Kansai Event report
Looking back at the Kansai International Meishi Exchange
Conrad Osaka, May 28, 2025
On May 28, 2025, the Kansai International Meishi Exchange (KIME) was held at the Conrad Osaka and proved to be a great success, bringing together over 220 participants, including 30 members from the French Chamber. This event is part of a now-unmissable series that has grown significantly over the years, reflecting an impressive rise in scale and impact. What began as a modest initiative involving the American Chamber (ACCJ), the Kobe Chamber (KCCI), and the French Chamber (CCIFJ) has recently evolved into a major international gathering thanks in large part to the momentum generated by the Osaka Kansai World Expo. It is now supported by many chambers of commerce that have joined over the years, a momentum that was particularly reinforced since last October's G7 of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
The evening was opened by Simone Thomsen, ACCJ Kansai Governor and President of Eli Lilly Japan, followed by remarks from Benoît Rulleau, our Kansai Board Member. A group photo captured this high-level gathering, bringing together, notably:
- Vittorio Falconeri, Italien Chamber of Commerce Tokyo Counselor
- Benoit Rulleau, Representative Director and co-CEO of Kansai Airports, French Chamber Kansai Ambassador
- Keizo Yamada, Director - Kansai of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan
- Jiro Kawakami, vice-président de l’ACCJ,
- Simone Thomsen, Group Vice President, President Eli Lilly Japan K.K.
- Kimiko Itō, Vice Chairperson of the Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry / Representative Director of Tashima & Co., Ltd.
- Paramjit Chadha, Honorary President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Japan
- Yavorska Kateryna, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce in Japan
- Yoshihiko Okabe, Honorary Consul of the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Kobe
- Brittany Banta, Principal Commercial Consul of the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe
- Mike Blyth, Consul-General of the British Consulate-General Osaka
- Jean-François Rauch, Directeur des antennes régionales de la CCI France Japon
The Kampai was ultimately led by Mike Blyth, the British Consul General.
The room, packed to capacity, reflected the enthusiasm of the participants who came to connect, expand their networks, and celebrate the region’s growing internationalization. A second annex room even had to be opened to allow some guests to escape the noise and gather in a quieter space.
After a high-quality buffet and lively conversations, the evening came to a brilliant close with the raffle. The top prize, a bottle of “Westland” American Single Malt whiskey, generously donated by our member Rémy Cointreau was one of the most eagerly anticipated moments of the night. A huge thank you to Rémy Cointreau for their generosity, as well as to all our other sponsors and partners.
Finally, this edition was also an emotional one, as it marked the last event organized by Keizo Yamada, Kansai Director of the American Chamber of Commerce. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to him for his unwavering dedication, the quality of his collaboration, and everything he has contributed to the success of our joint events.
Thank you for continuing to attend these international events in such great numbers. We look forward to welcoming you again very soon.
