CATALYST FOR CHANGE

Mar 25

This month, we mark two milestones that have tested the resolve of our community in Japan and have had immeasurable personal and professional impact on us all.

Ten years on, the events of March 11, 2011, are a tragic memory and a vivid reminder of the incredible resilience of the Japanese people. The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami turned life upside down in an instant, but also served as a catalyst for lasting change and reform that have benefited many aspects of society and business. This March, in addition to reflecting on the disasters of that terrible day, we also mark one year since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on business operations in Japan with an expansive feature story beginning on page 34.

Stronger Together

Both March 11 and the pandemic have challenged our lives and livelihoods. Yet, in each case, we have come together to find a new way forward, relying on the strength and resolve of our community and shared interests.

We can all be proud of how we have responded to meet not only our own needs, but those of Japanese society as a whole. American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) members and member companies played key roles in the recovery from the disasters of March 11. Likewise, through advocacy, direct action, and innovation, we’ve helped Japan and our international business community navigate the impact of Covid-19.

“Both March 11 and the pandemic have challenged our lives and livelihoods. Yet, in each case, we have come together to find a new way forward."

The disasters that befell the country a decade ago were, first and foremost, a human tragedy. But in their aftermath much discussion about the need for economic and regulatory change took place. Some of the suggested reforms have taken root—and the ACCJ has played an important role in promoting their adoption—but others remain very much works in progress.

The coronavirus pandemic has once again shone a bright light on much-needed reforms. But now, with at least the glimmer of a vaccine-fueled light at the end of the tunnel, how long will the need for reform or change remain in focus?

From Pillars to Coordination Groups

Advocacy is at the heart of what we do at the ACCJ. As I have articulated and the board of governors has endorsed, under the strategy of transformation, we want to continuously assess and improve our advocacy efforts. Now, more than ever, we need to make certain that our messages reach the broadest possible audience. To ensure the effectiveness of our efforts, we have realigned our advocacy pillar priorities considering the growth agendas of the US and Japanese governments, as well as our member needs, on a multi-year initiative basis. Our advocacy pillars have been renamed “advocacy coordination groups” to clarify their purpose of coordinating our advocacy efforts across these key themes: US–Japan Partnership, Digital Society, Health and Retirement, and Sustainable Society.

Topic areas such as sustainability, digital transformation, and bilateral economic partnership affect most—if not all—of our industry-specific committees. And, individually, committees are doing an excellent job of advocating for their various viewpoints. However, because the nature of these advocacy priorities is broad and they affect or cut across many committees, there is a need for cross-committee involvement, collaboration, and communication for effective advocacy. This can be facilitated by the advocacy coordination groups.

Stronger Voice

Refreshing our advocacy pillars to these four areas of focus and renaming them coordination groups will serve to help raise our collective voice and take best advantage of advocacy opportunities in direct conversations with stakeholders and in our broader communications.

In doing so, we hope to ensure that momentum created by the pandemic is leveraged for positive and lasting change—from both societal and economic standpoints. When we look back in 10 years, we will see that, while there was the human cost of Covid-19, we took the opportunity for reform and made a change for the better.

Individually, we have an opportunity to become the change we’d like to see. We can each act as a change agent in our own roles, resisting the urge to return to business as usual. Instead, we should question the assumptions of the old ways of working. We’ve seen a number of member companies successfully execute pandemic pivots. What’s your plan?

I welcome you to share your feedback and ideas as we work to continue the success and growth of the chamber at this critical time. You can contact me at jrogers@accj.or.jp.