Kyoto Summer Outing: Gion Walking Tour and an Evening with Maiko and Geiko

2010-08-21: A unique opportunity to experience the traditional world of Kyoto and it's enchanting past. The Living in Kansai Committee of ACCJ Kansai proudly presented to ACCJ members, guests and families a "Kyoto Summer Outing," the chance to learn first hand about the life of a real modern "Maiko" (apprentice Geisha) and "Geiko" (Geisha during the Edo period) followed by a walking tour of the majestic former capital of Japan.

A bilingual tour guide escorted attendees into the "deep" Gion area and provided brief explanations of local traditions.

Greetings from ACCJ Member Akemi Koyama at Kyoto Brighton Hotel.

Okami-san (manager) explained the differences between Maiko and Geiko.

Maiko and Geiko performances.

Group photo with Maiko and Geiko.

ACCJ Member Akiyoshi Mohri and ACCJ Vice President - Kansai Jiri Mestecky with Maiko.

Special raffle prize from Geiko given to ACCJ Member Shinichiro Yoshihara.

Joint Chamber Wine Party: ACCJ and The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (CCIFJ)

2010-07-15: This event was held in commemoration of Independence Day in America and Bastille Day in France. The Kansai Chapter's first joint chamber event with CCIFJ was fully booked and guests learned about Bastille Day, French wine and Champagne, all while enjoying American and French food in the glamorous atmosphere of the ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka's Lobby Lounge.

Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty welcome ACCJ and CCIFJ. ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka's beautiful ice sculptures of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower. The sculptures took three days to create and were more than 2 meters in height.

First Drink Sponsor: LEASE JAPAN, A Division of H&R Consultants K.K. 's sponsorship card was displayed on each table along with the French and American flags.

Herman Ehrlich, Chair of the ACCJ Kansai Membership Committee, Alfonso Zulueta, ACCJ Governor - Kansai, and ACCJ Vice President - Kansai, Jiri Mestecky during the party.

Along with the Consul General of France, Mr. Philippe Janvier-Kamiyama and the Consul General of the United States, Mr. Ed Dong, guests enjoyed a Champagne toast to the development of a new relationship between ACCJ Kansai and the CCIFJ.

ACCJ members Darren Morrish, Ai Linford, Raymond Tait and Richard Rennie enjoying themselves during the party.

Design Management

2010-07-08: Mr. Daniel Kwintner of the design consulting department from Ingenious Design Act (IDA), a company whose work can be seen in products ranging from Chu-hai (Japanese cocktail) to dashi (Japanese soup stock), discussed the necessary steps to design a successful product in Japan. He showed the audience in an interactive presentation that cultural understanding is key to operating a successful design firm in Japan. He also went into detail about the process through which IDA analyzes not only the market, but also the consumer and the company itself in order to create a design that meets the goals of IDA¹s clients.

Mr. Kwintner describing that design must remain consumer oriented in order to be successful.

ACCJ Vice President Jiri Mestecky Interviewed

2010-06-15: ACCJ Vice President Jiri Mestecky was interviewed by Yomiuri Shimbun regarding the recent ACCJ position paper calling for the establishment of a Kansai Promotion Board to bring increased trade, investment and tourism to the Kansai Region - cumulatively called the "One-Kansai Initiative." In the position paper, the ACCJ urges the Government of Japan to establish an aggressive and coordinated strategy to promote the Kansai Region. The article is available at Yomiuri Online/Kansai (Japanese only).

The full text of the position paper, The "One Kansai" Initiative is available at the following link http://www.accj.or.jp/doclib/vp/VP_1Kansai.pdf.

Agile and SaaS-Y! Keeping Ahead in Software Development Practices

2010-06-07: In the software development world, innovation is the name of the game. Mr. Laurent Safa, Director of Engineering at Silver Egg Technologies, explained what it takes to stay ahead in an industry where your product consists of easily duplicated code. Mr. Safa spoke about Silver Egg's unique application of the Agile software development manifesto, and how they have used it to create an adaptable work environment that can rapidly respond to change. He provided the audience with examples of the potential pitfalls of the system, and how his company has met these challenges in order to stay focused on the future of their product.

Mr. Laurent Safa, Director of Engineering at Silver Egg Technologies, in the mist of describing his company's product and the challenges it places on their software development teams.

Kansai World Barbecue Classic II (KWBC II)

2010-06-05: Team Australia, Team Canada and Team USA, joined this year by Team Euro, competed in the 2nd annual Japan Barbecue Association officially endorsed KWBC barbecue competition. Once again blessed with great weather, the Ramada Osaka's Rooftop Beer Garden provided the perfect atmosphere as more than 150 people watched the epic rematch take place.

This year both the judges and the crowd agreed that only one team was destined to come out on top, Team Australia. By securing both the judges' vote and the people's popular choice, there was little doubt that the other teams would have to go back to the drawing board. With Team Australia vowing to repeat, there is no doubt that next year will yield an even greater and more delicious result.

Setting the friendly rivalry aside, all the teams come together for a pre-barbecue group picture.

Team Australia - hard at work preparing their winning dish.

Team Canada - cooking their specially donated pork.

Team Euro - preparing their meal for the judges.

Team USA - unwrapping their baked potatoes.

Official Visit Governor Ido

2010-05-12: ACCJ Vice President and Kansai Chapter Head, Jiri Mestecky and ACCJ Kansai Leadership met with the Governor of Hyogo, Toshizo Ido in a closed meeting to request support for the 2010 ACCJ Kansai Walk-A-Thon, which will be held at Kobe Meriken Park on Saturday, October 16. With the Walk-A-Thon making its third appearance in Kobe, the Leadership was confident that corporations will again come out in full support of this annual charity event with the support of the Governor's office.