Kansai Event report
Recap of the New Year's Networking Evening with the ACCJ
On Friday, January 23, the New Year’s Networking Evening, marking the first event of the year for the CCIFJ Osaka desk, was held at the splendid W Osaka Hotel, located in the heart of Shinsaibashi. Organised in collaboration with the American and British Chambers of Commerce, our team was ready to welcome guests from 6:00 pm onward. The event brought together more than 120 participants, with approximately one third registering via our website, representing a significant increase compared to last year.
The evening opened with welcoming remarks made by Mr. Jiro Kawakami, Vice President of the ACCJ in the Kansai region and Senior Vice President of MGM Resorts Japan LLC, followed by Mr. Richard N. Larsen, newly-appointed Consul General of the United States in Osaka-Kobe.Laura Younger, ACCJ Executive Director of the ACCJ also took part of the event. These opening addresses were followed by the traditional Kagami Biraki ceremony. This japanese tradition, performed at important events, involves breaking open the lid of a sake barrel with wooden mallets and sharing the sake with guests, symbolising harmony and good fortune.
The Kampai said by Eric John, President of the ACCJ, marked the beginning of a valuable networking session. Throughout the evening, participants had the opportunity to interact and exchange in the three languages of the event, English, French and Japanese. A raffle was held toward the end of the evening, allowing one lucky winner to receive a VIP overnight stay at the W Osaka Hotel.
The dinner prepared by the W Osaka Hotel was also highly appreciated by the guests.
Although the event officially concluded at 8:30 pm, conversations and exchanges continued in the hotel lobby well past 9:30 pm, reflecting the strong engagement and enthusiasm of the participants.
This event also provided an opportunity to remind our guests of the upcoming events organised by the Chamber, in particular the annual Nagoya Gala, which will take place on the 14th of April at the Nagoya Tokyu Hotel, located in the city center.
We are delighted to see this event grow in scale and impact each year, further strengthening the ties between the various international business communities. Our sincere thanks go to the ACCJ and the BCCJ for their collaboration, as well as to all the participants for their positive feedback. We look forward to welcoming you again at our future events.
Further information regarding our next event, once again organised in cooperation with the ACCJ, as well as the MOFs (Meilleurs Ouvriers de France) and the TJCA, is available on our website. This upcoming gathering in Nagoya will offer an opportunity for business communities to come together over a high-quality meal, followed by the traditional Galette des Rois.
