Thursday, October 4th, 2018 Walk in Canada, Talk on Japan: Ambassador Shotaro OSHIMA on Japan-Canada economic and business relations

Description

The Centre for the Study of Global Japan hosted a unique opportunity to meet Ambassador Shotaro OSHIMA, Former Economic Minister of the Japanese Embassy in the U.S. and former Ambassador of Japan to South Korea and Saudi Arabia.  Ambassador Oshima was joined by a team of three panelists with backgrounds in business consulting, international finance and one of the top universities in Japan. The ambassador and his team engaged in a stimulating dialogue on the economic and business relationship between Japan and Canada.  

ABOUT THE PROGRAM “Walk in Canada, Talk on Japan” aimed to further develop the Japan-Canada relationship by increasing understanding about Japan in the Canada via grass-roots exchange. Supported by the Prime Minister’s Office in Japan, teams of Japanese citizens of various backgrounds, led by former, high-ranking Japanese diplomats, traveedl to Canada to share their perspectives and encourage open discussions with the local communities. For more background, visit the official website detailing the original "Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan" project here.  

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES Shotaro OSHIMA (Delegation Leader). Ambassador Oshima started his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 1968. Before retiring in March 2008, he served as Japan’s Permanent Representative to the WTO, and as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea. Earlier in his career, he served in embassies in Thailand, the U.S., Israel, and Russia. He also served as the Economic Minister of the Japanese embassy in the U.S., as the Director-General for Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1997-2000), and as the Deputy Foreign Minister responsible for economic matters (2001-2002). He is currently the Chairman of the Institute for International Economic Studies and a Visiting Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.   

Mitsuko TAKAHASHI.  Ms. Mitsuko Takahashi worked as a communications manager at Boeing and UPS for over 20 years, and has spent more than 10 years in total living abroad in India, France, and Russia. She left Boeing in 2014 to participate in a national project to teach Japanese language and culture in Thailand. After her return to Japan in 2015, she established her own company to help Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises go global. Mitsuko will be speaking about her struggles in male-dominated Japanese society as a female business women and how Japanese society is gradually changing for the better.   

Rick LIU. Born in Taiwan, Mr. Rick Liu grew up in Canada from the age of nine and spent most of his teenage years in Vancouver. In 2011 he embarked on a study-abroad adventure in Tokyo and has stayed in the Japanese capital ever since. During his studies at the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo, he became so interested in everyday Japan that he decided to help people settle in the country. He currently works at a local bank, specializing in providing mortgages for foreigners living in Japan. Rick will be speaking on how he came to Japan, the cultural differences he has encountered in Japan, and how Japan has now become his "home".   

Rie SATO.  Ms. Rie Sato is a 23-year-old university student in Tokyo majoring in business law. Last year she went on exchange to Sydney, Australia for a year. In Sydney, she volunteered at a preschool in addition to her university studies. Making the most of her experience, she currently has a part-time job at a language travel agency, where she organizes a program for students who want to study abroad.  Rie will be speaking about how "kimono", the Japanese traditional costume, is not just a traditional costume but a symbol of family.