Monthly Archives: January 2016

Kobe City International New Year’s Party

The Kansai Consular Corps was kindly invited to join the 59th International Kobe City New Years Party held at the Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel on January 14th, 2016.

There was an impressive turnout of leaders from the international community in Kobe, representing fields ranging from business, academia, social organizations, medical and health organizations, the arts, government and others. The party featured a traditional Yasakoi dance performance and a breaking of the sake casket. All participants were able to partake in Kobe’s famous locally-crafted sake for the kanpai toast.

Mr. Roderick Wols, Consul-General of the Netherlands and Dean of the Kansai Consular Corps, joined Ambassador Miwa, Mayor Hisamoto, and distinguished members of the Kobe City Assembly on stage. In his capacity as KCC Dean, Consul-General Wols also made the kanpai toast before a crowd of hundreds.

Yasakoi Dancers

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Government Representatives Take The Stage

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Consul-General Wols Toasts With Mayor HisamotoIMG_9465

Consul-General Wols and

Mr. Uematsu, Managing Director Kobe City International CenterIMG_9468

The Consuls-General Of The Netherlands And Panama Speak

In 3 Languages With Kobe Gaidai University Student

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Shizuoka Prefecture-Kansai Consular Corps Study Tour

On November 24, 2015 six members of the Kansai Consular Corps participated in a Shizuoka Study Tour jointly coordinated by the Shizuoka Prefecture Government-Osaka Office and the KCC.

The Kansai Consular Corps was represented by:

  • Mr. Roderick Wols, Consul-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Dean of the Kansai Consular Corps
  • Ms. Maria Teresa L. Taguiang, Consul-General Philippines
  • Mr. Tran Duc Binh, Consul-General Vietnam
  • Mr. Dusit Manapan, Consul-General Thailand
  • Mr. T. Armstrong Changsan, Consul-General India
  • Mr. Muhammad Naseer, Consul Pakistan

Our guides for this event were Mr. Inuzuka and Mr. Tsukamoto from the Shizuoka-Osaka office. Participants met at Shin-Osaka station and headed off to Shizuoka for an informative, pleasant, and action-filled day. The schedule was as follows:

  • A visit to Kunozan-Toshogu Shrine (via the Nihondaira Ropeway) were we were received by the Chief Priest of the shrine. Kunozan-Toshogu is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun.
  • Lunch at the elegant Nippondaira Hotel, overlooking majestic Mount Fuji.
  • A tour of Shizuoka Prefecture Disaster Prevention Center, one of Japan’s foremost research centers dedicated to promoting disaster awareness.
  • A courtesy call to the Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture (Governor Kawakatsu). Representatives of the Shizuoka government and the Kansai Consular Corps enthusiastically discussed various matters related to international exchange.

The Kansai Consular Corps would like to thank government and people of Shizuoka for this special opportunity to participate in a study tour and deepen our understanding of beautiful and historic Shizuoka Prefecture. We truly appreciate this opportunity to share information about our respective regional products and services, strengthen ties and support networks, and identify opportunities for future cooperation.

Depart from Shin-Osaka, Take the Nihondaira Ropeway to Kunozan-Toshogu Shrine

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Lunch, Tour Shizuoka Disaster Prevention Center

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Courtesy Call to the Governor of Shizuoka

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Mr. Eric Johnston, political reporter for the Japan Times, provides insight into the Osaka Double-Election

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With the historic Osaka double-election set to take place in late November 2015, Kansai Consular Corps members had the opportunity obtain the latest election news and analysis from Osaka politics expert Eric Johnston, reporter for the Japan Times. This was the first program in our newly inaugurated “KCC Lecture Series”.

The event took place at US Consul General Allen Greenberg’s residence on November 18th, 2015. Over 18 Consuls-General, Consuls, and Honorary Consuls attended, representing 15 countries.

This session was on-the-record. Mr. Johnston, speaking in a personal capacity, discussed possible election outcomes and shared his opinions about how they might impact the local business and political environment.

A lively discussion followed in which Consuls asked questions regarding the evolving local and national political landscape.

Mr. Johnston has kindly offered to make his presentation available to anyone who may be interested. Please click this link to download a copy: KansaiConsularCorps.11-18-2015

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IMG_1284After the event, Consul-General Wols (Netherlands) presented a certificate of appreciation to departing KCC member Consul-General Shearer (UK).

Quick Notice Regarding The Kansai Consular Corps Calendar

I hope everyone is adjusting back to office life smoothly after the New Year’s Holiday. Those of you viewing our website from laptop or computer devices may notice that we’ve changed the background of our homepage to feature “ume” (JApanese plum ). Ume is an early-blooming tree identified with the Japanese New Year.

Cheers to another wonderful and productive year for all!

We are now entering one of the busy seasons of the Kansai Consular Corps Calendar. Upcoming events include multiple new year parties, prefectural and municipal summits with governors and mayors, an opinion exchange with the Kansai Economic Federation, our very own KCC Annual General Meeting, and our first-ever Kansai Consular Corps sponsored event.

All of this to happen before the end of March 2016!

(And I haven’t even mentioned the G7 Summit.)

Government organizations currently planning their annual event for Consuls-General may wish to contact the KCC Executive Secretariat as quickly as possible to coordinate dates.

KCC members can expect a schedule update coming soon.

Best wishes to everyone during this busy and exciting time!