* * * * * * * * * T E R R I E 'S T A K E * * * * * * *<br>A weekly roundup of news & information from Terrie Lloyd.<br>(<a href="http://www.terrie.com" target="_blank">http://www.terrie.com</a>)<br><br>General Edition Sunday, September 09, 2012, Issue No. 677<br>
<br>+++ INDEX<br><br>- What's New -- Comparing Japanese & Swiss Tourism Efforts<br>- News -- Single mother families hit hard<br>- Upcoming Events<br>- Corrections/Feedback<br>- Travel Picks -- Mt Koya in Wakayama & flowers in Fukuoka<br>
- News Credits<br><br>SUBSCRIBE to, UNSUBSCRIBE from Terrie's Take at:<br><a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie" target="_blank">http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie</a><br><br>BACK ISSUES<br>
<a href="http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take" target="_blank">http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take</a>, or,<br>
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e-mail us at <a href="mailto:info@pbxl.jp" target="_blank">info@pbxl.jp</a> or call us at 03-4550-2557<br><br>----------- PBXL is BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS --------------<br><br>+++ WHAT'S NEW<br><br>In mid-August the government started putting out press <br>
releases about the resurgence in inbound tourism to Japan <br>-- it's a good-news story. Over 845,000 foreigners came <br>here by sky and sea, the second highest number on record <br>after July 2010. The Japan Tourism Agency said a sharp <br>
increase in Chinese travelers (more than 200,000 people, a <br>record) was the main contributing factor, along with other <br>nationalities taking family trips on newly available <br>discount airlines. Mostly the increased visitors came from <br>
China, South Korea, and Taiwan, in that order. Visits from <br>Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam were also well up. <br><br>Actually, South Korean numbers were down because of the <br>Takeshima (Dokdo) islands spat, but the Chinese wave seemed<br>
impervious to inter-governmental jousting over the Senkaku <br>(Diaoyutai/Diaoyu) islands to the west of Okinawa. <br><br>Why the resurgence in numbers? From what we've heard in the<br>industry, the Chinese numbers are due to hugely discounted <br>
trips offered by Chinese travel agencies, as well as the <br>loosening of visa requirements. This seems to be borne out <br>by the fact that Chinese visitor numbers to Okinawa hit a <br>record 18,700, up 770% over July last year. They are most <br>
likely coming in because with a visit to Okinawa, per <br>Japanese government regulations, they can then travel <br>relatively freely in the rest of Japan for the following 3 <br>years. It will be interesting to see the statistics for <br>
Fukushima when they come out, since they have a similar but<br>even more generous provision. <br><br>Also, it should be noted that while all eyes in the tourism<br>industry are on China, in fact the largest contributor to <br>
tourism in Okinawa in July was Taiwan, with 23,200 visits. <br>The JTA thinks the 39% increase of Taiwanese over last year<br>is mainly due to the low-cost airlines starting to operate<br>into Japan and their effect on lowering air travel prices <br>
in general. In our opinion, the Taiwanese are the most <br>reliable and possibly the most valuable repeat tourists to <br>Japan and despite the current fixation on mainland China <br>the Japanese government needs to make a concerted effort to<br>
continue wooing them.<br><br>[Continued below...]<br><br><br>------ ACCJ Journal - Senior Editorial Position Open ------<br><br>The ACCJ is Japan's largest foreign chamber of commerce.<br>Japan Inc. Communications, the publisher of the ACCJ's<br>
in-house magazine, the ACCJ Journal, is looking for <br>someone to fill a senior editorial position. <br><br>The successful candidate needs to have strong writing <br>experience, proven people skills, and the ability to work<br>
on both paper and online to reach our audiences. English<br>native ability is essential, Japanese spoken (JLPT2 or<br>better) would also be an advantage.<br><br>Salary is modest, but the working conditions are good. Visa<br>
sponsorship is possible, however we prefer candidates to <br>already be in Japan.<br><br>Contact the publisher for more information and an <br>interview. <a href="mailto:jobs@japaninc.com" target="_blank">jobs@japaninc.com</a>.<br>
-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br><br>[...Article continues]<br><br>The recovery this year highlights an important point, that <br>it is entirely within the Japanese government's power to <br>increase tourist numbers -- all they need to do is to <br>
remove some of the out-of-date visit restrictions for <br>visitors from formerly third world countries. We were told <br>by a major inbound tour operator in Shinjuku that they have<br>had a huge surge in visitors from Thailand in the last few <br>
months, thanks to easier visa requirements as well as a <br>well-timed tourism campaign. Given the high level of <br>interest in Japan and things Japanese by the populations of<br>S.E. Asia, we see further visa flexibility being used to <br>
open the visitor "tap" even wider, although it is likely to<br>dilute the net worth and spending power of those wanting to<br>visit. Indeed, this is already happening with travelers from <br>China.<br><br>Now that there is so much travel interest in Japan again, <br>
we wonder if the comments about it being too expensive as a<br>holiday destination really hold water? The government had <br>previously identified travel costs as being one of the <br>three big deterrents for candidate travelers and the main <br>
reason why even Korea had higher absolute tourist numbers <br>(ironic given Japan's appealing scenic, commercial, and<br>cultural heritage). We started wondering how other <br>"expensive" destinations cope in drawing tourists and <br>
discovered that Switzerland could be a possible model <br>for Japan's future tourism planning. In fact, we've heard <br>frequent references in the past on how Japan might become <br>the Switzerland of Asia economically, with a <br>
post-industrial economy that punches above its weight. But<br>we've not heard it used in the context of tourism before.<br><br>Actually, the Swiss have a very similar number of inbound <br>tourists each year. In 2010, 8.6m people traveled to that <br>
country, and in Japan the number was 8.3m. Much <br>like Japan, the sources of Switzerland's tourists are <br>nearby countries (Germany, UK, France) and the USA. For <br>both countries, proximity is a big drawing card so long as <br>
you can offer something that the source countries cannot. <br>For the Germans, Switzerland has alpine beauty, great <br>skiing,banking services, and language familiarity. For <br>Japan you could throw in onsens, shopping, and the <br>
ability to buy and bequeath land. Anyway, as a result<br> there were 2.2m Germans traveling to Switzerland in<br> 2010, then 701,000 French (in second place).<br><br>With a population of just 8m people, and 8.6m tourists, it<br>
is not hard to understand why tourism is so important to <br>the Swiss economy. In 2010, about Sfr14.9bn (JPY1.2trn), or<br>2.9% of the nation's GDP came from inbound tourist <br>spending, feeding about about 144,000 workers (3% of the <br>
workforce). Japan estimates its inbound tourist spending at<br>JPY1.15trn for 2010, about the same, although of course <br>this is a much smaller fraction (0.22%) of its GDP. We <br>couldn't find stats on tourism-related workers for the <br>
inbound segment only, but we imagine that since only 5% of <br>Japan's 63,000 hotels, ryokan, and other accommodation <br>providers accept foreigners, it is probably around 200,000 <br>people. We make this assumption because in 2007 up to 6.9% <br>
of the working population (about 4.2m people) were supposed<br>to be involved directly and indirectly with the tourism <br>industry as a whole.<br><br>Then there is the tourism budget of the two countries. In <br>Switzerland the government spends Sfr53m (JPY4.4bn) to <br>
attract foreigners to its borders, and of this Sfr48m <br>(JPY4bn) goes to the inbound marketing arm Swiss Tourism. <br>Swiss Tourism also gets funds from the tourism industry and<br>has a total budget of around Sfr87m (JPY7.2bn). It appears <br>
that almost all of this money goes into inbound marketing <br>and operations. Meanwhile in 2010 in Japan, the JTA's <br>budget for both inbound AND domestic tourism was JPY9.48bn,<br>some JPY1.9bn of which went to the JNTO. The JNTO then <br>
received another JPY1.1bn from private industry. Our guess <br>is that after funding JNTO, the JTA might have 5% of its <br>funds left over for international marketing, meaning that <br>the total inbound market spend for Japan is probably around<br>
JPY4bn.<br><br>What can we learn from this? That the Swiss spend about <br>double what the Japanese do on inbound marketing, thus <br>explaining why they are doing so well in promoting their <br>country abroad. <br><br>But money applied is not the whole story, there is also the<br>
will of each tourist organization to, well, organize. From <br>what we can see of the Swiss, at least for the last 10 <br>years they have focused on ensuring that all parts of the <br>tourism sector are working together to offer a uniformly <br>
good product. Looking at their planning materials (made <br>public on the Internet) you can see that inter-governmental<br>and inter-industry dialog, collaboration, and oversight are<br>very high on their list of priorities. <br>
<br>The Japanese tourism effort in contrast seems to be <br>extremely fragmented and in serious need of oversight by a <br>properly funded organizing body. Of course this is what the<br>JTA is supposed to be, so maybe it's just a matter of time <br>
before things improve. However, from our many discussions <br>with regional governments and local tourism bodies during <br>the course of this year, it seems that there is very little<br>effort being put into bringing Japan's far-flung tourism <br>
interests together and to overcome bureaucratic fiefdoms.<br>For example, why is it that LCCs airlines aren't allowed <br>access to many regional airports around the country?<br> When was the last time you saw an international tourism<br>
promotion and tours to Miyazaki or other
outlying <br>regions? And why are Japanese inn owners still allowed <br>to discriminate guests based on nationality?<br><br>If we look at Switzerland's tourism performance, "hobbled" <br>as it is by an expensive currency, then they must be a <br>
good benchmark for Japanese inbound tourism. If by luck or <br>awareness Japan was to set its sights on performing at the <br>level that Switzerland does, especially given the proximity<br>of major feeder regions such as China, South Korea, and SE <br>
Asia, then our expectation is that Japan should be able to <br>create at least 10 times more income from tourism spending<br>than it does now, and put 3-5 times more employees to work <br>in the sector. If it was to do this, on an income basis <br>
alone, tourism would become bigger than agriculture as an <br>earnings engine for the country. <br><br>This would be a meaningful development and we're sure that <br>those 5,000 or so soon-to-be unemployed Sharp factory <br>
workers would be more satisfied finding their next jobs<br>
serving foreigners sake and sashimi than swatting <br>mosquitoes down in the rice paddies... :-)<br><br>***************<br><br>By the way, if you're in Healthcare and/or IT, you might <br>want to take a gander at the Frost & Sullivan Connected <br>
Health Growth Opportunity Briefing on September 11th. <br>Details appear in the Upcoming Events section below, or you<br>can simply email <a href="mailto:naoko.harada@frost.com" target="_blank">naoko.harada@frost.com</a> directly to get <br>
more information. It's free. Nice to see foreign firms make<br>their knowledge accessible like this.<br><br><br><br>...The information janitors/<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>
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2. Enter your SkyMiles, credit card or eTicket number<br>3. Choose your favorite seat(s), upgrade or pay for excess<br>baggage<br>4. Drop your baggage at the nearest Delta counter<br><br>Please visit <a href="http://delta.com" target="_blank">delta.com</a> for more information.<br>
-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>+++ NEWS<br><br>- ING selling off Japanese insurance assets<br>- Moves to increase senior employment levels<br>- Sharp HQ building up as collateral<br>- Single mother families hit hard<br>
- Goodman Group investing big in Japan<br><br><br>=> ING selling off Japanese insurance assets<br><br>As part of a recovery plan stemming from a government <br>bail-out after the Lehman shock, Dutch insurance firm ING <br>
has decided to sell its Japanese insurance business to Hong<br>Kong's Pacific Century Group. The deal involves 770,000 <br>insurance policy holders in Japan and the business will <br>reportedly sell for some tens of billions of yen. One <br>
problem is that most of the ING policies are guaranteed <br>principle variable annuity contracts, and the company is <br>apparently considering offering customers refunds to reduce<br>their liabilities on the policies. (Source: TT commentary <br>
from <a href="http://e.nikkei.com" target="_blank">e.nikkei.com</a>, Sep 8, 2012)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20120907D0709F03.htm" target="_blank">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20120907D0709F03.htm</a><br>
<br>=> Moves to increase senior employment levels<br>
<br>Although they may not be around much longer, the DPJ has <br>announced a policy committing to increase employment rates <br>for people aged between 60 and 64. Currently 57.3% of that <br>demographic is employed and the government wants to <br>
increase this number to 63%. They have also said that they <br>wish to improve assistance offered to young people and <br>mothers with young children, so as be able to help them <br>find gainful employment, too. ***Ed: There is no sign of <br>
the number of jobs in the economy expanding, so putting <br>nearly-retired people back into the workforce can only push<br>the unemployment down on to younger people who don't have <br>the same personal connections or experience. There really <br>
isn't an easy answer on what to do with the surplus of <br>older workers and once the retirement age is increased to <br>70 (which we think it will be) the situation will only be <br>exacerbated further.** (Source: TT commentary from <br>
<a href="http://e.nikkei.com" target="_blank">e.nikkei.com</a>, Sep 7, 2012)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20120907D07JF353.htm" target="_blank">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20120907D07JF353.htm</a><br>
<br>=> Sharp HQ building up as collateral<br>
<br>With the news this week that Japan's banks are going to act<br>with or without Hon Hai's investment, Sharp is now setting <br>to and providing necessary collateral for JPY150bn of extra<br>loans. First up for mortgage have been the company's Osaka <br>
headquarters building and various factories that are not <br>already earmarked for sale. ***Ed: This is a pretty big <br>loss of face for Sharp and a sign of just how serious <br>things are in the company. Investors have already trashed <br>
Sharp anyway, with shares once again down to around <br>JPY200.** (Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://omanobserver.om" target="_blank">omanobserver.om</a>, Sep <br>07, 2012)<br><br><a href="http://main.omanobserver.om/node/108719" target="_blank">http://main.omanobserver.om/node/108719</a><br>
<br>=> Single mother families hit hard<br><br>The Welfare Ministry has released figures that show in <br>2010, single-mother families had average income of just <br>JPY2.91m, less than half that of families with both parents<br>
present. Furthermore, 47.7% of those disadvantaged families<br>had savings of less than JPY500,000, meaning that they are <br>very vulnerable to sudden financial crises, such as kids <br>getting sick or parents needing hospitalization. Another <br>
interesting statistic was that just 7.5% of the <br>single-mother households were that way because of death of <br>the husband. Rather, divorce was the major contributing <br>factor and yet only 37.7% of these families were receiving <br>
payments from the absent father. ***Ed: The real problem <br>here is that the courts cut the father off from meaningful <br>contact with their children (enforced single-parent custody<br>and all that) and so the Dads feel little compunction to <br>
pay family support. Nor is there effective enforcement <br>either. If the courts were experts in basic psychology, <br>instead of perpetuating their 19th century fantasies about <br>protecting the house name, then Japan's kids would be a lot<br>
happier and healthier for it.** (Source: TT commentary from<br><a href="http://japantimes.co.jp" target="_blank">japantimes.co.jp</a>, Sep 9, 2012)<br><br><a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120909a9.html" target="_blank">http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120909a9.html</a><br>
<br>=> Goodman Group investing big in Japan<br><br>When they first arrived in Japan, Australian logistics <br>property fund, Goodman Group, said they would invest <br>JPY100bn here and they appear to be true to their word. The<br>
company has announced a US$1bn fund partnering with the Abu<br>Dhabi Investment Council, to invest into the Japanese <br>logistics sector. Goodman already has 3 projects worth <br>about US$500m in Japan, and the Goodman Japan Core Fund <br>
will accelerate its activities further. (Source: TT <br>commentary from <a href="http://theaustralian.com.au" target="_blank">theaustralian.com.au</a>, Sep 8, 2012)<br><br><a href="http://bit.ly/PSUc4g" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PSUc4g</a><br>
<br><br>
<br>NOTE: Broken links<br>Many online news sources remove their articles after just a<br>few days of posting them, thus breaking our links -- we<br>apologize for the inconvenience.<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br>
<br>----- ACCJ Journal - Connect to CEOs of MNEs in Japan -----<br><br>Looking to reach out to key decision makers in Japan? With <br>our English & Japanese language ACCJ Journals, we have an <br>open line to CxOs of major American & Japanese companies in<br>
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hope to hear from you soon. For more details, please <br>contact us in English or Japanese at 03-4550-2926 or email <br><a href="mailto:sales@accjjournal.com" target="_blank">sales@accjjournal.com</a>.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>+++ CANDIDATE ROUND UP/VACANCIES<br><br>=> BiOS, a Division of the LINC Media group, is actively<br>marketing the following positions for customers setting up<br>or expanding in Japan, as well as other employers of<br>
bilinguals.<br><br>** HIGHLIGHTED POSITION<br><br>BiOS is urgently looking for a Software Asset Management <br>Officer to join our client, a global bank in Tokyo. The <br>successful candidate will assist the customer in <br>
understanding and controlling software licensing costs, <br>utilize industry best practices in order to stay compliant<br>and avoid licensing problems, expand the client’s licensing<br>opportunities and build more profitable, long term <br>
relationships with the client’s customers.<br><br>Due to the technical nature and demanding work environment,<br>this position is suitable for someone with at least 2 years<br>of software management or similar asset management <br>
experience. In addition, since this role requires direct <br>coordination with both regional and global IT teams, Fluent<br>Japanese and English will be required.<br><br>Remuneration is JPY4.5M – JPY5.5M depending on your <br>
experience and skill level.<br><br>** POSITIONS VACANT<br><br>- Desktop Engineer, international bank, JPY3.6M – JPY5.5M<br>- Data Center Engr, international bank, JPY3.6M – JPY4.8M<br>- Data Center Operator, DC co., JPY3M – JPY3.6M<br>
- Project Manager, international IT co., JPY5.4M - JPY7M<br>- IMAC Engr, international investment firm, JPY 4M – 4.8M<br><br>** BiOS Job Mail<br><br>Every 2 weeks BiOS sends out a regular communication to its<br>job seeking candidates, called BiOS Job Mail. Every edition<br>
carries a list of BiOS's current and most up-to-date<br>vacancies, with each entry featuring a short job<br>description and a direct link to the main entry on the BiOS<br>home page. Regardless of whether you are unemployed and<br>
searching, thinking about a career change, or just curious<br>to know if there is something out there that might suit you<br>better, the BiOS Job Mail newsletter is an easy and<br>convenient way for you to stay informed. If you would like<br>
to register for the BiOS Job Mail, or to find out more,<br>please email <a href="mailto:jason.kisling@biosjp.com" target="_blank">jason.kisling@biosjp.com</a>.<br><br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br><a href="mailto:jason.kisling@biosjp.com" target="_blank">jason.kisling@biosjp.com</a> and check out the BiOS web page<br>
for other jobs: <a href="http://www.biosjp.com/careers.php" target="_blank">www.biosjp.com/careers.php</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br>
<br>+++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS<br><br>-------------- Free Healthcare/IT Seminar -----------------<br><br>Are you in healthcare or IT? Wondering where your job and <br>the industry will be in several years?<br><br>
The Connected Health ecosystem is evolving significantly <br>
and the healthcare industry is increasingly looking at <br>technology as a key enabler for the next level paradigm <br>shift. While this may create new challenges, it also <br>presents opportunities for traditional IT players to <br>
participate in the evolving ecosystem.<br><br>Frost & Sullivan will unveil its latest findings on the Top<br>20 Telehealth Markets by revenue opportunity and <br>transformative potential at the upcoming Connected Health <br>
Growth Opportunity Briefing on September 11, 2012. <br><br>Contact <a href="mailto:naoko.harada@frost.com" target="_blank">naoko.harada@frost.com</a> for information. Space is<br>limited so please contact Naoko to confirm availability.<br>
---------------------------------------------------------<br><br>---------------- Start a Company in Japan -----------------<br><br>Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar 29th of September, 2012<br><br>If you have been considering setting up your own company,<br>
find out what it takes to make it successful. Terrie Lloyd,<br>founder of over 17 start-up companies in Japan, will be <br>giving an English-language seminar and Q&A on starting up <br>a company in Japan.<br><br>This is an ideal opportunity to find out what is involved,<br>
and to ask specific questions that are not normally <br>answered in business books. All materials are in English <br>and are Japan-focused.<br><br>For more details:<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar" target="_blank">http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar</a><br>
-----------------------------------------------------------<br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>+++ CORRECTIONS/FEEDBACK<br><br>In this section we run comments and corrections submitted<br>
by readers. We encourage you to spot our mistakes and<br>amplify our points, by email, to <a href="mailto:editors@terrie.com" target="_blank">editors@terrie.com</a>.<br><br>=> No comments this week.<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br>
<br>+++ TRAVEL DESTINATIONS PICKS<br><br>=> Mt. Koya, Wakayama<br>Japanese Spirituality at its Best<br><br>Hidden away on a mountain plateau that is surrounded by <br>densely forested 1,000 meter peaks, seemingly far away from<br>
the hustle and bustle of Japan’s cities, lies Mt. Koya, <br>also called Koyasan. This is the place where Buddhist monk <br>Kukai, founder of the Shingon branch of Japanese Buddhism, <br>established a mountain monastery in early 800. Over <br>
1,200 years later and Koyasan is still a thriving religious<br>center. <br><br>Located 2 hours by train from Osaka, it is one of Japan’s <br>Shangri-la locations and is not to be missed. Devotees of <br>Shingon Buddhism come on pilgrimages or for religious <br>
training to any one of Koyasan’s over 100 temples or its <br>very own university. Koyasan is located within easy reach <br>of Osaka, and a visit to this mountain monastery can be <br>done as a day-trip. However, we highly recommend staying <br>
overnight in one of the temple lodgings where you will <br>experience the monks’ warm hospitality.<br><br><a href="http://japantourist.jp/view/mt-koya-japanese-spirituality-at-its-best" target="_blank">http://japantourist.jp/view/mt-koya-japanese-spirituality-at-its-best</a><br>
<br>Noko Island Park, Fukuoka<br>A relaxing walk surrounded by beautiful flowers<br><br>I'd never really had an interest in flowers until I <br>arrived at Noko Island Park. Originally a fishing island, <br>the park is now known for its stunning collection of <br>
flowers blooming all-year round. Take my word for it, you <br>won't be disappointed. I went in April and July and I'm <br>pleased to report that it wasn't overcrowded as so many <br>tourist places can be. The whole experience was just <br>
fabulous and very different both times. Be sure to pick up <br>the pamphlet which includes a flower calendar for when you <br>want to visit again.<br><br>As you come out of the entrance, don't be tempted by the <br>tantalizing view of the flower path on your right - take <br>
the left turn for a preview of what's to come. You'll pass <br>a Noko-Noko Ball (golf-croquet) field and see a hill-side <br>of perfectly arranged flowers. Once you've taken your <br>photos, go back and take the right turn to experience a <br>
dream-like stroll through the flower path. It includes an <br>Azalea garden, a Hydrangea garden and Trumpet Daffodils. <br>Many areas are slightly hidden so make sure to walk <br>through all the paths - you don't want to miss a thing!<br>
<br><a href="http://japantourist.jp/view/noko-island-park" target="_blank">http://japantourist.jp/view/noko-island-park</a><br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>***********************************************************<br>
END<br><br>SUBSCRIBERS: 7,889 members as of September 09, 2012<br>(We purge our list regularly.)<br><br>+++ ABOUT US<br><br>STAFF<br>Written by: Terrie Lloyd (<a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com" target="_blank">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>)<br>
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