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September 2009 September 2009 Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet (inaugurated on 16 September 2009) Copyright : Cabinet Public Relations Office, Japan CONTENTS • Inauguration of the Hatoyama Cabinet P. 2 • Video Message delivered by H.E. Mr. Hideaki Domichi P. 3 • Indo-Japan Friendship~Role of NGOs P. 4 • Japanese Community in Delhi Celebrates Summer Festival 2009 P. 4 • JACAR (Japan Center for Asian Historical Records) P. 5 • Japan Supports Polio Eradication Project in India P. 5 • Study in Japan P. 6 • Fukuoka Study Abroad Fair in Delhi P. 7 • The JENESYS Experience P. 8 • Autumn in Japan P. 9 • The Asian Youth Exchange Program in Okinawa 2009 P. 10 • Trends in Japan P. 12 JAPAN CALLING 1 INAUGURATION OF THE HATOYAMA CABINET Mr. Katsuya OKADA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan post) since Hirobumi Ito, the first Prime Minister of Japan. Mr. Yukio HATOYAMA, Prime Minister of Japan (Copyright: Cabinet Public Relations Office, Japan) Immediately after the designation, Mr. Hatoyama formed a Mr. Yukio HATOYAMA, a member of the House of new Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office. The Hatoyama Representatives, was designated as the next Prime Minister of Cabinet was inaugurated on September 16, 2009. Japan on September 16, 2009. Prime Minister Hatoyama Mr. Katsuya OKADA assumed the position of Minister for became the 93rd Prime Minister (the 60th person to assume the Foreign Affairs in the Hatoyama Cabinet on September 16, 2009. Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet LIST OF MINISTERS Prime Minister Yukio HATOYAMA Deputy Prime Minister Minister of State for National Policy Naoto KAN Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Kazuhiro HARAGUTI Minister of State for Promotion of Local Sovereignty Minister of Justice Keiko CHIBA Minister for Foreign Affairs Katsuya OKADA Minister of Finance Hirohisa FUJII Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Tatsuo KAWABATA Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Minister of State for Pension Reform Akira NAGATSUMA Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Hirotaka AKAMATSU Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Masayuki NAOSHIMA Minister of Land CInfrastructure CTransport and Tourism Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, and Disaster Management Seiji MAEHARA Minister of Environment Sakihito OZAWA Minister of Defense Toshimi KITAZAWA Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi HIRANO Chairman of the National Commission on Public Safety Minister of State for the Abduction Issue Hiroshi NAKAI Minister of State for Financial Services Minister of State for Postal Reform Shizuka KAMEI Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Social Affairs, and Gender Equality Mizuho FUKUSHIMA Minister of State for Administrative Reform Minister of State for Civil Service Reform Yoshito SENGOKU Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yorihisa MATSUNO Koji MATSUI Kinya TAKINO Director-General of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau Reiichi MIYAZAKI (Source: www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/index-e.html) 2 JAPAN CALLING Video Message Delivered by H.E. Mr. Hideaki Domichi, Ambassador of Japan, on 27 July 2009, to Participants of the 2nd Annual Session of Visionary Leaders For Manufacturing (VLFM) Programme Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen, Instead, he came straight to India and conducted a thorough review about the inventory of Maruti Suzuki My name is Domichi, Japanese Ambassador to India. cars. He instructed to look into the retail figures, and not I appreciate that you have given me this opportunity to on the wholesale figures, which was more or less the speak to you through this video message. practice. As a consequence, he told me he could save a lot I am pleased to learn that the ‘Visionary Leaders For of money by adjusting the actual size of the inventory. Manufacturing’ program is running with great success, In the same spirit, there are many leaders of Japanese supported among others by the actual participants, CEOs, manufacturing who take no time to adjust to meet the and by such partner organizations like JICA, National new circumstances. They are invariably vigilant and Manufacturing Competitiveness Council, Ministry of visionary. Not only to safeguard the business from the Human Resource Development, CII, IIT Kanpur, Ma- effects of the economic downturn, they also consider dras, and IIM Calcutta. turning the crises into new opportunities. In Japan, shift On this occasion, I would also like to express my to the new technologies that are more energy efficient or thanks for the invaluable support rendered by Mr. Godrej, environmentally friendly has already begun. Despite the Chairman of Godrej Boyce Mfg. Co. overall decline of car sales, the newly-introduced hybrid models have a strong demand, and use of solar-energy is As I have learnt from Prof. Shiba who visited me more increasing. than once, I find that this program is very unique. It is designed to create visionary leaders in the field of manu- India is also a new destination. Prospects of the Indian facturing in India. economy are promising. India is growing with its strong internal demand, and how manufacturing in India would The program includes series of lectures by the promi- grow is the key for future growth pattern of India. From nent Japanese who have made big breakthroughs and the Japanese point of view, they are looking for a new success in the Japanese manufacturing. Indeed, much of market to invest within their global strategy. It is not the strength of the Japanese economy lies in manufactur- surprising that the Japanese direct investment into India ing, and I believe that the purpose of this program is to is increasing dramatically in recent years. India will transfer a certain culture or spirit that is integral in soon be the destination of the largest Japanese direct manufacturing. But what is unique to this program is that investment. it focuses more on self-awareness or self-discovery of the quality for success in manufacturing. This is why I I hope that there will be a strong alliance between the think that the program is called Visionary Leaders Pro- Japanese and the Indian manufacturing companies. I also gram, and I believe that the quality of the leaders that is hope that the best technologies that will suit the Indian thus awakened has universal application. market will be encouraged through the collaboration of the Japanese and Indian companies. Setting up of R&D The other day, I had a chance to have a dinner with Mr. in India will be more common. I hope that the brilliant Osamu Suzuki, Chairman of Suzuki Motors of Japan. I brains of young Indians will join hands with the strength was very much impressed by his leadership, how quickly of Japanese manufacturing technologies. In this sense, I he acted in the wake of such prime loan problems. At that hope that the visionary leaders and their alumni would be time, people were still arguing whether the sub-prime the first to pave the way, and I wish each of you a great loans problem would spread to affect our real economy success. beyond the financial sectors of America or Europe. Thank you. JAPAN CALLING 3 INDO-JAPAN FRIENDSHIP : ROLE OF NGOS Dr Yoshiko Y. Nakano, President, OISCA International, Japan, underscored the need for India and Japan coming together to give a creative leadership to the world in undertaking sustainable development programs. “Indian philosophy and vast experience in implementing people-centric programs can combine with Japanese technology to usher in a world order wherein Earth-related issues and poverty alleviation occupy center stage”, she added. Dr Nakano was delivering the 4th D.N Sinha Memorial Lecture on 24th July 2009 in Delhi, on the subject “Indo-Japan Friendship-Role of NGOs”. The distinguished speakers at the meeting included Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister, Haryana. She disclosed that as a part of strengthening OISCA activities in India, a resource center has been set up in India for Ambassador Domichi addressing the audience on the occasion training youths from all over the world, particularly from ment in India is in Haryana, and assured OISCA Foundation Africa, for capacity building and sustainable development in that all possible help will be extended for furthering their Wayanad, in Kerala State. activities in the State for sustainable development. He con- Pledging the support of OISCA-International for promoting curred with Dr Nakano that material wealth should be judiciously and strengthening the ties and friendship between India and blended with spirituality to pave the way for a balanced Japan, Dr Nakano hinted that her organization was growth. contemplating linking India with Africa at the NGO level for Mr. Hideaki Domichi, Japanese Ambassador in India, un- capacity building to produce more food on a sustainable basis. derscored the need for OISCA Foundation focusing more on The expertise developed by OISCA South India will be emulated rural areas in India to help the poorer sections, while recalling in implementing food programs in Africa, she added. the friendship and cordiality between India and Japan. “Such Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, efforts can be taken to a higher level once the governmental and Chief Minister of Haryana, stated that 70% of Japanese invest- non-governmental efforts converge”, he added. JAPANESE COMMUNITY IN DELHI CELEBRATES SUMMER FESTIVAL 2009 Members of the Japanese community in Delhi, including and Indian visitors, especially children, who enjoyed the evening official staff members posted at the Japanese Embassy as well with dances, games and other interesting activities. Many kinds as personnel from Japanese corporations functioning in Delhi of stalls were put up in the school ground, with everybody’s and surrounding areas, gathered with their families to celebrate favorite ones being those serving different varieties of Japanese the Summer Festival 2009, at the Japanese School Ground in food and drinks.
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