Event Detail

To say that the Women's Summit will be the Seneca Falls of Japan would be over zealous. But, the 1848 Seneca Falls conference that sparked the women's movement in the United States is certainly an inspiration for the U.S.-Japan Council-ACCJ Women in Business Summit on May 27th from 12:00 - 5:30 p.m. The idea is to create one gathering place, on one afternoon, enabling representatives from all Japan-based organizations that focus on the advancement of women in business to convene.

Special Arrangements:
Any organization in Japan (non-profit or for-profit) that focuses on supporting women in business is invited to display its logo and a brief description of the organization in the Summit brochure at no cost. Examples include GOLD, FWLA, or Morgan Stanley Tokyo Women's Business Alliance. We expect to generate a great list of women-focused organizations in Japan by end of the Summit.

Theme: The Next Generation of Women Leaders in Business

12:00 - 1:30 p.m.:
Lunch with U.S./Japanese keynote speakers
- Mitsuru Claire Chino (Executive Officer and General Manager for the Legal Division, ITOCHU Corporation)

1:30 - 1:45 p.m.: Break

1:45 - 3:15 p.m.:
Panel discussion: Personal Secrets to Success - helpful hints
- Panel discussion with two female U.S. speakers and two female Japanese speakers followed by a buzz session (each table provides comments and reports back to group) Results: 100 practical tips
- Facilitator: Elizabeth Handover (President - Intrapersona K.K., Lumina Learning Partner Asia)

3:15 - 3:30 p.m.: Break

3:30 - 5:00 p.m.:
Training session in two separate rooms:
- Yoshiko Otani (President, Office Otani, Certified Trainer for the Dale Carnegie Course and High Impact Presentations): (Japanese)
- Suzanne Price (Representative Director, Price Global): (English)

5:00 - 5:15 p.m.:
Wrap-up and closing remarks:
- Irene Hirano Inouye (President, U.S.-Japan Council)
- Laurence W. Bates (President, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan)


Remarks:
This may be the tipping point moment in the history of women in the Japan workforce. Both the LDP and DPJ have policy positions with aspirational targets of having 30% women in both the government and private sectors by the year 2020. The Ministry of Finance and Keizai Doyukai are talking about Japanese women as the engine for economic growth in Japan. In late 2012, the GOJ established a multi-ministerial panel (Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor and Ministry of Education) to create, in two years, a new agency tasked with establishing child care policy. We haven't heard talk like this EVER before.

Women-focused groups tend to be insular and specialized. We tend to think in silos or small boxes; women lawyers or women in retail. But this Women's Summit is a chance to break out of our "boxes" and enter a bigger, cohesive arena. Generous sponsors have donated nearly 6 million yen to make this Women in Business Summit affordable and inclusive. This will be the start of something big!


Women in Business Committee
Elizabeth Handover and Deborah Hayden, Co-Chairs
Alison Birch, Royanne K. Doi, Makiko Fukui, Carolyn Gaskins, Mariko Nakazono, and Aly Parker, Vice-Chairs