Davos Special ISSN 0289-1956 116 TH YEAR NO. 40,482 ©THE JAPAN TIMES, LTD., 2012 Wednesday, January 25, 2012 明治30年3月22日第３種郵便物認可 B1 Hasegawa outlines the ways Japan can help the world Sayuri Daimon Staff writer It’s that time of year again,when world leaders gather in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss global, regional and industry agendas. And this year, Yasuchika Hasegawa, president of Takeda Pharmacetical Co., will be leading discussions as one of the six co-chairs of the World Economic Forum. Ranging from Europe’s debt crisis to aging population in industrialized economies, there are mounting problems that need to be tackled by global leaders, and Hasegawa is well aware of what Japan Inc. can contribute to the world. “Japan should seek ways to contribute to solving the problems that the world faces, while bringing back some benefits from success and growth (to Japan),” Hasegawa said in an interview with The Japan Times prior to the WEF conference, which will begin on Jan. 25. He cited the example of desalination Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, venue of the World Economic Forum, where leaders from government and the business world meet technology. It can help solve the world’s each year to discuss topics of vital importance to the world’s future. pHoto: SwiSS-image.CH water-supply problems, which are of growing concern in various parts of the He also said it is unfortunate that Japan completely shifted to emerging economies,” reach out to the world’s emerging markets. world, such as China, Africa and Australia. will miss a chance to express its Hasegawa said, referring to countries such According to mergers and acquisitions Likewise, Japan can help solve the energy determination to solve its debt problem to as China and Brazil. research company Recof Data, Japanese crisis through energy-saving technologies the rest of the world, as Prime Minister While countries like the U.S. have not first made 455 deals, just short of the record by utilizing LED lights, environment- Yoshihiko Noda will not attend the found ways to restore growth after the 463 reached during Japan’s bubble friendly houses and batteries that can store conference. Lehman Shock in 2008, many emerging economy in 1990. huge reserves of electricity. “WEF founder Klaus Schwab was hoping economies are catching up with the Hasegawa’s company, Takeda “Due to the unfortunate accident in the Yasuchika Hasegawa that the Japanese prime minister, who has industrialized nations with their low labor Pharmaceutical, in 2011 made the country’s Fukushima nuclear power plant, the speed already said that the government will costs and improved technologies. biggest M&A deal, purchasing privately held of nuclear-power plant construction in the declining populations and aging “And it is not the case that the top submit a bill to raise the consumption tax in “Our immediate issue will be how we can Swiss drug giant Nycomed, which has world will have to slow down, and as fossil populations in the future,’’ Hasegawa said. Japanese government officials attend the the ordinary Diet session, will deliver a maintain wealth under such circumstances. strong footholds in Brazil and Russia, for a fuel is limited, energy costs will increase. In “If Japan, as a national strategy, focuses conference every year,” he said. message that Japan is now earnestly taking Even double-digit growth in the emerging whopping ¥1.1 trillion. such a situation, what will we do for energy on R&D in those sectors ahead of the rest of Unlike various international steps to resolve its debt issue,” Hasegawa countries will eventually cease, and we “The value of M&As by Japanese supply?” Hasegawa said. the world, Japan can develop such organizations, such as the United Nations, said, adding that such a message will also haven’t found an answer to the question of companies reached about ¥10 trillion last Japanese-made robots, which can serve technologies and offer them to the rest of what’s decided at Davos is not legally be welcomed by the rest of the world, how developed countries, which once year, of which, cross-border deals as nurses or keep the elderly company, can the world,’’ said the 65-year-old president of binding. The conference, however, is an especially Europe, which is suffering from a enjoyed strong economic growth, can accounted for some ¥6 trillion. Of that be of great benefit for aging societies facing Japan’s biggest drug maker. influential event that builds consensus and debt crisis. continue to grow,” Hasegawa observed. figure, ¥1.1 trillion was a deal by us,’’ he health-care issues, he said. Hasegawa, who also serves as the head of sets global trend among world leaders, “The U.S., Europe and Japan account for Still, emerging markets seem to be the said. “Japan should first think about ways to the Japan Association of Corporate Hasegawa noted. “The Japanese some 60 to 65 percent of the world’s key for survival now, and despite Japan’s “Unless we develop products and sell keep society safe and secure, while Executives (Keizai Doyukai), said among government should think about how to economy, and the remaining economies economy in recent years being eclipsed by those products to fast-growing emerging guaranteeing access to health care at a the people attending the annual WEF increase its presence in the world,” he said, only account for 35 percent to 40 percent. that of China, which has overtaken Japan’s economies, it means that we, as a company minimum cost. Japan’s experience can be meeting, or the ``Davos forum,’’ interest in adding that he learns a lot from leaders at But those economies contribute to 70 position as the world second-biggest or a country, have given up on obtaining offered as a model to countries in Southeast Japan seems to be on the decline as the Davos, who always appear to be upbeat and percent of the world’s economic growth. economy, many Japanese companies went benefits from such economies,” Hasegawa Asia that will have the dual problems of nation’s economic power is losing steam. full of confidence. The driver of economic growth has on aggressive buying sprees last year to pointed out. Watanabe to convey vision of post-disaster future at Davos edan Corkill year it bore the brunt of the Great East Japan they all seem to have accepted as one of their long before the disastrous events of March Staff writer Earthquake and tsunami. own. 11. Since then the 52-year-old Watanabe After the quake and tsunami, Watanabe “Hayabusa: Harukanaru kikan (Hayabusa: When actor Ken Watanabe takes the stage at has made no fewer than five tours to the (who in fact hails from Niigata Prefecture) A Distant Return)” tells the tale of a space the World Economic Forum in Davos, Swit- tsunami-affected regions, including hard-hit was one of the first major celebrities to try probe launched by the Japan Aerospace zerland, this week to deliver a speech on Miyagi Prefecture, which lost over 10,000 of to lend a hand. Within four days he had es- Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2003 in order Japan’s future, his audience will likely recog- its citizens in the disaster. His most recent tablished a website called kizuna311 (kizuna to collect rock samples from an asteroid. In nize him as Saito from the 2010 film “Incep- trip was earlier this month, when he fol- means “human bonds” in Japanese) and was June 2010, the probe completed its 6-billion- tion,” or as Katsumoto from 2003’s “The Last lowed through on an earlier promise to local using it as a two-way portal for delivering kilometer round trip, and thus the world’s Samurai.” One role they probably won’t recall residents to personally arrange for preview messages about the disaster. He and other first-ever so-called “sample return” mission is that of Dokugan-ryu (One-Eyed Dragon) screenings of one of his upcoming films. Japanese movie stars made video appeals ended in success. Masamune, from the 1987 Japanese TV dra- At one screening – in the Miyagi Prefec- to the rest of the world for support, and in- Still, Watanabe – who helped produce the ma of the same name. ture city of Ishinomaki – he was asked why ternational stars sent back their own video film – recalled that after March 11 he was at And yet that role from over two decades he has returned so often since the quake. “It messages of solidarity. first not sure whether they should go ahead ago has perhaps informed Watanabe’s work was this region that made me an actor, that Watanabe also spent a lot of time just with the shoot, which was scheduled to take over the past 12 months more than anything helped me grow and develop,” Watanabe being with the inhabitants of the tsunami- place during 2011. else. Masamune was the eye patch-wear- said. “I owe it to this region to help.” affected areas. “I’d just try to get a sense of “We thought for a long time about wheth- ing founder of the Sendai feudal clan, and As his audience recognized the reference how the people are – from their expressions, er it was appropriate to be doing this at such Watanabe’s portrayal of him not only made to Masamune, they issued a collective sigh their discussion. If I could make them smile, a difficult time,” he said. “But we ended up the actor an overnight star, but resulted in a that was so loud it could be heard outside then I’d achieved something,” he told The thinking that we are filmmakers, so our best strong bond forming between him and the the hall where the screening took place.