BCCJ ACUMEN, October 2012 by Megan Waters

The Magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan October 2012 | 짜900

HOTEL, TREE HOUSE DESIGN

PAID TO PARTY

FAREWELL SIR DAVID

MARMITE AND NATTO

BA, JAL PARTNER

BRITISH WINE

BRITISH BEEF:

Back on the Menu? PAGE 20

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10

October 2012

27 CSR “Carnival” Raises Millions for Children with Cancer

32 FAREWELL Interview with Ambassador Sir David Warren KCMG

DESIGN Branching Out

50 COMMUNITY Ayami Nishimura and Rankin’s exhibition

28 DRINKS Paid to Party

45 A-LIST Wining & Dining

9 FAREWELL Ambassador Sir David Warren KCMG

30 WINE Changing Tastes Royalty and sport boost British wine sales

47 FOOD Marmite and Natto Kobe chef’s 40-year mission in UK to demystify cuisine

13 PRESIDENT And the Winner is … Great Britain! Nick Walters

DESIGN 32 Branching Out 34 With Dignity and Function

BOOKS 48 Searching for My Sons

14 MEDIA UK–Japan News

37 TRAVEL Joining Forces BA and JAL partnership

49 The British and Irish Short Story Handbook The Light Between Oceans

38 A-LIST MICE, Travel & Leisure

50 COMMUNITY CSR, BCCJ, talk, lecture, seminar, art, film, music, photography

7 PUBLISHER It’s a War Out There Simon Farrell

17 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Moving Forward Lori Henderson 18 MEDIA What you missed in the Japanese press 20 COVER STORY The Madness of a Ban British beef has been banned here for 16 years, but could be back on the menu soon CSR 24 Volunteers for the Vulnerable 27 “Carnival” Raises Millions for Children with Cancer

HOSPITALITY 41 Home from Home 42 INDUSTRY MICE, Travel & Leisure 43 TRAVEL Interview Luc Delaplace INDUSTRY Wining & Dining 44 A Love of All Things British ... Except the Food

52 ARTS EVENTS Kishin Shinoyama’s photography, Turner Prize winner Antony Gormley, The Chieftans: The 50th Anniversary Tour, Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles, Japan in a Day, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger 54 CULTURE British Performing Arts Festival 2012

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: Nick Walters Individual Member Vice-president: Alison Jambert Eat Creative K.K. Executive Staff Executive Director: Lori Henderson Operations Manager: Sanae Samata Executive Committee Russell M Anderson | Jaguar Land Rover Japan Ltd. Paul Atkinson | Individual Member Graham Davis | The Economist Group Ray Bremner | Unilever Japan Hideya Komori | Individual Member Vishal Sinha | British Airways Richard Thornley | Rolls-Royce Japan Co., Ltd James Weeks | Kreab Gavin Anderson K.K. James Dodds | KPMG Tax Corporation Philip T Gibb | Magellan Financial Planning K.K. Reiko Sakimura | Clifford Chance Law Office Yayoi Sogo | Individual Member Ex Officio Sue Kinoshita British Embassy Tokyo Jeff Streeter British Council Japan BCCJ ACUMEN Editor in Chief Simon Farrell

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

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

CONTRIBUTORS Nick Walters, has been BCCJ president since April 2012.

JEREMY SUTTON-HIBBERT

Publisher Simon Farrell simon@custom-media.com President Robert Heldt robert@custom-media.com Art Director Cliff Cardona Graphic Designer Jon Ealey Assistant Editor Megan Waters Client Services Manager Sam Bird samuel@custom-media.com Account Executives Mareike Dornhege mareike@custom-media.com Nils Herchenroeder nils@custom-media.com Leon van Houwelingen leon@custom-media.com

Lori Henderson has been BCCJ executive director since February 2011.

Ian de Stains OBE is a former BBC producer and presenter who has been based in Japan since 1976, when he was seconded to NHK. From 1987 to 2011, he was BCCJ executive director. Aside from writing, Ian now focuses on consulting and coaching. He is author of Japan: The Business Traveller’s Handbook and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and convenor of its Japan chapter. dest@attglobal.net

Julian Ryall is Japan correspondent for The Daily Telegraph.

JEREMY SUTTON-HIBBERT

www.bccjacumen.com Produced by Custom Media K.K.

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

Ian Tozer is general manager and chef at Roti Roppongi.

Joao Longo Pereira is a Brazilian photographer based in Tokyo specialising in nature, people, culture, events and cuisine.

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

Kieran Quigley kieran@custom-media.com Media Manager Shoko Sekiya To advertise in BCCJ ACUMEN: inquiries@custom-media.com Tel: (03) 6804-5267 Fax: (03) 6804-5268 To subscribe or order copies: inquiries@custom-media.com Custom Media Publishers of BCCJ ACUMEN for the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and WIFM bilingual lifestyle and business magazine. Specialists in bilingual brand strategy/visual communications, corporate bespoke solutions. Akasaka Palace Bldg. 1F 1-4-21 Moto-Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0051 www.custom-media.com Warning/Disclaimer Custom Media and the BCCJ will not accept liability for any damages caused by the contents of BCCJ ACUMEN, including, but not limited to, any omissions, errors, facts or false statements. Opinions or advice expressed in BCCJ ACUMEN are not necessarily those of the BCCJ or Custom Media. Contributions BCCJ Members are welcome to submit ideas for content, which will be decided on merit by the Editor. editor@custom-media.com © 2012 Custom Media K.K.

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OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 5

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It’s a War Out There

or news, features and chat there’s nothing quite like Japan Today, although there’s often more of the latter than I need. This lively and popular website also carries what Chris Betros, the editor, considers to be the best of BCCJ ACUMEN. By agreement, Chris picks up to four ACUMEN pieces every month, but he said there were “so many good stories” in the September issue that he’d like six. You’re welcome, Chris. Reader comments about our pieces on Japan Today often seem quite tame compared with many generated by the website’s other content. It seems about 80% of the forum’s contributors have something positive, constructive or, at least, sensible to say about most of the ACUMEN articles. Not bad in such a hostile environment, where I recently saw what was as close to a death threat as you could get against one hapless woman who commented

on an innocent agency report. Repeated several times, the rabid one-liner was quickly deleted by the moderator. I recently spoke to Chris about how to handle such colourful language and there appears to be no easy answer, but they are working hard on it. Makes my job look easy. Despite this questionable use of free speech, we see great value in gaining further online exposure and attracting readers to our website where they are drawn to other stories in ACUMEN. It complements our already extensive hard copy distribution to international airports in Japan, the UK and Hong Kong, as well as to key subscribers of the Financial Times in central Tokyo, and a number of other private and public organisations in Japan and abroad. Indeed, no other magazine in Japan can claim anything like our varied, global and targeted readership, least of all any English-language publication.

Farewell to a friend A warm farewell to Ambassador Sir David Warren KCMG, who leaves the diplomatic service very soon and who is interviewed overleaf. Sir David has been a staunch supporter of BCCJ ACUMEN since its very early days, and he is never slow with offering us encouraging words. Naturally, Sir David treasures the close ties the BCCJ enjoys with the British Embassy Tokyo and the British ConsulateGeneral in Osaka with ACUMEN noisily beating the drum for all three along with the British community at large. ACUMEN and Custom Media wish Sir David all the best for the future.

Simon Farrell Custom Media simon@custom-media.com

The following companies join BCCJ ACUMEN in thanking Ambassador Sir David Warren KCMG for supporting British business in Japan and wishing him well in the future.

Our thanks to Sir David for his many years of dedicated service in Japan. We will miss you. www.bbcjapan.co.jp

www.alliedpickfords.co.jp

Sincere appreciation to Sir David for his many years of dedicated service in Japan. www.af-info.or.jp

We thank Sir David for his unfailing support and promotion of business in Japan and wish him success and happiness. www.baesystems.com Continued on page 10 8 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

FAREWELL

mbassador Sir David Warren KCMG, who will soon retire from the diplomatic service after four years in Japan, spoke to BCCJ ACUMEN Publisher Simon Farrell. Sir David has been a huge supporter of ACUMEN since kindly hosting its launch party at the British Embassy Tokyo in December 2009, and has occasionally written articles for the magazine to mark special occasions.

Please tell us about your future plans. I shall be taking a holiday! I have to speak in Canada at a conference on Asia and when I get back to the UK, I’d like to undertake some visits to companies to bang the drum for the Japanese market among British firms. I shall probably retire from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in January. I am looking forward to taking over as chairman of the Japan Society of the UK, a friendship organisation with a lot of activity among business networks and in educational programmes. So I am going to maintain close links with Japan over the next few years. Further plans are unclear at the moment! What were the highs and lows of your tenure here? The major event has to be the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011. It was an immensely distressing experience, and none of us who went to the affected region soon after the disaster will ever forget the appalling devastation that we saw, or the extraordinary courage and resilience of the people whose lives had been destroyed in this way. Nor will I forget the extraordinary commitment and dedication of the British Embassy Tokyo team, and the calm resolution of the British community here as we tried to deal with the crisis. Virtually everything else I’ve done over the past four years pales into insignificance. Who are some famous visitors to the embassy that you particularly remember? The overwhelming majority of people I’ve met have been a pleasure to deal with, both Japanese and British. It’s great to have so many people visiting Japan who are genuinely engaged with, and interested in, this fascinating country. So many prominent Japanese, from every walk of public

“It’s great to have so many people visiting Japan who are genuinely engaged with, and interested in, this fascinating country”. life, love the UK and want to see the relationship grow. The great thrill for my wife, Pamela, and me has been to meet some of the people we’ve admired from afar over the years, particularly in the arts and theatre, like Judi Dench and Tom Stoppard. I was able to tell Tom Stoppard that Pamela and I had indeed met, onstage, acting in one of his plays, in Kenya in 1988! To meet so many famous artists— everyone from Yoko Ono and Simon Le Bon to Meryl Streep and Alfred Brendel— what a privilege! How is the Japan–UK relationship today? I think it is very strong. We are continuing to see major Japanese investments in the UK, such as from Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and Hitachi, Ltd. in recent months.

We are still seeing an enormous amount of British business interest in the Japanese market. Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Tokyo in April—the first visit at this level since 2003—was of enormous significance. It was a disappointment that we were not able to sell the Eurofighter Typhoon. It was always going to be tough, but I really thought that we were in with a chance. Our focus now is on opening up free trade negotiations between the European

Prime Ministers David Cameron and Yoshihiko Noda

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 9

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10 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

FAREWELL

1. Dame Judi Dench attended a reception at the British Embassy Tokyo after receiving a Praemium Imperiale award, in October 2011. 2. Pianist Alfred Brendel KBE (left) and playwright Tom Stoppard CBE visited Tokyo to receive Praemium Imperiale awards, in October 2009. 3. Nissan Leaf at the British Embassy Tokyo

progressive, democratic country with an enormously important role in the world, and we think along very similar lines on nearly all the major foreign policy issues. Reform of the UN Security Council is overdue and, when it happens, there must be a permanent place for Japan, which has the potential to make a major contribution to the management of world affairs.

Union (EU) and Japan. This could expand the level of trade dramatically. For the EU not to take this opportunity would be a major misjudgement. But this will mean that the Japanese have to tackle the problems of excessive regulation, which stand in the way of foreign companies doing as much business in Japan as they should in what is still the world’s third largest economy. After March 2011, one key question for Japan is how to ensure it has the energy it needs while still being one of the lead countries in tackling climate change. Both providing Japan with its energy and doing so in a low-carbon way are economic opportunities for the UK. I should also like to have made more progress on other issues which are of concern to people in the UK: for example, Japan’s ratifying the Hague Convention on Child Abduction, and the death penalty.

What will keep the new ambassador most busy? I would say this even if I were not being interviewed by ACUMEN—trade and investment is at the heart of the relationship. The links between the embassy and the BCCJ are fundamental in advancing these connections. Pamela and I have met my replacement, Timothy Hitchens, and his wife Sara in the UK. We know just how much they are looking forward to returning to Japan and working with British companies here to promote the UK as actively as possible. I also know that Tim is going to be, as they say, a hard act to precede! I hope BCCJ members will be able to give him all the support they can as we take the relationship to the next level. And I hope you will not forget to put me on the ACUMEN mailing list, so I can keep up-to-date with Britain in Japan!

How about Japan’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council? This is still a priority for us. Japan is a

We will, David. Good luck and thanks for the generous support you have given ACUMEN and the BCCJ.

“Reform of the UN Security Council is overdue and, when it happens, there must be a permanent place for Japan, which has the potential to make a major contribution to the management of world affairs”. OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 11

PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

And Winner is ... Committee Great Britain! Meetthe Your Executive

W A

hat a year 2012 has been annual for the UK: the t the BCCJ general Queen’s meeting on 26Diamond April, Jubilee celebrations, attendees elected a new the record-breaking executive committee, and, in my opinion, best15ever Olympic comprising members and Paralympic Games, and on thepage event6), to (whose names can be found everything has been leading ... the serve the membership duringup theto2012–13 British Business chamber year. Awards (BBA). The committee awards ceremony will be held at at the meets every month the Conrad Tokyo hotel in Shiodome on British Embassy Tokyo’s Number 4 House, Friday, November.of our ex-officio by kind 2permission This year, UK has director enjoyedof anUK almost member Sue the Kinoshita, unparalleled level ofThere globalthe exposure Trade & Investment. team agree (rather too much, in the case of certain organisational policy, discuss general younger royals).and review progress in BCCJ business, But for the of us, of theall focus of the promoting therest interests members. world’s spotlight hascommittee given us amembers great Certain executive opportunity, not tofor restspecific on our areas laurels, take responsibility butBCCJ to build on the impressions of growth andpositive development, and created byincludes these events. this often heading a task force It has been a great year for the such UK– charged with specific objectives, Japan business relationship,legal too.issues, as events, communication, Championed byEuropean Prime Minister David finance, CSR, the Business Cameron’s visit Japan,Business business Council, and thetoBritish interests(BBA). in Britain continue to be aligned Awards with those here. team members are More generally, Moretoinvestments fromas Japanese firms asked attend and host many BCCJ are pouring into the country thatin they events as possible (40 were held 2011– know can with be relied on and will 12) to mix guests, helpwhich everyone support them: and the UK. feel welcome, solicit feedback on the BCCJ. The secretariat welcomes feedback and encourages members to

British business interests in Japan were recognised in Herwith Majesty Queen familiarise themselves executive Elizabeth’s Birthday Honours earlier committee representatives, in List order to this year.thoughts Two of the titansthat of will express andUK’s opinions industry Japan (and am proud theyof lead us toinproviding theI highest levels are fellow Executive Committee service forBCCJ the membership at large. members andcommittee friends), Richard Thornley Executive members and Ray Bremner, were amongfor those are, essentially, ambassadors the on the rollThey of honour. BCCJ. introduce new members, Innovators such as Dyson and invite guests to events, and support Brompton Bicycle Ltd—makers of the organisational goals. folding bicycle presented to Prime You will be hearing more from Minister Yoshihiko by Cameron during his individual Noda members of this 2012–13 recent visit—continue to amaze committee in subsequent issuesand of turn heads in Japan, a country rightfully ACUMEN. Should you havethat anyisquestions proud of its own innovation and cuttingfor executive committee members, please edge email:design. info@bccjapan.com. It is truly an honour that Emerson Roberts, CEO of Brompton 2012 British Business AwardsBicycle, will be our guestto speaker at this BBA In response feedback overyear’s the years ceremony. The event will provide great from the executive committee, for athe opportunity to rub shoulders one fifth British Business Awards with we will of the UK’s more leading businessmen andall encourage nominations across innovators. categories, to create even more of a buzz BBA is an opportunity for all in The advance of also this headliner event—this of usslated to celebrate everything is great year for 2 November atthat the Conrad about UK’s business relations the with Tokyo the hotel. The more nominees, more Japan: from the the industrial giants Rolls- for attendees—and more opportunities Royce plcdevelopment and Nissan Motor Company business for everyone. Ltd, and the market-changers Unilever and Robert Walters, to the champions YouTube As part of the BCCJ’s communications strategy, we now have our own YouTube

MORE REASONS TO VISIT THE BCCJ ACUMEN WEBSITE

of diversity that are BT Japan, and the entrepreneurs whoto continue to bring fresh channel, designed drive traffic to the ideas and newthrough directions to the business BCCJ website search-engine community here. optimisation, and showcase the diversity you to be a partthis of the of We our want events programme, year led by celebrations toof make this year’s Group. BBA the Graham Davis the Economist largest, most diverseincluding and greatest BBA A number of videos, “BCCJ to date. British Business Awards 2011”, have been The plans aretuned all in place an BCCJ evening uploaded. Stay to see for more of spectacular entertainment, including member firms featured in the weeks and the sumptuous months ahead. service of the Conrad and wonderful drinks andexecutive superb raffle prizes Steve Crane, chief of Business provided byK.K., our sponsors. Link Japan and winner of the Person the one and only thing that of However, the Year prize at the British Business will make the said BBArecently: great this“Following year is you,on Awards 2011, the ascomment well as the chance to frommembers, the BCCJ’s about utilising spend with friends and colleagues videos time to maximise opportunity, there from the chamber. has been a steady flow of viewers to my If you have not please visit the BBA video (360 soalready, far). Many prospective BCCJ website or phoneit,the Secretariat clients have watched and have goneto book tickets to be us. partSince of thewinning premier on to your do business with British business the award, I havecommunity seen a clearevent. upturn in is also a wonderful opportunity to ourThis sales, which suggests that (a) winning impress your friends with everything a BBA has a clear, positive effect on that is great about business, and Britain. (b) capturing the moment See you there! and putting it out there on social media is a very good thing!” Nick Walters BCCJ President Lori Henderson BCCJ Executive Director

bccjacumen.com

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MAY 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 19

LATEST UK–JAPAN REPORTS

Jeans Brand Opens Setagaya Store

Denim brand Lee Cooper has opened its first shop in Japan, according to a press release issued on 22 September. Founded in 1908, the brand recently opened its first branch in Tokyo’s Setagaya district. Interior features in the new shop were

shipped from London to offer an authentic British shopping experience. Lee Cooper is planning numerous other launches throughout Japan, and another shop is expected to open before the year-end in Yokohama.

Honda to Invest in Swindon Factory

about Nomura Group’s commitment to London. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne last year opened Nomura’s new headquarters in the capital city and praised the firm’s investment as a sign the UK economy was “open for business”.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will invest £267mn in its Swindon plant, the Financial Times reported on 6 September. The investment marks the firm’s biggest expansion in the UK in over a decade. The Japanese carmaker will add 500 jobs at the UK factory, which is one of the firm’s largest in Europe. Most of the investment will go towards the production of a new 1.6L diesel engine for Honda’s Civic car, to be launched in December. The plant manufactured 97,000 vehicles in 2011, and plans to boost production to 183,000 units this year.

Tokyo Bank to Cut City Jobs

The Nomura Group will eliminate more than 200 jobs at its London office, the Daily Telegraph reported on 21 September. The job cuts at the Japanese investment bank are part of a £616mn cost-saving programme, and have raised questions

14 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

Report Warns of Uncertainty Ahead

Japan is facing a period of uncertainty in its domestic and international sectors, a London-based think tank stated in its global strategic survey, released on 13 September. The International Institute for Strategic Studies believes a general election in Japan is unlikely to have a clear outcome, and could result in the formation of a grand coalition or merger of political parties. The document also states that Japan’s relations with other countries are not especially promising. The survey notes the difficult relationship Japan is having with China, due to a territorial dispute. It also says Japan’s relationship with the US is not what it was in the past.

Survey of World’s Most Competitive Nations

The UK is the world’s eighth most competitive country, followed by Japan in ninth position, according to a 2012–2013 World Economic Forum (WEF) report issued on 5 September. The Global Competitiveness Report, published annually since 1979, rates countries according to its 12 pillars of competitiveness, taking into consideration a range of factors, from the state of the infrastructure to the effectiveness of its health and education systems. The forum singled out the UK’s ability to recruit and retain talented staff, the efficiency of its labour market, and firms’ abilities to harness technology to bolster productivity. It also praised collaboration between universities and industry. Switzerland maintained its position at the top of the table.

Anti-terror Bins Display Quake Info PHOTO: LONDON PRESS SERVICE

Tokyo will get British blast-resistant recycling bins fitted with real-time information screens, the London Press Service reported on 24 September. Renew’s high-tech information screens are to be used in the capital to provide commuters at railway stations, travellers at airports, and people in shopping centres with earthquake warnings. The service could allow commuters an extra 10–15 seconds to seek shelter ahead of a major natural disaster. The Japanese government learned about Renew through the firm’s involvement in a UK Trade & Investment export initiative.

Fans Pay Homage Maths Theory “Solved” to Midlands Writer Japanese fans of George Eliot have travelled to the UK to walk in her footsteps, the Coventry Telegraph reported on 8 September. Fourteen members of the Japanese branch of the George Eliot Fellowship visited Nuneaton and Coventry, and saw where the English novelist lived and the places which inspired many of the characters and scenes in her books.

One of the world’s most complex mathematical theories proposed by a British mathematician may have been cracked by a Japanese scholar, The Daily Telegraph reported on 19 September. Shinichi Mochizuki, a Kyoto University mathematician, has released four papers detailing his proof of the 1985 abc hypothesis. The proof took four years to calculate and, if confirmed, will be one of the greatest mathematical achievements so far this century.

Leicester’s De Montfort University (DMU) hosted students from a Japanese university in a summer school programme designed to improve the students’ English skills, This is Leicestershire reported on 31 August. The goal of the three-week programme, developed by DMU’s Centre for English Language Learning, was to improve the

16 Keio University students’ speaking, listening, pronunciation, reading and writing skills. In forging new links with Japan, the university will join members of the UK and Japanese governments for a debate on the delivery of first-class higher education now and in the future in both countries.

University Hosts English Summer School

Tokyo Artist at V&A Museum

Oki Sato’s Mimicry Chairs at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London

The London Design Festival 2012 featured an installation by a Japanese designer as its main exhibit, The Guardian reported on 14 September. The Victoria and Albert Museum showcased the work of Oki Sato whose artwork comprised a series of white chair installations that appeared in various locations throughout the museum. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the festival featured over 300 events.

Traditional Objects Exhibited The largest collection in the UK of Japanese Shibayama lacquerware was exhibited in a Cornish museum, This is Cornwall reported on 18 September. The highly ornate and exotic items are thought to be unique in the West and are believed to be an example of European fascination with all things Japanese from the 1860s to the turn of 20th century.

Red Devils in Yanmar Deal

Manchester United are to have a new threeyear partnership with leading Japanese engineering firm Yanmar Co., Ltd., the Mail Online reported on 14 September. The agreement with one of the world’s leading engine manufacturing firms will allow the football team to use the firm’s expertise in their key markets worldwide and enhance the team’s profile in Japan. Yanmar also have a strong record in supporting young sporting talent in Asia.

Wales to Play in Osaka, Tokyo

Japan will play a two-match rugby test series against Wales next June, media reported on 24 September. Wales, currently ranked sixth in the world, will play the 16th position Japanese national rugby team at Osaka’s Hanazono Stadium and at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. The rugby world cup semifinalists last played in Japan in 2001.

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 15

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Moving Forward Our new office is increasing BCCJ efficiency

’m delighted to report that in August, after 18 happy years in Iidabashi’s Eigo Centre Building, the BCCJ office moved to a more convenient central Tokyo location: Mori Building Co., Ltd’s ARK Hills complex in Tameike-sanno. This milestone relocation, only the second to independent premises in our 65-year history, is reinvigorating the BCCJ’s activities and improving overall business productivity. Described as a “mixed-use compact city”, the culture- and commerce-rich ARK Hills complex offers a variety of popular business meeting spots and restaurants; it is also home to the ANA InterContinental Tokyo, one of our Platinum Members. The building in which we are located, the 190,000m2 Ark Mori Tower, enjoys a high occupancy rate and houses chamber member firms Aston Martin, BT Japan and Bentley Motors Limited. Other highlights in our midst include the world-class concert venue Suntory Hall, the Asahi Broadcasting Corporation’s studios, JETRO HQ, Twitter Japan, and a multi-purpose square where a food market is held every weekend. The BCCJ’s closer proximity to member firms and business facilities means we are spending less time on the Tokyo Metro, and more time identifying and

meeting the needs of our 700-strong membership. The views of Tokyo Tower and one of the ARK Gardens from our 12th-floor office are an added bonus. The BCCJ has seen a succession of achievements in the past year, including: the unveiling of a new website; the implementation of an efficient eventbooking and payment system; the commencement of online membership applications; the migration to a digital membership directory; the circulation of a weekly e-newsletter to over 700 members; and the development of a comprehensive social media presence through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and YouTube. The move to our new, modern, serviced workplace run by BCCJ member firm Regus is allowing us to further streamline our back-office functions and move closer to our goal of a paperless office. The key objectives of the move, as stipulated by our Executive Committee in March, are to: • Reflect the BCCJ’s mission and objectives of a vibrant, expanding business organisation • Increase safety and security for staff, visitors and data

• Increase efficiency by relocating to a more central location, within closer reach of member firms and event venues • Reduce resources associated with hosting external meetings and events • Reinforce business contingency planning procedures • Secure a more competitive rent Our new office is now showcasing the BCCJ as a progressive and increasingly relevant business operation. Access to open, collaborative spaces and state-ofthe-art facilities is enabling us to become even more responsive to the varied needs of our member firms. As we strive to stay ahead of the curve in serving our membership, we are confident our new, vibrant environment has the capacity to support future growth plans. The BCCJ wishes to thank all members and member firms that have helped support our relocation activities, in particular: A-CROSS, Clifford Chance, Colliers International, and Regus.

Lori Henderson BCCJ Executive Director

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MEDIA

WHAT YOU MISSED IN THE JAPANESE PRESS

BY MARK SCHREIBER

Bosses Forced to Coddle Costly Quitters What’s So In an Asahi Shimbun “Nayami no soudan” (personal advice) column in September, a female manager in her 40s poured out her woes about a subordinate who snacked on bread throughout the workday. “If I don’t eat something I’ll die”, was his excuse. “It’s a physiological thing”, he insisted. “I simply can’t control it”. Moreover, whenever the worker’s supply of coffee ran out, he would leave the office to replenish it, even if it meant having an hour deducted from his accrued paid leave. Unfortunately, advising such an eccentric member of staff to resign was not an option. “At our company, such a manager would have his or her job assessment reduced by two points”, an HR manager at a large manufacturing firm told Nikkan Gendai (15 September), adding that each point deducted chops 5% off the individual’s basic income. “The 10% cut also would apply to bonus payments. Moreover, if two people in a department resign within the same year, the cuts would be equivalent to a demotion,” he added. Such policies leave managers with no alternative but to keep the eccentrics on board, and find ways to steer them towards more productive behaviour.

An IT sector mid-level manager, named Yamamoto, finally allowed a staff member in his third year at the firm to conduct his first presentation—even though other staff members repeatedly insisted he lacked the self-confidence to perform the task. Nevertheless, on the day of the presentation (a Friday), he came through with flying colours. “Great job”, Yamamoto told him. “When you come back on Monday, keep up the good work”. And that was the last time the worker showed his face in the office. It seems that, during the two days he had to reflect on his work over the weekend, the sudden increase in pressure was too much for the employee. And poor Yamamoto-san, who had done nothing wrong, was nonetheless forced to take a wage cut. The article suggests that some younger workers, knowing the system unfairly penalises managers, may use threats of resignation to manipulate situations to their own advantage. If that’s the case, it concludes, then firms will need to plug the holes in their rules, or they very well may lose good managers as well.

PHOTO: TETSUDO KAIKAN CO, LTD.

Snazzy Stations Push up Property Values

Sweets Bouquet is located in Central Street.

As the value of commercial properties continues to plunge in urban areas—0.8% year on year (YoY) in the nation’s three largest urban areas—the Nikkei Marketing Journal (21 September) appears to have found a formula that is resisting the trend. The one exception, it seems, is at spots where railway station buildings have been redeveloped. Of the top 10 areas reporting increases in land values, several have played host to major redevelopment projects. Perhaps the best known is the area in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward,

18 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

around the Tokyo Sky Tree. The value of land in the area has seen the second-highest hike nationally (at 9.8% YoY). Other areas reporting sharp increases in value include the area in front of Musashi Kosugi Station in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture (up 7.3% YoY); and the area adjacent to JR Hakata Station in Fukuoka, Kyushu (up 5.4% YoY). The thrice-weekly newspaper also noted that the residential areas closest to redeveloped railway stations, such as the Terrace Mall Shounan in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and the abovementioned Musashi Kosugi in Kawasaki, also appear to have benefited in the form of higher assessed property values. Needless to say, the ekinaka kakumei (instation revolution) is almost certain to cause a rise in consumption at the newly renovated Tokyo Station. Beyond the red brick façade on the venerable Marunouchi side of the station, the newly opened Central Street ground-floor shopping area is already drawing large crowds.

Bad about North Kanto?

It’s rare to see a survey that focuses on unpopularity. But the online publication J-Cast News (24 September) felt moved to comment after the annual Brand Research Institute, Inc. survey of Japan’s prefectures ranked Gunma Prefecture rock bottom. Conducted earlier this year, the survey attracted 30,375 respondents, who were asked to rate the brand image of Japan’s 47 prefectures. Ibaraki Prefecture, which had been placed last in the previous four polls, moved up one position to 46th. In 44th place was Tochigi, with Fukushima coming 43rd. Of the five prefectures ranked lowest, all but one—Saga Prefecture in Kyushu—were situated northeast of Tokyo. The rankings were determined by points allocated for “overall appeal”, “desirability as a place to live”, and “intention to visit for sightseeing”. The top five prefectures, by contrast, were well-distributed around the country. In descending order from 1st place are Hokkaido (top for four years running), followed by Kyoto, Okinawa, Tokyo and Nara. The newspaper points out that the low rankings for north Kanto might be due to the prefectures’ proximity to Tokyo. Certainly being overshadowed by the capital city makes differentiation more difficult. Gunma Prefecture, for example, boasts numerous popular tourist attractions, including a famous mineral hot spring— Kusatsu Onsen. The area is also well known as a producer of onions and konnyaku, a jellylike food made from the starch of the devil’s tongue plant. Nevertheless, Gunma has been unable to parlay its numerous strengths into a positive name brand. Nagano Prefecture, which borders Gunma, has seen its star ascend in recent years. The prefecture has moved from outside the top 10 in 2009 to seventh place this year. The March 2011 nuclear accident appears to have had considerable impact on Fukushima Prefecture’s already weak rating as a desirable place to live. The prefecture fell from 28th place in 2010 to rock bottom in 2011, where it remains this year. Fukui Prefecture, home of the Ohi nuclear reactor that was restarted at the beginning of summer this year, fell from 40th place to 46th in the survey.

MEDIA

Cleaning Up the Market The Nikkei Marketing Journal (14 September) reports that Dyson vacuum cleaners will double their share to 10% of the Japan domestic market over the next five years. Nobuhiro Asano, president of Dyson Japan, announced that the firm’s sales in Japan are now ranked third worldwide, after those in the US and the UK, and are the fastest growing of the three. The firm plans to bolster sales through mass retailing outlets and via the Internet. At a six-day hands-on promotional event held in Tokyo’s Omotesando area, the firm paraded its latest models, including a stick-

Latest Top 10 Hotel Ratings Reveal Surprises

type rechargeable vacuum cleaner. Prices range from ¥59,800 to ¥92,800. “On a monetary basis, Dyson’s domestic share is 13%”, said Asano, who credits this to the models’ retail price which exceeds the industry average. About 60% of Dyson’s sales are via mass retail shops and around 20% are via mail order, including TV infomercials. Promotional activities are focusing on orientation sessions to familiarise sales staff at mass merchandisers, and production of videos that will give consumers a better understanding of the products’ features.

President of Dyson Japan announced that the firm’s sales here are now ranked third worldwide, after those in the US and the UK, and are the fastest growing of the three.

The Imperial Hotel Tokyo

Shukan Diamond’s 25 August issue published the business weekly’s annual survey of Japan’s best hotels, based on responses from 12,000 travellers. Top-rated in terms of customer satisfaction was the Yokohama Royal Park Hotel (with 216 points), followed by the Yokohama Grand InterContinental (212); Osaka’s Rihga Royal Hotel (204); the Ritz-Carlton Osaka (203); Tokyo Disney Sea Hotel MiraCosta (198); Tokyo Bay Hilton (197); Imperial Hotel (195); Sheraton Grand Tokyo Bay Hotel (194); Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel (173); and Disney Ambassador Hotel (165). What is remarkable about the top 10 hotels is that only one—the Imperial—is located in Tokyo, while three are in Chiba, two in Yokohama and two in Osaka. Diamond’s scoring system awarded points based on comfort of the guest rooms, communications, facilities, service, accessibility, neighbourhood environment, view, rates, value for money, reception, food and beverage, history and name familiarity. When asked, “Where would you like to

stay in the future?”—regarded as an indicator of familiarity—the respondents showed a preference for established brands and foreign chains. Undisputed and crowning the list is the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, with 2,417 points. In satisfaction scores, the Imperial was placed in the top 10 by every age demographic except males in their 20s. Along with its 122-year history, a key factor in the Imperial’s popularity, may be its food and beverage services, which were ranked top nationwide. The top five was completed by the Hotel Okura Tokyo, ANA InterContinental Tokyo, Rihga Royal Hotel and Shinagawa Prince Hotel. The business weekly’s article notes that a new hotel war is likely to heat up in 2014, when several high-class hotels, now planned or already under construction, will open for business. This is also likely to see greater efforts, by both the government and private sector, to promote the flow of tourists from abroad.

The Yokohama Royal Park Hotel

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 19

COVER STORY

The Madness of a Ban Despite same risk status as Japanese beef, the British variety has been banned here for 16 years but could be back soon By Julian Ryall • • • •

British beef could return here soon Banned due to BSE since 1996 Tokyo negotiating with EU nations French, Dutch leading stampede

oming from herds of Aberdeen Angus, Belted Galloways, South Devons and Welsh Blacks, British beef is recognised as among the finest in the world. The UK beef industry undoubtedly sustained a major blow after bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, was discovered and its implications recognised. However, 16 years after British beef was banned in Japan, there are hopes that it could return to menus here in the not-toodistant future. According to Eblex, the organisation set up to promote English beef and sheep production, this revelation is excellent news for British farmers, restaurant owners in Japan, and anyone who enjoys a tasty and tender steak from top-quality beef raised in the perfect environment. “British beef is characterised by being very natural and is produced through pasture-rearing—principally on grass, as opposed to being grain fed”, Peter Hardwick, head of trade development for Eblex, told BCCJ ACUMEN. “This is one of the few things for which we can thank British weather! “The climate, coupled with the nature of our countryside, makes it perfect for naturally grown grass on which ruminants can graze”, he said. “As well

20 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

as a strong sustainability message, we The judging panel was made up of chefs believe this gives our beef a special and and culinary journalists, who compared delicious flavour”. a range of rib-eye steaks from countries As home to some of the great beef around the world, including the US, breeds, Britain is where line breeding Australia, Argentina and EU nations. techniques were first implemented by “Belgium is a country with an agriculturalist Robert Bakewell (1725– outstanding culinary tradition and they 1795). As a result, the nation became the unanimously picked the English beef first to breed livestock systematically matured on the bone as being the best of and selectively. the bunch”, said Hardwick. In addition, the UK has other protocols The judging panel commented that the in place. It has developed sophisticated, winning beef was “very tender with lots of whole-chain assurance systems that character and excellent texture” and had provide guarantees on traceability, “succulent fat and a pronounced taste”. and have strategies in Nevertheless, there is no place to protect animal escaping the fact that the welfare. The latter are industry was badly damaged particularly important in by the outbreak of BSE, which terms of minimising stress, could be traced back to a cow recognised as a major cause in the UK that fell ill in 1986. of toughness in meat, while The UK was the country the promotion of postmost affected by the disease, slaughter techniques helps as a result of which 4.4mn to improve the quality of cattle were slaughtered in the meat. the subsequent eradication “And this is on top of the programme. breeding and on-farm work In March 1996, the EU Peter Hardwick: British beef is that optimises the animals introduced an export ban on special and delicious. for beef production”, UK beef to its member nations. Hardwick added. “Of course, we do not It remained in place until May 2006. pretend to produce Kobe-style beef, The presence of BSE in cattle has been or wagyu, but we do believe we have a reported by some 30 countries, including product that matches and outperforms the US and Canada, while 26 cases have that imported from elsewhere”. been identified in Japan. Underlining this bold claim, Eblex, Following the BSE crisis in Europe, a division of the Agriculture and Japan imposed a ban on all beef imports Horticulture Development Board, from the EU. The ban remains in place, pointed out that British beef from a although two EU member states—France West Country producer won a 2010 and the Netherlands—have applied to competition organised by a Belgian the Japanese authorities for their cattle to gastronomy magazine to find the best be given a clean bill of health, and for a steak in Belgium. lifting of the ban as it applies to their beef.

COVER STORY

“The UK government will be acting with the Japanese government to re-introduce British beef here as soon as possible”.

The UK is in the process of filing the same application. However, the Japanese authorities are handling the matter on a country-by-country basis, and British beef has not yet reached the same stage in the negotiations as that from the EU. A spokesman for Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare confirmed that a detailed questionnaire about the safety of British beef has been submitted to the UK government through the embassy here. Both that ministry and Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries declined to comment on the status of the EU’s application for imports of beef to resume. “While the expression ‘perfectly safe’ can never have any meaning, what we can say is that the levels of risk and control in each country are evaluated by the World Organisation for Animal Health [known by the acronym, OIE, for the French organisation, Office International des Epizootiesits] and, on this basis, countries are classified by risk status”, Hardwick explained. “Currently, the UK has the same risk status as Japan, the Netherlands, France, Canada, the US and most EU member states”. A handful of the EU states have a negligible risk status, due either to the fact that they have never had any reported cases of BSE, or have not had a case for at least seven years. The OIE pays closest attention to the control measures on the grounds that, without good surveillance, a nation can never be completely sure of its BSE status. The first factor is the release assessment. This evaluates the risk of the presence of the disease based on a country’s current and past levels of BSE, as a result of, for example, the presence of infected feed. The second consideration is the exposure assessment, which determines

the measures in place to ensure that no infected animals or materials enter the food chain. In the UK, the measures have been in place for over a decade and have played a critical role in fully re-establishing exports with the EU and about 50 other markets beyond. “These controls are central to protecting consumers, and the measures in the UK are recognised as being robust”, Hardwick said. “In short, the OIE recognises that UK beef is ‘as safe as’ beef from other comparable countries, including Japan”. In mid-September, Japan announced that, in the near future, it hopes to file an application with the OIE to be granted “negligible risk” status for mad cow disease. As the last of the 36 cases found in Japan was confirmed 11 years ago, the Parisbased organisation is expected to approve the request when it meets next May. While Japan was never a major, highvolume market for British beef producers, there was a long-standing interest in very high-quality beef, including strip steak, rib-eye and fillet. “There is certainly a desire in the UK to increase beef exports worldwide, not just to Japan, and we are working to achieve that here”, said a spokesman for the British Embassy Tokyo. “British beef is of a very high quality, and is a product with which chefs around the world want to work. “The UK government will be acting with the Japanese government to reintroduce British beef here as soon as possible”. On a positive note, in early September, Japanese government sources were quoted by the local media as having said that controls on beef imports will be relaxed in the early part of next year. In addition, the Japanese government will raise the age limit placed on beef

KNOW YOUR BEEF Aberdeen Angus: This native British breed dates back to the 1800s. It is arguably the best known and most numerous breed of beef cattle in the world. The beef is well-marbled with creamywhite fat interwoven throughout the close-grained texture, preventing the meat from becoming hard and leathery. Hereford: One of the oldest and most important breeds of cattle in the history of British livestock. The meat is of the highest quality, tender and very well marbled. It has a distinctive depth of flavour. Lincoln Red: Developed to thrive on the cold marshes of Lincolnshire. The wellmarbled flesh has an excellent flavour. North Devon and South Devon: These breeds produce meat with perfect marbling and fat coverage that, when hung for the appropriate length of time, produce very tender and flavoursome beef. Some herds are referred to as Red Devon or Red Rubies, because of the breeds’ red colouring. Sussex: One of the oldest and purest breeds of British cattle. The Normans found Sussex cattle in the south of England at the time of the 1066 conquest.

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 21

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COVER STORY

Exmoor has some of the finest grazing country.

imports. At present, beef may come from cattle that are 20 months old. Based on studies carried out by a 13-strong panel of experts, it has been decided that, in future, the cattle may be up to 30 months old when slaughtered. The scientists have said that the new rules also will be applied to beef from the US, Canada, France and the Netherlands. Japan’s decision will help its case for taking part in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multinational free-trade agreement (FTA) that aims to liberalise the economies of the Asia-Pacific region. Washington has stated that relaxing the rules on beef is one of the key conditions it expects to be met before it agrees to Japan taking part in freetrade talks. The UK beef industry is carefully monitoring ongoing discussions on imports between the governments of Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the US. “Australia wants to continue to supply Japan, our long-term business and trading partner”, said Melanie Brock, regional manager of the Japan office of Meat & Livestock Australia. “We hope to continue working with Japanese retailers and food service operators, so as to meet the needs of the very discerning and safety-conscious Japanese consumer”. The two nations are currently negotiating an FTA that, it is hoped, will help Australian producers improve on the 325,000t of beef that Japan is expected to import in 2012. “Japanese consumers have long enjoyed the many benefits of Aussie beef, but an FTA would allow for a reduction in tariffs, making the beef more reasonably priced”, said Brock. “The key is to invigorate the market in a way that consumption of beef in general is raised.

“Increased consumption will benefit imported beef and Japanese beef, meaning a bigger piece of a bigger pie for all”, she added. Another consideration for Japan is its record-low food self-sufficiency rate. There is little likelihood that this situation will improve in the near future. “The Japanese government needs to shore up supplies of safe food for Japanese consumers”, Brock added. Australian beef accounted for 39% of all beef sold in Japan in 2011, down slightly from 40% the previous year. US beef accounts for about 20%, down dramatically from the 46% share of the market it held in 2003. Each year, the Japanese consume about 10kg of beef per head of population, compared with an average of 44kg per head for Americans. Japan’s total beef consumption in 2009 was 840,649t. As the fourth-largest net importer of beef in the world—after the US, Russia and China—Japan is a very attractive market for British beef farmers. After the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs completes the Japanese government’s detailed questionnaire, a Japanese inspection of UK facilities is likely to take place. “We have no indication that there are any sticking points as such, nor have any specific concerns been raised, given that the UK currently enjoys the same BSE status as Japan”, Hardwick said. “No doubt the Japanese authorities will want to verify the information given and satisfy themselves that the standards required are being met in reality. “This is perfectly reasonable and we would expect this to be a normal procedure”, he said. “The EU is equally vigorous in checking that standards are met, so we would expect nothing less.

“The ban on imports was imposed as a public health protection measure and to maintain confidence”, he added. “But there is now a recognition that the BSE crisis is behind us and that decisions to reopen markets need to be made on a scientific basis in line with international standards”. Ian Tozer, the Brit who opened the landmark Roppongi restaurant Roti, said he cannot wait to get his hands on a fine cut of British beef. Consumers here, he believes, are missing out. “We do have some grass-fed beef from New Zealand, but it is very limited cuts that are only really suitable for grilling as steaks”, he said. “We need more roasting and braising cuts and certainly to go back to beef on the bone. “British beef is produced to some of the highest welfare standards in the world: no growth-promoting hormones are fed to beef cattle in the UK, and any antibiotics are administered only under veterinary direction”, he added. Tozer also pointed out that Britain’s beef industry is the envy of the world. The chance to breed from UK livestock and the genetic features of UK native breeds are much sought after by farmers in other countries. When selecting the perfect cut of beef, Tozer said he looks for identity, heritage, footprint, marbling, ageing, how the animal was fed, on what it was fed, and for how long. “You have to know your beef when it was walking around the field as well as when it’s on your butcher’s block”, he added. “The best British beef, which has been hung and aged properly, will have more flavour and you will know that just from the aromas that come out of your oven, even before you get to taste it. “It’s beef aromatherapy”, he said. “It will wake up your carnivore senses”.

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 23

CSR

Volunteers for the Vulnerable Post-quake focus shifts from urgent aid to long-term help Custom Media

hen the Great East Japan Earthquake struck the north-east of the country with such devastating power last year, Yoshihiro Hara had no idea how he might be able to help—but he knew he had to do something. A medical representative for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) plc. covering the Tohoku region, 38-year-old Hara spent time assisting with much-needed clerical work at the Watari Volunteer Centre in Miyagi Prefecture. He also helped remove debris from shattered houses and cleared roads and drainage ditches of the rubble and detritus that was left in the wake of the worst natural disaster to strike this nation in living memory. “After seeing how everything had been smashed up or swept away by the tsunami and left in ruins—and when I thought of all the people who had lost their lives— I was left with the lasting impressions of catastrophe and tragedy”, Hara told BCCJ ACUMEN. “I also thought just how unfair life can be when a highway could draw the line between life and death”, he said. “There were areas on one side of the road, and closer to the sea, that had been completely devastated, but homes and buildings on the other side had not been affected at all”. Helping in the emergency evacuation centres, he lost count of the number of

GSK’s Team Orange helped quake survivors with a soup kitchen, healthcare seminars, relief supplies and clearing debris.

24 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

Yoshihiro Hara

Helping in the emergency evacuation centres, he lost count of the number of times people thanked him—“with tears in their eyes”. times people thanked him—“with tears in their eyes”—as they tried to remain cheerful, despite their losses. “I saw several volunteers helping others even though I knew they had lost loved ones in the disaster”, he said. “An elderly couple listened to a neighbour’s grief and anguish, although they themselves were in great distress”. Hara was just one of 269 GSK staff members who were quick to volunteer with Team Orange—so named for their distinctive orange anoraks that the corporation’s volunteers wear—to assist in the disaster zone. Philippe Fauchet, president and representative director of GSK Japan, was among the volunteers. They undertook tasks ranging from delivering relief supplies and operating a soup kitchen, to clearing debris, providing healthcare seminars and even planting flowers.

“We undertook these tasks not simply to achieve the short-term objectives but, rather, because we believe that it is part of our responsibility to support those who are in need”, said Mayuko Hashimoto, who oversees community activities at GSK Japan. “We have the ways and means to support them and that is what we will do as a company which is also a member of society”. Now, 19 months after the disaster struck, there is no need for soup kitchens or truckloads of emergency supplies. But GSK is still committed to providing support and moving the aid into a new phase. “While many of those who have provided support tend to leave the affected area as local needs shift from emergency relief to longer-term rehabilitation, there are vulnerable people left behind, such as the elderly and people who have lost their jobs”, Hashimoto added. “In addition, some communities need to be rebuilt”, she pointed out. “We help reorganizing volunteers’ and supporters’ networks to support their NPO efforts, which will be a critical component of building a new community in the city, as well as sending volunteers regularly to events in temporary housing”. Another innovative initiative will raise ¥65mn through a company-wide campaign to encourage staff to use less electricity, which will fund scholarships for 30 students from the Tohoku region to study pharmacy at university. GSK, based in Brentford, west London, has a long history of assisting those around the world who are less well-off. “As a pharmaceutical company, we are already contributing a great deal to society as we are able to provide cures for people who are ill”, said Yoshiaki Komatsu, manager of GSK’s corporate communications department. “We are also concentrating a great deal of our efforts on devising cures for rare diseases. “Not many companies are interested in that field because of the difficulty and challenges involved in making this a sustainable business, but we at GSK believe we have the responsibility to find cures”, he stressed. Globally, the firm provides people in developing countries with medicines they are not ordinarily able to access,

CSR

including many medications that are provided free. GSK also extends support to children with intractable diseases and their families. Staff volunteers help to operate summer camps for many of these children. The firm also has plans to establish a work experience programme for youngsters who attend a school close to its west Tokyo headquarters. While much of the firm’s CSR and volunteer efforts were focused on people and places outside Japan before the events of March last year, it is recognised that a long-term commitment needs to be made to the people of north-east Japan. GSK has also so far sent about 100 Team Orange volunteers to support Fukushima Indoor Park, where an NPO operates for children in Koriyama-city whose outdoors play is restricted due to the threat of radiation.

In the 12 months after the disaster, GSK staff had also donated over ¥2.4mn and more than 400 food packages, which were delivered by Team Orange and an NPO in March and June to the temporary houses in Ishinomaki, where many elderly people live. GSK has also helped generate cash from McLaren F1 Car events and donated revenues to NPOs which continue to work in the affected areas. “I strongly believe that it is becoming increasingly important to help these people get over the psychological shock that they have suffered”, said Hara. “I sincerely hope that people will be able to regain some peace of mind through a combination of consultations at healthcare facilities, medical assistance from the government and counselling by volunteers”. GSK, the firm emphasised, is certainly here for the long haul.

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“Carnival” Raises Millions for Children with Cancer Custom Media

hine On! Kids (Tyler Foundation) held it’s seventh annual fundraiser on 28 September at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. Some 360 guests attended the Vintage Carnival Extravaganza event, which was held to support children with cancer and other serious illnesses in Japan. Guests wore fancy dress outfits, while candy floss, drinks and banners (made by sick children and their siblings) were on sale. Then, for the enjoyment of all, there were carnival games, live music and circus performances. Kim Forsythe, president of Shine On! Kids (Tyler Foundation), spoke about the organisation and their work. She also announced the charity’s new brand name, Shine On! Kids. The event raised more than ¥25mn, all of which will go to support Shine On! Kids’ groundbreaking programmes which operate in 14 hospitals throughout Japan. www.sokids.org

Shine On! Kids (Tyler Foundation) founders Kim Forsythe and Mark Ferris are presented with a cheque from Pieroth Japan K.K.

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 27

DRINKS

PAID TO PARTY

“I was excited as a child when I saw all the different bottles, the colours, the shapes and the labels. I was fascinated by these things”. 28 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

DRINKS

Working where “shaken, not stirred” was first uttered

(Above) Alessandro Palazzi: best job in the world (Right) Dukes’ martini inspired James Bond writer Ian Fleming.

By Julian Ryall

t took Alessandro Palazzi three weeks to perfect the Fleming 89, but the author after whom it is named would surely have approved. “Everything must come straight from the freezer”, said Palazzi who, since 2007, has been the head barman of Dukes Hotel in St James’s. To make the drink, Palazzi adds sugared roses from Fortnum and Mason, a splash of chocolate bitters, an infusion of South American tonka beans prepared in advance and Russian vodka—before the final touch of rose liqueur is applied with an atomiser. Palazzi, who visited Tokyo in May to give a series of martini masterclasses at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Roppongi’s Midtown complex and take part in the Tokyo International Bar Show’s Whisky Live, explained: “I called it the Fleming 89 because the area around the hotel is surrounded by history—including the perfumery Floris”, said Italian-born Palazzi. “And Floris 89 was Ian Fleming’s favourite eau de cologne. “The Fleming 89 is probably the most complicated martini ever made because if you leave the beans too long, the flavour is too strong and the taste is awful”, said Palazzi, who arrived in London in 1975 but has risen to the peak of the bartending profession at one of the most prestigious— and certainly the most storied—hotels in Britain. The lodgings that, at the World Travel Awards in 2011, won the title, England’s Leading Boutique Hotel, were built in 1890 and have served as a hotel since 1908. Between the grounds of Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly, St James’s is one of the most famous districts of London and home to many traditional retailers, such as John Lobb Bootmaker, Berry Bros. & Rudd and the exclusive tailors of Jermyn Street. It was an area in which naval intelligence officer Fleming—and his alter ego, James Bond—thrived. Shortly before Casino Royale—the first Bond novel—was published in 1953, Fleming was enjoying a martini in Dukes when the phrase “shaken, not stirred” was uttered. It instantly became the suave spy’s preferred way of preparing a martini. Fleming died in 1964, having penned 12 Bond novels, but his legacy lives on at Dukes. “I really wanted to recreate those drinks and a lot of my martinis are inspired by Ian Fleming”, said Palazzi. “He is, of course, famous for creating James Bond, but for me it is all about the drink.

“‘Shaken, not stirred’ is such a simple phrase, but the words have power and are now repeated all over the world”. After the Tokyo Whisky Live event, he told ACUMEN: “I’ve got the best job in the world because I get paid to party every day”, said 54-year-old Palazzi. “I was excited as a child when I saw all the different bottles, the colours, the shapes and the labels. I was fascinated by these things. Even today, the first thing I do when I pick up a new bottle is look at the label”. Palazzi—who says his favourite tipple, when he is off duty, is a bourbon Manhattan or a gin martini—oversees a staff of four at Dukes. Drinks are served from the trolley at the table, while the atmosphere of the three-room bar is more akin to that of a gentleman’s club. A stock of no fewer than 14 gins and 12 vodkas is kept in large freezers, together with around 100 chilled glasses. The year 2008 marked the centenary of both Dukes’ opening and Ian Fleming’s birth. To mark the double celebration, Palazzi set himself the task of creating a contemporary version of the martini that Bond ordered in Casino Royale and later named the Vesper, after the book’s female lead, Vesper Lynd. Since the French vermouth Kina Lillet is no longer produced, Palazzi turned to a small distiller in Highgate, North London, for a dry vermouth. This is added to one part of Polish vodka, three parts of gin, a couple of drops of angostura bitters and stirred with a twist of lemon. “I use Polish vodka because Fleming was inspired by meeting a Polish woman who was really a spy and risked her life for Britain”, he said. “That woman became Vesper in the book and, because she betrays him, Bond becomes the ladies’ man of legend”. And it’s just the sort of legend that a place such as Dukes inspires. www.dukeshotel.com

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 29

WINE

Changing Tastes Royalty and sport boost British wine sales in Japan Custom Media • Nyetimber has made English sparkling wine for 20 years, but rain ruined 2012 harvest. • Berry Bros. & Rudd wine sales are up in Japan.

here is nothing quite like a perfectly chilled white wine to soothe one during the heat of summer in Japan. Kept cool and ready to be served—be it a picnic or a barbecue, at the beach or on an urban balcony—an elegant white will always hit the spot. Wine experts Berry Bros. & Rudd have, unsurprisingly, been kept busy meeting demand for their most soughtafter tipple this summer, United Kingdom Cuvee, Grand Cru, Champagne Marguet— aged for four years in barrels from Château Margaux. Berry’s Extra Dry, Crémant de Limoux, Domaine de l’Aigle is selling well, while their newcomer 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Churton, is “becoming popular because of its delicate, mouthwatering, elegant taste”. According to the firm’s spokesperson, last year’s sales were affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, but have “recovered well”. Industry data show that in fiscal 2011 domestic wine shipments totalled 302,384kl—up 10.3% year on year. This is particularly impressive since total liquor shipments were down 0.2% year on year.

30 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

“It seems that drinking wine has become an entrenched part of Japanese lifestyles and wine lovers are looking for better quality wines at lower prices”, the spokeswoman said. “Due to the London Olympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, interest in related wines has been increasing, with sparkling wines by Nyetimber recently earning a good reputation for their quality”, she said. However, the taste and flavours of a wine are not solely about what emerges from the bottle. As Riedel Japan president, Wolfgang Angyal, said, “We are the only glassmaker in the world that makes glasses that are specific to grape variety. “Riedel was the original glassmaker to pioneer wine-friendly stemware in the 1950s, when Claus Riedel, the ninth generation of the family, devised the ultra thin, egg-shaped bowl on a long stem”, Angyal explained, adding that previously glasses had been made of thick, decorated glass that had done nothing to enhance a wine’s properties. “Claus Riedel discovered the intrinsic relationship between the shape of the glass and the bouquet, taste, balance and finish of a wine”, he said. Originally founded in the historical region of Bohemia in 1756, the firm is now based in the Austrian town of Kufstein and makes an average of €265mn a year. Riedel glasses have been available in Japan for more than 50 years. Prices range from a reasonable ¥1,400 to ¥20,000 for a single top-of-the-range, hand-blown, lead-crystal glass. With numerous wine boutiques, including one in the Tokyo suburb of Aoyama, the maker encourages consumers to taste the difference when drinking from variety-specific wine glasses. “These really are not just a marketing ploy”, Angyal said. “It is a physical fact that only two factors affect our perception of a wine’s taste and aroma: one is the temperature at which it is served and the other is the glass that it is drunk from”. Another European glassmaker with a long heritage is Zwiesel Kristallglas AG. Established in 1872, the firm took its name from a town in the Bavarian Forest. The fully owned subsidiary Zwiesel Japan

“It seems that drinking wine has become an entrenched part of Japanese lifestyles and wine lovers are looking for better quality wines at lower prices”.

Zwiesel’s Sensa wine glass

Co., Ltd. was set up in October 2004. Its clients mainly come from the three market segments of hotels, restaurants and catering businesses, as well as corporate gift and retail outlets. They are well served by the maker’s flagship store in the Tokyo suburb of Daikanyama, department stores and shops that sell interior products. “Zwiesel has put efforts into improving and developing new items throughout its history”, said Roberto Pleitavino, president of Zwiesel Japan. “The most important development is a new type of crystal, named Tritan® Crystal, from our Schott Zwiesel brand, which is a new generation of crystal. “It is lead-free—and consequently environmentally friendly—brilliant and very break resistant, thanks to the use of zirconium and titanium”.

WINE

In September, the traditional start of the wine season, Zwiesel marked its 140th anniversary by adding several series to each of its three brands. One example is the Sensa collection, which incorporates 3D decorations that help anyone decanting wine.

“In recent years, in addition to the classic round shape, some glass collections have been introduced with a more modern ‘square’ shape”, Pleitavino said. “And champagne glasses with bigger bowls have also begun to appear, in addition to the more traditional flute shape.

FREE ROSÉ WINE! Pieroth and BCCJ ACUMEN are pleased to offer five lucky readers a bottle each of Cava Yate Rosé Brut made by Masia Vallformosa, S.L.U.

“At Zwiesel, we consider these new trends—but we care most about the functionality of our glasses”, he explained. “We want people to enjoy wine from our glasses, and not see them only as ‘trendy’ glasses that are to be left on the shelf”.

FREE HIGH-QUALITY WINE GLASSES!

Cava Yate Rosé Brut has a delicate nose offering berry fruit. It is full, seamless and integrated while the fruit is accentuated by the bubbles. Balanced and elegant, it has a remarkably smooth, creamy finish. It is recommended for serving alone at any time, as an aperitif or to accompany light meals.

We are giving away three pairs of Schott Zwiesel’s DIVA red wine glasses. Elegantly crafted in robust Tritan crystal, the design and modern innovation help bring out complex aromas.

To apply, simply send an email by 31 October 2012 to: editor@custom-media.com Winners will be picked at random.

To apply, simply email us by 31 October 2012: editor@custom-media.com Winners will be picked at random.

Pieroth is also offering one free corkscrew with each order made through its website by 31 December 2012, quoting BCCJ2012: www.pieroth.jp Retail price: ¥1,995

FREE RED WINE! Berry Bros. & Rudd and BCCJ ACUMEN are pleased to offer five lucky readers a bottle each of 2009 Berrys’ Extra Ordinary Red Burgundy, Maison Roche de Bellene. This medium-bodied Pinot Noir exhibits pretty raspberry aromas with top notes of vanilla, while the palate offers a cornucopia of perfumed raspberries, strawberries and cherries. Depth of flavour, great poise and a lingering finish denote the quality of this wine. Superb with a wide range of red meat and poultry.

To apply, simply send an email by 31 October 2012 to: editor@custom-media.com Winners will be picked at random.

Retail price: ¥2,480

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 31

DESIGN

Andy Payne builds tree houses for the rich, famous and royal.

Branching Out Back to nature with tree houses By Julian Ryall

akashi Kobayashi had always felt smothered by Japanese society but had no idea how to escape from its embrace. Walking through the Tokyo suburb of Harajuku one day, he saw a shop sign depicting a tree growing out of a rock face and, perched in the branches, a tree house. The shop’s owner, who didn’t want the sign, gave it to Kobayashi, changing his life. “That tree and house were symbolic of my life outside Japanese society”, Kobayashi said. For the next three years he continued selling used clothing and other items that he picked up at flea markets until, on a buying trip to Boston, he came across a tree house bar and read a photo book by Peter Nelson, the world’s most famous advocate of living in trees. “At that point, I didn’t even know the term ‘tree house’, but it was a very emotional feeling”, he said. “Power went to my head from the first tree house I built, and that was 25 years ago”.

32 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

Kobayashi, 54, freely admits that he had none of the carpentry or construction skills required to build his first tree house, but said he just wanted “to make something that would let me feel free. “Japanese society is too structured and systematic”, he said. “I have hated that feeling since I was a child and I wanted to do something from my heart, but couldn’t find what it was”. Kobayashi—the only professional treehouse builder in Japan—considers himself fortunate to have been able to identify his passion and turn it into a career. Over the past 20 years, he estimates he has built about 100 tree houses, some of which were for projects in Cambodia and Laos. One of the houses is at Shimin no Mori Park, inland from Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. First having to overcome the concerns of the local authorities—who feared a tree house would be much too dangerous—Kobayashi finally completed a ¥7mn tree house made of locally sourced cedar. The structure has trap doors; suspended bridges that sway and have rope sides; a lookout some 8m off the ground; and a variety of platforms and steps, all of

which make it a child’s paradise. “People lived in trees before they came down to the ground”, Kobayashi said. “Monkeys are our ancestors and it’s in our DNA to have a feeling of empathy for trees. “Everything today is industrialised and globalised; people are materialistic and we use too much energy”, he lamented. “[Some] people are tired of that. They believe that something must change, but they don’t know what, or how to bring about change. “A tree house is very primitive—forests and trees are living things. They do not want to move, they do not eat anything, or need oil. All they need is soil and water”. The founder of the UK’s most famous tree house firm—Blue Forest (UK) Ltd.— also discovered his love for the high life in Japan. Andy Payne, 37, spent several years in Aomori Prefecture—ao meaning blue and mori forest, hence the name of his firm—working with a Canadian timber frame firm, before returning to Britain and helping a friend construct a tree platform and raised walkway in Kenya to support a charity conservation effort. Blue Forest was born shortly thereafter.

DESIGN

The Tearoom-inspired Treehouse Takashi Kobayashi created the Treehouse at the Niki Club, in Yokosawa, Tochigi Prefecture with inspiration from such places as Japanese tearooms. The Treehouse adds interest to the forest grounds and provides creative thinking space for resident and visiting artists. Kobayashi, who has created more than 100 tree houses around the world, is a member of the Niki Club’s Garden Project, which is planning to create gardens at its resorts over the next 10–20 years in a project organised by Biotope, an NPO.

The Garden Project employs many specialists such as designers, biologists and ecologists who will create gardens based on the idea that Japanese culture coexists with nature. This project symbolises the respect that Niki Club has paid to nature, as well as the attempts to coexist with it since its foundation. As a result, the garden is full of surprises with rabbits and squirrels found among plants at a risk of extinction. Future plans include having an ecovillage at the resort and introducing a garden artist on a resident scholarship programme.

Niki Club founder Hitomi Kitayama said: “It has been a quarter of a century since I was first drawn to Yokozawa and built a six-room resort here. Today, Niki Club offers 41 guest rooms spread out over an immense 14ha, and is closer than ever to my original vision. At Niki Club, you will find buildings that vividly recall the colours and ambience of traditional Japanese inns, staff who conduct themselves in ways that harken back to ancient rituals, as well as the Japanese spirit of hospitality that is rooted in such conduct”.

For further information, please contact: Niki Club | Tel: 02-8778-2215 | Email: niki-club@nikiclub.jp | Website: www.nikiclub.jp/

“In the private sector, our clients are primarily successful businesspeople, highnet-worth individuals, celebrities and even royalty”, he told BCCJ ACUMEN. “In the commercial segment of the market, we deal primarily with the hotel and leisure industries, as well as private schools”. The most luxurious project the firm has undertaken was for a private client. It features two lofty retreats—one for the children and one for the parents—with a dramatic canopied walkway, an adventure play area and an assault course. The price tag was £250,000—but the firm’s designs start at just £15,000. “I believe the British have a long tradition of building ‘follies’, and tree houses are a part of this”, Payne said. “The tree house at Pitchford Hall, near Shrewsbury, was built in the mid 18th century and is a good example of how far back the tradition goes. Besides the tradition, tree houses are synonymous with imagination, adventure and escapism— things we all would like in our lives. “Perhaps the most common reason for building a tree house is delight”, he added. “The majority are little more than a few planks of wood that last a couple of summers. However, their construction is currently flourishing like never before, with tree houses being built for a variety of reasons. Offices, playrooms, guest houses and alternatives to conservatories can all be found perched in the trees”.

“Tree houses are synonymous with imagination, adventure and escapism—things we all would like in our lives”.

www.treehouse.jp | www.blueforest.com Staircase in a Blue Forest tree house

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 33

DESIGN

With Dignity and Function Historic hotel reopens after sensitive upgrade

By Julian Ryall • • •

London firm helps renovate Marunouchi’s Tokyo Station site Marble floors, fireplace, ceilings, windows ease stress Restoration means 100-year legacy lives on

British architectural firm played a key role in the interior renovation of one of Tokyo’s most important and historical landmarks. Work to restore The Tokyo Station Hotel got under way in 2006, and the iconic building reopened to guests on 3 October. With a total floor space of more than 20,000m2, 150 rooms, three banquet halls, a fitness club and spa, a lounge, bars and restaurants, the hotel—which first opened in 1915—aims to provide a blend of the historic with modern Japanese hospitality. Managed by Nippon Hotel Co., Ltd., a JR East firm, the task for London-based Richmond International was to create a hotel that incorporates not only the stately dignity of a building that is officially designated an Important Cultural Property, but also the functionality that is expected of a contemporary hotel. “The clients wanted to renovate the original Marunouchi site building as Tokyo has very few historical buildings left standing and this particular site has a lot of historical merit”, said Richmond spokesperson Sarah Rawlinson. “We invested time and thought into researching the history of the building and Japanese culture, in order to discover the essence of Japan and create calming interiors with flavours of Japanese tradition. “We wanted to create an environment that embraces the heritage of the building and the period of such a prestigious station hotel, while providing the comfort and services demanded by the 21st century guest”, she added.

34 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

The main station building has undergone extensive restoration of the designs created by renowned Japanese architect Kingo Tatsuno (1854–1919). The undertaking has included work on the third floor of the building, as well as on both the north and south domes, that has both preserved and utilised the existing structures. Relief decorations that were added include numerous Japanese-style motifs, including eight of the 12 creatures of the animal zodiac on the walls of the domes,

flower decorations and eagle reliefs in the eight corners of the ceilings of the domes, each with a wingspan of more than 2m. Roof slates on the two domes are Japanese and were selected because identical slates had withstood the worst effects of the tsunami triggered by last year’s Great East Japan Earthquake. Richmond International has 40 architects and has previously worked on the interior of the Sendai Palace Hotel. The firm has carried out projects all over the world, ranging from the Boca Beach

Club in Florida to The Langham Hotel in London and The Trianon Palace and Spa in Versailles, thereby having built up a strong reputation in the industry. “We set the benchmark for international hospitality design more than 40 years ago and we have been at the forefront ever since”, said Rawlinson. “We believe intelligent design can bring life to each and every individual space, allowing global brands to deliver outstanding, world-class experiences. We are cultured in the art of ‘designing hospitality’”.

DESIGN

Hitoshi Fujisaki, general manager of the hotel, is looking forward to the opening of the newest addition to Tokyo’s luxuryend hotels, said: “We are extremely fortunate to have a heritage hotel that is strategically positioned at the heart of Tokyo’s central business district. “With the support of Richmond and our partners, we aim to continue its proud 100-year legacy of providing an authentic hotel experience that both our local and foreign guests will talk about for the next 100 years”.

The spacious lobby incorporates marble flooring and a fireplace, while the high ceilings and large, vertical windows are designed to enable travellers to forget the hustle and bustle of neighbouring Tokyo Station. The completion of restoration work and the opening of the hotel was marked with a night-time illumination of the entire structure. The updated station facilities include a new travel service centre for JR East and a new gallery, spread out over 2,900m2.

“We believe intelligent design can bring life to each and every individual space, allowing global brands to deliver outstanding, world-class experiences”. OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 35

TRAVEL

Joining Forces BA and JAL partner for better links, choice and benefits

Willie Walsh: more co-operation in the future

By Megan Waters

n exciting news for travellers, British Airways (BA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) have established a joint business agreement on certain flights between Europe and Japan. The new agreement, which took off on 1 October, will provide better links between Japan and Europe, while offering a greater choice of flights to more destinations. At the same time, frequent-flyer benefits will be enhanced and the potential to launch new routes will grow. The airlines have agreed to co-operate on non-stop flights between Japan and Europe that are operated by either JAL or BA. BA runs a daily service between London Heathrow and Narita International Airport and has five flights per week between London and Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). JAL, meanwhile, has a daily service from Narita to Heathrow, to Germany’s Frankfurt International Airport and to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. As members of the oneworld® alliance, one of the world’s three largest global

airline partnerships, the two airlines increasingly have been forging new ties. “We are proud to have served Japan for more than 60 years and are delighted to cement the relationship between British Airways and Japan Airlines. This new venture heralds a bigger and better service for our customers and the promise of greater co-operation in the future”, said Willie Walsh, chief executive of the International Airlines Group, parent firm of BA. As well as 19 weekly flights between the UK and Japan operated by JAL and BA, JAL’s services to Paris and Frankfurt are also to be included in the new agreement. Customers can fly between Europe and Japan with either JAL or BA, or a combination of the two. The two carriers have reached an agreement on fares between Europe and Japan, helping to increase customers’ options. Flight transfers are expected to be improved through the enhancement and expansion of the airlines’ codeshare network. JAL customers may now book flights on four additional BA routes: Belfast,

Helsinki, Frankfurt and Gothenburg, while commencing on 28 October, BA will fly to seven destinations in Japan. Among the airline’s new code-share destinations are Kansai, Okayama, Hiroshima, Izumo, Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa. More will be added in the future. The airlines’ updated websites will allow customers to book flights, check in, and access any flight information they require, regardless of whether they are flying with BA or JAL. Frequent flyers enrolled in BA’s and JAL’s loyalty schemes will still be able to receive joint benefits as customers of oneworld®. Top tier members of both airlines’ loyalty schemes will have an increased opportunity to earn bonus points when flying with either carrier. JAL Mileage Bank members will be able to collect more air miles than before when they fly with BA. Yoshiharu Ueki, president of JAL, is looking forward to creating more customer benefits through deeper co-operation with BA, a long-time partner of JAL. Ueki also hopes JAL will be able to offer customers even better service than before.

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 37

THE A-LIST OF MICE, TRAVEL & LEISURE

British Airways (BA) has a worldwide route network that covers over 150 destinations in 75 countries. As one of the world’s largest international airlines, we carry about 36mn customers around the world every year. In August, BA celebrated its 93rd anniversary and is recognised as one of the world’s elite carriers. BA has been flying to Japan for 64 years and currently operates daily flights between London Heathrow and Narita International Airport and five flights per week between London Heathrow and Haneda Airport. As part of oneworld, we provide our customers with easier transfers and a more convenient service.

Company Name:

British Airways

Address:

Toranomon 37 Mori Building 9F 3-5-1 Toranomon Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001

Contact:

Vishal Sinha

Telephone:

03-5401-5726

Email:

vishal.sinha@ba.com

Website:

www.ba.com

FACILITIES AND SERVICES • • • •

Daily flights between London Heathrow and Narita. The Executive Club is British Airways’ frequent flyer programme. Lounge facilities: First Class customers and Gold card holders can use the Japan Airlines First Class lounge. Club World customers and Silver card holders can use the Japan Airlines Sakura lounge.

Located in Asakusa, an elegant area of Tokyo where traces of Edo culture linger, this newly established hotel is close to Kaminarimon of Senso-ji Temple, the symbol of Asakusa. Boasting spectacular views of the popular Tokyo Skytree, this hotel allows you to experience heartfelt service and a harmony of contemporary and traditional Japan in an area overflowing with culture. From the 1st-floor entrance to the 13th-floor lobby, The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by HULIC is a dynamic structure. The lobby is completely surrounded by glass windows, offering stunning and expansive views. For accommodation in Tokyo, look no further than The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon. Company Name:

The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by HULIC

Address:

2-16-11 Kaminarimon Taitou-ku Tokyo 111-0034

Contact:

Mitsuko Ikeda

Telephone:

03-5826-3877

Email:

mitsuko.ikeda@gate-hotel.jp

Website:

www.gate-hotel.jp/

FACILITIES AND SERVICES • • • • •

Good access to sightseeing and business areas Spectacular views of Tokyo Skytree and Asakusa 24-hour restaurant for guests Slumberland beds High level of hospitality

For over 60 years KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has played the important role of economical and cultural bridge between Japan and the Netherlands. KLM is the only airline firm that operates direct daily flights from Narita and Kansai to Amsterdam. Together with our Skyteam partners, we offer customers over 900 destinations worldwide. In addition, KLM has taken the initiative for Corporate Social Responsibility in the airline sector. In 2010, Air France-KLM was placed top of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in the airline sector for the sixth consecutive year. Company Name:

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Address:

New Aoyama Bldg. West 9F 1-1-1 Minami-Aoyama Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8549

Contact:

Call Centre

Telephone:

Tokyo: 03-5767-4149 Osaka: 06-6345-6691 Monday to Friday 9:00am–6:00pm

Website:

www.klm.co.jp mobile.klm.com

38 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

FACILITIES AND SERVICES KLM offers easy and efficient connections to the UK and other destinations at our “one roof terminal” Schiphol Airport. On our website, you will find attractive online fares, various promotions and many additional services to make your trip more comfortable and enjoyable, including e-services and mobile services to facilitate your travels, Economy Comfort Zone seats and a la carte meals.

bccjacumen.com/a-list

FOR A DIFFERENT...

Situated in a small, terraced valley overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Reef Break is the ideal getaway from Tokyo’s hustle and bustle. Located near Ohara in Chiba Prefecture, only 70 minutes from Tokyo Station, Reef Break offers the opportunity to relax in a beautiful yurt situated in a spectacular garden. A private cabana and bar, brick barbecue and large rotemburo (Japanese hot tub) are also available. Relax to the sound of waves breaking on the reef and birds singing in the garden. If you enjoy golf, sport fishing, surfing, hiking or just relaxing, Reef Break is the ideal place to stay.

Company Name:

Reef Break

Address:

589 Ohara Ohara-machi Isumi-shi Chiba-ken 298-0004

Contact:

Markus Leach

Telephone:

090-9392-8605

Email:

markus@jcikk.com

Website:

http://reefbreak.japan.co.jp

PERSPECTIVE ON JAPAN

WALKJAPAN Pioneers of tours to the great places of Japan you never knew existed.

www.walkjapan.com Company Name:

Walk Japan Limited

Address:

529-1 Matamizu Ota Kitsuki 879-0941

Contact:

Paul Christie

Telephone:

090-5026-3638

Email:

pchristie@walkjapan.com

Website:

www.walkjapan.com

FACILITIES AND SERVICES • • • • • • • •

Canadian yurt (can accommodate up to six people) Kitchen facilities, BBQ area with large picnic table Tent trailer Bar and cabana Rotemboro (Japanese hot tub) Massage, acupuncture and yoga therapy Bicycles for rent and tennis court available Wireless available

Walk Japan is the pioneer of off-the-beaten-track walking tours in Japan. Beginning in 1992 with our innovative and best-selling Nakasendo Way tour, we were the first to successfully introduce the real Japan—geographically and culturally—that often remains inaccessible to many. Since then, Walk Japan has created more original tours and has been recognised for its work, including selection by National Geographic as one of the 200 Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth. Walk Japan’s tours bring this fascinating country up close by mixing in with its people and their way of life. We use public transport, delightful local inns and family-run restaurants. All our tour leaders are proficient in the Japanese language and have an intimate knowledge of Japan and its people. Our customers and many travel writers rate us highly for our enthusiasm, friendliness, knowledge of Japan and professionalism.

FACILITIES AND SERVICES Scheduled and custom tours throughout Japan for individuals and groups

A calm place amid the city’s hustle and bustle, the Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers is only a one-minute walk from the Yokohama train station. Our thoughtfully designed meeting and banquet rooms offer a spacious feel—five to 450 guests can be accommodated for formal dining events and 1,000 guests for standing functions.

Company Name:

Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers

FACILITIES AND SERVICES

Address:

1-3-23 Kitasaiwai Nishi-ku, Yokohama Kanagawa 220-8501

From casual parties, formal dining to international conferences, we offer an extensive, experienced and thorough service for all your MICE needs.

Contact:

Banquet sales

Telephone:

045-411-1111

Email:

marketing@ybsh.jp

Website:

www.yokohamabay-sheraton.co.jp

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 39

HOSPITALITY

Home from Home Family feel and top-class service boost post-quake occupancy rate for serviced apartments

The living-dining room of an Oakwood Premier Tokyo Midtown property

By Megan Waters

espite the economic fallout from the Great East Japan Earthquake last year, the serviced apartment market in Tokyo is stable and the industry is doing very well. “Since October last year, we have had an occupancy rate of 83–88% in our seven properties”, Martin Fluck, general manager and country manager of Oakwood in Japan, told BCCJ ACUMEN. Oakwood was founded in 1960, and is the largest global provider of corporate and temporary housing and serviced apartments. Established 12 years ago in Japan, the firm boasts seven properties so far in Tokyo, and has plans for a mid-2015 property opening in Chiyoda-ku. Far more Japanese stay at the firm’s flagship property, Oakwood Premier Tokyo Midtown, than at its other residences, according to Fluck. In fact, up to 50% of the occupants there are Japanese. In the other six properties, the Japanese account for 25–30% of the occupants. “The percentage has actually increased over the past few years. Not dramatically, but it’s been a steady increase, meaning that the Japanese are more aware of our brand,” he added. Unlike non-Japanese, who stay for a maximum of one or two years, Japanese guests have a long-term presence. Immediately after last year’s triple disaster, the firm experienced a drop of

about 25% in occupancy rates across the board, but had returned to near-usual levels just four months later. Fluck credits the stability of the serviced apartment industry to the fact that serviced apartments are a pre-paid business on a monthly basis. Although a few guests left the country for a week or two immediately following the disaster, they were still holding their apartment and most soon returned. Oakwood, however, did face the challenge of acquiring new bookings. “We didn’t have new clients coming in because everyone Martin Fluck, was concerned about general manager and the radiation and country manager, Fukushima. People Oakwood in Japan didn’t know what was happening,” he said. Another challenge the firm faced was a shift in the needs of their clientele. “CEOs or managing directors who had a two- or three-bedroom apartment before the earthquake, sent their families home, and then only needed a one-bedroom apartment”, explained Eiichi Ishimaru, director of sales and marketing. This resulted in a drop in the occupancy rate of larger apartments. After the earthquake, non-Japanese were less willing to commit to living in Tokyo for long periods of time and stayed for only three to six months. Now, over one year since the disaster, the firm is starting to see increasingly more guests staying on a long-term basis and families returning. “Ours is a monthly rate, so even if guests are only going to stay for three

months in a serviced apartment, it is likely to be a better choice than staying at a hotel for such an extended period”, Ishimaru said. Another change over the past year is the guest profile. Firms are sending managers or directors to Japan, instead of managing directors, to see how the country is adjusting to the new situation. Immediately after the earthquake, staff kept the properties running smoothly and took care of the guests—providing a sense of family. They worked as a team and provided food, water, emergency kits, as well as disaster- and transportrelated information. “We were told the guests felt very comfortable and safe in all our properties. They felt they could rely on us”, Fluck stressed. Keeping the same high quality levels of service was very important to the firm, which only slightly reduced their cleaning service and electricity consumption. Oakwood was also heavily involved with charity work and, together with the Konishiki Kids Foundation, they delivered 3,000 toys to schools in the Iwate area. They also held numerous charity events in their properties’ lounge areas. All Oakwood serviced apartments provide the comforts of a hotel: reception desk service, housekeeping and high levels of security. To make them as comfortable and homely as possible, the apartments are all well equipped with kitchens, TVs, hi-fis, washing machines and dryers. The communal lounges are used regularly for networking events, including a wine night on Thursdays at the Midtown residence. “We provide complimentary food and drinks at the Oakwood Midtown lounge, and mix [the social aspect of the evening] with our business clients and our residents. Basically, Oakwood tries to create a lifestyle for our guests,” Fluck emphasised. The longest-staying guest at an Oakwood property remained in residence for more than 10 years, and numerous guests already have passed the five-year mark. With the high-quality service and sense of family the firm provides, it is no wonder that people find Oakwood properties so difficult to leave.

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 41

INDUSTRY | MICE, TRAVEL AND LEISURE

Let’s Meet in Yokohama! Innovative venues co-operate and compete to raise local profile

2 1. The Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers 2. The 850m2 Nichirin banquet room can seat 500 guests

By Megan Waters

or a broad selection of meeting and banquet rooms, look no further than the Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers. Part of the larger Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., the hotel is proud of its newly refurbished venues that can accommodate from small meetings to formal dining events and large international conferences. Sheraton hotels are this year celebrating their 75th anniversary. To mark the event, the Yokohama hotel has incorporated into its plans and services several special offers with a connection to the numbers 75 and 1937— the year in which the first Sheraton hotel was acquired. The offerings include a Boston 75 cocktail, a wedding plan that costs ¥750,000 and a loaf of bread for ¥1,937. The highly competitive nature of the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry in Japan has forced the city of Yokohama to devise an innovative solution. “Not only venues in Yokohama or Tokyo are fighting for MICE events; places all over Japan, such as Kyoto and Okinawa, are vying for the same ones”, Hisanori Azami, assistant sales manager told BCCJ ACUMEN. “This is the main reason Yokohama, as a city, decided to break up into four groups, allowing each group to try to get the sought-after events”, Azami added.

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The venues within the four areas— Yokohama Station, Shin-Yokohama, Minato Mirai and Yamashita—work closely with the city’s Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau. The bureau facilitates the sharing of information and creation of strategies to enable each area to promote itself, according to Azami, who is also the bureau’s chair. In addition, it helps those wishing to hold an event with the planning and organisation. Each area focuses on a different aspect of MICE: the Yokohama Station area on meetings and incentives; Minato Mirai on conventions and exhibitions; Yamashita on sightseeing; and Shin Yokohama on sport-related functions and concerts. “If we tried, individually, to get each event, we would be much more limited. By co-operating as an area, we have increased our chances”, he said. “We have to co-operate as Yokohama”, he added. Although the venues co-operate, they compete with each other, too, especially since Yokohama does not have as many hotels as Tokyo. As well as offering high-quality service, delicious food, comfortable guest rooms—all at competitive prices—the hotel is located one minute’s walk from JR Yokohama Station. In addition, it can be accessed easily from both Narita and Haneda airports. “In the Yokohama Station area, we are definitely the number-one hotel. We are

a high-end hotel that has a great variety of banquet rooms and meeting spaces”, Azami explained. The prestigious brand name of Sheraton, one of the biggest international hotel chains, has a major advantage over its competitors. Non-Japanese firms tend to hold events at different locations each time, and may even pick different parts of Japan or another country for successive functions. To attract more people from overseas to Yokohama and, therefore, to events in the city, Azami believes that there needs to be an improvement in English-language skills, not only in Yokohama, but also in the country as a whole. This would enable Japan to better compete with other Asian countries in the international MICE industry. The city of Yokohama has many attractions. They include a strong hospitality industry, Chinatown and a lively port area. But, according to Azami, Yokohama generally is not well known among non-residents for its location, proximity to Tokyo, or services. So it is not only by improving its facilities, but also by increasing its promotional activities as a city, that visitors will be persuaded of the attractive options that Yokohama offers. Plans are being drafted for a new development to be built, in seven or eight years, on top of the existing Yokohama station. It is expected that this will help attract to the city a greater number of visitors.

TRAVEL

Interview Luc Delaplace General manager for Japan Air France and KLM By Megan Waters

ounded in 1919, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the oldest airline still flying under its original name. Operating safe and comfortable flights in Japan for 61 years, KLM is the only airline that has direct daily links between Narita and Kansai airports and Amsterdam.

What notable advantages does flying with KLM offer? Our hub airport, Schiphol, offers numerous advanced facilities and smooth connections as part of our “one roof” terminal concept. KLM offers comfortable, efficient transits at this airport and smooth trips to destinations within its network. In consideration of the environment, KLM has been working to put in place sustainable policies, such as its CO2 Compensation Service and biofuel programmes.

What special services or benefits can frequent flyers receive from your Flying Blue programme? With our 18 Skyteam airline partners, Flying Blue members can easily accrue and redeem air miles. Flying Blue members who travel frequently between Japan, China and South Korea can use Skyteam members Korean Air, China Airlines, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. Another point is that, since Japan Airlines is also a Flying Blue partner, travellers from overseas and Flying Blue members can enjoy our mileage programme on domestic flights in Japan.

How is KLM using social media to provide additional service for customers and to promote the KLM brand? We see social media as one of the most important ways of interacting with our customers and as fundamentally changing the ways in which we engage with our customers by offering a new model for interaction.

KLM provides social media services in several languages, including English and Japanese. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, customers can ask any travel-related questions they might have via Facebook and Twitter. This year, we are trying to turn what we have learnt from past experiences in social media into business, offering new services such as Trip Planner.

What is your Trip Planner service and how does it benefit your customers?

What additional services or benefits do your customers receive when flying between locations in Asia and Amsterdam? On Asian routes in particular, KLM provides dedicated services, including Asian cabin crews, authentic Asian inflight meals and entertainment offered in Asian languages. We also have Asian staff at Schiphol airport.

What type of meals do you offer on your flights between Japan and Amsterdam?

Trip Planner is a platform that allows one to organise a trip quickly and simply with Facebook friends. After choosing a destination, travel dates and available ticket prices, the organiser asks their selected Facebook friends to indicate which of the travel plans they prefer. The flight bookings can then be made very easily on the KLM website (www.klm.com).

We offer two types of meal at no charge: a Western meal and a complete Japanese meal. In business class, the Japanese meal is managed by Yamazato, the Michelinstarred Japanese restaurant in the Hotel Okura Amsterdam. The Western meal is handled by Dutch chef Jonnie Boer of the Netherlands restaurant De Librije, also a Michelin-starred establishment. On long-haul flights from Amsterdam, we offer an à la carte paid meal service.

What is Meet and Seat, and why did you decide to launch this service?

What are your hopes for the future of the KLM brand?

With Meet and Seat, passengers with a reservation on a KLM flight can link their Facebook or LinkedIn profiles to their flight, allowing them to see who their fellow travellers are and where they’ll be sitting. If you find someone who has the same background or shares the same interests, you can choose to sit next to them, or arrange to have coffee together before the flight. This service connects passengers in a new way, and will make air travel even more stimulating for KLM passengers. We are the first airline to integrate social networking into the regular flight process.

In addition to our existing target segments in Japan, KLM wishes to develop even more brand awareness and affinity with younger generations. We wish to become a leading European company in the industry and one that is fully environmentally aware.

What are the advantages of your Economy Comfort Zone seats?

What developments has KLM planned for the Asia market? Although the economic situation in Europe remains unstable, Asia’s purchasing power—which includes tourist-related activities—remains very strong. KLM is continuing both to invest in providing better products and services to our Asian customers, and to evaluate all possible opportunities to expand our impact in Asia.

These seats allow our customers to be more comfortable, have more legroom (10cm), and recline twice as far as do our regular seats. They are at the front of the economy class cabin.

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 43

INDUSTRY | WINING & DINING

A Love of All Things British ... Except the Food

PHOTO: JOAO LONGO PEREIRA

It’s time for some real British food and drink in Tokyo

By Ian Tozer General manager and chef Roti Roppongi

t is to be hoped that Japan might, finally, start to overcome the general disdain for British cooking. The success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the vast positive exposure the UK has received this year surely cannot have been for naught. The quality, choice and skill levels now present in almost all areas of the UK’s blossoming food industry continues to push UK cuisine up the steep path of improvement. This is being helped by a handful of influential celebrity chefs and the UK’s hugely popular MasterChef TV series. Perhaps it is time for a few great British restaurants to open in Tokyo. Tokyo has over 200,000 restaurants, bars and cafés that serve up everything but the kitchen sink—surely there is some space left for more of what is British. Forget about food for the moment, what about cutting-edge design, decor, atmosphere and attention to detail? It cannot have gone unnoticed that the levels of grandeur, glamour and excellence found in many of London’s best restaurants are truly world class. Or can it? Tokyo’s huge population of young, cash-rich, brand-obsessed consumers are always eager to snap up the must-haves

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of each season. As a result, one would have thought some of London’s slick, ultra modern restaurants would have appeared in Tokyo by now, purely as a fashion statement. But what is modern British cuisine anyway, and why would Japan enjoy it, “if they could just get it?” Believed to have started in the UK after rationing ended following World War II, modern British cuisine did not find a strong foothold until the late 1980s. This style of cooking uses high-quality local ingredients, prepared in ways to combine traditional British recipes with modern innovations. It has similarities with the Slow Food movement that preserves traditional and regional cuisine. In addition, most modern British cooking draws heavily on influences from Mediterranean cuisines and, more recently, those of the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia and South-East Asia. The traditional influence of northern and central European cuisines remains significant, but is fading. I believe this farm-to-table attitude would work very well in Japan, and would certainly combine well with the country’s recent eco-friendly boom. Lastly, lets not forget the poor old pub. Do we really have to endure the same mediocre, predictable working-class pubs in Tokyo for the foreseeable future? At least one pub in Japan should show what a modern day establishment can be at its

best—offering not just limp fish ’n chips, beer mats, darts, quiz nights and largescreen TVs. How about some style for a change? Something similar to an old gentleman’s club from the London suburb of Mayfair would be appropriate. It could even specialise in fine beverages—something in which the UK certainly excels (forget the bad beer). Given London’s unrivalled excellence in creating chic cocktail bars, world-class mixologists, and the UK’s love affair with fine wine, Scotch whisky and the recent boom in crafted spirits such as gin, the UK surely would have an advantage in Japan. The pub—even without considering food—is still a concept that has much more to offer. Include some decent, relevant food and any investor would be on to a sure winner. As both a chef and a Brit, I would love to take on such a challenge. In Tokyo, let’s have one or two decent modern British restaurants or worldclass pubs (Gordon Ramsay at the Conrad Tokyo excepted), for crying out loud! No need for more French chocolatiers, Michelin-starred Chinese restaurants, molecular gastronomy concoctions, and certainly no more predictable and bland Japanese interpretations of wine bars, cafés or pasta joints. Gordon: you have the entire UK food market here to yourself … for now. Enjoy it before it changes!

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Extraordinary wines from an extraordinary wine merchant Founded in 1698 in the heart of St James’s, Berry Bros. & Rudd provides you with the ultimate fine wine experience and a range of extraordinary wines. Berrys’ fine wine experts specialise in buying and selling the world’s finest and rarest wines, offering you expert advice and up-to-date wine investment news. Our Japan Sales Office offers many of the services customers have come to expect of Berry Bros. & Rudd worldwide, including fine wine sales to private individuals via telephone or online as well as a full range of wines to trade and corporate clients.

For further details, please contact Berry Bros. & Rudd Japan: Tel: 03-5220-5491 Fax: 03-3201-5141 E-mail: mail@bbr.co.jp Global Website: www.bbr.com BB&R Japan Online Shop: www.bbr.co.jp

Pieroth Japan sells over 1,500 varieties of wines from 14 countries, many of which can be purchased on our bilingual website. Established in 1969, we have 64 offices throughout Japan with almost 550 employees. We stock over 150 Bordeaux Grand Cru with vintages ranging from 1970–2009. We are also the exclusive agent for new-world wines such as Toso, Heitz, The Prisoner and Ménage à Trois. From the Old World, we represent well-known names such as Gerard Bertand, Baron d’Arques and Baron Edmond de Rothschild among others. For further details, please visit our website. Company Name Address Telephone Website

Pieroth Japan K.K. Shinagawa NSS Bldg. 13-31 Konan 2-chome Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0075 03-3458-4455 | Fax 03-3458-4451 www.pieroth.jp | Email ips@pieroth.jp

Innovative grill and rotisserie cuisine Wine and craft beer specialists Located in the heart of Roppongi, this comfortable and modern brasserie-style dining room features a casual wine and craft beer bar with large, secluded terrace. We serve over 100 handpicked wines, 10 of which are sold by the glass, and craft beer on tap.

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OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 45

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FOOD

Marmite and Natto Kobe chef’s 40-year mission in UK to demystify cuisine

Kimiko Barber preaches that “good, healthy eating starts at home”.

By Julian Ryall • Shocked at boarding school rice pudding • UK idea of Japanese food still “limited” • Explosion of interest over past 10 years

hen Kimiko Osada first arrived in Britain in 1972, Japanese food was not only unobtainable, it was almost completely unknown. In the intervening four decades, she has become Kimiko Barber, published six books on Japanese cuisine and made it her mission to encourage Britons to cook Japanese food at home. She firmly believes that good, healthy eating starts at home. And she has found that once most people’s taste buds have been piqued, they are often very keen to find out

more about a nation that has given global cuisine a lot more than just sushi and noodles. The problem is getting the message across to more people. “English people who live within the M25 are generally very sophisticated in their choices and understanding of world food. Over the past 10 years, there has been an explosion in Japanese food that I never dreamt possible when I first arrived here”, she told BCCJ ACUMEN. “To be fair, British people are far more open to ‘foreign’ cuisines than are some of their continental European counterparts. “Yet, even though Brits are more liberal when it comes to strange and wonderful foreign foods, their ideas of Japanese cuisine sadly remain quite limited”, she said. Barber, who was born in Kobe but moved to Britain at the age of 15 after winning a one-year scholarship to study English, was asked to mentor Linda Robson, the actress best known for her role in the BBC1 sitcom Birds of a Feather, for the ITV series World Diets. Robson gushed about how much she loved Japanese food because she adored the take-aways from the Wagamama chain of noodle restaurants. “No prizes for guessing my reaction”, Barber said. “She hardly lost any weight, despite my writing a whole personalised diet programme for her. “It is a pity, but she is by no means the exception to the rule and it goes to show just how difficult it is to persuade people to change their eating habits, let alone how they cook”. Undeterred, Barber balances writing about Japanese cuisine and teaching cookery with caring for three sons, a banker husband and a St Bernard dog at their Notting Hill home. Her books to date include Sushi Taste and Technique, that won the Bronze Award in the Best Food Book category at Australia’s biennial Jacob’s Creek World Food Media Awards; The Japanese Kitchen; Japanese Pure and Simple; The Chopsticks Diet; and Yo! Sushi: The Japanese Cookbook. She is currently working on a Zeninspired vegetable cookbook. Dishes that are personal favourites include grated daikon and sesame

Barber’s next book will feature Zen-inspired recipes.

seed-based salad dressing; soy- and ginger-steeped roast chicken; as well as ingredients that are marinated in any of a number of ingredients (ae-mono), or marinated in vinegar (suu-nomono). New recipes are tested on family and friends, Barber said, noting the growing interest in learning how to cook Japanese food. “Sushi classes, especially hands-on workshops, have always been very popular. But recently, I have noticed— even among men—a rising interest in other food, especially vegetarian dishes such as tofu”, she said. “It is, perhaps, because of the health benefits of Japanese cooking, as well as people wanting to lose weight. “Although I am the first person to welcome this explosion of Japanese food, it seems people believe Japanese cooking is difficult and best left to experts. The people who come to my classes are often surprised to learn just how easy it is to make Japanese food. “They don’t realise that there is very little cooking involved in making something Japanese, and that it is all in the preparation and presentation”, she added. “My mission is to demystify Japanese food and cooking and bring it into home kitchens”. While her husband loves Japanese food, he still draws the line at natto and konnyaku. Barber says she enjoys all British food that is well prepared, and even loves Marmite—which comes as something of a surprise, given the revulsion that it triggers in most Japanese. But she can still recall the shock and horror on first encountering a bowl of lukewarm rice pudding at boarding school. Some food, it seems, just doesn’t travel well.

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 47

BOOKS

Searching for My Sons By Julian Ryall

ouglas Galbraith knows he is not alone in being alone, but that is little consolation. The last time the Scottish author saw his two sons was in 2003—when Satomi was six and Makoto was just four. His latest book tells of the minutes leading up to the realisation that his Japanese wife, Tomoko, had abducted them and fled their home in rural Fife for a suburb of Osaka. My Son, My Son details Galbraith’s efforts to locate his sons, to make contact with his former wife and reach some sort of agreement so that he might be able to see Satomi and Makoto again. After selling his home and sending nearly half the proceeds to Tomoko—earning him a few long distance phone calls until the money reached Japan—the contact was severed. Now he accepts he is another foreign national who is at the mercy of the Japanese legal system when it comes to his children. Moreover, he knows that evidence suggests he will not see them again. And that would remain the case even were Japan finally to sign the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Galbraith, 46, said that all he can hope is that in the future—when they are old enough to wonder and inquisitive enough to seek out their father—Satomi and Makoto will find him. And the book is partly designed to help them do that. “To an extent it was therapeutic, although I’m sceptical about the possibility of repairing the damage that has been done, let alone the shallow psychobabble of ‘closure’ or ‘moving on’, he said. “Writing the book was all I could do in a situation where I was powerless in all other respects. “It is also a possible path of communication with my children— more likely in the future than any time soon. All other routes are deliberately blocked”. Galbraith—whose previous books include A Winter in China and The Rising Sun—said that, as a writer, there was “a sense of obligation to make a statement, not to be silent”, and that now the book

48 | BCCJ ACUMEN | OCTOBER 2012

has been completed, he has a sense of freedom and “of having paid a debt”. The book has been widely picked up— translated into Spanish and with an excerpt appearing in South Africa—and Galbraith believes there is an increasing understanding that such abductions do not solely involve Japan, but also are a side effect of globalisation and a result of people being brought together in relationships that cross cultural barriers. “The economic and technological drivers of globalisation are pushing people together, but the drag of culture pulls them apart and this reactionary and divisive force often proves the stronger”, he told BCCJ ACUMEN. And, while the tales of parental abduction carried out by Japanese mothers are legendary, Galbraith’s former wife displayed breathtaking audacity as she plotted her departure from Scotland. She tried to secretly sell their home and placed adverts in the local paper to sell the contents—presumably hoping to keep the proceeds. She also got new passports for the children from the Japanese consulate in Edinburgh in a ploy that suggests the diplomats were probably aware of what was happening. In one passage, Tomoko tells a court hearing that she “removed our children from the country by deception and without consent. She candidly explained that she did this because (a) she felt like it, and (b) because of the poor quality of the sushi available from the local Tesco”. Galbraith welcomes Japan’s gradual move towards signing the Hague convention, although with a degree of caution. “There could be a lot more tatemae in this than honne”, he said. “Given that there is no real cost to a government for signing up to the Hague convention— before it treats the values and procedures with contempt, it is always reasonable to wait before assessing a government’s— and a judiciary’s—sincerity in approving and applying it. “The moment of truth is when the first legally ordered return of a parentally abducted child takes place”. He said he is very doubtful that a single judicially ordered return will take place in the five years after approval. “These things are really more cultural than legal

My Son, My Son: How One Generation Hurts the Next By Douglas Galbraith Harvill £16.99

... all he can hope is that in the future—when they are old enough to wonder and inquisitive enough to seek out their father—Satomi and Makoto will find him. and culture changes very slowly”, he said. “The law is just words and, where there is no genuine sympathy with its values, it remains just words”. Galbraith said he clings to the hope that his children retain some vague memory of what he told them was the central value in life—to always think for themselves. “If they can still think for themselves and have not wholly submitted to their mother and her world view then they might contact me—as they can easily— through the internet”, he said. “The book, and the publicity surrounding it, is largely intended to make that easier—to leave a larger, more easily followed trail. “If that doesn’t happen and we never meet again, then the book will still be there, even if I’m not”.

BCCJ ACUMEN has one copy of each of these books to give away. To apply, please send an email by 31 October to: editor@custom-media.com. Winners will be picked at random.

BOOKS

Reviews by Ian de Stains OBE

Short and Sweet The short story, as we know it today, is generally thought to date back to 1880. Difficult as it is to believe, writers such as Somerset Maugham, DH Lawrence, Virginia Woolf and numerous others were once able to make a decent living producing them. In contrast, the few authors today who are fortunate enough to find a publisher are lucky to be “paid” in printed copies of their work. Some authors even pay for the privilege of seeing their work in print. The art of writing short fiction is deceptive. Many aspiring young writers have fallen into the trap of believing it is easier to dash off 3,000 words to tell a tale than to work through hundreds of times that many to produce a finished novel. However, the truth is rather different. There is no better way to understand this than to read short stories written by the masters of their craft. Reading carefully studied analyses of such works is a very close second best to this. The British and Irish Short Story Handbook showcases exactly that— and more.

David Malcolm, professor of English Literature at the University of Gdansk, has done a fine job of setting out the development of the short story—at least in the UK and Ireland—and explores the field with reference to many of the finest proponents of the craft. His very readable volume begins with a historical overview and goes on to explore the various genres—from ghost stories to fables. It also includes an extremely impressive selection of what he calls “Key Authors” and “Key Works”. The stories themselves are not reproduced, but instead Malcolm takes the reader through a brief analysis of each one—beginning with RL Stevenson in 1885 and ending with China Miéville in 2003. In between, some of the giants of the craft are featured—Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, Jean Rhys, Ian McKewan—as well as others whose names have now been, if not exactly forgotten, then relegated to the unreached-for shelves of the collective memory. In addition, there are one or two somewhat surprising omissions. One

By David Malcolm Wiley-Blackwell £29.95

would have liked to have seen Alan Bennett’s work included: his short fiction is arguably in a genre of its own—but this is to nitpick. The British and Irish Short Story Handbook is certainly an academic book, but is accessible to anyone with an interest in the art of fine writing.

Writer Captures Rocky Outpost Rhythm

by M. L. Stedman Doubleday £23.99

ML Stedman’s powerful first novel, The Light Between Oceans, began life as a short story, but the Australian author was persuaded to rework it into a fulllength novel. At times this shows. Now and then there is the slightest hint that a little padding has been added: information that the reader has already been given is repeated—and not just once. For example, the male protagonist’s harrowing experience on the battlefield is regularly revisited. The fact that this does not detract from the central plot shows the author’s firm grasp of what she wants to say. Her central question seems to be whether right and wrong are always fixed moral states, or if ever they truly can be open to interpretation. Central to this thought is a choice made early in the story. Protagonists Tom and Isabel, who

live on remote Janus Rock where Tom tends to the lighthouse, are faced with a difficult decision when a boat washes up on the shore. Their choice appears to be harmless enough and, in Isabel’s eyes, is the only rightful one. However, years later it results in devastating consequences for everyone concerned. The rhythm of the writing is in keeping with the pace of life on the rocky outpost and Tom’s meticulous attention to the tending of the lighthouse is brilliantly captured. The author’s restraint with language is admirable, and the ease with which Stedman captures the mood is reminiscent of some of Japanese author Kazuo Ishiguro’s early publications—for example, The Remains of the Day. This is a deeply affecting first novel, and one hopes it will not be too long before ML Stedman produces a second.

OCTOBER 2012 | BCCJ ACUMEN | 49

COMMUNITY CSR

Former BCCJ President Philip T Gibb (top left) and BCCJ Executive Director Lori Henderson (bottom, fourth from right) with other volunteers in the BCCJ’s container painting project. It is part of their Back to Business (B2B) Initiative for Tohoku, held in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on 29–30 September.

BCCJ

Ambassador of Ireland to Japan John Neary and guests at the BCCJ’s joint networking event. It was held with the Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce at the ambassador’s residence in Tokyo on 13 September.

LECTURE

Professor Tomotaka Sekine spoke at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation on “Sumidagawa and Curlew River: Britten’s Encounter with Noh” at the Daiwa Foundation Japan House in London on 6 September.

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TALK

Attending a 9 September press conference in Fukuoka City were (from left) Fukuoka City Mayor Soichiro Takashima, MOVIDA JAPAN Inc. CEO Taizo Son, Nomad CEO Osamu Ogasahara and UKTI digital content sector champion Tony Hughes. They discussed a potential partnership between that city and Tech City.

SEMINAR

Caroline Rose and Morio Matsumoto at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation seminar, “40 Years of Love and Hate: Sino-Japanese Relationship Since Diplomatic Normalisation”. It was held at the Daiwa Foundation Japan House in London on 10 September.

ART

Toru Kuwakubo’s exhibition “The Sea by Day and Night” opened at London’s Daiwa Foundation Japan House on 12 September.

FILM

Narrator and instrumentalists at the “Ciné Illuminé presents Orochi” silent movie extravaganza, held at London’s Volupté Lounge on 2 September, were (from left) Tomoko Terada, Kyoko Morita and Hibiki Ichikawa. Mai Miyake’s first UK solo exhibition, “Dead Angle”, opened at London’s ICN gallery on 4 October. The artist is one of the 10 female artists who are active in Japan’s contemporary art world.

MUSIC

PHOTOGRAPHY

Performers at the UK charity’s Aid for Japan fundraising event, JAZZ + JAPAN, held at Jazz on the Hill in London on 30 August to assist Japanese children orphaned by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

The first collaboration between leading Japanese make-up artist Ayami Nishimura and British photographer Rankin is being shown in Tokyo’s Diesel Art Gallery until 9 November. More than 20 images will be showcased from their beauty book Ayami Nishimura by Rankin.

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ARTS EVENTS Compiled by Shoko Sekiya | shoko@custom-media.com

UNTIL 24 DECEMBER “The People by Kishin”

John Lennon, Yoko Ono, 1980

Kishin Shinoyama has been at the forefront of photography since the late 1950s. However, this is the photographer’s first largescale solo show to be staged in a Japanese museum, all previous requests to hold retrospective exhibitions having been turned down. The exhibition focuses on portraits of famous people and features the well-known photograph of John Lennon and Yoko Ono taken in 1980. Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery 3-20-2 Nishi-shinjuku

Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-1403 11am–7pm (8pm on Fridays and Saturdays) Last entry 30 minutes before closing time Closed on Mondays (Tuesday if the Monday is a public holiday) Adults ¥1,000 03-5353-0756 www.operacity.jp/ag/exh145/ index_e.html

FREE TICKETS

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

“Two Times: Antony Gormley Project in Hayama”

TWO TIMES, 2012–2013, Installation view, The Museum of Modern Art, Hayama, Japan

Turner Prize winner Antony Gormley’s project asks the question of where human existence can be found in the wider scheme of things— providing evidence of what it is like to be alive and alone in space and time. The exhibition reflects different moments in time by the placement of two human statues in different locations.

The Museum of Modern Art, Hayama 2208-1 Isshiki Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0111 8:30am–7pm (March, September– November) 8:30am–6pm (December– February) Closed on Mondays (excluding national holidays) and 29 December–3 January 2013 Free admission (does not include exhibitions inside the museum or parking) http://gormleyinhayama.blogspot. jp/

22 NOVEMBER–7 DECEMBER The Chieftains: The 50th Anniversary Tour

The original traditional Irish folk band to some, the Chieftains have had an important musical influence worldwide on country, bluegrass, folk, rock and pop music. In celebration of 50 years together, this legendary Irish band will tour Japan. 22 November Orchard Hall, Bunkamura 7pm (Doors open 6:15pm) ¥5,500 (sold out), ¥7,000, ¥8,500

30 November Sumida Triphony Hall Featuring the New Japan Philharmonic Conductor: Taizo Takemoto 7pm (doors open 6:15pm) Preschool children will not be admitted From ¥5,500 1 December Oympus Hall Hachioji Special guest: Yoko Yano 5pm (doors open 4:15pm) From ¥6,000 http://plankton.co.jp/chieftains/ 03-3477-9111 (switchboard)

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To apply for free tickets, please send us an email with your name, address and telephone number by 31 October: shoko@custom-media.com Winners will be picked at random.

16–28 NOVEMBER

PHOTO: CYLLA VON TIEDMANN

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles This Beatles tribute show began as a spin-off of the 2011 Broadway production Beatlemania. Rain was hugely successful in the US and Europe, and will be performed in three Japanese cities in celebration of the Beatles’ golden anniversary.

23–28 November Tokyo tour Tokyu Theatre Orb 11F Shibuya Hikarie 2-21 Shibuya Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 24 November 1pm 23, 25, 27, 28 November 2pm 24 November 6pm 26, 27 November 7pm Weekdays from ¥5,500 Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays from ¥6,500 For further dates, please visit: www.rain-in-japan.com/

Japan in a Day

Constructed from YouTube videos of individuals’ daily lives on 11 March 2012—one year after the Tohoku earthquake—this film was led by British director Ridley Scott. The project was conducted in Japan and around the world, in memory of the day. TOHO Cinemas, Roppongi Hills 6-10-2 Roppongi Minato-ku, Tokyo http://japan-in-a-day.gaga.ne.jp/

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

This 2010 film is a Spanish– American co-production comedydrama, written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in London, the story follows two married couples as their passions, ambitions and anxieties lead them into trouble and turn their lives upside down. Well-known British actors Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones and Naomi Watts star in the film.

TOHO Cinemas Chanter 1-2-2 Yurakucho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo www.koino-london.jp

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CULTURE

British Performing Arts Festival 2012

David Bintley (fourth from left), NNTT artistic director, Ballet and Dance, and Jeff Streeter (fifth from left), director of the British Council Japan, with dancers from Léo Delibes’ ballet Silvia.

By Megan Waters

he UK and Japan share a love of the theatre that, in both countries, has a long history and plays an important role in the lives of their people. To celebrate this cultural morsel and the great year that Britain is enjoying— just ask Olympic and royalty enthusiasts— the New National Theatre Tokyo (NNTT) will open their 2012–2013 season with the British Performing Arts Festival 2012. This will feature three major UK performances: Benjamin Britten’s 1945 opera Peter Grimes, Léo Delibes’ 1876 ballet Silvia, and William Shakespeare’s Richard III, written around 1591. The programme runs throughout October, with Silvia continuing into November. The NNTT’s collaboration with the British Council Japan fits in well with the UK’s worldwide GREAT campaign. Over the next four years, it will promote the UK abroad, shaping international perceptions about the nation and helping draw longterm trade and tourism benefits to the UK. Part of the plan is to bring UK performing arts to Japanese audiences, to further inform them about British culture and to promote the Tokyo theatre. Sir David Warren KCMG, British ambassador to Japan, said during a special presentation at the British Embassy Tokyo: “Japan and the United Kingdom have enjoyed a very strong bilateral relationship for many years.

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Culture and art add an invaluable dimension to that partnership”. Through this collaboration, he added, it is hoped that bilateral cultural ties will continue to deepen, providing an opportunity for UK artists to engage a broader spectrum of the Japanese public. Celebrating its 15th anniversary this month, the NNTT is Japan’s first national centre for the performing arts, including opera, ballet, contemporary dance and drama. The theatre is known as one of the great venues for the performing arts not only in Asia, but also worldwide. Jeff Streeter, director of the British Council Japan, the UK’s leading cultural relations organisation, believes that culture plays a vital role in bringing together people from different countries, backgrounds and beliefs. “Culture and the arts can make a difference not only to institutions, but particularly it can transform individual lives”, he explained. One challenge that Japan and the UK are facing is how to reach out to new audiences beyond the traditional domain of the theatre. To this end, many UK institutions are using new technologies and collaborating across art forms to increase public engagement with the arts. Through their collaboration with the NNTT, the British Council hopes to showcase to Japanese audiences some of these new approaches. “Although this is a celebration of British culture, Silvia is actually a French

ballet”, NNTT Artistic Director, Ballet and Dance, David Bintley told those attending the NNTT presentation. The festival will open with Bintley’s 1993 production of the ballet. As a great admirer of Japanese art and culture, Bintley believes that “Peter Grimes is the single most important opera ever written in Britain”. The opera had 21 premieres worldwide in its first three years following the 1945 opening, and the centenary of its highly acclaimed composer will be celebrated next year. In addition to the UK’s latest opera and ballet productions, photographs will be displayed featuring UK performances of other famous works over the past 15 years. Discussions about the performances and the UK’s gardening culture will be held at the NNTT as part of the festival, and a special display of Shakespeare’s works and life will be exhibited at the theatre into November. Thus far, 2012 has been a significant year for the UK and, it seems, it promises to get even better. Richard III 1:00pm (20, 21 October) 6:30pm (19 October) Sylvia 2:00pm (27, 28 October; 1, 3 November) 7:00pm (28, 31 October; 2 November) www.nntt.jac.go.jp/