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Showing posts from January, 2008
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One Village One Product Japan's entrepreneurial scheme goes abroad B y Willhemina Wahlin and Dr Kaoru Natsuda The One Village One Product (OVOP) scheme is a way of rethinking the possibilities for small, rural populations, introducing ways to re-brand what they do best. Founded in the Kyushu prefecture of Oita over 20 years ago, it’s now being exported to some of the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Still riddled with challenges, its greatest potential is the entrepreneurial independence it encourages in many of the world’s poorest communities. More This story was original published in the January 2008 issue of J@pan Inc Magazine. For subscriptions to the magazine, go to: http://www.japaninc.com/mgz_subscriptions Thanks for the support! Images courtesy of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)
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Women in the Workplace Profiles of Professionals By Willhemina Wahlin In Japan, the ‘concrete ceiling’ as it’s commonly known, is still a major stumbling block in the career trajectories of many women. Still a predominantly male-dominated society, it’s not surprising that Japan, which rates seventh in the United Nations Human Development Index, only made it to 69th in the same report’s Gender-related Development Index, and 42nd in the Gender Empowerment Index for 2006. Slow as it may be, change is on the way. Feeling the squeeze from all sides, including low birth rates and an ageing population, Japan’s severe underutilization of women in the workforce no longer makes any good economic sense. What’s more, many are realizing that the type of management that women can provide could well be the key to once more unlocking Japan’s economic might. J@pan Inc spoke to four women who have enjoyed success in fields as diverse as government bureaucracy, business and non-profit organizations. Th
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Opening Japan's Skies: Part 2 By Willhemina Wahlin The British carrier, BMI, is a good example of just how lucrative the trading of airport slots can be to the aviation industry. Mott McDonald's Director of Aviation Strategy, Laurie Price, who was invited to Tokyo in July by Tokyo University's International Transport Policy Research Institute in the Graduate School of Public Policy, explains that in BMI's case, it's key value is in fact its slot allocation. 'The value of British midlands BMI—the main value of BMI - is its 11 percent holding at Heathrow, which is probably worth somewhere around 300 million pounds.' More This is part two of the two part series on Japan's aviation industry, first published in J@pan Inc Magazine on 1 August, 2007. For Part One, go to: http://www.japaninc.com/jin424 Illustration: Willhemina Wahlin
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Opening Japan's Skies: Part 1 By Willhemina Wahlin Since the first manned flight on December 17, 1903, when the very brave—or very insane—Wright Brothers managed to stay aloft in their prototype plane for a mere 12 seconds in 27mph wind, the aviation industry has grown into the singularly most important bridge between people, save for perhaps the Internet, of course. But today, the pressure on what has traditionally been a flagship industry for individual nations is under increasing pressure to liberalize. More This article was first published as a two-part series in J@pan Inc Magazine on 25 July, 2007. Illustration: Willhemina Wahlin