Publications

JLGC had a busy year over the 2018 Financial Year up to March 2019, with regular events including annual programmes such as Japan Study Tour (JST) to Miyagi Prefecture looking at recovery and planning in the aftermath of the 2011 March Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.  This year also saw a special event in connection to JST with a reunion seminar for all JST alumni (going back 20 plus years) followed by a reception at Japan House London, which saw feedback and discussion of the 2018 Miyagi tour and a more general talk on UK–Japan links which have since resulted in longer-term links.  There was also a debate on how better to maintain connections with Japanese colleagues met on the tour and using learning and best practice here in the UK after taking part.  JST alumni continue to support JLGC’s activities and Japan’s local authorities in the UK, supporting the office with training visits to UK local government and supporting our research trips and groups visiting from Japan.

Our JLGC Seminar in Derby this year on February 1 saw over 100 delegates from London-based Japanese businesses, as well as Derbyshire companies and local authorities, filling the Roundhouse venue at Derby College. Aimed at those interested in going into the Japanese market and Japanese inward investment trends into the UK, the seminar, and organised by JLGC together with Marketing Derby, it focused on the opportunities available for businesses through municipal twinning-links, of which Derby and Toyota City in Aichi (of course, home to Toyota Motors) celebrated 25 years in 2018.

As one of CLAIR’s network of overseas offices, the JLGC London Office also has a Research Team, which is responsible for a programme of activities aimed at providing benefit and impact for our member local governments in Japan. Over 2018/2019 our staff were engaged in active workstreams supporting the office’s work in undertaking and commissioning policy research, as well as providing consultancy across a number of study visits to the UK and Northern Europe.

A key part of our service to all member authorities in Japan, the team engaged in a range of research commissions during 2018/2019, some of which were:

University places and regional policy

Smart cards and bus location systems

Local governance in Greater London and Greater Manchester

Product safety

2017 G20 Bonn Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

Remote working and coworking in London post-2012 Olympics

The governance and finance of London & Partners

London 2012 Volunteering Legacy

Zero Emission Vehicles in London Government

Edinburgh Festival Impact and Visitor Numbers

Rugby World Cup 2015 Fanzones

Each year the office is also commissioned to arrange and facilitate a wide range of study visits on behalf of Japanese members and partners. Below is a selection of our 2018/2019 activity support undertaken by JLGC staff members (titles translated from Japanese):

Local administration and public finances

Evaluation of public education (Ofsted)

Visiting the Mayor of Aberdeen

Meeting with national furniture chain for PR of traditional craft products

Meetings for Buddha statue exhibition at the British Museum

Meetings with German Lander

Meetings with the Welsh Government

Arrangements for the exhibition ‘When the Language of Shakespeare Meets the Calligraphy of Japan’

Visiting Brixton BID and Lambeth Council

Attending conferences on electric vehicle strategies

Meetings with appropriate bodies on the present state, problems, and the impact caused by Brexit on Japanese enterprises with a market in the UK.

Tourism PR towards RWC 2019

Meetings for sister city links with Camden and Manchester

Research visits for tackling food waste

Supporting Ishikawa PR and meeting with restaurants

Library management models

Information gathering for the exhibition at British Museum 2019

Researching post-Olympics venue use in London

Local authority animal welfare

PR for international Manga contest

Sake PR

Study for Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management in developed nations

Research for total service in social welfare in Finland

PR for Toyota City and Japanese culture at Chatsworth Country Fair

Exhibiting at Japan Matsuri, London

Visiting BIDs and the GLA

Research for new public space design – effective use of existing facilities