On 30 December 2018, while most of us were enjoying the summer break, a most important trade treaty came into force. The TTP-11, officially known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, came about as a result of revived discussions amongst the initial...
The 57th Joint Business Conference between member companies of the AJBCC and our Tokyo counterpart, the JABCC, will be held in Osaka from Monday to Wednesday 7–9 October 2019 (please note the conference will commence on a Monday, unlike Sunday as is customary). Accommodation information will...
Synonymous with paper distribution in Australia, the ASX-listed Spicers Limited is in the process of being acquired by Japan’s Kokusai Pulp & Paper. The country's second largest paper supplier, KPP was founded in 1924 as Daido Yoshiten Ltd; in 1971, it established an Australian subsidiary. Following mergers in Japan,...
Medical applications and devices are an expanding area of Australia-Japan business. The ASX-listed Starpharma’s core technology is “built around dendrimers, a type of synthetic nanoscale polymer that is highly regular in size and structure, and well-suited to pharmaceutical and medical uses.” Starpharma has announced it's...
Did last year mark the start of a new opportunity for collaboration in Australia-Japan business? We saw the amazing Japanese technical feat of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) launching two rovers from their mothership Hayabusa2 (Hayabusa is "Falcon" in Japanese) and successfully land them onto...
Reiichiro Takahashi has been appointed as our new Ambassador and arrived in Australia last month. Following in the steps of his predecessor, Ambassador Sumio Kusaka, Ambassador Takahashi’s previous assignment was as Ambassador and Consul-General of Japan in New York. Outside of the US, he's had overseas...
Australia-Japan Foundation Grant Round 2019-20 (opened 1 February, close 28 March 2019). Hamer Scholarships for language study and cultural engagement with Japan (open 11 February, close 17 March 2019). Though expressions of interest have now closed for the next round, we'd like to draw attention to the opportunity...
ANZ Economic Outlook Series 'Horizons' (14 February 2019, Tokyo). Asia Society Trade Policy Seminar 'Deals or No Deals: Trade in Asia' (12 February 2019, Sydney; 14 February 2019, Melbourne). Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Global Seminar 'Australia: Opportunity Abounds'(15 February 2019, Tokyo). Foodex Japan (5-8 March 2019, Tokyo)....
Visitors to Japan have for years stumbled across a retail marketing phenomenon in Japan – the Muji shops. "Muji" which literally means "non-brand", sells all manner of their own "home brand" products - “good quality at low price points”. Having over 400 stores in Japan,...
As 2018 draws to a close, I would like to thank you for your continued interest in Australia-Japan business – it's certainly been a year of heightened engagement. And there's to be no respite; as we look forward to the new year, the tourism sector will...