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February 1, 2024
Reminder: FCCJ Book Break. February 7. 18:00. Richard Katz, author of "The Contest for Japan's Economic Future: Entrepreneurs vs Corporate Giants"
From: FCCJ Library <library@fccj.or.jp>
Date: 2024/01/30
Reminder: The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) is pleased to announce the upcoming Book Break event on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
Book Break: "The Contest for Japan's Economic Future: Entrepreneurs vs Corporate Giants"
By Richard Katz
Wednesday, February 7, 2024 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
(The talk will be in English)
Economist Richard Katz sees light at the end of the tunnel for the perpetually low-growth Japanese economy. Hear him discuss "The Contest for Japan's Economic Future: Entrepreneurs vs. Corporate Giants" at his book break on February 7.
Schedule:
Doors open at 6:00 pm.
Dinner is served from 6:15 pm.
The presentation starts from 7:15 pm.
Admission:
3,000 yen/ 4,000 yen (member/ non-member, including tax, a set dinner with a drink)
550 yen (Online attendance via zoom, including tax)
Menu: TBD with Coffee or Tea with One Drink.
Please sign up by email (front@fccj.or.jp) and pay by Friday, February 2nd, 2024.
Venue:
The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan
5F Marunouchi Nijubashi Building
3-2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005
(https://www.fccj.or.jp/
Just as a wave of entrepreneurship created Japan's postwar "economic miracle," so it will take a new generation of entrepreneurs to revive its stagnant economy. In today's Japan, assorted political and economic obstacles impede such newcomers.
Fortunately, major social and technological changes are breaking down those obstacles and creating Japan's best opportunity in a generation. The lifetime employment system has long made it too risky to leave a job at a big firm to start or join a startup. Today's generation is far more willing to take that risk, enabling newcomers to hire experienced staff. Many are talented women denied promotions at traditional companies. E-commerce is enabling tens of thousands of newcomers to bypass the traditional distribution system and gain access to millions of customers. Meanwhile, three "lost decades" have convinced many within both elites and the public of the need for change. Today's trends go far beyond anything seen as recently as a decade ago when promises of entrepreneurial revival failed to come true.
The bad news is that these positive trends cannot reach critical mass without support from the government and the financial system. They are not getting it. While Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promised "bold" actions to stimulate 100,000 new startups by 2027, he took almost no measures to turn his rhetoric into reality. It is hard for newcomers to get either initial financing or bank loans.
Japan's economic future will be determined by the contest between the pro- and anti-entrepreneurship forces detailed in this book.
RICHARD KATZ is a special correspondent for Weekly Toyo Keizai and the publisher of the Japan Economy Watch blog on Substack (https://richardkatz.substack.
Doors open at 6:00 pm. Dinner is served from 6:15 pm. The presentation starts from 7:15 pm. Menu: TBD/ Coffee or Tea with One Drink. Book Break charges are 3,000 yen/ 4,000 yen (members/ non-members) per person.
FCCJ members can sign up at the reception desk. Reservations cancelled less than 72 hours in advance will be charged in full.
Non-members can reserve at the reception desk by email (front@fccj.or.jp). Payment is in advance till Friday, February 2nd, 2024. No refund is available unless the event is cancelled by FCCJ.
Online attendance (via Zoom) is available at 550 yen per person. Please indicate the intention to attend online when signing up. Details on how to join online will be sent to individual emails after their reservations are confirmed.
Attendees with food restriction should inform the reception desk (front@fccj.or.jp) three days before the event. Thank you.
https://www.fccj.or.jp/event/
Library, Archives & Workroom Committee
The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ)
Approved by ssjmod at 02:39 PM