9th Japanese-German Forum

February 3–5, 2001
Berlin

The 9th Japanese-German Forum met in Berlin on February 3–5, 2001. The Forum organized five sessions, and discussed on the following agenda from each country’s point of view: the impact of changes in the international environment and the prospects of two countries; the role of Germany and Japan in enhancing regional stability; “New Economy” and the implications of this revolutionary change; The problems of the aging societies; and stronger relationship between two countries in the future. The Forum was briefed by Dr. Otto Graf Lambsdorff on Germany’s negotiations to settle the claims of victims of Nazi forced labor politics during World War II.

Minister Bury, representing Chancellor Schroeder who unfortunately fell ill, conveyed his appreciation for the Forum for strengthening the bilateral relationship. After the forum, the Joint Statement will be handed to the Prime Minister of the respective countries.

February 4

Session I: Changing Domestic and International Environments—German and Japanese Perspectives

Speakers
OTTO GRAF LAMBSDORFF, Former Federal Minister of Economics; Chairman, Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation)
RAINER BRUDERLE, Member of Parliament (FDP)
SHIN’ICHI KITAOKA, Professor, University of Tokyo
NAOKI TANAKA, President, The 21st Century Public Policy Institute

Negotiating the Settlement of Claims Relating to Forced Labour During World War II in Germany

Speaker
OTTO GRAF LAMBSDORFF

Session II: The Role of Germany and Japan in Dealing with Regional Instability

Speakers
AKIHIKO TANAKA, Professor, University of Tokyo
THEO SOMMER, Editor-at-Large, DIE ZEIT
HANNS MAULL, Professor of Political Science, University of Trier

February 5

Session III: New Economy: Basic Parameters, Cultural and Behavioral Aspects, Educational Policies

Speakers
HEINZ RIESENHUBER, Member of Parliament (CDU); Former Federal Minister for Research and Technology
MANFRED LAHNSTEIN, Consultant, Lahnstein & Partner; Special Representative of the Board, Bertelsmann AG
ANN-KRISTIN ACHLEITNER, Professor, European Business School
JIRO SAITO, Chairman and Chief Executive, The Tokyo International Financial Futures Exchange; Former Administrative Vice Minister of the Ministry of Finance

Session IV: Coping with an Aging Society in Germany and Japan

Speakers
HATSUHISA TAKASHIMA, Director, United Nations Information Center
LOTHAR SPATH, Chairman of the Executive Board of Directors, JENOPTIK AG
HANS-OLAF HENKEL, President of the Federal Association of German Industries (BDI); Member of Supervisory Board, IBM Deutschland

Closing Session: The Future of German-Japanese Relations

Speakers
ULRICH CARTELLIERI, Member of Supervisory Board, Deutsche Bank AG
HIROTARO HIGUCHI, Honorary Chairman, Asahi Breweries, Ltd.
Ambassador Dr. UWE KAESTNER, German Ambassador to Japan
Ambassador RYOHEI MURATA, Former Ambassador to Germany; Special Advisor to Sanwa Bank

GERMAN PARTICIPANTS

CHAIRMAN

DR. ULRICH CARTELLIERI

Member of Supervisory Board, Deutsche Bank AG

PARTICIPANTS

PROF. DR. DR. ANN-KRISTIN ACHLEITNER

Professor, European Business School

DR. DIETMAR BARTSCH

Member of Parliament (PDS)

DR. THILO GRAF BROCKDORFF

Member of the Foundation Council, Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB); President of the German-Japanese Society Potsdam

RAINER BRUDERLE

Member of Parliament (FDP)

PROF. DR. HANS GUNTER DANIELMEYER

Vice President, JDZB

DR.-ING. E.H. HANS-OLAF HENKEL

President of the Federal Association of German Industries (BDI); Member of Supervisory Board, IBM Deutschland

GEBHARD HIELSCHER

Journalist; Director Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Tokyo Branch

PROF. DR. IRMELA HIJIYA-KIRSCHNEREIT

Director, German Institute for Japanese Studies

DR. UWE KAESTNER

German Ambassador to Japan

VOLKER KLEIN

Secretary General, JDZB

PROF. MANFRED LAHNSTEIN

Consultant, Lahnstein & Partner; Special Representative of the Board, Bertelsmann AG

DR. OTTO GRAF LAMBSDORFF

Former Federal Minister of Economics; Chairman, Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation

PROF. DR. REIMAR LUST

Chairman of the Board of Governors, International University Bremen; Former President, Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation

PROF. DR. HANNS W. MAULL

Professor of Political Science, University of Trier

DR. MANFRED OSTEN

Secretary General, Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation

EDZARD REUTER

Former Chairman, Daimler-Benz AG

PROF. DR. DR. H.C. MULT. HEINZ RIESENHUBER

Member of Parliament (CDU); Former Federal Minister for Research and Technology

WOLFGANG SCHMITT

Manager Director, German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ)

DR. CORNELIUS SOMMER

Director for Asian and Pacific Affairs, Federal Foreign Office

DR. THEO SOMMER

Editor-at-Large, DIE ZEIT

DR. H.C. LOTHAR SPATH

Chairman of the Executive Board of Directors, JENOPTIK AG

JAPANESE PARTICIPANTS

CHAIRMAN

HIROTARO HIGUCHI

Honorary Chairman, Asahi Breweries, Ltd.

PARTICIPANTS

TATSUYA ITO

Member of the House of Representatives (Liberal Democratic Party-LDP)

SHINICHI KITAOKA

Professor, University of Tokyo

KUNIHISA KUME

Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany

TORU KUSUKAWA

Senior Councilor, Fuji Research Institute Corporation

RYOHEI MURATA

Former Ambassador to Germany; Special Advisor to Sanwa Bank

JIRO SAITO

Chairman and Chief Executive, Tokyo International Financial Futures Exchange; Former Administrative Vice Minister of the Ministry of Finance

YOSHITAKA SHINDO

Member of the House of Representatives (LDP)

HATSUHISA TAKASHIMA

Director, United Nations Information Center

AKIHIKO TANAKA

Professor, University of Tokyo

NAOKI TANAKA

President, The 21st Century Public Policy Institute

SHINJI TARUTOKO

Member of the House of Representatives (Democratic Party of Japan-DPJ)

YUZO WAKI

Senior and Editorial Writer, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (NIKKEI)

YOSHIHIKO WAKUMOTO

Adviser, Toshiba Corporation

TADASHI YAMAMOTO

President, Japan Center for International Exchange