18th Japanese-German Forum

November 4–6, 2009
Tokyo

In November 2009, the 18th German-Japan Forum brought together representatives from various fields in both countries to discuss the future of Japan-German relations and the common challenges faced by the two countries. This was the first German-Japan Forum held after the change in government in both Japan and Germany that occurred in fall 2009, and a large portion of the discussion was devoted to examining their respective political transformations. In addition, the participants examined the effects of the global financial crisis on the Japanese and German economies as well as new energy policies underway in both countries. The participants also attended a welcoming reception hosted by the Japanese State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro Fukuyama.

November 5

Session I: Japanese Political and Economic Change—The Regional and Global Impact and the Implications for German-Japan Relations

KOICHIRO GEMBA, Member, House of Representatives (DPJ: Democratic Party of Japan) 
YOSHIMASA HAYASHI, Member, House of Councillors (LDP: Liberal Democratic Party)
SHIN’ICHI KITAOKA, Professor, University of Tokyo

Session II: German Political and Economic Change—The Regional and Global Impact and the Implications for German-Japan Relations 

Dr. THEO SOMMER, Editor-At-Large,Die Zeit
ALEXANDER GRAF LAMBSDORFF, Member of European Parliament (FDP: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament)
JÜRGEN FITSCHEN, Member of the Management Board, Deutsche Bank AG

November 6

Session III: Impact of Financial Crisis on Germany and Japan and Possible Bilateral Cooperation in Response
JIRO SAITO, President and CEO, Japan Post Holdings Co., Ltd.
UWE NEBGEN, Representative, Deutsche Bundesbank, Tokyo

Session IV: Energy Policy in the Context of Green New Deal and COP 15 Meeting
TAIZO YAKUSHIJI, Vice President and Executive Research Director at the Institute for International Policy Studies (IIPS)
RAINDER STEENBLOCK, Member of German Parliament until 2009 (Alliance 90/The Greens)

GERMAN PARTICIPANTS

CHAIRMAN

BERNHARD SCHEUBLE

Chairman of the Foundation Council, Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB)

PARTICIPANTS

FRIEDERIKE BOSSE

Secretary General, Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB)

HANS HENNING BLOMEYER-BARTEINSTEIN

Director-General for Asian and Pacific Affairs, Federal Foreign Office

FLORIAN COULMAS

Director, German Institute for Japanese Studies

JÜRGEN FITSCHEN

Member, Management Board, Deutsche Bank AG

ROLF HEMPELMANN

Member, German Parliament (SPD: Social Democratic Party of Germany)

ALEXANDER GRAF LAMBSDORFF

Member, European Parliament (FDP: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament)

MATTHIAS NASS

Deputy Editor-in-Chief, DIE ZEIT

UWE NEBGEN

Representative, Deutsche Bundesbank, Tokyo

AMB. CYRILL NUNN

Director General, Asia Policy, Foreign Office

WOLFGANG SCHMITT

Managing Director, German Agency for Development Cooperation (GTZ)

BIRGIT SCHNIEBER-JASTRAM

Member, European Parliament (CDU: European People’s Party in the European Parliament)

THEO SOMMER

Editor-at-Large, DIE ZEIT

AMB. DR. VOLKER STANZEL

German Ambassador-Designate to Japan

RAINDER STEENBLOCK

Member of German Parliament until 2009 (Alliance 90 / The Greens)

FRANZ WALDENBERGER

Professor, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich

JAPANESE PARTICIPANTS

CHAIRMAN

YUZABURO MOGI

Chairman and CEO, Kikkoman Corporation

PARTICIPANTS

KEIKO CHINO

Columnist, The Sankei Shimbun

SHINJI FUKUKAWA

Chairman, Machine Industry Memorial Foundation (TEPIA)

TETSURO FUKUYAMA

State Secretary for Foreign Affairs; Member, House of Councillors (Democratic Party of Japan [DPJ])

KOICHIRO GEMBA

Member, House of Representatives (DPJ)

KEIKICHI HONDA

Editor in Chief, The Nikkei Weekly

HIDETO KAKINOKI

Chair, Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, Nippon KEIDANREN (Japan Business Federation)

SHIN’ICHI KITAOKA

Professor, University of Tokyo; Former Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations

MINORU KIUCHI

Member, House of Representatives (Group for Upholding the Interest and Life of the Nation)

AKIRA KOJIMA

Trustee and Senior Fellow, Japan Center for Economic Research (JCER)

TAKASHI MIYAAKE

Editorial Writer, Yomiuri Shimbun

MEGUMI NISHIKAWA

Senior Editorial Writer, Mainichi Shimbun

JIRO SAITO

President and CEO, Japan Post Holdings Co., Ltd.

TAKAHIRO SHINYO

Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany

TSUYOSHI TAKAHASHI

Special Advisor to the President, Japan Foundation

HITOSHI TANAKA

Senior Fellow, Japan Center for International Exchange; Former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs

NAOKI TANAKA

President, Center for International Public Policy Studies

KATSUYUKI YAKUSHIJI

Political News Editor, Asahi Shimbun

TAIZO YAKUSHIJI

Vice President and Executive Research Director at the Institute for International Policy Studies (IIPS)

TAKASHI YAMAGISHI

Executive Vice President and CTO, Teijin Limited

TADASHI YAMAMOTO

President, Japan Center for International Exchange