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Featured Committee: Foreign Direct Investment

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Committee is a very active and policy-oriented committee in the Chamber and relevant to virtually all members.

The Committee provides a platform for advocating policy, legal and regulatory changes that could significantly increase Japan's inward FDI flows from their present low level as compared to other developed nations and facilitate investment by U.S. businesses. In addition, the Committee sponsors thought-provoking events and facilitates information sharing both inside and outside the Chamber. Recently, in recognition of the importance of outbound M&A to the ACCJ's membership (especially those engaged in professional services), the Committee has increasingly focused on outward foreign direct investment by Japanese corporations into the United States and other countries.

Upcoming events include:

· On February 13, the Committee will host Professor Martin Hulb, professor of business administration at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, founder of the IFPM Center for Corporate Governance, and winner of the gold medal in Corporate Governance awarded by the International Academy of Quality, to speak about "board management" tools used by leading multinationals which contribute to improved corporate governance. This evening event will be followed by a cocktail party, but sign up quickly because seating is limited.

· On February 21, Professor Kyoji Fukao from Hitotsubashi University, who has provided academic support and an intellectual framework for the ACCJ Growth Strategy Task Force's 2010 White Paper as well as certain initiatives by the Japanese government, will update the Chamber and invited guests on Japan's Growth Strategy, Looking Forward in 2013 and Beyond.

In 2012, the Committee hosted a variety of informative and entertaining events, including its annual Japan Economic Outlook presented by Jesper Koll of JP Morgan, an update on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's newly-introduced rules to enhance corporate governance, an extremely informative presentation by Noriko Tsuya, Professor at Keio University, on the impact of population aging and declining birth rate, and our first joint networking social and panel discussion with the Japan Private Equity Association and Japan Venture Capital Association. These larger events have been supplemented by smaller, more informal events such as a discussion on the role of private equity in encouraging FDI in Japan, an update on investing in the Tohoku region and a breakfast for the director of the U.S. Department of Commerce's new Select USA program.



The FDI Committee also fulfills an important role in the annual Diet Door Knock and publishes viewpoints and white papers on FDI-related topics. Last year, the Committee submitted comments to the Ministry of Justice about revisions to Japanese corporate law and comments to the Tokyo Stock Exchange on revisions to listing rules related to corporate governance, organized a joint press conference with other foreign chambers following the Olympus and other corporate scandals, and was integral in creating the Labor Force Diversification Task Force.



We look forward to your participation in 2013!