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IJA Annual General Meeting 2020 | Review

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The 30th Annual General Meeting for the Ireland Japan Association took place on Thursday, 19th March 2020. It was hosted via conference call due to the Covid-19 developments in the country and advice from the authorities to avoid large meetings indoors.

Darina Slattery, IJA Chairperson, thanked the outgoing Council members for their work, participation and team effort throughout the past year, Embassy of Japan for continued support to the IJA, AIB – the Patron member of the IJA, and all IJA Corporate and Individual members.

In her report, Darina Slattery noted that 2019 was a very busy year for the IJA, especially with the Rugby World Cup taking place in Japan which created a lot of interest about Japan here in Ireland. 16 business and culture events were organized throughout the past year (14 events in 2019 and 2 events in 2020), including Japanese language courses, free Japanese conversation group meetings in cooperation with TCD, business briefings in cooperation with the IJA Corporate members, RWC Travel and Culture Day, Sushi & Sake experience, exclusive fine dining event at Michelin star restaurant Ichigo Ichie, IJA Annual Dinner, Annual Golf Outing, Japanese Noh ‘Between the Stones’ tour in Ireland and Bounenkai celebration at the end of the year.

The IJA supported four organizations with donations in 2019: Dublin School for Japanese Children (DSJC), Japanese School of Ireland, Experience Japan festival in Dublin and 17th Japanese Speech Contest.  

Ushioda Scholarship was established in honour of Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda’s major contribution to the development of the Ireland Japan Association and Ireland-Japan relations, and to underpin the association’s strong commitment to supporting Japanese studies in Ireland. In 2019, the scholarship was awarded to Sophia Herar, DCU.

Darina Slattery informed that IJA member’s network has 37 corporate members and 45 individual members. Four new corporate members have recently joined the IJA – CLP Resources plc, MUFG Investor Services, Retro Vino and Clover Aircraft Leasing. Darina Slattery thanked AIB for continuous support and decision to remain as a Patron member for 2020.

Summary of the IJA Financial Statements for 2019 was shared with the AGM participants, membership subscription fees were approved for 2020/2021 and the new IJA Council members were announced.

Darina Slattery thanked Neil Maher (Mitsubishi Electric) and Paula Kelly (Individual member) for their work at the IJA Council in the past years. Both have stepped down at the AGM after three years of service at the IJA Council. Darina Slattery also informed that after four years in the position of the IJA Chairperson, she is stepping down and thanked everyone at the IJA Council for a truly amazing work promoting Japanese culture and strengthening ties between both countries.

Four new Council members were welcomed to the IJA Council this year – Colin Murray (Retro Vino / Retro Sake), Eddie Hughes (Individual member), Hiroaki Ozaki (Individual member) and Zachary Schroeder (Individual member), and very warm welcome to the newly elected IJA Chairperson – Raymond Hegarty.

The newly elected IJA Council for 2020:

Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Ex-Officio

  1. Raymond Hegarty (Chairperson)
  2. Yasuyuki Ozeki, JETRO (Vice-Chairperson)
  3. Darina Slattery, Unique Japan Tours (Ex-Officio)

Corporate Members:

  1. Colin Murray, Retro Vino
  2. Eoghan Howe, BOI Corporate Banking
  3. Donagh Morris, MUFG Investor Services
  4. Graham Ryan, Yamamori
  5. Niall Moriarty, AIB Corporate Banking
  6. Shane Geraghty, Dillon Eustace
  7. Tsugumi Yamamoto, Grant Thornton Ireland

Individual Members:

  1. Eddie Hughes, Individual Member
  2. Hiro Ino, Individual Member
  3. Hiroaki Ozaki, Individual Member
  4. Verity Swan, Individual Member
  5. Zachary Schroeder, Individual Member

Not on Council but invited to attend meetings:

  1. Sou Watanabe (Honorary)
  2. Tom Hardiman (Honorary)

Darina Slattery informed that the IJA is carefully monitoring the situation regarding Covid-19 and, unfortunately, all IJA upcoming events in March have been cancelled. The IJA will be following public health advice guidelines from the authorities regarding events in the next months. Please follow announcements on the IJA website and social media.

Coronavirus COVID-19 | IJA Announcement

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The IJA is carefully monitoring the situation regarding Coronavirus COVID-19 and would like to inform that at the moment all IJA upcoming events in March are cancelled or will take place virtually/online/via conference call. [updated on 16.03.2020]

It is essential that any decisions regarding responses to COVID-19 are proportionate, necessary and based on specific public health advice. We will be following public health advice guidelines, will consult our event hosts/venues, and will make the decision about each upcoming event separately. Please follow announcements on our website and social media.

We would like to ask that the public continue to follow hse.ie and gov.ie for accurate information regarding COVID-19, its symptoms and the steps the public can take to protect themselves.

IJA Council

 

EU-Japan News | March 2020 Issue Available Now

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EU-Japan NEWS is the quarterly newsletter of the EU-Japan Centre launched in 2003 and containing EU-Japan-related news and features on topics of interest to EU and Japan businesses and public bodies.

The newest issue of the March 2020 Newsletter is available now with the EU and Japan related news, partnering opportunities, Enterprise Europe network news and lots of other useful information and links.

EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation is a unique venture between the European Commission and the Japanese government. It is a non-profit organisation established as an affiliate of the Institute of International Studies and Training (IIST). It aims at promoting all forms of industrial, trade and investment cooperation between the EU and Japan and at improving EU and Japanese companies’ competitiveness and cooperation by facilitating exchanges of experience and know-how between EU and Japanese businesses.

You can read full March 2020 Newsletter here!

Clover Aircraft Leasing joins IJA as a Corporate member

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Ireland Japan Association (IJA) is delighted to welcome Clover Aircraft Leasing Company Limited, a 100%-owned subsidiary of Clover Aviation Capital Company Limited, an aircraft leasing and financing company, on board the IJA as a Corporate member and is looking forward to a long lasting and successful cooperation.

 

 

With its headquarters in Hong Kong, Clover Aviation Capital Company Limited is an aircraft leasing and financing company offering world-class aircraft leasing and asset management services to airlines and financial institutions worldwide.

Following the successful shareholding restructuring in November 2019, and with long term committed investment and support from our investors – Mizuho Bank, Mizuho Leasing and Ping An International Financial Leasing – we will continue to focus on the expansion of our strong portfolio of owned and managed aircraft assets.

Our extensive knowledge of the aviation industry, solid relationships with airline customers, aircraft manufacturers, aircraft investors, international banks and other key aviation industry participants, together with long-term experience and talents of our senior management team and key employees, give us full confidence to consistently deliver strong operational and financial results to our clients.

If you wish to learn more about Clover Aircraft Leasing Company Limited and services they provide, please visit their LinkedIn profile!

Merry Christmas from all of us at the IJA!

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Dear IJA Members and Friends,

Another amazing and busy year has come to an end. Christmas has come, and the year of the mouse in 2020 is soon approaching.

The IJA Council would like to thank you all for joining our events and outings this year and for your continued support to the Ireland Japan Association. We would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy start of the New Year!

A special welcome to H.E. Mr. Mitsuru Kitano, who arrived recently as Ambassador of Japan in Ireland. We wish him every success in this new position. Ambassador Kitano will continue on as the IJA’s Patron Member. We very much look forward to working together in 2020 and beyond.

We are delighted that Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda scholarship was established this year in honour of Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda’s major contribution to the development of the IJA and Ireland-Japan relations, and to underpin the association’s strong commitment to supporting Japanese studies in Ireland. It was our pleasure to award it to Sophia Herar who is our first scholarship recipient.

Rugby took over the nation here in Ireland and definitely in Japan – the host of this year’s Rugby World Cup. Many of us were a part of this amazing event, experienced Japanese hospitality and discovered this beautiful country and culture in person. For many this was the first time visiting Japan. We are sure that this experience will encourage people to return and explore the Land of the Rising Sun even more, especially with such a huge and exciting event as Tokyo 2020 Olympic & Paralympic Games due to start in July 2020.

Finally, we are also delighted to announce that our biggest event of the year – The IJA Annual Dinner 2020 will be taking place on February 14th at The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin. We hope you will join us for an evening of celebrations and fine dining at one of the most beautiful and iconic Dublin venues.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays!

Warm wishes,

On the behalf of the IJA Council,

Darina Slattery

IJA Chairperson

‘Once in a lifetime’ experience at Ichigo Ichie, Cork

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Ichigo Ichie – one of the best Japanese restaurants in Ireland and recipient of prestigious Michelin Star award, was our absolute favorite when we decided to organise an exclusive dining experience and a special night out for our members and friends.

On 8th November we set off to Cork to experience a unique ‘once in a lifetime’ Japanese haute-cuisine by Chef Takashi Miyazaki. His kaiseki multi-course tasting menu with elaborately prepared dishes that represent the seasons, promised to bring everybody on an amazing taste journey through Japanese cuisine, and this promise was well exceeded on the night.

Every dish was a flavour-filled edible art on the plate, and we all were able to admire the effort that was put into every single detail to introduce us to new unusual food textures and combinations of ingredients.

We all had an amazing evening and we truly enjoyed the hospitality of Chef Miyazaki and his team. Here is a little insight to our evening through photos.

We would like to thank Mr. Hiro Ino, IJA Council, for organising this wonderful event.

Photos: Donagh Morris & Hiro Ino

FREE Japanese lunchtime conversation group meetings

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We are delighted to have partnered with Trinity Centre for Asian Studies and bring you FREE Japanese lunchtime conversation group meetings to give you a chance to improve your Japanese conversational skills in casual environment.

These weekly meetings will take place every Thursday from 1-2 p.m. at the TCAS Seminar Room 2011 (Arts Building Annex) in TCD. First meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 14th November.

This weekly group will allow Japanese learners of all levels to develop their conversation skills in a casual, lunchtime environment. Feel free to bring your lunch and find some new conversation partners at the same time!

No previous registration is needed and everybody is welcome.

We would like to thank Verity Swan, IJA Council, and everybody at Trinity Centre for Asian Studies for their support in organizing this group.

Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship in 2019 is awarded to Sophia Herar

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Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship was established in 2019 in honour of Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda’s major contribution to the development of the Ireland Japan Association and Ireland-Japan relations, and to underpin the association’s strong commitment to supporting Japanese studies in Ireland.

In 2019, the scholarship was awarded to Ms. Sophia Herar, studying for BA in Applied Language and Translation Studies, DCU. Sophia is going to study in Japan for a year at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies.

Sophia Herar – the first recipient of Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship in 2019

The official presentation of the scholarship took place in August 2019 at DCU with Ms. Sophia Herar, Mrs. Yoshiko Ushioda, IJA founder member and Scholarship Patron, Mr. Yasuyuki Ozeki, IJA Vice-Chaiperson, Mr. Donagh Morris, IJA Council, Mr. Kenichiro Sasame, Counsellor and DHM of the Embassy of Japan in Ireland and representatives from DCU in attendance.

I feel honored to have received the scholarship and I am happy that all my hard work these last few years has paid off. I believe that everyone who manages to turn their passion for Japanese into motivation and action, is going to be rewarded for it – be that through a scholarship or the experience of living in Japan itself. I feel incredibly lucky that I get a chance to experience all this and that the IJA and Mrs. Ushioda decided to support me with the scholarship. – Sophia Herar

We would like to thank Mr. Donagh Morris, IJA Council, and everybody at DCU for their support and assistance with the scholarship management and administration process this year.

MUFG Investor Services joins IJA as a corporate member

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Ireland Japan Association (IJA) is delighted to welcome asset servicing, banking and fund financing leaders MUFG Investor Services on board IJA as a Corporate member and is looking forward to a long lasting and successful cooperation.

MUFG Investor Services is an industry leader in asset servicing, banking and fund financing, working with some of the largest investment firms in the world.

We are a core business for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (“MUFG”), one of the largest global banks with more than US$2.7 trillion in assets.  Our global scale, breadth of services, and industry leading technology, allow us to build partnerships with our clients and create distinctive solutions that meet their specific priorities.

In recent years we have strategically acquired firms in the asset servicing industry and successfully grown our business in terms of client and employee retention.

The firm continues to be fully committed to this business; a consistent, top tier provider with a global presence – administering US$582 billion in assets globally.

If you would like to find out more about MUFG Investor Services please visit their website: https://www.mufg-investorservices.com

RetroVino joins IJA as a Corporate member

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Ireland Japan Association (IJA) is delighted to welcome wine and sake wholesaler RetroVino (RetroSake) on board IJA as a Corporate member and is looking forward to a long lasting and successful cooperation.

Retrosake are a Dublin based sake (and wine) importer supplying restaurants, off-licenses and private clients.

Our passion for premium sake is reflected in our portfolio. We only supply traditionally-brewed additive-free sake, which we buy directly from renowned producers in Japan, and import temperature controlled into Ireland. We look forward to sharing some sake with IJA members and continue to increase the awareness of sake in Ireland.  

RetroVino/Retrosake is offering a list of services – building bespoke wine lists, supplying restaurants with wine and sake, wine sourcing, shipping and storing, expert wine cellar advice on the acquisition and storage of wines, tastings, staff training and wedding services.

If you wish to learn more about RetroVino/RetroSake and services they provide, please visit their website: http://www.retrovino.com

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Events

**COVID-19** | IJA Announcement

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The IJA is carefully monitoring the situation regarding Coronavirus COVID-19 and would like to inform that at the moment all IJA upcoming events in March are cancelled or will take place virtually/online/via conference call. [updated on 16.03.2020]

It is essential that any decisions regarding responses to COVID-19 are proportionate, necessary and based on specific public health advice. We will be following public health advice guidelines, will consult our event hosts/venues, and will make the decision about each upcoming event separately. Please follow announcements on our website and social media.

We would like to ask that the public continue to follow hse.ie and gov.ie for accurate information regarding COVID-19, its symptoms and the steps the public can take to protect themselves.

IJA Council