Japan in the Bay Area: From Competition to Collaboration

The Bay Area Council Economic Institute and the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center Japan Program invite you to a forum on the critical transformations underway in Japan’s economy and the unique synergies that connect it to the Bay Area. The program will include a discussion of the high-level findings of a new report by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute on Japan’s economic engagement in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley Bay Area, and the role the region is playing as California and Japan look to expand trade and investment and accelerate innovation. Leading experts and practitioners from both Japan and the Bay Area will join us for this discussion. 

This event is brought to you by the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center Japan Program and the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, in cooperation with the Japan Society of Northern California.

Agenda

1:00pm          Welcome

     Jim Wunderman, President & CEO, Bay Area Council

     Hon. Tomochika Uyama, Consul General of Japan

     Takeo Hoshi, Director, Shorenstein APARC Japan Program

1:10pm          Introduction of Bay Area Council Economic Institute Report: High-Level Findings

     Sean Randolph, Senior Director, Bay Area Council Economic Institute

1:30pm          Observations and Silicon Valley Overview

     Kenji Kushida, Research Scholar, Stanford University

1:45pm          Panel 1: The Emerging New Japan 

     Kanetaka Maki, Associate Professor, Waseda Business School

     Mio Takaoka, CFO, Medical Note and Partner, Arbor Ventures

     Takeshi Ebihara, Founding GP, Rebright Partners

     Emre Yuasa, Principal, Globis Capital Partners

     Sean Randolph, Senior Director, Bay Area Council Economic Institute (Moderator)

2:45pm          Panel 2: Japanese Companies in Silicon Valley Creating Value in New Ways

     Hiroshi Menjo, Managing Partner, Net Service Ventures

     Tsunehiko Yanagihara, Executive VP, Mitsubishi Corp M-LAB

     Gen Isayama, General Partner & CEO, World Innovation Lab

     Dennis Clark, Managing Director, Honda Innovations

     George Saikalis, SVP & CTO, Hitachi America, Ltd.

     Kenji Kushida, Research Scholar, Stanford University (Moderator)

4:00pm         Closing Remarks