31 Jan Australia-Japan News | January 2022
This page collates links to interesting articles that provide a picture of what is happening in Japan and in the Australia-Japan relationship, with brief summaries of their content.
While we don’t claim this list to be comprehensive, and some of the articles may be behind paywalls, we hope it will evolve into a valuable resource that assists members and subscribers in keeping up to date and provides a record of key developments.
Normalize entrepreneurism to revive Japan’s economy*
This article discusses the growing push for Japanese business to become more entrepreneurial, and some of the constraints faced. It quotes the experience of the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre, an umbrella organization belonging to the University of Melbourne. Read more >
LAVO and ITOCHU Corporation collaborate to help industries achieve sustainable development goals
LAVO, a Sydney-based Australian clean energy storage and technology company powered by hydrogen, and Japan’s ITOCHU Corporation announced the signing of an MoU to jointly investigate to develop a strategy for a hydrogen supply chain utilizing LAVO’s green technology. Under this partnership, the companies will also explore opportunities to decarbonate the energy, power, mineral and metal industries. Read more >
New U.S. Ambassador to Japan arrives in Tokyo
The new U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, arrived in Tokyo on January 23. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives before he became White House chief of staff for then-President Barack Obama. Emanuel deepened ties with President Joe Biden during the Obama years, when Biden was vice-president. The post of U.S. ambassador to Japan was vacant for about two and a half years. Read More >
Kajima’s local Icon brings $500m pipeline to new year*
Icon Developments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kajima Corporation – one of the oldest and largest construction and real estate development companies in Japan – has four developments in Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland in the pipeline, totalling $500 million. The company also predicts that the fringe office market will continue to see strong demand and CBD decentralisation trend to continue. Read more >
Japanese property investment is back after three decades*
Japan’s top-tier companies are looking to invest in Australian property as they seek higher returns in faster-growing markets. As Covid travel restrictions have been slightly lifted, Japanese capital investment is set to accelerate as seen in Mitsui Fudosan’s recent investment in MAC Residences project in Sydney. Japan’s top four residential construction companies have already invested in Australia to make up for Japan’s shrinking market, and Australian building products and logistics companies will make likely acquisition targets for Japanese investors. Australia offers faster-growing, oligopolistic market opportunities, however new entrants are finding it harder to enter the Australian market compared with those who already have a presence. Read more >
Biden to visit Japan for Quad leaders summit*
Prime Minister Kishida virtually met with President Biden on Friday January 21. During the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the Quad and President Biden accepted Prime Minister Kishida’s invitation to visit Japan for the next face-to-face Quad summit. The summit would likely take place after the Australian election, which Prime Minister Morrison must call by May. Read more >
World-first hydrogen tanker arrives in Victoria to test potential for exporting fuel source to Japan
On January 20, the Suiso Frontier, the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier, arrived at Victoria’s Port of Hastings to pick up liquefied hydrogen generated from brown coal mined in the Latrobe Valley as part of Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) Project. Read more >
Japan’s 2021 LNG imports slip as China takes top spot
Japan’s imports of liquefied natural gas fell 0.2% in 2021 to 74.32 million tons while China increased its LNG imports by 18% to a record high, which has made China the world’s largest buyer of the fuel. Japan’s LNG imports dropped for a fourth straight year to the lowest since 2010, the year before the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, which drove gas purchases up as reactors were shut down. Read more >
Japan hopes to lead Asian zero-emissions push: minister
Japan’s Environment Minister Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi said Japan hopes to lead a zero-emissions initiatives in Asia and is preparing to introduce a carbon tax to meet its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The Minister also said Japan will gradually phase out coal plants over the next two decades. Read more >
Sojitz joins CS Energy in green hydrogen supply for Palau
Sojitz will begin a demonstration project together with CS Energy and Nippon Engineering Consultants to transport renewable hydrogen produced in Queensland Australia to Palau for utilization in fuel cells and hydrogen fuel cell vessels. The project is supported by the Ministry of Environment, Japan. Read more >
Japan to maintain strict border restrictions until end of February
Prime Minister Kishida said Japan will keep its current border control measures until the end of February in response to the rapid spread of Omicron variant. Read more >
Mitsui Fudosan’s First Entry into Australia – Decided to Participate in MAC Residences Project
Mitsui Fudosan is going to participate in the MAC Residences condominium housing project in Macquarie Park, NSW. This will be Mitsui Fudosan’s first project in Australia and will be working in partnership with Frasers Property. Read more >
Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA)
On January 6, the Agreement between Japan and Australia concerning the facilitation of reciprocal access and cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Australian Defence Force was signed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Read more >