<<Notice from the Executive Secretariat>>

Link: http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/p_pd/dpr/page25_000895.html

Hope to see you there.

It has certainly been a busy past few weeks for the Kansai Consular Corps and our colleagues in local government throughout the region. Indeed, the various prefectures of Kansai were a flurry of activity for the entire months of May and June as KCC Consulates and Honorary Consulates hosted several large-scale festivals and celebrations of national holidays, all of which contribute greatly to the vitality and richness of the cultural offerings for the people of Kansai.

How much , you may wonder? One noteworthy example is the annual Thai Culture Festival in Osaka, organized by the Royal Thai Consulate. It is reported that over 180,000 local Japanese residents participated in this recent two-day event. Featuring sports, dance, music performances, as well as booths showcasing Thai regional cuisine, this event has achieved much to promote exchange between Thailand and Kansai. Another example of meaningful person-to-person cultural exchange is the recent International Yoga Day event held in Kyoto with the support of the Consulate General of India Osaka-Kobe, in which a crowd of more than 1,300 people assembled to practice yoga underneath the sunshine and a beautiful torii gate before Heian Shrine.

It isn’t possible to present all of the recent activities, but here are some highlights below. Daily updates from the Kansai Consular Corps appear on the KCC Twitter Account. Our handle is: @kansaiconsuls

Indonesian Jewelry Exhibition (Consulate General of Indonesia)

(Details at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website:https://goo.gl/A9fH7o )

Thai Festival 2017 at Osaka Castle (Royal Thai Consulate General)

(Link to the Consulate with more details: http://www.thaiconsulate.jp/en/topics_detail2/id=370)

International Yoga Day (Consulate General of India)

(For more details, please see https://www.yogadaykansai.com/ and future activities at https://indconosaka.org/event.php?id=77)

National Holiday Reception (Consulate General of Russia)

Philippines National Holiday Reception (Consulate General of Philippines)

150th Anniversary Celebration of Canada (Honorary Consulate General of Canada)

Independence Day Celebration of USA (Consulate General of the US in Osaka-Kobe)

(Official photos at the Consulate’s facebook page:https://goo.gl/7h7Ugd)

Members of the Kansai Consular Corps and their guests assembled at Nihonzakari, a “shinisei” Sake Brewery in Nihshinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.

The event was sponsored by the Sake and Shochu Brewers Association and Osaka Regional Tax Bureau. The program was as follows:

Nihonshu Seminar: Economics and Fundamental Knowledge of Nihonshu with 3 Highlights:

1. Taxation in Japan in general and for liquor in particular
2. Marketing and promotion of “Nihonshu” globally
3. Tour of production facility of Nihonsakari Co. Ltd.

During his remarks, KCC Vice-Dean thanked the participating organizations for their efforts and contribution to make this event possible and Morimoto-san, President of Nihonzakari, for hosting the event, stating: “Through this seminar and factory tour, members of the Kansai Consular Corps could learn about the rich history and the significance of Nihonshu not only as a beverage but as an important part of the Japanese culture and history.”

The 24th Tour of the Kansai Consular Forum was held on 25 May 2017. Members of the Kansai Consular Corps and other leaders from industry and local Chambers of Commerce gathered at Hyogo Works, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. for a tour of the facilities and to see first-hand an example of Japan’s cutting-edge train technology.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Kansai states that the “Kansai Consular Forum holds tours to introduce world-class research institutes, corporations, cultural facilities, urban infrastructure, etc. in the Kansai area to the consulate generals and overseas economic organizations based in the Kansai area.”

On 19 May 2017 Members of the Kansai Consular Corps and other distinguished guests gathered at the Kobe Portopia Hotel for the Commemorative Ceremony of the 150th Anniversary of the Port of Kobe.

This ceremony was one part celebration of the past and one part vision for the future. Individuals who in the past made significant contributions to the development of the Port were recognized, and a presentation of the future vision for the Port.

(Photos from the event are kindly provided by the International Department of the Office of the Mayor of Kobe City)

The 2017 Kansai Consular Corps Youth Symposium was held on 26 March in cooperation with Osaka Prefectural Government. Over 135 guests, including 17 members of the Kansai Consular Corps, representatives of Osaka Prefectural and Kobe Municipal government, and members of the Kansai business community gathered to hear the ideas of local high school, university, and graduate students.

The theme was 「機嫌よう働く: Kansai-Style Business and Working from the Heart」. Over a period of several months, the students met assembled in both Osaka and Kobe to receive special lectures and workshops (in both Japanese and English) from experienced professionals. They were then asked to prepare original presentations, addressing questions such as:

• How can local government and business support the needs of the future generation in Kansai?
• What can Kansai culture contribute to business innovation?

and others.

Presentations were followed by a lively free discussion in which members of the Kansai Consular Corps chatted candidly with youth participants, offering feedback, advice and other valuable bits of wisdom.

A more comprehensive summary, including photos, will be posted in the coming days.

For now, a brief translation into Japanese of comments made during the free discussion can be found here: 3月26日シンポジウム　質疑と評

During recent months, the Kansai Consular Corps was joined by the following members:

• Mr. Davaadorj Delgertsogt, Consul-General of Mongolia
• Mr. Muhammad Khalid Jamil, Consul of Pakistan
• Mr. Shiro Murai, Honorary Consul-General of the Slovak Republic
• Mr. Tamio Ishibash, Honorary Consul of Latvia
• Mr. Jean-Matthieu Bonne, Consul-General of France
• Dr. Werner Koehler, Consul-General of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Mr. Yoshiaki Kobayash,  Honorary Consul of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Osaka

Kansai Consular Corps members also bid farewell to Mr. Charles Henri Brosseau, former Consul-General of France in Kyoto. Consul-General Brosseau will move to a new post in Jakarta. The Kansai Consular Corps wishes him much success in his new posting.

Also, please note that the Consulate-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Osaka-Kobe has relocated to a new office effective 19 September 2016.

All changes can be found in the updated version of the Kansai Consular Corps Members Directory: members-list-15-september-2016

Regarding: International Conference on Battery and Hydrogen / Fuel Cell 2016

Greetings everyone! It is another hot and sticky day in Kansai.
Hope you are all doing well and taking good care of yourself in this humid weather.
Please be sure to take appropriate 夏バテ measures!

Our colleagues in the Osaka Prefectural Government office have kindly shared this invitation with us. This is a very good opportunity explore the latest technology and meet key players in the hydrogen fuel cell emerging markets. There are still a few spaces left so please see the information below for more details.
Below, you will also find a link with additional information.

We strongly encourage our Consular Corps members, as well as interested persons in the community, to attend this event. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Dates: September 6 (Tue) – 8 (Thu), 2016
Organizer: Osaka Prefectural Government
http://www.osakaconf.info/index_e.html

=========================================
(Original invitation follows:)

The Conference will provide audience with a unique opportunity to learn state-of-art technologies and market information from key persons and leading experts in the fields.

The Conference also includes one-day excursion tour, taking you to Osaka’s pioneering activities in the fields, and networking opportunity with speakers and experts.

The conference is open for all people who are seeing new business opportunities in battery and hydrogen / fuel cell technologies as well as interested in these emerging markets.

http://www.osakaconf.info/OsakaConfProgramV1E.pdf

Today government officials, distinguished guests, and members of the Kansai Consular Corps came together to bid farewell to Mr. Miwa of the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In his role as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kansai Region, Mr. Miwa worked tirelessly to strengthen relations between the community and the Kansai Consular Corps. We are deeply grateful for his valuable contribution.

The Kansai Consular Corps avails itself of this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to Mr. Miwa’s successor, Ambassador Suzuki.

I am delighted to share this invitation to the 2nd International Yoga Day in Kansai, from the Consulate General of India in Osaka-Kobe!

The celebration will take place at Osaka Castle and all those interested – from beginners to experienced – are welcome to join!

What is “International Yoga Day”?
It is a celebration of yoga, declared to be internationally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 11, 2014. Over 177 countries co-sponsor the event, and in 2015 around 190 countries around the world held events.

Please see the flyer below for a more detailed explanation.
Hope to see you there, rain or shine!

Date: 19 June 2016 (Sunday)
Time: 10:00am-15:00 (Gates open 9am, Free Main Event from 10:00-11:00, paid events follow)
Place: Osaka Castle, Nishinomaru Garden