“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity.”
A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens.
As we launch this new publication for the members of the European Business Council we look back on one of the toughest years for business in living memory.
Yet, here we are with a new year, new magazine and a new start. The DPJ-led administration has proclaimed nothing less than “revolution” in business and society. Whether that really happens remains to be seen, but the Japanese economy is growing again. And we have already experienced a measure of something oddly unfamiliar to long-term observers of Japan – optimism.
That’s not to ignore the massive challenges facing Japan, many of which we highlight in this issue. Japan faces a low domestic demand, a shrinking, greying population, and gargantuan public debt. The structural barriers to EU-Japan business are equally formidable. But together Japan and the EU account for 40% of world GDP. For European companies entering the Japanese market or already here, the opportunities are huge. It is the mission of both the EBC and EURObiZ Japan to help those companies do business effectively and profitably.
This new magazine is a tale of 31 countries, 640 million people and the determined work of 17 chambers of commerce and business associations here in Japan. We hope you will join us as we focus on the many important issues, companies and people at the crux of the EU-Japan business relationship.