December 24, 2009

Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so is very pleased to share some Festive Season cheer with fellow members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan.  This special offering is in celebration of Four Seasons Hotels' 18th Anniversary here in Japan - THIS IS A LIMITED OFFER AND NOT TO BE MISSED.  Four Seasons Hotel is looking forward to welcoming you and your company colleagues to the property through the beginning of 2010 (and beyond). We wish you all a fabulous Festive Season including safe travels for those on the road, the tracks or in the air.   Â

August 25, 2009

Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so is proud to be involved in the upcoming HSBC Fall Series programme at Harunanomori Golf Club.   For September 5th we will be the title sponsor for the day of the Four Seasons Doubles and will be providing some great prizes, including the first place prize for the two winners, each receiving a voucher for one nights Four Seasons Executive Suite Garden View accommodation including breakfast, spa access and a glass of champagne for two.   Additionally, 10 prizes of JPY 10,000 dining vouchers for use throughout September at our month long Italian Cuisine Festival "La Festa Italiana".   Registration is still available for the tournament, via the attached link http://www.japangolfers.com/hsbc/Four-Seasons-Doubles.html. As a member of the CCCJ we look forward to welcoming fellow members on the day for some fun in the sun...."

August 24, 2009

Feast on the Flavours of Italy, Soak Up the Culture and Test Drive a Lamborghini at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so. La Fiesta Italiana brings a little Italy to Japan this September. Click here for more information.

April 23, 2008

Bombardier announced changes to its Aerospace Group leadership team. Guy C. Hachey is appointed Bombardier Aerospace's new President and Chief Operating Officer, effective May 12, 2008. A period of transition will follow until June 4, 2008, when Pierre Beaudoin, the current President and Chief Operating Officer, will take over the position of President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc., as previously announced on November 28, 2007. Bombardier is a Corporate Member of the CCCJ. Information summarized from: Bombardier Inc. Press Release

January 31, 2008

Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corporation announced a 10-year agreement with Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. of Japan to secure the supply of potentially more than $200 million in tires. Under the agreement, Barrick will purchase approximately 1,300 off-the-road (OTR) tires a year beginning in 2009. To meet this demand, Yokohama will embark on a major expansion of the Onomichi plant located in Hiroshima. The US$50 million expansion includes a new building, production line, and related equipment, and will be primarily funded by a $35 million loan from Barrick. Start up is scheduled for late in the fourth quarter of 2008. The contract covers five sizes of bias-ply, giant OTR tires, including loader and haul truck sizes up to the 40.00-57 profile. Barrick mines will receive delivery directly from the Onomichi plant and direct-from-manufacturer pricing for the next decade. Information summarized from: Barrick Gold Corporation Press Release courtesy of Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

January 28, 2008

Sapporo Beer of Japan has introduced "business intelligence" software by Cognos of Canada throughout its entire group of companies. The software will analyze sales data accumulated by various divisions and prepare reports for the executive team. It will also permit centralized data management and more rapid analysis of business trends. Information summarized from: Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 25, 2008

Kyoto Nishikawa, a Kyoto retailer of bedroom furnishings, will begin marketing quilts made from Canadian qiviuk as a luxury item. Qiviuk, the inner fur of the Canadian musk ox, is an extremely rare material that is softer and lighter, yet warmer, than wool. One quilt will sell for 5 million yen (C $47,500). Information summarized from: Nihon Seni Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 24, 2008

Kubota of Japan has signed a contract to provide methane recovery technology to ADI Systems, a New Brunswick company marketing treatment systems for liquid industrial waste. Kubota's technology using fermentation and special membranes will allow ADI to design systems that extract methane gas from liquid waste at bio-ethanol plants. Kubota hopes to collect one billion yen (C $9 million) in royalties in 2009. The current contract runs to October 2010. Information summarized from: Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 23, 2008

Teekay Corporation, a Canadian shipping company, together with two Japanese partners has ordered four LNG transport ships from South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries. Teekay (33% share in the project), Mitsui and Company (34%), and NYK Bulk Ship (33%) have a 20-year contract to carry LNG (liquefied natural gas) from Angola to the USA. The ships will be delivered in 2011-2012. The contract is worth $959 million to Samsung. Information summarized from: Nihon Kaiji Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 22, 2008

Canada’s Nortel Networks and Japan’s Toshiba are currently developing WiMAX (high-speed wireless) base stations for cellular phones in Japan. Sales will begin in 2008, and the sales target for fiscal 2010 is 15 billion yen (C $125.7 million). The new product will combine Nortel’s high speed technology with Toshiba’s miniaturization technology. Information summarized from: Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 21, 2008

Canadian auto parts giant Magna International says it may set up a development centre on Japan's southern island of Kyushu, where automobile production is increasing. Vice-President Ted Robertson, visiting from Canada, and Magna Japan President Seiichi Mihara explained the idea during an interview in Fukuoka. They said that many students in Kyushu major in the sciences and that a large amount of work there is done independently of Japanese keiretsus. They said Kyushu would be a good place for Magna to develop parts from scratch, possibly in joint ventures with local parts companies. They did not, however, indicate any target dates, stating instead that Magna would carefully observe demand trends. Information summarized from: Nikkei courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 18, 2008

Robert Gannicott, Chairman and CEO of Harry Winston Diamond Corporation (formerly Aber Diamonds), recently visited Japan for the opening of Harry Winston's new diamond salon in Nagoya. Harry Winston owns the Diavik mine in Northwest Territories and supplies 10% of the world's diamonds. Gannicott stressed to a Japanese newspaper that diamond mining in NWT is friendly to the environment and to the large herds of reindeer living around the mine. Information summarized from: Nihon Seni Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 17, 2008

CEO Linda Hasenfratz of Ontario-based Linamar Corporation told a Japanese car newspaper that the company was patiently watching technological trends in order to boost sales to Japanese automakers. She said sales staff in Japan would be increased over the next two to three years. Linamar parts are already found in Toyota and Honda vehicles and within the products of a first-tier Japanese auto parts maker. Linamar aims to raise sales to Asia-based customers to 25% of the company total. Information summarized from: Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 16, 2008

Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd (JAPEX), which produces about 8,000 barrels of crude oil per day from oilsands in Alberta, will drill seven new wells to maintain constant output as performance of its 15 existing wells declines. JAPEX will invest C$7 million in new gas-fired steam production facilities for steam assisted gravity drainage oil extraction. JAPEX works in Hangingstone, Alberta through the locally incorporated company Japan Canada Oil Sands Limited. Information summarized from: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun courtesy of Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

January 15, 2008

Hitachi Plant Technology will use TPS (thermal phase separation) technology developed in Canada to purify soils in Japan contaminated with dioxins and PCBs. It will aim for 1 billion yen (C $8.3 billion) in sales in 2008. Hitachi acquired rights to the technology from Japan's Ube Industries this past May. Japan's Konoike Construction Company also owns rights to the technology. Information summarized from: Nikkan Kensetsu Kogyo Shimbun, Kensetsu Tsushin Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 13, 2008

Vancouver-based Andrews & George Co. reports that sales of DoMatcha, powdered green tea imported from Kyoto via Polaris of Tokyo, are increasing and that new products are being developed. The company conducted a seminar at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo in October 2007. It says that green tea's selling points include health benefits, ease of use and wide-ranging applications. Information summarized from: Inshokuten Keiei courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 12, 2008

Manulife Insurance, the Japanese unit of Canada's Manulife Financial, announced that Craig Bromley has been appointed as President. Manulife Financial has operations in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. Information summarized from: Fuji Sankei Business Eye courtesy of Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

January 11, 2008

Japan's Inpex Holdings (oil exploration firm) has decided to work together with Canada's Ivanhoe energy on exploration and development of the Qaiyarah oilfield south of Mosul, which is believed to hold between 400 and 800 million barrels of oil. Although Inpex will not put any personnel in Iraq, it will help fund the project and will work on analyses and calculations using data from the site. Its eventual goal is to gain oil rights there as part of its effort to increase production worldwide. Information summarized from: Nikkei courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 10, 2008

Vancouver-based Zecotek Photonics Inc. and Fujikura Ltd. of Japan reached an agreement-in-principle to form a partnership for the development, manufacture and sales of key Zecotek products, including Zecotek’s proprietary fibre lasers. Under the proposed agreement Fujikura will contribute technical support and manufacturing know-how for certain products to be manufactured and distributed by Fujikura under the partnership. Fujikura is a manufacturer of optical fibre communication cables. Zecotek is a photonics technology company developing high-performance crystals, photo detectors, lasers, optical imaging and 3D display technologies for commercial applications in the medical diagnostics and high-tech industries. Information summarized from: Zecotek Medical Systems Press Release courtesy of Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

January 9, 2008

Woodbridge Group of Canada and Inoac Corporation of Nagoya, both producers of urethane foam automobile seats, have announced that they will boost their cooperation in development, design, and manufacturing to better meet the needs of automobile manufacturers around the world. For just over 2 billion yen (C $17.6 million), Inoac will acquire a 50% stake in four Woodbridge plants in the United States and Mexico to gain access to production facilities in North America. Woodbridge will take a 50% stake in Inoac's Kyushu plant in Japan, where it will develop products for Japanese automakers in North America. Information summarized from: Kagaku Kogyo Nippo, Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 8, 2008

Japan's Inpex Holdings has acquired a 10% stake in the Joslyn oilsand project in Alberta from Total SA of France. No figures were disclosed, but Inpex is expected to invest between 40 and 50 billion yen (between C $364 million and $455 million) in the project over the next three years. It will work with Total on an "upgrader" in Edmonton to convert heavy oilsand into lighter synthetic oil. Inpex will acquire pipeline rights as well. The Joslyn project is eventually expected to produce 230,000 barrels of oil per day. Inpex is the third Japanese oil company to work in Alberta. Information summarized from: Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun, Kagaku Kogyo Nippo, Denki Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 7, 2008

Kibun Food Chemifu, a Japanese soy milk producer controlling 50% of the domestic market, is switching from Chinese to Canadian soybeans to improve profitability and satisfy the rising safety concerns of Japanese consumers. Due to increasing domestic demand in China and use of soybeans for biofuel, soybean prices have risen by as much as 30% over the past year. At the same time, Japanese consumers are becoming concerned about the safety of Chinese foodstuffs. To deal with both problems at the same time, Kibun Food Chemifu will now use Canadian soybeans produced under contract with individual farmers. The new system gives the company more control over both costs and quality. Information summarized from: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 4, 2008

Bombardier opened a new parts depot at Tokyo's Narita Airport. Bombardier has invested C $8 million in the Narita depot and an office at Haneda Airport to restore confidence in its products after a series of problems in Japan with its DHC8 Q400 airplanes including a landing gear failure in Kochi in March. Vice-President Todd Young said he could not comment on the cause of the Kochi accident because an investigation was in progress. He called Scandinavian Airlines' decision to stop using DHC8 Q400s "very unfortunate" because the planes are in fact safe and other airlines are placing new orders. Information summarized from: Asahi Shimbun, Kochi Shimbun, Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo

January 2, 2008

In a joint venture with Canada's AGF, the Tokyo investment firm Fund Creation launched a new mutual fund, the "AGF-FC Canada Resource Fund," in December 2007. The fund, managed by AGF, will invest in mining and energy companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. It is the first of its kind in Japan. Despite the risk of influence by the U.S. economy, Canadian energy stocks are doing well thanks to Canada's rich reserves of uranium, oilsand and other resources as well as high global demand for energy. The strong Canadian dollar and Canada's balanced budgets are helping as well. Information summarized from: Nikkei, Kabushiki Shimbun courtesy of Canadian Embassy Translation Services, Tokyo