Japan/America News

On August 10, the Japan/America Society of Kentucky (JASK) was honored by the government of Japan with theGaimudaijin Hyosho award.  Japan's regional diplomat, Consul General Hiroshi Sato, was in Lexington to confer the award.  

The Gaimudaijin Hyosho recognizes individuals and organizations that make outstanding contributions to the Japan/America friendship.  JASK is the first Society in the five-state region covered by Consul General Sato to receive the award.  The commendation was written by Foreign Minister, Katsuya Okada, counterpart of America's Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.  

A celebration, hosted by the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Spa, was held following the conferment.  Over 100 JASK members enjoyed sushi and drinks as they reflected on 23 years of Japan/Kentucky friendship.  

Since 1987, JASK has connected Japanese and Americans through business, cultural, and educational programs.  

In 2008, JASK organized a cultural exchange program, the Manjiro Exchange Program, in partnership with the Center for International Exchange.  Host families across Kentucky in eleven cities hosted 160 Japanese guests.  The large-scale exchange carries on a tradition begun when Manjiro Nakahama was a boy (1820), shipwrecked near Japan and rescued by an American whaling ship, to be raised in America.  

JASK's monthly programs include the JAPAN! Summer Festival, the Shinnenkai New Year's Party, Japan/Kentucky Business Summit, Karaoke Bonenkai, and many business networking, seminar, and cultural events.  

JASK is both honored and motivated by the Gaimudaijin Hyosho award - honored to be recognized by the people of Japan and motivated to continue actively bridging friendship between our two countries.  

JASK is funded by contributions from Japanese and American members throughout Kentucky.  JASK welcomes corporate and individual memberships year-round.  Visit http://jask.org or contact Matt Krebs at 859-224-7001 for more about JASK and the Gaimudaijin Hyosho award.  

Special thanks to our generous sponsors for making this event possible!

Picture 1 (left to right): Consul General Hiroshi Sato, Former Chair: Dale Kihlman, Former Chair: Glen Krebs (Wyatt Tarrant & Combs LLP), Former Chair: Steve Cecil (Green Metals, Inc.), Current Chair: Robert Brown (Greenebaum, Doll & McDonald PLLC), Former Executive Director: Kelly McEuen, Current Executive Diector: Matt Krebs.

Picture 2: Guests mingle and congratulate each other on the award. 

JASK announces that 3 Japanese high school exchange students are coming to Kentucky for the 2010-2011 school year.  They will be attending high school and assisting teachers in offering community programs about Japanese culture.  Host families are needed for the whole year, or for one semester.  The students need room & board and help arranging transportation to school (bus, walking, or bicycle is fine).  Please see the attached flyer for more information on ideal host families.

The students are coming on a program of the Laurasian Institution, the same organization that brought Keiko Fukuzaki to UK for the past 2 years.  They will receive 2 weeks of training and orientation in Seattle before arriving in Kentucky in mid-August.

If you are interested, or would like more information, please contact Ms. Mari Maruyama at the Laurasian Institution at 800-721-7474 or mmaruyama@laurasian.org

Please share this announcement with others who might be interested. 

See flyer for more information.

JETRO (Japan External Trade Office) presented a seminar in Japanese: Impact of U.S. Economy and Politics on Japanese Companies, at the JASK office on June 18.  Twenty-five JASK members learned from five of JETRO’s New York office experts.  After the seminar, everyone headed up to Lexington’s Skybar for a more casual conversation (thanks to the Skybar for giving us a free-drink each). 

JETRO’s team shared cutting-edge insights on the economy and its forecasted outcomes.  Japanese companies in Kentucky learned how they can adroitly react to the midterm election, the Buy American Act, the Healthcare system overhaul, and other momentous changes.

We look forward to bringing you more such Seminars to inform and connect us all.

Once every 4 years, the eyes of the world are on its biggest sporting event, the FIFA World Cup.  Surprising even their home-country fans, Japan and USA both advanced to the top 16 this year in South Africa. 

Takeshi Okada, Japanese head coach, had set an ambitious goal to advance to the semifinals.  However, the Japanese public expectations derided his wishful thinking.  Japan had never won a game in the World Cup on foreign soil before.  By the round of 16 match against Paraguay, Okada was flooded with apologies and encouragement as Japan watched anxiously to see if their team could pull off this feat.  The Japan team’s success inspired Japanese citizens of every age.  The team became known for an impeccable defense, credited to the “unity” of the players. 

World Cup competition was particularly challenging for the U.S. team, also an underdog, because of widely debated referee calls.  However, the team bore the outcomes with dignity and amazed its critics with their dramatic victory against Algeria, scoring in the final minutes of overtime play.

In the end, the top 16 closed both Japan and the USA’s World Cup triumphs.  Japan lost in a final shootout after a 0-0 tie with Paraguay.  The USA lost in the extra time to Ghana.  The good news is that this World Cup seems a definite turning point for both of “our favorite teams.”  The world has seen that both Japan and the USA gave great performances against great odds.

It took 80 years for an African nation to host the FIFA World Cup.  For Japan and the USA in football, this is likewise an historic new beginning.  The teams could only have played each other at this World Cup in the final match, a feat that seemed almost possible just a week ago.  One day, such a dream might come true if both nations continue such passionate pursuit of football, the world’s favorite sport.

Horse Mania, the art project, is a special event that brings artists to Lexington to paint dozens of full-size horse-statues for display around town.  You have probably seen the statues from the first Horse Mania project around Lexington during the past ten years.  Each painted statue is unique and beautiful. 

Lexington’s second Horse Mania has begun already this year.  For 2010, 79 new horses will be on display in downtown Lexington to greet our global guests for the World Equestrian Games.  

Lexington’s Sister City in Japan: Shinhidaka, is an integral part of the Horse Mania event.  One horse has already been painted by Mr. Yoshihiro Hosokawa, a native of Shinhidaka and long-time friend of Lexington. 

Mr. Hosokawa, his brother, and a representative from Shinihidaka’s City Hall, spent four days in Lexington at the end of May painting “Springtime in Japan.” 

Mr. Hosokawa has led a fascinating life, performing in musical groups with his family, building an advertising agency, and now as the president of the tourist association of Shinhidaka. 

The horse he painted shows Japanese landmarks in all the beauty of Spring.  Mr. Hosokawa included Himeji Castle, Miyajima, Mt. Fuji, and other iconic Japanese sites accentuated by falling cherry blossoms in his design. 

In total, four horses were made by artists from Lexington’s Sister cities: Deauville (France), County Kildare (Ireland), Shinhidaka (Japan) and Newmarket (England).  All of the new horses will be on display from July until November when they will be auctioned to local businesses and individuals. 

One lucky person or company will get to keep “Springtime in Japan” as their own inspiring work of art!

For further information about Horse Mania, contact Melissa Wilkeson, LexArts, (859) 255-2951, mwilkeson@lexarts.org.

Most of you have renewed your membership with JASK through 2011.  Thank you for your support. 

To encourage timely renewals this year, we promised to give away three sushi gift cards, $50 each, at random, to members who had renewed. 

Our winners are:

• J.D. Lewis - Panasonic Home Appliances (Danville)
• Cliff Elgin - Individual Member (Louisville)
  
• Kenny Nashimoto - Hitachi Automotive Products (Harrodsburg)

The drawing was done at random.org with a true random number generator.  226 people paid early enough to be included in the drawing. 

Congratulations.  You will be sent your gift cards promptly. 

Nine months into the government of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his second in command, Ichiro Ozawa, have resigned. 

Hatoyama's reneging on a campaign promise to move a U.S. Military Base in Futenma, Okinawa, has sent his approval ratings in that region to 8%.  Other unfulfilled promises and a recent money scandal moved the Prime Minister to step aside.  It is reported that he then urged Mr. Ozawa to also step aside.  Some have said that Ozawa is the architect of the entire DPJ. No doubt, the resignations leave far more questions than answers. 

Read more coverage of this story here.

And here. 

Sixty JASK members and friends had lunch and discussed the future of Japan/Kentucky trade on May 28.  

Among many enlightening remarks made by speakers throughout the luncheon, stand-out points include:  

Former Governor Martha Layne Collins

• The success of Japan/Kentucky trade is the result of an active partnership.  JASK maintains that partnership.  Meetings such as the Summit are key to the success of Kentucky and Japan
• UK and Murray State are 
• Summer Festival and other JASK activities keep our communities focused on Japan.
• Times are tough but we are tougher.  There is no limit to what we may accomplish together

Deputy Consul General, Shigenobu Kobayashi

• The Nashville Consulate covers five states: Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana
  
• Cooperation between Japan and Kentucky is an important piece in the Japan/America relationship.

Micheline Maynard, New York Times

• Early coverage of Toyota's safety issues was not carefully vetted by media, anxious for a story.  However, when the official documents were reviewed, it was clear that Toyota did have safety issues to address.  
• Even as a career journalist, she has hardly seen such a media frenzy as surrounded the Toyota hearings in March.  
• Toyota's senior leadership is learning that they will need to act on inconclusive evidence when safety is at issue.  Active companies do better business in America's economy today.   
• No one at Toyota really seems to consider Washington's scrutiny politically motivated.  While there are always politics in Washington, Toyota recognizes that its safety is primarily at issue.  
• At the hearings, outside of the sensational new coverage, many of the senators actually showed great respect for Toyota.
• Georgetown, Kentucky, has become a city that many American cities want to emulate because of what has been built there around Toyota.       
• 15% of GDP is from foreign direct investment in the United States.  5.3 million jobs are in foreign-owned companies.  In manufacturing, one in eight jobs is at a foreign company in America.  Those jobs pay 20% better than their comparable positions with American manufacturers.

Jim Navolio, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development 

• Kentucky has 147 Japanese-related companies, of which 107 are in the automotive business.  Most are Toyota suppliers.  These companies produce 32,970 jobs.  
• Reflecting maturing investment and changing economics, after attracting an average of six new Japanese investments per year in the 1990s, Kentucky is now working on its first new investment project for 2010. 
• After a very tough 2009, the auto industry seems to be picking up.  Year-to-date (through May 16) production at Toyota Georgetown in 2009 was 86,000 units.  For the same period this year it is 152,000.
  
• Kentucky's trade with Japan is not picking up -- it is down 10.8% from ten years ago.  Japan was Kentucky's second largest customer in 2000 but is our 6th largest today.  Tobacco and beverage sales, in particular, have disappeared.  This could simply reflect demand changes in the Japanese economy.
  
• There are many things ahead that we can do in Kentucky to attract new Japanese investment and to build investments in Japan. 
  

Friendships developed through JASK are the foundation of business relationships that drive Kentucky's economy forward.  Are you making the most of your opportunities?

Talking with our members, we have settled on five ways to make the most of your JASK membership.

   1. Use our Directory.
   2. Attend Programs.
   3. Sponsor and Present Programs.
   4. Read and Submit Content to the Newsletter.
   5. Advertise. 

Let us elaborate a bit.

   1. Use our Directory.  Hundreds of people doing business at the Japan/Kentucky intersect have profiles on our website.  These are fully searchable by industry, nationality, region, city, etc...,  and it is easy.  We even made a video introduction: "Using the JASK Membership Directory."  Log-in online and get to know the great people in JASK.  Call them, email them - don't be shy.  We are all in this together.
   2. Attend Programs.  Check our calendar early and often.  Open your calendar and block out time to attend programs.  This is where we really get to know each other.  JASK members attend programs because they want to do business together and because they have fun, according to our survey.  JASK staff and board members often help by introducing members to each other.
   3. Sponsor and Present Programs.  Sponsor programs and present programs on topics about which you are an expert.  Call us to discuss opportunities.  859-224-7001.
   4. Read and Submit Content to the Newsletter.  Our monthly newsletter comes by email.  Rescue it for ten minutes each month from the chaos of your inbox.  Now that we have added: Member News and JASpectives sections, there are many chances for you to submit news about your business and articles about topics in which you are an expert.  Keep up with what is going down around the JASK community. 
   5. Advertise.  During the past year, our website has been visited over 13,000 times by folks who care about Japan and Kentucky.  Advertise to these visitors by putting your logo in the footer of our website.  We limit advertising slots to assure notoriety for advertisers.  Full detals here. 

Perhaps these suggestions will help you engage more with your fellow JASK members in 2010.  Want to share more ideas?  Visit http://jask.org/comment.