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JAPAN-U.S. SOUTHEAST & Joint Statement for November 19, 2013 The Southeast U.S./Japan Association and the Japan-U.S. Southeast Association held their 36th Annual Joint Meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi, November 17 to 19, 2013, with the theme of “Success through Harmony, Tradition and Innovation.” SEUS Chairman, Mr. William Yates, Chairman of Yates Construction Company, and Japan Chairman, Mr. Atsutoshi Nishida, Chairman of the Board, Toshiba Corporation, presided over the meeting which attracted approximately 400 delegates. The SEUS delegations were led by the Honorable Phil Bryant, Governor, State of Mississippi, this year’s host state; the Honorable William Edward Haslam, Governor, State of Tennessee; the Honorable Richard L. Scott, Governor, State of Florida; the Honorable Brian Kemp, Secretary of State, State of Georgia; the Honorable Senator Hugh K. Leatherman, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, State of South Carolina; Sharon Allred Decker, Secretary of Commerce, State of North Carolina; and Greg Canfield, Secretary of Commerce, State of Alabama. The Honorable Kenichiro Sasae, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States of America, served as the keynote speaker. Additional VIPs attending the conference included the Honorable Kazuo Sunaga, Consul General of Japan from Atlanta; the Honorable Motohiko Kato, Consul General of Japan from Nashville; and Masahiro Ogino, Deputy Consul General of Japan from Miami. In the opening remarks, William Yates and Atsutoshi Nishida recognized the growing significance of the spirit of harmony, tradition and innovation. They highlighted the strong ties and mutual trust between the U.S. and Japan and urged the two countries to play a leading role in bringing the world together to meet pressing global challenges. Following the opening remarks, each of the SEUS delegation leaders provided state-specific information and answered questions in a town-hall format. Panel Session I, “Leadership Roundtable/ Challenges & Best Practices,” featured senior corporate leaders sharing their challenges, successes and best practices in working with both countries. Panelists included Osamu Nagata, President & CEO Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.; Paul Amos, President, AFLAC; Kazuo Morimoto, Chief Executive Representative for the America, President, Toray Industries (Americas), Inc.; and William “Bill” Krueger, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Production Engineering and Supply Chain Management, Nissan. The panel was moderated by Brent Christensen, Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Authority “Competitiveness: Succeeding in a New Global Market” was the theme of Panel Session II. Attendees received information on new competitors for both Japan and U.S. investment. Panelists included Jay Moon, President & CEO, Mississippi Manufacturer’s Association; Mark L. Williams, President, Strategic Development Group, Inc.; Darin Buelow, Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and Hiroyuki Ishige, Chairman, JETRO – Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Moon also served as moderator. The final panel session, “Shale Gas & Alternative Energy Deliverables & Technology,” provided information on resources available in the SEUS region for alternative sources of a secure and dependable supply of energy for Japan’s present and future needs. Panelists included Kosuke Furutachi, Chief Financial Officer, JX Nippon Oil Exploration (U.S.A.) Limited; Kei “Duke” Kato, Senior Vice President, Strategy Planning & Business Development Oil & Gas, Sumitomo Corporation of America; Christopher McGill, Managing Director of Policy Analysis, American Gas Association; and Jeff Cheng, Vice President, Projects and Systems, Stion Corporation. The panel was moderated by Haley Fisackerly, President and CEO, Entergy Mississippi, Inc. Throughout the program, views and opinions were exchanged and understanding of the conference issues was deepened. Participants were able to see long-time friends and make new ones. The significance of the partnership was reconfirmed. The value of working together in harmony was recognized and a commitment to the joint effort to help achieve sustainable growth of the U.S. and Japan as well as of the world was affirmed. The meeting was adjourned with an announcement that the 37th Annual Joint Meeting will be held at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo, Japan, September 18-20, 2014.. - End - |