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November 2014

7 EDITOR Love of British business kathryn wortley 8 MEDIA UK-Japan news 11 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Cultural and commercial bridges lori henderson mbe 12 MEDIA Japan news 15 PRESIDENT Sparking dialogue david bickle 16 TOP STORY Pet heaven British rally round to build animal sanctuary 25 BCCJ EVENT Member knowhow for export success How the BCCJ is working with the UK government 27 EXPORT TO JAPAN British pioneers find welcome reception 28 LEISURE Brompton: on the right track 31 EDUCATION Caring to teach the unreached Taking learning to rural Cambodia 33 DIVERSITY Challenges persist for working women

INDUSTRY Logistics & supply chain management 34 A-LIST 35 Unlocking silos and building bridges 37 Hopes for rise in condo prices

39 JET Where are they now? Launching a career: from teaching to selling spaceflight 41 HELP Orange ribbons for child abuse prevention Commonly asked questions answered 42 ARTS UK events in Japan • Architecture exhibition • Crime thriller film • Whisky festival • Piano recital • Folk concert • Traditional ballet

44 COMMUNITY Photos from UK-Japan events 47 HEALTH Flu nasal spray vaccine for kids New four-strain type available 49 IF YOU ASK ME Who shall inherit the earth? Waking up to environmental realities 50 BOOK REVIEW Umami: Unlocking the Secrets of the Fifth Taste 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. 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

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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

Julian Ryall

Mark Schreiber

Vanessa Holden

Brian Christian

Japan correspondent for The Daily Telegraph.

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

After an internship at the British Embassy Tokyo, Holden joined Business Link Japan as a project manager, where she is closely involved with the Export to Japan project.

Principal of the British School in Tokyo since August 2012. This is his third international headship after working in Singapore and Shanghai.

Takashi Nakazawa A certified real estate appraiser. Nakazawa works in the field of property valuation and consultancy with Japan Valuers Co., Ltd., a valuation corporation in Japan.

Jeremy Sanderson A British entrepreneur living in Japan since 1998 and managing multiple businesses. Sanderson is owner and CEO of Icon Partners K.K., a supply chain management specialist recruitment firm serving foreign corporations.

Emily Le Roux A director of Michael Page Japan, with responsibility for sales, marketing, human resources and office support. Le Roux joined Michael Page in November 2003 in the UK, and transferred to Japan in 2011.

Dr Nicola Yeboah A British doctor who graduated from the University of London in 1999. Yeboah has a Japanese medical licence and is currently working in Tokyo as a general practitioner.

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EDITOR

s this issue goes to print, anticipation of the British Business Awards is tangible. While all eyes look to the best of British business, it is heartening that the future for UK firms in Japan appears equally bright. New growth opportunities On 27 October, at the launch of the GREAT Week organised by UK Trade & Investment in Tokyo, I had the privilege of meeting representatives—eyes aglow—from a number of British businesses. With strategies in place to localise their products, support from trade experts at the British Embassy Tokyo, as well as meetings with locals organised, many of the firms seemed well prepared to take their first steps into the market. They are following in the footsteps of a number of British firms, large and small, reported recently to have secured, or currently to be seeking, business in Japan (page 8). Across sectors ranging from food and drink to leisure and energy, British businesses from all four nations are finding success here. On 31 October, Edwina Hart MBE, minister for economy, science and transport of Wales, closed a week of trade and investment

Love of British business Quality, originality and reputation reap rewards kathryn wortley kathryn@custom-media.com

meetings with a reception at the British Embassy Tokyo. Hosted by British Ambassador to Japan Tim Hitchens CMG LVO, the evening showcased a number of Welsh firms’ products, including sea salt, whisky, jam and socks. It was a joy to see the guests lap up the treats on offer and show their appreciation for the craftsmanship that went into making them.

Success stories Long an asset in attracting Japanese customers, it is the trust and respect afforded the UK as a brand that so impressed cycle manufacturer Brompton Bicycle Ltd. when the firm introduced its products. With compact bicycles in bright colours, consumers welcomed the combination of the firm’s originality with the

reliability a product made in the UK provides (page 28). Digital pioneer Apical Ltd. was also warmly welcomed, with the Japanese—globally recognised early adopters—snapping up its camera technology based on how the eye works. British firm McKinney Rogers K.K. won hearts with its innovative use of army strategies for business success. It is the first consulting service of its kind here (page 27). Skills for doing good It is a pleasure to report that a number of UK firms and organisations have been involved in the construction of a sanctuary for Animal Refuge Kansai (page 16). Based in the countryside of Hyogo Prefecture, the state-of-the-art facility for the not-for-profit organisation will care for abandoned dogs, with a cattery planned for the future. Pupils, teachers and supporters of the British School in Tokyo have also been hard at work using their talents to help open a school in rural Cambodia (page 31). With ongoing support planned for the international project, I’m sure there will be much to learn for pupils in both countries.

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UK-JAPAN NEWS

MEDIA Firm relishes new market

Hawkshead Relish produces a range of preserves and condiments. photo by joe riley

The award-winning Cumbrian preserve firm Hawkshead Relish visited Tokyo as part of a mission organised by UK Trade & Investment, www.in-cumbria.com reported in October. The firm is one of a number of food and drink purveyors that attended GREAT Week on 27–31 October. Having started out as a small café in the rural Lake District, Hawkshead Relish began production of their award-winning products to help deflect the damage suffered by the tourist industry when hundreds of Cumbria farms were struck with foot-and-mouth disease in 2001. Co-owner of the firm, Maria Whitehead MBE, is eyeing Japan to showcase her preserves and relishes, which are currently available at high-end UK shops such as Selfridges & Co. and Harrods.

Red, white, blue fingers at Tokyo garden fair Three agricultural suppliers each received a £2,000 grant from UK Trade & Investment to attend the Gardex 9th International Garden Expo Tokyo, Horticulture Week reported on 25 September. Briers Ltd. showed a selection from its garden clothing and accessories ranges, while Irrigatia Limited promoted their solar automatic watering system. Porous Pipe exhibited its complete range of hose products, made from recycled materials. Japan’s largest garden industry trade show, Gardex attracted over 34,000 visitors from 50 countries over its 14–16 October run.

Yakiniku comes to London A firm specialising in taking local cuisine to the world has opened the first yakiniku (Japanese-style BBQ) restaurant in London, according to a press release issued on 24 October. Kintan—Japan’s most popular BBQ chain—is the latest launch by Dining Innovation Ltd., which has established eateries in over 70 locations globally. It promises an authentic yakiniku taste in an atmosphere that embodies Japanese harmony.

New course to boost bilateral ties Durham University has introduced a new Japanese studies programme, media reported in October. Attending the launch of the undergraduate degree, Japanese Ambassador to the UK Keiichi Hayashi noted that the development was great news, which would serve well both the university and Japan. “I hope that these students will be a guiding force in the strengthening of Japan–UK relations during their time at the university and in the future”, he said. To mark the occasion, the university’s Oriental Museum held a two-week festival of Japanese culture, supported by the Embassy of Japan, London; the ConsulateGeneral of Japan in Edinburgh; and Teikyo University.

In the UK, Japanese knotweed may be no more than a mild nuisance in the future, due to developments in research to bring it under control, The Ecologist reported on 17 October. An insect, shown in a UK quarantine facility to be a highly specialised natural enemy of the invasive non-native plant, has been released at eight sites in England and Wales. This is the first officially sanctioned release in the European Union of an insect to combat a weed. Scientists have reported no negative impact on any native species, and are currently working to establish the insect in the natural environment by building its population. Keiichi Hayashi visits Durham University. photo courtesy of durham university

8 bccj acumen, november 2014

Science to help combat invasive weed

NOVEMBER 2014

N. Irish cheddar export deal Northern Ireland-based Dale Farm Limited has secured its first cheese export deal in Japan, the Belfast Newsletter reported on 25 October. The leading dairy cooperative will export its Dromona cheddar range to Hoko Co., Ltd. in what it described as a “significant contract”. The decision follows a visit by the Japanese dairy and frozen foods firm to Dale Farm’s cheddar cheese production facility in Cookstown, Dale Farm staff were congratulated on the deal. County Tyrone. photo courtesy of jack mcneill, ukti france After investing £50m in its processing plants across the UK, the firm has one of the most advanced cheese production facilities in Europe. The cooperative is capable of producing up to 50,000 tonnes of high quality cheddar per year.

Online giant to help small, remote firms Rakuten, Inc., one of the world’s biggest online retailers, is set to boost the trade of British high street shops with the launch of a new portal, The Financial Times reported on 23 October. The firm aims to enable retailers to promote a diverse selection of products to a larger online market, targeting small businesses in remote towns in particular. Mike Bishop, managing director of rakuten.co.uk, said the UK’s position as the biggest ecommerce market in the European Union was the reason behind the launch.

Feed-in tariff draws wind firm A Scottish firm has received Japanese certification for its GW 133 turbine, allowing it to enter the renewables market here, Farming UK reported on 21 October. This means Gaia-Wind Limited’s small wind turbine system— with an output of less than 20kW—is eligible for the feed-in tariff scheme, whereby the output supplied to the grid will be bought by the participating electrical power firm at a rate of ¥55/kWh for 20 years. Johnnie Andringa, chief executive of Gaia-Wind, said Japan had the most attractive feed-in tariff in the world.

London, Tokyo top global “power” index

Films win NHK awards A British film has been awarded the Grand Prix Japan Prize in an international contest for educational media, according to a 21 October press release. Produced by Green Lions and The BRITDOC Foundation Project Wild Thing is the story of a father of two young children. Inspired by childhood memories of the outdoors—and prompted by the increase in childhood obesity and mental illness in the UK—he starts a marketing campaign to encourage children to play outside. The Japan Prize was established by NHK in 1965 to encourage better educational broadcasting for the next generation. This year, some 320 entries were received from 60 countries. Another UK entry, Lizard Girl by Feelgood Fiction Ltd., was recognised as The Best Work in the Primary Category (content for children ages 6–10). It received The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Prize.

London has been ranked first, and Tokyo fourth, out of 40 major cities in the Global Power City Index 2014, The Japan Times reported on 9 October. Compiled annually by the Institute for Urban Strategies at the Mori Memorial Foundation, the study assesses 70 indicators in six categories: economy, research and development, cultural interaction, liveability, environment, and accessibility. London strengthened its position at the top from 2013, increasing the gap between it and New York, ranked number two. Hiroo Ichikawa, a professor at Meiji University, said Tokyo should take advantage of hosting the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games to improve the city’s weak areas. The Japan Prize recognises high-quality broadcasting.

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Resource for education Last month, we were honoured to be asked by Waseda University for permission to include material from a BCCJ ACUMEN article in the university’s doctoral entrance exam paper. The piece, “Diversity and Inclusion—Where to Start?”, is featured in the October 2013 issue, and was penned by Suzanne Price, former vice-president of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ). It’s heartening that our content can prove useful to one of Japan’s premier academic institutions, particularly on such a hot topic. Staying with education, on 27 October, I gave a presentation at the Japan Foundation to a group of 20 UK head teachers who were visiting Japan to find out more about its culture, language and business environment. With it now compulsory for all primary schools in England to teach a foreign language chosen from a list of 10, I was invited to make the case for Japanese—generally a hard sell. During an active Q&A session, the school heads were eager to hear about which BCCJ member firms— either British or Japanese—might be keen to fund assistant teachers of Japanese at their schools. If any readers would like to learn more, please get in touch.

Cultural and commercial bridges Deepening relations with Japan’s public and private sectors lori henderson mbe

Celebrating 50 years On the evening of 31 October, I joined Rolls-Royce Holdings plc celebrations at the Conrad Tokyo. The gathering was hosted by Ian Davis, chairman of the designer, manufacturer and distributor, to mark the firm’s golden anniversary of doing business in Japan. Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force is today one of the world’s

major operators of Rolls-Royce marine gas turbines, of which it has over 200 in service. It was a pleasure to mingle with 250 guests, including senior government officials, and partners such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd., All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd., and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.

Society seen through British eyes It’s always a pleasure to see Sir David Warren KCMG, and his appearance last month at the International House of Japan was no exception. At an intimate session with 40 guests, he read from and discussed Custom House, by Frances Henry King CBE (1923– 2011), who served as regional director of the British Council in Kyoto from 1959 until 1963. The book addresses the complexities of Japanese society in the 1950s, through the eyes of an evercomplaining Brit, and appeared to amuse greatly Japanese audience members. Bilingual posts on website With the support of the BCCJ Communications Task Force, headed by Jim Weeks of Kreab Gavin Anderson, we have begun work to make a selection of pages on the BCCJ website bilingual. Since over 20% of our new web traffic comes from Japanese search engines, and 50% of our members are Japanese, we are pleased to cater to a wider audience in both languages. Check out our first such post on the BCCJ’s securing of government funding, which details an exciting and historical development at the chamber (see page 25).

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JAPAN NEWS BY MARK SCHREIBER

MEDIA unsure plight of general retailers In 1957, the late businessman Isao Nakauchi (1922–2005) opened a humble drugstore in what, within 15 years, was to develop into Daiei, Inc., Japan’s largest retail chain. In the 1980s, Nakauchi’s face frequently adorned the covers of

profitable retail sectors: casual clothing and drug store items. Meanwhile, convenience stores grabbed an increasingly larger share of sales from food items, particularly ready-to-eat items such as bento (boxed meals). In 2004, Daiei applied for help

from the Tokyo Stock Exchange and, in January 2015, the firm will become an Aeon subsidiary. It is expected that Daiei outlets in Hokkaido and Kyushu will operate as members of the Aeon retail group. But in the Tokyo metropolitan and Kansai areas—

postponed until fiscal 2018. But, when Aeon previously absorbed such chains as Yaohan Co., Ltd. and Saty (operated by Mycal Corporation), these names were soon phased out. In a press conference held on 24 September, Aeon President

business magazines, and he was venerated as an entrepreneurial visionary along the lines of other post-war mercantile successes, such as Sony Corporation’s co-founder Akio Morita and Panasonic Corporation’s founder, Konosuke Matsushita. Nakauchi opened a shop in Honolulu’s sprawling Ala Moana Center, the largest shopping arcade in Hawaii. He also bought a professional baseball team, which moved from Osaka to become the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. Now, more analysts are voicing scepticism that the socalled sougo suupaa (general mass merchandiser) model that Nakauchi created with Daiei can ever recover from a prolonged structural slump. J-CAST News (6 October) recalls that overambitious expansion plans and reckless borrowing halted Daiei’s growth around the time the bubble economy collapsed in the early 1990s. It left in a shambles the “distribution revolution” with which Nakauchi was credited. Daiei sales were also hurt by the emergence of retail specialists, such as Uniqlo Co., Ltd. and Matsumoto Kiyoshi Holdings Co. Ltd., which cut into two of its most

under the Industrial Revitalization Corporation Act and, by 2007, trading firm Marubeni Corporation had become the business’s secondlargest shareholder. But Daiei failed to clear its debts and restore profitability. By the end of February 2014, Aeon Co., Ltd. had acquired 44.15% of Daiei’s shares. By 26 December, Daiei will be delisted

where Daiei has a strong customer base—the firm’s presence will be maintained. Over the next three years, ¥30bn has been earmarked for store renovations, with the stated objective of “changing the format to create shops supported by both young people and seniors”. The decision on whether Daiei’s name will remain on the stores’ exteriors has been

Motoya Okada explained that business image is important during the acquisition. “To concentrate on the growth of e-commerce in the future, branding will be a crucial factor. That [the Daiei name] is already known would become a significant liability. As a part of Aeon, Daiei is entering into a stage of name readjustment”, he said.

Daiei, Japan’s largest retail chain, will become an Aeon subsidiary in January 2015.

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NOVEMBER 2014

buyers get savvy about e-commerce Consumers of both genders, and over a wide age span, are making frequent and shrewd use of online content, reports the Nikkei Marketing Journal (22 October). The publication conducted its third online nationwide survey, of 11,450 male and female subjects, ranging from 16 to 80 years of age, between 25 September and 1 October. With the exception of travel-related items (such as tickets), respondents said their purchases of various items via the Internet (including via smartphones) had increased since the previous survey. The items most cited include tickets to events and gift coupons; content (such as games, magazines, recorded music and the streaming of animated cartoons or films); travel-related items; personal gifts; IT equipment and electric home appliances; and purchases of medication and dietary supplements. It was found that consumers use online services in conjunction with their shopping activities at retail outlets. Some 33.4% of respondents said they would check online to ascertain whether a product is in stock before going to a shop, while another 23.3% said that, for example, they confirm the availability of items in different colours and patterns by using the MUJI passport app, supplied by Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. For IT goods and home appliances, the big three firms used were Amazon Japan, which led the pack with a commanding 71.5%, followed by Rakuten, Inc. and Yahoo Shopping. In the food and beverage sector, Rakuten was the market leader at roughly 65%, followed by Amazon and Yahoo. For apparel and fashion, Rakuten led with 49.8%, followed by Amazon and mail order specialist Nissen Co., Ltd. Respondents said they use the Internet for an average of 149 minutes on weekdays, and 188 minutes on weekends and holidays. Compared with the

Rakuten is the market leader in online food and beverage.

previous survey, the results show slight changes—five minutes more spent on weekdays and three minutes less on weekends and holidays. Most of the time spent online was devoted to seeking out information—including searches and comparisons—followed by leisure activities, including reading, playing games, watching videos, listening to music and so on. In third place was shopping; fourth was viewing and updating social networking service content; while fifth was sending emails or chatting with family members and friends. In all cases, the amount of time spent online increased on days off from work. Among females in their teens, more than 50% of time spent online was via smartphone. The survey also noted that a breakdown appears to be occurring in consumer resistance to purchasing paid content. The fastest-growing social networking service applications were reported to be LINE— use of which doubled over the previous year—Facebook and Twitter.

poll: more students of foreign languages The market for foreign-language studies continues to grow—from ¥784.8bn in 2012 to ¥808.9bn last year—according to a survey conducted from April to July this year by the Yano Research Institute Ltd. Growth is projected to reach ¥825.9bn by the end of 2014. Broken down by sector, the study shows that the adult market for foreign-language study grew 102% YoY to reach ¥207.7bn. The youth market is also proving consistently strong. For children and young people, it grew 102.5% to reach ¥95.2bn.

During the same period, the market for e-learning expanded 118.2% to ¥6.500bn. Instruction services by telephone as well as using Skype and similar applications, together with competition via social networks and services that provide content via smart phone is said to be intensifying. Growth this year is projected at 110.8% for a total of ¥7,200bn. Overall 2012 expenditure for overseas study grew 115.2% to ¥19bn, and this year that market was forecast to continue growing to ¥22bn, a YoY increase of 115.8%. The strong growth

reflects the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology guidelines concerning the nurturing of global human resources. This, in turn, has led to expanded support for underwriting study abroad by universities, government ministries and agencies, local governments, as well as various organisations and private corporations. The Yano Research Institute’s full 536-page detailed survey report on the language business, Gogaku bijinesu tettei chousa repooto, can be purchased for ¥110,000 (exclusive of tax).

bccjacumen.com 13

PRESIDENT

e have enjoyed a momentous couple of months at the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ). Following a record number of events in September, in October we were delighted to work with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) on the opportunities presented for business by the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. On 27 October we hosted an important discussion, to which we were honoured to welcome Minister of State for Trade and Investment Lord Livingston, British Ambassador to Japan Tim Hitchens CMG LVO and distinguished members of the Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives). Before taking up his ministerial portfolio, Livingston was chief executive of BT Group plc, during the period that the firm was London 2012 official communications services partner. He is, therefore, in a strong position to provide insightful testimony on the challenges and rewards that the business world may face in supporting the organisers of the forthcoming sporting tournaments in Tokyo. Having hosted London 2012, and relishing the prospect of

Sparking dialogue

Deal inked on mega sport events david bickle @BCCJ_President

hosting the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the UK has been fortunate to witness first hand the effective business collaboration opportunities that these events can bring. Future mega events offer similar potential, particularly where organisers commit to searching beyond their borders for “best in class” providers who can help them

plan and deliver extraordinary tournaments that will yield an enduring legacy for the host nation. This event marked the launch of a dialogue between BCCJ members, partners and Japanese stakeholders on the potential for collaboration. Moreover, I was delighted to sign an agreement between the BCCJ and UKTI

that will enhance the chamber’s efforts to contribute to these great sporting events (see page 25). Under the agreement, the BCCJ will receive funding to recruit a dedicated resource. This person will work towards our goal of providing a platform for BCCJ members and UK firms to understand the opportunities associated with these sporting events, and for Tokyo organisers to understand the interest and expertise of British businesses. Recognising BBA judges As this issue goes to print, the judges of the British Business Awards are working on the fiendishly difficult task of selecting the winners of the 2014 awards. We give them our special thanks for selecting the best of British business from a perennially strong cohort of nominees. A poppy to remember Finally, in this year, which marks the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War, we remember this November those who have sacrificed their lives in the service of their country. For those wishing to support the Royal British Legion’s poppy campaign, donations can be made at the BCCJ office.

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TOP STORY

Pet heaven British rally round to build animal sanctuary

• Funding, support and advice from UK charities and firms • Safety net for unwanted animals lacking in Japan • Clinic, training building and facilities for staff planned

by julian ryall

16 bccj acumen, november 2014

each, a slightly scruffy nine-year-old brown and white setter, could be forgiven for thinking that he has died and gone to dog heaven. His owners’ home was destroyed in the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011, and his future looked uncertain when local authorities in Tohoku decreed that pets were not welcome in the temporary housing units set up for evacuees. But Beach was one of the lucky pets to find a new home—albeit temporary—with Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK). What’s more, as soon as his family has got back on its feet, Elizabeth Oliver MBE, founder of ARK, hopes he will be able to return to them. “He’s a lovely dog and he really enjoys being able to go for his daily walks with our volunteers”, said 73-year-old Oliver, who has lived in Japan since 1968, and founded ARK in 1990.

“I’m confident he will go home one day as his owners have been to visit him here”, she added. Sadly though, not all the animals that find their way to ARK have such caring and responsible owners. The sheer demand on the organisation means it has had to open a new branch, in the wooded hamlet of Shitsukawa Shimo Aza in Sasayama-shi, a 40-minute drive from its original headquarters in the village of Nose, Osaka Prefecture. Oliver says she is fortunate to have such dedicated staff and caring supporters and donors, although the constant stream of abandoned and abused animals means ARK can always use more assistance. The organisation purchased just over two hectares of land on a natural bend in the Shitsukawa River in 2010. The initial work involved clearing the land, levelling the

TOP STORY

“Changes in family situations are the biggest reasons [dogs come to us]; divorce, bankruptcy, an owner dies or is elderly and needs to go into a care home, and so on”.

photo by kyoko harada

areas to be built on, installing drainage and sewerage systems, and erecting fencing. The first building, as well as roads, a barbecue and picnic area, and a warehouse are already in place. Tange Associates, the world-famous architect firm, donated its design services for the new sanctuary, including the first building— kennels for 29 dogs—which was officially opened with a party on 25 May. UK pet organisations have also leant their support to ARK in the form of funding, support and advice, with the registered charity Dogs Trust, in particular, coming up trumps. “They have given the yen equivalent of around £44,000 for the new kennel complex, along with plenty of advice from their own experiences”, Oliver said. “They were also quick to step forward with a donation of ¥5mn immediately after the Tohoku earthquake in 2011”.

That money has been used to fund designs for the kennels—and imports of special materials to build them—based on blueprints used by the Dogs Trust for its shelters across the UK. The high-quality materials required for a state-of-the-art Sasayama unit, including its interior glass doors and run gates, came from Syspal Ltd., a Shropshire-based firm that works with stainless steel equipment used in veterinary clinics across the UK. Such was the concern over the construction of the kennels that specialist craftsmen who have worked for the Dogs Trust were brought to Japan just to ensure that all the components went together smoothly. Dogs in the ¥90mn state-of-the-art facility are housed individually or in pairs in spacious enclosures with outdoor areas and under-floor heating. ARK’s team of volunteers also ensure

that the animals get a good run in the spacious grounds every day. “Dogs come to us for reasons that are very similar in the rest of the world”, said Oliver. “Changes in family situations are the biggest reasons; divorce, bankruptcy, an owner dies or is elderly and needs to go into a care home, and so on. “The difference is that in other countries, such as the UK, there is a safety net and somewhere that will always take them in”, she added. “There are not many other places like us in Japan, so pets simply get thrown away or taken to the city authorities to be disposed of”. Officially, local authorities across Japan put as many as 500 unwanted pets to sleep every day. While that is an improvement on the some 3,000 that are believed to have been destroyed daily in the 1970s, Oliver believes the current true figure is far higher as pet shops

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TOP STORY

Eventually, it is hoped the facility will have a clinic, a training and education building, a reception area and facilities for full-time staff.

1. The state-of-the-art facility is located in a wooded hamlet. 2. Interior glass doors were fitted by UK-based specialists. 3. Dogs are housed in spacious enclosures.

1 and unscrupulous breeders simply kill surplus animals that are no longer young and, thus, appealing to buyers. The next phase of the Sasayama sanctuary is the construction of a cattery that will be able to house around 100 cats, which make up the majority of the animals that ARK takes in every year. Advice has been forthcoming from Cats Protection and a host of other UK-based animal charities, with which Oliver and the ARK team have been building links. “We have already taken in a litter of three kittens today”, Oliver said. “We get at least 10 calls a day about cats. Some of them are pets that have been dumped but many of them are semi-feral. We can’t take those in, but we have a policy of trapping, neutering and releasing them”. Thought to be due to the limited space afforded in Japan, with small homes and gardens, cats are also frequently the target of abuse. They are often injured when they enter other properties or are deliberately poisoned. Eventually, it is hoped the facility will have a clinic, a training and education building, a reception area and facilities for full-time staff.

While ARK tends to focus its efforts on dogs and cats, the charity has, on request, opened its doors to a host of other animals, including pigs, chickens, goats and ducks. Last year, the year of the rabbit in the Chinese zodiac, the charity was inundated with unwanted rabbits, although it eventually found good homes for all of them. Oliver has, however, had to turn down requests to take in penguins and a polar bear from a failing zoo. Despite this, she did help to find the animals safe new homes. A visit to the ARK headquarters makes it clear just how critically important the new Sasayama centre is to the future of the organisation and the thousands of animals it helps. In a wooded valley above the town of Nose, ARK has been forced to expand its kennels and cat cages up the stepped hillside. Space is at a premium for both animals and staff, and volunteers are busy caring for the newest arrivals. Three kittens—one brown and white, the others ginger—who are so young their eyes have only just opened, are being cared for by a member of staff. She is using a pipette to feed

bccjacumen.com 19

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TOP STORY

1. Dedicated staff interact with the animals. 2. Elizabeth Oliver on the Sasayama grounds. 3. A recently born kitten receives special care. 4. ARK volunteers walk the dogs daily.

GLOBAL RECOGNITION 1

one of the kittens, but it appears fidgety and unable to drink. Oliver says that at this age, the kittens will need to be fed every two hours throughout the night. In the neighbouring quarantine facility, six fluffy Shiba Inu puppies are chasing their tails and leaping on their mother. The mother and entire litter had been discarded a couple of days earlier. In one of the outdoor kennels, a dog named Wireless is hopping about agilely on three legs. The 5-year-old had been found by a local

authority in Yamaguchi Prefecture with a wire. It had become so embedded in the shoulder of his front left leg that the wound had become infected and the leg had had to be amputated. “There’s a tremendous need for the Sasayama facility, and I see tremendous potential at the site”, said Oliver. “It has already been a lot of hard work and there’s more to come, but we’re seeing real progress now. We just need to keep the momentum going”.

Oliver (right) receives an animal welfare award.

In early October, Elizabeth Oliver travelled to Turkey to receive the inaugural Clarissa Baldwin International Award for Excellence in Animal Welfare at the International Companion Animal Welfare Conference. Named in honour of the CEO of Dogs Trust, who retired this year after serving 40 years at the charity, the special accolade recognises Oliver’s outstanding contribution to animal welfare outside the UK. Gareth Thomas, head of international at Dogs Trust, said the organisation could think of no better person to receive the award. “Elizabeth has dedicated her life to animals”, Thomas said. “The staff and volunteers at ARK work tirelessly to rescue and rehabilitate unwanted, abandoned and abused animals in order to find them permanent, safe and loving homes. “This year, Elizabeth crowned her achievements by opening an incredible new rehoming centre that aims to rehome many more dogs, and save them from destruction”, he concluded.

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Showroom tie-up raises charity profile by kathryn wortley photos by kyoko harada Photograph real animals, not postcard-perfect ones. That was the aim of Kyoko Harada, Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK) photographer when, eight years ago, she began taking snaps of dogs and cats rescued by the organisation. A key way to show the recovery of the animals, images have always been an important part of ARK’s story. But the importance of the role they play looks set to increase, given the new partnership with car dealer Yanase & Co., Ltd. During July and August this year, the Japanese firm hosted a special exhibition featuring Harada’s images of animals that the organisation has helped over the years. A testament to the work of the volunteers and staff, the displays featured beautiful colour prints of the rescued dogs and cats, complete with the background recovery journey of each, and details of ARK’s wider work. Held in Yanase’s Mercedes-Benz Setagaya Sakuragaoka branch in Tokyo, ARK expressed delight at the opportunity to promote their work in the showroom of a well-known firm that next year celebrates its centenary. Yanase also welcomed the collaboration, the first of its kind for the dealership. “We wanted to do more than simply offer a collection box for charity”, Fukuo Tokuyama, branch manager, said. “We wanted to contribute to society and further a goal”.

One of ARK’s models at a photo exhibition in a Tokyo car dealership.

According to Harada, in Japan, there is often a negative image associated with abandoned animals. Yet, through ARK, they can have a second chance in a new home with a new family. The photos celebrate this happy occasion, she explained. “I didn’t want to take sad photos”, she said. “The animals have gone through difficult experiences but they are tough, and soon become full of vitality again. When I go to do a shoot, some animals even come right up

The 2015 ARK calendar, featuring rescued dogs and cats professionally photographed by Kyoko Harada is now on sale. We are giving away five copies. Please apply by 30 November. For information on how to buy one, please visit: www.arkbark.net/?q=en/node/5625

to the camera, almost asking for me to take their picture”. Harada hopes the pictures will go some way to encouraging people to reconsider their views on animal charities, which, in the past, perhaps have not had as high a profile as others. Hiromi Iizuka, a spokesperson for Yanase, believes feedback from guests attending the special event shows this process of image realignment could already by underway. “Many people commented that the animals seem cheerful, gentle and lively, and they were genuinely moved by that”, she said. “They also asked to see more photos”. Having found the exhibition to be a big success, Yanase hosted another ARK photo exhibition in their Meguro showroom in October. A further display is scheduled to be held in Yanase’s Tokyo Shibaura showroom— where the main office is located—in December this year.

ARK’s 2015 calendar features rescued dogs and cats.

bccjacumen.com 23

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BCCJ EVENT

MEMBER KNOWHOW FOR EXPORT SUCCESS How the BCCJ is working with the UK government by kathryn wortley

embers of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) can have a positive influence on helping the UK government reach

intelligence on new business opportunities and a global business network. Another factor that has undoubtedly changed the

its export targets by providing support to British firms trying to enter the market here. Speaking at a BCCJ luncheon on 20 October, John Longworth, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCCJ), said members were the perfect solution to helping British businesses export to Japan. Longworth pointed to three main factors that make members a real asset to UK firms: their knowledge and experience of the market; contacts in both the supply chain and potential customer base; and ability to find professional help when required. “There are no better people to help UK businesses than those sitting round the boardroom tables of the chambers of commerce”, he said. According to Longworth, no one understands trade better than chambers; hence the BCC’s involvement in a scheme to boost British exports: the Overseas Business Network initiative (OBNi). Initially a pilot project developed in partnership with UK Trade & Investment and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, it was launched by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2012. Having received political and

business landscape in the UK is London 2012, according to fellow speaker Peter Bishop, deputy chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Bishop said the influence of the Games was very real, with their economic impact in 2012–2020 estimated at between £38bn and £60bn. While the regeneration of East London and establishment of Sports 4 All—an organisation offering visits by Olympic and professional athletes to schools across the UK to promote physical activity—are some of the Games’ more apparent successes, the development of the trade and investment agenda is an important legacy of London 2012. “We are making sure that all those businesses that were involved in London 2012—either in front of, or behind the scenes are able to take their story round the world to other markets where things of a similar or smaller size are happening”, said Bishop. To date, firms have spent a considerable amount of time in Brazil in connection with the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Bishop said he has no doubt the chamber will be helping British firms work in Japan, too.

John Longworth (left) and Peter Bishop (second from left) at the event

financial support following its initial success, OBNi is now a mainstream part of government. It is delivering on targets to double the UK’s annual exports to £1trn and increase the number of UK exporters to 100,000 by 2020. Central to the project is the cooperation of British business

groups around the world with the government, to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK in their bid to do business globally in high-growth, hard-toaccess markets—of which Japan is considered one. To encourage exports, the initiative offers market information, support and advice,

HISTORIC PACT Aiming to deepen its relationships with Japanese organisations and firms to secure business openings for UK firms in connection with the Rugby World Cup 2019 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020, the BCCJ signed an agreement to join OBNi on 27 October. The ceremony was witnessed by invited members of the BCCJ, representatives of Japanese business, including from the Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives), and Minister of State for Trade and Investment Lord Livingston. UKTI will initially provide seed funding, with the initiative ultimately becoming self-sustaining. Speaking at the signing, Ambassador to Japan Tim Hitchens CMG LVO said the BCCJ is “a highly effective partner”. “This agreement will allow [the British Embassy Tokyo and the BCCJ] to intensify our collaboration and leverage of London 2012. I am convinced it will ensure that we maximise the opportunities for British business as Japan prepares for its own major sporting events”, he concluded.

bccjacumen.com 25

EXPORT TO JAPAN

BRITISH PIONEERS FIND WELCOME RECEPTION

transforming army skills into business success by julian ryall

British firm, with a proud military tradition dating back to Napoleonic times, is instilling

the team. Those are skills that don’t always come easily to Japanese managers.

Marines, who work for the country and, over the centuries, have developed a real methodology for

Their reputation has been further enhanced by the assistance of the UK Trade & Investment

leadership in Japanese businesses. Established in 1999 by Damian McKinney, a former major in the Royal Marines, McKinney Rogers provides strategy execution and consulting services for corporations. Such skills are, arguably, more in demand in today’s chaotic business environment than ever before. With offices worldwide, the firm saw an opportunity in Japan, and entered the market in 2008. “In this country, young people do not learn leadership at all”, said Jin Iwamoto, a partner at McKinney Rogers Japan K.K. “And a failure to teach leadership is a huge problem”. In other markets, the firm’s instructors teach executives and managers how to motivate employees, devise a clear, corporate plan, and then how optimally to execute it. In Japan, however, the focus is more on encouraging managers to lead their operations through trust rather than through fear, and to move from a centralised to decentralised mode of operations. McKinney Rogers teaches a range of skills including listening, discussing, how to enhance human resources and ways to encourage

In Japan, McKinney Rogers has carried out programmes with firms that include Lawson Inc., Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., Pfizer Inc. and the Royal Bank of Scotland. The firm’s evolution from one of the UK’s most famous and respected regiments has helped it gain a firm foothold in a market where no similar businesses exist. “Japanese people have a very good image of the Royal

achieving aims”, Iwamoto said. “They recognise it has been forged in the heat of battle, and that it works”. McKinney Rogers also benefits from recognition for its achievements to date. In 2011, the firm received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise—which honours outstanding achievements by UK firms—in the international trade category.

(UKTI) team at the British Embassy Tokyo. “From the very beginning, UKTI and the British Embassy Tokyo have played a critical role in what we do here”, said Iwamoto. “Without their help, we would not have been able to take off as we have done. “They have helped us to create a credible environment, and to explain ourselves and our services to companies here”, he said.

early adopters like innovation by vanessa holden

amera imaging technology, developed by a UK firm, has been well received worldwide following its launch in Japan. At a time when digital cameras were new to the industry, Apical Ltd. developed a revolutionary new technology based on how the eye works. Japan, widely known for being an early adopter of technology, was the ideal first market. “Our story is unique, I suppose, because we started out and built our success in Japan first, before breaking into any other markets”, said Michael

Tusch, who founded the firm in 2002. “We knew we had technology that other companies wanted, and the idea of our potential is what gave us the confidence to keep coming back to Japan”. Apical’s technology was introduced into the DSC and DSLR market by Olympus, Sony and Nikon, and was later adopted by smartphone firms pioneering high-quality cameras including Sony-Ericsson and Sharp. According to Tusch businesses need to have a product that

the market wants. Start-ups in particular should persist in the market to gain credibility. “It took a period of about a year for us to develop relationships that led to business”, he said. “You really have to commit to Japan, and have the right attitude for long-term business, rather than [for just] a quick win”. In October, this page mistakenly referred to the Boston Consulting Group instead of the British Consulate-General in Osaka.

these articles can be viewed online at www.exporttojapan.co.uk. helping uk companies succeed in japan bccjacumen.com 27

LEISURE

Many participants dressed in British attire for the Brompton Japanese Championship.

• Around 400 riders competed in a race this year • Compact size and fashionable colours ideal for Japanese market • Firm raising awareness of cycling for recreation and good health

by julian ryall

Brompton: on the right track G lorious eccentricity is a hallmark of the British, but the enthusiasm with which the Brompton Japanese Championship was embraced suggests that national absurdity might just be infectious. Staged at a park on the beach close to the Makuhari Messe international convention complex, in Chiba Prefecture, the daylong event attracted around 400 dedicated Brompton bicycle owners. They competed to take part in the world finals of the event which was held at the Goodwood motor circuit, England, in July. Many of the riders—and plenty of the spectators—got into the spirit of the 13km race by celebrating the Britishness of the bike. Union flags were in abundance, and were also featured on socks, braces and hats. Other racers opted for bowlers, top hats and even a fetching deerstalker.

One cyclist took part in a blinding-yellow suit and top hat, competing against pedal pushers in immaculate white dinner jackets, or plus fours, full formal office attire and bow ties. One competitor went as far as a cravat. “It’s great fun”, said Will Butler-Adams, managing director of Brompton Bicycle Ltd., of the competition. “We have these qualifying races in 14 key markets

around the world, but the Japanese really do pull out all the stops. It is all done with such gusto”. Working with local distributor Mizutani Bicycle Co., Ltd., the west London-based firm sold around 4,500 of its iconic bikes in Japan last year. Both businesses have high hopes for the market here. “We first started importing Bromptons in 2004, because it was clear from the very beginning that

Brompton bicycles are compact and sold in a range of colours.

28 bccj acumen, november 2014

they are perfect for this market”, Makoto Nakane, president and CEO of Mizutani Bicycle, told BCCJ ACUMEN. “Firstly, there’s the compactness, as it folds down very small, which is ideal for Japanese homes”, he pointed out. “But it is still rigid and strong. It comes in a lot more colours now than it did initially, while a lot of our lady customers like the Brompton because it is so fashionable. “And when we do our marketing, we play up to the fact that these are high-quality bicycles; they are unique, reliable and made in England”, he said. “Japanese do love to see the Union Jack on your products”. “Our bikes resonate with cyclists here”, Butler-Adams agreed. “But it’s far bigger than that”. “The world’s populations are still migrating to cities and there is less and less space in those cities”,

LEISURE

he said. “In the West, the biggest problem facing governments and societies is the health of their citizens”. An inordinate percentage of the money allocated to addressing health issues is spent on lifestylerelated diseases that are brought on by poor diet and, increasingly, a lack of exercise. Studies suggest that as little as 20 minutes of light exercise every day will cut, by around 60%, the likelihood of lifestyle-related illness in people aged 60 and over. “That is why cities like London, New York and Paris are putting in bicycle schemes”, ButlerAdams said. “It’s not to reduce congestion; it’s to make people more healthy”. Japan has also discovered recreation over the past 20 years, he explained. This development has created a whole new leisure sector, and has had a positive impact on firms such as Brompton.

Yet, he warned that, in the years to come, Japan faces some of the same problems that have afflicted the West, and some

incentive for workers to try to save money by getting on their bikes. Additionally, businesses are liable for staff who cycle to work.

London, although a mere 4% of residents in the city go to work by bike, Butler-Adams said. In Copenhagen, that figure is 47%. While it may take a while to convince Tokyo’s commuters of the benefits of cycling, Brompton is committed to working with the city authorities and the Japanese cycling associations to bring about the necessary changes in attitudes. The British firm is also committed to the market here, with Butler-Adams describing it as “mega-important”. “Japan sets trends”, he said. “People in South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore look to what Japan is doing before trying something themselves.

fundamental issues need to be addressed. There are a number of impediments to people cycling to work, he said. For example, some firms pay their staff’s commuting costs, meaning there is no

In stark contrast, firms in the UK buy fleets of Brompton bicycles, paint them in their corporate colours and tell their staff to hit the road. There are around 70,000 Bromptons on the streets of

“It is also safe to do business here”, he added. “The people you are going to be working with are trustworthy, honest and careful, as they think things through carefully. That sense of being nicely cautious is good for us”.

“Japanese do love to see the Union Jack on [British] products”.

Union flags were popular at the event.

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Monthly reports and data analysis

EDUCATION

CARING TO TEACH THE UNREACHED Taking learning to rural Cambodia by brian christian

tatistics released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in June this year confirmed that, during the past seven years, little or no progress has been made towards the United

milestone, we knew that we wanted to celebrate just how far the school had come since its foundation, but we were equally keen to write another memorable chapter in its history. From the outset, I was determined

Nations Millennium Development Goal of achieving universal primary education by 2015. A staggering 58mn children aged between six and 11—9% of the global population of this age—still have no access to schools. The figures for slightly older children (between the ages of 12 and 15) are even more damning: 63mn, or 17% of the world’s young teens, are not at school. As caring, thoughtful human beings, we cannot but look at these numbers and feel concern, pity or perhaps even a sense of responsibility. Every child has the right to an education. Some of us might be moved to find out more or maybe make a small donation, but then the news moves on to another story. Inevitably, most of us return to more mundane preoccupations and demands of day-to-day life. At least that was what I did until I was introduced to the remarkable work being done with some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable children by United World Schools (UWS). Their mission statement sums it up: “We work with communities to build schools and

that one of our primary goals would be to build something lasting and meaningful for our students: something that might add to their understanding of the world around them, and help them to appreciate their place in it. The Dor Village School is that project, and it is our partnership with UWS that has made it possible. To build the school we raised an initial sum of ¥2mn, but for our students and wider community, this work is so much more than a one-off charity fund-raising exercise. Over the next 10 years we will continue to support the children and teachers of the village, and build on our links with the school—now our Cambodian sister school. There will be visits and exchanges, and I firmly believe the young people at BST will gain as much from the relationship as the children over there. When so many in our world have so little, and so much is held by so few, it is surely more important than ever that education should take us beyond the narrow confines of our own experiences, and help us to stand in the shoes of others. With UWS I believe that we can do just that.

Pupils of the newly opened Dor Village School.

develop local teachers, providing a low cost and sustainable way to teach the unreached”. Having built and opened no fewer than 20 schools in remote rural regions of the Kingdom of Cambodia, where it offers an education to more than 4,000 young people, the charity can certainly claim to be transforming lives in a very real and practical sense. One of the newest of these schools, opened in early October at Dor Village, Ratanakiri Province, is sponsored—and will be sustained—by the community of the British School in Tokyo (BST). This year BST celebrates its 25th anniversary. As we began to lay out our plans to mark this

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To help the BST support the Dor Village School, please contact Brian Christian: bchristian@bst.ac.jp United World Schools funds construction of the buildings.

The local community is involved in school development.

bccjacumen.com 31

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DIVERSITY

CHALLENGES PERSIST FOR WORKING WOMEN Opportunities and limitations in Japan’s workforce by emily le roux michael page japan

s a working mum in Japan, I am constantly challenged in my work environment, and stimulated by my personal and family life. Having

clients. Many firms in Japan offer extremely limited flexible work options. Members of Mums in Business reported that the concept of working from home or logging in

moved here from the UK, I am grateful to find a balance in my professional and personal life. But do other women in my situation feel the same, and what can local businesses learn from non-Japanese staff about working mothers? The challenges that Japan’s workforce faces in attracting and retaining female professionals is well documented. Figures show that nearly 70% of Japanese women leave the workforce after their first child, with a lack of childcare options and nursing support meaning many find it difficult to return. Over time, this has resulted in a lack of professional female role models, who show how to balance a career with family life. Many economists believe that women are key to Japan’s future economic success, purely because the talent pool of skilled women is one of the country’s most underutilised resources. Yet, the simple fact is that it is difficult for Japanese women to achieve a work–life balance. In 2013, I set up Mums in Business Tokyo—a network of working mums, both Japanese and non-Japanese. This expanding group meet socially to discuss the challenges and

to work remotely is foreign to their employers, who consider such options to be unorthodox. Meanwhile, encouragingly, one member noted her employer—a global multinational—has plans to introduce a work-from-home pilot programme. For some time each week, staff in one business unit will be allowed to work remotely. Let’s hope this is successful, and that those driving the programme remain engaged and supportive. It would be great were this initiative to expand across the firm’s operations, and other businesses to learn from its success. Another group member recently ran a confidence and diversity course for her female colleagues. It was a huge success; some 96% of the feedback from the event was positive. Many participants indicated they had never before been exposed to this type of learning and development. Lack of confidence is one of the main factors restraining Japanese women’s professional lives. The success of the diversity course signals a great chance for firms in Japan. If they can equip female staff with new skills, ideas and confidence, the women will be better equipped to help build a gender diverse workforce.

triumphs related to both careers and home life. We are all leading busy social, professional and family lives, often rushing out of the house straight after picking up the children from day care, and sometimes having to leave early for overseas conference calls or late evening meetings. The network generally meets in a casual restaurant or bar to enjoy a relaxing glass of wine in the company of like-minded women. Recently, I asked members to share their experiences of balancing

professional and family life in Japan. Unanimous feedback showed that members were enjoying their careers. The majority confessed that they enjoy the freedom that being a non-Japanese worker can bring, including less pressure to conform to cultural expectations. However, many members expressed frustration regarding the lack of flexibility in their working day, due both to internal structures and the expectations of external

bccjacumen.com 33

The A-List of Logistics & Supply Chain Management In 50 years, we’ve come a long way. The Crown Worldwide Group firms all share a common quality—the experience and insight to accomplish anything, from the complex to the routine. Crown World Mobility provides strategic assignment management and Crown Relocations complete relocation services for multinationals and government organisations. Crown supports employees on the assignment and relocating of private individuals.

Crown Worldwide Group Teiken Tokyo Building 2F 2-17-13 Takanawa Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Dennis Muldowney, general manager 03-5447-2301 tokyo@crownrelo.com www.crownworlwide.com

Icon Partners

Supply Chain Talent Specialists

Icon Partners K.K. 40MT Building 7F 5-13-1 Toranomon Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001 Josh Teperman 03-4530-9600 info@icon-partners.com www.icon-partners.com

Crown Records Management is a significant force in corporate information management. Helping clients maximise the value of their corporate memory, Crown manages secure archiving and retrieval of information in physical and electronic format. Further divisions encompass storing and managing wine collections, project management of oil and gas equipment, hotel refurbishments, and warehousing and distribution of luxury goods. The Crown Worldwide Group, headquartered in Hong Kong, was established in 1965 in Japan. We have over 265 locations in almost 60 countries.

Icon Partners K.K. is the first true supply chain management specialist recruitment firm exclusively catering to foreign corporations in Japan. Founded in 2006, we work with a broad range of clients in the 3PL/SCM industry as well as fulfilling senior level SCM-related hiring needs throughout all other industry sectors. We are specialists in the field of supply chain management and related disciplines. Our level of understanding, matching accuracy, candidate reach, and timely short-listing and introduction are unmatched in the Japanese recruitment market. Over 95% of our candidates are bilingual Japanese nationals, and 100% of our staff are bilingual in English and Japanese.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE We specialise in mid to senior level executive roles in logistics, warehousing, distribution, operations, S&OP, procurement, supply & demand planning, facilities management, customer service, finance and accounting management, and FP&A. From line-managers to country-managers, we provide specialist HR solutions for your whole SCM value chain.

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 36 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

34 bccj acumen, november 2014

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

INDUSTRY

UNLOCKING SILOS AND BUILDING BRIDGES Why there is a rush on sales and operations planning by jeremy sanderson icon partners k.k.

hen asked about hiring plans for calendar year 2015, one supply chain management partner of a multinational

with staff often languishing in the back office processing purchase orders.

consulting firm said they wanted “no transport or logistics [staff ], but we’ll take as many indirect procurement or sales and operations planning (S&OP) people as you can find”. This response underscores two major trends in supply chain recruitment over the past year: strong demand for indirect procurement talent, and a sharp increase in requests for S&OP professionals.

Even though it barely received a mention prior to 2012, this year the number of firms in Japan building a dedicated S&OP function has dramatically increased. At Icon Partners, the number of S&OPrelated mandates climbed from less than 10 in 2012 to more than 50 so far this calendar year. Acting as a bridge between the operational realities and financial objectives of an organisation, an S&OP manager reconciles what the business wants and expects— including sales forecasts, targets and budget constraints—with what operations and the supply chain can deliver—production capacity, as well as supply constraints, supply planning and so on. The S&OP manager straddles both worlds, helping both sides agree on a single forecast and supply plan, while improving demand planning and maximising operational efficiency. The value of S&OP, therefore, lies in its role as a facilitator of vital functions. These include balancing demand and supply, integrating financial planning with operations, improving customer service and order fulfilment, longterm risk modelling, contingency planning, and enhancing strategic decision-making.

Why does demand remain strong? We receive mandates for indirect procurement professionals weekly, and expect that trend to continue into next year. Despite the slowing of demand for indirect procurement talent in the pharmaceutical industry, almost every other sector, particularly consumer goods, has picked up the baton. Demand for indirect procurement at all levels has remained strong for the past two years, largely for two reasons. First, experienced bilingual candidates are scarce in what is still a comparatively new role in Japan. Second, and more important, procurement as a strategic function remains a largely untapped resource,

Why is S&OP important?

Why the demand for S&OP in Japan? Japan has been late to adopt S&OP, largely due to an overdependence—in the interests

respondents said they had suffered supply chain disruptions in 2011. Half the respondents had suffered more than one disruption. This underlines the fact that modern

of competitive advantage—on the Toyota Production System, an integrated socio-technical system and major precursor of the more modern lean manufacturing. Recent years have seen the rest of the world catch up in utilising lean manufacturing, meaning that, together with the effects of a recession, an earthquake, inflation and exchange rate fluctuations, the lean model alone no longer provides a competitive advantage. Many organisations in Japan suffer from the silo effect, according to which business units have only limited communication with people in other units, creating a series of isolated silos within the larger organisation. This situation exacerbates the disadvantage of not having an S&OP function. In fact, in recent years, many organisations have paid dearly for problems associated with poor contingency planning, the inability to deal with demand fluctuations, and supply chain disruptions.

supply chain executives have to consider a scary portfolio of risks, including natural disasters, supplier and production failures, bottlenecks and inaccurate demand forecasting. All these situations can cause nasty bullwhip effects further down the supply chain. S&OP’s popularity derives from its ability to address many of these issues. It is by definition cross-functional, which eliminates silo issues and increases collaboration. It provides firms with better-optimised supply chains, helping dispel the myth of operations as a cost centre, and keeping businesses competitive. Finally, S&OP is by nature a midto long-term planning model, making it a vital tool for firms concerned with market volatility and external threats to supply chain performance. We expect the trend to adopt S&OP strategies to continue in 2015, as competition heats up for bilingual supply chain management planning talent. The firms that move quickly to implement S&OP, and truly follow the lean model will be the ones best able to leverage increasing market opportunities in 2015 and beyond.

What can S&OP bring to a firm? In a 2012 survey of 519 firms in 71 countries conducted by the Zurich Insurance Group, some 85% of the

bccjacumen.com 35

The A-List of Logistics & Supply Chain Management Robert Walters is one of the world’s leading specialist professional recruitment consultancies for permanent and contract recruitment. Robert Walters Japan possesses the distinct advantages of size and a proven track record, allowing you to tap into an unparalleled global network that enables clients and candidates to come together in the most efficient and productive way possible. Our Tokyo and Osaka-based offices our active in building integrated partnerships with clients and bilingual professionals. We consistently deliver the most relevant match of skills and culture—our ultimate goal. AREAS OF EXPERTISE Robert Walters Japan K.K. Shibuya Minami Tokyu Building 14F 3-12-18 Shibuya Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002 David Swan, managing director 03-4570-1500 info@robertwalters.co.jp www.robertwalters.co.jp

• Accountancy & finance • Banking & financial services • Legal • Compliance & risk • Engineering • Chemical • Automotive • Manufacturing & components • Energy & infrastructure

• General management & consultancy • Human resources • IT & online • Sales & marketing • Retail • Luxury & consumer goods • Healthcare • Supply chain • Logistics

UniGroup Relocation-Japan K.K. opened its Tokyo office in March 2012. UniGroup Relocation-Japan offers the best and warmest customer service while considering all your relocation-related needs both internationally and domestically. We cover all major and minor regions and cities in Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to the Okinawan islands in the south—over 2,000km in distance. Regardless of where your relocation needs lie, we maintain a consistent standard of service. We also fully utilise our international connections, in order to offer you a high standard of relocation services.

UniGroup Relocation Japan Shibadaimon Excellent Building 8F 2-6-6 Shiba-Daimon Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0012 Aki Nitta, general manager 03-5777-5591 japan@unigrouprelocation.com www.unigrouprelocation.com

AREAS OF EXPERTISE • Personal effects and household goods • Visa application assistance • Finding real estate and schools • Other relocation services • Commercial cargo

COMING IN THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF BCCJ ACUMEN A SPECIAL FOCUS ON

Business Support & Outsourcing Booking deadline:

Friday 28 November As space is limited, we encourage advertisers to book early.

Our INDUSTRY A-LISTS will feature a range of sectors including payroll, bookkeeping, accounting, tax services, corporate secretarial, paralegal, HR consulting, HR services, translation & interpreting, business process, outsourcing and conferencing & IT services—providing you with invaluable exposure among industry experts and an exclusive opportunity to showcase your services and solutions. View previous INDUSTRY A-LISTs online at: www.bccjacumen.com/a-list For more information, email:

acumen@custom-media.com

INDUSTRY

HOPES FOR RISE IN CONDO PRICES Overseas investors eye Tokyo by takashi nakazawa japan valuers co., ltd.

o one doubts that 2013 was a wonderful year for the real estate market in Tokyo. The J-REIT Index of listed real estate investment trusts saw a near 27% YoY increase. In the office market, the vacancy rate continued to decline, and rents started to rise. In the condominium market, the number of units newly supplied reached one million, marking a 10.6% YoY increase and the first YoY increase to exceed 10% since 1987, when Japan was in the throes of a bubble economy. Further, sales of new condominiums were particularly good in 2013, with some prices 10–20% YoY higher. The 2013 mood still prevails, despite the April consumption tax rate hike—from 5% to 8%. The aftermath of last-minute purchases before the increase had a major effect on sales of new condominiums, and the counter-effect can be seen in today’s market. Yet, condominium prices are still rising, according to published price indices, such as the Tokyo Stock Exchange Home Price Indices (representing used condominium price trends in the Tokyo metro area) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Residential Property Price Index (based on actual transaction data). With both the price of land for development and construction costs continuing to rise, it seems that condominium

Many investors presume that both Abenomics and the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will boost demand. prices will remain high, even should demand weaken. A further rise in the consumption tax rate—from 8% to 10%—is scheduled for October 2015, although this is yet to be finalised. The real estate industry is hoping for another last-minute boom in condominium sales. The price of a condominium in Tokyo is still relatively lower than that of a similar structure in any other major city around the world. Global non-institutional investors thus are eyeing the Tokyo residential market, and an increase is expected in the acquisition of condominiums by these investors, particularly those from other Asian countries. Were the domestic condominium market again favourable, as in 2013, domestic investor interest would be of little concern to those selling condominiums. However, were there a deterioration in the domestic demand–supply balance, overseas investors would play a major role in stabilising condominium prices. Though Japan’s economy has experienced several pick-ups since the collapse of the bubble economy, land prices have been

declining for a couple of decades. As a result, people started to believe that asset prices would continue falling, and domestic real estate investors sought income gains, but merely for capital gain. By contrast, during those same decades, overseas investors in cities abroad became wealthier from capital returns, particularly in London, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. Now, however, these same overseas investors consider Tokyo to be one of the best locations for capital gains. The present attraction of Tokyo’s condominium market lies not only in the fact that such property is relatively inexpensive compared with that in other major world-class cities, but also in the expectation that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will achieve his 2% inflation target. Many investors presume that both Abenomics and the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will boost demand. Further, the limited restrictions on nonnationals owning real estate in Japan is seen as a big chance for overseas investors to put money into property. The final push in support of Tokyo real estate often comes with recognition of the

benefits presented by the ongoing weaker yen. However, a serious threat to the real estate market could come from a rise in interest rates for debt financing. Currently, Japan has the lowest bank interest rates in its history for home loans (for noninvestment purposes). But, should inflation reach its target, interest rates are likely to climb. And, according to a projection by the Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Research Institute, a 1% interest rate hike would cause the purchasing power of Japan residents to drop more than 10%. However, as purchasers from overseas intending to invest do not enjoy such a low interest rate at present, their motivation and purchasing power will not be affected by a rise in interest rates. Japanese buyers should have greater confidence in the direction residential property values are likely to take in the foreseeable future. When purchasing a condominium, they would do well to set aside the belief that real estate prices will never be higher than they are now. Moreover, although most Japanese do not invest in real estate for the purpose of capital gain, at least now they can buy a condominium and know it will retain its value. But the Japanese market must open up completely and be transparent, based on fair valuations given by professionals.

bccjacumen.com 37

st alban's nursery Learning. Love. Laughter. St Albanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nursery, close to Tokyo Tower, offers a select program of learning and self-discovery for English-speaking preschoolers of all nationalities, based on the Montessori method. In the quiet, leafy surrounds of St Albanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Anglican-Episcopal church, the program is open to children of all denominations and cultures, focusing on the individuality of each child in a caring, very personalized atmosphere, under the warm leadership of program director Gilma Yamamoto-Copeland. - large enclosed outdoor playground - parents welcome at all times

Saint Alban's Anglican-Episcopal Church 3-6-25, Shiba-Koen Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0011 tel: 090-6480-4542 email: gilma.yam@gol.com www.saintalbans.jp

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Get it from The Meat Guy Everything you need for your holiday except your drunk uncle Steve.

www.TheMeatGuy.jp

JET

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Launching a career: from teaching to selling spaceflight by tom shelley

am president of Space Adventures Ltd., a space tourism firm based in the US. We arrange flights to space for individuals and, in addition, are developing a mission to fly two private citizens to the far side of the Moon. We are on track to complete the latter undertaking in 2018. It will mark the first time private citizens fly around the Earth’s satellite, and the first time any human will have left low-Earth orbit (a region 160–2,000km from Earth) in more than 40 years. I was born and raised in the UK, and from 1995 to 1997 was an assistant language teacher on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme in Arao-shi, Kumamoto Prefecture. While flattered to be asked to write this article, my immediate reaction was “what on earth am I going to say?” However, after some reflection, it became clear that my time in Japan has had a profound impact on my career and the person I am today. For me, the decision to move to Japan was an easy one. I was a graduate of the University of Manchester with an undergraduate degree in international management, and had studied abroad at Babson College in Massachusetts. As a child, I had travelled extensively with my father, who ran an international business, so it is fair to say I had the travel bug. When I heard about the JET Programme, I realised

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. Fifth in our series, this column features former JETs, both in the UK and Japan, who keep the idea of fostering mutual understanding firmly at heart.

immediately that I wanted to join it, rather than the rat race in London. It helped that my then girlfriend (now wife and mother of my twin girls) was equally keen to experience life in Japan, and join the programme. There is so much to appreciate in Japanese life and culture: exquisite food, stunning architecture, fascinating history, and beautiful scenery. But, for me, the people make the country what it is. Some of the warmest and most intriguing people I have ever met, I met in Japan. Moreover, the two years I spent there taught me not only about Japan’s culture, but also about that of fellow programme participants from Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. I took the opportunity to travel extensively in Asia, too. In addition to gaining a greater appreciation and understanding

of Japanese and other Asian cultures, I learned how to communicate better, how to listen, and how to pick up on non-verbal communication. I also got to terms with the workings of social hierarchy—something that exists in Western culture too, but is subtly different within the Asian context. What is more, I firmly believe it can only be learned through first-hand experience. Immediately on my return to the UK, my experiences on the programme helped me stand out from the crowd of graduate recruits. I was more world-wise and confident than when I had left, and comfortable in groups of people I did not know. After all, once you have murdered a karaoke rendition in front of 100 of your closest colleagues, how awful can it feel to deliver a PowerPoint presentation?

My experiences on the programme helped me stand out from the crowd of graduate recruits.

As a teacher, I learned that you have nothing to worry about as long as you know more than the people you are addressing; and that it is okay to say “I don’t know, but will get back to you”. I also learned you have to understand your audience and tailor your message accordingly—in other words, you can’t deliver the same lesson to nine different classes across three different grades. These skills live on in me today, enabling me to remain calm before walking onto a stage in front of 700 travel industry professionals. My time in Japan was no bed of roses—nothing in life is—but I am left with incredibly fond memories, and carry a love of the culture wherever I go. One of my favourite nuggets of wisdom comes from a Japanese colleague who became a great friend. Over meals or at parties he would say that, “eating or drinking until you are 80% satisfied is perfect. The challenge is eating slowly enough to know when you reach that point”. I find that rings true. In life we are always rushing to attain what is bigger and better. Instead, occasionally one just needs to slow down and appreciate what one has and where one has been. Considering my experiences in Japan made me slow down and reflect on how truly enriching and rewarding the JET Programme is.

bccjacumen.com 39

HELP

ORANGE RIBBONS FOR CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION Commonly asked questions answered

n August, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released a preliminary report on child abuse. It revealed that 73,765 cases of abuse were handled by child consultation centres nationwide in fiscal 2013, a 7,064 increase over the previous year’s figure. This year-on-year increase is the highest since record keeping began

asked if you know the child’s name and age, or anything about the household composition (for example, whether the child has a sibling). Confidentiality is

emotional reaction in an attempt to control the child’s behaviour, and is unlikely to teach the child what is appropriate. The important question to ask is whether

in 1990. Then, only 1,101 cases were reported. The question is whether the exponential growth reflects an increase in the cases of child abuse, or merely in awareness of the issue? Japan’s ongoing economic instability and growing number of nuclear— rather than extended—and isolated families are said to be exacerbating the abuse. That said, while the true impact of these factors is not known, raising awareness is crucial to protecting children. English-language information on, and resources related to, child protection remain limited in Japan. The TELL Child Protection Program provides workshops on understanding child abuse and navigating the Japanese child protection system. Professional advice and consultations in terms of both prevention and intervention are also available. We receive numerous questions regarding child abuse every year.

guaranteed, and you can even report anonymously if you do not feel comfortable giving your name. If you suspect something is wrong, this is sufficient reason to act; you do not need to talk to the party concerned. Anyone who reports in good faith is immune from any civil or criminal liability.

punishment is physically or emotionally harmful to the child. If it is, it is considered abuse, no matter the parent’s intention. November is Child Abuse Prevention Promotion Month in Japan. We can all play a part in raising awareness concerning child abuse and protecting children. If you suspect child abuse, please report it to the authorities or reach out to our Child Protection Program (03-4550-1191). If you are a parent who is struggling with child rearing, or if you are a child being abused, you can get help from the local welfare office or the child guidance centre. There are national hotlines for parents (0570-011-077) and children (0120-99-7777). For help in English, please contact our Lifeline (03-5774-0992) or counselling centre (03-4550-1146).

Japan’s ongoing economic instability and growing number of nuclear— rather than extended—and isolated families are said to be exacerbating [child] abuse.

My neighbour screams at her child, who cries loudly. Is there anything I can do? Anyone who suspects child abuse can report it to the municipal authorities or local child guidance centres. The National Child Guidance Network Line can be reached on 0570-064-000, but only in Japanese. However, you may either make an appointment, for which you can request interpretation, or ask a Japanese speaker to help you make a report. TELL’s Child Protection Program (03-4550-1191) can also make a report on your behalf. What information do I need in order to make a report? All you need to know is where the child resides. You may be

What happens after I make a report? The committee at the child guidance centre assesses the report and, within 48 hours, will decide what action to take. The information you give them may or may not meet their criteria for action to be taken. The outcome of the assessment is confidential, and cannot be disclosed to the person who made the report. My neighbour says she is disciplining her child. When does discipline become abuse? They do mean different things, although in parenting the words discipline and punishment are often used interchangeably, resulting in the line between the two not always being clear. The goal of discipline is to teach the child the difference between right and wrong. Punishment, meanwhile, is often the parent’s

TELL is supporting the Orange Ribbon Campaign run by the Japan Network for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. Please wear an orange ribbon to show your support. You can pick one up at TELL Counseling—or you can make your own. www.orangeribbon.jp

bccjacumen.com 41

ARTS 1

UNTIL 23 DECEMBER Zaha Hadid Iraq-born British architect Dame Zaha Mohammed Hadid DBE won first prize at the New National Stadium of Japan International Design Competition in 2012. A global leader in contemporary architecture, Hadid was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004. Her early works through to her latest plans for Japan’s national stadium project will be on display at this exhibition. Photo: HUFTON + CROW

Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery 3-20-2 Nishi-shinjuku Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 11am–7pm (closed Mondays except 22 December; until 8pm Fridays and Saturdays) Adults: ¥1,200 » www.operacity.jp/ag/exh169/ index_e.php 03-5353-0756 ◉ Free tickets We are giving away five pairs of tickets to this event. 2

FROM 14 NOVEMBER

TOHO Cinemas Chanter (among other locations) 1-2-2 Yurakucho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Various show times Adults: ¥1,800 » www.devilsknot.jp 050-6868-5001 3

24 NOVEMBER Whisky Festival 2014 in Tokyo The biggest event organised by the Scotch Whisky Research Centre, this festival offers visitors the chance to taste a range of special whiskies at the booths of makers, importers and shops, including Berry Bros. & Rudd. Whisky cocktails, craft beer, liqueurs, cigars and food will also be available.

East 21 Hall, Hotel East 21 Tokyo 6-3-3 Toyo Koto-ku, Tokyo 11am Adults: from ¥4,500 » www.whiskyfestival.jp/ tokyo2014/ 03-5774-4142

◉ Free tickets We are giving away two pairs of tickets to this event. Please apply by 19 November.

Devil’s Knot British Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth CBE stars as a private investigator in this biographical thriller film, about three children thought to have been murdered as part of a satanic ritual. Photo: ©2013 DEVILS KNOT LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

42 bccj acumen, november 2014

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 30 November (unless otherwise stated) to: coordinator@custom-media.com. Winners will be picked at random.

27 NOVEMBER

Noriko Ogawa: Piano Recital This special performance by the UK-based musician will be the first concert held in the former residence of Prince Asaka, following its renovation. Ogawa was launched to international acclaim following her success at the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition in 1987, and has been appointed artist-in-residence at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.

Mt. Rainier Hall Shibuya Pleasure Pleasure Shibuya Prime 6F 2-29-5 Dogenzaka Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 7pm Adults: ¥3,000 » www.plankton.co.jp/samlee/ index.html 03-3498-2881 ◉ Free gift We are giving away three copies of Sam Lee’s debut album, Ground of Its Own.

Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum 5-21-9 Shirokane-dai Minato-ku, Tokyo 7pm Adults: ¥5,500 (includes tea and sweets) » www.norikoogawa.com/jp/ schedule/flyers/20141127_teien_ flyer.pdf 03-3443-0201 5

Sam Lee & Friends with Gagaku The live band of British folk singer and 2012 Mercury Music Prize nominee Sam Lee, will perform traditional folk music in collaboration with musicians playing Japanese gagaku (ancient imperial court music and dances). Respected for their contemporary arrangements, the group plays an eclectic range of instruments, including the Japanese koto, Jew’s harp and shruti box (an instrument that traditionally works on a system of bellows).

11 DECEMBER

14–23 DECEMBER Cinderella Choreographed by British dancer and choreographer Frederick Ashton OM CH CBE, this production is considered the “traditional” Cinderella staging. The ballet will be performed by the National Ballet of Japan, with colourful melodies from Sergei Prokofiev, acclaimed for his composition of the score for Romeo and Juliet. PHOTO: TAKASHI SHIKAMA

New National Theatre, Tokyo 1-1-1 Hon-machi Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Various show times Adults: from ¥3,240 » www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/ productions/detail_005655.html 03-5352-9999

bccjacumen.com 43

community

1 | BCCJ EVENT Speaking at the “Global business—the view from a Japanese boardroom” event, held on 10 October at the Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo was Ken Osuga of Konica Minolta, Inc. 2 | BCCJ EVENT Lori Henderson MBE, BCCJ executive director, welcomed a number of BCCJ charity partners to showcase their work at the “BCCJ Community Hub: Powered by PechaKucha” event at SuperDeluxe in Tokyo on 9 October.

44 bccj acumen, november 2014

3 | BCCJ EVENT Michael Woodford MBE, former CEO and whistle-blower of Olympus Corporation, (third from left), shared his story at the “Inside the Olympus Scandal” event at the Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo on 31 October.

5 | TRADE Minister of State for Trade and Investment Lord Livingston (left), and British Ambassador to Japan Tim Hitchens CMG LVO are pictured with a London bus used to promote UK Trade & Investment’s GREAT Week on 27-31 October.

4 | EMBASSY British Ambassador to Japan Tim Hitchens CMG LVO (left), and David Bickle, BCCJ president, signed an agreement to join the Overseas Business Network initiative at the Ark Hills Club in Tokyo on 27 October.

community

6 | CULTURE Sir Vernon Ellis, chair of the British Council (right), met Hakubun Shimomura, education, culture, sports, science and technology minister, at the ministry on 16 October. 7 | EDUCATION British Council staff welcomed UK institutions at the annual Education UK exhibition, held at Akihabara UDX Gallery on 25 October.

8 | FOOD Attending the British Fair at Hankyu Department Store, Osaka on 12 October were rakugo (traditional Japanese comic storytelling) entertainer Diane Kichijitsu and British author Patrick Mansfield.

10 | MUSIC British Ambassador to Japan Tim Hitchens CMG LVO (right) picked his 10 favourite British tunes at a special event with Guy Perryman at BrewDog Roppongi on 5 October.

9 | SOCIAL Members of Brits at Lunch attended the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inaugural Brits at Sea event on 24 October to sail a yacht in Yokohama Bay.

bccjacumen.com 45

PUBLICITY

BREAKING GROUND IN THE SKIES New routes and customer services from British Airways

premises of more than 100 shops carrying some of the world’s best brands. British Airways has a partnership with Japan Airlines and Finnair, offering customers an unrivalled range of destinations and fare

British Airways operates flights to London from both Narita and Haneda.

he Tokyo–London airline route—one of the longer international flight paths—is a focus of Japanese airlines. British Airways, which also operates on this route, is the only airline to operate flights to London from both Narita International Airport and Haneda International Airport, with one flight from each location every day. In 2013, the airline marked the 65th anniversary of its flights to Tokyo. The use of both of Tokyo’s airports—in well-separated locations—has enabled British Airways to offer customers effective services and great options. Both Narita and Haneda are strategically important for the airline, representing gateways not only to Tokyo, but also to locations nationwide. Travellers arriving at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 will find a state-of-the-art, award-winning terminal exclusively for use by British Airways and Iberia Airlines customers. From this convenient hub, over 65 destinations

With the launch of more than 10 new short-haul routes from London Heathrow and Gatwick Airport, British Airways is helping firms in Japan to foster greater business opportunities in Europe. Based on March 2014 surveys of over 12mn frequent travellers, Terminal 5 was named Best Airport Terminal for the third year running by UK-based consultancy Skytrax. It also won the Best Airport Shopping award for the fourth consecutive year, due to the availability on the

options on flights between Europe and Japan. Travellers can choose a different carrier for each sector of their journey—with an expanded network to suit their travel schedule—and fly from 40 points across Japan to 88 cities in the UK and the rest of Europe. A pioneer in the airline industry, British Airways is also proud to have introduced many industry firsts, such as flat beds in business class and four-cabin aircraft with a dedicated premium economy class section. The airline was also one of the first to provide their customer service teams with iPads, thus enabling them to effectively monitor customer preferences and provide assistance with any customer service issues. New initiatives designed to save customers time before their flights, such as automatic check-in services and electronic baggage tags, are currently being trialled. British Airways continues to develop and refine its ground-breaking products and services, in order to offer its customers an optimum travel experience.

in the UK and across the rest of Europe are easily accessible on the airline’s network. London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 is an award-winning terminal.

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HEALTH

FLU NASAL SPRAY VACCINE FOR KIDS New four-strain type available by dr nicola yeboah

ith winter approaching, it is time to consider having yourself and your family vaccinated against the flu. Many Brits living in Japan are surprised to find that the flu vaccination is offered routinely

which have been weakened, and are thus not virulent. Although the vaccination cannot cause the flu, minor side effects, such as a runny nose, headaches, muscle aches, vomiting or mild fever may occur.

here to healthy children. While guidelines vary somewhat, more countries are adopting this approach. In the UK, all healthy children aged between two and four years will be offered the flu vaccination this winter. The aim is to gradually make it available, over the coming years, to all children up to the age of 16. Young children are more susceptible to serious flu complications, such as pneumonia, bronchitis and ear infections. Vaccinating children who have chronic underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes or asthma, is especially important since they face a higher risk than healthy children of developing complications. Another reason for vaccinating small children is that they tend to spread the flu to the wider population through poor use of tissues when coughing and sneezing, as well as by not washing their hands well. Thus, by vaccinating children, other members of the community who are vulnerable to flu—such as babies under six months old, who are too young to be vaccinated—may also have increased protection. This winter in the UK, the National Health Service is offering all two-, three-, and fouryear-old children the flu vaccination as part of the childhood vaccination programme. The vaccine is given as a nasal spray, rather than as an injection, which is a definite selling point for children. Moreover, this year, the nasal vaccination is in a new form that protects against four strains of flu (two type A and two type B). For years, the flu vaccine has protected only against two

In young children, the nasal spray appears to be more effective than the flu injection, with some studies showing that the spray has prevented up to 50% more cases of flu. For this reason, children in the UK are offered the nasal spray rather than the injection. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend use of the nasal spray vaccine for healthy children between the ages of two and eight, providing the child has no contraindications to the vaccine. Children need to have either one or two doses of the vaccine, the number of doses being determined by the child’s age and flu vaccination history. If two doses are recommended, there must be a minimum of four weeks between doses. The nasal vaccine is not suitable for some children. They include those with a severely weakened immune system, certain types of allergy, asthma or wheezing episodes. However, children aged two or over who are unable to have the nasal flu vaccination, may be able to receive the injected form. Where the nasal spray is not immediately available, the regular flu jab should be given instead. Unlike the UK, some countries recommend universal flu vaccination for all children, from the age of six months. Six-month-old babies and children up to two years of age always need to be given the injection, rather than the nasal spray. Generally speaking, the nasal spray is preferred for children between two and eight years of age, while for those over the age of eight, either form is recommended.

type A strains and one type B strain of flu. The new vaccine provides broader protection. The four-strain nasal vaccine is approved for people aged between two and 49, and in some countries, an injectable quadrivalent vaccine is available for people outside this age range. In contrast to the traditional flu shot, the nasal spray contains live forms of the flu virus,

In young children, the nasal spray appears to be more effective than the flu injection.

bccjacumen.com 47

IF YOU ASK ME

WHO SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH? Waking up to environmental realities by ian de stains obe

ecent, astonishing advances in technology— and man’s ability to exploit them—have quite literally changed the way we look at our planet. Only someone with the hardest of hearts could not be profoundly moved by images of the fragile blue orb shot from space. The irony is that those same advances—as well as our exploitation of them—may be putting our precious home at more devastating risk than at any time in its 4.6bn year history. Certainly no other species has done as much harm to the planet throughout that history. The impact of humankind, including depletion of the ozone layer, deforestation, ocean acidification, climate change and much more, is prompting some concerned scientists to suggest the need for a new way to describe the age in which we live. The International Geological Congress (a non-profit scientific and educational organisation) sets out guidelines for the Earth’s time-scale: ages, epochs and periods. The last 12,000 years have thus been classed as Holocene, meaning entirely recent. Now, however, there are calls for a change of name, with the scientists suggesting Anthropocene, the age of the human. In September, no fewer than 160 environmental laureates from all over the globe signed a

Some experts suggest that we have less than 30 years before catastrophic climate change is both inevitable and not reversible. Declaration on Climate Change, calling on the world’s foundations and philanthropists to “deploy their endowments urgently in the effort to save civilisation”. Warning that we face up to a further six degrees Celsius of global warming as a direct consequence of reliance on coal, oil and gas, the laureates further suggest that the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in December 2015 might be quite literally the last chance to agree a treaty capable of saving civilisation. To put that figure into perspective, scientists believe the “acceptable” limit to global warming is an increase of two degrees Celsius on current global temperatures. Also in September, some 40,000 people marched in London to demand urgent action on climate change. Campaigners quoted research from the University of East Anglia that suggests carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels are set to rise this year by 2.5% to a record 40bn tons. If that rate continues, some experts suggest that we have less than 30 years before catastrophic climate change is both inevitable and not

reversible. Once carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere, it is likely to remain there for centuries. That 30-year time frame is a desperately small window of opportunity, especially given the failure of governments around the world to take meaningful action over the past 25 years, during which time this issue has been squarely on the table. For all the evidence that is presented—the scientific data, the images of melting icebergs, polar bears deprived of their natural environment, the horrifying videos of swathes of devastated rain forest—there are many who claim that climate change campaigners are no more than people akin to Chicken Little: convinced that the sky is falling and, so, inciting unreasonable fear. Meanwhile, their opponents argue this is simply a wilful refusal to face up to an inconvenient truth that former US Vice-President Al Gore so eloquently articulates in his 2006 academy award-winning documentary of that title. Scientific evidence aside, what of our own experience? In the past year both Japan and the UK (and

many other countries to boot) have had the most extraordinary weather. Twice, the UK has been hit by the tail end of a hurricane. Most recently, it was Gonzalo, which left behind a trail of death and destruction, not to mention severe transport disruptions. This is something that even a decade ago would have been unthinkable. Japan, too, has suffered. Earlier this year, exceptionally heavy rains triggered fatal mudslides in Hiroshima City, resulting in multiple deaths. And this year’s typhoon season was especially marked by two very large weather systems that arrived much later than usual, closer together than had been expected. The second of the two—Phanphone—when viewed from the International Space Station, was the largest storm seen anywhere in the world this year, with its eye clearly defined. Both storms caused chaos, death and injury on a worrying scale, not to mention infrastructure damage. Meteorological experts suggest that this pattern of bigger, much later typhoons is what we can expect in future. The economic consequences of climate change cannot be underestimated but, surely, our greatest concern must be regarding the effect it is having on our planet, and all the species of flora and fauna that dwell on it. The clock is ticking …

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 30 November to: editor@custom-media.com. The winner will be picked at random.

Ole G Mouritsen and Klavs Styrbæk Columbia University Press £22.99

A dash of flavour chemistry Fascinating book for foodies

First, a word about this book’s title. Umami is a Japanese word that is formed by combining the kanji for umai (delicious) and mi (taste). It is sometimes translated into English as “a pleasant savoury taste” but, as with so many Japanese terms, this description doesn’t really quite suffice. Therefore, chefs around the world have simply adopted the Japanese word as is.

50 bccj acumen, november 2014

Although its existence was proposed as long ago as 1908, by Kikunae Ikeda, a professor at Tokyo Imperial University—now The University of Tokyo—the word was only officially adopted as a scientific term as recently as 1985 at the first International Symposium on Umami Taste, held in Hawaii. So what, exactly, is umami?

Today, it is widely recognised as the fifth basic taste, the other four being sweet, sour, bitter and salty. People taste umami through receptors sensitive to glutamate, which is commonly found in the food additive monosodium glutamate (MSG). Although glutamate is itself a salt, scientists consider the taste to be distinct from saltiness. The origins of how umami was discovered are explored in fascinating detail in this beautifully presented book, which is part scientific analysis and explanation, and part recipe resource. Ikeda identified the taste when he realised that using kombu (edible kelp) to make stock resulted in a taste that was quite distinct from all others. Researchers who followed Ikeda’s work discovered other substances that imparted umami, such as katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and even shiitake mushrooms. Each of these ingredients in their own right conferred this special taste for different reasons; combined, they are capable of creating dishes that today’s chefs refer to as “umami bombs”. There is also a historical element. Glutamate has featured in the human diet for centuries. The ancient Romans feasted on dishes dressed in fermented fish sauces known as garum. These were rich in glutamate. Byzantine and Arab cuisine made widespread use of fermented barley and, as far back as the 3rd century in China, soy sauce

and fermented fish sauces, similar to the Thai nam pla condiment, saw extensive use. Today, the umami taste crops up in some unexpected places, for example in Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, which is rich in anchovies, and even in good old down-to-earth tomato ketchup. Manufacturers of tinned soups have also realised the appeal of this fifth taste. The authors suggest that cooking methods can also enhance the umami in dishes. They are advocates of what I suppose we must call ”slow food”—in terms of both time taken, and the movement of the same name for traditional, local food. One recipe, for example, on page 138, calls for a mushroom essence that requires baking a batch of button mushrooms at a low temperature (80°C) for 12 hours. This is before the chef even begins to think of the other ingredients. So, perhaps this is not a cookbook for everyone. But anyone who loves food— preparing it, cooking it, eating it—will find much satisfaction in this volume. The photography is wonderful and the overall graphic design is excellent. It is an unexpected sort of book, and all the more desirable because of that. It is full of surprises and manages to be both informative and entertaining. Confucius (551–479 BC) said: “Everyone eats and drinks, yet only a few appreciate the taste of food”. Here’s a book that will encourage such appreciation, along with understanding.

What you buy

in the supermarket

can change the world.

Being a partner of Rainforest Alliance TM , we are committed to purchase all tea for Lipton tea bags from certified sustainable farms by 2015. Now 100% of tea used in Lipton Yellow Label in Japan is sourced from Rainforest Alliance TM certified farms. Every time you choose Lipton, you are making a small action to preserve the environment as well as supporting millions of farmers and their families. Just as a cup of Lipton tea can change the future of this planet. Our consumers tell us that they feel their actions cannot make a big difference in the face of huge environmental challenges. However, with over 2 billion consumers using Unilever products everyday, our ambition is to show them that their individual actions, multiplied by the scale of our business, can together achieve real impact. Our aim is to inspire people to take small, everyday actions that can add up to a big difference for the world.

Small actions, big difference.