Japan Campaign Touts Innovative, Traditional, Healthy and Regional US
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NOVEMBER 2015 VOL. 52, ISSUE 11 ¥800 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 2015 JOURNAL.ACCJ.OR.JP THE JOURNAL THE AUTHORITY ON GLOBAL BUSINESS IN JAPAN JOURNAL.ACCJ.OR.JP inbow Tab a mpaign touts inn ca ov l pan ative R Ja , ealthy and regio tional, h nal US f tradi ood ジャーナル 二〇一五年十一月一日発行 定価八〇〇円(本体七六二円) ISSN 0002-7847 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN JAPAN 毎月一日発行 第五十二巻 11 号 ジャーナル 二〇一五年十一月一日発行 00ACCJ.Nov.Cover(X).indd All Pages 10/26/15 6:24 PM CONTENTS VOL. 52, ISSUE 11 4 FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS 22 MARKET TRENDS Strategy Key as Japan’s 5 EDITOR'S DESK M&A Market Takes Off Breaking Bread Anthony Fensom and the Communal Spirit 24 THIRD ARROW 7 SOCIAL MEDIA Artificial Intelligence— Trending on the Web Can Japan Lead the Way? Richard Jolley 8 COVER STORY Rainbow Table 26 VOICES OF JAPAN Japan campaign touts innovative, traditional, healthy and regional Harry Kosato: US food The World is His Oyster Custom Media Dr. Nancy Snow 12 MARKET TRENDS 28 MARKET TRENDS Can Budget Airlines Indie Gamers: Fly High in Japan? the New Pioneers of Boost in tourism provides lift the Digital Age Richard Smart Adam Bolton 15 MARKET TRENDS 30 TECH IN ASIA 2015 Leisure White Paper 500 Startups Brings Swagger to Japan Mark Schreiber Silicon Valley venture capital firm shakes up investment culture 19 PARTNER CONTENT Companies manoeuvre J. T. Quigley to recruit top AI engineers 32 ENTREPRENEUR Nikkei Asian Review Making Happiness Pay Akiko Naka puts the work— 21 J-MEDIA and the fun—back into The Ultimate Security, social networking Created through Biology!? John Amari Achieve innovation through “leaps of thought.” 41 ACCJ MEMBER NEWS translation of article by William H. Saito DISCLAIMER Custom Media and the ACCJ will not accept liability for any damages caused by the contents of The Journal, including, but not limited to, any omissions, errors, facts or false statements. Opinions or advice expressed in the The Journal are not necessarily those of the ACCJ or Custom Media. COVER IMAGE: Bering Sea snow crab PHOTO: Courtesy of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute —Page 8 THIS PAGE PHOTO: Visit California / Erik Almas MARK SCHREIBER ADAM BOLTON IOAN SAMELI “2015 Leisure “Indie Gamers” Web Developer White Paper” page 28 Custom Media page 15 Hometown: Tokyo Hometown: Rugby, Warwickshire, UK Hometown: Vevey, Switzerland (for almost 50 years) FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS Languages: English, a little Japanese, Languages: French, English, and Languages: Japanese, Chinese, a a little Spanish 27.4 words of Japanese (and counting) smidgen of Russian and several Most memorable interviewee: Favorite website: European languages Goichi Suda, the CEO of Grasshopper reddit, the tripatorium Most memorable interviewee: James Manufacture, a game development Favorite place in Japan: Shibuya and Melville (nom de plume of British company that I admire here in Japan all its little alleys diplomat Peter Martin), author of Favorite place in Japan: Tohoku the “Superintendent Otani” series of Years in Japan: Nearly two years mystery novels Years in writing, journalism, living in Role model: Elon Musk. He’s not Japan: 15, 3, and 4.5 years respectively Favorite place in Japan: Sections of afraid of revolutionizing whole the old Tokaido in Kawasaki City Role model: The Dalai Lama industries. Years in journalism and in Japan: 50 Favorite author: Stephen King Favorite author: Roald Dahl years in Japan, over 35 in journalism Social media handles: Social media handles: Role model or mentor: The late Corky Twitter: Adsinjapan @biwook in Instagram / twitter Alexander of Tokyo Weekender Secret skill: Bit of a card-shark when Secret skill: I can spit fire. Favorite author: Robert van Gulik it comes to Texas Hold ’Em Thoughts on print journalism: (former Dutch ambassador to Japan) Thoughts on print journalism: People may eventually have to drop Social media handles: Sorry, not my Being a bit of a book purist, I’d like to the “print” part. Besides this, the work cup of tea see print journalism remain a strong of journalists won’t change that much competitor with online publications, because writing an article for online Secret skill: near-photographic as I believe there will always be a place publishing has not changed much. memory, which has really helped for both. learning kanji (Chinese characters) Thoughts on print journalism: Happy to see that Japan’s, at least, is still thriving! Publisher Client Services Manager To advertise or subscribe: Simon Farrell Joy Fajardo [email protected] [email protected] Marketing Manager Editorial: President Megumi Okazaki [email protected] Robert Heldt Advertising Sales Director Custom Media Studio Manager DeWitt Mosby Publishers of The Journal for the American Chamber Paul Leonard of Commerce in Japan. Specialists in bilingual brand www.custom-media.com Account Manager strategy/visual communications, corporate bespoke Deputy Editor Joshua Ellis solutions. Producers of Business in Japan TV. 2013 Company of the Year John Amari Kimo Blackmore Graphic Designers Business Development Daiwa Azabudai Bldg. 6F Michael Pfeffer Director 2-3-3 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Ximena Criales Kotaro Toda Tokyo 106-0041 Client Services Director Project Coordinator Tel: 03-4540-7730 Sam Bird Yoshiki Tatezaki © 2015 Custom Media K.K. The Journal is printed on paper certified by the US Forest Stewardship Council with vegetable oil ink certified by the Japan Printing Ink Makers Association. 4 THE JOURNAL n NOVEMBER 2015 BREAKING BREAD EDITOR'S DESK AND THE COMMUNAL SPIRIT events that have enjoyed generous M&A activity (page 22)—show this to support from members through the be the case. years, namely the Charity Ball (page 48) But that change is not only being and the Champagne Ball (page 47). brought from without. The “Voices of As ACCJ President Jay Ponazecki Japan” column (page 26), as with the John Amari points out (page 43), the events are not “Third Arrow” (page 24) and “J-Media” [email protected] just an opportunity for members to close features (page 21), suggest that the out the year in cheer and camaraderie; very definition of what Japan is, or will they are also a vehicle through which become, in the 21st century may be in According to legend, it all began they can give back to the community. need of re-defining. with turkey. There was venison, too. Playing one’s part in the community Further, as our exclusive interviews Waterfowl. And pumpkin. is also the underlying message of the with venture capital company ACCJ Leader column (page 54), which 500 Startups Japan (page 30) and a Happy to have managed a good highlights the important developments Japanese startup shows, both non- harvest, the pilgrims in North America of the My Number system and related Japanese in Japan and Japanese broke bread, raised cheer, and celebrated tax matters. themselves are challenging customs and another year in a rugged, unforgiving— What’s more, fully engaging with the daring to imagine a new reality. yet bountiful—land. community also means embracing its That is what Japanese entrepreneur As we travel further into the year, and legacies, and our book review (page 51) Akiko Naka is doing via her community- fall closes its embrace, we are thankful suggests Japan is in some sense shackled driven and disruptive platform called of the kindness of family, friends, and to its past, even as the Governor of Wantedly (page 32). colleagues. We also give thanks to the Tokyo reminds us (page 45) that the But first, with Thanksgiving communities in which we live. metropolis, and Japan, have much to beckoning, our cover story celebrates That sense of thankfulness and look forward to and celebrate. the best of the US and of Japan as both community—whether of past, present, This sense of optimism and countries come together to break bread or future, or of our nearest and dearest, celebration, and indeed transition, even over the dining table (page 8). or the community—carries through as the temperatures drop and the leaves As always, we hope you enjoy the read, much of the November issue. turn crimson and fall, is carried through and we encourage your feedback. n The American Chamber of Commerce to the business section of this issue. in Japan (ACCJ) section is no exception Japan is changing rather dramatically, A flagship publication of the American Chamber of in this regard. and three features—covering the travel Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), The Journal (formerly Both the ACCJ and its chapter in (page 12) and leisure industry as well the ACCJ Journal) is a business magazine with a Chubu spotlight upcoming community as in-bound tourism (page 15) and 52-year history. oup AWARD-WINNING LUXURY LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT r & TRAVEL SERVICE Your passport to the very best life has to offer 24/7/365. the Quintessentially G f Private concierge, Corporate needs, and Travel assistance t o r a P For further details, please contact Noriko Ogawa and Yoshikazu Kutara +81 (0)3 4589 9410 | [email protected] / +81 (0)3 4589 9410 oup SOCIAL MEDIA AWARD-WINNING LUXURY LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT r NOW TRENDING ON THE WEB & TRAVEL SERVICE IN THE NEWS FROM JAPAN TOP HASHTAGS Tweets from leading Tweets in Japanese This month: Popular tags Your passport to the very best life has to offer 24/7/365. the Quintessentially G media outlets from people and media from the top 30 list f Private concierge, Corporate needs, and Travel assistance t o r a P For further details, please contact Noriko Ogawa and Yoshikazu Kutara +81 (0)3 4589 9410 | [email protected] @JapanTrends Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe has unveiled a new logo for the capital of Japan: &TOKYO (“and Tokyo”). http://dlvr.it/CQlQ8p @WSJ Takaaki Kajita of Japan and @JapanTrends Arthur B.