Japan - US Business News

Keizai Society Shinnenkai 2013

Come celebrate Keizai Society's 23rd anniversary at our Shinnenkai on Friday, January 25th! 

Register Now!

Friday, January 25th, 2013
Program: 6:00 - 10:00 PM
 
Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club
3000 Alexis Drive
Palo Alto, CA 94304

This year Keizai Society will be honoring Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, Hiroshi Inomata, the Consul General of Japan, will lead the tradition of Kagamiwari (sake barrel "breaking") ceremony; and Mike Inouye from NBC Bay Area is the master of ceremony. 

Keizai Society's 2013 theme, "Redesigning US-Japan Business for the Next Generation," underscores the new relationship structures and modes of commerce evolving today between US and Japanese companies. This year's theme also reflects the skyrocketing involvement of young and often entrepreneurial Japanese people in the US-Japan business scene. These trends ensure that both US-Japan business and Keizai Society forums hold many exciting surprises in store for us in 2013.  ______________________________________________________________________________

Keizai Society is a Silicon Valley based business and professional networking organization. Their primary purpose is to provide a venue of programs that showcase specialists with expertise on issues critical to the success of entrepreneurs and companies doing business with Japan and the U.S.

Keizai Society of Silicon Valley event: The Explosion of Japanese Internet Companies in Silicon Valley

 Date:  Thursday, July 19th, 2012  from 6:00 PM - 8:15 PM

 New Location: Oshman Family JCC (Jewish Community Center)
                             Taube Koret Campus, F-401, 4th Floor, Freidenrich Conference Center
                              3921 Fabian Way
                              Palo Alto, CA 94303

Keizai Society's theme for 2012 is "Japan in Transformation" - It encompasses commercial entrepreneurship and new venture formation as well as social entrepreneurship, new patterns of employment, corporate reform and many other critical priorities that are already breathing new life into Japan's business community and its other institutions.

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Keizai Society is a Silicon Valley based business and professional networking organization. Their primary purpose is to provide a venue of programs that showcase specialists with expertise on issues critical to the success of entrepreneurs and companies doing business with Japan and the U.S. 

The relaunch of Japan-US Business News has been pushed back to April of 2012

Japan-US Business News to relaunch with new format in January 2012

The Interpreter's Corner: My Breaking Point

Amya Miller continues to chronicle the day to day struggles of the people and relief efforts in the earthquake and tsunami ravaged areas in Japan...

I have been in Ofunato and Rikuzentakata for a week now and have found myself numb driving past and walking through the immense devastation.  I have been told by the relief workers I am working with that shutting down my emotions is a necessary part of doing my job and while I have struggled with the idea of having to go “robotic” in order to function, I’ve done just that. Until yesterday. 

This, I believe, was the first time in my over twenty years of interpreting that I broke down and cried in front of those for whom I was interpreting.  The combination of humiliation, pain, anger and frustration is a pretty nasty soup of emotions. 

Evidently I'm human.  Evidently I can't go a whole week shutting out my emotions and being strictly professional.  Evidently, all this comes at a price.

The Interpreter's Corner: A Whole New Kind of Interpreting

I arrived in Tokyo last night.  It’s changed.  The streets are darker, lights are out all over the place (rolling blackouts).  Food is available but on my morning walk to the local Lawson to pick up water and milk tea, I noticed maybe a third of the shelves were still empty.

There are also significantly fewer gaijins.  More on that some other day.

I’m finding myself facing a whole new kind of interpreting experience.  I’m heading up north to Ohfunato today for two months.  What am I doing?  I can’t honestly say.  I have been told relief/disaster work is very fluid and organic and things “just sort of evolve” and when I say I don’t understand what that means, I’m met with “you’ll understand once you’re there.”

I’m working with a US-based relief organization that has done this kind of work all over the world.  I tried explaining Japan is anything but fluid and organic but they say they know what they’re doing and are prepared to use the “gaijin card” to get things done if necessary.  I’m prepared to insert myself into this, whatever that means and whatever form it ends up taking, but….

The Interpreter's Corner: Change in Schedule until end of May

Dear All,
 
The Interpreter’s Corner will not be featured on its regular weekly schedule for the next two and a half months.
 
Amya Miller has volunteered with a Boston based relief organization and left yesterday to go to the earthquake and tsunami ravaged area in Japan. She will try to chronicle what she is seeing and doing if she is able to but her primary goal is to be as of much help as she can to the people in these devastated towns in Japan in their time of need. Please keep Japan and her in your thoughts.
 
Below is an excerpt from an e-mail she me prior to leaving:

 
“I am writing today to let you know I will be traveling to Japan on March 30th to volunteer my time as an interpreter and liaison for a relief organization based in Boston.  I will be working in Rikuzentakata and Ofunato, two towns essentially destroyed by the tsunamis.  My plan is to be there until late May.
 
The organization I am going with is called All Hands Volunteers.  You can find out more information about them at www.hands.org.  Because they are a smaller organization, donations get to those in need sooner and less money is taken for overhead.  I know many are looking for practical and tangible ways to donate.  I encourage you to look into hands.org and if you feel comfortable with what they are doing, spread the word to others who are also looking to donate.
 
I won't mince words:  I'm scared.  I also know this is the right thing to do.  I have a supportive family who is saying "go!" and for this, I am grateful.
 
With the media emphasis now on Libya, the news about the devastation in Japan is not as prominent.  I'm disappointed by this and hope to be able to provide you with on-the-ground information whenever possible.
 
Please keep me in your thoughts. I look forward to the time when we can chat again.”
 

I wish Japan and Amya safety and all the very best,

Yvonne Burton
Japan-US Business News