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"How to Attract the Right People"
2006-10-04: Two recruitment powerhouses, Wall Street Associates and JAC Japan, joined forces at the Osaka Securities Exchange Building to highlight the recent changes in the labor market and share their forecasts for the future based on trends that have taken the industry by storm.
Wall Street Associates Director of West Japan, Paul Dupuis, talks about what makes a "great company" at the Kitahama Law Office inside the Osaka Securities Exchange Building.
Tomoko Konishi, JAC Japan Kansai Regional Manager, fields a question from the audience during an animated Q&A session.
In response to questions about what the future holds for the workforce in Japan, Tomoko Konishi said that even though Japan is making strides to empower women in the workforce, she does not think there will be significant changes or a "revolution" of sorts in the next 5-10 years. Ms. Konishi also reported that there will be a shortage of capable 30-40 year olds at managerial level positions in the years to come, stressing the need for capable semi-retirees/retirees to be willing to come back into the workforce on a full-time basis to provide leadership while filling these important roles.
In regards to the empowerment of women, Paul Dupuis indicated that 75% of Japanese who study abroad every year are women, and to under utilize their skills and potential would be detrimental to the workforce and society as a whole.
1st Annual ACCJ Kansai Chapter Walk-A-Thon
2006-10-01: The ACCJ Kansai Chapter would like to thank the many, many businesses, organizations and individuals whose sponsorship and participation made the first-ever ACCJ Kansai Chapter Walk-A-Thon a resounding success. There is already a buzz about holding the event again next year!
The light rain and cloudy skies didn't damper anyone's spirits or enthusiasm for the first-ever ACCJ Kansai Chapter Walk-A-Thon as volunteers showed up long before 8:00 a.m. in preparation for the 10:00 a.m. start time. With the opening ceremony commencing at 11:00 a.m., the stage was star-studded with appearances by Osaka's Mayor Seki, American Consul General Daniel Russel, Director General of Kobe City Yoshinobu Machimoto, International Affairs Promotion Director of Kyoto City Takashi Yasui, Director General of Hyogo Prefecture Osamu Niwa, Executive Director for FDI of Osaka Prefecture Yutaka Ueda, ACCJ Executive Director Sam Kidder, ACCJ Vice President Michael Bobrove, ACCJ Governor Ravi Chaturvedi, and ACCJ Kansai Community Service Committee Chair Kiran Sethi.
After a Japanese-style kagami-biraki and "kampai" by ACCJ Governor and P&G Japan President, Ravi Chaturvedi, an American-style balloon sendoff signaled the start of the 4.0 km Walk-A-Thon that circled the boardwalk area of HAT Kobe, which is home to newly built condominiums, the Hyogo Prefecture Art Museum, and the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Museum.
In total, over 50 businesses, 12 governmental and NGO agencies, 3 international schools and approximately 800 individual participants came together for an early Fall day on Kobe's beautifully rebuilt shoreline.
Final preparations are made on the morning of the Walk-A-Thon.
Local government officials and the ACCJ leadership enjoy breaking glass to kickoff the 1st ever ACCJ Kansai Chapter Walk-A-Thon.
Despite the unfavorable weather, many VIPs came out to drink some freshly brewed sake in recognition of the 2006 Walk-A-Thon.
(left to right) ACCJ Executive Director Sam Kidder, Osaka City Mayor Junichi Seki, American Consul General Daniel Russel, ACCJ Kansai Community Service Committee Chair Kiran Sethi, ACCJ Vice President Michael Bobrove, ACCJ Governor Ravi Chaturvedi, Osaka Prefecture Executive Director for FDI Yutaka Ueda, Hyogo Prefecture Director General Osamu Niwa, Kobe City Director General Yoshinobu Machimoto, and Kyoto City International Affairs Promotion Director Takashi Yasui pose for one final snapshot before the commencement of the walk.
Participants take a stroll on the vast boardwalk in HAT Kobe.
The weather could not dampen the Walk-A-Thon's festive atmosphere.
Many mingle while visiting the various sponsor and food booths at the 2006 Walk-A-Thon.
"Ideology & Strategy the Matsushita Way"
2006-09-11: With brands such as Panasonic, National, Technics, etc. and employing more than 330,000, Matsushita is a juggernaut of a corporation to say the least.
Vice Chairman of the Board and grandson to the founder of Matsushita, Masayuki Matsushita fields questions from the audience during the Q&A session at P&G on Rokko Island in Kobe.
Sticking to products with a universal design and sensitive to the environment, Masayuki Matsushita explained how a company the size of Matsushita has been able to adapt to change and better itself in the ever-competitive electronics/electric appliances market.
Currently, Matsushita's "bread & butter" product is its plasma TV that has taken the market by storm with demand doubling from 2005-2006. Mr. Matsushita said that he is expecting demand to increase three-fold by 2010 with overseas sales accounting for most of the increase.
With the average number of electronic goods per household at 82, an increase of 21% from 1990, and rising, Masayuki Matsushita sees a bright future for Matsushita as the company tries to further distance itself from competitors.
How to Start an SME in Japan
2006-08-31: Fellow ACCJ Tokyo member and Information, Communications, & Technology (ICT) Chair, Mike Alfant, shared his extensive knowledge on how to start one's own small and/or medium-size enterprise (SME) in Japan and gave a few examples on how to break into the expanding Chinese market, where business has been rapidly growing for Mr. Alfant of late.
Mike Alfant shares a laugh with the audience during his presentation at the Osaka Securities Exchange Building for the ACCJ Kansai Chapter.
Insisting that the keys to a successful startup hinge upon how well an individual can assess and administer the following four principles:
1. Quality of the management
2. Effective use of cash flow
3. Quality and nature of the product
4. Reaction of the management team to a change in environment
Mike Alfant gave the audience detailed accounts of where failure to adhere to them created turmoil in the future.
In an active Q&A session, a question was proposed from the audience as to what has been the hardest thing to overcome while starting your own business. Mr. Alfant responded that it was the ability to maintain emotional distance from one's employees. Once one crosses the fine line between friend/subordinate, things start to go awry.
USS John S. McCain
2006-08-24: Thanks in part to the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe, a limited number of ACCJ members and guests were able to experience a VIP tour of the USS John S. McCain, a guided missile destroyer in the U.S. Navy fleet, which stopped by Himeji Port for a few days. Named after John S. McCain, Jr. and John S. McCain, Sr., both Admirals in the United States Navy, and the father and grandfather respectively of current Arizona Senator, John S. McCain III, the destroyer was launched in September of 1992 from Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, and commissioned in July of 1994. Currently, the destroyer's homeport is Yokosuka, situated near Tokyo.
USS John S. McCain Statistics:
Overall Length: 505 Feet
Beam: 66 Feet
Top Speed: 30+ Knots
Displacement: 8315 Tons (Full Load)
Crew: 337
USS John S. McCain, a guided missile destroyer in the U.S. Navy pictured docked at Himeji port.
ACCJ members and guests pose for a group picture with some of the crew of the USS John S. McCain.
The 18th Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival
2006-08-05: Braving the choppy waters, 7 ACCJ members and guests ventured up the Yodo River for a view of the 18th annual Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival. Every year an estimated 400,000 people grace the grounds of the Yodo River in Osaka to witness the fantasy-like aura of 20,000 fireworks bursting in the air for a full hour. Unlike most of the onlookers, the ACCJ troupe was nestled in the comfort of a chartered boat to witness the beautifully lit up night sky.
ACCJ members Michael Jaehrling, Raymond Tait, Yorio Yagi, and S. McIntire Allen get ready to leave port with family and friends for the 18th annual Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival.
It was a perfect night for a fireworks extravaganza over the banks of the Yodo River in Osaka.
"To Be Engaged or Not To Be in Engaged...That is the Question"
2006-08-03: Back for the third consecutive year, Michael Thompson, full-time member at the California Leadership Academy, State Farm Insurance Companies, had participants engaged in a non-stop Q&A session throughout his presentation on "How to Engage One's Employees in Japan."
Michael Thompson "engages" the crowd during his presentation on how to engage one's workforce.
During the highly interactive session, Mr. Thompson proposed the following questions to the audience as food for thought:
1. What elements within Japan help the nation maintain its position as the 2nd largest economy in the world?
2. In the early 1990s, Japan ranked either #1 or #2 each year in the IMD World Competitiveness Rankings. What factors have contributed to Japan's decline in these rankings, putting Japan as low as 23rd in 2004?
3. What factors have contributed to the new attitudes (freeters, NEETs, parasite singles) of Japan's younger citizens?
Providing statistical information stating that only 9% of the Japanese workforce is "engaged" at work, Mr. Thompson proposed the question to the audience as to whether or not the Japanese workforce can "raise the bar" and surpass the engagement levels of the likes of New Zealand and Australia, which are at 17% and 18% respectively.
In conclusion, only time will tell...
The Bose Method - Grass Roots Marketing
2006-07-20: Since his introduction to Bose Corporation in 1979 via its founder, Dr. Amar G. Bose, Sumiyoshi Sakura has taken the struggling Japan-based business from the brink of bankruptcy to becoming an audio component juggernaut with a commanding market share over the rest of the competition.
Relying on testimonial endorsements from satisfied consumers, Mr. Sakura has been able to keep advertising and marketing costs low while using excess funds for the much-needed R&D wing of the corporation. In the ever-competitive world of audio components, if one does not invest in R&D, one cannot stay ahead of the game, which is the underlying truth that keeps Bose Corporation one step ahead.
Sumiyoshi Sakura, President of Bose Japan and Vice President of Bose Corporation, shows a slide from one of the first speakers produced by Bose Corporation some 30 years ago.
Privatization of Japan Post
2006-07-13: With all the buzz over the past year about Koizumi and his mission to revamp Japan Post, the ACCJ Kansai Chapter was privileged to have some of the Japan Post Kinki Division's finest on hand for an interactive seminar and networking session at the Hyatt Regency Osaka.
The main speaker for the evening was Mr. Takeshi Ohkawa. Touching upon everything from Japan Post's tie-up with All Nippon Airways (ANA) to deliver international mail in a much more expedite fashion to the fact that the number of post offices outnumber elementary schools in Japan, Mr. Ohkawa explained how the first set of changes concerning the structure and operation of Japan Post will be completed by October 2009. As the final privatization stage is set to be completed in October 2017, Mr. Ohkawa remarked that in a little over 10 years, the Postal Savings Bank and the Postal Insurance Company will undergo a complete makeover and will prove to be a lean, mean, postal machine.
Takeshi Ohkawa, General Manager of the Kinki Sales Headquarters for International Mail.
Kazuyuki Nakagawa, Business Division General Manager of Northwest Osaka.
Masatoshi Takeo, Manager of the Kinki Sales Headquarters for International Mail.
2006 Kyoto Meishi Exchange
2006-06-16: For the second straight year, the ACCJ Kansai Chapter was back in the heart of Kyoto for a meishi exchange event with the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Building upon the success of last year's inaugural meishi exchange event with the KCCI, members of the ACCJ Kansai Chapter came out in full force to meet and greet the upper echelon of businessmen and businesswomen based in Kyoto in an intimate atmosphere that only the Hotel Granvia Kyoto, situated above JR Kyoto Station, can provide.
Special thanks to the sponsors of the 2006 Kyoto Meishi Exchange event:
ACCJ Kansai Business Programs Chair, Jiri Mestecky (left), exchanges a greeting with the new Executive Director of the ACCJ, Sam Kidder (right).
Junichi Murata, Chairman of the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce & Industry, shakes hands with Ravi Chaturvedi, President of P&G Far East Inc.
Shigeharu Mori (left) of the Nagasaki Prefecture Industrial Promotion Foundation poses with Northwest Airlines Regional Sales Manager, Ryoji Minaki, after winning a pair of tickets for two to New York City.
Hirokazu Ishii (left) of United Airlines presents Souji Mitsukawa of JAC Japan a pair of tickets to Honolulu.
Modern Medical Marvels: Nihon MEDRAD K.K.
2006-05-24: Highlighting MEDRAD's transition over the past 30 years from a dealer-based business to the establishment of its Japan headquarters (Nihon MEDRAD K.K.) in Osaka, Michael Bobrove, President of Nihon MEDRAD K.K. and current ACCJ Kansai Vice President, spoke about the "right stuff," essential to being successful in the competitive Japanese market. MEDRAD seems to have had the "right stuff" for some time as it was recently awarded the prestigious Malcom Baldrige National Quality Award by the President of the United States.
ACCJ Kansai Vice President and Nihon MEDRAD K.K. President, Michael Bobrove, addresses members of the ACCJ, Kobe Chamber, and the Kobe Junior Chamber during the 7th IBNP at the Kobe Club.
Touching upon the subject of the fastidious Japanese consumer, Michael Bobrove spoke from experience about a time when syringes supplied to hospitals in Japan via MEDRAD in the U.S. had to be reproduced because the Japanese consumer was able to spot little dark specks molded into the plastic, even though they had no bearing upon the functionality of the syringes.
MEDRAD subsequently designed a separate inspection unit for syringes that were being shipped to Japan. Mr. Bobrove remarked that the inspection unit was even using a magnifying glass to make sure that there were no dark specks molded into the plastic. Relating to this anecdote, Michael Bobrove stressed that if you can please the Japanese consumer then you can please just about anyone.
The Transformation of Tokyo Star Bank
2006-05-18: Financial Freedom is the one point that President & CEO of Tokyo Star Bank (TSB), Todd Budge, stressed the most during his candid presentation at the 2006 Influential Speaker Series at the Hilton Osaka Hotel. In its third year, the Influential Speaker Series has brought the likes of Jesper Koll of Merrill Lynch and Richard Koo of Nomura Securities to the Kansai region to address the American Chamber, Canadian Chamber, and Osaka Chamber members.
Mr. Budge used the analogy that while Starbucks claims to be "a people business that serves coffee," TSB is "a people business that serves financial solutions." As the first ever non-Japanese CEO & President of a Japanese bank, Todd Budge has a good feeling that people will become more aware of his bank once the 3,200 ATM machines are placed in Circle K and Sunkus convenience stores all over the country in the upcoming months. While continuously rated by major publications as maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction, Mr. Budge's next mission is to increase the brand awareness of the bank.
A special thanks to the Osaka Business Innovation Center (O-BIC) for being a generous sponsor of the 2006 Influential Speaker Series.
CEO & President of Tokyo Star Bank, Todd Budge, awaits a question from the gallery at the Hilton Osaka Hotel.
Members from the American Chamber of Commerce (ACCJ), Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCCJ) and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce (OCCI) exchange business cards and greetings before Todd Budge presented.
L.I.K. April Happy Hour
2006-04-21: The Living in Kansai (L.I.K.) committee was back at it again holding its monthly Happy Hour at the one and only Savannah Bar & Grill in Shinsaibashi (Osaka).
With a strong contingent from the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe in attendance, many ACCJ members and guests were able to network with Foreign Service officials in a casual setting that can only be provided by Savannah.
Gordon Gaul, Thomas Zelaya and Ryoko Matsumura take a moment out of exchanging business cards to pose for a picture at the L.I.K. April Happy Hour event.
Representing Benesse Corporation, Umi Ohtaka & Chie Nishimori pose with fellow ACCJ member and Savannah Bar & Grill owner Darrell Gartrell.
Starbucks: the Coffee Juggernaut
2006-04-14: With product names like Ethiopia Sidamo, Sumatra, Caffè Verona, and Colombia Nariño Supremo synonymous to Starbucks, what makes this coffee giant so successful in the saturated Japanese market?
Vice President and Retail Officer of Starbucks Japan and fellow ACCJ member, Weldon Spangler, addressed a capacity audience at the P&G auditorium on Rokko Island in Kobe on this particular topic. As a result of Starbucks' efforts to convey a "third place experience," such that a Starbucks store environment is not work and also not home, many customers incorporate visiting Starbucks into their daily routine just to get "away" from the rigors and stresses of everyday life. In Japan-based stores, the non-smoking policy and the ability to customize drinks has allowed Starbucks to obtain a stronghold on the coffee industry in Japan.
Stating that one of Starbucks' main pillars of company ideology is community involvement, Mr. Spangler remarked that the company is very active in the Make a Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, and was highly involved in the volunteer activities of helping those displaced by the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake 11 years ago.
In concluding his presentation, Mr. Spangler stated the underlying motto of Starbucks: "We live our values by buying responsibly, doing business ethically, helping our communities grow and taking care of the world we live in."
Vice President and Retail Officer of Starbucks Japan, Weldon Spangler opens the floor up for questions during his talk at the P&G auditorium located on Rokko Island in Kobe.
Ohanami Time with the Living in Kansai Committee
2006-04-08: The Living in Kansai (LIK) committee showed its spirit for the ACCJ on a beautiful spring day by displaying the ACCJ banner in Sakuranomiya Park in Osaka for all to see. Before long, a strong contingent of ACCJ Kansai ohanami (cherry blossom viewing) enthusiasts wined and dined together while soaking up the breathtaking views of the cherry blossoms. As the peak time for viewing cherry blossoms lasts only a few days, the ACCJ Kansai members lucked out by having good weather over the weekend to view the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
ACCJ Kansai members Thomas Zelaya, Mikio Shimizu, David Syrad, and Richard Greene (from left to right) take time out with their friends and family to pose for a snapshot at Sakuranomiya Park in Osaka.
USS Curtis Wilber
2006-04-04: Thanks in part to the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe, a limited number of ACCJ members were able to experience a VIP tour of the USS Curtis Wilber, a guided missile destroyer in the U.S. Navy fleet. Only in town for a few days at Osaka port, ACCJ Kansai members were able to get an up-and-close look at not only the deck holding the torpedoes and surface-to-air missiles but also the control center deep in the belly of what is known as the fastest destroyer in the Navy.
USS Curtis Wilber Statistics:
Overall Length: 505 Feet
Beam: 66 Feet
Top Speed: 31 + Knots
Displacement: 8591 Tons (Full Load)
Crew: 300
The USS Curtis Wilber, a guided missile destroyer in the U.S. Navy pictured docked at Osaka port.
ACCJ members and guests pose for a group picture with some of the crew of the USS Curtis Wilber.
Osaka Sumo Basho
2006-03-19: Held in March every year, the best of the best in Sumo go head-to-head at the Osaka Tournament. With Sumo gaining popularity of late with the rise of Bulgarian-born Kotooshu and the recent tournament victory by homegrown Tochiazuma, a large contingent of ACCJ members and guests graced the grounds of the Osaka Municipal Gymnasium to watch these behemoths in action. After an intense day of watching Japan's national sport where only the strongest survive, ACCJ was right there in the ring to see how it all unfolded.
Just moments before the grappling is to commence.
The upper class sumo wrestlers take part in the entrance ceremony.
St. Patty's Day Happy Hour
2006-03-17: With the Living in Kansai committee kicking off its monthly Happy Hour, ACCJ members and guests were able to wine and dine at the one and only Savannah Bar & Grill in Shinsaibashi (Osaka) on St. Patrick's Day. Throw in the St. Patty's Day-themed green beer with the Georgia-based cuisine of Savannah and all had a little bit of the Irish stirring within themselves. Who would have thought that the "luck of the Irish" ran through Georgia!
Fellow ACCJ Kansai member and owner of the Savannah Bar & Grill, Darrell Gartrell (middle), poses with Akitaka Sato and David Johnson of Japanzine at the Happy Hour kickoff event.
McIntire Allen, Raymond Tait, and Thomas Zelaya (left to right) share a green beer (or two) at the Savannah Bar & Grill in Shinsaibashi.
ACCJ Kansai Takes to the Slopes of Hakuba
2006-02-25: Known as the Japan Alps, the mountains of Hakuba, site of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, is considered by many to be the best place to ski in Japan in terms of technical ability, quality of snow and scenery. Skiing for more than two days in the vast mountains of Nagano, a group of ACCJ Kansai faithful and Tokyo blood enjoyed the breathtaking views during the day and the warm hospitality of Kitabayashi Lodge during the starry nights. The skiers could not have asked for better weather.
A glimpse of the breathtaking views in Hakuba (Nagano).
ACCJ Kansai members McIntire Allen and Masaya Narita (far left) pose with their guests at Hakuba.
Michael Jaehrling (left) and McIntire Allen (right) take a few snapshots before skiing down the black diamonds in Hakuba.
"What Really is Knowledge-Based Leadership?"
2006-02-20: Ravi Chaturvedi, President of P&G Far East, Inc., gave a candid presentation about "knowledge-based" leadership to a packed house at the Century Club Osaka.
He began by first outlining his 10 beliefs:
- Innovation is an outcome
- Knowledge-based leadership
- Focus on outcomes, focus externally
- Change is opportunity
- People cannot get committed until they have had the chance to disagree
- Turn scarcity into abundance
- Do more with less
- Building a diverse, local organization is the only way to sustainably grow the business
- Management is a resource you pay for
- Leadership is a deliberate balancing act
Mr. Chaturvedi continued on to the focal point of his presentation, "knowledge-based" leadership, by comparing it with the much-adopted Japanese "hierarchy-based" leadership management style.
Through a rigid training and development regiment, Mr. Chaturvedi's "knowledge-based" leadership management style aims to ensure that knowledge wins over opinion integrity every time. By empowering one's employees through defining their responsibilities, trusting their judgments, and preaching risk-taking, a passion for winning and innovation can be achieved. Once this has been reached, one's employees will feel a sense of fun and fulfillment, which is why P&G Far East, Inc. is confident that in the end it is "in-touch" with its own people and strives to be a better company day-by-day.
President of P&G Far East, Inc., Ravi Chaturvedi, fields questions from the ACCJ gallery at the Century Club.
Is Osaka Taking a Turn for the Better?
2006-02-03: Takumi Hirai, Senior Researcher of the Institute for Advanced Industry Development of the Osaka Prefectural Government, revealed all to a capacity crowd during the ACCJ Kansai Chapter's Economic Outlook 2006 event.
In response to reports that Nagoya has surpassed Osaka as the number two economy in Japan, Mr. Hirai said that although Nagoya has been Japan's number one manufacturing center since 1980, the city has yet to overtake Osaka as the number two economy. Moreover, Mr. Hirai asked the question as to why Osaka and Nagoya are fighting for the claim of being the number two economy when they are situated only 150 kilometers apart. Rather than fighting, Mr. Hirai suggested that the two cities complement each other via feeding off of each other's energy and resources.
As for Mr. Hirai's forecasts for 2006, he said that demand for goods and services will be slow but steady as area businesses and consumers start to become more optimistic. Coupled with the second runway at Kansai International Airport (KIX) to be completed in 2007 and Osaka petitioning to host the G8 Summit in 2008, Osaka's immediate future is looking brighter day-by-day.
Senior Researcher, Institute for Advanced Industry Development of the Osaka Prefectural Government, Takumi Hirai.
U.S.-Japan Visa & Immigration - Osaka
2006-01-25: Covering everything from alien registration to extension of one's visa term to recent changes in E-1 and E-2 visas, a sold out crowd packed the Osaka Securities Exchange building to hear Mr. Koji Nomoto of Nomoto Gyoseishoshi and Ms. Patricia Stigliani, Ms. Kayo Taguchi, and Mr. Jerome Ryan of the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe share their wealth of knowledge on the various visa and immigration changes facing Japanese traveling to America and foreigners residing in Japan.
Since 9/11, many changes have taken place in the way the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe makes visa appointments, visa regulations, and processing. In order to make the tedious visa application process smoother, representatives of the U.S. Consulate General suggested that prospective applicants should complete the application forms online, print out and bring all three pages to the interview, include photos that have a light background, and fill out the application in its entirety.
As to possible future changes, instead of requiring a 2-fingerprint biometric scan to enter the U.S., a 10-fingerprint biometric scan may be implemented for the visa interview held at the Consulate. In addition, people traveling on the Visa Waiver Program may also need to submit a 10-fingerprint biometric scan to enter the U.S.
Gyoseishoshi Koji Nomoto talks about Japanese visa requirements for foreign workers.
Patricia Stigliani, Consul, U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe, addresses the full house on the services that the Visa Section of the Consulate can provide.
Visa Assistant of the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe, Kayo Taguchi, explains the different types of visas available to those traveling to the U.S. for business.
Jerome Ryan, Vice Consul, U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe, highlights the recent changes in the visa application process as well as the changes expected in the next few years.
Kansai Comes Out in Full Force to Celebrate the Year of the Dawg
2006-01-20: The annual Shinnengoreikai (New Year's Bash) was held once again at the cozy Century Club Osaka. Visiting from Tokyo was the newly elected ACCJ President Charles Lake along with ACCJ Executive Director Donald B. Westmore. Addressing the Chapter for the first time as Vice President, Michael Bobrove set out his goals for the Chapter to an attentive audience.
A special presentation was made to the former Vice President of the ACCJ Kansai Chapter, Norman Solberg, for his years of service to the organization along with certificates of appreciation presented to the former chairs of the Kansai committees for their hard work and dedication.
A special thanks as sponsors for the 2006 Shinnengoreikai goes to the Century Club, Costco Wholesale, Farm 2 Kitchen Foods, the Foreign Buyers' Club, Hilton Osaka, Hyatt Regency Osaka, Kobe Shushinkan, Kyoto Takaragaike Prince Hotel, Nestle Japan, Pacific Golf Management, Price Club, Procter & Gamble, Ritz-Carlton Osaka, Swissotel Nankai Osaka, Universal Studios Japan, and Wall Street Associates.
Newly elected ACCJ Kansai Vice President, Michael Bobrove, addresses the membership for the first time during the opening of the Shinnengoreikai.
Former Vice President of the ACCJ Kansai Chapter, Norman Solberg (center), receives a plaque from ACCJ President Charles Lake (left) and ACCJ Kansai Vice President Michael Bobrove (right) commemorating his four years of service as the head of the ACCJ Kansai Chapter.
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