Toegelaten gesloten verpakking: GENT X 03/50 PB- PP B-00043 BELGIE(N) - BELGIQUE P 409556 Belgium-Japan Association Chamber of Commerce 日白協会兼商工会議所 TRADE FLOWS & CULTURAL NEWS Number 125 - December 2019 EDITORIAL By HE Ambassador Makita Shimokawa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Belgium When I arrived here last September as Ambassador special momentum which was generated then and of Japan to the Kingdom of Belgium, I recollected my which still lingers on today as we find ourselves on HE Ambassador Makita Shimokawa past business trips and travels to Brussels. Now, I the doorstep of the Olympic year of 2020. Let us con- was actually going to live and work here, and I can tinue to strengthen these close relations. In this issue see it is a bustling international city of just the right size with great food, and with much hospitability ex- As of 2018, there are 223 Japanese companies active 2 BJA Golf Cup 3 We need you tended to those who visit and reside here. This all in Belgium, an impressive number considering the 4 GC Europe wins Global makes Brussels a perfectly comfortable workplace size of the country, but no coincidence. The “capital Excellence Award 2019 for me, and I feel grateful. of Europe” offers excellent access to other major Eu- 7 Friendship committee ropean cities such as London, Paris and Amsterdam, news 8 EU committee news The year of 2016 had marked the magical celebra- and with a logistics infrastructure linking up Europe 10 EU-Japan news tions of the 150 Years of Friendship between Japan with the rest of the world, as well as the presence of 12 News for the members and Belgium, which was an occasion to look back a quality workforce, this country remains one of the 16 Cross-Chamber Networking on our common history. It was also a chance for new most important economic hubs for Japan in Europe. Night 17 The Japanese Collection opportunities and friendships. While the formal cel- The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement in Leuven – Louvain ebrations may have ended, let us make use of that (EPA) that came into force in February of this year will 20 News from the members play an important and beneficial role in bringing the 22 Personalia Japanese and Belgian economies ever more closely together. Let us not look away from our challenges however. Advertising rates International economic uncertainty is increasing due to the rise of protectionism, with Brexit and 4 issues (March, June, the trade dispute between the US and China as September & December) the most visible examples. At the same time, the 1 page .................... € 3.500 expected economic growth rate of the Eurozone 1/2 page ................ € 1.600 and Belgium in 2019 has recently been revised downwards. However, Belgium is in a good position contact: BJA Office to cope with these challenges, as it has a lot of avenue Louise 287, box 7 networks due to political and geographical reasons. 1050 Brussels This is also where the presence of the BJA makes a difference, through its valuable contributions to the [email protected] exchanges of business and culture between Japan, T 02/644 14 05 Belgium and Europe. As Ambassador, I am here to keep reading on p.10 >> Resp. editor: A. Kellens | 287, avenue Louise bte 7 | 1050 Brussels | T +32 (0)2 644 13 33 E [email protected] BJA quarterly newsletter | driemaandelijks tijdschrift (maart - juni - september - december) | Afgiftekantoor: Gent x Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce | Royal Association | Founded in 1963 Registration n° 408.948.139 | RPR Court of Commerce Brussels We currently hold your contact details on our Trade Flows & Cultural News Database. We use this information for our own internal purposes only in order to send you this Trade Flows & Cultural Newsletter. If any of your details are incorrect or if you no longer wish to receive this publication, please inform us by e-mail at [email protected] www.bja.be BJA REPORT The 15th BJA Golf Cup and Golf Initiation 第15回ＢＪＡゴルフコンペとゴルフイニシエーション Saturday, 14 September 2019 – The National Golf Brussels (left to right) Nori Kunimoto, CEO of Terumo Europe, Edward Bonsel, Under the guidance of the Pros, the Golf Initiation participants are diligently Ömer Turna, Partner at EY and the Captain of EU team shares the joy of Managing Director of Willis Towers Watson, and Yoshikazu Matsumoto, trying to learn how to grip the club correctly. his team victory with Jun Goto, COO of Panasonic Energy Europe and the Managing Director of Cast Inc., getting ready for a round of golf under Captain of Japan Team. a beautiful blue sky. Once again, thanks to the generous sponsorship by EY, togeth- initiation program on one of the newest golf courses in the vi- er with a number of BJA company members and other organi- cinity of Brussels. Starting with a delicious lunch buffet, the zations, the BJA could welcome members and friends at The participants received refreshments throughout the day, cock- National Golf Brussels in Sterrebeek on Saturday, 14 Septem- tails before the dinner and numerous fantastic prizes to take ber 2019 for the 15th BJA Golf Cup and Golf Initiation, followed home with them before the event adjourned. by dinner and prize giving party. The EU vs. Japan team competition result always brings an ex- While the heat of the Indian summer was with us, over 30 golf ceptional excitement. After a sweet revenge by the EU team players enjoyed playing 18 holes with pleasant partners and to steel the victory from the Japan team last year, the EU team about 15 guests joined together to experience a complete golf successfully snatched the victory again in 2019. Mr Ömer Tur- 2 MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE NEWS WE NEED YOU! The task of the Membership Committee is to attract and retain members and to inform them of the workings of the BJA. The Committee is composed of two chairmen and four dedicated committee members, dynamic people who work for Japanese or Belgian companies in a variety of sectors. Did you know that 650 members have already joined the BJA? Not given to resting on its laurels, the Membership Committee has set itself the target of increasing that number to 700 in 2020! To do so, we could resort to the mass media or new technologies of course but we feel that traditional networking will prove to be far more popular and accessible. This is where you come in! Have you come across any new acquaintances of late? Do you na, Partner at EY and the Captain of the EU team was so know any Belgian companies that have contacts in Japan and thrilled to reclaim the winning replica on behalf of his haven’t joined the BJA yet? Or do you know of any Japanese team while Mr Jun Goto, COO of Panasonic Energy Eu- companies that have a place of business in Belgium and aren’t rope and the Captain of the Japan team promised to take members of the BJA yet? If you feel you have an interesting revenge next year! contact, why not pass on his or her details to the members of the Committee? The BJA would like to thank once again wholeheartedly the sponsors for their generosity, and the enthusiastic We really appreciate your cooperation and look forward to participation of the members and partners. Thanks to all meeting you at our next event. of you, this annual BJA Golf event had ended with a great success! For those of you who have been toying with the idea of becom- ing an active member of our Committee make sure to contact The pictures are by courtesy of Mrs Françoise Demeter of H. De the BJA Membership Committee or the BJA Office! Beukelaer & Co. Membership Committee Members > Mr BORREMANS, PHILIPPE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR, GROUP S [email protected] > Mr MASAKI, KOH ICHI HEAD OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS AND AGENCY CONVENTION BUSINESS CENTRE JAPAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION [email protected] > Mr ORLANDO, SALVATORE HEAD OF EXPATRIATES, BNP PARIBAS FORTIS [email protected] > Mr SCHEPENS, VINCENT ASSISTANT MANAGER, SALES & MARKETING ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS CO. [email protected] > Mr VAN BENEDEN, OLIVIER MANAGING DIRECTOR, JAPAN CONSULTING OFFICE [email protected] > Mr VAN HOOF, MARC MANAGING PARTNER, BE WELCOME [email protected] 3 ARTICLE GC Europe wins Global Excellence Award 2019 GC Europe NV has received the highest recognition from the European Founda- tion for Quality Management (EFQM*), and has become the first company in the dental industry, the first Benelux-based company and the first subsidiary com- pany of a Japanese corporation to win this award. High-quality products, good customer relationships, sustainable growth: these are key attributes defining a company’s success. In order to assess and improve their performance, many private, public, and Non-profit organisations striving for tive applicant, but also submitted to a Leuven site is also a place where some of excellence take part in the EFQM Global jury of independent experts. They deter- the products are produced, mounted and Excellence Award. mine the applicant’s level of recognition, packed, and where training concepts are i.e. decide who will be an Excellence developed and courses are conducted. This renowned quality award is sup- Award Winner and who is recognized as ported by one of the most challenging outstanding in one or more categories, assessment processes. The theoretical for example Outstanding Achievement in framework for an assessment is based Sustainability. Only those organisations on eight fundamental concepts of excel- with a sustainable exceptional perfor- lence defined by the EFQM. These are: mance in all eight fundamental concepts > Adding value for customers of excellence can win the EFQM Global > Leading with vision, inspiration & Excellence Award.