Dear friends:
The Contemporary Japan Group at the Institute of Social Science (ISS, a.k.a. Shaken), University of Tokyo, welcomes you to a lecture on Thursday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Title: Ethical Consumption in Japan: Fad or Sustainable Trend?
Speaker: Dr. Florian Kohlbacher, Senior Research Fellow, German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) Tokyo.
Location: Akamon Sōgō Kenkyū-tō Rm. 549, Institute of Social Science (Shaken), Hongo Campus, University of Tokyo
Map: http://web.iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp/cjg/contact/

Abstract:
Social and ecological responsibility is of increasing importance for the economy and society on a global scale. Japan seems to have woken up to this challenge only recently, with a number of notable trends and initiatives. The triple disaster of March 11 2011 seems to have further raised the awareness of sustainability issues, contribution to society and ethical consumerism.
This presentation focuses on ethical consumer behavior (i.e., taking into account environmental and social responsibility of products and their production during consumers’ decision-making processes), which has become known in Japan as sōsharu shōhi or more recently eshikaru shōhi. The presentation gives an overview of ethical consumption in Japan and analyzes various influencing factors determining ethical consumer behavior, as well as the specific cultural, social and economic background. Based on both primary and secondary data and various examples, the presentation discusses the implications of this consumer trend for the Japanese economy, business practice and public policy.

Biography:
Dr. Florian Kohlbacher is a Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Business & Economics Section at the German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) Tokyo. He is also an adjunct professor at Temple University, Japan Campus and a visiting researcher at the Institute for Media and Communications Research at Keio University. Florian is the author of “International Marketing in the Network Economy: A Knowledge-Based Approach”, Palgrave, 2007, and co-editor of “The Silver Market
Phenomenon: Marketing and Innovation in the Aging Society, 2nd edition, Springer, 2011.

CJG:
The ISS Contemporary Japan Group provides English-speaking residents of the Tokyo area with an opportunity to hear cutting-edge research in social science and related policy issues, as well as a venue for researchers and professionals in or visiting Tokyo to present and receive knowledgeable feedback on their latest research projects. Admission is free and advance registration is not required. Everyone is welcome.
For more information, please visit our website: http://web.iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp/cjg/ or contact Gregory W. NOBLE (noble[at]iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp) or ISHIDA Hiroshi (ishida[at]iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp)