<span class="gmail_quote"></span>The 'JIN' Japan Inc Newsletter<br>A weekly opinion piece on social, economic and political trends<br>in Japan.<br>Issue No. 428 Wednesday August 22, 2007 TOKYO<br><br>*****OUT NOW J@PAN
INC MAGAZINE'S SUMMER ISSUE*****
<br>Featuring our Real Estate Special, Web 2.0 Marketing and more!<br><br>India-Japan Relations<br><br>If Mr. Abe has gone to India to escape the heat, he is probably<br>in for a disappointment, although he is at least out of the
<br>political heat back home for a while. But what is Mr. Abe doing<br>there and what does this visit mean for the alleged convergence<br>in India-Japan relations?<br><br>Certainly, relations between Japan and India have been warming up
<br>over the last few years for at least three reasons:<br><br>1. Mutual concern over Chinese military expansion<br><br>2. Increased awareness of common political and economic systems<br><br>3. Energy security<br><br>All of these relate in part to the Shanghai Cooperation
<br>Organization (SCO)—an institutional arrangement to foster<br>security cooperation between China, Russia and five states from<br>Central Asia. It has also become a forum for energy cooperation<br>and is often perceived as an exclusionary, potentially
<br>revisionist institution. Although India is an observer, it is not<br>fully included and has also been encouraged by the US to look<br>more towards Japan, Australia and South Korea. And India has its<br>own reasons for wishing to do so too—in Japan it finds a power
<br>from which it can gain technology and, potentially, weapons.<br>For Japan, India is another source and ally related to its<br>struggle for energy resources. Both powers seek a more active <br>political role in the region and given their common concerns,
<br>but different interests, there is substantial room for <br>cooperation. India arguably has its relationship with Japan to <br>thank for its inclusion in the East Asian Summit. While Japan <br>will be looking for support from New Delhi for its ambitions in
<br>the United Nations and regional multilateral institutions. <br><br>For Abe, whose ideology is close to US neoconservatives, India's<br>democratic credentials have an appeal and the Joint Statement,<br>issued after the visit of Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh visited
<br>Japan in 2006, made solid commitments to 'strategic global <br>partnership': cooperation on security projects such as piracy and <br>terrorism, as well as planning for 'a goodwill exercise' between <br>
Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force and the Indian Navy. The US,
<br>aware of the geopolitical benefits of boosting Indian-Japan <br>defense relations will be hoping that these developments will be<br>built on during the current visit. For its part, India will also <br>be looking to gain Japanese approval for its plans to enter into
<br>a civilian nuclear power agreement. The one major blip in <br>relations between the two in recent history was when India went<br>nuclear in 1998, and Tokyo imposed sanctions. PM Singh will want<br>to treat this issue with sensitivity as he needs Japan's support
<br>in the Nuclear Supplier Group. <br><br>In reality, however, economic motives account for much of the <br>political good will. Crucially, Singh will be wanting to attract more<br>Japanese FDI for infrastructure projects. According to the Indian
<br>embassy in Japan, between 2005 and 2006 Japanese FDI into India<br>doubled to a total of just under 60 billion yen. In terms of <br>portfolio investments, Japan-based banks have upped their<br>involvement: Nomura's Indian Security Investment fund is leading
<br>the way with US$107.7 million worth of assets. (See more details:<br><a href="http://www.in.emb-japan.go.jp/Japan-India-Relations/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.in.emb-japan.go.jp/Japan-India-Relations/
</a><br>JapanActiveEngagement2007.html
)<br><br>Singh will no doubt be asking Abe to push for more FDI and <br>encourage funds by providing further guarantees on export finance<br>and urge institutions such as the Japan Bank for International <br>Cooperation (JBIC) to fund more projects such as metropolitan
<br>transport systems—it has already loaned money for projects in <br>Kolkata and Bangalore. Japan is also involved in financing the <br>construction of new sea ports on the west coast. Increasingly,<br>Japan is beginning to see the Indian market as an opportunity,
<br>and improving economic relations there as hedging against a <br>deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations. <br><br>Beyond the macro level, Abe will be meeting selected delegations<br>of business people and will also be discussing regulatory issues.
<br>India and Japan have a bilateral trade of over US$6.5 billion and<br>their is a good history of commerce between the two. Indian <br>businesses, particularly in the IT sector in Japan have made<br>great strides breaking into the market here in the last decade,
<br>and, according to the India IT Club of Japan, there are <br>almost 100 Indian businesses operating in Japan today. In India,<br>Japan has also long had businesses in the market—Suzuki has been<br>trading there since 1985. Shinsei bank also employed an Indian
<br>company to carry out a major cost cutting initiative in switching<br>reliance on its expensive mainframe computers to open source <br>systems (see Japan Inc No.65 for more details:<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/article.php?articleID=1466" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
http://www.japaninc.com/article.php?articleID=1466</a>)<br><br>In an interview with us about the recent top level visit, Harsh<br>Obrai, President of Kitatec and Director of Strategy at the India<br>IT Club Japan (<a href="http://www.indiaitclub.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
www.indiaitclub.com</a>) told us that he believes that<br>Japanese companies are 'not taking advantage of the possibilities<br>in the Indian market. JETRO and other organizations have done <br>well in educating Indians in both Japanese language and culture,
<br>however, these skills are not being fully exploited.' While he <br>sees high level visits as important in creating the right <br>political and regulatory environment, he says it is up to <br>companies, on both sides, to take the plunge and enter into
<br>more serious commercial dialogue.<br><br>At the cultural level, interaction between the two countries has<br>had some notable exchanges. Most importantly, Buddhism started<br>in India and its Japanese form still bears the marks of this heritage.
<br>Lokesh Chandra, Director of the International Academy of India <br>Culture reminds us that there are multiple temples and shrines in<br>Japan featuring Hindu deities, most commonly Ganesha, and, <br>pagodas, such as that at Senso-ji, in Asakusa are based on
<br>ancient Indian design. In more modern times, the number<br>of Indian restaurants in Japan has increased dramatically, <br>although an interesting article in The Hindu hints that sushi has<br>had a slower start in India. See:
<br><a href="http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/11/27/stories/2004112701440300.htm" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/11/27/stories/2004112701440300.htm</a> <br>
<br>With 2007 being India-Japan Friendship Year the good will on both<br>
sides is at a peak and it is likely that the meeting this week will<br>cement ties even further. <br><br>By Peter Harris<br>Chief Editor, J@pan Inc magazine<br><br>Want to comment? It is now even easier to voice your opinion
<br>than ever before! Visit <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/jin428" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">www.japaninc.com/jin428</a> and click on<br>the 'add a comment' button at the end of the article.
<br>Alternatively you can email it directly to the author at
<br><a href="mailto:peter.harris@japaninc.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">peter.harris@japaninc.com</a><br><br>----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>
Japan's First Family Social Network is here! <a href="http://www.piqniq.jp" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
www.piqniq.jp</a><br><br>Are you raising a family in Japan? Do you speak English?<br>Would you like to meet other English speaking families in<br>your area? Piqniq is a Social Network Service tailored<br>specifically for you!
<br>Our concept is "Families helping Families" and we invite<br>anyone that wants to meet other families, help other families,<br>or discuss family-related issues pertinent to life in Japan<br>to come and join the Piqniq today!
<br><br>For more information: <a href="http://www.piqniq.jp" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">www.piqniq.jp</a><br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>++EVENTS<br>------------------- Tokyo Sinfonia--------------------<br>
<br>Under director Robert R˙ker<br>Tokyo Sinfonia, Tokyo's premier chamber orchestra, is to<br>treat audiences to a series of performances at Oji Hall, Ginza:<br><br>14th September - Symphonies for Strings - Beethoven
<br>Grosse Fugue for Strings, Op. 133<br>Symphony in C Major (from Op.29)<br><br>12th December - Symphonies for Strings - Mozart<br>Adagio and Fugue for Strings, KV 495<br>Symphony for Strings in D Major (from KV.593)<br>
<br>Place: Oji Hall, Ginza<br>Price: Y6000 (single) Y10,000 (pair)<br>Email: <a href="mailto:tokyosinfonia@gol.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">tokyosinfonia@gol.com</a><br>Tel: (03) 3588 0738
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<br>Entrepreneur Association of Tokyo - Tuesday, September 4th<br><br>Speaker: Patrick Newell - Co-founder and Vision Navigator<br>of the Tokyo International School<br><br>September's seminar will take you to Tokyo International
<br>school to witness first-hand the entrepreneurialism and<br>creativity to be found at one of Tokyo's and the world's<br>leading international schools.<br><br>Patrick will share how he has realized his dreams during
<br>the past 10 years, his learning model valid for any<br>organization, vision for schools during the next 10 years<br>and how the collaborative spirit of Wikinomics is changing<br>corporations, industries and communities.
<br><br>Date/Time: Tuesday, September 4th - 7:00 pm<br>Location: Tokyo International School<br>Language: English<br>Website: <a href="http://www.ea-tokyo.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
http://www.ea-tokyo.com</a><br>Email: <a href="mailto:info@ea-tokyo.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
info@ea-tokyo.com</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>RidgeRunner Niseko<br>International Cricket Competition 15-17 September 2007<br><br>This is your invitation to three days of fun at an
<br>international cricket tournament in Niseko being held to<br>the benefit of the Tyler Foundation for Childhood Cancer.<br><br>Cricketing legend Dennis Lillee will be attending the event<br>which is being co-hosted by the Higashiyama Prince Hotel and
<br>includes two days of cricket, a golf match, charity<br>dinner dance and auction.<br>For more information, and the chance to win a<br>dinner with Dennis,<br><br>please visit <a href="http://www.ridgerunner.jp/cricket" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
www.ridgerunner.jp/cricket</a><br>or contact Simon Jackson<br>(<a href="mailto:simon@rad-development.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">simon@rad-development.com</a>, 011-876-3704)
<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>Start a Company in Japan
<br><br>Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar 6th of October, 2007<br><br>If you have been considering setting up your own company,<br>find out what it takes to make it successful.<br>Terrie Lloyd, founder of over 13 start-up companies in Japan,
<br>will be giving an English-language seminar and Q and A on<br>starting up a company in Japan.<br>This is an ideal opportunity to find out what is involved,<br>and to ask specific questions that are not normally answered
<br>in business books.<br>All materials are in English and are Japan-focused.<br><br>For more details: <a href="http://japaninc.com/terrie_lloyd/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://japaninc.com/terrie_lloyd/
</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------
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