Nippon Export Award 2022-2023 Call for Applications
2022-08-31 00:00 (Asia/Tokyo)
The BLCCJ is relaunching the 11th edition of the Nippon Export Award (NEA).
The NEA is an initiative of the BLCCJ to reward those SMEs or large companies that have made significant achievements in exporting to Japan, importing into Japan, or distributing within Japan, Belgian-Luxembourg products or services.

The winning company will receive an award, will be allowed to mention “Winner of the NEA 2022-2023” on all their documents, and will be granted use of the NEA logo.

The winner will also benefit from:
-The possibility to invite guests/business contacts to the Award ceremony
–Media attention: local media are invited to the Award ceremony and encouraged to write articles on the Nippon Export Award and its recipient
–Special feature coverage on the BLCCJ website and social media

If you are interested, please fill out the attached questionnaire, and send us a presentation of your company.
The application deadline is Wednesday 31 August 2022.

You can find more details in the attached outline, and on the website.
Note: for the purpose of this year’s NEA selection, any impact -positive or negative- caused by COVID-19, will be taken into consideration in the evaluation.

If you would know Belgian/Luxembourg or Japanese companies that are eligible for participation in the NEA competition, please do not hesitate to circulate the information to them. This competition is open to BLCCJ members and non-members.

May the best one win!

September beer gathering @ BBW Toyosu
2022-09-16 - 2022-09-25
On 16 September Belgian Beer Weekend will kick off in Toyosu!
CITABRIA BAYPARK
9.16 (Fri.) – 9.25 (Sun.)
weekdays 16:00 – 21:00
weekend, holidays 11:00 – 21:00
https://belgianbeerweekend.jp/en/toyosu
The BLCCJ will hold its September beer gathering on Tuesday 20 September from 18:00.
If you plan to join us, please send an email “I plan to join” to info@blccj.or.jp, so we can have an idea of the number of people to expect.
You will need to purchase a BBW 2022 Starter Set (glass and tokens) (if you already have a glass, you can just purchase tokens).
Since the number of tickets available per day is limited based on the capacity of the venue, and in order to reduce waiting and check-in time at the registration desks, we recommend you buy your tickets in advance via Rakuten Ticket or at FamilyMart.
All BLCCJ members will receive 2 tokens for free – please ask BLCCJ office’s Sophie or Madoka at the venue.
Come join us for a “Bayside Chill” in one of Tokyo’s hotspots with a great selection of Belgian beers and food!

Asian BeLux Chambers webinar on Sustainable Construction
2022-09-30 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
We would like to invite to our next webinar in the framework of the BeLuxEur Chambers in Asia, this time hosted by our colleagues of BLCC Singapore:
SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
Smart and Sustainable buildings: from Brussels, the Capital of Europe, to Asia

By definition, sustainability in construction is about creating projects which have positive outcomes for the society and the environment. As we go deep into building sustainable cities, we take a step back to speak to industry experts as we ask ourselves how sustainability is ranked in the construction industry.
In this webinar our panel of speakers include industry leaders who are experts in their fields across Belgium and Asia. The speakers will share the pillars, elements, principles, methods, designs, benefits and goals as well as examples of sustainable/green construction.

SPEAKERS:
Joy Esther Gai – Founder, Joy of Sustainability | World Green Building Council Asia Pacific Programmes Head | Master Certified Coach (MCC)
Derek Harnett – Chief Operating Officer | Switch Automation
Sebastian Moreno-Vacca – Administrateur, A2M architects
Sophia Slingerland – Dipl.-Ing., architect
Sunita van Heers – Managing Director, founder at SuReal

EVENT DETAILS:
Friday 30 September 2022
18:00-19:00Japan time
In English
Free of charge
Members only

If you are interested, please send an email to info@blccj.or.jp by Friday 30 September noon JST, and we will confirm your registration.
If your registration is accepted, you will receive an email with a Zoom invitation link on the day of the event.

We hope to welcome many BLCCJ members at this webinar!

SCCIJ-BLCCJ Tennis Gathering & BBQ Dinner
2022-10-08 12:00 - 20:30
The Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (SCCIJ) and the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BLCCJ) are thrilled to announce their very first joint Tennis Gathering, to be held this autumn at the Showa-no-Mori Tennis Center in Tokyo! Not a fan of tennis? Simply join us for the outdoor BBQ Dinner that follows!
Game, set, match! Taking place in Akishima, in the western suburb of Tokyo, this event is the ideal occasion to invite your colleagues, business partners, or friends for a day out on the courts and to practice your game while networking with the Swiss-Belgian-Luxembourg-Japanese business community.
Join us for a fun tennis afternoon in a casual and relaxed atmosphere, followed by an outdoor BBQ Dinner later in the evening!
Already busy on that day? Participation in tennis only or BBQ only is also possible.
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, October 8, 2022
Time:

12:00〜16:00 (Tennis)
17:00〜20:30 (BBQ Dinner)

Venue: Showa-no-Mori Tennis Center (昭和の森テニスセンター)
600 Tanakacho, Akishima, Tokyo 196-0014 (MAP)
Fee:
• BLCCJ/SCCIJ Members:
– Tennis & BBQ Dinner: JPY 12’000
– Tennis only: JPY 4’500
– BBQ only: JPY 9’000

Non-Members:

– Tennis & BBQ Dinner: JPY 14’000
– Tennis only: JPY 5’500
– BBQ only: JPY 10’000
Fee includes:
– Tennis: access to courts & facilities (spa, changing rooms, lockers, etc.), tennis balls, refreshments;
– BBQ: Outdoor BBQ Dinner, free-flow drinks service (2 hours).

Registration:
To register, please send your full name, company name and title to info@blccj.or.jp
You will need to arrange payment in advance by bank transfer (no cash payments). We will send the bank details in the confirmation email.
Deadline for registration is Thursday 29 September, 17:00 or when spots are full.
*No-shows/cancellations after the deadline will be charged in full.*
*Due to social distancing measures, members will be prioritized.*
*For the BBQ Dinner, tennis players will be prioritized.*
*Please inform us of dietary restrictions if any.*
Dress code: Tennis outfit for the afternoon (no “white dress” code); casual for dinner.
Format/Rules: Singles or doubles, depending on the number of participants. All players will be able to play various times with different partners.
Remarks:

Participants must be at least 18 years of age.
Participants are requested to use their own equipment or to rent some at the tennis club (prior reservation needed). Tennis balls will be provided. For equipment rental, please see this page.
The SCCIJ & BLCCJ reserve the right to postpone or cancel this event depending on COVID-19-related governmental requests or due to poor weather conditions. Should that be the case, registered participants will be notified immediately.

Inquiries: BLCCJ: info@blccj.or.jp or SCCIJ: info@sccij.jp

European Joint Chamber Cocktail 2022 - SOLD OUT!
2022-10-18 00:00 | The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon, Japan
The next edition of the traditional European Joint Chamber Cocktail will be held this year on Tuesday 18 October at The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon.
The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan is taking the lead in the organization, 13 Chambers of Commerce inc. BLCCJ are joining.

This year, we will also take the occasion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the European Business Council.

So come and join the must-attend event of the year for networking with business people from several Chambers of Commerce, and be part of the celebration with fine food and free-flow drinks!

Date Tuesday 18 October
Time 19:00 to 21:00 (registration starts at 18:30)
Venue The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon
Admission fee (to be paid by bank before 7 October)
JPY 8,000 BLCCJ Members
JPY 12,000 Non-members

BLCCJ spots are limited to 15, first-come first serve.
Due to limited spots, we limit to max. 2 persons per company.
To register, please send your full name, company name and title to info@blccj.or.jp
We will confirm if you are on the guest list or on the waiting list.
You will need to arrange payment in advance by bank transfer (no cash payments). We will send the bank details in the confirmation email.
Deadline for registration is Friday 7 October, 17:00 or when seats are full.
Any cancelation after 7 October or no-shows will be charged in full.

PARTICIPATING CHAMBERS:

Austrian Business Council
Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Japan
British Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Danish Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Japan
French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan
German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan
Greek Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Norwegian Chamber of Commerce in Japan
South-African Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan
Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan

We look forward to meeting several of you at the event!

October beer gathering
2022-10-24 19:00 - 22:00 | BBC Antwerp Port, Akasaka Intercity AIR Bldg. 1F, 1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052, Japan
We are happy to inform you of our next Monthly Beer Gathering, which will be held on Monday 24 October.
We will be going back to Belgian Brasserie Court ANTWERP PORT.
The exact address is as follows:
Belgian Brasserie Court Antwerp Port
Akasaka Intercity AIR Bldg. 1F
1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Telephone: 03-5570-5557
Access map and other information:
https://www.intercity-air.com/
https://www.intercity-air.com/shoplist/shop/15
Closest station are Tameike-sanno (Ginza and Namboku lines, exit 14) and Kokkaigijido-mae (Chiyoda and Marunouchi lines, exit 14). Also 10-minutes walking distance from Kamiyacho, Roppongi-itchome and Toranomon stations.
You can find us there from 19:00 onwards.
The event is open to everybody, so feel free to bring along your friends and colleagues.
For BLCCJ members the first beer is free of charge!
We look forward to welcoming many of you!

BLCCJ Gala 2022
2022-11-11 18:30 - 23:00 | Conrad Tokyo, Shiodome, 1 Chome-9-1 Higashishinbashi, Minato City, Tokyo, 105-7337, Japan
We are pleased to announce the annual BLCCJ Gala, which will take place this year on Friday 11 November, from 6.30 pm, at the prestigious Conrad Tokyo hotel.
In the presence of Belgian Ambassador Roxane de Bilderling and Luxembourg Ambassador Pierre Ferring, we are time-travelling and looking 100 years back on Belgian & Luxembourg milestones that have a lasting impact today and beyond.
Attached you can find the application form. The application deadline is 1 November or when seats are full.
If you wish to show your support to our Chamber by sponsoring a raffle prize, please send us back the attached sponsor sheet by Friday 28 October.
We are very much looking forward to welcoming you at the annual gala!

Meet the new BLCCJ Members
2022-11-22 18:30 - 19:30 | Online
We are happy to invite you to a next edition of our:
“Meet the BLCCJ Members”

The past months we have welcomed several new corporate members into the BLCCJ network. 3 of them will present themselves to you at our next online meet-and-greet: JERA, represented by Mitsuki Sasaki; Moro Global, represented by Marios Papanikolopoulos; and Port Cities, represented by Stanislav Belooussov.

After the presentations we will organize a Q&A session allowing you to interact directly with the BLCCJ members.

Join us for this casual meet-and-greet and expand your network!

Event details:
Tuesday 22 November
18:30-19:30 Japan time / 10:30-11:30 Belgian-Luxembourg time
Free of charge
Presentations will be in English
Members-only

If you are interested, please send an email to info@blccj.or.jp before 22 November noon, and we will confirm your registration.
This webinar will be conducted via Zoom Meetings. If your registration is accepted, you will receive the Zoom invitation link and passcode on the day itself.

We look forward to seeing many of you at this online meet-and-greet!

BLCCJ Starters Jeudredi
2022-11-24 19:00 - 21:30 | BBC Antwerp Port, Akasaka Intercity AIR Bldg. 1F, 1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052, Japan
Dear Starters, Young Professionals, Students and Japan-Belgium-Luxembourg Friends,

The BLCCJ Starters are delighted to invite you to their first Jeudredi event on November 24th at BBC Antwerp Port in Toranomon.

With the opening of the borders, we are lucky and happy to welcome many newcomers from Belgium and Luxembourg to Japan. Don’t miss this opportunity to mingle with the BeLux community in Japan around beers and frites and make sure to fill the form below: https://forms.gle/bEyTdbm9T1hxPTm68

To mark the occasion, registered students will receive a free Belgian beer upon presentation of a valid student ID as a welcome drink (conditions apply, see below for more information).

For more information regarding future Jeudredi events, feel free to join our BeLux community in Japan on Facebook or contact us at starters@blccj.or.jp.

Sincerely,
Sam and Kevin
Your BLCCJ Starters Organizers

Eligibility for a free beer as a registered student
* You are 20 years old or older
* You are a Belgium or Luxembourg student attending a university or language school in Japan, or you are a Japanese student having attended a school in Belgium or Luxembourg.

POSTPONED to early 2023 : The EU Digital Services Package: An interdisciplinary Workshop
2022-12-07 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
The German Chamber AHK Japan would like to invite you to a webinar on the EU Digital Services Package with practical advice on the complex legal and IT challenges of the digital market.
Atsumi Sakai Janssen and ENDEAVOR SBC will decipher what this digital legislation and regulation for the single market of EU (comprising of 27 countries with a population of ca. 450 million) means and how it is meant to prepare the EU for the challenges of the rapidly unfolding digital industries.
This is insightful not only with regards to the large digital players and platform providers (gatekeepers), but specifically also to all providers of any digital services with substantial connection to the EU.

About the event
With the new landmark legislation of the EU Digital Services Package, EU has entered the next large phase of digital legislation. It intends to actively regulate the ways of doing digital business to increase and support competition and regulates the digital markets with obligations for large players and rights for smaller players and users, while the GDPR (as well as the APPI, the Japanese Act on Protection of Personal Information) only protects the rights of the individual to its data with defensive regulation.
While it directly regulates services provided to the EU digital market only, Japanese companies with contact to the EU should carefully review the new obligations and, in extension, proactively evaluate business opportunities based on the newly established rights. Likewise, EU enterprises operating in Japan should use the opportunity to guide Japanese partners and monitor Japanese competitors as well.
At the end of the presentations, the speakers will offer concise steps for Japanese and for EU Enterprises to prepare themselves for this new legislation and the digital markets formed by them, which comprise the huge single market of EU.

Speakers
Atsumi Sakai Janssen (ASJ):
Inga Zillmer, Senior Of-Counsel at ASJ; Ulrich Hildenbrand, Senior Of-Counsel at ASJ; Markus Janssen, Founder and managing partner of ASJ
Endeavor SBC – CEO:
Wolfgang Bierer, Founder and CEO of Endeavor SBC

Event Details
Date: Wednesday 7 December 2022
Time: 16:00 – 17:30 JST | 08:00 – 09:30 JST
Zoom Webinar
Free of Charge
Members only
If you are interested, please send an email to info@blccj.or.jp before Monday 5 December 17:00 JST, and we will confirm your registration.
If your registration is accepted, you will receive the Zoom invitation link and passcode on the day itself.

We hope that many BLCCJ members will join this webinar workshop!

Bonenkai beer gathering @ BBW Shinjuku
2022-12-08 19:00 - 22:00 | Shinjuku Sumitomo Building Sankaku Hiroba, 2-6-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan
Belgian Beer Weekend (BBW) will again organize an indoor winter edition in Shinjuku!
Shinjuku Sumitomo Building Sankaku Hiroba
12.6 (Tue.) – 12.11 (Sun.)
weekdays 16:00 – 22:00
weekend 11:00 – 21:00
https://belgianbeerweekend.jp/en/shinjuku

The BLCCJ will be holding its bonenkai beer gathering here on Thursday 8 December from 19:00!

If you plan to join us, please reply “I plan to join” to this email. So we can have an idea of the number of people to expect, and the BBW organizers can reserve us a spot (we will inform of exact location later).

You will need to purchase a BBW 2022 Starter Set (glass and tokens) (if you already have a glass, you can just purchase tokens).
In order to reduce waiting and check-in time at the ticketing counters, we recommend to buy your tickets in advance via Rakuten Ticket or Family Mart:
https://belgianbeerweekend.jp/en/tickets

All BLCCJ members will receive 2 tokens for free – please ask BLCCJ office’s Sophie or Akiko at the venue.

Come join us for our bonenkai beer gathering at a Christmassy BBW with a great selection of Belgian beers and food!

BLCCJ Annual General Meeting 2022
2022-12-14 18:30 - 19:30 | Embassy of Belgium in Tokyo, 5-4 Nibancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0084, Japan
Dear BLCCJ members,
The President and the Board of Directors of the BLCCJ are pleased to invite you to the Annual General Meeting, which will be held as follows:

Date & Time: Wednesday 14 December 2022 from 6:30PM to 7:30PM
Venue: Belgian Embassy in Japan
5-4 Nibancho, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 102-0084
The agenda of the AGM will be as follows:
• Activity report 2022 YTD
• Closing of books 2022 YTD
• Activity proposals 2023
• Budget 2023

Last year you agreed on the attached BLCCJ constitution revision which stipulates that the BLCCJ Board of Directors is elected every 2 years. This means that the mandate our Board of Directors received in December 2021 will continue for 1 more year. So there will be no directors’ election in 2022 (the next election will take place in December 2023).
However, since this annual meeting is mainly meant to inform our members in detail about what we have been doing this year and what we plan to do next year, we very much want to request your presence.

As usual, we foresee a dinner after the AGM. We have booked at Aux Bacchanales Kioicho (JPY 8,000 pp) from 7:45PM till 10PM.
Please kindly indicate your attendance or non-attendance to the dinner in the attached registration form.

Attachments are:
• Convocation letter/registration form – please send them back by 8 December
• Proxy nomination form
• Current constitution (revised in 2021)

We hope to see you at this year’s General Assembly!

The BLCCJ office

New Year Party 2023
2023-01-18 18:30 - 22:00 | Le Petit Tonneau Toranomon, 2-1-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-0001, Japan
Let’s start 2023 in a festive manner with our annual New Year Party!
As tradition prescribes, we are returning to Le Petit Tonneau Toranomon on Wednesday 18 January, from 18:30 onwards.

A cocktail reception with Luxembourg wine and Belgian beers, a tasty 3-course menu, and the good company of friends and business partners from the Belgian-Luxembourg-Japanese community, all the ingredients for a fun night!

EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Wednesday 18 January 2023
Time: cocktail from 18:30 / dinner from 19:30 / end at 22:00
Venue: Le Petit Tonneau Toranomon
Fee: JPY 10,000 BLCCJ members / JPY 12,000 non-members
(this includes dinner, drinks till 22:00 and service)

Menu*: quiche flamande prepared with leek and beer / boudin blanc** with mushrooms and sauteed apples, served with fries / Liege waffle with red fruits served with coffee/tea
(*Please inform us in advance if you have any food restrictions.)
(** This can be replaced by steak if given in advance notice.)

Seats will be limited to 80, first come first serve.
To register, please send the full name, company name and title of all your attendees to info@blccj.or.jp and we will send a confirmation email.
Deadline for registration is Friday 13 January, or when seats are full.

We kindly ask you to arrange payment by Friday 13 January by bank transfer. We will send the bank details in the confirmation email.
(Any cancelation after 13 January or no-shows will be charged in full.)

We look forward to seeing you again in the new year!

BeLux Business Talk with AppTweak
2023-02-09 12:00 - 14:00 | Dynasty, Hilton Tokyo, 6-6-2 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan
In 2023 we are relaunching our Belux Business Talks luncheon events!
The first luncheon of 2023 will put a spotlight on our Nippon Export Award winner AppTweak.
AppTweak is the leading App Store Optimization (ASO) tool driven by data science. The company empowers mobile leaders such as Amazon, Yelp and Adobe to grow their apps and games with actionable insights in a simple interface.
AppTweak has been awarded the “Best ASO Tool” by the App Growth Awards community, was recognized for the Deloitte’s Most Sustainable Growth Award in Deloitte Belgium’s Fast 50 competition, and won the BLCCJ Nippon Export Award competition in 2022.
Do you want to know more about ASO, apps, the reason why this company is doing so well, and what it takes to become a BLCCJ Nippon Export Award winner? Then join our upcoming luncheon event and hear directly from Natsuhi Yasuda, Rina Yoshida and Karin Masuda of AppTweak Japan.
There will be ample time for Q&A during the lunch.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Thursday 9 February
Time: 12:00-14:00 (doors open 11:45)
Venue: Dynasty restaurant, Hilton Tokyo 2F
Language: English
Fee: JPY 5,000 (price of the lunch)
Number of participants is limited to 25, first-come, first-serve
To register, please send your full name, company name and title to info@blccj.or.jp and we will send a confirmation email.
Also inform us if you have any food restrictions or food allergies.
Deadline for registration is Monday 6 February 17:00 or when seats are full.
We kindly ask you to arrange payment by 6 February by bank transfer. We will send the bank details in the confirmation email.
(Any cancelation after 6 February or no-shows will be charged in full.)
We look forward to welcoming you at the luncheon!

7th Inter-Chamber Ski-Snowboard-Onsen Networking Retreat
2023-02-18 | Lotte Arai Resort, Niigata
Skiing, snow, onsen, fun, race, family and friends – the 7th Inter-Chamber Ski Race and Networking Retreat, Lotte Arai resort, Niigata
Now is the perfect time to plan your winter weekend ski or snowboard trip for February!
We could extend the preferential rates for accommodation at the Lotte Arai Resort for bookings up to 15 January – take advantage of it and book now!
We are also inviting companies to become sponsors of this event, either as main sponsor for the event / networking evening or for sponsoring raffle prizes – don’t miss out on this opportunity!
Company give-aways, new products, promotional items are welcome!
Open for registration
Networking at a mountain retreat while enjoying a good time with friends, family and business contacts is the promise of the Inter-Chamber Ski Race series. Open also to snowboarders and onsen lovers, it brings together members of foreign business chambers in Japan, members of the Japanese business community, contacts from Niigata and friends of Alpine winter sports.
Supporting chambers include the chambers from Austria, Belgium-Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany, Spain and Switzerland.
The event location is the refurbished Lotte Arai Resort in Myoko, Niigata, a popular destination in Japan with high snow security and a range of available facilities besides the mountain slopes.
The race in the morning of February 18 is a two-runs, painless giant slalom catering to all levels of skiers. We also have a snowboard race and welcome any snowboarders to participate!
As the race finishes in the morning, the afternoon is at everyone’s disposal to do skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing or enjoying one of the many local hot spas (onsen). The evening award and networking party brings together some 100 people including race participants, their families and friends and business contacts.
Attending the race or the evening party are NOT mandatory, you are welcome to just attend the race or just the evening party.
All details, the registration and online payment forms are available at the event website:
https://www.abc-jpn.net/event/7th-inter-chamber-ski-race
Registration for the event does NOT include accommodation.
Accommodation can be arranged freely by participants themselves, fitting their needs as families, groups of friends or single participants.
For bookings until 15 January, the rates published at the event website above apply. The website also explains how to book these rooms.
Please do not hesitate to share this information or the attached event flyer with your friends, family or business contacts. The more, the merrier!
For details, talk to Arnold or Mami of the Austrian Chamber (not BLCCJ!):
Tokyo@advantageaustria.org, 03-3403-1777.

February beer gathering
2023-02-20 19:00 - 22:00 | L Abreuvoir, Daiaparesu Masago 102, 4-5-9 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
We are happy to inform you of our first Beer Gathering of the year, which will be held on Monday 20 February.
After a long time we are going back to L’ABREUVOIR トラフ, the bar run by Belgian and BLCCJ member Laurent Coens.
The bar can accommodate up to 35 people, so it will be reserved just for us.
There is a large selection of Belgian beers, and the bar will prepare some snacks for us.
The exact address is as follows:
L’abreuvoir トラフ
Daiaparesu Masago 102, 4-5-9 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033
https://www.facebook.com/labreuvoirtokyo/
It is a short walk from Hongo-sanchome station (Marunouchi line and Toei Oedo line).
You can find us there from 19:00 onwards. As always the event is open to everybody, but for BLCCJ members the first beer is free of charge.
Looking forward to seeing you there!

BLCCJ Starters Jeudredi
2023-03-02 19:00 - 22:00 | BBC Antwerp Port, Akasaka Intercity AIR Bldg. 1F, 1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052, Japan
Dear Starters, Young Professionals, Students, and Japan-Belgium-Luxembourg Friends,

The BLCCJ Starters are delighted to invite you on March 2nd at 19:00 to the second edition of their Jeudredi event, at BBC Antwerp Port in Toranomon (map).

In 2023, we are lucky and happy to welcome many newcomers from Belgium and Luxembourg, so don’t miss this opportunity to mingle with the BeLux community in Japan around beers and frites!

To participate, make sure to fill the form below:
https://forms.gle/HidTXxdAL1HduS3e9

For more information regarding future Jeudredi events,

feel free to join our BeLux community in Japan on Facebook or contact us at starters@blccj.or.jp

Sincerely,
Sam and Kevin
Your BLCCJ Starters Organizers

Women s Day speaker event
2023-03-08 19:00 - 21:00 | L Espace @ CCIFJ, Nihonbashi Honcho YS Bldg. 1F, 2-2-2 Nihonbashi Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0023, Japan
UPDATE: besides the earlier announced speakers of Croda, Kyowa and YSLA, we will also welcome the VP, Chief HR Officer at Mitsubishi Chemical Group, and the Head of Osaka Expo 2025 at GL Events! Don’t miss them!!

Joining Forces on International Women’s Day 2023 to #EmbraceEquity

BLCCJ is proud to be marking International Women’s Day 2023 with this #EmbraceEquity event, hosted in collaboration with the British (BCCJ), French (CCIFJ) and Spanish (SpCCJ) Chambers of Commerce in Japan.

International Women’s Day (IWD) – celebrated annually on March 8 – is a global initiative that celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity in, among other places, the public and private sectors.

This year’s global theme is #EmbraceEquity. Equity might look different for every organisation, depending on size and resources, which is why this year we are teaming up with three other foreign chambers of commerce in Japan to hear from cross-industry leaders of very different backgrounds, on what it truly means to embrace equity within their organisations, and what processes they have in place to create the mindsets and practices needed to create an equitable workplace environment.

As panelists we are pleased to invite Anne-Lin Rey, Sales Project Director / Head of Osaka Expo 2025, GL Events; Hiroko Suzuki, President & CEO, Kyowa Industrial Co; Junko Kubokawa, CEO, Croda Japan (and BCCJ DEI taskforce head); Natalia Sanz Laviña, CEO, YSLA Architects (10 years working with Kengo Kuma); and Tomoyo Hiraoka, VP, Chief HR Officer, Mitsubishi Chemical Group. Moderator will be Regis Arnaud, journalist and Editor in chief, France Japon Eco. They will share their insights on the topic, acknowledging the work already being done in organisations and communities to respond to workplace inequities, and addressing what the key roles are for individuals, corporates and governments in pushing the agenda forward and taking the strides needed to truly advance gender equity in the future.

Everyone is welcome!
Can men attend this event? YES! Now, more than ever, there’s a groundswell to normalise gender parity. It is incumbent upon us all to make sure that, working in tandem with member firms, we lead the charge towards a more inclusive workplace that will benefit men and women alike.

EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Wednesday 8 March 2023
Time: 19:00-21:00 (doors open at 18:30)
1 hour panel, 1 hour networking
Venue: L’espace @ CCIFJ
Nihonbashi Honcho Ys Bldg. 1F, 2-2-2 Nihonbashi Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0023
Fee: JPY 5,000 members / JPY 7,000 non-members
(this includes drinks and finger food)
Seats for BLCCJ are limited to 25, first come first serve.
To register, please send the full name, company name and title of all your attendees to info@blccj.or.jp and we will send a confirmation email.
Deadline for registration is Friday 3 March 5:00pm or when seats are full.
We kindly ask you to arrange payment by 3 March 5:00pm by bank transfer. We will send the bank details in the confirmation email.
(Any cancelation after 3 March or no-shows will be charged in full.)

With many thanks to BLCCJ flagship member AB InBev for sponsoring Belgian beer for the event!

March beer gathering
2023-03-20 19:00 - 22:00 | BBC Antwerp Port, Akasaka Intercity AIR Bldg. 1F, 1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052, Japan
We are happy to inform you of our next Monthly Beer Gathering, which will be held on Monday 20 March.
We will be going back to Belgian Brasserie Court ANTWERP PORT.
The exact address is as follows:
Belgian Brasserie Court Antwerp Port
Akasaka Intercity AIR Bldg. 1F
1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Telephone: 03-5570-5557
Access map and other information:
https://www.intercity-air.com/
https://www.intercity-air.com/shoplist/shop/15
Closest station are Tameike-sanno (Ginza and Namboku lines, exit 14) and Kokkaigijido-mae (Chiyoda and Marunouchi lines, exit 14). Also 10-minutes walking distance from Kamiyacho, Roppongi-itchome and Toranomon stations.
You can find us there from 19:00 onwards.
As always the event is open to everybody, but for BLCCJ members the first beer is free of charge.
We look forward to welcoming many of you!

Meet the BLCCJ Members
2023-04-04 18:30 - 19:30 | Online
We are happy to invite you to a next edition of our:
“Meet the BLCCJ Members”
This time we will hear from long-time corporate member Materialise Japan, represented by Jo Anseeuw; new corporate member Japan Card Products, represented by Rob Van Nylen; and new professional member AGC Industrial Solutions, represented by Elza Torchet.
After the presentations we will organize a Q&A session allowing you to interact directly with the BLCCJ members.
Join us for this casual meet-and-greet and expand your network!
EVENT DETAILS:
Tuesday 4 April
18:30-19:30 Japan time / 11:30-12:30 Belgian-Luxembourg time
Free of charge
Presentations will be in English
Members-only
If you are interested, please send an email to info@blccj.or.jp before 4 April 17:00 JST, and we will confirm your registration.
This webinar will be conducted via Zoom Meetings. If your registration is accepted, you will receive the Zoom invitation link and passcode on the day itself.
We look forward to seeing many of you at this online meet-and-greet!

CLIC Networking Event: Cosentino
2023-04-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Cosentino City Tokyo Showroom, 6-4-14 Minami-aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0062, Japan
After a long hiatus the BLCCJ is happy to announce the next networking event in the “CLIC” series. CLIC is a loose organization of 11 smaller European Chambers of Commerce in Japan (Austrian, Belgian-Luxembourg, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Icelandic, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish and Swiss).
This time we will invite as a speaker Mr. Mamoru Seko, General Manager of Cosentino Japan.
Just 40 years ago, Cosentino Group, a family-owned company that produces and distributes high-value innovative surfaces, began its first international operations with a small team of 17 people. Today the group employs more than 5,000 people worldwide, and more than 90% of Cosentino Group’s financial turnover comes from international markets.
Cosentino bases its development on international expansion, an innovative research and development program, respect for the environment and sustainability, and its ongoing corporate commitment to society and the local communities where it operates, education, equality and health & safety.
The company has changed the way its products engage with the architecture and design ecosystem through the Cosentino City Showroom. Located in the city centre in key design capitals around the globe, since 2022, they are also in Tokyo.

EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Thursday 13 April
Time: 19:00-21:00 (doors open 18:30)
Venue: Cosentino City Tokyo Showroom, Aoyama
イノックス青山 6-4-14 Minami-aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
Fee: JPY 6,000 members / JPY 8,000 non-members (incl. finger food and drinks)
To register, please send your full name, company name and title to info@blccj.or.jp and we will send a confirmation email.
Deadline for registration is Monday 10 April 17:00.

We kindly ask you to arrange payment by 10 April 17:00 by bank transfer. We will send the bank details in the confirmation email.
(Any cancelation after 10 April or no-shows will be charged in full.)

We hope to see many of you at the event!

Belgian Beer and Food Academy in Tokyo IX
2023-04-18 18:30 - 21:30 | Fuji room, Hilton Tokyo, 6-6-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan
Join us for the next Belgian Beer and Food Academy in Tokyo, a culinary experience you do not want to miss.

Once again Hilton Tokyo Executive Chef Martial Diffor and his team will create a special menu featuring typical Belgian food products, and our beer expert Jan De Bock will guide you through the Belgian beer selection of the evening.

It will be a unique combination of Belgian food and beers that you will not be able to taste anywhere else, making this event not only a must for F&B professionals and lovers of Belgian beer and food, but also a great occasion to invite your business contacts and friends.

EVENT DETAILS
Date: Tuesday 18 April 2023
Time: 18:30-21:30

Registration and aperitif from 18:30 till 19:15
Presentations about the menu and Belgian beers
4-course dinner from 19:45 till 21:30

Location: Hilton Tokyo, Fuji room (3F)
Fee: JPY 15,500 (members and guests) / JPY 18,000 (non-members)

You can find the menu and beer selection in the attachment.
*We can arrange tables for you and your guests; 1 table seats 8 people.
*Please inform us in advance if you have any food restrictions.

To register, please send the full name, company name and title of all your attendees to info@blccj.or.jp and we will send a confirmation email.
Deadline for registration is Wednesday 12 April, or when seats are full.

We kindly ask you to arrange payment by Wednesday 12 April by bank transfer. We will send the bank details in the confirmation email.
(Any cancelations after 12 April or no-shows will be charged in full.)

This event has the kind support of the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) and hub.brussels.

April beer gathering
2023-04-21 19:00 - 22:00 | BBW Toyosu, 6-4-26 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0061, Japan
Belgian Beer Weekend 2023 has kicked off in Toyosu!
CITABRIA BAYPARK
4.14 (Fri.) – 4.16 (Sun.)
4.21 (Fri.) – 4.23 (Sun.)
weekdays 16:00 – 22:00
weekend, holidays 11:00 – 21:00
https://belgianbeerweekend.jp/en/toyosu/

The BLCCJ will hold its April beer gathering at BBW Toyosu on Friday 21 April from 19:00.
After a long time our friends of the Japan-Belgium Society (JBS) and the Belgium-Luxembourg Market Council (BLMC) will be joining us again!
Please refer to the attached floor plan for the exact location (in the left corner near Citabria and the food stalls).

You will need to purchase a BBW 2023 Starter Set (BBW 2023 glass and tokens).
To minimize the wait time at the ticket counters, we advise you buy your Starter Set in advance either online or through FamilyMart.

All BLCCJ members will receive 2 tokens for free – please ask BLCCJ office’s Sophie or Akiko at the venue.

Come join us for a great selection of Belgian beers and food with a wonderful view on Tokyo Bay!

Overseas Social Security, the Belgian social security abroad
2023-05-16 16:00 - 17:00 | Online
We hereby invite you to a next webinar in the framework of the Asian BeLux Chambers network, this time led by the Chamber in Vietnam.
With the Overseas Social Security (OSS), you always go about your business with peace of mind, anywhere in the world!
The Overseas Social Security (OSS) is part of the National Social Security Office (NSSO). It aims to fulfill the international dreams of expats outside the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the UK. We will elaborate on the Belgian government’s expat insurance offer during the presentation.
What to expect?
A comprehensive webinar on the offer of the Overseas Social Security
This offer consists of a basic package:

Pension insurance
Incapacity for work and disability insurance (including pregnancy)
Deferred healthcare insurance

In addition, an expat or employer can also take additional insurance:

Medical care
Workplace accidents and Accidents in private life

This webinar will also interactively sound out the needs of Belgian expatriates and provide time to answer questions from the audience.
EVENT DETAILS
Tuesday 16 May 2023
16:00-17:00 Japan time / 09:00-10:00 BeLux time
In English
Free of charge
Members only
If you are interested, please send an email to info@blccj.or.jp by Friday 12 May 17:00 JST, and we will confirm your registration.
If your registration is accepted, you will receive an email with a Zoom invitation link on the day of the event.
Looking forward to seeing many BLCCJ members at this inter-chamber webinar!

Belgian shop @ BBW 2023 Yokohama
2023-05-18 11:00 - 2023-05-21 21:00 | Yamashita Park, Yokohama, 279 Yamashitacho, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 231-0023, Japan
Belgian Beer Weekend 2023 Yokohama is coming up soon!
“Belgian Beer Weekend” is Japan’s finest beer festival and the perfect occasion to explore the rich Belgian beer culture. It is also a place to meet friends or make new ones, just hang around, grab a concert, eat Belgian crunchy fries, enjoy the unique BBW experience.
The festival will be setting up its tents in Yokohama in May with no less than 86 different Belgian beers.

Venue
Yamashita Park
Date
18 May (Thu) – 21 May (Sun)
Opening hours
Opening day (18/05) 16:00 – 21:00
Friday till Sunday 11:00 – 21:00
(last order 30min before closing time)
More information on the website:
https://belgianbeerweekend.jp/en/yokohama

Also this year the BLCCJ will be present with the “Belgian Marché”, our shop selling a wide variety of Belgian products.
These include Jules Destrooper cookies (Americo), gobelin goods (Forma International), chocolate cookies (Godiva Japan), nuts mix (Grand Place Corporation), beer goods (Konishi Brewing), Kipling goods (L&S Corporation), Tintin goods (Moulinsart Japan), Meurens sirop de Liege (Nakato), Materne compotes (Nichifutsu Boeki), Manneken waffles (Rosen), Belgian non-alcohol wine (Shonan Trading) and Trefin candy (Tomoe Corporation).
So come and visit us!
We will be at the end of the park, next to the Konishi beer shop.

The Belgian shop in Yokohama has the support of ITIC (The Foundation for International Trade and Industrial Co-operation), the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Flanders Investment & Trade, hub.brussels and the Walloon Export-Investment Agency.

BLCCJ-CCIFJ-SCCIJ Joint Golf Tournament 2023: FULL
2023-05-23 08:00 - 17:00 | Taco Country Club, 1315 Iizasa, Taco-cho, Katori-gun, Chiba-ken, 289-2231, Japan
The BLCCJ is pleased to announce that its 17th Joint Chamber Golf Tournament with the French and Swiss Chambers of Commerce will take place on Tuesday 23 May at Taco Country Club in Chiba.
Many of our members look forward to this event for its relaxed and casual atmosphere: a great opportunity to invite and meet friends, colleagues and business partners out on the greens, an exciting challenge for golfers of all levels of experience.
Date: Tuesday 23 May 2023
Time: from 8:00 to 17:00 (approx.)
Location: Taco Country Club
Address: 1315 Iizasa, Tako City, Katori District, Chiba 289-2231
All 20 BLCCJ slots have been booked!

THANK YOU to all sponsors of the golf 2023:

Delighting Customers in Japan XIX : FULL
2023-06-05 18:30 - 21:00 | L Espace @ CCIFJ, Nihonbashi Honcho YS Bldg. 1F, 2-2-2 Nihonbashi Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0023, Japan
The BLCCJ is relaunching its flagship seminar “Delighting Customers in Japan”!
Japan is known as one of the most challenging markets in the world. Whether your business is a start-up, long-established, or somewhere in between, you are probably confronted daily with the issue “how to delight customers?”
Because there is not a single answer to this fascinating question, the BLCCJ launched in 2001 the “Delighting Customers in Japan” seminar where a number of top executives share their ideas and experiences about the challenges of succeeding in this perplexing market.
Following the great success of the event formula, the BLCCJ is very pleased to organize already the 19th edition in 2023!

This time we will welcome the following 3 high-level speakers (profiles in attachment):

Mr. Peter Cammaerts, Vice-President High End, BU East Asia (South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Pacific Islands), AB INBEV
Mr. Norbert Leuret, President and Representative Director, LVMH MOËT HENNESSY LOUIS VUITTON JAPAN K.K.
Mr. Vincent Nelias, Representative Director & President, Head of Sales, TRIUMPH INTERNATIONAL JAPAN

The presentations will be followed by Q&A and a networking cocktail.

EVENT DETAILS
Date: Monday 5 June 2023
Time: 18:30-21:00 (doors open at 18:00)

registration from 18:00
presentations + Q&A 18:30 – 20:00
networking cocktail 20:00 – 21:00

Venue: L’espace @ CCIFJ
Nihonbashi Honcho Ys Bldg. 1F, 2-2-2 Nihonbashi Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0023
Fee: JPY 6,000 members / JPY 8,000 non-members
(this includes drinks and finger food)
This event will be open to other Chamber members as well.
Seats are limited to 80, first come first served.

To register, please send the full name, company name and title of all your attendees to info@blccj.or.jp and we will send a confirmation email.
Deadline for registration is Wednesday 31 May 17:00 or when seats are full.

We kindly ask you to arrange payment by 31 May 17:00 by bank transfer. We will send the bank details in the confirmation email.
(Any cancelation after 31 May or no-shows will be charged in full.)

We hope to see many of you at the seminar!

Online Asian BeLux Chambers Networking
2023-06-14 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
The BLCCJ – together with 14 other Asian BeLux Chambers of Commerce – has the pleasure to invite you to a next event.
Join us for an online networking with professionals from the different Asian Chambers, a unique opportunity to accelerate business contacts and exchange information. During the interaction the participants can share their professional backgrounds and business goals, as well as intent to seek exposure to new markets or expand their networks.
Participants will be matched into breakout rooms by industry/sector where they will meet with like-minded individuals working with(in) Asia.
Each breakout session will last for 30 minutes, after which attendees will have the option to switch to another breakout room.
We will have 10 breakout rooms:
– FINANCE
– TECH
– TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS
– HR
– MANUFACTURING
– AGRONOMY
– HEALTHCARE
– TOURISM
– F&B
– DEFENSE
(Kindly note that some breakout rooms might be canceled if not enough interest.)
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Wednesday 14 June 2023
Time: 18:00-19:30 Japan time / 11:00-12:30 BeLux time
Venue: Zoom Meeting platform
In English
Free of charge
Members-only
If you are interested, please send an email to info@blccj.or.jp by Monday 12 June 17:00, and we will confirm your registration. We need your full name, company name and position, as well as your 2 preferred breakout rooms.
If your registration is accepted, you will receive an email with a Zoom invitation link and passcode on the day of the event (June 14).
We hope to welcome many of you at the event!

June Beer Gathering
2023-06-19 19:00 - 22:00
We are happy to inform you of our next Monthly Beer Gathering, which will be held on Monday 19 June. Our friends of the Japan-Belgium Society (JBS) will be joining us again.

We will be going back to Belgian Brasserie Court ANTWERP PORT.
The exact address is as follows:
Belgian Brasserie Court Antwerp Port
Akasaka Intercity AIR Bldg. 1F
1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Telephone: 03-5570-5557
Access map and other information:
https://www.intercity-air.com/
https://www.intercity-air.com/shoplist/shop/15
Closest station are Tameike-sanno (Ginza and Namboku lines, exit 14) and Kokkaigijido-mae (Chiyoda and Marunouchi lines, exit 14). Also 10-minutes walking distance from Kamiyacho, Roppongi-itchome and Toranomon stations.

You can find us there from 19:00 onwards.
As always the event is open to everybody, but for BLCCJ members the first beer is free of charge.

We look forward to welcoming many of you!

Webinar with Deloitte: Future of Work, digital transformation and managed services
2023-07-03 17:00 - 18:00 | Online
We are happy to invite you to a next webinar, this time in collaboration with Deloitte.
FUTURE OF WORK:
The role and power of digital transformation and managed services in the new boundaryless world of work
During this webinar an overview of the Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends Report will be presented. We will look at how leading organizations are embracing the new fundamentals for employers and workers to unlock the new opportunities that today’s boundaryless world of work presents.
These trends will be further illustrated through a focus on digital transformation and managed services.
After the presentations there will be time for Q&A.

SPEAKERS
–Nicole Scoble-Williams, Global Future of Work Leader, Partner, Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting
-Norbert Adam, Manager, Tokyo, Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting (profile attached)
-Francois Copus, Senior Manager, Tokyo, Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting (profile attached)

EVENT DETAILS
Monday 3 July 2023
17:00-18:00 Japan time / 10:00-11:00 BeLux time
In English
Free of charge

If you are interested, please send an email to info@blccj.or.jp by Friday 30 June 17:00 JST, and we will confirm your registration.
If your registration is accepted, you will receive an email with the Zoom invitation link on the day of the event (3 July).

Also, if you already have questions for the speakers, kindly send them to us when registering.

Looking forward to welcoming many of you at this webinar!
