Publications

Hello and Goodbye 2015

Now is the time of year when we say hello and goodbye to seconded staff returning to and coming from our member local authorities in Japan. This March saw the departure of Deputy Director Kanato Hiramatsu returning to Aichi Prefecture, Yuki Oe returning to Wakayama Prefecture, Tatusya Oba returning to Shizuoka Prefecture, and Chihiro Sakurai returning to Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Thanks for your two years hard work at the London office, and JLGC wishes you luck in your new roles in Japan.

From April JLGC’s four new staff are our new Deputy Director Mr. Tsutomu Asada from Aichi Prefecture Senior Adviser Mr. Masahiro Ishida from Chiba Prefectural Government, Ms. Kuniko Hamada from Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Ms. Mariko Kosaka from Sendai City Government. Welcome to London and we looking forward to learning more about your part of Japan!

Looking back over the year

JLGC has a major role in researching public policy on behalf of Japanese local and central government, examples over the last year have included product Safety Standards Legislation (city government research request), Business Rates (in conjunction with Inlogov) (ministry), UK Social Housing Policy and Finance (prefectural government) and European Public Safety PR Campaigns (ministry) to name but a few major research projects of which more details can be seen here. JLGC also has a growing role promoting Japan’s regions and cities to a UK and European audience. In 2014/2015 the office had a range of opportunities to promote Japan as a tourist destination, for inward investment, as well as UK-Japan links at a variety of events:

Japan Day Seminar, September

Our annual Japan Day Seminar was held at the Official Residence of the Ambassador of Japan in London in September, co-hosted by the Embassy of Japan in the UK, Fukushima Prefectural Government, and JLGC. The title of the event was the ‘London Seminar for Fukushima Revitalisation’. Speakers included Sir David Warren KCMG, former ambassador to Japan and current Chairman of the Japan Society of the UK, Fumio Murata, Vice-Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, Anne Kaneko, UK citizen and recently long term resident and company director in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture. The event was moderated by Heidi Potter, Chief Executive of the Japan Society of the UK and followed by a reception where saké from Fukushima Prefecture was served.

JETAA UK events around the country, throughout the year

The JET Programme Alumni Association (JETAA) is a voluntary organisation sponsored and supported by JLGC, in partnership with the Japanese Embassy, for former JET participants to continue their links with Japan. A variety of events were held throughout the year including a “Japan in the Midlands” Networking Reception, held at Nottingham University and focusing on Japanese companies in the area, included speakers from Toyota Manufacturing UK, Aisin Europe Ltd and Koito Europe Ltd. There was also green tea tasting from an ex-JET at the following reception. ‘Spotlight on Japanese Companies: Manchester’ was held at the Barclays conference centre in central Manchester and attended by ex JETs working across a wide number of industries, as well as recently returned JETs looking for opportunities. ‘Spotlight on Japanese Companies in the UK’ was the first such event held at Mitsubishi Corporation International Plc. in London. This event was attended by around 60 people, mostly ex-JETs working in various industries plus representatives from MCIE, JETRO and UKTI. Other chapters, such as the Scotland Chapter, hold exhibitions and orientations for new JET participants before their tenure in Japan.

This year saw a particular focus for JETAA on professional careers support and networking, linking up with Japanese companies to promote sustainable and enduring links between the UK and Japan by supporting careers and networking for people wanting to work in the field.

Promoting events and programmes in Japan, throughout the year

JLGC is increasingly involved with supporting the initiatives of Japan’s regions and cities to promote themselves overseas. Such promotion included supporting Japan on Film: Ishikawa – ‘A Tale of Samurai Cooking’ showing in London, a film set in Ishikawa Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast, giving movie-goers a silver screen look into this soon-to-be easier to access part of Japan. Japan’s shinkansen bullet train network expanded in spring on 14 March 2015 with the completion of the Hokuriku line extension to Kanazawa, Ishikawa’s capital, slashing journey times from Tokyo to Kanazawa from four hours to 2.5 hours. Other programmes promoted have included the ‘Kyoto Study Programme: from Anime to Zen’, a non-degree two week programme offering international students an excellent introduction to Japanese society and culture; Tottori Prefecture’s ‘International Art Exhibition for Artists with Disabilities’, showcasing artworks created by Japanese and international artists with disabilities; this year’s Okinawa Day, held in June at London’s Spitalfields Market seeing as many as 8,000 visitors — this year dance, martial arts and music performance once again showcased the unique culture and food of Japan’s southernmost island.

20th Anniversary Japan Study Tour, Feedback and Reception, January

Japan Study Tour (JST) is an annual research trip organised by JLGC for local government and public sector staff in the UK and Europe. 2014’s study tour was held in collaboration with Kumamoto City in Kyushu, southern Japan. With the theme of ‘Compact and Connected Cities’ participants from UK local government were able to look at local policies and plans to enable the city’s ‘smart growth’ through targeting emerging markets in East Asia and downtown revitalisation. As well as joining Japan’s shinkansen (bullet train) high speed rail network in 2011, Kumamoto was granted additional decentralised powers by the government when it became Japan’s 20th Designated City a year later.

Beginning in 1994, the tour has seen over 200 alumni visit and learn from Japanese local government, and our annual feedback meeting was moderated by 2005 tour participant Michael Burton, Editorial Director of the MJ. An audience of former tour participants from a wide range of local authority professions and council types from across the UK continued discussions over a Japanese lunch overlooking Regents Park, the beautiful venue kindly provided by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation for the day.

Promoting the JET Programme, October and November

JLGC staff attended a number of events at universities throughout the UK in October and November, in the run up to the deadline for this year’s Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme 2015 summer recruitment drive.

The JET Programme is the Japanese government sponsored scheme which employs UK graduates in Japanese local authorities, in state schools as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) or Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) in town and city halls, as well as prefectural headquarters. Over 60,000 graduates from all backgrounds have taken part in the JET Programme since its inception in 1987, including over 10,000 from the UK in the past 25 years.

Hyper Japan, summer and Christmas Markets, London, June and December

JLGC promotes Japan’s regions and cities every year at this increasingly popular and growing event in the heart of London. JLGC works with Japanese local authorities, collating PR material from our offices in Tokyo and throughout Japan’s 47 prefectures. We then provide information to the public attending Hyper Japan handing out local area maps and guides, as well as free gifts, while doing market research into perceptions about Japan as a tourist destination and the kind of things the UK tourist is looking at for holiday destinations.

Japan Matsuri, Trafalgar Square, London, September

Similarly to Hyper Japan, JLGC works closely with the Japan Matsuri organising committee to promote Japan’s regions and cities, with a stall handing out promotional guides and maps for regions all throughout Japan. In 2014, JLGC worked closely with Japan Matsuri to bring the ‘yuru-kyara’ mascots, representing regions and local authorities all over Japan, to London for the Mascot Parade and Dance.

Düsseldorf Japan Day, May

Japan Day has been taking place regularly in May or June in the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia since 2002. Over the years, it has become a major highlight in the Düsseldorf event calendar. At the biggest German-Japanese festival of its kind, the Japanese community living there display the culture of their home country to visitors in diverse ways, and are heavily involved in shaping the festival. There are around 8,200 Japanese citizens living in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area. JLGC attends the event to promote Japan as tourist destination, liaising with the Japan Exchange and Trade Organisation (JETRO) Düsseldorf office which support companies that invest in Japan cooperate with Japanese companies as well as export their products to Japan.