Newsletter April 7
Share
We have launched the call for the 11th Nippon Export Award. If your SME or large company is exporting to Japan, importing into Japan, or offering Belgian-Luxembourg products/services in Japan, we hope you will consider applying. All the information is available on the NEA webpage.
Application deadline is 31 August 2021.
Let us remind you of our spring party next week Wednesday 14 April, from 18:30 till 21:00 @ Le Petit Tonneau Toranomon. We can still accept about 25 people, first come first serve.
We also have several spots left for the online “CLIC” networking event between 11 smaller European Chambers. The General Manager of Chopard Japan will give a presentation. Thursday 22 April, 18:00-20:00 @ Remo.co
Right after Golden Week, on Friday 7 May evening, we will have a next Asian inter-Chamber webinar with Luxembourg Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot.
At another inter-Chamber webinar on Monday 17 May late afternoon we will hear from Country Director Google Belgium, Thierry Geerts.
Detailed information of both webinars will go out soon.
In this regard we want to inform that the BLCCJ has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the BLCC Singapore. For you members it means that when international travel can resume, you will be able to participate in the BLCC Singapore events at the member fee and vice versa. We also pledge to continue the inter-Chamber webinars, and to support each other’s activities as much as possible.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan is organizing a Government Procurement Seminar for Fiscal Year 2021, on Wednesday 28 April, 10:00-13:30 @ Zoom.
And on 10 and 11 December 2021 “The 3rd Symposium for Belgian Studies – Histories of Japan-Belgium Relations” will be organized at the Belgian Embassy and Sophia University.
Finally, here are some news headlines of the past days:
-IMF ups 2021 global growth forecast to 6% on back of U.S. stimulus (Kyodo News, April 6)
-Japan’s household spending, wages down in Feb. (NHK World – Japan, April 6)
-Japan’s ruling party executive signals chance of extra budget to combat COVID-19 strain (The Asahi Shimbun, April 5)
-Japan large manufacturer sentiment improves to pre-pandemic level in March (Kyodo News, April 1)
-Yamato delivers record-high volume amid pandemic (NHK World – Japan, April 7)
-Health minister urges Tokyo to remain vigilant as virus cases soar in Osaka (Japan Today, April 7)
-Osaka Pref. logs record 719 new virus cases amid tougher steps in place (Kyodo News, April 6)
-Japan to tighten border controls on travelers from 2 more states (Kyodo News, April 6)
-N Korea says it won’t take part in Tokyo Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns (Japan Today, April 6)
-WHO does not back vaccination passports for now (Japan Today, April 7)
-IATA says travel pass app to launch on Apple mid-April (Japan Today, April 5)
-Foreign tourists spend record low in Japan in 2020 due to pandemic (Kyodo News, March 31)
-Vaccines on the way as inoculations for Japan’s elderly to start April 12 (The Japan News, April 6)
-Sumida becomes first Tokyo ward to mail coupons for virus vaccine (The Asahi Shimbun, April 2)
-Japan sets up multilingual call center for COVID-19 vaccine inquiries (Kyodo News, April 1)
Continue to take good care of yourselves!
The BLCCJ office