By Geert Benoit
In December 2022, I had the honor to participate in a Belgian trade mission to Japan. This was already my 60th visit to Japan. Nevertheless, it was a trip that stood out compared to all of my earlier trips. Not only was I joined by 600 other Belgians this time, but the mission was also lead by HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium. Here are my key takeaways from this special trip.
1. ROYALTY MATTERS
The several ceremonial parts in the program meant a lot to our Japanese colleagues. As a sign of gratitude for the long-standing commitment to Belgium, Mr. Yamagata, the owner of our company was invited to the high-level investment lunch in the presence of Princess Astrid. I could see and feel that Mr. Yamagata really appreciated this symbolic gesture. If you ask me, the graceful and gentle professionalism of the Princess has made more impact on my Japanese colleagues than our entire crew of regional and federal politicians.
2. NEW PARTNERSHIP
The signing of the cooperation agreement between Yamagata Group and Tweddle Group in Tokyo was a boost for me. It proves that cooperation and alignment with business partners is the future, even if these partners are typically considered to be competitors. I like to compare it to the API culture in IT, where you create channels to link competencies that can make your products and services stronger. The fact that this partnership originated in Europe, between the two daughter companies of the larger Japan and US based corporations, makes the cooperation agreement even more special for me.
3. EXCELLENT SUPPORT
Traveling together with 600 Belgians create the ideal atmosphere for networking and sharing Japan-related stories and adventures among travel companions. It always surprises me how our small and medium enterprises manage to find their way in a complex country like Japan. To a large extent, this is due to the excellent support from our Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) team in Tokyo. This small team of dedicated professionals does a great job supporting our Flemish companies.
4. EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION
Although I should be used to it by now, Japan’s super organized public transportation system continues to amaze me, every time I visit the country. It’s always timely, efficient, clean and smooth. Go to Shinjuku station during rush hour and just go with the flow. Google will help you find your right train and track, even in a station that welcomes 3.5 million commuters every day. I also noticed that my Japanese colleagues have started using car sharing services more frequently. Forget company cars. You’ll find credit card powered cars in all sizes at each station to complete your last few miles. Amazing!
5. LOW INFLATION ECONOMY
Contrary to common belief, Japan is not expensive for travelers. After years of deflation, now there is very low inflation in combination with a cheap yen. All this has made Japan an affordable country to travel to. Unfortunately, I must point out that Japanese wages haven’t increased for two decades, and low pensions are forcing the elderly to remain professionally semi-active. You could say that it’s unfortunate that the silver generation still has to work and contribute. On the other hand, personally, I might prefer that situation to the obligatory Western focus on ‘enjoying life’ for our 60+ age group.
6. OUR BELGIAN PRIDE
Traveling with Belgian exporting companies always means that there’s beer and fries on the menu. I think I have consumed more ‘pintjes’ and ‘frieten’ in one week than I usually do in one month. But in times of poor football, it’s our best way of showing a bit of Belgian pride. I need to make a special mention of the excellently organized Belgian Beer Fest. The organizers have been promoting Belgian beer culture in Japan for many years. If you are in Japan, I certainly recommend attending one of their events. The cool thing is that they combine their events with the promotion of Belgian artists, meaning we had the unique pleasure to enjoy a concert of Jef Neve in Tokyo. However, my favorite Japanese hangout is still the “Brussels” in Kanda, a pub I have been visiting since 1989.
Kampai!
