The Executive Committee of the Chamber’s Young Executives Club (YEC) enjoyed a packed schedule of business meetings and cultural activities in Tokyo during their annual trip.

Led by YEC Chairman Eric Fok, the group of 15 members arrived in Tokyo on 16 May for a four-day visit to explore Japan’s latest smart city and technology innovations, and also take part in social and team-building activities. 

The group visited a number of Japanese companies to learn about their latest innovations – including getting a glimpse of some projects that are not yet on the market. 

Makoto Yoshida, General Manager of Nissan Motor Corporation, explained the company’s R&D objectives in the electric vehicle field. The group also got a close up look at some of the company’s models in development.

NEC and Hitachi demonstrated their cloud computing and Internet of Things technologies and showed members how these applications can be used in a variety of scenarios and contribute to smart city development. 

Japan is well known for its corporate culture and the global success of major companies like Nissan, NEC and Hitachi. But the flip side to this is that the country has faced some challenges in creating an ecosystem for entrepreneurs and start-ups. Members had a meeting with Yoshi Ishii, Director of the New Business Policy Office at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), to discuss this issue and hear how the Japanese government is encouraging new ventures. 

The group also had the opportunity to meet Kohzo Tashima, President of the Japan Football Association and a former international football player, at his office, and visited the Japan Football Museum to learn how the sport has enriched Japan’s reputation internationally. 

On the cultural side, members attended a formal tea ceremony session at the Yokohama Royal Park Hotel, the second tallest building in Japan. Traditional Japanese sweets were served while members observed the formal art of preparing tea. Members enjoyed learning about this key element of Japanese culture, although some reported that they struggled with sitting on the floor with their knees bent for the duration of the session.  

Tea was not the only traditional Japanese beverage on the menu. During a visit to the Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center, General Manager Shuso Imada provided an introduction to sake. Members tasted five different types of this rice wine including sparkling, unpasteurized and matured, and were surprised to learn that there is a wide variety in taste among the different types of sake.  

The Tokyo visit, which was arranged with the help of NEC Corporation and JETRO Hong Kong, was the YEC Executive Committee’s second annual trip, following the visit to Nansha in Mainland China last year. These visits have proved to be a great success in building relationships and creating the foundations for lasting friendships among YEC members. 

Executive Committee members said the experience of this trip would help them to plan more fun and interesting activities to engage members and build friendships while cultivating constructive networks.