Celebrating Diversity: A Key to Future Business Success for Australia and Japan

A full house of over 150 attended our special event featuring Ms Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, in Sydney on 5 February 2024. Governor Koike shared her vision for the future of Tokyo and explored the crucial role of diversity in shaping the future of business for both Australia and Japan with a distinguished panel.

Tokyo’s vision
Governor Koike set out her vision for Tokyo’s future, noting the importance of moving towards carbon neutrality by 2050, stressing the key role of clean hydrogen in achieving a carbon-neutral future and Tokyo’s commitment to be a leader in that field. She also highlighted the importance of innovation to her “Future Tokyo” strategy, introducing her catchy “Sushi-tech” initiative, and talked about the importance of inclusivity and diversity in underpinning these ambitions, emphasising what she called the Three C’s: “Children, Choju (longevity), and Community”. It was interesting to hear how she’d changed people’s attitudes to parental leave by changing the language used to describe it – from 育休 (parental holiday) to 育業 (parental duties).

Governor Koike’s comments then formed the centrepiece of a great panel discussion exploring the similarity of challenges facing Australia and Tokyo for the future. We thank our fantastic panelists: Sam Mostyn AO, Debra Hazelton GAICD, Mitsubishi Australia CEO Takashi Horie and our wonderful chair Melanie Brock AM – who we’re delighted is now a member of the JABCC’s Executive Committee.

Special thanks too to our generous sponsors Deloitte Australia, for providing the spectacular venue and tasty refreshments; and to Japan Australia Business Co-operation Committee (JABCC) Chair Michiaki Hirose, who accompanied the Governor, for the initiative to make this event happen.  We were also honoured to be joined by Minister Anoulack Chantivong and Secretary Elizabeth Mildwater representing the NSW Government, Keigo Gohda, National President of the JCCI and HE Ambassador Kazuhiro Suzuki and Sydney Consul-General Tokuda Shuichi from the Japanese Government.

What a great way to celebrate 40 years of sister-state relations between NSW and Tokyo!