European Institute of Japanese Studies Academy Seminars presents:
”Japan's Economic Partnership Agreement and its Potential Contribution to the 21st Century Trade Rules
Speaker: Professor Yorizumi Watanabe, Keio University, SFC, Faculty of Policy Management

About the speaker: After serving several appointments in Japan's foreign service, specializing in international trade policy issues, Professor Watanabe has now brought those skills and experience to the senior academic post he has filled at Keio University since 2005.

Prof. Watanabe’s distinguished career has featured significant engagement in all the major bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations in which Japan has been involved in the past two decades. This included the role of policy advisor to relevant Ministers, and postings to Japan's diplomatic missions in Brussels and Geneva. He was Deputy Director-General of the Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan from 2002-2004 and served as Chief Negotiator for the Japan-Mexico Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and the Working Party on Russia’s Accession to the WTO. He was Special Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 2004. He has been a member of the Task Force on Japan-India Economic Partnership, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2006.

Prof. Watanabe obtained his BA and MA and was PhD candidate in International Relations at Sophia University, Tokyo. He also studied at the College of Europe in Bruges under Belgian Government Scholarship. He is the author of a number of publications on GATT/ WTO and trade and economic partnership agreements. His most recent book on the TPP (Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement) has been ranked one of the top-ten best- selling books on economics in December, 2011 in Tokyo.

About the talk: Promotion of free trade is one of the most important agenda in the third arrow of Abenomics. EU and Japan has agreed to start Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiation in March 2014.

EU is the largest investor to Japan and　is the second largest destination for Japanese investment. EU-Japan EPA will create further business opportunities for both parties. In the presentation we will hear Professor Watanabe's view on the outlook for Japan's bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations to create further economic growth. Don't miss the excellent opportunity to hearing his first-hand talk.

Date: Monday, April 28, 2014

Time: 6.30 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. Drink & Snack (served before lecture)
7.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Lecture and Discussion

Place: Alfred Nobel Auditorium, Embassy of Sweden
10-3-400 Roppongi 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032 Five-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Nanboku Line Roppongi 1-chome Station Five-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line Kamiya-cho Station

Fee: JPY3,000 per person, payable at the door Free for those who are from sponsoring companies (*) Free for students, please bring your student ID

Language: English

(*) EIJS Academy 2013-2014 Sponsoring companies Gadelius Holding Ltd., Sandvik K.K., Höganäs Japan K.K. and in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden

Please sign up by April 24th (Thur.) via e-mail to eijsjap[at]gmail.com for the attention of Ms. Futagawa (EIJS Tokyo office)

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Miki Futagawa
European Institute of Japanese Studies
Tokyo Office
c/o Embassy of Sweden
1-10-3-400, Roppongi
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032
Tel: +81(0)3 5562 5032
Fax: +81(0)3 5562 9090
Email: eijsjap[at]gmail.com