C Bryan Jones 12/26/25 C Bryan Jones 12/26/25

2025 Kansai D&I Summit

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is a noble cause. Over the past decade, many positive changes have been achieved, but there is still a long way to go on the journey to true D&I. But good intentions don’t always guarantee good results. How do we get D&I back on track?

What D&I is missing … and how to get back on track through dialogue.

Photos by Rie Watson • Artwork by Kanna Yoshikawa

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is a noble cause. For years, companies in Japan have pursued diversity in the workplace with the support of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ). And over the past decade, many positive changes have been achieved, but there is still a long way to go on the journey to true D&I.

Good intentions don’t always guarantee good results, which may be a factor in the strengthening headwinds pushing back on efforts for greater equality. Without the right approach, the most well-meaning D&I initiatives can stall, misfire, or even harm the movement itself.

So how do we get D&I back on track?

That is the question that was at the heart of this year’s Kansai D&I Summit, held at Blooming Camp inside Grand Green Osaka on November 11. Hosted by the ACCJ–Kansai Diversity & Inclusion and Business Programs Committees, along with the ACCJ Women in Business Forum, the gathering featured a workshop led by James Chappell, a communications trainer who is chief executive officer of BEMi Consulting, Inc., and a “prep session” discussion moderated by ACCJ–Kansai Diversity & Inclusion Committee Co-chair Mie Kitano.

The discussion featured three diverse voices sharing their views on the importance of D&I.

Arthur Pena, group director for Media at P&G Japan
Alison Chen, associate director in marketing at Eli Lilly Japan
Naomi Iwasaki, manager in finance at Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim

Chen and Iwasaki are vice-chairs of the ACCJ–Kansai Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Kitano explained that the approach to this year’s summit was to share stories from middle managers rather than top executives to shed light on challenges that many of us face in our everyday work, and how those managers are handling situations and creating better working environments.

During the networking that followed, attendees were able to further explore what they had learned from the workshop and prep session, and consider how they could carry these insights back to their companies and begin getting D&I back on track. And the whole evening was captured in the moment by Kanna Yoshikawa through her graphic recordings, shown on the opposite page.

Lisa Wallin 12/26/25 Lisa Wallin 12/26/25

Sharpening the Story

The ACCJ Healthcare x Digital (HxD) initiative reached a new milestone on December 2 with its first-ever exclusive mentorship event for healthcare startups at Nakanoshima Qross in Osaka.

HxD Mentor Day helps healthcare startups perfect their pitch for 2026.

The ACCJ Healthcare x Digital (HxD) initiative reached a new milestone on December 2 with its first-ever exclusive mentorship event for healthcare startups at Nakanoshima Qross in Osaka. Instead of pitching onstage, founders spent the afternoon strengthening their narratives—then pressure-testing them in small-group mentoring sessions with industry experts.

The program opened with a workshop led by Christian Boettcher, managing partner at Takaraya Capital and formerly a senior partner and APAC sector leader consulting partner for healthcare and life sciences at EY Strategy & Consulting. He was joined remotely by Kristin Chen, a Silicon Valley product leader, fractional chief executive (CxO), and adviser with more than 15 years’ experience at LinkedIn, Twitch, Pinterest, and multiple startups.

Their joint message? A compelling pitch starts with clarity, discipline, and a strong grasp of what investors listen for in the first minute.

Expanding the Model

HxD is an initiative team within the ACCJ–Kansai chapter’s Healthcare Committee. It connects academia, startups, corporates, and government around three themes:

The hospital of the future
Patient data empowerment
Urban–rural healthcare equity

Since 2020, HxD has hosted pitch competitions and ideathons; the December Mentor Day introduced a more intimate format designed to help founders refine their thinking ahead of the 2026 HxD Pitch Competition.

After the workshop, founders rotated through two rounds of 30-minute sessions with mentors from organizations including Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, EY, IQVIA, K&L Gates, Innovation Dojo, and Zimmer Biomet. The conversations were candid and practical, focusing on communicating value, understanding customers, and positioning within the healthcare ecosystem.

Christian’s Essentials: Focus Your Story

Boettcher began with simple, universal guidelines:

One message per slide
Readable font sizes
Minimal, intentional use of color

From there, he walked through several elements investors expect to see. The first is the founding team—why they are qualified to address the problem and what insight or experience led them to the idea.

Next comes the problem definition. Founders often jump into technology, he noted, without clearly explaining the pain point or who experiences it. “What is the problem itself? And why does it matter?”

Only after establishing the problem should founders propose their solution and what differentiates it. He urged startups to evaluate the “graveyards” where companies that attempted similar ideas and stalled—and understand what went wrong.

Boettcher also highlighted the importance of financial clarity. Even non-financial founders must be able to explain revenue streams, cost structures, runway, and the logic behind market estimates. Overstated markets or vague assumptions erode credibility quickly.

Finally, he emphasized context awareness. With artificial intelligence (AI) accelerating innovation and policy changes influencing healthcare, strong founders show they understand how broader shifts affect their strategy.

Kristin’s First 60 Seconds: What Investors Listen For

Chen offered an investor’s perspective, noting that expectations have risen. “Venture capitalists now want retention, growth, and monetization signals early,” she said.

Sharing a four-pillar framework for evaluating a pitch, Chen stressed that she listens for all four within the first 60 seconds:

A real, enduring problem
A meaningful or growing market
A scalable, tech-driven advantage
A credible path to revenue

“If these elements aren’t clear within a minute, it’s hard for an investor to stay engaged,” she said.

To make the problem tangible, Chen urged founders to reference user research and analytics: interviews, surveys, user-generated content, and existing studies. Specific data points or quotes help quantify severity and show that founders understand the people they aim to serve.

She also recommended preparing two deck versions: a concise one for live delivery and a self-contained one for investors reviewing the pitch independently.

Pain, Markets, and Communication

During the Q&A session, a mentor asked how to quantify customer pain and how narrowly to define the target market. Chen suggested starting with an ideal customer profile and using qualitative and quantitative research to validate who feels the pain most. Boettcher offered a healthcare example: Japan’s diabetes-related hospitalizations can be quantified not only in medical costs but also lost productivity.

A biotech founder asked how to pitch when pharmaceutical companies are the paying customers, but patients benefit most. Boettcher explained that in areas like AI-driven drug discovery, startups must map a multilayered market—including pharma, biotechs, and government programs. Chen added that founders should be explicit about the sales cycle, decision-makers, and associated risks.

Another question focused on Japan-based founders pitching in English while simultaneously managing verbal, visual, and nonverbal communication. Chen emphasized practice, tailoring the story to each investor, and developing “executive presence.” Early-stage investors, she said, often bet on the founder as much as the idea. “If you don’t believe in yourself, how do you expect others to believe in you?”

Boettcher echoed the importance of rapport. Even strong products struggle if founders cannot communicate confidently and connect with the audience.

Platform for 2026 and Beyond

After the workshop, the mentoring sessions brought theory into practice. Founders and mentors sat together to refine slides, discuss specific markets, and explore potential collaboration pathways.

As the first HxD Mentor Day, the gathering added a valuable new dimension to HxD’s ongoing efforts to support digital health innovation across Japan. With the next major pitch opportunity coming in February, participating founders left with clearer stories, stronger decks, and a better understanding of what resonates with investors, especially in that critical first minute.

In a healthcare environment where technology and expectations are evolving quickly, these communication skills are becoming as essential as the innovations themselves.

Lisa Wallin 12/26/25 Lisa Wallin 12/26/25

Making a Difference Step by Step

This May will mark a major milestone for the ACCJ–Chubu community: the 35th anniversary of the Chubu Walkathon International Charity Festival. You're invited to join the celebration and make a difference.

The Chubu Walkathon invites you to celebrate 35 years of community support.

Photos By Andy Boone

This May will mark a major milestone for the ACCJ–Chubu community: the 35th anniversary of the Chubu Walkathon International Charity Festival. What began in 1992 as a small, collaborative effort between US businesses and local partners has grown into the region’s most visible international charity event—uniting thousands each year for a day of walking, food, entertainment, and community support.

Cofounder Robert Roche, now ACCJ vice president–Chubu, still remembers the first event. “Large corporations were coming to Nagoya saying, ‘It’s our culture in America to give back to the local community,’” he recalled with a laugh. “Harry Hill and I were the young guys doing most of the legwork while they got the spotlight—but in all seriousness, they were the ones who showed us how to do business the right way. Their guidance in those early years gave us a solid foundation, and the relationships we built—with orphanages, schools, and local charities, as well as sponsors like Kondo Sanko, are the reason the Walkathon is still going strong 35 years later.”

Since then, the Walkathon has contributed ¥196 million to organizations across the Chubu region, supporting children in foster care, individuals with illnesses or disabilities, families affected by domestic violence, Tohoku earthquake and tsunami relief, and many others. Over the five years from 2019 to 2023, donations averaged more than ¥5 million per year. The event continued to deliver strong results even through the heart of the pandemic thanks to organizers getting creative with a format that allowed participation amid social distancing.

Community Bridge

The Walkathon is jointly organized by the ACCJ–Chubu Community Service Committee and Nagoya International School (NIS). For event leaders Nao Geisler, Bryce Conlan, and Erik Olson-Kikuchi, the Walkathon is as much about community-building as it is about fundraising.

“Being part of the Walkathon is an immense honor,” said Geisler, who is chair of the committee. “It serves as a bridge between local and international communities. It’s not just raising money—it’s raising awareness, fostering cultural exchange, and demonstrating our commitment to central Japan.”

Fundraising, she added, is only the starting point. “When donations are transformed into real support, it gives people comfort and hope—things they may not be able to create alone.”

At recent donation ceremonies, charities shared messages such as “Your support allowed us to continue assisting children” and “We were able to start a new program thanks to your help.” Conlan, the committee vice-chair, said these words remind us why our work matters.

Festivities with Purpose

The Walkathon remains a highlight of the spring calendar for families across the region. The event features:

A symbolic walk course through Meijo Park
Live music, dance, and cultural performances
Face-painting, crafts, and activities for kids
An international food court and vendors
Charity information booths
A large-scale raffle (100 percent of proceeds donated)

All purchases are made with Walkathon food and activity tickets, and 100 percent of all activity purchases and 20 percent of food purchases are donated.

Celebrating 35 Years

To mark the anniversary, organizers are planning enhanced programming, a retrospective exhibit on the event’s history, and a new “35 Challenges” initiative— including a lead-up program called Walk 3.5K for 35 Days. The committee is also working to raise in excess of ¥15 million, its most ambitious target to date.

Roche hopes this year will set a precedent for the future. “We want this to be a 70-year, even 100-year tradition,” he said. “There’s no reason it can’t continue as long as the community keeps working together.”

He also hopes to see the largest turnout yet. “We’re aiming for more than 3,000 participants. We’ll be sending letters to members—hopefully everyone can help a little.”

Why It Matters

The Walkathon is widely regarded as the ACCJ–Chubu Chapter’s most impactful corporate social responsibility initiative. It strengthens trust between international businesses and local communities, demonstrates long-term commitment, and creates a welcoming environment where residents from Japan and abroad can connect over a shared humanitarian purpose. The Walkathon has also strengthened the ACCJ’s role in the community, highlighting the international business community’s long-standing commitment of contributing to the well-being of the Chubu region.

Join Us in May

With its mix of community spirit, cultural exchange, and real social impact, the Walkathon continues to embody the best of what international collaboration can achieve.

The organizing committee invites companies, families, and individuals to participate, volunteer, or sponsor the event—and to help make the 35th anniversary the strongest year yet.

The 35th Annual Chubu Walkathon takes place May 24. Companies interested in sponsoring are encouraged to contact the ACCJ–Chubu office at chubu@accj.or.jp.

Harry Ishihara 10/6/25 Harry Ishihara 10/6/25

Osaka to Orbit

Japan’s space sector charts a bold course at Expo 2025.

Photos Andy Boone

On August 19, 2025, the Kansai chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) hosted a landmark panel discussion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. Members, guests, and the general public gathered inside the USA Pavilion for “Osaka to Orbit,” an event at which four distinguished leaders from Japan’s space industry explored the nation’s expanding role in low earth orbit commercialization, orbital sustainability, and aerospace innovation in a panel discussion moderated by Toshio Ono of Boeing Research & Technology Japan.

Voices from the Final Frontier

The discussion opened with remarks from Dr. Koichi Wakata, chief technology officer at Axiom Space and Japan’s most experienced astronaut. Wakata, who has spent more than 500 days in space and served as the first Japanese commander of the International Space Station (ISS) reflected on his early fascination with space, sparked by a 1973 Gakken children’s encyclopedia, and traced Japan’s evolution from a peripheral player in space exploration to a central contributor to the future of orbital infrastructure. He introduced Axiom’s ambitious plan to construct the world’s first commercial space station, which will succeed the aging ISS. The Axiom Station is designed to support microgravity research, in-space manufacturing, and orbital data centers, offering a platform for both scientific advancement and commercial enterprise. Wakata emphasized that Japan’s technical expertise and international partnerships position it to play a pivotal role in shaping the next chapter of human spaceflight.

Nobu Okada, founder and chief executive officer of Astroscale Holdings, addressed the increasingly urgent issue of space debris. “As there was no existing market, I took on the challenge,” he explained. Examples of about 1,600 new pieces of debris created by major rocket and satellite fragmentations in the second half of 2024 alone were shown. While Astroscale focuses on large debris, NASA estimates more than 100 million objects of one millimeter or smaller exist. In some cases, they can collide with other objects at over 100 times the speed of a bullet. Okada presented Astroscale’s suite of on-orbit servicing technologies, including debris removal, satellite life extension, and inspection capabilities. Okada framed space sustainability not only as a technical challenge but also as a moral and generational imperative. He called on younger innovators to view orbital cleanup as both a societal responsibility and a viable business model, stressing that the long-term viability of space commerce depends on maintaining a safe and navigable orbital environment.

Koichi Yonemoto, cofounder and chief technology officer of Space Walker Inc., introduced Japan’s first reusable suborbital spaceplane initiative. With a similar silhouette to the US space shuttle, more reusable parts would save time and costs. With technical leadership drawn from the Kyushu Institute of Technology and the Tokyo University of Science, Space Walker aims to democratize access to space through tourism, scientific payload delivery, and small satellite launches. Yonemoto outlined a phased development timeline leading to orbital missions and even space tourism over the next 10 to 20 years, supported by strategic partnerships with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Toray Industries, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, better known as JAXA. He emphasized that the company’s regional manufacturing base in Fukushima and its planned launch operations in Hokkaido position Space Walker as a catalyst for regional revitalization and industrial diversification.

Osamu Aoki, president and chief executive officer of Aoki Co., Ltd., provided a grounded perspective from Japan’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. Aoki’s company, based in Higashi-Osaka, supplies precision components for Astroscale’s servicing satellites and Space Walker’s vehicles. As the smallest Boeing-certified factory in the world, Aoki proudly underscored the value of craftsmanship, proposal-driven engineering, and workforce development. He described his company’s approach to manufacturing as deeply rooted in monozukuri—the Japanese philosophy of making things with spirit and precision. Aoki challenged the audience to recognize the strategic importance of Japan’s SME ecosystem in sustaining a competitive and resilient space economy.

The panel concluded with a lively Q&A session, during which audience members engaged with the speakers on topics ranging from launch site strategy and international collaboration to the role of public–private partnerships in accelerating innovation. The discussion revealed a shared optimism about Japan’s trajectory in space and a collective commitment to ensuring that its contributions are both technologically advanced and socially responsible.

Future Visions

The sold-out Osaka to Orbit event offered a vivid glimpse into Japan’s vision for space—a domain with no boundaries or limits—thanks to the efforts of the ACCJ–Kansai Business Programs, the ACCJ–Chubu Aerospace and Mobility, and the ACCJ Aerospace and Defense Committees, as well as the support of the US Consulate General Osaka–Kobe. From astronauts and entrepreneurs to engineers and machinists, the panelists embodied a unified vision: that space is no longer a distant aspiration but a tangible frontier—one that begins in Osaka and extends far beyond. The ACCJ also thanks Electroimpact, Takata International, MGM Resorts, and Jupiter International Corporation for their generous support, enabling the chamber to take part in Expo 2025’s showcase of global innovation and affirming that Japan’s space sector is not only ready to participate in the next era of exploration but to help lead it.

C Bryan Jones 5/29/25 C Bryan Jones 5/29/25

Chubu Walkathon 2025

The ACCJ Chubu chapter hosted the 34th annual Walkathon on May 18 in Nagoya’s Meijo Park to support local charities and improve the lives of the less fortunate.

ACCJ members and guests gather in Nagoya’s Meijo Park to benefit local charities.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) Chubu chapter hosted the 34th annual Walkathon on May 18 in Nagoya’s Meijo Park.

Held each year in collaboration with Nagoya International School, the mission of the Chubu Walkathon is to support local charities and improve the lives of the less fortunate by creating an opportunity to increase awareness, recruit volunteers, and raise funds at a family-friendly, international outdoor event.

“Your contributions help transform and support the lives of many individuals through the charitable organizations we assist, including individuals living with illness or disabilities, mothers and children affected by domestic violence, and children in need of educational support,” said Nao Geisler, chair of the 34th Chubu Walkathon Planning Committee and the ACCJ–Chubu Community Service Committee (pictured below, top center).

“This year’s event was a tremendous success, offering a meaningful opportunity for many attendees to create memories with their families and friends. We deeply appreciate your continued support and look forward to welcoming you again at next year’s 35th Anniversary Walkathon.”

Mayuko Hoshino 5/29/25 Mayuko Hoshino 5/29/25

Rising Star in Global Leadership

Ashiya City Mayor Ryosuke Takashima shared his vision for the future and his commitment to open dialogue with citizens at an event hosted by the ACCJ Kansai chapter on March 27.

Ryosuke Takashima inspires Kansai professionals with tales of his journey from nonprofit work to mayor of Ashiya City.

On March 27, on the cusp of sakura season, the Kansai chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) welcomed Ashiya City Mayor Ryosuke Takashima for an evening event titled Rising Star in Global Leadership. The gathering, which drew a diverse crowd of professionals, exemplified the chapter’s commitment to showcasing dynamic leaders who are shaping the future of business and politics in Japan.

The event was the culmination of efforts that began in September 2024, when the ACCJ first reached out to the mayor. This was followed by the Kansai Young Professionals Committee delivering a letter directly to his office inviting him to the chamber’s first-ever Christmas charity event, where we were able to discuss potential collaborations in the future.

Takashima, who at 26 became the youngest person elected mayor in Japanese history, shared insights into his journey from the nonprofit sector to city governance.

Attendees, ranging from young professionals to seasoned executives, eagerly absorbed Takashima’s hands-on approaches to civic leadership. His presentation, which focused on his vision for Ashiya City’s future and his commitment to open dialogue with citizens, energized the audience and sparked thoughtful discussions throughout the evening.

Communication and Dialogue

Interestingly, Takashima’s youth, far from being a hindrance, emerged as a strength that has allowed him to be more relatable to a wider demographic. This is particularly noteworthy given Ashiya’s generally older population. Recent demographic reports indicate that about 32 percent of the city’s residents are over 65.

Takashima explained how he leverages his position to bridge generational gaps, bringing fresh ideas while also respecting the city’s rich history. Illustrating his commitment to inclusive governance, the mayor recounted how his town hall meetings have attracted participants of all ages—the youngest attendee having been just eight. The mayor emphasized how these diverse interactions have shaped his policies and communication strategy, ensuring that he hears from as many voices as possible.

During the discussion, Takashima reflected on his journey, describing his education and his work in the nonprofit sector as preludes to his political career. In particular, he emphasized the profound impact of his volunteer work in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011. He credits the experience with shaping his understanding of crisis management and community resilience.

Takashima stressed that while these experiences were valuable, his current role as mayor allows him to implement significant changes with the widest outreach. He underscored that communication and dialogue form the core tenets of his policymaking, enabling him to understand and address the diverse needs of Ashiya’s citizens more effectively. He provided concrete examples of how this approach has led to successful initiatives in the city, from educational reforms to community engagement programs.

The event took an unexpectedly personal turn when Takashima, responding to a question about work–life balance, mentioned his love for the Hanshin Tigers, the Nippon Professional Baseball League team based in Nishinomiya, the city neighboring Ashiya in Hyogo Prefecture. This moment of levity added a relatable dimension to the mayor’s persona and provided a brief, enjoyable diversion from the more serious topics of the evening.

True to his commitment to open dialogue, Takashima agreed to conduct an unscripted Q&A session in addition to the fireside chat’s prepared questions. His willingness to engage in spontaneous discussion made the event truly interactive.

To accommodate the diverse linguistic needs of participants, many of whom were not fluent in English, the AI translation app Wordly—previously proved effective at HxD and D&I events—provided simultaneous interpretation throughout the evening.

Nurturing Connections

The event reinforced the Kansai chapter’s role as a vital platform for meaningful discussions on leadership and civic engagement while nurturing connections among professionals invested in Japan’s evolving business and political landscape. By bringing together diverse perspectives and fostering open dialogue, the chapter continues to play a crucial role in shaping the future of business and governance in the Kansai region and beyond.

As the event concluded, many attendees expressed a desire to learn even more about Takashima and to continue networking with fellow participants. This enthusiasm for further engagement and knowledge-sharing was an incredibly gratifying response for the event committee, underscoring the success of the evening and the appetite for similar future gatherings.

The Kansai chapter expresses its heartfelt gratitude to Takashima, the Ashiya City Office, and everyone who contributed to the success of this impactful event. The invaluable support provided by the Kansai Membership Relations and Kansai Business Programs Committees ensured the event’s smooth execution and broad appeal. A note of appreciation is also extended to WeWork Japan for providing the venue at WeWork Midosuji Frontier, a modern and flexible space that significantly contributed to the success of the event.

C Bryan Jones 12/17/24 C Bryan Jones 12/17/24

Leading the Way

Meet the 2024 ACCJ Leaders and Volunteers of the years, recognized for extraordinary dedication to the chamber's mission.

The ACCJ recognizes exceptional contributions from across its three chapters

Each year, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) honors members who have shown extraordinary dedication. On December 5, six recipients were recognized for their work during 2024 by ACCJ President Victor Osumi at the chamber’s year-end Networking for the Future event at the Hilton Tokyo in Shinjuku.

Leaders of the Year

Tomoki Fukasawa
The ACCJ sincerely thanks Tomoki Fukasawa for his exemplary leadership of the Young Professionals Forum (YPF).

Since becoming co-chair in 2023, he has implemented a three-point plan for the YPF focused on consistency, engagement, and growth. The strategy was a great success in 2024, leading to seven sold-out events that attracted nearly 250 attendees.

Through his leadership and determination to support the next generation of leaders, Fukasawa has strengthened the chamber’s presence in the business community and created new opportunities for young professionals to get involved.

Nao Geisler (Chubu)
The ACCJ extends heartfelt thanks to Nao Geisler for her service as chair of the Chubu Community Service Committee.

Her leadership skills were critical to the success of May’s ACCJ/NIS Walkathon, which raises funds each year for local charities. While the event itself is just one day, its success is built on months of planning, logistics, and negotiations.

Geisler’s hard work this year led to a 15-percent increase in funds raised, enabling the ACCJ and co-organizer Nagoya International School to touch even more lives in the Chubu region.

Chihiro Kijima (Kansai)
The ACCJ recognizes Chihiro Kijima for her exceptional leadership as co-chair of the Kansai Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

As a key member of the Kansai Chapter, Kijima has guided the chamber’s D&I efforts at a critical time for the movement. Her leadership has ensured that members hear from dynamic speakers on topics that resonate with a diverse audience.

Kijima’s deep experience in event planning has extended the ACCJ’s influence in the Kansai region.

Volunteers of the Year

Mao Kawakami
The ACCJ expresses its sincerest appreciation to Mao Kawakami for her enthusiastic support of the Women in Business (WIB) Committee.

Kawakami’s excitement and dependability have brought fresh energy to the Breakfast in the Boardroom series.

By eagerly attending each briefing session with speakers, conducting impeccable research, and preparing spot-on invitations, she has been integral to the success of the series. Her passion for the WIB committee serves as an inspiration to others.

Natsuko Gomi (Chubu)
The ACCJ is indebted to Natsuko Gomi for her dedication to the Chubu Children’s Fund, which provides university and vocational-school scholarships to young adults transitioning out of orphanages.

Gomi’s commitment goes far beyond the typical volunteer role. Her ability to connect with students on a personal level has made a significant impact on their confidence and readiness to face the challenges of adulthood.

As she continues to streamline operations, Gomi’s passion for the fund has ensured that it can reach more students and provide the support they need.

Kishin Okada (Kansai)
The ACCJ expresses its deepest gratitude to Kishin Okada for his efforts to foster acceptance and energize young members as part of the Kansai Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Okada has been instrumental to the success of the Kansai Chapter’s signature leadership series and the Kansai D&I Summit. And as a guest speaker for a Kansai Young Professionals event, he has also inspired the next generation of leaders.

An inclusive voice, Okada brings people together and forges new ideas while amplifying the ideas of young professionals.

C Bryan Jones 12/17/24 C Bryan Jones 12/17/24

United to Inspire Inclusion

On its 10th anniversary, the Kansai D&I Summit emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration in driving meaningful change.

The ACCJ Kansai Chapter marks a decade of driving business through diversity

The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) Kansai Chapter celebrated a milestone in its advocacy efforts on November 21 at the 10th anniversary Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Summit, which took place at Oriental Hotel Kobe.

Host Mie Kitano, co-chair of the Kansai Diversity and Inclusion Committee, welcomed the 130 in-person and 30 virtual guests. She shared how, over the past decade, many positive changes have been achieved, but stressed that there still a long way to go on the journey to true D&I.

“This year’s theme, United to Inspire Inclusion, emphasizes the importance of unity and collaboration in driving meaningful change,” she said. Highlighting the critical role of inclusion in creating an prosperous future for all, she encouraged all participants to actively engage in conversations aimed at realizing equality.

Jason R. Cubas from the US Consulate General Osaka-Kobe then delivered opening remarks.

“I’m pleased to join you for the 10th anniversary of this D&I summit under this year’s theme, United to Inspire Inclusion,” said the consul general. “This theme speaks to something essential. D&I must be woven into the fabric of our organizations and industries as core components of the larger strategies and operations.”

Noting that one of the four key pillars in the US national travel and tourism strategy is to ensure that tourism experiences are diverse, inclusive, and accessible, Cubas cited D&I as a guiding principle that can elevate entire industries by shaping how we engage the world.

“An inclusive approach allows us to understand our colleagues, clients, and communities more deeply, and to unlock new markets and innovate in ways that would otherwise remain out of reach.”

“In Kansai, we saw an inspiring example of this principle in action [in October], when Osaka hosted the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association for their global conference,” he shared. “It was the first time this was held in Asia, and it wasn’t just a milestone for tourism; it was a testament to how an industry’s inclusive practices can drive growth, innovation, and new opportunities.

“Across all sectors, organizations have the opportunity to integrate D&I into their strategic vision. Whether it’s the tourism industry committing to new ways to welcome people of all backgrounds or technology companies designing products accessible to everyone, D&I can and should be foundational to every facet of how we operate,” he continued. “An inclusive approach allows us to understand our colleagues, clients, and communities more deeply, and to unlock new markets and innovate in ways that would otherwise remain out of reach.”

Panel Discussion

Following Cubas’s remarks, Eli Lilly Japan K.K. President and Representative Director Simone Thomsen moderated a panel with three leaders from different industries:

Irina Menshikova, president of Amway Japan G.K.
Mari Nogami, president and representative director of Haleon Japan K.K.
Victor Osumi, managing director and president-Japan of Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Thomsen, who is also the ACCJ Kansai governor, kicked off the discussion by asking each panelist to recount one success story from their company that has inspired inclusion and driven business.

Nogami, who was the first chair of the Kansai Women in Business Committee—now known as the Diversity & Inclusion Committee—shared how Haleon approaches diversity as a new company. The consumer health brand was spun off from GSK in 2022.

“As an independent company newly listed on the New York and London exchanges, having gender diversity is almost mandatory,” she explained. “The company already had made an external commitment that at least 50 percent of the board, executive leadership team, and the business unit leadership would be female. The board is already 40 percent female and the executive team is 47 percent female. That is a serious commitment. We do it not only for welfare; we do it because it really drives business.”

Next, Menshikova talked about Amway’s Women’s Inclusion Network, which champions flexible workstyles and drives the progression of female leadership. She was leading Amway’s operations in Ukraine, Russia, and Central Asia before arriving in Japan in 2022.

“This is a country with a lot of challenges in diversity and inclusion, so it’s my personal passion to drive this agenda,” she said. “Amway, as a leading company in the direct sales industry and one of the biggest private American companies which has always been focused on multicultural, multi-generational and disability [issues] gives me the opportunity to execute that agenda.”

Currently, Amway in Japan has employees from 16 countries, while 62 percent of its workforce here is female. Cultural matters, however, may prevent women from advancing their careers Menshikova noted. “So the flexible lifestyles help them to balance their personal responsibilities with their job responsibilities.

Lastly, Osumi, who is also ACCJ president, explained the importance of sourcing from partners who support diversity and described how Delta’s approach extends D&I to customers and the community.

“We collected hundreds of images that anyone can download free of charge to show how to accommodate a person with a disability,” he said. “We have more than 200,000 wheelchairs now in place and have an offering tailored especially to customers who use wheelchairs.”

The Atlanta-based company is also supporting entrepreneurship, creating almost $559 million of revenue for Black-owned businesses as well as women in business.

Challenges and Solutions

As the discussion continued, Eli Lilly’s Thomsen pointed out that D&I is a complex, ongoing journey and asked the panelists about the challenges they face and the solutions they are finding.

An example given by Osumi is how cultural differences impact perceptions of D&I among Japanese employees, and how life events such as pregnancy can lead to unintentional exclusion. The lack of women involved in discussions at the government level about D&I reform make finding solutions more challenging, he noted.

Menshikova cited hurdles for team integration created by the Covid-19 pandemic. With many employees joining remotely and lacking in-person interaction, she said, challenges in managing cultural and generational differences have arisen and linger. Adjusting communication styles to suit a diverse workforce is essential, she added.

Looking at multinational work environments, Nogami sees expectations for how female leaders should behave as an obstacle. Because Asian women may have grown up in cultures where they were told not be assertive, they may struggle to overcome this when making a point at work. She advocates for companies to have not only a mentor but career sponsors who are very serious about promoting these talents who may not be showing their real potential due to cultural expectations.

“While D&I is an important part of an organization’s overall strategy, it takes individuals at all levels to play an active role in building an inclusive culture.”

Targeted Learning

After the panel drilled down into more detailed aspects of D&I, participants split up into three breakout groups:

Beyond the Quota for PWD
Managing Uncomfortable Conversations
Breaking Boundaries: Closing the Gender Gap and Retaining Talent for Salesforce Diversity

In Beyond the Quota for PWD, Kenji Hirano (president and representative director of Adecco Japan and director of LIXIL Advanced Showroom Corporation) joined Asahi Group Holdings’ Senior Manager of Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mizuki Hsu to promote the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities (PWD). The workshop, facilitated by Kitano, highlighted the importance of creating inclusive environments that go beyond mere compliance with quotas to foster genuine opportunities for PWDs and to uncover biases.

Managing Uncomfortable Conversations featured Lumina Learning Global Partner for Japan Elizabeth Handover guiding participants through the key skills and techniques for professional, objective communication. The session covered techniques for crafting the conversation and highlighted factors that can lead to success or failure. Handover provided highly practical advice that could immediately be applied in the workplace. The session was facilitated by committee Vice-Chair Naomi Iwasaki.

Breaking Boundaries: Closing the Gender Gap and Retaining Talent for Salesforce Diversity explored gender diversity in Japan’s sales sector. Shimako Takayama (commercial diversity, equity, and inclusion leader at Eli Lilly Japan), alongside facilitator Alison Chen (vice-chair of the ACCJ-Kansai Diversity and Inclusion Committee), discussed the trends, barriers, and strategies to foster greater inclusion and empowerment to help retain talent.

Connections

The summit concluded with a networking session, and at the end of the day, participants no doubt felt the embodiment of what Consul General Cubas said in closing his opening remarks: “While D&I is an important part of an organization’s overall strategy, it takes individuals at all levels to play an active role in building an inclusive culture. Thank you all for your commitment to this work. I hope today’s discussions inspire everyone to keep moving forward, weaving D&I into every part of what you do.”

John Amari 12/17/24 John Amari 12/17/24

Transforming Treatment

The annual HxD Pitch Day brought together five innovative start-ups that are bringing healthcare innovation to a changing world.

ACCJ Healthcare x Digital Pitch Day again shines the spotlight on innovation

Osaka’s Nakanoshima Qross, a new international hub for healthcare innovation, welcomed the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) on November 1 as host of the annual Healthcare x Digital (HxD) Pitch Day.

Led by the ACCJ Kansai Chapter and the Healthcare Committee, the HxD platform brings together innovators from multidisciplinary backgrounds to collaborate and develop ideas alongside some of the world’s leading healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.

Simone Thomsen, president and representative director of Eli Lilly Japan K.K. and an ACCJ governor, kicked off the event by addressing healthcare challenges amplified by Japan’s aging population and rising costs.

Digitalization, she noted, is key to overcoming barriers in healthcare. She emphasized the Kansai region’s burgeoning ecosystem of start-ups and the importance of fostering partnerships for sustainable solutions—something at the heart of this year’s theme, Transforming Healthcare: Collaborating in a Changing World.

“Led by the ACCJ Kansai Chapter and the Healthcare Committee, the HxD platform brings together innovators from multidisciplinary backgrounds to collaborate and develop ideas alongside some of the world’s leading healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.”

Following Thomsen’s remarks, Dr. Yoshiki Sawa, chairman of the Organization for Advanced Healthcare Innovation at Nakanoshima Qross, delivered the keynote address.

A renowned cardiac surgeon and innovator, Sawa shared insights into cutting-edge research at Nakanoshima Qross, including the development of iPS cell-derived cardiac patches for regenerative medicine. He highlighted the unique collaboration opportunities provided by the center, where research, development, and medical applications coexist under one roof.

A roundtable discussion followed with panelists Kunihiro Ohyama of Microsoft Japan, Dr. Junji Fukumori of Osaka Keisatsu Hospital, Taro Tanaka from Osaka Prefecture, and Koji Deguchi from Kobe City. Topics included the role of public–private partnerships in fostering innovation, the importance of global collaboration, and strategies for addressing healthcare inequities.

Tanaka, the director of Osaka’s Smart City Strategy Division, shared how the city is leveraging digital health initiatives, while Ohyama, Microsoft Japan’s healthcare industry lead, discussed the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things in healthcare, among other themes that were raised.

Game Changers

The heart of HxD Pitch Day was the competition in which five innovative start-ups presented their solutions to transform healthcare. Competing this year were:

Bipsee Inc.
Elcyo Co., Ltd.
ImmuniT Research, Inc.
Pittan Inc.
Seven Point One Inc.

Judging were industry experts, including EY Strategy & Consulting’s Christian Boettcher, Eli Lilly Japan’s Yasuhiko Iida and Miyu Harada, Innovation Dojo Japan’s Joshua Flannery, and AstraZeneca’s Torsten Kanisch and Mari Ogihara, who is also the community manager for the i2.JP open innovation initiative. Their expertise provided valuable feedback to the start-ups. Bipsee, Pittan, and Seven Point One received honors.

Bipsee, winner of the HxD Award, impressed judges with its mental health therapy based on virtual reality (VR). Chief Operating Officer Kohei Kamikihara explained how VR could alleviate the burden of cognitive behavioral therapy on clinicians and patients by offering an immersive, self-guided alternative. The company’s eight-week program helps patients intuitively learn coping mechanisms for depression, thereby reducing relapse rates, Kamikihara said.

Elcyo Co., Ltd. presented its groundbreaking Elcyo Lens, an autofocus glasses system integrating liquid crystal lens technology and AI. The glasses dynamically adjust prescriptions in real-time, reducing eye strain caused by digital devices. Chief Executive Officer Sunri Lee noted that the glasses are not just tools for vision correction but guardians of eye health. Set to launch in 2025, the product aims to transform vision care.

ImmuniT Research, Inc. unveiled its advanced immune system quantification technology, focusing on its Th7R cell marker, which aids in cancer immunotherapy. By providing precise data for personalized treatment, ImmuniT is redefining how clinicians approach immune-related diseases. The company has a vision to revolutionize cancer treatment and realize a society of longevity, said Chief Scientific Officer Akio Ametani.

Recipient of the Microsoft Award, Seven Point One Inc. pitched AlzWIN, their AI-powered dementia screening solution that utilizes verbal fluency. The solution looks to empower individuals through early dementia diagnosis and management.

SelectUSA

The SelectUSA Award went to Pittan Inc., which showcased Nutrifull, a system that analyzes sweat composition to visualize health and nutritional status. Designed to enable more people to accurately monitor their health status on a regular basis, Nutrifull aims to extend life expectancy by preventing lifestyle-related diseases.

HxD’s connection to the SelectUSA Investment Summit, a US government program designed to attract and support international business investments in the United States, is a standout aspect of the competition. The tie-up is supported by the Commercial Service office in Japan and began last spring, when US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel attended Pitch Day on April 17 and saw Anaut Inc. punch its ticket to June’s SelectUSA Summit in National Harbor, Maryland. The company won for its clinical AI software that enables precision mapping of the human body during surgery.

With its win this year, Pittan Inc. secured the opportunity to win a trip to Maryland for the next summit, to be held from May 11 to 14, where it will gain exposure to US investors and partners. The SelectUSA collaboration underscores the ACCJ’s commitment to fostering global opportunities for Japanese start-ups.

Building Bridges

Kanisch from AstraZeneca remarked on the ingenuity of the start-ups, highlighting the potential for Japan to lead in digital health innovation. He also shared his excitement at seeing ambitious ideas taking shape through HxD.

Following the awards ceremony, the event closed with a networking session, offering participants the chance to forge partnerships that could shape the future of healthcare in Japan—and globally.

HxD Pitch Day demonstrated the power of collaboration in addressing healthcare challenges. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the event not only showcased Japan’s potential as a global healthcare innovation hub but also fostered connections with international markets.

As Thomsen from Eli Lilly Japan concluded in her opening remarks: “This world is changing. We have a true VUCA [volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity] world where there is a lot of instability.”

And while noting societal challenges such as the increase in aging populations, which is impacting healthcare systems, especially in Japan, she also highlighted the opportunities.

“Digitalization and technology will help us to accelerate [innovative solutions] further,” she said. “This is why, today, we wanted to come together, and what better venue could we think of than the new Nakanoshima Qross, which really is an international hub for healthcare innovation.”

Ryan Watson 6/5/23 Ryan Watson 6/5/23

Growing Greener

The ACCJ Kansai chapter recently led a series of events that brought together community members, businesses, and organizations in an awe-inspiring effort to foster sustainable gardening practices and address food insecurity in the region.

The ACCJ–Kansai leads sustainable gardening and food security initiative.

As our world faces the convergence of issues such as climate change, supply chain disruptions, and economic instability and inequality, food security has become a growing concern.

This holds true right here at home, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) Kansai chapter recently led a series of events that brought together community members, businesses, and organizations in an awe-inspiring effort to foster sustainable gardening practices and address food insecurity in the region.

At the heart of these endeavors is the Healthy Urban Gardening (HUG) initiative, the first event of which was held at the Osaka YMCA International School (OYIS) on a sunny Sunday last November. Hosted by the ACCJ–Kansai Community Service Committee (Kansai–CSC), the day of sustainable fun drew more than 100 attendees, including ACCJ members, supporters, parents, and students, who all came together for hands-on workshops and educational activities.

Viviana Di Blasi and her dedicated team took the stage to demonstrate how to make “seed bombs” using a range of soils and seeds, while Cyd Forster, Eva Spanring-Forster, and members of the local Girl Scouts shared the ins and outs of using worm boxes for vermicomposting, the use of earthworms to convert organic waste into fertilizer. Meanwhile, Mark White and a team from OYIS engaged attendees in the construction of raised planter beds made from discarded wooden cargo pallets.

The depth of knowledge and passion exhibited was further highlighted by a captivating video presentation by Joshua Bryan, an industrious seventh grader who showcased his own home-composting project. The session concluded with an engaging quiz on the importance of composting, prepared by other students.

Throughout the day, the younger attendees actively participated by moving compost from a corner of the schoolyard to a newly established garden area. Armed with shovels and spades, they eagerly loaded compost into wheelbarrows, joyfully transporting it to its new home. Their efforts exemplified a shared sense of purpose and commitment to create a more sustainable environment.

In addition to the enriching workshops, the event offered moments of entertainment and generosity. During a well-deserved break, attendees were treated to musical performances by talented students. Not only were these performances entertaining, but they also served to raise funds for Food Bank Kansai, a Kobe-based non-profit organization that collects donated food products and distributes them to people in need, single-mother families, and others.

The ACCJ has long been a supporter of Food Bank Kansai’s vital work, and donations collected during the events—as well as the ongoing support from ACCJ members—have helped Food Bank Kansai continue their mission of providing food assistance to those in need.

Building on this success, the Kansai–CSC continued its commitment by organizing a second HUG workshop together with Deutsche Schule Kobe International (DSKI). Held in April, the event attracted more than 100 participants and featured a range of activities that further underscored the importance of community-driven vegetable gardens and sustainable living practices.

The HUG initiative has energized community engagement and grown a sustainable circle of direct fresh vegetable donations.

These collaborations with OYIS and DSKI were not only about education and hands-on experiences, but also had a profound impact on the community, showcasing the power of collective effort in addressing pressing issues. By working together, we can create a greener, healthier, and more sustainable future for Kansai and beyond.

Learn more about ACCJ–Kansai events.

C Bryan Jones 1/23/23 C Bryan Jones 1/23/23

Leading the Way

Each year, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) honors members who have shown extraordinary dedication. On December 20, recipients were recognized in person for the first time since 2019 at a special Leadership Forum networking event, chaired by ACCJ Governor John W. Carlson III, at The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon.

The ACCJ recognizes exceptional contributions for 2022 from across its three chapters

“ACCJ leaders set the bar high, but are incredibly generous about sharing their knowledge and experience, and I have benefited so much from being a part of this community,” Leader of the Year Anne Smith told The ACCJ Journal. “To be recognized and to have my name officially added to the history of the ACCJ in this way is a career highlight.”

Steven Brown, who created the Ten Points on Business Dinner Series, said being named Leader of the Year for Chubu was “a great honor and quite a surprise.” He added that the most challenging part of the year was overcoming the long hiatus from in-person events forced upon the chamber by Covid-19. “In truth, I was a bit nervous about whether the presentations would be a success, but the speakers have been excellent—both entertaining and informative.”

Kansai Volunteer of the Year Naomi Iwasaki said the award was “like receiving a Christmas present. But I know I am receiving this representing the D&I Committee. Without their love and support, I would not be here today.”

Taking on the emcee role at the D&I Summit and Leadership Series “was exciting and challenging,” she explained.

The ACCJ also honored Ritchell Madikaegbu with a Special Recognition Award for her work as liaison from the US Embassy, Tokyo. Her valuable updates on women’s empowerment and leadership development initiatives—along with spearheading opportunities to connect and share best practices with other organizations supporting the committee’s shared goals—made a big difference in 2022.

“I am truly happy about the honor, and it is a reminder of the importance of the US Embassy–ACCJ partnership,” she said. “I look forward to doing my part to advance US Embassy and ACCJ priorities in Japan in 2023.”

Anne Smith

Dual roles led to Leader of the Year honors for Anne Smith, whose tireless work as vice-chair of both the Government Relations and Healthcare Committees has elevated the ACCJ’s relationships with US and Japanese government partners. She is the face of the Government Relations Committee, setting meeting agendas and running committee-hosted events, and she spearheaded several defining events of the year, including the welcome luncheon with US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, attended by more than 160 members and guests. And her work with the Healthcare Committee resulted in meetings with top-level government and industry leaders. Smith’s passionate dedication serves as an inspiration to others and the ACCJ is grateful for her impactful contributions to the chamber’s position as the voice for global business in Japan.

Akimasa Kataoka (Kansai)

Recognized for his superb leadership as co-chair of the Kansai Membership Relations Committee (MRC), Akimasa Kataoka revitalized the MRC and was a driving force behind the committee’s first in-person event in more than two years. Thanks to his efforts, the committee now has a growing membership base and many new events underway, including a young professionals mentorship program. Kataoka’s energy and commitment have created new opportunities for members to participate and get involved in the Kansai Chapter.

Steve Brown (Chubu)

As a founding member of the Chubu Independent Business Committee (IBC), Steve Brown served as the committee’s first chair. He returned to IBC leadership this year, determined to reinvigorate the Chubu Chapter, and provided exceptional leadership as co-chair. He conceived of the Ten Points on Business Dinner Series, in which experienced business leaders shared key insights that led them to success and mistakes that have proved educational. Brown’s enthusiasm and tireless efforts made these monthly events a tremendous success, reengaging members and reestablishing the solid foundation of the Chubu community, and he continues to inspire leaders in the Chubu Chapter and throughout the chamber.

Takako Onoki

Contributing endless energy and expertise to the Competition Policy Committee, Takako Onoki has made invaluable contributions, proactively organizing new speaker events and coordinating advocacy initiatives. She swiftly marshals the committee’s views on public comment opportunities to ensure that the ACCJ has a strong voice on key industry issues. As the committee’s most active member for several years, Onoki is an integral part of the committee’s leadership. The chamber is grateful for her passion and continued dedication.

Naomi Iwasaki (Kansai)

It is for her proactive and enthusiastic support of the Kansai Diversity and Inclusion Committee that Naomi Iwasaki was named Volunteer of the Year. She was critical to the success of the D&I Summit Series, where she managed the Day 2 networking session and served as emcee on Day 3. She also collaborated directly with committee leaders and the speaker for one of the popular Leadership Series speaker sessions. Iwasaki provides an important perspective during committee meetings and is an indispensable asset to leaders and members alike. Her inclusive workstyle encourages others to further participate in realizing the committee’s goals and inspires inclusive business practices.

Rafael Dantas (Chubu)

The ACCJ expresses its deepest appreciation to Rafael Dantas for his outstanding efforts in support of the Chubu Aerospace and Manufacturing Committee (AMC). He organized the Chubu Chapter’s first in-person networking event since before the pandemic, secured a venue where adequate social distancing was possible, and planned activities to facilitate networking among the participants. Due to his ingenuity and initiative, this and a follow-up event were resounding successes, resulting in three new members joining the ACCJ Chubu Chapter. Dantas’s positive energy, superb ability to organize, and strong networking skills are an asset to the entire chamber.

John Amari 1/19/23 John Amari 1/19/23

Healthy Ideas

The 2022 HxD event was modeled on the concept of ideathons, or workshop-like gatherings of groups tasked with challenges for which they are to propose solutions. Through this model, a total of 86 ideators, facilitators, and mentors worked together through a cyclic ideation process to identify root causes and develop the next big project in healthcare.

Innovators empower elderly patients at ACCJ Healthcare x Digital Ideathon

Started in 2020, the Healthcare x Digital (HxD) initiative of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) has grown to become a key platform for collaboration among innovators, startups, entrepreneurs, and top pharma executives.

After hosting pitch events for the first two years, the first ever HxD Ideathon took place late last fall with a hybrid in-person and online kickoff at the Hilton Osaka on October 29. This was followed by two virtual sessions on November 5 and 12, then finalized by the hybrid pitch event on November 19 at the Hilton Osaka. The four-day event was inspired by the tagline “empowering elderly patients through digital health.”

Participants included university students from the United States and Japan as well as healthcare professionals and a panel of judges from healthcare fields. Their aim? To forge new partnerships and create solutions for some of Japan’s most critical challenges in community healthcare and individual patient care.

Ideathon

Day one began with opening remarks by Simone Thomsen, president and representative director of Eli Lilly Japan K.K. as well as ACCJ governor-Kansai, and continued with a panel discussion and ideation in groups to define problem statements and the healthcare challenges to be tackled. Ideation continued on days two and three, when teams focused on initial designs and worked to find agreement on a solution—one per group—that was to be presented on pitch day.

The event culminated on November 19 with a pitch contest in which nine teams presented their concepts, and engaged in question and answers sessions with judges, who then selected the best ideas. The winning teams will move forward to the next phase of the competition—a hackathon—to be held in 2023.

Pitch Day

The final day was divided into two rounds during which each group had five minutes to pitch their solution to a panel of judges.

Perhaps the biggest draw of HxD is the opportunity to present ideas directly to—and receive invaluable feedback from—industry leaders. There’s also the possibility of entering into a joint venture with, or receiving investment from, an industry player.

Winners also receive cash prizes and, this time, will have the chance to present their ideas at the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo and as part of the Japanese government’s Super City Initiative.

Let’s take a look at this year’s pitches.

Kyocare

Presented by Hiba Abulgasim, Kyocare is a digital customer-to-customer and business-to-business platform that provides flexible, personalized, quality care.

In the pitch, Abulgasim noted that 28.9 percent of Japan’s population is over the age of 65 —a record number that is growing. But the workforce tasked with caring for them is understaffed and overworked, and about 70 percent want to leave the profession.

This means care services are poorly coordinated. Many elderly people feel lonely and disconnected as a result, and family members tasked with their care feel stressed out.

The solution? Kyocare provides on-demand caregiving services for the elderly through an app that matches those who need long-term home care with nearby care workers.

Hi-Real System

A digital ecosystem pitched by Masato Suzuki and Sachiko Nakatsuka, Hi-Real System allows emergency-patient health records to be accessed by healthcare professionals even before emergency care is provided.

In their problem statement, Suzuki and Nakatsuka asked, “How do we support emergency triage when medical resources, such as medical staff, are limited?” Their solution involves a blockchain emergency information transmission service that instantly shares patient information to the hospital before patient arrival, which can then be used for smoother emergency treatment diagnosis.

Maya Mind

Osaka University Assistant Professor Gajanan Revankar presented Maya Mind, a web platform accessible via smartphones, tablets, or personal computers that targets patients who suffer from dementia. Revankar noted that, during early onset of dementia, diagnosis is time consuming and costly, while accuracy is low. Maya Mind seeks to tackle all these challenges.

The app uses eye tracking, speech processing, artificial intelligence (AI)-based analytics, and machine learning algorithms to create an index score for classifying different kinds of dementia, among other provisions.

AI Assistant

Ajinkya Takawale and Tomoko Mitsuoka pitched a voice-controlled AI assistant with a focus on early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes. The challenge before Takawale and Mitsuoko included how to leverage digital technologies to make the elderly more aware of their health risks through early diagnosis. Their voice-controlled robot uses non-invasive methods such as retinal imaging to track, record, and analyze an elderly person’s healthcare data. Using the results, they provide a diagnosis and help the person plan their lifestyle based on the insights.

Toilet Light Sensor for CKD

Chisato Banno and Reiko Tsubaki, both third-year students at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, also pitched a digital solution for patients at risk of CKD. Their solution offers a low-cost yet accurate Internet of Things device that samples, analyzes, and visualizes a person’s real-time health data, helping them to diagnose the onset of CKD early.

Their first prototype will use toilet-based light sensors that can analyze urine. The data gathered can be visualized via a smartphone app, which also can share data with a relevant healthcare provider, such as a hospital.

Helper-san

An avatar bot that identifies and neutralizes triggers that cause aggression in dementia patients, Helper-san is a digital platform that was presented by students and researchers Shobha Dasari, Allison Jia, Kanon Mori, Aarushi Patil, and Tsubasa Tanabe.

The students and researchers are part of a collaboration involving universities in Japan and the United States brought about by the Japan-American Innovators of Medicine, a four-month program in which medical innovators from both countries join to tackle a global healthcare issue related to dementia, such as aggression.

Their bot, which is embedded in a small, television-like device, can track a patient’s behavior, identify aggression triggers, and defuse them. An example would be dimming or turning off a light source that has been identified as the trigger.

Parapul

A web app presented by Kasper Watanabe, Parapul helps caregivers obtain the information they need, build relationships with like-minded people, and support their caregiving lives.

As the portion of society classified as elderly increases, Watanabe noted, the physical, mental, and financial burden on family members will grow, and yet such caregivers often lack the information necessary to provide care.

The Parapul platform is based on three pillars:

Providing customized information, such as nursing care, educational materials, or local service listings to family members who are caregivers
Connecting caregivers so they can share their challenges on bulletin boards, question-and-answer boards, or via direct messaging
Offering a caregiving management system that, for instance, allows users to schedule nursing care support

Mobile Health

Pitched by Jingwen Zhang and Nondo Jacob Sikazwe, Mobile Health (mHealth) is a community platform that allows those at risk of CKD to be inspired to connect and receive information that can help them manage the condition.

During their presentation, the ideators noted that there are few digital tools on the market to help patients prevent or manage CKD. Why is this? First, individuals at risk, or who have early onset, of CKD have no or only slight symptoms that cause them inconvenience in daily life.

What’s more, those with middle-to-low incomes often struggle with daily living, which leaves little time and few resources to access primary healthcare.

Lastly, current biomarkers used to screen for CKD are affected by many factors, so there is a need for regular checkups.

Their community platform solves these challenges by incentivizing elderly people and their caregivers in three key areas:

Motivation: where you can collaborate with the local community and receive community rewards for positive lifestyle changes
Connection: where you can communicate directly with a healthcare provider
Education: participate in customized, immersive games, quizzes, audio guides, and more that shed light on the issues of CKD

Coupon Kun

The final pitch, by Zechen Zeng and Keita Tsuyuguchi, addressed loneliness among elderly, which has reached epidemic levels. Zechen and Tsuyuguchi’s solution is a social network being developed in four phases. Phase one is to create a “Groupon experience,” through coupons for groups, that incentivizes elderly individuals to experience new things—such as hobbies, lessons, or traveling—with new social connections.

In phase two, the platform aims to introduce digital literacy to the elderly, including adoption of smart devices, while they undertake the group experiences.

In phase three, apps are used to monitor, collect, and share the health data of users with healthcare professionals following strict data privacy and security protocols.

And in phase four, insights gleaned from healthcare data are used to help users follow a healthy lifestyle.

Winners

With so many innovative ideas to consider, selecting the winners was not easy for the panel of industry professionals tasked with judging the 2022 HxD Ideathon.

Pitches were scored based on scientific innovation, relevance and timeliness, business feasibility, and how well they addressed the core issue.

Three ideas were selected to advance to the HxD hackathon in 2023:

Maya Mind
Hi-Real System
Toilet Light Sensor for CKD

One other, Kyocare, was given special recognition and will also be part of the hackathon.

Overall, 119 ideators, facilitators, and students participated in at least one day of the ideathon, and connections were made with more than 22 universities for future events.

Judges

Kozo Mori
Director, Medical Industry City, Medical and New Industry Division, Planning and Coordination Bureau, Kobe City Hall

Masayoshi Yamada
Deputy director, Department of Smart City Strategy, Strategy Promotion Office, Regional Strategy Promotion Division, Osaka Prefecture

Torsten Kanisch
Executive officer and vice president, commercial excellence, AstraZeneca K.K.

Christian Boettcher
Consulting partner, health sciences and wellness, EY Strategy & Consulting

Francisco Proano
Head of strategy and digital transformation, Bayer Yakuin

Yasuhiko Iida
Senior director, Consumer Experience Team and Next Generation Customer Engagement Strategy, Eli Lilly Japan

Hiroki Kayama
Strategic partnership development manager, AI for Japan, Google G.K.

Om Prakash 1/19/23 Om Prakash 1/19/23

Committee Matters

Looking back at 2022, it was a year of great progress for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ). I was honored to represent you as president and am humbled to have been reelected for a second term. This year, I look forward to building on our progress, harnessing the energy of our members and leaders who so generously share their time and expertise.

Together we can harness the energy of 2022 and advance ACCJ advocacy

The ACCJ Board of Governors gathered for their November meeting in Nagoya on November 18 prior to the ACCJ/TJCS Champagne Ball.

At the heart of all we do are committees. They are the lifeblood of the ACCJ. As I began my first term, I met with each committee leader. That was time well spent, as I learned where the action happens and saw firsthand where our energy emerges.

I learned your challenges. It was also a good reminder that all of us who serve on the Board of Governors must represent all members as our primary mission. What better way to do so than to have firsthand contact with the committee leaders? That is why we established the committee liaison program.

One ACCJ

The Board of Governors also took to heart building bonds of friendship across the entire chamber. Our board meetings have typically been in Tokyo, but the Chubu and Kansai chapters are key parts of the chamber and where a lot of critical business activity occurs. To strengthen our One ACCJ family, this year we also held meetings in Nagoya and Kobe.

As a board, we focused on transparency—transparency into what we discussed at board meetings and how decisions are made. To that end, I’ve enjoyed delivering video updates immediately after each meeting.

We also made changes to the Constitution to allow members easier access to the minutes.

Government Engagement

Our advocacy efforts with US and Japanese government officials often result in the greatest value the chamber brings to all its members. Unfortunately, the pandemic forced these interactions to become virtual. Resuming and reinvigorating these engagements in person was another highlight of 2022. We had more than 85 meetings with the Government of Japan, including a Diet Doorknock. We also took a delegation to Washington in June for our critical DC Doorknock after a two-year hiatus. It made quite a difference to have eye-to-eye contact and person-to-person conversations.

It was an honor to be in the room with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) on May 23, but more importantly it highlights what an important voice of US business we represent to Japan and the United States.

Looking Ahead

There are big events on the horizon, with Japan hosting the G7 Summit in May. The ongoing rollout of IPEF and the continued focus on economic security will also be front and center this year. I look forward to an exciting year ahead as we continue to build connections, engage with government, and help US businesses thrive. I encourage everyone to harness the energy we built up in 2022 and take the ACCJ to new heights in 2023.

On a personal note, one of the best parts of 2022 was getting out there and meeting all of you in person at our networking forums, at the Charity Ball and Champagne Ball, and at our numerous other in person gatherings. I look forward to building more mutual energy with each of you in the coming year!

C Bryan Jones 10/6/22 C Bryan Jones 10/6/22

A Culture of Inclusion

Shaping workplace culture and inclusion. Leading the change. These are the themes of the 2022 ACCJ-Kansai Diversity and Inclusion Summit, which will again follow the format of three two-hour online sessions, to be held over successive weeks in October and November.

Previewing this year’s ACCJ-Kansai Diversity and Inclusion Summit Series

Shaping workplace culture and inclusion. Leading the change. These are the themes of the 2022 ACCJ-Kansai Diversity and Inclusion Summit. Following the same format that debuted to great success in 2020, three two-hour online sessions will be held over successive weeks in October and November, each with its own keynote speaker, small-group discussions, and practical training.

The format was born of the pandemic, when organizers had to adapt the normally daylong program to a world of virtual interaction. It proved highly successful. The online format opened up access to people throughout Japan, and registrations rose from 224 for the previous year’s in-person event to 320. Similar results were repeated last year. Not only has accessibility been boosted, but the extended interactions also strengthened the summit’s impact and benefits.

With such success, the committee has decided to stick with the three-day series, and this year will host sessions on October 4 and 18, as well as November 8.

The first day will focus on gender diversity and equality, and will feature a training session with Jennifer Shinkai, an ikigai and inclusion facilitator and coach. The main session for the day will be led by Tetsuya Ando, founder of Fathering Japan, the non-profit organization he started in 2006 to focus on supporting fathers who are balancing the responsibilities of work and home.

The second day will feature a discussion of cultural diversity and inclusion with Nissan Corporate Vice President Catherine Perez, while Day 3 will explore psychological safety in sessions hosted by Google.

The series will be a wonderful opportunity to share personal and professional experiences in advancing D&I in Japan and abroad, including strategies that can be employed individually, at work, and in the community at large. Additional coverage can be found on the Digital Journal website following the sessions.

Learn more about this year’s summit series.

Julian Bashore 7/7/22 Julian Bashore 7/7/22

Final Frontier

Cooperation between the United States and Japan in the space industry is growing stronger and represents a great pathway for innovation in the bilateral relationship. A significant player in the space travel industry in Japan is the Space Port Japan Association (SPJ), which was established in 2018 and is attracting considerable attention on both sides of the Pacific. SPJ co-founder and Representative Director Naoko Yamazaki joined members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) on April 21 for an hour-long online discussion.

Former astronaut Naoko Yamazaki shares her vision for bilateral space cooperation and spaceports in Japan

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The United States and Japan share a long history of collaboration in space, working together on projects such as the International Space Station (ISS) and the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon by 2024 and can also be seen as a preparatory stage for human missions to Mars.

Cooperation between the two countries in the space industry is growing stronger and represents a great pathway for innovation in the bilateral relationship. A significant player in the space travel industry in Japan is the Space Port Japan Association (SPJ), which was established in 2018 and is attracting considerable attention on both sides of the Pacific.

SPJ co-founder and Representative Director Naoko Yamazaki joined members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) on April 21 for an hour-long online discussion organized by the Chubu Aerospace and Manufacturing Committee.

Licensed to Fly

The accomplishments of Yamazaki, who participated as a panelist at the ACCJ Women in Business Summit in 2014, are impressive. Currently she is a member of the Committee on National Space Policy at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet Office. And as a former astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), she became the second Japanese women to fly into space when she took part in an assembly and resupply mission to the ISS in 2010 aboard the space shuttle Discovery. She retired from JAXA in 2011.

Besides appearing in the media to promote the SPJ, Yamazaki occasionally meets with government officials in both the United States and Japan. For example, US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel greeted her and space startup leaders at the US Embassy, Tokyo, in February to discuss bilateral collaboration on the space front.

Direct Connections

During the April 21 webinar, ACCJ members learned that direct cooperation began with the signing of the 1969 US–Japan Space Agreement and has since blossomed into a relationship involving many US-made products. While a young organization, the SPJ has already established relationships with four regional governments interested in hosting spaceports. The projects include:

HOSPO (Taiki, Hokkaido Prefecture)
Spaceport Kii (Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture)
Shimojishima Spaceport (Okinawa Prefecture)
Spaceport Oita (Beppu, Oita Prefecture)

Other cities in Japan are also interested in such an investment in point-to-point suborbital space transportation hubs.

Besides sending future passengers to other planets, spaceports in Japan could become a launchpad from which to transport time-sensitive food and cargo to other locations on Earth. For example, Yamazaki pointed out, entrepreneur and investor Elon Musk proposed in 2017 a plan to use his SpaceX rockets to fly passengers from New York to Shanghai in just 39 minutes.

Supporting STEM

Yamazaki is recognized as a space policy expert not only in Japan but also in the United States. She was recently invited by the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) as a visiting fellow at the Perry World House, a center for scholarly inquiry, teaching, research, international exchange, policy engagement, and public outreach on pressing global issues. She is lending her expertise to Penn so that its students can develop and advance innovative policy proposals, and hopes to see more Japanese students benefit from the experience of studying abroad.

Finally, Yamazaki spoke about her involvement in the Japanese Rocket Society, where she chairs the Sorajo Committee, whose name means women in aerospace. She is a staunch advocate of inclusivity and gender equality in the Japanese aerospace industry—a goal very much aligned with the beliefs of the ACCJ and its member companies. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—or STEM—is a growing area of passion for this former astronaut, and we hope to see her and other members of the SPJ at future ACCJ events.

C Bryan Jones 7/7/22 C Bryan Jones 7/7/22

Chubu Walkathon

Annual event raises millions of yen for charity on a sunny day of food, friends, fun, and fitness in Nagoya

Photos by Andy Boone

On May 22, more than 1,000 participants took part in the 31st Annual Chubu Walkathon International Charity Festival. This year’s event took place on a beautiful Sunday in Nagoya’s Meijo Park and was also livestreamed. More than ¥7 million was raised to support local charities. The Walkathon’s mission is to improve the lives of the less fortunate by creating an opportunity to increase awareness, recruit volunteers, and raise funds at a family-friendly, international outdoor event. More than ¥177 million has been donated over 31 years, and 18 charities received funds in 2021.

C Bryan Jones 3/30/22 C Bryan Jones 3/30/22

HxD Winners

As we enter the third year of the coronavirus pandemic, two societal needs have become crystal clear: healthcare and digitalization. The combination of the two could bring some of the most impactful changes to Japan and the world by improving the quality of life, reducing the cost of care, and allowing society to better cope with future crises. Bringing them together is exactly what the ACCJ has done with its Healthcare x Digital (HxD) initiative, which began in 2020 and reached new heights in its second year.

Five finalists in the ACCJ’s digital healthcare competition show that innovation is alive and well in Japan

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As we enter the third year of the coronavirus pandemic, two societal needs have become crystal clear: healthcare and digitalization. These could be seen as distinct domains, and in some respects they are. But the combination of the two could bring some of the most impactful changes to Japan and the world by improving the quality of life, reducing the cost of care, and allowing society to better cope with future crises.

Bringing them together is exactly what the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) has done with its Healthcare x Digital (HxD) initiative, which began in 2020 and reached new heights in its second year. HxD leaders Torsten Kanisch, Francisco Proaño, Christian Boettcher, and Yasuhiko Iida, with the support of the ACCJ’s Kansai chapter, followed up the very successful inaugural competition by boosting submissions 30 percent.

Ideas Day 2.0

Forty companies submitted entries and 10 were selected to participate in the Pitch Day virtual event on October 14. Five finalists then took part in the HxD Ideas Day on November 11, a hybrid in-person and virtual event with a panel of leading healthcare and pharmaceutical executives—all empowered to initiate business deals and new relationships on behalf of their global brands.

Opening remarks were delivered by AstraZeneca K.K. Representative Director and President Stefan Woxström, who welcomed the more than 300 online attendees and many others who attended in person.

After thanking the healthcare professionals and companies working to develop solutions and care for patients during the pandemic, he shared a bit of Innovation Infusion Japan’s background.

Known as i2.JP, the open innovation initiative connects healthcare professionals, local governments, academia, and private companies, helping them jointly work out collective, practical, and optimal answers to issues in the field of healthcare. The initiative was founded in 2020 and has rapidly grown from seven participants to 130.

“I want to emphasize that this is an open innovation network: anyone can join, it doesn’t matter where you are,” Woxström said. “You don’t have to collaborate with those who started the network, you can collaborate with anyone. That’s the beauty of it, and that’s why it is also starting to produce a lot of solutions for patients.”

He also noted that i2.JP has become a gateway through which startups are entering Japan. “Because they don’t know where to go, who to connect with, they contact i2.JP and find partners who help them come to Japan with their solutions.” He hopes it will flow the other way as well, with i2.JP assisting Japanese startups as they branch out globally.

Setting the stage for the finalist presentations, Woxström said: “What we are going to experience today is what happens when startups, academia, the private sector, and policymakers come together and start working, because that is what is going to create new solutions for the future of healthcare in Japan.”

Goals

Then-ACCJ President Jenifer Rogers spoke next, noting that HxD Ideas Day is “the culmination of a months-long efforts by healthcare leaders and innovators with a shared mission: to solve critical healthcare challenges and improve the lives of patients.”

HxD 2021, she explained, advances the goal of driving innovation in Japan’s healthcare ecosystem by focusing on three areas:

Overcoming the urban–rural healthcare divide
Reimagining the hospital of the future
Empowering patients to own their healthcare

“These areas tie into the digital transformation of society and can help Japan continue to take care of—and provide even better care for—all its citizens,” she added. “Digital transformation [along with] sustainable society and healthcare were two of the ACCJ’s main strategic goals even before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the need for digital and healthcare plans around the world.”

Professor Hiroaki Miyata, of the Keio University School of Medicine’s Department of Health Policy and Management, echoed the belief that the pandemic has driven greater understanding of the need for digital transformation and sustainable healthcare. Speaking after Rogers, he wore a shirt that mirrored the colors of the i2.JP logo, which he said was his way of honoring the diversity championed by the group.

“The pandemic is a turning point for civilization,” he proclaimed. “Particularly in Japan, in terms of digital, the country had ranked 27th or 28th in competitiveness around the world and had to face this situation.”

Noting that Japan, as an island nation, was long isolated from the world, he said that facing these challenges and being forced to embrace a connected world and digital transformation—to grow together in this ecosystem—is important. “In that sense, i2.JP and HxD [represent] growing together in the global environment, so these opportunities are very important for us,” he explained. “And all of you here are going to take a new step that is going to be important for Japan and the world.”

Expert Insight

Saving the finalist presentations—the highlight of the day—for last, the middle section featured a wide range of presentations from experts. Five keynotes followed Professor Miyata’s comments:

Yoshihiko Izumida—a professor in the Saitama Medical Center’s Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, as well as representative director of Saitama Medical and chairman of the Life Course Design Association—gave a presentation entitled Global Standardized IoT Platform for Promoting Open Science
Ryosuke Fukuda—deputy director of the Health Policy Bureau’s Medical Professions Division and director of the bureau’s Planning and Coordination Office for Physician Training in the Medical Professions Division—talked about recent topics in online medical care guidelines
Jun Miyagawa—general manager of Kansai growth strategy in the Growth Business Development Department of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation—shared a presentation entitled Accelerating the Formation of a Venture Ecosystem in the Kansai Area: Trends in Innovation in the Run-up to the Osaka-Kansai Expo
Takeru Yamamoto—board director and chief operating officer at Welby Inc., talked about the current and future prospects for personal health record platforms
Lei Liu, PhD—innovation partnerships and i2.JP director of commercial excellence at AstraZeneca K.K., recapped the open innovation initiative’s successes in its first year, looked ahead to the future, and introduced HxD and its achievements

After the keynotes, a panel discussion involving the keynote speakers, moderated by Liu, covered current trends in, and future prospects for, digital innovation in healthcare.

Next, the five finalists made their last pitches.

Medii, Inc

First to present was Medii, Inc Chief Executive Officer Hiroki Yamada, a rheumatologist who is himself a patient coping with an intractable disease. His own experience led him to become a specialist treating arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions and systemic autoimmune diseases, and to search for a way to bring better care to patients and support local doctors across Japan.

Specialist doctors in his field, he explained, may be difficult to find outside of the largest cities. While there are 759 in Tokyo, 32 of Japan’s 47 prefectures have fewer than 75. “In terms of the population, there is a 50-fold difference in the distribution of specialist doctors. We have to do something about this,” he said.

“There are so many undiagnosed patients who are not receiving proper treatment—they are simply overcoming their symptoms. This is the challenge we are facing and that we must overcome.”

Medii would like to create a National Intractable Disease Center so that the latest and most effective treatments can be delivered to patients. About five percent of the people in Japan suffer from such ailments.

The company’s focus is on the issue of doctor’s knowledge about intractable diseases, because supporting local physicians is one of the best ways to help patients.

Medii is offering a service called E-Consult, a digital resource powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that enables the sharing of expertise about rare diseases with doctors who are not specialists.

Doctors in the local community who are trying to diagnose a problem, but who do not possess knowledge of these rare diseases, can be matched with an expert through E-Consult. More than 500 specialists are working with Medii to provide assistance through the service that is a bit like the LINE messaging platform, which is dominant in Japan.

Doctors can be matched on a real-time basis for one-on-one chats and images can be exchanged securely. A response is received within 42 minutes and the level of satisfaction has been as high as 93 percent.

“For instance, in the remote islands, the doctor may be working all on his own, and he has to take care of patients with many diseases,” Yamada explained. “And yet, by using our platform, even though he may be working on a solo basis, all these specialists can support him, and better diagnoses and treatments can be offered to his patients.

“We cannot do this alone, so together with the support of the pharma companies—and for the benefit of the patients and the doctors and the specialists—I would like to further grow this platform,” he continued. “Our team is putting all its efforts into this, and I hope you will all join hands together for this endeavor.”

Immunosens Co., Ltd.

Next, Hirokazu Sugihara, CEO, representative director, and president of Immunosens Co., Ltd., shared his vision for more efficient testing that can close the time gap between diagnosis and treatment.

“Our first target is cardiovascular diseases,” Sugihara said. “As the Japanese population ages, the number of patients with such diseases is on the rise, and treatment accounts for 20 percent of national medical costs.

“When your condition is poor, you go to a primary care physician to find out what is wrong and if there is a risk of disease,” he continued. “Various exams may be performed, and right now tests are outsourced.”

That time lag—typically one to three days—can make a big difference in the outcome for patients. At a minimum, it requires them to make an additional trip to the hospital or clinic and, in some cases, it may prevent the doctor from providing proper treatment.

Immunosens’s solution is a high-performance point-of-care testing (POCT) system that utilizes a technology that the company calls GLEIA, an acronym for gold-linked electrochemical immunoassay.

This lateral flow test technology uses a printed electrode to trap disease markers in the sample by immunoreaction and then sandwich the markers with gold nanoparticles. If a disease marker exists, it will gather near the printed electrode. Ultra-sensitive detection of gold nanoparticles on the printed electrode is achieved through an oxidation and reduction process. This electrochemical measurement can be completed with a single cartridge, enabling quick and efficient measurement with results in just 10 minutes. The easy-to-use, disposable GLEIA sensor is much smaller and cheaper than existing equipment, but detection sensitivity is equal to, or higher than, that of current processes.

The product weighs just 0.1 kilograms and costs between ¥10,000 for a model designed for home use and ¥50,000 for one aimed at clinics. Compare this with existing equipment, which weighs 10–100 kilograms, costs between ¥3 and ¥10 million, and takes as long as two hours to read a sample. Also, current equipment requires a 100–200 microliter sample whereas the GLEIA solution needs just 2–20 microliters.

The device for home use allows patients to measure their condition every four days if they are unstable, or every 23 days if stable. Currently, new measurements are taken once every six months, on average, at a hospital.

Steady development has been underway since 2018 and the first product is scheduled to be launched in the second half of this year. Mass production is targeted for 2025.

Oishii kenko Inc.

With a name meaning “tasty health,” Oishii kenko’s goal is “to contribute to health and healthcare issues through delicious solutions and dietary management,” explained Chief Executive Officer Tetsuya Nojiri.

Scientific evidence has shown that an optimized diet is key to reducing healthcare costs, preventing diseases, and supporting the treatment of existing ailments.

But, as Nojiri noted, controlling one’s diet is easier said than done. He explained that, while 80 percent of Japanese households prepare their own meals every day, it is challenging to plan a nutritionally balanced menu. And if you have dietary restrictions due to illness, doing so becomes even more difficult.

“To whom do you turn for help?” he asked. According to the company’s research, 85 percent of physicians say that they are consulted about diet by their patients, and 90 percent of that group admit that they lack the knowledge and time to provide such guidance. This is where Nojiri feels Oishii kenko can make a difference.

“There is a position called certified dietitian, but 84.4 percent of hospitals in Japan do not have anyone in this role. So, while patients want to improve their dietary life, there is no one whom they can consult,” he explained.

Oishii kenko believes that dietary management is possible in the home, and you don’t need a dietary specialist sitting next to you to make it happen.

“We need to trigger the understanding and desire to eat healthily, and that is what we want to provide through our personalized recipe and nutrition management app, supervised by a registered dietitian,” Nojiri said.

The AI-powered recommendations provide nutritionally balanced meal options, and a shopping list is created automatically. More than 60 health issues can be managed through the 10,000 recipes found on the app.

In addition, the app offers previously unavailable insight into the habits and preferences of people with similar health challenges. This is thanks to Big Data from more than 40,000 users that allows nutritional trends to be surfaced.

As an example, Nojiri shared that, according to the data, female diabetics may have a tendency to like spicy food, while male diabetics eat a lot of meat and dislike fish.

“This is different from the expected behavior of diabetics,
so using real-life data … and based on the preference of the individual, we can suggest good dietary management tailored to each person,” he explained. “Through the app, we hope to change behavior that helps pharmaceuticals to work their best.”

Lanex Co., Ltd.

One example of a traditional practice in Japan that could benefit from digitalization is the maternal and child-health (MCH) handbook. This printed booklet is used to track the results of pregnancy and post-birth health checks.

Lanex software developer and project manager Boubacar Sow shared the company’s electronic version of the process—the E-MCH—explaining that “we empower doctors to manage data generated during pregnancy through virtual consultation, interoperability, and maternal decision support.”

Under the current system, a woman who is expecting visits the doctor and receives a document which certifies that she is pregnant. She then takes this paper to the health center at the ward office and receives the MCH.

Using Lanex’s E-MCH system, she would register during her first visit to the hospital and receive a unique identification number issued by the local government. Login credentials are also provided so that she can download and begin using the system immediately.

At every checkup, data is added to the E-MCH and is accessible via the web portal and smartphone app.

“We believe we have a special system, because it is not simply a pregnancy tracker, but also an ecosystem to digitize maternal and child healthcare,” Sow explained. “We help the local government provide a unique identification number to better track those who are pregnant. It’s special because we have a knowledge base, the contents of which are provided by maternal and healthcare experts from Miyagi University.”

Lanex, founded in 1993, has offices in Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and the United States, and has been developing high-quality software for more than 28 years. It is targeting countries that are unable to meet United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, as well as every medical institution that provides maternal and child healthcare in both developed and developing countries.

In May 2021, the E-MCH was adopted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as an innovative product to solve a public problem, and Lanex received financial support from JICA to conduct a survey in African countries.

The web system requires a small payment by the hospital, while the mobile app is free for mothers.

CardioCouple

The final presenter was Ayush Balaji, an 18-year-old from Japan, who is a first-year medical student at the University of York in the United Kingdom. He came up with the idea for a pulsatile percutaneous circulatory assist device for those with heart failure during his last year of high school in Japan.

“I’ve taken inspiration from nature—with animals, such as octopi, which have branchial hearts—and I looked at adopting a resilient network-based solution to heart failure,” he explained.

Cephalopods have two branchial hearts, one located at the base of each gill. The two branchial hearts push oxygen-depleted blood through the gills, thereby supplementing the function of the systematic heart, which pumps the oxygenated blood throughout the body. Similar systems are found in insects and other animal species.

“The biggest issue we have at the moment is heart failure, or cardiovascular-related diseases. There are 64 million cases of heart failure per year [worldwide], and cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death,” he continued. “The only treatment available at the moment for heart failure is a heart transplant. Between diagnosis and transplant there is an extended waiting period, and during this time the quality of life for patients is significantly reduced.”

Balaji has designed a device called the CardioCouple that focuses on forestalling a reduction in the quality of life between diagnosis and transplant. The aim is to allow patients to lead lives that are as close to normalcy as possible.

He noted five problems with current surgical approaches:

High rates of infection and complications
Reduced patient mobility and access
Hemolysis complications (destruction of red blood cells)
Lack of resilience
Foreign material contact and proximity to the heart

How does CardioCouple fix this?

A network-based approach uses small pumps in multiple location around the body to reduce fail rates, provide resilience, and increase mobility. No components come in direct contact with blood, which increases longevity of the devices and reduces the risk of hemolysis-related complications. And, while some surgery is required to implant the devices, major open heart surgery is not needed.

The result is improved quality of life and outlook, more time for physicians to plan further intervention, reduced cardiac afterload and stroke risk, and the ability of patients to resume normal life without the need to manage bulky external apparatus.

In terms of digital healthcare, dedicated software allows data from the device to be utilized, and physicians and patients to control the device in real time. The pump rate can be managed remotely, and physicians can set operational limits so that the patient can adjust the pump rate themselves when needed. Plus, physician access to real-time data on pump performance and patient parameters ensures the maintenance of the device and patient health.

“All these things come together to provide a more reliable, efficient, convenient, and cost-effective device, as it does not rely on significantly new advances in technology and the complication rate is not as high as what exists today,” said Balaji.

“This translates to a lower strain on healthcare budgets, improves profit margins for pharmaceutical companies due to lower complication rates, and provides patients with better control over their health.”

Impressive Breadth of Ideas

Following the presentations, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC Senior Partner Christian Boettcher moderated a panel discussion during which the five finalists talked with AstraZeneca’s Woxström and Eli Lilly Japan K.K. President and Representative Director Simone Thomsen.

“This year it was very impressive to see the breadth of ideas,” said Thomsen, congratulating the finalists. “I feel the true patient-centric passion is coming through, really making sure that [the focus is on] just one problem and how we can make it better. I think we are seeing an even greater breadth of what digital technology can do to support Japanese patients.

“As always, I continue to applaud you,” she added. “I know there is a lot of entrepreneurship needed, a lot of courage, to make it work. I assume all of you have faced multiple challenges so, by bringing it this far, you continue to impress me.”

Prizes

Ideas Day ended with recognition of the incredible innovation brought forth by the finalists.

Six honors were given:

Empowering Patients Award and People’s Choice Award: Oishii kenko Inc.
Hospital of the Future Award: Immunosens Co., Ltd.
Bridging Urban Health Award: Medii, Inc
From Japan and Beyond Award: Lanex, Co., Ltd.
Moonshot Award: Ayush Balaji

The winners received monetary prizes and the chance to meet with senior executives from the organizing sponsors. They will also receive mentoring and support from healthcare professionals and executives of organizing sponsors.

All who took part in the HxD competition benefited from having their ideas reviewed, and the ACCJ thanks everyone who submitted pitches. Yet again, HxD proved that there is boundless healthcare innovation in Japan, and the 2022 competition is sure to reach new heights once more.

Supplier D&I

While there is much talk in Japan about diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace, another important, though less-discussed, aspect of D&I involves suppliers. Some major companies have long championed diversity in their supply chains, but the issue is now getting more attention—and progress is being made—thanks to the efforts of socially conscious leaders. This was the topic of a November 25 virtual event, hosted by the ACCJ-Chubu Programs Committee and entitled Supplier D&I: Three-Year Journey in the Japanese Market.

WEConnect International’s three-year journey in the Japanese market

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This was the topic of a November 25 virtual event, hosted by the ACCJ-Chubu Programs Committee and entitled Supplier D&I: Three-Year Journey in the Japanese Market. Speaker Setsu Suzuki, chief executive officer and founder of Hunext, Inc., shared how sourcing from women-owned startups is shaping the Japanese economy.

Connecting Women

Suzuki is the Japan project director for WEConnect International, the Washington, DC-based non-profit organization (NPO) that expanded its certification and market access activities to Japan in 2018. She recalled how, in 2017, she was invited by Gary Schaefer, principal officer at the US Consulate Nagoya, to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, India. Some 6,000 women business owners took part in the three-day event. There she had her first contact with WEConnect International, which helps drive money into the hands of women business owners by enabling them to compete in the global marketplace.

“That’s fantastic, right?” Suzuki exclaimed. “So, I immediately said that I want to be a member of this organization.” After getting to know leaders of the enterprise during the summit, she was asked to become the director of WEConnect in Japan. Three months later, she signed a contract with the international body and led its expansion into the market. Noting that WEConnect International is the only certifying body in the world that supports supplier diversity, Suzuki explained that there are five categories:

Women
Challenged
LGBTQ
Racial minority
Veterans

“And women are really key,” she said. Globally, just one percent of procurement by governments and corporations goes to women-owned business.

“WEConnect International began studying this 12 years ago, but the number is still only one percent. We want to push it to two percent,” she explained.

“According to a World Bank report, 32–39 percent of companies around the world are owned by women. So, definitely, women are key to a diverse economy.”

Next, Suzuki introduced the companies among WEConnect International’s 143 member buyers that are most active in Japan:

Accenture
Johnson & Johnson
Intel K.K.
IBM Japan, Ltd.
EY
P&G Japan G.K.
Microsoft Japan, Co., Ltd.
Micron Memory Japan, G.K.

“More and more Japanese corporations are starting to pay attention to supplier diversity,” she said.

Where Are the Women?

There are 3.8 million small businesses in Japan, but only 500,000 are owned by women. What constitutes a woman-owned business (WOB)? It seems straightforward, and Suzuki noted that we use the term a lot in English.

But to make it clear what this means by definition, she explained that it should be “an incorporated company with at least 51 percent of the business owned and managed, or governed, by one woman—or more.” The WEConnect certification standards state that ownership “is determined based on title to, and beneficial ownership of, stock, membership interests, or other equity in the business.”

WEConnect allows self-declaration as a WOB. Such registration in their database is free and carries limited benefits.

“WEConnect International … helps drive money into the hands of women business owners by enabling them to compete in the global marketplace.”

There is also the Women Business Enterprise (WBE) designation (pronounced “weebee”). This certification opens the door to the procurement departments of 143 member companies and enables business owners to connect with 12,000 women entrepreneurs in more than 110 countries.

In this case, there is a fee, and membership includes unlimited access to WEConnect benefits. The money is used to fund the NPO’s operations, which are driven by three pillars: certification, connection, and education.

Three-Year Journey

WEConnect International’s launch in Japan took place three months after Suzuki took on her role as country director. The expansion into Japan was made possible through the Strengthening Market Access for Women Business Owners initiative, a consortium that includes Accenture, Intel, and Johnson & Johnson. The founding members are working closely with WEConnect to leverage its powerful global networks and experience working with women business owners, and there are now 28 certified WBEs in Japan.

The launch was marked by a hybrid event, making it possible to connect women business owners from Hokkaido to Okinawa. It was supported by the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and Women in Business Committee Vice-chair Makiko Tachimori (Fukui) helped facilitate.

A business-to-business matchmaking event was held on November 26, 2020, in which 10 member buyers, 14 tier-one corporations, and 51 WOBs and WBEs participated. Suzuki said that three women business owners got contracts following the event, showing how even online meetings can really make business happen.

The session will take place again in February—rebranded as the P&G Academy Women’s Entrepreneurs Business Development Program—as an eight-day intensive series.

With the support of Johnson & Johnson and Dell Technologies, WEConnect conducted a survey of 191 Japanese female entrepreneurs in Japan between August and September 2020. According to results, the top challenges faced by WOBs are:

Balancing work and family (65 percent)
Gender discrimination (30 percent)
Market entry (11 percent)

She also noted that many women who responded to the survey cited the issue of surnames as an obstacle to their business lives. Because Japan continues to require that women take their husband’s surname, some women said that they must use a false name in work, so that their husband’s family will not discover that they are entrepreneurs—a role that goes against traditional views of a woman’s place in society.

On the brighter side, Suzuki said that WOBs in Japan are thriving across a wide range of industries. Many fall under the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an important part of WEConnect International’s activities. The organization is working with governments, the UN, and others to help achieve SDG number five: gender equality in the economy.

Japan WBEs

There are only 28 certified WBEs in Japan, but Suzuki is dedicated to expanding that number. She introduced two success stories during the event, starting with Yuko Takahashi, president of Osaka-based Japan Engine Valve Mfg. Co., Ltd. Known by the brand name Dokuro, the company began producing engine valves in 1949.

Takahashi, who was unable to attend due to a business event, delivered a short, vibrant video in which she flew a drone around the Dokuro offices and production facilities to explain how her company makes after-market auto parts. The parts are shipped around the world to meet the needs of those who own Japanese cars.

Setsu Suzuki

Ayako Mochizuki

Yuko Takahashi

Next, Ayako Mochizuki, a Japan native who moved to the United States at the age of 22, shared her experiences running a small and medium-sized enterprise in Japan, doing business with large companies on a global basis.

In 2014, she became president of IBS Japan Co., Ltd., the 35-year-old value-added reseller of data communication products, founded by her father. She runs the company from her home in Boulder, Colorado, while her father remains involved as an owner in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, where the corporate headquarters is located.

IBS Japan’s mission is to make life easier through the application of technology, and the company was certified as a WBE by WEConnect International in 2019. “Since then, I have had many successes [as a result of] being a WBE,” she said. One such success, she noted, involved the sale of thermal camera technology to a major pharma company soon after the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite these successes, challenges remain—particularly with traditional mindsets about gender roles in business. Mochizuki shared an interesting example from within her own company.

“When I got certified [as a WBE] in 2019, one of my employees—a key person for me—actually told me that I should not be certified,” she recounted. “He said that if we are certified, if they find out that I’m a feminist—that’s the word he used—we are not going to get business, because it’s a male-dominated industry that we serve. He was very concerned.”

She noted that this worry is real in Japan, because the country remains very much dominated by men, and many of the business leaders are aged 60 and over.

So, the shift in mindset takes time. But through the efforts of Suzuki, WEConnect, and women business owners such as Takahashi and Mochizuki, that change is taking place.

C Bryan Jones 12/24/21 C Bryan Jones 12/24/21

Sustainable Change through Animation

One of the most noticeable aspects of digitalization has been the shift from traditional television to on-demand streaming video. But even before the coronavirus boosted demand, these companies were experiencing a shortage of high-quality animated content. ACCJ 2018 Volunteer of the Year Royi Akavia sees this as foundation for telling stories that make a difference using original characters to which children can relate.

2018 ACCJ Volunteer of the Year eyes education through entertainment

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ACCJ 2018 Volunteer of the Year Royi Akavia is well known in the chamber and local community for his unwavering support of Food Bank Kansai. Helping children is one of the most important missions for the renowned visual artist whose work has been displayed around the world, including in the permanent collection of the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

It was in that city that his own struggles, as he started his career on the SoHo art scene in the East Village during the early 1980s, helped him understand what it is like to go without and the importance of giving to those in need.

Digital Difference

Beyond his work on canvas, Akavia has spent the past 20 years working in animation, which he says is “magic for a painter like me.”

But it’s not just for fun. Through his business Double Bounce Productions, Inc., (DBP)—a diamond prize sponsor of this year’s ACCJ Charity Ball—he is putting those skills to work to educate children on sustainability and diversity issues to build a better future for the world.

One of the most noticeable aspects of digitalization has been the shift from traditional broadcast and cable television to on-demand streaming video. Services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have seen a surge in consumption during the pandemic. But even before the coronavirus boosted demand and created production delays, these companies were experiencing a shortage of high-quality animated content.

According to The Los Angeles Times, Netflix’s budget for the development of animated content was estimated to be $1.1 billion in 2018—11 percent of its total budget for original content—and is predicted to reach $5 billion in 2022. Analysts believe that Amazon could spend as much as $1.86 billion on animation next year.

This presents a great opportunity to create content that is both engaging and educational.

Heroes of Change

Today’s entertainment landscape is awash with superheroes, as adaptations of comic book characters regularly top the box office and streaming. Akavia sees this as a foundation for telling stories that make a difference and bring about change in the long term, using original characters to which children can relate.

His desire to take DBP in this socially conscious direction comes from years of contributing to organizations, such as the ACCJ and the United Nations Development Programme, which is tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development.

To do this, he has assembled what he calls “a world-class dream team” which includes animator Emiliano Topete, concept artist Ricardo Caria, artist Clifford Land, and Wendee Lee, one of the most accomplished voice actresses in the animation industry. Also joining the team is Hayato Ogawa, an associate professor of engineering at the International College of Technology in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, who coordinates students and staff to undertake projects designed to help rural communities adopt sustainable and efficient lifestyles.

Co-founder Topete’s career has taken him to several studios and TV networks since 2005. He served as animation director on the award-winning Televisa series Imaginantes and, in 2013, founded Polygoon Studio in Mexico. Has been a professor of animation at the esteemed SAE Institute and Escena animation and digital arts school since 2016.

Caria studied illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and served as art director for the Anamon Studios short Let’s Eat, the first animation project ever developed in a cloud-based environment.

Land crafts realistic paintings by mastering light and shadow. One of his most famous works is the mural painted for New York City-based fashion house DKNY. The work became a landmark on Houston Street, where it stood for 17 years.

Akavia told The ACCJ Journal that DBP will provide new kinds of heroes and tell cutting-edge stories that he hopes will inspire and motivate viewers.

“We’re not trying to create a superhero,” he said. “Marvel is doing just fine with that. We’re trying to create a superhuman, one powered by the strength of kindness, patience, intelligence, and creativity.”

C Bryan Jones 9/15/21 C Bryan Jones 9/15/21

Entrepreneurship in Japan and Beyond

When entrepreneurs consider entering the Japanese market, often they eye the nation’s capital as their starting point. The allure of Greater Tokyo, with its population of more than 35 million, is strong. But ask American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) Vice President-Chubu Robert Roche where you should start and he’ll invite you west, to the city of Nagoya.

Oak Lawn Marketing co-founder Robert Roche shares his personal journey

It was there that the entrepreneur, investor, civic leader, and philanthropist got his start building businesses, and he believes that the capital of Aichi Prefecture, in the central Japan region of Chubu, remains one of the best places in the country for entrepreneurs.

He expanded on this while also sharing his personal business journey on September 3, during an event hosted by the ACCJ-Chubu Programs Committee. The virtual session was a one-on-one discussion between Roche and his longtime friend and ACCJ-Chubu External Affairs Committee Co-chair Michel Weenick. Together, in 1990, they helped found the American Business Community Nagoya (ABCN), a hub for the US and greater international business communities in Nagoya. The ABCN became the Chubu chapter of the ACCJ in 2000.

The Magic of Nagoya

Roche joined the session from China, where he currently invests and does business in addition to his US and Japanese endeavors. But he remains very involved in Nagoya. In 2018, he returned to Oak Lawn Marketing, Inc., the company he co-founded with Tadashi Nakamura almost 30 years ago, as executive chairman and president.

Although Oak Lawn Marketing, and its Shop Japan e-commerce brand, are well known today, their start is sure to inspire burgeoning entrepreneurs. Roche shared the story.

Recalling those early years after university, when he had recently married, he explained: “My wife’s family is from Nagoya, and they didn’t want me to be anywhere else. So, I had this constraint of needing to figure out something to do. I didn’t know what to do, but [whatever it was] I needed to do it in Nagoya.”

He soon met Harry Hill, a current ACCJ governor who has long been a leader in the Chubu community as well.

“Harry and I became partners pretty much the second day after we met, in 1990. He had his own business, and I had my ‘business’ that really wasn’t a business—it was just me kind of doing stuff,” he shared. “Then he and I formed H&R Consultants together, and that was really the beginning of a successful creation of a business. We are very complementary. He’s very good at stuff that I’m not very good at, and I’m very good at stuff that he’s less good at.”

Roche said that’s how he got started on the entrepreneurial front. At first, they made just enough money to survive. But after expanding H&R and earning a bit more, he got into the import–export business.

On Air

Initially, Roche was importing Tiffany products and L.L. Bean bags. His partner, Nakamura, being a local with lots of connections in Nagoya, was able to set up some meetings with a local TV shopping company.

“In the early 1990s, there was this show called Waku Waku Terebi Shoppingu. They would tape a one-hour program once a month and run it over and over on 25–30 stations. We were lucky enough to secure a four-minute spot for Tiffany,” Roche recalled.

Soon he found himself selling Tiffany items on television in Japanese—a stint that his mother-in-law enjoyed critiquing—and the seeds for Oak Lawn Marketing and Shop Japan were planted.

As a result of these appearances, Roche gained a reputation for having access to the country’s TV shopping market. One day, in 1992, he received a call from a company in Canada that was selling all sorts of products on CNN. Viewers around the world could call a local number in their country and order items such as the now-famous Didi Seven stain remover. But not in Japan.

The company saw Roche as their path into the market. They told him that he needed to have a call center, a fulfillment center, and all sort of other things.

“I didn’t have a call center. I didn’t have logistics ready. I didn’t have anything,” Roche recalled. “I said, ‘Sure we got it, we’re gonna go, you just let us know.’ And then they said that we had to make a minimum order. I asked how much, and we just scrambled to get the money together. And we ordered all this stuff.”

At the start, Roche and Nakamura just ran calls through their tiny 100-square-meter office. They stored products there as well. The calls started rolling in, and the business grew. Doing fulfillment from the office wasn’t easy. “One of the products was a stepper machine, and some days we’d send out 100. We were landlocked, trapped in the office until the Sagawa guy came and took the boxes away,” he remembered.

“If I was a better planner, I would have had all that stuff in place before the first call came. But we just had to adapt. And that was good, because we learned every key part of the business. The very beginning, that was fantastic.”

Accelerated Growth

The business grew incrementally until they were bringing in about ¥1.5 billion per year. At that point, something different was needed to take the next step.

“As entrepreneurs, we love chaos. We love to be the hero. We love for there to be a problem and then come in and solve that problem,” Roche said. “H&R Consultants kind of went through this. Harry and I ran it, and then we brought in John Coomes to run it, and then Scott Reid, and then Harry went back to the States and did a big development. When he came back in 2004, there really wasn’t a spot for either of us at H&R anymore.”

So, Hill joined Oak Lawn Marketing and this, Roche said, is when things really began to take off.

“The company didn’t need a firefighter anymore; it was getting pretty standard. We had a nice foundation, but what really moved it [to the next level] was that Harry just took over and he banged it out,” he explained. “I think that, from an entrepreneur’s perspective, there is always that time when, as a founder, you have to hand off.”

Fast-forward to 2017 and Hill handed back the baton. “But he gave me a much bigger platform than I gave him,” Roche said.

Making Connections

For the success they have had, Roche credits the environment of Nagoya and the easier access to top executives compared with Tokyo.

One of the things he said was most important to him about being a young entrepreneur in Nagoya was the access to people whom he never would have met in Tokyo.

“There were all these real leaders of Japanese industry who we had access to. We never did business with those guys ever, but we learned from their demeanor, and they told us little things like, ‘Don’t say it that way.’ You would say something [in Japanese] and they would kind of twist their head and you would think, ‘Oh, that’s not the way to say that,’” he recalled. “It was this almost subliminal teaching from true leaders [that helped], and we never would have gotten access to that caliber of leader in Tokyo. The big business guys of the ACCJ in Tokyo do, and now we do. But then? No way.”

To make the most of such opportunities, Roche advises entrepreneurs to learn Japanese.

“If you think you can do this without speaking Japanese, you can—you can be that unicorn—but I’ll tell you right now, it’s better to speak Japanese,” he said.

That’s because it’s the unplanned conversations you end up having with people whom you didn’t plan to meet that can make a difference and lead you down unexpected—and fruitful—paths.

“Learn Japanese if you’re going to do business in Japan, because there are all these seasoned guys like Nakamura, who could not have communicated with me in English. And I learned from that guy. That’s what really made a difference.”

More Advice

“Hire planners.” That was Roche’s tip when Weenick asked if he is a better planner today than he was 30 years ago, when he dove right into the pool of TV shopping. Often, entrepreneurs feel as if they can do it all. But to really succeed requires surrounding yourself with those who are more skilled in areas where you are weak, just as Hill and Roche complement each other in their business endeavors.

“My plan, basically, is to hire people to run the business who are better planners than me,” he said. “I hire people who can plan and not react—because I’ll react for them.”

Then Roche gave his biggest recommendation: Don’t take no for an answer. “I was told no every day, 10 times a day. You can’t do that. You can’t do that.” It’s one of the realities of Japan’s very orderly society—with its resistance to deviating from exactly what has been laid out—that can be discouraging to those wanting to explore new ideas.

But he encouraged people not to let the little things that sometimes frustrate expats get to them. “There is a tendency to get a little bit negative on Japan,” he noted. “We’ve all sat through those complaint sessions. Why do they do this? Why is it that way? Why are a bunch of things out of our control? But, really, it’s the positive nature of this that we should focus on. Japan is a very, very good market, because things don’t change much. And the reality is that most people in Japan want to see foreigners succeed.”

To sum it all up, Roche looked back at how, perhaps by lucky chance, he was accepted into the local business community, the mura (village), as he called it, and why it’s important to become part of the group.

“If you hang out in the village long enough, you understand the rules and you just get incrementally bigger and bigger and bigger. And then you can diversify. I do a lot of business in China, and I do a lot of business in the States, but Japan is a really, really nice base, if you can keep it going.”

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