08/08/2011
Lessons from Japan: investing in local identities
The Guardian‘s Local Government Network website carries a feature today on place branding practice by local authorities in Japan, including several quotes by JLGC’s Keith Kelly and a precis of our office’s activities in the UK. The article also mentions the JLGC case studies ‘Using regional products and PR to revitalise local areas’ (PDF) and […]
05/08/2011
JET Programme UK intake Summer 2011
This year 195 participants have been selected to go to Japan from the UK as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) based in schools or as Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) based in local government offices working to promote international links at the grassroots level. On 4 and 5 July 2011, the successful applicants attended their pre-departure orientation at […]
05/08/2011
External promotion of the Channel Islands
JLGC staff Andrew Stevens and Marie Yoshikawa visited the Channel Islands for the first time, in what is hoped to begin a new relationship and understanding of the Crown Dependencies, the self-governing islands associated with the United Kingdom. The visit to Guernsey and Jersey follows a visit in May to the Isle of Man, the third […]
04/08/2011
Renewable energy and low carbon Scotland
A delegation including Japan Local Government Centre staff visited Scotland this week to look at the Scottish Government’s challenging 2020 targets for a renewable energy society. Led by Chairman of the Japan Productivity Centre Hiroya Masuda (former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan (2007-08) and Governor of Iwate Prefecture (1995-2007), the visitors included […]
03/08/2011
Tax Information Exchange Agreement between Japan and Isle of Man comes into force
On August 2 the Embassy of Japan in London received notification from the Government of the Isle of Man, informing the completion of its internal procedures necessary for the entry into force of “the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Isle of Man for the Exchange of Information Relating to […]
01/08/2011
Japan’s urban future: Kitakyushu
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has selected Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture as the first green growth model city in Asia for policy assessment, according to the Mainichi. Under the programme, the OECD will send a survey mission to Kitakyushu, southwestern Japan, to analyze and assess the municipality’s economic growth and environmental policies […]
01/08/2011
Japan Day Seminar – July 29 2011
Japan and the North East of England – Investing in People and Places Gateshead Civic Centre Chaired by Professor Marie Conte-Helm OBE, Director of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, the seminar of public officials, business figures and academics looked at investment links between the North East of England and Japan, and how future regional growth could […]
27/07/2011
More on the Japanese ‘Big Society’
We’ve mentioned previously how the ‘Big Society’ concept is gaining something in the way of traction in Japan and how Japanese approaches are also being readily studied in the UK in the form of hureai kippu (Caring Relationship Ticket Scheme). Earlier this month Wilton Park, the UK government’s arms-length historic institution for international dialogue and […]
22/07/2011
A new website in English for “international voices” has been launched by the City of Sapporo Government, with first hand news of great cuisine and local tourist hotspots in and around Sapporo and the wider Hokkaido area, Japan’s northern most island. The site aims to be an authentic voice for people visiting Hokkaido as videos […]
21/07/2011
Tokyo Tourism Representative encourages people to ‘Yes! Tokyo’
Yes! Tokyo is the title of a stand being manned by the Tokyo Tourism Representative at the HYPER JAPAN 2011 event, Olympia Two, London. The earthquake and issues surrounding the disaster in March have had a serious effect on tourist numbers to Japan over the past six months. The stand at HYPER JAPAN will allow […]
