because the bilateral ties go back so far and are so deep, there are few years without some significant milestone.

Last year marked 400 years since the beginning of formal and trading relations. A letter from

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Tokugawa Ieyasu to King James I of England and VI of Scotland, giving permission for British people to live and trade in Japan, can be found at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

But this is a partnership for the twenty-first century, not the seventeenth. The ties between the UK and Japan are stronger— and our priorities more closely aligned—than they have been for many years. These priorities rest on the joint values and principles laid out by our prime ministers in London last month: the rule of

law, the settlement of disputes by negotiation, transparency, human rights and global responsibility.

Those are the serious aspects of our partnership. In keeping with a birthday theme, there are shared pleasures, too. One aspect of modern British life remains relatively unknown in Japan—the dramatic changes that have been taking place over the last decade in the world of British food and drink.

A growing wave of interest among UK consumers in the food and drink they eat, cook and buy has led to the formation of a

One aspect of modern British life remains relatively unknown in Japan—the dramatic changes . . . in the world of British food and drink.

burgeoning industry that prides itself on quality products, served as part of an experience to be savoured. The UK is now home to more than 150 Michelin-starred restaurants, overseen by a new breed of British chefs—whose recipes are served around the world—and a new generation of gastropubs serving affordable, yet quality food and drink.

Market research has revealed that many Japanese consumers have no clear image in their minds of what British food and drink really entails. Many more have not tried it themselves—instead relying on outdated assumptions from the 1970s. So, we have teamed up with partners from the private sector to introduce contemporary British food and drink to Japan.

The “Food is GREAT: A Taste of Britain” campaign started last

ANNIVERSARY

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4 year, and has been encouraging food enthusiasts to try top, modern British recipes. It aims to forge the business links that will make more British food and drink products available on the shelves and tables of Japanese supermarkets and restaurants. But the campaign is also about getting more Japanese to travel to the different parts of the United Kingdom to enjoy the real British food experience for themselves.

The Queen’s birthday party celebrations in Japan this year showcased the gastronomic delights of modern Britain. Even if you were not at the embassy event in Tokyo, we want everyone across Japan still to be able to enjoy this opportunity. From 1 July to 31 August, the ABC Cooking Studio in Tokyo Midtown will be running a special cooking

class using the Queen’s birthday party menu.

In addition, we are proud to announce that Rakuten Ichiba has launched a dedicated page where you not only can find special Queen’s birthday party menu recipes, but also purchase the leading British products and ingredients right here in Japan.

Don’t forget that more of the recipes featured in the “Food is GREAT: A Taste of Britain” campaign are available on a special “Embassy’s Kitchen” page on cookpad.com.

So please, raise a glass (perhaps of award-winning English sparkling wine!) and join me, in celebrating Her Majesty’s 88th birthday and the enduring ties between the UK and Japan. Long may she reign, and may the rain fall elsewhere during our celebration.

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5 1. Tim Hitchens, British ambassador to Japan, gives a toast to the Queen at the British Embassy Tokyo on 12 June.

2. The British Embassy Tokyo was transformed for the annual event.

3. The Food is GREAT campaign works with private-sector partners.

4. Guests enjoyed fine weather.

5. The party showcased the best of UK cuisine.

6. A range of culinary delights were on offer.

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These firms join the global British community in wishing HM Queen Elizabeth II a joyous 88th birthday.

jp.agustawestland.com

ihg.com

www.bsac.co.jp

IN COOPERATION WITH SUPPLIERS OF BRITISH MATERIALS BRITISH HOUSING DESIGN OFFICE COTSWORLD LIMITED

www.globalservices.bt.com/jp/en/home

www.cotsworld.com

glaxosmithkline.co.jp

www.jaguar.co.jp

www.landrover.com/jp

www.oakwoodasia.com

www.rbs.com

www.wedgwood.jp

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

I

n a survey by the British Council, released to mark the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth, some 5,000 adults in India, Brazil, Germany, China and the US were asked to name a person they associated with UK arts and culture. The bard was the most popular response.

On the evening of 24 July at the Conrad Tokyo, the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) will celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday at “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, our final event before the summer holidays. Along with The Japan-British Society, the RSA Japan Fellows’ Network and the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we look forward to welcoming over 200 guests. This is a great chance to reconnect with old friends and make new ties with Japanese and UK professionals, so remember to secure your spot through the BCCJ website.

On 26 June, I spent a fantastic evening at The British School in Tokyo, where I was a judge in their Dragons’ Den Challenge, along with other BCCJ members.

Year nine students had created “an innovative, premium product or service that will enhance the lifestyles of Japanese mothers”.

I was bowled over by the confidence of the students, and it

Getting creative Shakespeare, dragons and vitamins for the soul lori henderson mbe

was challenging to decide which team should win. In the end, the “Blue Cookies”, who had designed a stylish alternative to aprons, were victorious. This was in no small part down to the team’s answer to my question: “are you considering branching out into menswear?”

Without missing a beat, one of the team responded, “there’s nothing to say a man can’t wear this apron”.

2014 British Business Awards 14 Nov, 18:30–22:30 Hilton Tokyo

Quake zone latest Earlier in June I travelled to Ishinomaki with a small team of BCCJ volunteers to check on a project we’ve worked with since the March 2011 disaster. We received an update on the local situation from Hiroyuki Takeuchi, former editor of Hibi Shimbun, a newspaper that we supported through our Back To Business (B2B) Initiative

Book your spot at Tokyo’s top annual business and social event: the 7th British Business Awards presented by the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

for Tohoku, by supplying bicycles for reporters. His team recently launched a newspaper written for kids by kids, believing that “words are vitamins for the soul”.

Sadly, there is still much to be done in the stricken areas, and children are beginning to show signs of PTSD. Takeuchi, who handwrote newspapers for survivors in evacuation shelters in the wake of the disaster, says he is keen to transform their suffering into “PTG”: post traumatic growth.

BBA 2014 At the BCCJ office we are preparing for this year’s British Business Awards (BBA) ceremony, to take place on 14 November from 6:30pm to 10:30pm at the Hilton Tokyo. The event will feature a performance by “the UK’s best unsigned band”, Stone Foundation, sponsored by VisitBritain. This year too, the BBA trophies are to be designed by Scottish, Iwatebased sculptor Kate Thomson of Ukishima Sculpture Studio.

Thomson will unveil a prototype of this year’s trophy soon.

Early-bird discounts will run until 31 July; book your spot via the BCCJ website and join us to celebrate what has already been a fruitful year for UK–Japan relations. www.bccjapan.com

you’re invited!

Early bird discount until 31 July: Corporate table (10 seats): ¥250,000 Seat: ¥25,000 Regular Rate (from 1 August) Corporate table (10 seats): ¥270,000 Seat: ¥27,000 As seating is limited, we recommend early booking to avoid disappointment: info@bccjapan.com 03-4360-8361 www.bccjapan.com Kate Thomson Ukishima Sculpture Studio

JAPAN NEWS

BY MARK SCHREIBER

MEDIA mid-year round-up of consumer favourites The two top-selling products for the first half of 2014, according to the Nikkei Marketing Journal (11 June), were low-priced smartphones and the Disney animated film Frozen (titled Anna and the Snow Queen in Japan). The Aeon retail chain sold out of its complete stock of 8,000 smartphones with a subscription fee of ¥2,980 in one month. Frozen has grossed ¥20bn, propelling it to third place for domestic film revenues.

Music CDs and other spinoffs have also been strong sellers.

Because the list is drawn up as a sumo banzuke (the stylised ranking sheet issued just before each Grand Sumo Tournament), the abovementioned items were bestowed with the rank of yokozuna (grand champion).

Other standouts on the list include Nippon Individual Savings Accounts, or NISA, which are modelled after a similar service in the UK, offering five-year deferred taxation on capital gains and dividends; the Aeon mall in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture, with 360 commercial tenants, one-third of which are “experience-type” businesses that appeal to customers by offering activities, in addition to, or instead of, merchandise; avocado burgers at McDonald’s outlets; halal-certified food aimed at the growing number of tourists from countries such as Malaysia that have large Muslim populations; and noise-cancelling digital earplugs.

Also on the list is Taiwan. The country has been booming as an overseas travel destination, due to Japan’s strained relations with China and South Korea.

A zannen-sho (booby prize) was bestowed on Japan-based low-cost carrier airlines, one of which, the ANA-affiliated Peach Aviation, was forced to cancel some 2,000 flights through October 2014 due to a shortage of pilots.

Low-priced smartphones were top sellers in the list. • photo courtesy of aeon

As to forecasts for the second half of 2014, this year marks a half century since the Olympic and Paralympic Games were first held in Tokyo, and October is expected to see a variety of commemorative events held by the Hotel New Otani, the JR Tokai railway company, which operates the Tokaido Shinkansen, and others. Other major events predicted in the year’s second half include: • Total lunar eclipse just after 6pm on 8 October • The centennial of Tokyo Station’s opening on 20 December • The opening of the Aman Tokyo resort hotel, in Otemachi 1-chome • The Japan launch of Google Glass, a wearable computer with a headmounted display

weather could dampen summer sales “Just hearing the term El Niño makes me shudder”, a person in the convenience store trade admitted to Nikkei Business (26 May). The reappearance of this phenomenon, which generates higher ocean temperatures around the equator in the eastern Pacific Ocean, has in years past resulted in cooler summer temperatures that negatively affect the economy. According to one research organisation, in 1983, Japan’s GDP declined 0.87% when the weather pattern struck; in 2003, GDP sank 0.52%. El Niño has not hit Japan in the past five years.

“Based on an analysis of the data, in recent years the Japanese economy has become more vulnerable to fluctuations in the weather”, Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at the research

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Sales of ice lollipop Garigari-kun could be hit due to abnormal weather.

JULY 2014

Retail | Trends | Consumer Surveys | Marketing | Jobs Forecast | Society | Studies

tricks of the trade when taking paid holidays Yukiko, a 40-year-old employee at a public relations firm, openly admits she’s addicted to China. Every year, she delays taking her summer holiday until September, and tacks on a few extra days of paid vacation time— thanks to national holidays—to take a trip of medium duration.

Yukiko is one of the minority of salaried workers who uses her quota of annual paid leave, reports the Aera weekly (30 June).

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, an average of only 47.1% of Japanese workers take their paid leave. Most workers tend to make use of national holidays to enjoy their leisure activities.

Four years ago, Saori, age 38, left her boss aghast when she informed him she would take a two-week break to stay home and watch the FIFA World Cup on television.

This year, she took steps in advance—taking no paid leave in 2013, and letting people around the office know beforehand—in order to lessen the shock.

“My colleagues at work might have resented it if I’d gone to Brazil, but if I tell them I will just watch the matches from home, they react by saying, ‘Well if you like football that much’ ”, she says. “And I stay in touch with

Taking leave to watch football is more easily accepted.

the office via my mobile phone and email, so I can be reached if they need me in a pinch”.

General consensus appears to be that the more imposing or spectacular the reason for requesting leave, the more co-workers are likely to accept it without

arm of Dai-Ichi Life Insurance Co., was quoted as saying. As Japan is dependent on imports for much of its food supplies, weather conditions elsewhere also affect supply and demand pricing. For instance, the El Niño of 2002–03 resulted in a nearly 60% drop in Australia’s wheat harvest, causing prices to rise about 50% compared with prevailing prices at the end of December 2001. Increased grain prices can affect the production costs of not only bread and udon noodles, but animal feed as well, which can seriously impact the diary industry.

Further examples of reduced consumption blamed on El Niño include the summer 2009 decline in PET bottle beverage sales, which fell 10% from the previous year. A frozen candy from Akagi Nyugyo Co., Ltd., called Garigari-kun, showed a 20% year-on-year decline.

grumbles, Labour Specialist Yohei Tsunemi told the magazine.

Paid leave is every salaried worker’s right, and workers cannot be disciplined for taking it. But it can be a source of friction between bosses and subordinates, or between co-workers, which is why more firms are turning to the Web when asking staff to submit applications for paid leave.

While many workers refrain from sharing details of their private lives with co-workers, the general consensus is that it is better to be more open about their reasons for taking paid leave.

To avoid resentment among her unmarried colleagues, one working mother with a cosmetics firm told Aera that, before taking a holiday, she would explain the details of her family situation and try to elicit their understanding over lunch.

The article also advises readers against fabricating excuses. To take time off due to mishaps, it is not prudent to use an excuse such as “a chicken bone lodged in my throat” or “I fell out of bed and lost consciousness”.

Untruths are sure to be exposed, making the fibber an object of derision. Honesty and openness are always the best policy.

A more worrisome indicator, with possible parallels in 2014, might be events of 2003, when taxes were raised on inexpensive happoshu (sparkling malt beverages), resulting in a double-digit year-on-year decline in shipments of Kirin’s various beer products during the May–August period.

To minimise risk, businesses this year will be reducing their dependence on revenue from summer-related goods and, in some cases, ending their summer sales campaigns as early as mid-July. In the apparel sector, recent years’ prolonged summer heat, which has stretched into September and even October, has hurt demand for autumn fashion, although this year may be different.

bccjacumen.com 17

PRESIDENT

A

s the Japanese government continues to flesh out its growth strategy through structural reform—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “third arrow”—foreign firms may be asking where the business opportunities lie. Perhaps recent developments in the UK provide some ideas.

With the UK’s position over the last 12 months as one of the world’s fastest growing developed economies, it is interesting to see the kind of activity that has been driving its revival. Surprisingly, the financial sector has become relatively less important, while the manufacturing and construction sectors have expanded more rapidly than the economy as a whole. It is the professional and business services sector, though, that has seen the fastest growth.

From accountants and architects, to consultants and call centres, the sector grew more than 9% in the last year.

It is naive to expect that all countries will follow a similar path to economic recovery following the global slump. For Japan though, the professional service sector may provide opportunities, not least in connection with the sporting events to be hosted here at the end of the decade—the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2019 (page 30),

Seize the day Primed to support Japan’s mega sporting events david bickle @BCCJ_President

and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 (page 26). This is an area in which a number of British firms, flush with the experience of having delivered the Games in the UK, will be well positioned to contribute their skills.

Over the past month, members of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan have joined events featuring veterans of the

• Reviving Animal Spirits • Where Is Japan’s Economy Going?

• Technology Transfer, with Dr. Michael Avedesian, McGill MBA Japan

Contact Joseph Gummer for details on arranging interviews, event coverage and sponsorship opportunities: joseph@custom-media.com

London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games: Sue Hunt, former director of strategic programmes; and Neil Snowball, former head of sport operations. In his current position as director of rugby operations, Snowball is contributing—just as are a number of other staff from London 2012—to the planning for RWC 2015, to be hosted in the UK.

Both Hunt and Snowball provided fascinating insights into what it takes to deliver a successful mega-tournament. What has become clear is that, in order to execute what most mortals would consider crushingly ambitious plans, the London committee built itself around a core of exceptionally talented business professionals. Not only that, it arguably broke new ground for such an organisation, with its effort to instil commercial discipline and corporate best practice in order to empower its staff.

Part of the legacy, then, of London 2012 is the blueprint on managing the Games. To deliver an event that can inspire the host nation and delight a global audience, requires exceptionally detailed planning, inspirational leadership, and clinical execution.

The organisers of Tokyo 2020 need to draw on the talents of the brightest and best people from Japan’s business world. It is hoped that there will be an abundance of opportunities for experienced firms from around the world to work with them. Collaboration and professionalism will be key, and we are confident that British business will be ready to support Japan as it embarks on its work on what we all hope will be the best Games ever.

EXPORT

IT’S A DEAL!

• High-end fashion a strong area of opportunity • Myth of tough Japan market being dispelled

Trade mission brings new business, high hopes to English firms

• Face-to-face meetings key to new partnerships

by julian ryall

that fits in neatly with what we want to do.

“The companies we have been talking to here are very keen and, from my point of view, the mission

Tim Hitchens (front centre), British ambassador to Japan, met with delegates at the British Embassy Tokyo.

B “Once [firms] have gone through the courting process, the marriage will be long-lasting”.

20 bccj acumen, july 2014

efore Damon Hill arrived in Tokyo in February, he admits his expectations for his initial foray into the Japanese market for the Barney & Taylor clothing brand were “quite low”.

Four days after touching down, he was taking a breather from a whirlwind of meetings with distributors and retailers, all apparently eager to stock the Manchester-based firm’s high-end leather clothing and accessories.

“I was always under the impression that it would take years to get business relationships in this market to bloom”, Hill told BCCJ ACUMEN. “I was worried that we are not known in Japan, that it would take time to build the trust required and so on.

“But I’ve found there is a strong appetite for what we do”, he said. “People here are very well turned out; they have an impeccable sense of style—and

could not have gone better”.

Within a matter of weeks, the visit to Japan paid off spectacularly.

“We have just signed a partnership with a Japanese company called Junichi, who we met on the mission, to be our representative in Japan”, Hill said.

“Junichi bring with them a great understanding of the Japanese marketplace and consumers, and they will act as a bridge between us and a distributor”, he said.

“Basically, Junichi have become an extended arm of our own company in Japan”.

Barney & Taylor are still looking for the ideal distributor in Japan, but Hill believes the arrangement with Junichi K.K. will allow the company to identify and attain the “right level of distribution, which can be so difficult from afar”.

“Local intelligence is a powerful thing, so we are hoping that this partnership helps to secure a foothold and plant our foundations in Japan”, he said.

Barney & Taylor was one of 10 firms taking part in the seven-day UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) mission, organised by the trade teams representing north-western and eastern England.

David Moir, mission manager for east England delegates, was

EXPORT

keen to dispel a few myths about doing business in Japan.

“There is still a strong sense that this is a tough market and that Japan works hard to keep companies out”, Moir said.

“We need to overcome the perception that it’s difficult to get into Japan, and to show firms just how rewarding the market can be once it has been cracked”, he said.

“That is especially true in certain areas, such as high-end fashion, where British firms have a very good reputation”.

Of the businesses taking part, only two had previously sent representatives to Japan.

“The businesses that have come are at different stages in their development, in particular in their relationships with companies here in Japan”, said Peter Thompson, UKTI international trade adviser for the north-west of Britain.

“Some are just starting out and have come for more of a look-andsee; others are developing existing contacts; while some are trying to develop the business they already have”, Thompson said.

Working with the UKTI Japan team at the British Embassy Tokyo, trade officials were able to set up meetings with potential partners, distributors and even clients. Hertfordshire-based Flat Technologies Ltd., one of the participating firms, also used the opportunity to take part in a trade show.

UKTI Japan Director Sue Kinoshita welcomed delegates.

“This is a very sophisticated market, but it is quality through

Scientia’s Syllabus Plus suite of software tools, along with its

and through”, Thompson said.

“Our companies find that, once they have gone through the courting process, the marriage will be long-lasting”.

Another member of the mission delighted to discover that his worries about operating in Japan were unfounded was Andrew Lau, business unit director for Scientia Ltd. “We have been able to talk with many universities and partners that work with universities, and the feedback has been very good”, Lau said. His Cambridge-based firm is the market leader in resource scheduling, space management and timetabling solutions for the government, higher education and the private sector worldwide.

smart timetabling and scheduling software, has already been translated into 17 languages and is sold in 32 countries. Lau holds high hopes for the Japanese market.

“It is early days still, but I do believe that coming here and meeting people face to face will lead to new opportunities for us”, he said.

During his time in Japan, Lau also flew to Naha for a meeting with key representatives of Okinawa University.

“This is the sort of thing that simply cannot be done over the phone”, he said. “It’s all about making the effort to explain the advantages of our solutions in person, and I’m confident that what we are able to provide will

help to overcome some of the problems that institutions here are facing”.

Progress in forging new contacts had been so swift that Lau returned to Japan in March for a further series of discussions with interested potential customers, which has led to progress.

“At this stage, we have received very positive feedback from universities and possible partners in Japan”, he said. “Specifically, both universities and partners indicated there were no similar solutions in Japan at the moment.

Hence, the potential for Scientia UK to succeed in Japan is high.

“We are currently in some late-stage discussions with a well known solutions provider for the higher education sector in Japan and hope to finalise a partnership deal very soon”, he added.

Dr Hamid Hashemi, director of education experts Mayfair Consultants, also had reason for optimism as a result of his first trip to Japan; he had secured his first contract within 36 hours of arriving.

“I see huge potential here”, Hashemi said. “I would say that education is one of the UK’s greatest assets and a source of pride for me personally, but there are very few British companies in the education sector here—which makes it even more attractive”. www.exporttojapan.co.uk

Delegates had meetings with market experts.

bccjacumen.com 21

TOP STORY

Sellafield know-how for TEPCO clean-up

• Regular exchanges of personnel, expertise and equipment • Decommissioning pact signed between TEPCO and Sellafield • British experts advised on transporting spent fuel rods from Fukushima fuel storage pond by julian ryall photos courtesy of sellafield ltd.

UK talent and skills help N-task

generate electricity, with the Calder Hall plant switched on by Queen Elizabeth II in 1956, making it the world’s first commercial-scale nuclear reactor.

Fifty-eight years later, the lessons learned at

The Sellafield site is the largest nuclear facility in Europe.

British firms are enhancing their solid reputations in the sector.

22 bccj acumen, july 2014

F

rom the first hours of the tragedy that hit north-east Japan on 11 March 2011, the government, people and firms of the UK came through with support.

Now, as the physical scars from the worst natural disaster to strike Japan in living memory begin to heal, Britain continues to provide its knowledge and skills to help Japan meet the challenges of recovery. In particular, Brits are now coming to the table to help solve one of the most perplexing problems that emerged from the crisis: rendering the reactors at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant safe and, ultimately, completing the decommissioning of the facility.

The Sellafield site, in Cumbria, is the largest and most complex nuclear facility in Europe.

It was first developed in the late 1940s to make plutonium for Britain’s defence programme.

That power was subsequently harnessed to

Sellafield and other similar installations across the UK are being shared with the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima facility.

Decommissioning Fukushima Dai-Ichi is a task that has never previously been attempted.

New technologies and approaches are constantly being devised, tested and tweaked to ensure that the eventual outcome is the optimum one, and British firms are enhancing their solid reputations in the sector.

“Nuclear operators around the world are very good at working together because the industry truly is a global network of partnerships and cooperation”, Ian Gordon, the head of external affairs for Sellafield Ltd., told BCCJ ACUMEN. “The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority [NDA], which is responsible on behalf of the government for the decommissioning of all nuclear sites in the UK, led Britain’s response to the accident in March 2011”, he said. “Initially, that mainly included sending supplies of things like radiation monitors, ion exchange media, personal protective gear and other specialist equipment.

“As the UK’s biggest site, it’s understandable that we were major contributors in that initial phase”.

Several experts from Sellafield have examined the Fukushima facility, while Japanese engineers and policy-makers have visited the UK to exchange ideas.

British firms and organisations have shared their own experiences on everything from environmental monitoring to the specifics of decommissioning techniques and stakeholder

TOP STORY

engagement, which builds on the long standing relationship, Gordon said.

Sellafield has worked closely with Japanese firms since the earliest days, when power stations were built according to the now obsolete Magnox reactor design, which originated in the UK. The Tokaimura nuclear facility in Ibaraki Prefecture, which was Japan’s first commercial nuclear power plant, was built on that design.

In addition, Japanese support was “crucial in the development and operation of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant [Thorp, set up on the Sellafield site] in the 1980s”, he said.

Since then, Thorp has been reprocessing fuel from Japanese utilities. This essentially involves recycling spent fuel into plutonium and uranium.

About 97% of the original fuel can be used again. The remaining 3% is reduced to liquid nuclear waste and transformed into solid glass form that can be more easily stored or disposed of than the original fuel. Waste from the reactors operated by TEPCO and other domestic utilities is shipped back to Japan after processing.

Britain was also involved in the operation of Japan’s mixed oxide plant, making fuel for the facility until the programme was halted in 2011.

“This latest cooperation agreement is a natural extension of an extremely successful relationship that is decades old and has led to many mutual benefits”, Gordon said.

Historic alliance On 1 May, a deal described as “historic” by the two sides was signed at University College London by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Ed Davey, the secretary of state for the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

“We have much that we can help the Japanese with initially, as they move their focus from power generation to cleaning up and decommissioning”, said Tony Price, managing

Representatives from the UK Parliament, REACT Engineering, TEPCO and Sellafield Ltd. at Cumbria in May.

director of Sellafield Ltd. He emphasised that the arrangement is anything but a one-way street.

“The technical expertise of the Japanese is renowned the world over. They are experts in design and manufacturing and—judging by their past performance on everything from motorcycles to nuclear reprocessing—once they start decommissioning in earnest there will be much that they can teach us.

“Once [the Japanese] start decommissioning in earnest there will be much that they can teach us”.

“What this cooperation statement will do is formalise a working relationship which has existed for 60 years, between the UK nuclear industry and the Japanese, and it opens up channels for us to work more closely together now and in the future.

“There are many similar challenges that we’ll be facing on our sites over the coming years and we can share our experiences, access to our supply chains and any advancements that come in the future”, Price added.

In Britain, Sellafield’s close ties with a number of industry specialists have led to opportunities at the Fukushima site for UK firms, such as REACT Engineering Limited.

Located just outside Whitehaven, on the West Cumbrian coast, REACT was founded in

1994 and has become a key provider of creative strategic and engineering solutions for nuclear decommissioning.

“We’ve got an engineer from West Cumbria out in Japan right now, working on the roof of the reactor at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant”, said Peter Woolaghan, founder and director.

“As an industry we need to work together and I’m delighted that we are able to help the Japanese”.

More than robots Dr Keith Franklin, first secretary with responsibility for nuclear issues at the British Embassy Tokyo, believes the alliance with Sellafield is precisely what Japan’s utility firms required.

“TEPCO is an electricity generation company and they have had to learn how to be a decommissioning and clean-up company very quickly”, Franklin told BCCJ ACUMEN. According to TEPCO, several elements of the overall decommissioning project at Fukushima are making progress.

A remote-controlled robot built by Swedish firm Husqvarma AB and modified by Toshiba Corp. has been deployed at the site. It commenced decontamination work inside the Reactor 2 building, where radiation levels are still too high for humans.

Equipped with 12 cameras to enable controllers to direct its movements, the robot is suctioning up radioactive dust from walls, cable trays and the surfaces of control panels as much as five metres above the ground.

bccjacumen.com 23

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TOP STORY

“Fukushima Dai-Ichi is no longer a power station having a bad day; it is a clean-up site having a normal day”.

Work is also progressing on an “ice wall” created by a network of pipes laid in trenches around the reactors and designed to stop ground water leaking into the basements of the reactor units and becoming contaminated with radiation.

“There is more to clean-up [operations] than just technology, and I feel that outside the industry people feel the answer is ‘we need fancy robots’”, Franklin said. “Robotic technology is needed in some instances, but it is more important to have your strategy and plan worked out.

“It is important to spend money in places where it will reduce the overall hazard by the biggest amount”, he added. “Japan realises that they need to benefit from those with experience in these areas, and this is one of the areas where we feel the UK can help”.

As of 16 June, 1,078 of the 1,533 fuel rods that were stored in the pool at Reactor 4 have been recovered and safely transported to a common pool at a more secure inland location.

“UK experts with experience in damaged fuel rods were involved in examining the methods which were to be used to remove the fuel from the fuel pond in Reactor 4”, said Franklin, who has been on secondment to the embassy from the National Nuclear Laboratory since 2011.

“They were content with the proposed method.

“It is important to understand that removal of fuel from fuel ponds is an activity which goes on at every power station around the world on a regular basis”, he said. “There was potential for some of this fuel to be damaged, and the lifting equipment had to be reconstructed, which is why there was additional focus on this activity.

“British technology is currently being used on site, and British experts visit on a regular basis”, Franklin said. “We have been impressed

Maintenance is key in the decommissioning process.

at the speed of some of the projects; the emptying of the fuel ponds, for instance, has taken place very quickly”.

But the public and the media must understand that some tasks—particularly those that have never been attempted before—will take longer and it is “important to manage expectations”, he said.

“To quote Adrian Simper, the NDA director of strategy, Fukushima Dai-Ichi is no longer a power station having a bad day; it is a clean-up site having a normal day. The issues you see reported on a regular basis should be seen as operational problems, not incidents that will cause harm to health or the environment”, he said.

Changing mindsets, N-landscape Other people agree that there is a need for better public understanding of an event portrayed in some quarters as one of the greatest industrial catastrophes to befall mankind.

On the contrary, explained Wade Allison, emeritus professor of physics at the University of Oxford, what has happened at Fukushima actually demonstrates the inherent safety of nuclear energy.

“The fear that people have of nuclear energy is completely unjustified”, Dr Allison said at a BCCJ event on his last visit to Japan. “The public reaction to the Fukushima situation has not only raised questions about radiation, but also about public trust—and I believe that is the more serious problem that we have to deal with”.

“We need a comprehensive education programme because the world is not capable of supporting 10bn people unless we face up to accepting nuclear energy”, he said.

As well as offering advice and technological assistance at the Fukushima plant, British knowhow is being brought to bear in broader changes regarding the nuclear energy landscape here.

Invited in October 2012 to join a panel set up within TEPCO to institute a culture of safety throughout the organisation, Lady Barbara Judge is full of praise for what British firms and organisations have managed to achieve.

“Britain was the first to develop nuclear power plants and a lot of them are getting old now, so we have had to develop the experience to decommission them as well”, the two-term former director of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority told BCCJ ACUMEN. “That has made us the best in the world at that task.

“Even though we are facing problems that no one has ever faced before, British companies excel at solutions. We have the skill and desire to see things through”.

A Sellafield worker monitors metal waste.

bccjacumen.com 25

BCCJ EVENT

OLYMPIC LESSONS FROM THE BEST

• Leadership and agility needed for event organisation • Role models key to delivering diversity and inclusion • Men should be involved with empowering women

London 2012 can offer insights for Tokyo 2020 by kathryn wortley

A

s Tokyo looks to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games for knowledge about the hosting

“It’s important for men to be involved—it doesn’t work otherwise. After all, it’s not about encouraging gender diversity so women just work amongst women;

experience ahead of 2020, it is clear that it is not only the UK’s successful delivery of the Games that is of interest. The London committee’s deliberate and concerted effort to use the Games to inspire social change—and the impact achieved—is causing discussion of how Tokyo might take a leaf out of London’s book.

On 17 June, the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, in association with the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and the Australian and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan, held a panel discussion, “Agents of change; the Olympic example”, which attracted an international audience of around 90 attendees.

Keynote speaker Sue Hunt, director of strategic programmes at the London committee, said that the power of sport and the deadline that the Olympic and Paralympic Games provide can spur on change. The privatesector organisation took an integrated approach—a groundbreaking position—focusing on diversity and inclusion (D&I). They defined diversity as including gender, age, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion.

it’s about working together.

“During my career, I have had some wonderful mentors. By and large they have been men, but they are men that are very open to creating the culture that women will be successful within”, she said.

Creating an ecosystem where women can thrive is certainly close to Hunt’s heart, as she visits Japan as global ambassador of Flourish, a pioneering leadership journey for female leaders by Impact International.

The programme plans to host its global launch premiere in Japan in September, followed by events in the UK and US, in the hope of “enabling Tokyo to pioneer the way”, according to Impact’s Head of Innovation Tiffany Newell.

Panel discussion member and chair of the ANZCCJ, Melanie Brock, also said that the environment is important.

The Male Champions of Change programme, convened by the Australian Human Rights Commission, is an example of the part men can play in D&I efforts, she said. Moreover, similar to the London committee’s criteria when hiring staff and procuring goods and services, the Australian initiative rejects cooperation

26 bccj acumen, july 2014

From left: Flourish’s Tiffany Newell, Sue Hunt and Patricia Bader-Johnston

With Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policies designed to increase the hiring and promotion of women in a bid to strengthen the economy, it is perhaps not surprising that Japan has embraced D&I. In fact, Hunt’s series of high-profile meetings while in Japan included an audience with the prime minister’s wife, Akie Abe. “The discussion [on D&I] has been so welcome”, Hunt told

BCCJ ACUMEN. “People really want to talk. There is that sense that they have an opportunity to do something different now, and are open to new ideas”.

The key to change, she said, is empowering women to work. This does not only involve the provision of improved social infrastructure, such as more widespread childcare services, but also the act of engaging men.

[The] power of sport and the deadline that the Olympic and Paralympic Games provide can spur on change.

BCCJ EVENT

“I think [diversity] needs to be defined and people need to express that definition constantly for it to be in the general conversation in this country”.

with firms that do not reflect D&I values, hence forcing social change among businesses.

“How many women want to work for traditional Japanese companies?” echoed fellow panellist Keiichi Ushijima, principal fellow at Ernst & Young Institute Co., Ltd. “Traditionally, business relationships have been built through drinking, golfing and smoking in Japan, which are not

orientated society to become diversified.

Increased involvement of women in society could have a wide impact, not least because of the current role—manager of the family finances—that many ladies in Japan occupy.

“Women are one of the largest consumers of products in Japan”, Newell told BCCJ ACUMEN. “If you had some of these women

Hunt is keen that the issue of D&I is truly embraced in Japan, not just in relation to womenomics.

“I think [diversity] needs to be defined and people need to express that definition constantly for it to be in the general conversation in this country”.

She outlined what is needed to build an empowering organisation in the Olympic context: staff who

supporting those who are carrying out the work.

The necessity of robust leadership was echoed by panellist Danny Risberg, CEO of Philips Electronics Japan Ltd. He said Tokyo 2020 is an opportunity to build leaders and showcase Japan to the world, and called on attendees “to participate, be proactive and deliver”.

inclusive activities”. He believes the Games can spark demand for “new players”—women and non-Japanese living in Japan— to launch new businesses, which will fuse communities and shift the currently male-

in the R&D leadership space of organisations, there is no limit to the innovation that could happen. By incorporating more senior female leaders into the workforce and government, you will get a different way of thinking”.

know their purpose, feel they can be themselves and enjoy working to achieve their personal best. Central, too, is agility and a readiness to adapt to a changing size and structure in the run-up to the Games, with strong leaders

Hunt wished Tokyo success in 2020 and said action must start now for changes on D&I to become a reality.

“Women being role models for their children”, she said, “is such an inspiration for the future”.

PUBLICITY

STOP DESTROYING YOUR BUSINESS

C

areers are cut off at the knees and businesses destroyed when people problems are allowed to fester.

Getting the people part right is not just fundamental, it is critical in any business. Ironically, we are all taught to believe that “hard skills”— our technical expertise—is the main requirement for success. The reality is that if the people skills part is not working well, no amount of technical expertise will compensate for the damage being done to the business. Poor, mediocre or uninspiring leadership is easy to spot. However, there are other types of problematic leadership which are not so immediately obvious, but which must be fixed.

Smart, capable people get promoted and are given responsibility for others. This is usually because they have demonstrated a mastery of the “hard skills” areas of the business.

The challenging part is that often these admirable and highly evaluated skills are individual to that person. Those working for them, by definition, do not possess the same capability level. Also, individual expertise may not be replicable or transferable to others.

Another additional problem is that having the requisite hard skills is not enough. You can’t do it all yourself and so leaders need to be able to delegate, to leverage the capacity and ability of others.

This requires expertise in the soft skills—particularly leadership,

24 bccj acumen, july march 2014 28 2014

expense line in any organisation), the “opportunity cost” is very, very high. This is like a leadership “cancer “, quietly killing the organisation.

Engagement Levels Count

Leadership "cancer" is quietly killing organisations

communication and people skills.

As famous baseball coach Yogi Berra wryly noted, “Leading is easy. Getting people to follow you is the hard part”. The vast majority of companies mention they need more out of their people. They especially look to the leader groups, particularly middle management, to provide this capability. Most often they complain that those responsible for others are not getting sufficient leverage from the whole team and are not producing sufficient outcomes.

Global Research Reveals Surprises

The breakdown occurs when individual technical expertise does not provide enough of what followers want from leaders.

Recently, global research was conducted on what drives followers to be loyal, motivated and engaged about their organisations. This research was duplicated in Japan and the three key factors were found to be same:

1.

2.

3.

The quality of the relationship with the immediate supervisor The employees belief in the direction the senior leadership were taking the organisation Their sense of pride in working for the organisation

All three pivot points refer to “soft” not “hard” skills. They are indicating issues about communication and people skills. This is often the weak point for technically oriented people.

They are often very detail driven, high “task focus” individuals.

Communicating with, leading, enthusing and motivating others are expertise areas where they struggle.

If the lynchpin for engagement and motivation hinges on expertise in these areas and those given responsibility for leading are underperforming, then the full potential of the team will never be realised. If the full potential of the people is not being realised (and given people are usually the biggest

If your competitor has a more engaged team, then the outcomes, the quality of idea generation, teamwork, accountability, coordination, attention to quality, and going the extra mile for the client will be superior. They outperform you in innovation, because they are getting more people to care more. They are inspiring them to want to be an integral and valued part of the improvement process. They will soon be eroding your market share and will ultimately destroy your business.

The four major business skills of leadership, communication, sales and presenting are all soft skills.

Hard skills alone are just not going to do it. Companies and individuals who want to succeed need to invest to completely marshal the full power of all their potential—their “people power”.

By the way, don’t talk to anyone about training until you read: Stop Wasting Money On Training: How To Get the Best Results From Your Training Budget.

To receive your free report, pick up your phone now and call 0120-948-395 (or 03-4520-5469) for a free 24 hour recorded message.

EXCOM

A SPORTING CHANCE by graham davis

I

write this article during a week of doom in UK sporting performance, as our footballers limp home from Brazil, and our cricketers fall short of victory against Sri Lanka. But sporting success is not just about what you achieve on the pitch. In Japan, there is a positive momentum about the unprecedented combination of events that will take place here—the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2019 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020.

There is a lot to build on—the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and RWC 2015 to be hosted by England.

The UK-Japan Host to Host Memorandum of Cooperation, witnessed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his recent visit to the UK, gives government backing to our initiatives.

The agreement will involve sharing UK experiences as Japan prepares for Tokyo 2020 and RWC 2019. UK Trade & Investment

We believe that members want to look for business opportunities in relation to the events; and volunteer activities with organisers and local communities can offer great opportunities to have fun and contribute to the community.

We also believe that Japanese organisers will look to tap UK knowledge, skills and enthusiasm, in order to host successful events.

Finally, issues such as diversity and inclusion (D&I) will be highlighted in the lead up to

UK interest/expertise; channels to enable members to develop business; opportunities in the community for the BCCJ and its members; and initiatives for sport as a catalyst for D&I. Naturally, we will be working alongside UKTI and others, including other foreign chambers of commerce, to achieve critical mass and success. We are excited about what this opportunity could mean for members, the chamber and the success of the events.

The chamber believes we have a chance to do related activities, and develop ties with the Japanese organisers, communities and businesses involved. This work will be of interest to members well after the events have finished.

(UKTI) has already been arranging seminars for UK firms selling products and services to support Tokyo 2020. In addition, we have held a number of exciting events— on Tokyo 2020 (page 26) and RWC 2019 (page 30).

and, it is to be hoped, following the events.

The chamber hopes to bring things to life: events for members to grasp the opportunities available; events for organisers to understand BCCJ members and

We will be working to finalise our plan—covering not just objectives, but how we will deliver them. Naturally, we would welcome feedback from members, and if anyone is interested in working with us, do let us know.

SPORT

GETTING READY FOR RUGBY

• RWC 2019 in Japan will be significant for sport in Asia • Webb Ellis Cup visited 16 countries, starting with Japan

Two nations team up ahead of 2015 and 2019 World Cups

• Planning and people key elements of event hosting

by julian ryall

Debbie Jevans, CEO of England Rugby 2015, met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (centre) and Yoshiro Mori, president of the Japan Rugby Football Union in Tokyo on 26 May. ©JRFU 2104, PHOTO BY H. NAGAOKA

J

apan’s rugby team played its final match in the old National Stadium on 25 May, comfortably defeating Hong Kong to seal their place at the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2015. And while the players set their sights on the Webb Ellis Cup in September 2015 and work begins on tearing down the main venue built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, a small army of organisers is moving ahead with plans to host two of the world’s largest sporting events here in 2019 and 2020.

After Britain in 2015, the RWC comes to Japan four years later.

And the following year, Tokyo hosts the largest—and most organisationally challenging— sporting occasion, the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Fortunately for Japan, Britain has some of the best in the business when it comes to staging global sporting extravaganzas.

“For Japan and the sport here, hosting the Rugby World Cup will be huge”, Neil Snowball, operations director for England Rugby 2015 Ltd., told BCCJ ACUMEN. “Staging the event here will be tremendous for Asian rugby as a whole”, Snowball added.

RWC 2019 will mark the first time the finals are played in Asia. An added boost is that in 2016, the Rio de Janeiro Games will be the first time that seven-a-side rugby—along with golf—will be included.

Both sports are to be retained for Tokyo 2020.

Yu Tamura in action for the Japan side. • ©JRFU 2014, PHOTO BY H. NAGAOKA

30 bccj acumen, july 2014

SPORT

“You need the nation and the community to be behind you.

Japan has to start preparing for [the Rugby World Cup] now”.

“That is ideal for Japan”, said Snowball. “What better sports could they have added for Japan than rugby sevens and golf?”.

Another key element of the visit was starting the transfer of knowledge gleaned from London 2012 and the RWC 2015 preparations to the organisers of

In late May, the organisers of England 2015 spent five days in Tokyo for discussions with their Japanese counterparts. The team’s work was three-fold during its time here, according to Snowball, starting with the tour of the Webb Ellis Cup. “The torch relay for the Olympics is a hugely galvanising event for the Games and, historically, rugby has not done that; so this is the first International Trophy Tour”, Snowball said. “We are starting in Japan, because it is the next destination for the finals and the first qualifier for 2015, and then going on to 15 other markets”.

Working with partners Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC and DHL, the trophy will visit nations that have a long history of playing rugby and those for which the game is relatively new. The cup will land back in Britain 100 days before the 2015 World Cup opening game, on 18 September, and start an eagerly anticipated nationwide tour.

After attending the Japan–Hong Kong qualifier, Snowball said coach Eddie Jones is developing a capable squad that “could give Scotland a run for their money”.

Japan’s events.

“So far, there has been a great deal of openness and interest on the Japanese side”, he said. “The Japan Rugby Football Union are very eager to learn, and I think that all sides agree that the 2019 and 2020 combination is a very exciting opportunity”.

RWC England 2015 That optimism for the partnership was echoed by Debbie Jevans, CEO of England Rugby 2015, when she spoke at a Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan press conference.

Jevans said Britain will offer three basic pieces of advice.

“The first is to plan, plan, plan”, she said. “You cannot plan enough, and do not underestimate the power of testing your plans. For the Olympics and Paralympics, we carried out 42 test events, for every sport and for every venue, and the preparation was invaluable”.

Second, she explained, for the Olympics, the torch relay is a key opportunity.

“When it arrived in England ahead of London 2012, the public really got behind it”, Jevans said.

“You need the nation and the community to be behind you.

Japan has to start preparing for this now”, she added.

The Webb Ellis Cup on display at Tokyo Tower.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES FOR ENGLAND RUGBY 2015

“The third important thing is to hire great people”, Jevans said.

While Britain is doing all it can to assist Japan’s preparations for the two events, the anticipation is building back in Britain for RWC 2015.

The 13 venues have been selected—from Exeter and Brighton in the south to Newcastle and Leeds in the north—and work is under way to upgrade facilities, including broadcasting facilities to beam the games to a global audience estimated at more than 4bn people.

The four pools for the 20 qualifying teams have been drawn and the match schedule has been arranged. The budget is being managed, some of the 2.3mn match tickets are already available, and more are to be rolled out over the coming months.

Try-outs are also taking place for the 6,000 volunteers—known as “the pack”—who will help out at the tournament.

“We want everyone to embrace rugby and our role is to engage our nation and the world in this event”, Jevans said.

bccjacumen.com 31

MOTORS

No British bad boy would be seen dead in a car that delivers anything less than power, style and precision—all with an edgy hint of danger.

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Scheming and dodging wide-boy Arthur Daley had a taste for top-notch motors. • ©fremantlemedia

Viewers love British villains custom media

32 bccj acumen, july 2014

e Brits make brilliant big-screen baddies. From the dripping fangs of vampire Christopher Lee in any number of Hammer Horror films, to Sir Anthony Hopkins’s portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter; from Alan Rickman as the sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Jeremy Irons in Die Hard: With a Vengeance, to Ian McDiarmid as the Emperor Palpatine, the principle villain in Star Wars: Episode V— Return of the Jedi.

All of them are convincingly nasty.

Even Vinnie Jones has turned out to be arguably a more convincing villain in films such as Snatch than he ever was as a hard-as-nails midfielder at Wimbledon FC. He also earned himself a special place in the hearts of Japanese fans of hoodlum movies for his depiction of a curious hitman in director Gen Sekiguchi’s 2005 film, Survive Style 5+.

And baddies don’t always have to be fullblown thugs. Who can forget Arthur Daley, the scheming and dodging wide-boy with a taste for top-notch motors—such as his beloved Daimler, then a part of the Jaguar stable.

British actors sneer well. They condescend.

They instil fear with a glance or a single word.

They are not afraid to wield a vicious-looking weapon, whether that is sharp teeth or a sawnoff shotgun. They can send chills down the viewer’s spine.

MOTORS

Plus, they are pretty good at convincing viewers that they want nothing less than world domination, and no one is going to stand in their way—always a handy attribute for a villain to have in his locker.

And no British bad boy would be seen dead in a car that delivers anything less than power, style and precision—all with an edgy hint of danger.

That describes the new F-TYPE coupé to perfection, as the renowned British carmaker launches its campaign—“It’s Good To Be Bad”— to showcase its latest creation.

Starring Sir Ben Kingsley, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong—suave and menacing in dark suits and with clenched jaws—the campaign coincided with a special event marking the launch of the new F-TYPE at the British Embassy Tokyo.

getting from 0 to 100km/h in an eye-watering 5.3sec—surely something to impress the badguy’s moll.

“Britons are, without a doubt, statistically over-represented as baddies in Hollywood films”, said Gavin Blair, the Japan correspondent for industry publication The Hollywood Reporter.

“It’s probably the look and the attitude more than what they say in any of the movies”, he said. “We do that brooding, menacing presence really well.

“And we must remember that [we] Brits also play the bounder and cad parts very well”, he added. “It’s our milieu and we’re impressive at it—although it’s probably best not to ask a British actor to try a Latin-lover-type role”.

The launch of the Jaguar F-TYPE in Japan is accompanied by the television commercials,

as backdrops—pits 007 agent Sean Connery against evil genius Ernst Stavro Blofeld, played by Donald Pleasence, unsurprisingly another Brit.

Pleasence’s piercing stare, facial scar and a penchant for stroking a white cat all helped to create the cult of a criminal mastermind. Plus, he has his secret headquarters inside a volcano.

What more could a supervillain possibly want?

Given Blofeld’s fate, perhaps he could have used a getaway car. The Jaguar F-TYPE fits the bill for that role.

As part of the launch campaign, the Jaguar website is offering tips on the art of villainy.

There are tips on how to sound like a baddie, underlining the importance for a villain to have an understated threat. After all, there’s no need to shout when presence alone gets the message across.

Then there are looks. A villain always needs

Invited guests—including local celebrities Anna Tsuchiya, Angelica Michibata and Melody Yoko—were able to admire the sharpest twodoor coupé to emerge from Britain in half a century. There was no word on what Japanbased Italian celebrity Girolamo Panzetta thought of the car, which will inevitably turn heads as soon as it gets on an Italian motorway.

The ¥8.23mn (£47,540) price tag gets the discerning driver the base model, equipped with a 340hp, V6 engine that is capable of

“Good to be Bad” and “British Villains”, with Sir Ben, Hiddleston and Strong putting the powerful car through its paces around London’s most famous landmarks.

The campaign is raising the profile of the iconic brand here in Japan—the location of one of the most infamous big-screen battles between good and bad.

The 1967 James Bond film, You Only Live Twice—with the Hotel New Otani Tokyo, Nakano-shimbashi Station and Himeji Castle

a sense of style, something that conveys that he means business. It never hurts, of course, to be ready to impress.

Any self-respecting villain needs to be able to think on his feet and, most important, to always have a trick up his sleeve to ensure that quick getaway, as well as to stay calm and controlled under pressure.

But most of all, it is vital to stay up to speed with the latest technology, all of which the F-TYPE has in spades.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAGUAR

COMPETITION Who is your favourite British bad boy film or tv star and why?

Simply post on Twitter or Facebook using #bestbadbritactor by 22 August for your chance to win the use of a Jaguar F-TYPE coupé for a weekend.

Terms and conditions apply.

For more details visit www.bccjacumen.com/badboys

bccjacumen.com 33

TRAINING

BUSINESS PLAN TO ENTER AND EXPAND IN JAPAN JMEC 20 a hit with participants and clients

• Oral presentations much better than years past • Participants provided useful perspective on industry issues • Helps develop cross-cultural business skills and know-how

by kathryn wortley

T

he results are in for this year’s Japan Market Expansion Competition (JMEC), a non-profit training programme, and it was nearly too close to call, said the judges at the 20th awards ceremony. JMEC invites young professionals from all sectors to come together in small teams and deliver business plans for firms entering or expanding in the Japanese market.

This year, 66 participants from 15 countries analysed market opportunities for project clients ranging from small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs to global firms.

Team “Don’t Give Up” won the competition with a plan for Tektronix Communications, and was awarded tablet computers from HewlettPackard Development Company, L.P. The second-place winners, who received return air tickets from British Airways, was “Sixth Sense” with a plan for Fusion Systems. Team “5*s”, in third place, created a plan for McGill University’s MBA Japan programme and won domestic air tickets from Jetstar Japan Co., Ltd. “The standard of oral presentations moved up a significant notch this year”, Philip T Gibb OBE, one of three JMEC 20 judges and president emeritus of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, told BCCJ ACUMEN. “Several of the written plans were among the highest quality in the history of the competition. One big difference this year was the quality of the market research undertaken by each team. Every client company will have solid useable data that can be utilised immediately”.

Founded in 1993 by the Australian and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan, JMEC aims to foster the development of foreign business nationwide, and has to date provided about 190 business plans. It is supported by 17 foreign chambers of commerce in Japan, as well as a host of sponsors.

34 bccj acumen, july 2014

Second-place winners “Sixth Sense” receive their award from platinum sponsor British Airways.

Project clients, judges and sponsors praised the ability of participants to deliver new and insightful perspectives to long-standing industry issues, thanks to their varied professional and educational experiences.

Jonathan Brunner, regional commercial manager of JMEC 20 platinum sponsor British Airways, said, “The great thing about JMEC is that it showcases the talent that exists here in Japan and links it to businesses to provide a fresh, dynamic and enthusiastic dimension to their commercial challenges”.

Mike Ropicky, Asia–Pacific president of Tektronix, agreed the experience had been an enlightening one, as the team had clearly identified the key concerns for his business, despite a lack of experience in the sector.

Jeff Streeter, director of the British Council Japan, another project client, was attracted to the programme by what he saw the participants could achieve, for themselves and for clients. “[JMEC is] a great scheme for developing cross-cultural business skills—exactly what Japan needs at the moment”, Streeter said.

And the benefits of the programme are not limited to project clients either. JMEC aims to strengthen the skills of young business executives through a series of lectures and workshops, support from consultants and mentors, and the development of clients’ business plans. The combination of instruction and hands on work is a strong selling point.

“JMEC remains, in my opinion, the best practical business training and learning experience”, said Gibb. “And what makes it even more remarkable is that all those taking part had to do [the work for the JMEC competition] in addition to their regular jobs”.

Participants of the competition, too, were united in their belief that it had been an incredibly rewarding and worthwhile experience, even though it had not been easy.

“Figuratively, our team climbed Mt Fuji without the benefit of any of the roads or trails”, Jonathan Monsanto, of team Don’t Give Up, said. “Remembering the struggle and all of the doubt, I look now at what we accomplished with amazement and intense pride”.

PUBLICITY

S.T. Dupont: back to the future custom media

T

aking inspiration from their history to build their future— that is the essence of S.T. Dupont, according to President and Representative Director Yoshikazu Yann Gahier. The iconic brand, world-renowned for its timeless elegance and refinement, will launch new collections this season.

The French maison was born in 1872, when founder Simon Tissot Dupont created a travel case and leather goods workshop.

The excellence of craftsmanship, married with creativity, imagination and innovation, soon attracted the attention of the French royal family, ambassadors and celebrities.

Now, celebrating 142 years, the emblem of French luxury is represented in 80 countries worldwide and specialises in four ‘arts’: travel (leather goods), fire (lighters), writing (pens) and seduction (accessories). In Japan, it boasts a flagship store in Ginza, as well as corners in department stores across the nation.

In their appointed position as official supplier to the French

Republic, S.T. Dupont created a travel case for the future Queen Elizabeth II, to be presented by the president on her marriage in 1947. In keeping with the tradition, Prince William and Kate Middleton received one on their wedding day.

Over the years, the signature lines that made S.T. Dupont a status symbol have been accompanied by contemporary

pieces—including of designer Karl Lagerfeld and Eiichiro Oda, creator of the best-selling manga One Piece—all produced with exceptional creativity and expertise. “We innovate constantly, but always keep the core DNA and essence of S.T. Dupont that has been there for 140 years”, he said.

And what could be more modern than their newest creation, set to enter stores in July.

“Armors of Tomorrow”, inspired by legendary science fiction heroes, is a tribute to futurism and innovation.

The Prestige Collection is the result of three years of research and development by S.T. Dupont.

It pioneers the use of Ceramium A.C.T. (Advanced Ceramium Technology), a revolutionary combination of aluminium and ceramic that is three times more resistant to scratches and almost half the weight of traditional S.T. Dupont items.

The writing instruments are complete with intricate guilloche work and signature engraving, as well as a 14k solid gold nib.

Both pens and lighter feature an authentic haematite stone and are finished in palladium—a precious white metal.

It is the perfect combination of aesthetic purity and cuttingedge technology, providing luxury and quality with the convenience of significantly reduced weight, Gahier highlighted.

The Limited Edition “Armors of Tomorrow” Prestige Collection starts from ¥124,000 and features a fountain pen, rollerball pen and a lighter.

bccjacumen.com 35

PUBLICITY

RACING MACHINE ON THE WRIST Luxury watchmaker aims to leave the opposition in its wake by martin foster

K

eita Kawasaki has had a vision of the future.

The CEO of Richard Mille Japan has seen the Richard Mille watch as a new dimensional precision watch that leaves

Kawasaki uses the analogy of visiting an automobile showroom and viewing the models on display.

“When you go to the showroom to purchase a car, you cannot base your comparison on the

other high-class competitors in its wake.

Referred to as “the extreme watch”, it is set to release a slipstream as it overtakes the luxury watch business.

“Our aim is to take Richard Mille creations and elevate them to a different category that surpasses the rest, one which puts us in a separate dimension, where we are extreme”, Kawasaki passionately told BCCJ ACUMEN. “We want to develop a watch that would make the exercise of comparing Richard Mille creations with other so-called high-class watches meaningless”.

difference between a BMW or a Mercedes Benz, and an F1 racing car”, he said. “The Richard Mille Extreme Watch is that F1. Something completely different! Richard Mille watches are unique: an ‘only one’ type of product”.

Richard Mille—a French national working out of Switzerland—established his firm in 2001.

His creations, informed by the tradition of the country’s mechanically driven wristwatches, now sell in 127 retailers and 17 boutiques worldwide as contemporary, usable, highquality watches.

Richard Mille CEO Keita Kawasaki

36 bccj acumen, july 2014

“Richard Mille watches are unique: an ‘only one’ type of product”.

PUBLICITY

“[Brand] ambassadors are joint developers . . . top-level players will understand a top-level product”.

“The extreme watch” is ideal for Rafael Nadal.

Golfer Bubba Watson sports one of the timepieces.

©GETTY IMAGES

©GETTY IMAGES

“We see this watch as a racing machine on the wrist”, Kawasaki said. “The history of the company for the last 13 years has been that of tireless innovation”.

Though introduced to Japan in 2004, it took about six years for that message to fully be communicated to Japanese consumers. “It was from around 2010 that we became recognised by Japanese customers, and we now sell as many units in Japan as we do in any other country with a good sales record”, he said.

“Richard Mille creations are popular with the Japanese because they can understand how Richard has taken the tradition of the mechanically driven watch and faithfully mounted this with a delicately created movement that outclasses [that of ] our competitors”, Kawasaki explained.

The Japanese consumer’s demands for high quality and service are nothing new, and although it may have taken time, it is not surprising that visitors to the Richard Mille Ginza boutique finally got the message of the radical designs and concepts.

“Japanese consumers have an extremely discerning eye for quality, which helps them see beyond the exterior to the rich contents that go into creating the Richard Mille watch”, he said.

Following an event in Sapporo in February, the firm plans to showcase its products in Miyazaki in July.

The watchmaker is also proud of its connections with the sporting world, where athletes including golfer Bubba Watson, tennis player Rafael Nadal, and snowboarder Tomoka Takeuchi act as ambassadors for the Switzerland-based brand.

In addition, Richard Mille has brought his finely honed awareness of the relationship between the product and its promoter into play in the area of advertising.

“Richard does not position his ambassadors as mere billboards hired to sell the product”, Kawasaki said. “He believes the ambassadors are joint developers. His view is that top-level players will understand a top-level product, and he derives great joy from being able to jointly develop new products with such top-level performers in their various fields”.

Tomoka Takeuchi is a prime example of the Richard Mille philosophy at work.

At the start there were no Japanese ambassadors, and the firm didn’t set out to cultivate any, Kawasaki added.

“When I originally met Tomoka-san nobody knew her. She hadn’t placed highly in any major tournaments and had no official ranking. But, when I spoke with her I sensed that she was somebody with significant potential”, he said.

“It would have been easy to contract her after she won her medals, but when we first met there was no guarantee that would happen”.

The firm also maintains a major UK connection. Not only is Richard Mille Europe headquartered in London, with a boutique in Harrods, but the firm is also a sponsor of Premier League Champions Manchester City.

“We have developed an extremely good reputation in the UK”, Kawasaki said.

He used a football metaphor to praise the actions of Japanese fans in Brazil who recently picked up their rubbish following a World Cup game—one that their team lost!

“No other group of fans would do that”, he said. “This is just another sign that Japanese hospitality is second to none. That is why you should buy your Richard Mille watch here, in Japan”.

Tomoka Takeuchi, the brand’s first Japanese ambassador.

bccjacumen.com 37

The A-List of IT & Telecommunications and Technology BT Japan is part of BT Global Services—a global leader in managed networked IT services, operating globally in over 170 countries and delivering locally to help our customers succeed.

BT was the official communications service partner of the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games, carrying every call, piece of data, image and sports report for the Games.

We have been doing business in Japan since 1985. BT Global Services is investing to accelerate the growth of our business in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

BT Japan Corporation Ark Mori Building, West 24th Floor 1-12-32 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6024 Kenji Kamihaba, director, external relations 03-5562-6019 jpsales@bt.com www.globalservices.bt.com/jp/en/home

We have some key industry accreditations including Cisco Gold Partnership status, as well as winning ‘Best Managed Services Provider’ at the Telecom Asia Awards 2013 for the 4th year running.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE • Unified communication and collaboration solutions • Network solutions • Data centre and cloud computing solutions

• IT advisory • Mobility solutions • Security solutions • Contact centre solutions • Financial sector solutions

eSolia is an IT management and services firm providing superior business-centric consulting, project and outsourcing services to a variety of blue-chip organisations.

Since 1999, we have had a successful track record in handling complex, high-pressure projects and providing creative problem solving for our clients’ challenges. eSolia’s full range of services, from IT governance and management, automated system builds, collaboration websites, and unified communications systems for phone and presence, to day-to-day user support are always standards-based, maker-agnostic, and delivered by our experts with the highest standards of ethics, professionalism and integrity.

eSolia Inc. Sawa Building 6F Nishi-Shimbashi 2-2-2 Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003 Rick Cogley, CEO 03-6273-3510 rick.cogley@esolia.co.jp www.esolia.com

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

AREAS OF EXPERTISE • IT governance, management, operations and infrastructure • Project and programme management • Office moves and changes • Service desk/helpdesk • Unified communications and VoIP

• Just-in-Time training • Frameworks, standards and techniques such as ITIL, COBIT 4 and 5, PRINCE, Critical Chain, and Agile

Comprised of the combined operations of Michael Page, Page Personnel and Page Executive, the Page Group is a worldwide leader in specialist recruitment, with 153 offices in 35 countries worldwide. We began operating in Japan in 2001 and in that time have developed an unrivalled level of local market expertise, which is backed by our global strength.

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

Michael Page Kamiyacho MT Building 15F 4-3-20 Toranomon Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001 Basil Le Roux, managing director 03-5733-7166 basilleroux@michaelpage.co.jp www.michaelpage.co.jp

38 bccj acumen, july 2014

AREAS OF EXPERTISE We specialise in recruitment in the following areas: • Accounting • Legal • Banking & financial services • Marketing • Engineering & manufacturing • Procurement & supply chain • IT • Sales • Haken/temporary positions • Secretarial & office support • Healthcare & life sciences • Retail • Human resources

PUBLICITY

FINDING A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE The tough war on technology talent by joshua ferris, vid gunapala and lalita mosorin

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peak to anyone in the IT industry and you will come across two buzzwords: big data and cloud computing. In the area of big data, firms are investing heavily in understanding their customers, markets and even staff. In cloud computing, they are investing in increasing the mobility of their workforce and lowering overall infrastructure costs. The trends associated with these areas have led to the acceptance of the fact that an advanced understanding of internet, mobile and open-source technologies are an extremely sought-after skill set.

Skills shortage While investments in big data and cloud computing can save money and lead to new revenue streams, firms in Japan have struggled to find local talent with working knowledge or hands-on experience of these technologies. The most common approach taken by foreign capitalised firms in the face of this shortage has been to lower the required level of English.

However, the approach has not addressed the underlying problem within Japan’s IT industry—the misunderstanding between “talent shortage” and “skills shortage”. A skills shortage exists because few individuals have the skills required to work with the most cutting-edge technologies. Lowering English language requirements, therefore, does not help the issue.

[The] wait-for-the-right-person approach is leading to businesses lagging behind their counterparts in other regional centres, or indeed their competitors in Japan, who are utilising more flexible approaches.

There is a greater skills shortage in IT in Japan than in many other countries, in part due to the fact that computer science is a relatively new field of study, on which only a handful of schools focus. In addition, most documentation for modern technology and practices is available only in English. This is true even for the Ruby programming language, invented by a Japanese computer scientist. By lowering the English requirement for a role involving the most modern technology, the issue of the lack of professionals with such skills is not resolved.

Impact on Japan businesses Firms clearly see the value of bringing in talent with the right technical skills. However, inflexibility towards language and cultural requirements has led to difficulty in hiring for positions requiring such skills, leaving many Japanese and foreign capitalised firms at a competitive disadvantage. In industries in the pharmaceutical, retail, manufacturing and financial

services sectors, firms are actively searching for candidates with the necessary skill sets, but are unable to identify enough local talent to make a positive difference to their businesses. Consequently, hiring processes are relatively long, with a lack of momentum.

Ultimately the best candidates lose interest. [The} wait-for-theright-person approach is leading to businesses lagging behind their counterparts in other regional centres, or indeed their competitors in Japan, who are utilising more flexible approaches.

One result is that global businesses are sending more of their technologies to overseas bases, where professionals with the right technical skills are available.

Such off-shoring was initially mainly conducted as a means of lowering costs, but now also occurs because the right talent is not available in Japan. Often, despite extended searches, leading regional decision-makers shift vacancies offshore or hire expat talent to fill Japan-based positions at a higher cost than had they hired locally.

Solutions While Japan recruitment costs can seem above global norms, in reality they are in line with supply and demand. Many Japanese firms are often willing to pay higher for the right professionals to find top-tier talent with modern skill sets, regardless of language ability; we have seen some willing to pay 50–100% of a candidate’s annual salary. In many cases, these Japanese firms have been hiring non-Japanese-speaking engineers at these rates, knowing first-hand that top IT talent is hard to find.

Japanese clients are well aware that the Japanese-speaking talent pool is limited, the turnover rate at top firms is very low, and they need to become more global, rather than more local.

If foreign firms hope to win the battle for talent in Japan, they need to open up to the idea of lowering Japanese language requirements rather than English requirements.

The most progressive and forward-thinking Japanese firms have already done so, and are continuing to grow.

The increasing internationalisation of many Japanese firms mean the trend is likely to continue. Both local and foreign-capitalised firms will need to show greater flexibility and openness to maintain, or indeed claw back, a competitive technological advantage.

bccjacumen.com 39

EXPORT TO JAPAN

KEEPING AHEAD

Collaboration key for IT and telecom by kathryn wortley

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uccess by firms abroad and the rise of technology giants in both China and South Korea have resulted in Japan now looking overseas to keep itself ahead in the fields of IT and telecommunications.

successful as long as they adapt to the needs of the Japanese market and its customers”, he said.

With extensive experience of helping UK firms do business in Japan, Watanabe knows a good idea is not enough for success. He

As a growing number of Japanese firms post representatives to Silicon Valley, it is clear that the sector cares about what is happening in the US. Yet, the UK’s prime position in Europe is a very attractive selling point for UK businesses that are trying to break into the Japanese market.

With exponential sector growth—both real and projected—time to market is crucial. As Japan rethinks its traditionally conservative stance on partnerships, UK firms are enjoying a special appeal when it comes to collaboration.

“Japanese technology and manufacturing skills combined with the innovation and creativity of UK companies is the ideal match to innovate products”, said Etsuo Watanabe, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Japan market specialist.

London’s internationally recognised position as a digital marketing hub, together with the country’s reputation for using big data have attracted Japanese attention, due to the vast implications for the IT and telecommunications field. By 2017, the big data sector is expected to expand to ¥0.7bn, according to Yano Research Institute Ltd.—a marketing intelligence and consultancy service—thereby offering vast opportunities for collaboration, particularly in advanced wireless communication and cloud services.

Energy solutions are also of interest, explains Watanabe. “Advances in smart metering devices and consultation strategies, and the best way of deployment are potential opportunities for

encourages businesses to learn about the Japanese market and consider the key messages they want to give a Japanese audience.

“How companies present themselves is important. UK companies need to put themselves out there”, he said.

When doing business in Japan, professionalism and relationship-building are important. Trust is crucial and intellectual property is well protected. Consensus and a long-term approach are often adopted in decision-making, with firms considering product and company reliability as well as company progression.

“There is a high chance that consensus will be needed from everyone before management can make a decision”, he added.

Japanese firms can hesitate at a “disruptive idea”, and progress may be more likely if success has been achieved in other countries. That said, smaller firms, especially those that focus on their online business, can be more openminded and flexible.

Larger firms are often keen to optimise on internal development. In recent years, steps to improve workers’ English-language skills and boost international understanding have been increasing, and some Japanese firms may have teams or strategies in place to assist communication.

With the need for thinking more internationally established, increasing numbers of firms are looking to put this into practice, not only in their vision for the future, but in their actions too.

Big data has vast implications for IT.

UK companies interested in doing business in Japan”.

Opportunities for UK firms include the incremental approach of improving an existing product or service, and the radical approach of complete innovation. Joint ventures, collaborations and trading firms working as distributors are all possibilities.

The enquiries he and his specialist team at UKTI Japan receive are varied, both in type and origin, explained Watanabe.

“Approximately 20% of enquiries are about a tangible product—a piece of equipment or device which can be imported and sold—while over 70% are for IT or software which can be licensed. The enquiries are not all from big companies, either. Business is growing between the little guy and Japanese companies, [thanks to the internet].

“Companies want something that gives them the edge. There is no business that cannot be

this article can be viewed online at www.exporttojapan.co.uk. helping uk companies succeed in japan bccjacumen.com 41

CHARITY

A ride for good

• 500km covered: the equivalent of London to Penzance, Cornwall • ¥5mn raised for new vegetable factory in Minamisanriku • Network of contacts and organisation skills were key

Cyclists support Tohoku community

by graham davis

(older ladies), is probably as close to the Champs Elysees experience as many of the riders will get.

But, seeing the community—the people who will benefit and the place—is a connection that no charity dinner or video can offer.

Once you smell the sea and the welcoming barbecue, you see what it really means.

And to the local people it means a lot. Community member Yuko Hoshi was enthusiastic.

“People we don’t know support OGA, and OGA supports Minamisanriku, so we feel happy and encouraged”.

The 20 Knights in White Lycra now sport a red uniform.

W

hat makes a four-day, 500km bike ride by 20 fit—and not so fit— riders a success? I decided to go along for the ride to find out.

With ¥5mn raised, the Knights in White Lycra, riders on this adventurous mission, can be proud of their fundraising efforts. What started just last year as a group of cyclists who were keen to do good, is making a real impact. I started to think about why.

Noble cause O.G.A. for Aid—a non-profit foundation that assists disaster survivors through education and

42 bccj acumen, july 2014

business revitalisation—is raising funds for a vegetable-processing factory in Minamisanriku. This project builds on the work the charity has already done in helping the town’s agriculture. It is an exciting prospect—a sustainable business for the community and a targeted cause.

John Stanton, supply chain director of British American Tobacco Japan, Ltd. (BATJ) believes O.G.A. for Aid fits perfectly with his firm’s corporate social responsibility activities— supporting and empowering sustainable local initiatives at the grass roots level. BATJ showed

their enthusiasm by making a substantial corporate donation and, thanks to Stanton’s passion, he was able to garner the support of employees. Ian Smith, vice president of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., sees it similarly: “the sustainability component appears to have resonated”, he said.

The local contact Arriving in Minamisanriku—a place none of us had heard of before the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 11 March—and being welcomed by a full mayoral reception and streets lined with flag-waving obaasan

Who we are and how we do it Twenty foreigners arriving in Minamisanriku is a big deal, as Hoshi explained on viewing the scene. “People were very surprised! It’s very unusual to hear about people riding all the way from Tokyo [to Minamisanriku] by bicycle. Maybe it’s because they are foreigners”.

In fact, the unusual event is thanks to a group of people—with desire, business skills, as well as business and social networks— who are good organisers. The ride is one of a series of fundraisers, in an extensive calendar of events designed to ensure that no event is a one-off activity that is soon forgotten. Even the planning—of the route, and organising the hotels, return transport, corporate sponsorship and logistical

CHARITY

support—would not have been possible without a lot of time having been invested by a lot of people.

Stanton would like to take this work even further, and see whether he and his team could somehow lend their business and management expertise to OGA, perhaps as part of a management training programme. “It would allow OGA to benefit from BAT’s corporate expertise, and be a valuable learning experience for BAT staff”, he said.

It is fun Setting off from Ninhonbashi at 6:30am on a cold and rainy day may not be everyone’s idea of

most stunning roads imaginable along which one can ride.

Every day was an adventure and a challenge. For example, what should you do when the road ahead, on the bucolic route 73 linking Koriyama and Nihonmatsu, disappears after a bridge has collapsed? You walk across, carefully. The feat was also an achievement; 500km would take you from London to Penzance, while the combined 10,000km covered by all the riders is more than the distance between London and Tokyo.

Moreover, what is not to like about a day that ends with a dip in an onsen, drinks and dinner, as well as a sense of achievement

fun. But who knew that northern Tochigi Prefecture—a cross between Tuscany and Dorset—is so beautiful, or that the Horai ravine, formed by the Abukuma river between Nihonmatsu and Fukushima City, has one of the

in aid of a good cause? This is an activity that is worth supporting and, it is to be hoped, can continue to develop and make a real difference. Support is still needed, as the area recovers and both lives and communities are rebuilt.

The route passed through areas still recovering from the disaster.

Saint Maur International School Quality Education within a Caring Family Environment since 1872

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ARTS 1

UNTIL 3 AUGUST

friendship, families and loneliness.

The film is in Japanese.

Photo: ©2014 GNDHDDTK

World Press Photo 14 This annual exhibition features the prize winning images of the World Press Photo Contest, the premier international competition for photojournalists. This year, more than 5,000 photographers from 132 countries submitted entries.

The award-winning photographs on display include those from UK participants Nadav Kander, Abbie Trayler-Smith, Julie McGuire and Marcus Bleasdale.

Photo: JOHN STANMEYER, USA, VII FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills (among other locations) Keyakizaka Complex, 6-10-2 Roppongi Minato-ku, Tokyo Various show times Adults: ¥1,800 » http://marnie.jp/index.html 050-6868-5024 ◉ Free gifts We are giving away three original pens bearing the name of the film.

Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography Yebisu Garden Place, 1-13-3 Mita Meguro-ku, Tokyo 10am-6pm (until 8pm Thursdays and Fridays; closed Mondays [except 21 July] and 22 July) Adults: ¥800 » http://syabi.com/e/contents/ exhibition/index-2245.html 03-3280-0099

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◉ Free tickets We are giving away five pairs of tickets to this event.

Photo: ©BRINKHOFF/MÖGENBURG

2

FROM 19 JULY When Marnie Was There Studio Ghibli’s latest anime film— based on the novel of the same title

by British writer Joan G Robinson— was produced by Japanese director Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Set in Hokkaido, the film tells the story of Anna and her new friend, Marnie, while exploring the themes of

44 bccj acumen, july 2014

1

30 JULY–24 AUGUST War Horse Based on the beloved 1982 children’s novel by British author Michael Morpurgo, War Horse is a powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring music. The 2011 Tony Awards winner is performed in English and subtitled in Japanese.

2

Tokyu Theatre Orb Shibuya Hikarie 11F, 2-21-1 Shibuya Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Various times Adults: from ¥8,000 » http://theatre-orb.com/english/ lineup/20140730.html 03-3477-3244 ◉ Free gifts We are giving away five packs of original Tokyo Theatre Orb post-it notes.

3

UK EVENTS IN JAPAN COMPILED BY KANA SHIMOYOSHI

◉ To apply for free tickets or gifts, please send an email with your name, address and telephone number by 31 July to: coordinator@custom-media.com.

Winners will be picked at random.

4

8–10 AUGUST

4

A Night of Royal Elegance 2014 This special event showcases British ballet, from traditional to modern. Nine leading dancers from The Royal Ballet and the Birmingham Royal Ballet will perform to show their versatility.

Photo: JOHAN PERSSON ROH2011

Nippon Seinenkan Hall 7-1 Kasumigaoka-machi Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Schedule: 8 August, 7pm 9 August, 1:30pm 10 August, 1:30pm Adults: from ¥11,800 » www.royalelegancenight.com/ english 0570-00-3337 5

16–17 AUGUST

5

Summer Sonic 2014 The Summer Sonic festival is an annual rock event, held in Tokyo and Osaka on alternate days of the same weekend.

The 2014 headliners are British bands Arctic Monkeys and Queen + Adam Lambert.

QVC Marine Field and Makuhari Messe 1 Mihama, Mihama-ku Chiba-shi, Chiba

Maishima Summer Sonic Osaka Site 2 Hokukouryokuchi Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi 11am (doors open: 9am, Tokyo; 10am, Osaka) Adults: from ¥13,000 (Osaka), ¥15,500 (Tokyo) » www.summersonic.com/2014/ english/ 0180-993-030 6

22–27 AUGUST King Lear British Academy Award-winning director, Sam Mendes CBE, renowned for films Skyfall and American Beauty, returns to the National Theatre to direct Simon Russell Beale in the title role of this production of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

TOHO Cinemas Nihonbashi (among other locations) COREDO Muromachi 2-3F, 2-3-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Various show times Adults: from ¥2,500 » www.ntlive.jp/program.html 0570-02-9111 ◉ Free gifts We are giving away three posters of the 2014 National Theatre Live.

6

bccjacumen.com 45

community

1

2

4

3

1 | BCCJ EVENT Attending “Branding Japan: the Olympic Opportunity” at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo on 5 June were (from left): Graham Davis, excom member, Paul Gauger, global head of international media & destination PR at VisitBritain and Lori Henderson MBE, BCCJ executive director.

46 bccj acumen, july 2014

5

2 | EDUCATION Elizabeth Truss (fourth from left), parliamentary under secretary of state for education and childcare, visited an after-school abacus class at the Shuzan Gakko Soroban Association in Shinjuku on 24 June with Jeff Streeter (third from left), British Council Japan director.

4 | EVENT Attending the Brits at Lunch event on 6 June at the Armani Ristorante in Ginza—managed

by Steven Drewery—were (from left): Roger Berman of ZenWorks, Nick Taylor of Virgin Atlantic Airways and Ashley Harvey of VisitBritain.

3 | EMBASSY Jane Best, president and CEO of Refugees International Japan, received an OBE from Tim Hitchens, British ambassador to Japan, at the British Embassy Tokyo on 17 June.

5 | SPORT Japan rugby team vice-captain Ayumu Goromaru (left) and captain Michael Leitch are pictured with the Webb Ellis Cup in the office of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on 26 May.

Photo: Kathryn Wortley

Photo: ©JRFU 2014, H. Nagaoka

community

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6 | MUSIC DJ Guy Perryman (left) played requests for a special DJ in the Sky event on a Virgin Atlantic Airways flight from Tokyo Narita to London Heathrow on 16 June.

7 | CHARITY Tokyo Yamathon, the race around the JR Yamanote line in aid of Oxfam Japan’s Syria appeal, took place on 21 June and raised over ¥2mn. The winners (pictured) were among 480 people taking part in the challenge.

8 | CREATIVE Lori Henderson MBE (top centre), BCCJ executive director, attended the British School in Tokyo’s Dragons’ Den Challenge on 26 June.

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10 | CULTURE Visitors to Okinawa Day in Spitalfields, London on 21 June enjoyed an Okinawan Eisa dance performance.

Photo: Ayuko Nakamura

9 | ANNUAL Yoshiji Nogami, chairman of The Japan-British Society, addressed guests of its Gala Party at the British Embassy Tokyo on 19 June.

Photo: Yusuke Fujimoto

Photo: Claire Scott

bccjacumen.com 47

JET

LIFELONG LINKS

Talent pool: Sarah Parsons, chair, JETAA UK by sarah parsons

I

was on the JET Programme from 1995 to 1997 in Ojimamachi, Gunma Prefecture, and then stayed in the area for another year to work for a private Englishlanguage school in Isesaki-shi and Kiryu-shi. This experience sparked a passion for Japan that has shaped my life since, and on which I have built my business.

Since part of the JET job description is to promote grassroots internationalisation, I spent a lot of time with local Japanese people and their families.

I went on work trips, attended family ceremonies—including weddings—played in an orchestra, taught local community lessons and socialised. This immersion helped me to experience a side of Japan that cannot be accessed on a holiday or business trip. I was in Japan’s inaka (countryside) during pre-internet days, and learned the language and culture out of necessity.

Being a foreigner and a woman, I found it difficult to be accepted and, thus, had to adapt. Some of Japan’s cultural elements—avoiding open conflict and preferring harmony— worked well for me, although it was hard to negotiate social hierarchies and obligations.

I found JET to be an intense and amazing experience, but sometimes isolating and tiring. It was time to go home to Mansfield in the East Midlands.

48 bccj acumen, july 2014

Now in its 27th year, the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme has welcomed over 55,000 people from 62 countries to deliver grassroots international exchange between Japan and other nations. This column will feature former JETs, both in the UK and Japan, who keep the idea of fostering mutual understanding firmly at heart.

After the shock of seeing people fighting over Christmas crackers at a local supermarket, in stark contrast to the order and group consciousness of Japan that I had come to appreciate, I headed to London to work for the Japan Local Government Centre.

Part of my role was to help seconded staff adapt to their life and jobs in the UK, and we got to know London together. I learned invaluable lessons about working with the Japanese, as well as the difficulties they have adapting to our culture and aligning Japanese management and local staff. My connection with Japan continued to be a major part of my job and social life for the next three years as I was also heavily involved in the London Chapter of the JET Programme Alumni Association.

Then family life called. I moved back to the East Midlands to the market town of Newark-on-Trent, had children and trained to be a teacher. My Japan connection could have ended there, but it didn’t.

Japan’s recent economic resurgence and emphasis on globalisation—in particular

Abenomics and its womenrelated policies dubbed Womenomics—as well as thoughts of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, made me want to become involved again.

So it was that I started my own business, Japan In Perspective, which combines my passions, Japan experience and invaluable insights. My work is varied and exciting. I conduct global leadership and development courses for Japanese executives working overseas, to help them understand the individualistic nature of our corporate culture.

At the same time, for UK firms, I offer initial market research, facilitation of market entry and communications consultancy.

I speak at seminars, panel discussions and trade forums.

In addition, I am the National Chair of the JET Programme Alumni Association of the UK (JETAA UK), a voluntary organisation of former JETs with more than 6,000 registered members. It receives support both from the Embassy of Japan in the UK and the Council of Local Authorities for International

Relations (CLAIR), a Japanese government agency. In a recent article for exporttojapan.co.uk, I refer to the powerful, international network that is JETAA UK as “Japan’s secret ninjas”, since in almost every Japan-related profession in the UK, there are former JETs who want to remain involved with Japan.

The shared grassroots Japanexperiences of our members are harnessed through social, cultural, educational and professional activities. As the chairperson, I oversee these activities across the UK and engage professionally with organisations—including the BCCJ—to raise our profile and liaise with chapters worldwide.

Our committee attends various engagements and receptions, with ties to the Japanese and British governments, as well as Japan-related organisations and businesses. In addition, we engage with the UK–Japan 21st Century Group, address JET Programme conferences in Japan, and meet visiting Japanese ministers.

It was an honour to have been invited to an official dinner during Prime Minster Shinzo Abe’s recent visit. Although I didn’t get a chance to speak to him. I was also ready to let him know that the JET Programme’s goal of promoting globalisation is one in which I, and many other former JETs, remain passionately involved.

IF YOU ASK ME

VEERING TO THE RIGHT

EU election results shake up politics by ian de stains obe

D

escribed as a “political earthquake”, the recent election results for the European Parliament across the Continent could indeed

France, Marine Le Pen—daughter of the notorious and convicted fascist Jean-Marie—led the National Front to top the polls.

This is especially significant

be viewed as alarming for any number of reasons. But was the outcome really all that unexpected?

Certainly not in the UK, where Prime Minister David Cameron has persistently called for reform of the European Union, and where the demand for a referendum on the country’s very membership in the collective body is at its peak. The problem is, even for those who generally support Cameron, there is a persistent and growing doubt that he can actually renegotiate the kind of reforms he claims will allow the UK to remain in Europe.

Obviously, to those who have decided they want out in any event, he is something of a lost cause. But where else can they turn? Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg increasingly appears to be a spent shot and a spare part; one is reminded of the small boy in a crowd at a speech by former Prime Minister Clement Atlee, asking his mother: “But, Mummy what is that man for?” The same might almost be said about the leader of the opposition, Ed Miliband. When taken together, these three men prompt memories of Mark Twain’s aphorism: “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run

because, for so long, France has been associated with the call for more integration; indeed to many, France has come to symbolise all that is Europe.

Now, however, the new deputies who will take their seats in Strasbourg will include a significant number who would like to see the return of both border controls and the franc as a currency. Likewise, Germany has seen calls for a return to the deutsche mark, and across the EU—in Greece, the Netherlands and Spain—a clear message has also gone out to Brussels. That message seems to be “enough is enough”. The people want to take back control at the national level. In virtually every state of the European Union there is a sense that Brussels, and by extension, Strasbourg, have overstepped their authority. The time to claim some of it back is at hand.

In this area, it may be said that Cameron has got the pulse right. He has almost singularly opposed (or at least questioned) the suitability of Jean-Claude Juncker, the former prime minister of Luxemburg, as president of the commission, arguing that he is too much of an insider to take seriously.

The future of the UK’s membership in the EU looks uncertain.

by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it”.

This, of course, brings us to the party leader to whom the UK voters did turn in the European elections: Nigel Farage, who heads the Eurosceptic and anti-immigration UK Independence Party (UKIP).

And these voters indeed turned up in large numbers. Almost as soon as the results began to be announced, it was clear that the UKIP—once described by Cameron as a party of “fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists”—was set to beat both the Conservative and Labour parties when it came to seats in the European Parliament. In the end they did just that, making it the first time since 1910 that such an election in the

UK had not been won by one of the mainstream parties.

Farage—who is calling for an immediate EU referendum, as opposed to the one promised by Cameron in 2017—also argues that immigration into the UK is putting too great a strain on the country’s social welfare and is changing the very identity of the country.

Buoyed by his party’s victory in the European elections, he has boldly predicted huge gains in the country’s next general election.

Just how realistic an ambition that is remains to be seen.

Nevertheless, UKIP’s rising influence has to send a strong message to the leaders of the mainstream parties, especially seen in the light of similar upsets in other European countries. In

bccjacumen.com 49

BOOK REVIEW BY IAN DE STAINS OBE BCCJ ACUMEN has one copy of this book to give away.

To apply, please send an email by 31 July to: editor@custom-media.com.

The winner will be picked at random.

Kamila Shamsie Picador ¥1,500

Identity in the face of crises Book follows heroine through Nagasaki, 9-11 and Afghanistan

50 bccj acumen, july 2014

Sometimes the old adage about not judging a book by its cover is categorically proven to be untrue.

The cover artwork for Kamila Shamsie’s fifth novel, Burnt Shadows, sets both a mood and an expectation for its readers. It invites them to understand that this is a book which takes place, at least at the start, in Japan. But it is so much more than that.

It begins in 1945 Nagasaki, with the heroine, Hiroko Tanaka, watching her lover Konrad walk away into what they both assume will be just another day: “Nagasaki is more beautiful to her than ever before. She turns her head and sees the spires of Urakami Cathedral, which Konrad is looking up at when he notices a gap open between the clouds. Sunlight streams through, pushing the clouds apart even further. Hiroko. And then the world goes white”.

There are other days beyond this 9 August scene; plenty of them at that. But none will ever be ordinary again. Hiroko’s extraordinary journey from the devastation of Nagasaki and the scars she will carry for the rest of her days—reference here the title of the novel—is breathtaking in its scope.

Shamsie, a Pakistan-born writer who now lives in Britain, brings her remarkable powers of

observation and her obviously deep compassion to tell a story that is all about love and war and everything that embraces. The impressive volume covers three generations and three worldchanging events.

From Hiroko’s shocking experience in Nagasaki, the book follows her through Delhi at the time of India’s fight for independence from British colonialism—including her experience of the partition of the British Indian empire into modern-day Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. The story then moves to post-9/11 New York City, and arrives at a surprising and violent climax in Afghanistan.

It is above all a novel about identity, about what we each of us might do when faced with decisions of unimaginable consequence. It is brilliantly populated with characters who are drawn with such care, precision and honesty that the reader is left feeling that he knows them.

Hiroko, her husband Sajjad, and their son Raza are brilliantly brought to life, and they stay in the memory long after the final pages have been reached.

Burnt Shadows was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction and was the 2010 winner of an Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards prize.

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