The past 12 months have brought enormous change, and the next 12 promise the same. When I interviewed American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) President Jenifer Rogers for our January issue, she called 2021 “a year of trans- formation.” It’s the perfect description.

Prepare yourself and your team to master the new normal.

After skiing in Niseko for five winters, Eddie and Chi Guillemette found that Hokkaido’s beauty and wide-open spaces were an antidote to their hectic, city-based lifestyle. Knowing that other families could also benefit, they bought land in 2007 and built nine spacious houses. The aim was to create a family-friendly resort that could offer guests an escape, a chance to get back to nature, rest, and explore, or even a place from which to work year-round.

Today, their company MnK, short for midori no ki or green tree in Japanese, has grown to offer more than 100 modern and beautifully furnished properties in three communities at the foot of the Niseko ski resorts, whose powder attracts skiers and snowboarders from Australia, Southeast Asia, and even the United States.

For many people, one of the hardest parts of the coronavirus pandemic has been staying home. With fewer opportunities for outdoor exercise and trips to the gym, keeping in shape has become more difficult. One option often overlooked is virtual reality (VR). Sometimes seen as a niche technology that appeals mainly to hardcore enthusiasts, VR has evolved rapidly in recent years and offers easy, immersive ways to exercise—or just reduce stress— when working from home.

The Healthcare Committee underwent a lot of change in 2020 that has left us stronger and more engaged as a pillar of Japan’s business community.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has illuminated several challenges facing the sustainability of Japan’s social security system. With the aging of the population continuing to accelerate, our human and material resources for healthcare and retirement have been insufficient. In addition, during this crisis, significant financial stimulus needs to be mobilized on the back of Japan’s stagnating economy. But as most of this money derives from the issuance of government bonds, it is impossible for the government to spend as much as it desires. Much of Japan’s social security system was established in a post-war period where priorities were predominantly infectious diseases and acute illnesses. Over time, the system has evolved to address the treatment of chronic illnesses and Japan’s aging demographics, but discussions on securing the necessary resources for this fundamental evolution have been insufficient.

How to solve Japan’s innovation bottleneck in healthcare

In 2017, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) introduced its One ACCJ initiative.

The goal of the initiative, which continues to this day, is to encourage greater integration among the Tokyo, Kansai, and Chubu chapters and nurture a sense of community across the chamber as a whole.

Meet those elected to lead the ACCJ as we look beyond the pandemic

As chamber leaders during the pandemic, we need to continue to evaluate how best to support the core ACCJ pillars.