"Thanking the Mayor of Osaka"

2007-12-14: Michael Bobrove, head of the Kansai Chapter and ACCJ Vice President, joined Paul Dupuis and Kojiro Dan of the executive team in Kansai at city hall to meet Mayor Seki and to say "thanks" for his support to the Kansai Chapter and the 2007 Walk-A-Thon, which was held at Osaka Castle on October 20.

Michael Bobrove hands Mayor Seki a small token of appreciation at city hall while Paul Dupuis looks on in the background.

Mayor Seki was thanked (left to right) by Keizo Yamada, Kojiro Dan, Michael Bobrove, and Paul Dupuis for the tremendous support he has given to the Kansai Chapter.

Leader of the Year

2007-12-12: Kansai’s own Jiri Mestecky was one of only four ACCJ members selected to receive the Leader of the Year Award for 2007. Mr. Mestecky, partner at Kitahama Partners and also Chair of the ACCJ Kansai Business Programs Committee, received his award from ACCJ President Charles Lake at a special event held at the Tokyo American Club.

Jiri Mestecky (right) receives a certificate of appreciation from ACCJ President Charles Lake at the Tokyo American Club.

"The Meaning of Billy's Boot Camp"

2007-12-05: The stats for Billy's Boot Camp speak for themselves:

Ranked #2 Best Product of 2007 by Trendy Magazine
26,000 Individual Bloggers in Japan by June 2007
1.5 million DVDs Sold
94.4% Brand Recognition by August 2007

Highlighting Oak Lawn Marketing's (OLM) mission (Japanese Values + Global Style = Lifestyle Enrichment), OLM's President and ACCJ Chubu Governor, Harry Hill, spoke to ACCJ members in Kansai about how Billy's Boot Camp fits the mission statement of OLM.

President of Oak Lawn Marketing, Harry Hill fields a question from the audience at the Osaka Securities and Exchange Building.

With unprecedented hype, Billy Blanks appeared on TV a hundred times logging 615 minutes of airtime during the period of June 20 - July 3 with an estimated value of TV media exposure at 1.3 billion yen. In roughly the same time span, Billy was in 270 newspapers and magazines in Japan.

With "Billy Mania" spreading across the country, Mr. Hill remarked that while Billy's Boot Camp has a 94.4% brand recognition rating among the public, Billy Blanks, himself, only carries a 49.9% rating. Will Billy Blanks "the name" exceed Billy's Boot Camp? Only time will tell...

"Trek Bicycle's Ascent from Good to Great"

2007-11-28: Philip McGlade of Trek Japan Corporation (founded in 1976 in Wisconsin) captivated the audience by giving examples on how Trek went from being a good company to a great company, and at the same time becoming the largest bicycle brand on the planet.

Philip McGlade, Representative Director-Japan & Regional Subsidiaries Director-Asia, Trek Japan Corporation, engages his audience at the Trek Flagship Store Kobe.

Amassing 280 Trek bicycle dealers in Japan, growing the business roughly 30% every year for the past three years, and being the chosen brand of the Tour de France winner for eight of the last ten years, there is no wonder why Philip McGlade has smiles all around.

With regards to increasing Trek's presence in the bicycle market in Japan, Mr. McGlade explained it in very simple terms, "You cannot sell the metal, you have to sell the experience," and with the company set to achieve $1 billion in sales next year, the concept of "selling the experience" seems to be a right fit for McGlade and Trek.

ACCJ-JASO Thanksgiving Dinner

2007-11-15: Celebrating Thanksgiving a week early, the ACCJ partnered with the Japan America Society Osaka (JASO) for a Thanksgiving feast like no other. With more than 50 people in attendance including the U.S. Consul General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador for the Kansai Region, and a member of the House of Representatives, guests were able to taste succulent turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie (with whipped cream) and homemade gravy. In an elegant setting as only New York One can provide, members and guests went home with a sense of being "thankful" not only for attending the dinner but for a host of other reasons as well.

ACCJ & JASO members mingle before dinner at New York One.

A Thanksgiving dinner could not be complete without turkey, and the chefs at New York One made sure that everyone went home with a full stomach.

"Changes in Doing Business in China"

2007-11-05: Visiting from Hong Kong, Dan Tam, founder of GameOne Online, the largest online game company in Hong Kong, shared his insights on recent trends and forecasts in the Chinese market to ACCJ Kansai members and guests.

Former President of Nintendo-licensed game publisher DTMC Inc., Dan Tam contemplates his answer during the Q&A session at the Osaka Securities Exchange Building.

Making a point for investors to take a note of bulging "second-line cities" such as Chengdu and Chongqing, Mr. Tam insisted that these growing economies should not be ignored. In terms of what route to take when establishing operations in China, Mr. Tam said that a joint venture is the most common choice for successful corporations.

Regarding name popularity, Dan Tam mentioned that "Osaka" as a name is better known in Chinese society than "Kansai," and Japanese residents in China should be promoting Osaka rather than Kansai to build brand recognition.

Day at Osaka Castle

2007-10-20: Blessed with sunny skies and a cool breeze, over 1,300 people, young and old, enjoyed the 2nd Annual ACCJ Kansai Charity Walk at the Aoyamon at Osaka Castle Park. Originally constructed in 1620, Aoyamon has a long history; the gate was critical in guarding the northeast area around Osaka Castle during emergencies.

Participants pose with Osaka Mayor Junichi Seki and ACCJ leaders prior to the commencement of the Walk-A-Thon.

ACCJ leaders and area government officials prepare for the kagamibiraki ceremony.

The 2007 ACCJ Kansai Walk-A-Thon - an enjoyable event for people of all ages.

U.S. Consul General Daniel Russel, Osaka Mayor Junichi Seki, and ACCJ President Charles Lake led the walkers through a stretch prior to walking around the Osaka Castle course. Plenty of tasty ethnic food and lots of activities kept the children occupied. Everyone enjoyed the excellent stage entertainment which was provided by the Ramsey Pipeband, Pirates of the Dotombori, Extrellas Cheerleaders, Brent Byrne, Mojohand, Universal Studios Japan Dream Weavers Singing Train, Canadian Academy Elementary Double Dutch Dance Club, and the closing act, Nathan and the Naturals.

The ACCJ Kansai Chapter Walkathon Committee is especially thankful to the event's Platinum Sponsors - P&G Japan, GE Japan, Eli Lilly Japan, and Abbott Japan - for their continuous support and generous contributions. The committee is also grateful to all sponsors, vendors, entertainers and volunteers who contributed time, donations, energy and effort to make the day a terrific success. Recipient charities will be announced at a later date.

Official ACCJ Kansai Walk-A-Thon Website: http://www.accjwalkathon.org.

A CSR Evening with the Mayor of Osaka

2007-10-19: On the eve of the 2007 ACCJ Kansai Walk-A-Thon, a gala reception was held at the Osaka Mayor's Mansion for the ACCJ Board of Governors who was in town for its Osaka board meeting and the Kansai Walk-A-Thon. ACCJ leaders from outside the Kansai region were able to network with fellow Kansai members and Walk-A-Thon sponsors over sumptuous food and free-flowing drinks provided by the Hard Rock Café Osaka and Suntory. Also making an appearance to greet the ACCJ leaders was the Mayor of Osaka, Mr. Junichi Seki.

ACCJ President, Charles Lake, gives his opening remarks to commence the CSR evening gala event at the Osaka Mayor's Mansion.

ACCJ Vice President, Michael Bobrove; Mayor of Osaka, Junichi Seki; and ACCJ Governor, Ravi Chaturvedi pose with Erica Kitamura, designer of the 2007 ACCJ Kansai Walk-A-Thon logo at the gala reception.

ACCJ Board of Governor members (left to right) Thomas Jordan, John Kakinuki, Jay Ponazecki, and Robert Grondine take a moment to enjoy food provided by the Hard Rock Café Osaka.

"A Corporate Social Responsibility Primer (CSR)"

2007-10-17: Founder of HOPE International Development Agency - Japan and ACCJ Chubu member, Lowell Sheppard introduced the ins and outs of the world of CSR at the Osaka Securities Exchange Building.

Highlighting recent trends such as 1) guiltless consumption, 2) ethical investment, 3) employee sensitivity, and 4) NPO sector growth in the CSR arena, Mr. Sheppard explained that now is the time to create an effective CSR policy for one's corporation.

Founder of HOPE International Development Agency - Japan and ACCJ CSR Committee member, Lowell Sheppard shared his vast experience in the CSR realm and his forecast for the future.

"What Makes Teams Tick?"

2007-10-10: Explorers. Organizers. Advisers. Controllers. In these four words lies the difference between balanced and unbalanced teams.

Using the rainbow-colored "team management wheel," Chris Burton, Asia-Pacific Training Manager of Team Management Systems, energized the crowd at the Osaka Securities Exchange Building. As participants evaluated their own teams according to the wheel, they were able to determine whether their respective teams were balanced or unbalanced.

Mr. Burton also discussed the four work preference measures:
1. How one relates to others
2. How one gathers and uses information
3. How one makes decisions
4. How one organizes oneself and others.

ACCJ members and guests were able to walk away recognizing the specific personalities and traits of their teams and the advantages/disadvantages of the make-up of their current team.

Chris Burton, Asia-Pacific Training Manager of Team Management Systems, showcases the team management wheel for the ACCJ Kansai Chapter.

"Dinner with the Governor of Nara"

2007-09-18: In a first for the ACCJ Kansai Chapter, the Governor of Nara, Shogo Arai, invited a select group of ACCJ Kansai members to Nara to discuss and share ideas about foreign hotel expansion. With Nara being one of the ancient capitals of Japan and a host to countless tourists, Governor Arai spoke intimately with the ACCJ Kansai members about the need for an international hotel to be established in the area to cater to the needs of tourists and organizations looking to hold international conferences.

ACCJ Kansai members (left to right) Ian Reid, Hiroyuki Hashimoto, Douglas Schafer, Raymond Tait, Michael Bobrove, and Jiri Mestecky pose with Governor Arai (center) at the Hotel Nikko Nara.

"Where East Meets West: Lessons in Leadership Across Cultures"

2007-09-06: As the September Leadership Series' featured speaker, Newt Crenshaw of Eli Lilly Japan K.K., explained the importance of leadership to a packed house at P&G Japan's headquarters in Kobe.

Newt Crenshaw, President & General Manager of Eli Lilly Japan K.K. fields a question from the audience at P&G Japan headquarters in Rokko Island, Kobe.

Mr. Crenshaw listed the most common types of leadership styles destined to fail in Japan:

Culturally-insensible leadership—leading to organizational rejection
Passive leadership—leading to organizational inertia
Super-imposed leadership—leading to compliance but no lasting commitment

Mr. Crenshaw is aiming to make Eli Lilly Japan K.K. a "net exporter" of talent by hiring, developing, and rewarding top Japanese talent.

Meeting With Kankeiren

2007-08-23: Hiroshi Shimozuma, Chairman of the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren), ACCJ Vice President and Kansai Chapter Head, Michael Bobrove, along with ACCJ Kansai Community Service Committee Chair, Kiran Sethi, discussed the ACCJ's CSR initiatives and the upcoming Walk-A-Thon—Charity Walk & Festival to be held at Osaka Castle.

Michael Bobrove and Kiran Sethi (left) meet with Hiroshi Shimozuma (second from right) concerning the upcoming Walk-A-Thon event to be held at Osaka Castle.

Following the conclusion of their meeting, (from left to right) Teruo Aoyagi, Hiroshi Shimozuma, Shinya Okuda, Michael Bobrove, and Kiran Sethi pose for the camera.

IT for SMEs

2007-08-08: With computer processing power increasing over 100 times in the past 10-15 years, Steve Brown, President of Zergsoft and Co-Chair of the ACCJ Independent Business Committee, indicated that the time is now (if it has not been done already) for small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) to build-up their IT resources and systems in order to keep pace with the other players in the market.

Nagoya-based Steve Brown fields a question from the audience during an interactive Q&A session at the Osaka Securities Exchange Building.

Highlighting "creative finance," Mr. Brown explained the pros and cons of open source vs. packaged software, shared code ownership and revenue sharing with the developer.

MEDRAD Inc.: "Fighting with its products & services, but winning with its people"

2007-07-26: Coming all the way from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, John Friel, President of MEDRAD Inc., along with Michael Bobrove, President of Nihon MEDRAD K.K. and ACCJ Vice President/Kansai Chapter Head, took the tag-team approach in talking about leadership.

Michael Bobrove (left) and John Friel (right) pose for the camera at the conclusion of their talk on leadership at the Ritz-Carlton Osaka.

MEDRAD Inc., a worldwide provider of medical devices and services that enable and enhance imaging procedures of the human body, was the winner of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2003, the nation's highest Presidential honor for organizational performance excellence. In addition to receiving numerous accolades, MEDRAD Inc. has seen continuous double-digit growth over the last 13 years. This growth can be attributed to the passion and drive that encompass the leaders of MEDRAD Inc.

To sum up his part of the presentation, Mr. Bobrove stated that people follow leaders who believe in what they do and show that they believe in what they do.

For more information about the Malcolm Baldrige Award please visit http://www.quality.nist.gov

"America Takes One From Canada"

2007-07-25: Seven ACCJ faithful challenged five CCCJ members with drivers, putters and mulligans at Dai Takarazuka Golf Club's picturesque West Course. At the conclusion of 18 holes, the CCCJ team produced the lowest score of the day; however, the ACCJ team pulled off the victory by the slimmest of margins with a lower overall team score.

Team ACCJ hoists the prized trophy after battling Team Canada at Dai Takarazuka Golf Course (pictured from left to right: Kojiro Dan, Shigetaka Yoshitomi, Akiyoshi Mohri, Douglas Schafer, Barry Louie, Ryozo Inui, and Masahiko Iwahori).

OCCI Chairman Meeting

2007-07-20: ACCJ Vice President and Kansai Chapter Head, Michael Bobrove, and ACCJ Kansai Community Service Committee Chair, Kiran Sethi, met with the Chairman of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), Akio Nomura, at the OCCI Building in a closed meeting to garner support for the 2007 Walk-A-Thon—Charity Walk & Festival to be held at Osaka Castle on Saturday, October 20.

Michael Bobrove and Kiran Sethi (right) have a word with Akio Nomura (near left) concerning the upcoming Walk-A-Thon event to be held at Osaka Castle.

Following the conclusion of their meeting, Michael Bobrove, Kiran Sethi, Yasutsugu Kohzuki, Akio Nomura, and Yumiko Nagoshi pose for the camera.

How to Leverage U.S. Commercial Service Resources

2007-07-05: Gold Key Service, Video Gold Key, and Platinum Key Service are just a few of the various services that the Commercial Section of the U.S. Consulate provides to American companies and foreign agents in 83 countries worldwide.

Bradley Harker, Principal Commercial Consul, explained that the U.S. Commercial Service can assist in helping one overcome trade barriers, bureaucratic problems, and unfair trading practices. Furthermore, a high-ranking U.S. government official can be dispatched to meet a key foreign dignitary to discuss market issues in certain circumstances.

For more information on the U.S. Commercial Service, Mr. Harker recommended the following websites:

www.buyusa.gov/japan
www.cnewsusa.com

Principal Commercial Consul, Bradley Harker, the senior U.S. Diplomat for Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Consulate Osaka-Kobe, explains the various services available to Japanese agents of U.S. companies.

Basic Issues in Japanese Employment Law

2007-06-27: Aki Tanaka, fellow ACCJ Kansai member and Japanese attorney with prominent law firm Kitahama Partners, explained the ins and outs of hiring and firing in Japan. According to Ms. Tanaka, most cases brought to the court involving employment contract disputes are generally ruled in favor of the employee. During a very interactive Q&A session, Ms. Tanaka was joined by fellow attorney and partner at Kitahama Partners, Masafumi Kodama. Together, Ms. Tanaka and Mr. Kodama took the tag-team approach to handling the myriad of questions from the audience.

Aki Tanaka and Masafumi Kodama, attorneys at Kitahama Partners, receiving questions from the audience at the Osaka Securities Exchange Building.

Piloting a World-Class Airline

2007-06-19: United Airlines entered the Japan market in 1983 by operating a flight out of Tokyo to Seattle. Six years later, United Airlines assumed the throne as the largest transpacific carrier, and it has not relinquished its position since. With over 25% of its business focused on Asia, one of United's top priorities is to further develop its Asian network.

Mark Schwab, Vice President, Pacific, United Airlines, and ACCJ Vice President, engages the audience during Q&A at P&G Japan in Kobe.

Highlighting the aftermath of 9/11, Mark Schwab, Vice President, Pacific, United Airlines, said that United alone lost 30% of its business overnight. To put things into perspective, the airline has faced fuel price increases of more than three times 1996 levels while taking extra measures to keep ticket prices the same. Also, the airline has had to restructure its workforce as a result of the 30% loss in business from over 100,000 employees to about 53,000 in recent years. Coming out of Chapter 11, Mr. Schwab said that United Airlines has become a more streamline organization focusing on providing consumers with the best product possible from checking-in to picking up baggage at the final destination.

The Redevelopment of Umeda Kita Yard

2007-06-06: In a much-anticipated talk on the future of the Umeda Kita Yard site, Mr. Yasumtomo Inoshita said that the site, which is more than two times the size of Roppongi Hills, would be centered on the theme of "knowledge capital." For those unfamiliar with the "knowledge capital" concept, a great deal of the space will be dedicated to Osaka's thriving industries—robotics and informational technology—creating a one-stop shop for universities and research institutions to gather, collaborate, and most importantly innovate.

Yasutomo Inoshita, Director, Osaka Station North Urban Development Office, fields a question from the audience.

The Umeda Kita Yard 23-hectare construction site.

Mr. Inoshita stated that the construction process is broken into two phases with the first phase slated to be completed in 2011. With a 40-meter wide boulevard, high-rise residential buildings and luxury hotels planned to occupy the site, the landscape north of JR Osaka Station is going to change dramatically over the next decade.

"Realizing the Hollywood Dream"

2007-05-22: Talking to a packed crowd at Universal Studios Japan (USJ), Glenn Gumpel captivated the audience as he discussed how USJ went from a "Power of Hollywood" theme park focusing on young adults and a connection to the rides to a "World Class & Family Entertainment" theme park relating more to women and families while creating an emotional connection.

Glenn Gumpel, President and CEO of Universal Studios Japan, shares a laugh with the audience.

In his three years at the helm, Mr. Gumpel has revamped the internal culture at USJ by implementing a "pay for performance" policy in lieu of the seniority system, and has made other drastic changes to the old business model. Whatever he is doing, it is definitely working as the number of women visiting the park has increased 7% over the past five years while the number of families and foreign visitors has increased 14% and 9% respectively.

"Greenhouse Gases: Political Scare Campaign or Genuine Planetary Emergency?"

2007-05-10: Focusing on the Kyoto Protocol Agreement, greenhouse gas reduction schemes, and the role that third parties play in reducing emissions, Dr. Andreas Stange and Yutaka Yoshida of TUV SUD took the "tag-team" approach to grapple with the topic of greenhouse gases.

Dr. Andreas Stange, General Manager of TUV SUD, addresses some of the key points of the Kyoto Protocol Agreement.

Yutaka Yoshida, Deputy General Manager and Project Leader of TUV SUD's Climate Protection program, explains the role that third parties play in reducing emissions and effecting change.

"Kansai - Busting the Myths"

2007-04-26: Highlighting how to develop essential human resources for one's company, which is a growing challenge for organizations in Japan, Paul Dupuis also discussed in detail how to retain one's essential human resources once they are developed.

Paul Dupuis, Director of West Japan for Wall Street Associates, shows some of the foreign companies located in Osaka to ACCJ members and guests.

2007 Walk-A-Thon — Charity Walk & Festival — to be held at Osaka Castle

2007-04-17: ACCJ Vice President and Kansai Chapter Head, Michael Bobrove, and ACCJ Kansai Community Service Committee Chair, Kiran Sethi, met with the Mayor of Osaka, Junichi Seki, and his advisors at Osaka City Hall in a closed meeting to garner support for the 2007 Walk-A-Thon — Charity Walk & Festival — to be held at Osaka Castle on Saturday, October 20.

Michael Bobrove and Kiran Sethi exchange thoughts with Osaka City and Mayor Seki.

Kiran Sethi, Mayor Seki, and Michael Bobrove.

With the Walk-A-Thon making its first appearance in Osaka, Mr. Bobrove and Mr. Sethi were confident that, in addition to the numerous sponsors from Kansai that supported the inaugural event last year in Kobe, Osaka-based corporations will come out in full support of this year's event with the backing of the mayor's office.

The Kansai Region and U.S.- Japan Foreign Policy

2007-04-11: Highlighting the fact that 85% of foreign residents in Kansai (compared to 30% nationally) are from Asia, U.S. Consul General, Daniel Russel, spoke frankly about the importance of relations with our Asian neighbors to the west, north, and south. Also, with a greater proportion of the world's economy being shared by more and more nations, Mr. Russel stated that this trend will benefit all as developing nations' economies mature, and capitalization and free enterprise become more established throughout the world.

U.S. Consul General, Daniel Russel, steps back from the microphone to field questions from the audience.

Hanami BBQ

2007-04-01: Despite unfavorable weather, a group of ACCJ Kansai faithful and their families took part in the timeless Japanese custom of "hanami" in Higashi Osaka, where the main attraction was the sakura tree believed to be over 100 years old, way back from the Taisho period.

The pictures say it all. With the charcoals hot and the drinks flowing, this year's BBQ could not be dampened by the occasional raindrop as all present had their "hanami faces" on.

BBQ the Japanese Way.

100 year-old sakura tree from the Taisho period (front view).

100 year-old sakura tree from the Taisho period (back view).

U.S. Visa & Immigration - Osaka

2007-03-29: At the ACCJ Kansai's annual seminar on U.S. visa and immigration, Ms. Kayo Taguchi and Ms. Kathryn Kiser, representing the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe, covered everything from temporary visitor visas to investor visas and highlighted the recent changes to the "visa waiver program" to a packed house at the Osaka Securities Exchange Building.

Visa Assistant of the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe, Kayo Taguchi, and head of the business visa team, Kathryn Kiser, field a question from the audience during an interactive Q&A session at the Osaka Securities Exchange Building.

USS Stethem

2007-03-01: 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 Stethem, a Tactical Tomahawk AEGIS destroyer in the U.S. Navy fleet, which stopped by Osaka Port for a few days. Named after Steelworker Second Class (DV) Robert D. Stethem, the ship's motto, "Steadfast and Courageous," is taken from the traits that young Robbie Stethem showed as he gave up his life to protect his shipmates and other passengers aboard TWA Flight 847 on June 14, 1985.

ACCJ members and guests pose for a group picture with one of the crew members of the USS Stethem.

The USS Stethem, a Tactical Tomahawk AEGIS destroyer in the U.S. Navy, docked at Osaka port.

USS Stethem Statistics:
Overall Length: 505 Feet
Beam: 66 Feet
Top Speed: 31+ Knots
Displacement: 8800 Tons (Full Load)
Crew: 296

The New Age of Marketing: Affiliate Marketing

2007-02-16: Speaking to a packed house at the Osaka Securities Exchange Building, Anthony Torres, President of MetaFlo Marketing in Nagoya, fielded questions during an animated presentation on how to effectively market one's website through affiliate marketing.

Originated in the U.S. by Amazon.com in 1995, affiliate marketing has taken the industry by storm, allowing businesses to easily tie-up with millions of website owners to market their products/services.

Nagoya-based MetaFlo Marketing's President, Anthony Torres, introduces affiliate marketing to the members of the ACCJ Kansai Chapter.

In short, the seller engages an affiliate network provider who finds suitable affiliates (website owners who agree to take on the seller's ad). For every product sold, the affiliate receives a percentage of the sale, if the sale came through the affiliate's website. In addition to monthly contract fees, the affiliate network provider receives a commission directly from the seller for doing all the "leg work" in finding suitable affiliates. Although somewhat costly at the beginning with start-up costs of approximately 400,000 yen, Mr. Torres remarked that relying upon an affiliate network provider could drastically increase sales.

2007 Nagano Ski Trip

2007-02-09 to 2007-02-12: Over the holiday weekend, a group of ACCJ faithful from Kansai, Chubu, and Kanto went back to the slopes of the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. Taking a chance, as unseasonably warm temperatures have been commonplace all over the country this winter, a select few were pleased to find that the slopes of Hakuba were powdery fresh and ready to be conquered. Once again, an extended thanks goes out to the Kitabayashi Lodge for their continued hospitality to the ACCJ.

Chubu member Jim Brown and his wife pose with Kansai members Masaya Narita, his wife, and McIntire Allen atop of the peak in Hakuba, Nagano.

Snow does exist this winter!

2007 Shinnengoreikai - New Year's Party

2007-01-12: The ACCJ Kansai Chapter rang in 2007 with a bang! With the Mayor of Osaka, Junichi Seki, headlining a fine list of VIPs, the Kansai Chapter celebrated the "Year of the Boar" by recognizing the recipients of the funds collected from the inaugural ACCJ Kansai Walk-A-Thon, which was held to improve the working environment for women in Japan.

The charity recipients recognized were:

Kyoto Family Support Center: 1.5 million yen
Kobe Family Support Center: 1.2 million yen
Osaka Family Support Center: 1.0 million yen
Sannoh Children's Center: 300,000 yen

The Mayor of Osaka, Junichi Seki, hoists the Walk-A-Thon trophy upon hearing that Osaka was chosen as the site of the 2007 ACCJ Kansai Chapter Walk-A-Thon.

ACCJ Kansai Chapter leadership flanks the charity recipients from the 2006 Walk-A-Thon during the check presentation ceremony at the Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers.

ACCJ President, Charles D. Lake II, presents the Volunteer of the Year Award to fellow Kansai Chapter member Kojiro Dan for his countless efforts in making the 2006 Walk-A-Thon a success.

In addition, ACCJ Vice President and Kansai Chapter Head, Michael Bobrove, announced the locations of the 2007 and 2008 Kansai Walk-A-Thons in Osaka and Kobe respectively. In a symbolic ceremony, Kobe, the 2006 host city, passed the Walk-A-Thon trophy to Osaka recognizing it as this year's host.