Courtesy of Asia Undercurrent
Fumio Kishida became Japan’s prime minister on October 4, 2021 and started to pursue his flagship agenda of a “New Form of Capitalism”. With global inequities laid bare due to disruptions such as trade frictions and a global pandemic, PM Kishida has sought to realize a more sustainable and more inclusive economy through creating a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution. His policy focuses not on simply redistributing wealth but growing the Japanese economy as a whole so that all parties can enjoy the tangible benefit.
But many are still wondering, what exactly are the means, mechanisms, and core policies behind this so-called a “New Form of Capitalism” and what effect will it have on the world’s third largest economy and the global community as a whole? Moreover, even as PM Kishida’s new capitalism takes shape, Japan and other countries around the world, are still struggling with the challenges decarbonization, trade, digital transformation and financial distress brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. In such an environment, can PM Kishida’s policy change modern capitalism?
With these key questions in mind, in this sixth and final installment of Asia Undercurrent, we will turn to our panel of distinguished experts and insiders including the public and private sector specialist Aiko Lane (Executive Director, U.S.-Japan Business Council U.S. Chamber of Commerce), together with respected businessman and advisor Ken Shibusawa (Chief Executive Officer, Shibusawa and Company, Inc. Founder and Chairman, Commons Asset Management, Senior Advisor, Brunswick Group) and veteran economic journalist and commentator Noah Sneider (Tokyo Bureau Chief, The Economist).
The 75-minute session, moderated by Japan finance and economic expert Robert A. Feldman (Senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co., Ltd.) will lead our panelists through analysis and discussion on the new administration’s new economic policy and its reverberating effects within Japan, the Indo-Pacific, and the global economic community.
This event is free with registration. Click the button below to register:
About the Moderator & Panelists:
Robert A. Feldman (Senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co., Ltd.)
Robert Alan Feldman is Senior Advisor to the Research Department of Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities, where he has worked since 1998, focusing on thematic research on the Japanese economy. Since 2017, he has also served as a professor at Tokyo University of Science, in the Management of Technology program. Outside work, he has served on the Japan-US Friendship Commission, and was a regular commentator on World Business Satellite, the nightly business program of TV Tokyo, from 2000-2020. Earlier in his career, Robert worked at the International Monetary Fund. Robert has a Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Aiko Lane (Executive Director, U.S.-Japan Business Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
Aiko Lane is executive director of the U.S.-Japan Business Council (USJBC) at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Lane works with the USJBC’s board of directors and 60-plus member companies to formulate strategy and policy priorities. She is also responsible for implementing the council’s mission to advance U.S. business interests in Japan and promote stronger bilateral trade and economic relations. Lane has nearly 20 years of experience working in various foreign policy arenas both in the U.S. and Asia. She advised and briefed senior officials at the highest levels of government across three administrations, including at the White House, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and on Capitol Hill. She joined the Chamber from the White House where she served as special adviser to Vice President Pence on East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. She counseled him on strategy, policy, and engagement toward Asia and had a primary role in managing his formal economic dialogue with his Japanese counterpart. From 2007 to 2017, she held various positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, primarily focused on strategic issues in Asia. This included stints as the senior country director for Vietnam and country director for Japan. In 2015, she was detailed to Sen. Ben Cardin’s (D-MD) office, where she advised him in his role as the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy. Previously, Lane worked at ABC News’ World News Tonight and at the Council on Foreign Relations. Her overseas experience includes time spent as a visiting scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, as a legislative aide for a Japanese Diet member in Tokyo, and as a prefectural adviser in Nagano, Japan. Lane received an M.A. in international security policy and East Asian regional affairs from Columbia University and a B.A. in political science and international relations from Northwestern University. She is a two-time recipient of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service, as well as the Secretary of Defense Global War on Terrorism Civilian Service Medal, and she is on the Board of Directors for the Association of Women in International Trade (WIIT). Lane resides in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband and two children.
Ken Shibusawa (Chief Executive Officer, Shibusawa and Company, Inc./ Founder and Chairman, Commons Asset Management/ Senior Advisor, Brunswick Group)
Ken Shibusawa founded in 2001, Shibusawa and Company, Inc., a strategic advisory firm for alternative investments, ESG/SDGs alignment and human resource development. He also founded in 2008, Commons Asset Management, a mutual fund dedicated to deliver long term investment opportunities to the Japanese household. In 2021, he joined Brunswick Group, strategic advisory firm for corporations facing critical issues and engaging with multi-stakeholders, as a senior advisor. He has extensive market experience at JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs as well as Moore Capital, a global macro hedge fund, where he was the representative managing director of the Tokyo Office. He is also director of Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives), advisor to the Office of the President, University of Tokyo, visiting professor at Seikei University, steering group member of UNDP SDG Impact, and member of Council of New Capitalism, established by Prime Minister Kishida.
He is a published author and writes frequently for magazines, journals, and internet media. He also produces and hosts of an English podcast, Made With Japan https://madewithjapan.net/
He was educated in the United States from second grade elementary through college (University of Texas, BS Chemical Engineering, 1983), and then returned again for graduate school (University of California Los Angeles, MBA, 1987).
Noah Sneider (Tokyo Bureau Chief, The Economist)
Noah Sneider is the Tokyo Bureau Chief for The Economist, covering Japanese politics, business, society and culture. Prior to this he covered Russia and the former Soviet Union as Moscow Correspondent, including the annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine, among other events. Before joining The Economist, he reported for a range of publications, including The New York Times and The New Republic. His writing has also appeared in Harper’s, The Atlantic and Slate, among others. His work has been anthologized in the Best American Travel Writing series. He is the recipient of a MacDowell Fellowship. He has also appeared as a commentator for radio and television, contributing to CNN, NPR, and the BBC. He is a member of the third generation in his family to live and work in Japan.
About Asia Undercurrent:
The Pacific and Indian Oceans – the seas that historically nurtured various civilisations and which serve as vital areas for commercial transactions via important sea lanes – are connected by the most populous continent in the world: Asia. The region has long been recognized as the epicentre of global growth, and the area is increasingly attracting attention of political observers world-wide as an area of the globe which can shape the international geopolitical landscape of this century.
The region is also struggling with complex challenges, such as maritime security, terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, natural disasters and attempts to change the status quo; and COVID-19 is yet another recent addition to such difficult problems. An increasing number of countries recognize the relevance of Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific region as key to their own security and prosperity. The region now stands at a crossroad of whether or not it will embrace a free and open, rule-based order so as to maintain its growth trajectory.
Giving a precise prediction on what comes next in Asia requires years of analytic experience. Many watchers of Asian politics agree that regional dynamics in Asia cannot be explained solely by the political language that is readily visible. One needs to dive into the deep layers of geopolitics where subtlety or political gestures form the landscape, in order to see what is happening in Asia’s political and social undercurrent, so as to ascertain the core principles governing this region’s present and future.
Against this backdrop, “Asia Undercurrent”, a newly launched webinar series organized by Nikkei Inc. and the Government of Japan, will bring together prominent experts and scholars from Japan, the US and around the world to take stock of the geopolitical and economic affairs in Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific. This webinar series aims to promote a better understanding on the current state of affairs in the region, providing fresh insights for policymakers, intellectuals, executives and various regional stakeholders on what comes next and how Japan, as well as Asia as a whole, is attempting to navigate through these currents of challenges and opportunities.
Images and Biographies courtesy of Asia Undercurrent