Kansai Keizai Doyukai (Kansai Association of Corporate Executives) was founded in 1946 by the initiative of a group of young members of the business community in the Kansai region. It was just when the social, economic and industrial activities in the region and throughout the nation were still seriously plagued by the devastation immediately after the end of the World War II. Those young businessmen set themselves out of ruin and convulsion to advocate the cause of restoring and reconstructing the Japanese economy and putting its industrial and fiscal activities on a sound track for steady and sustained expansion and growth. Since its foundation, the Doyukai has maintained an incessant approach to address the serious discussions on major issues which give or may give impacts to individual business enterprises and the national economy.

One of the unique features of this organization is that its members, who are in most cases executive officers and board directors of business and industrial firms, do not represent in any way the interests of the enterprises and industries they are working for. Instead, they volunteer to participate in public discussions in the capacity of individual leaders in the business and industrial sector of the society and help to formulate recommendations on matters of social and economic concern of great importance. Through these voluntary processes, they try to look at things in a broader perspective and with gifted wisdom and insight so that they may uphold the principles of democratic free-enterprise economy. The Doyukai's efforts and activities usually result in the form of specific or public recommendations to the society, the population and the Government.

In order to conduct a variety of activities and action programs, the Doyukai sets up a number of committees, research groups and forums which are respectively responsible for investigation of problems, preparation for reports and other related functions. The Doyukai adopts their conclusions as arrived at after repeated discussions and reviews in these organized sessions, and releases them as its public statements. Records show that these statements have always been motivated by the member's deep sense of responsibility or accountability to the society. Therefore, the statements released from the Doyukai are very often termed and valued as much of insight or trend-setting, by the policy-makers in governments, industry, the media, academic and other segments of the community.

Another main area of the activities by the Doyukai is to promote the international exchange programs with political, business and financial leaders in the rest of the world. The programs include, for instance, exchange or study missions to other nations, international conferences or symposiums. As the role Japan can play in the global community will certainly become larger, the Doyukai's international programs are expected to be increasingly more important.

As most of its activities are rooted in the communities in and around Osaka and the Kansai region, the Doyukai has always continued and will continue to help stimulate and vitalize the economy in the region. A large number of varied proposals to promote region-wide projects have already been considered, planned, initiated and implemented. In addition, the Doyukai makes it a point to maintain active and closer contacts with local governments, labor unions and organizations, and consumers groups.

The Doyukai is affiliated with a national network of similar committees throughout Japan, and collaborate closely with such organizations to meet common objectives. However, each of these Doyukai's implements its own programs independently and individually.

As outlined above, the Doyukai is, in short, a group of business leaders who meet in committees to propose, discuss, recommend and act. It is the organization's goal to strive to be open-minded and fresh and flexible-thinking as well as encouraging positive involvement for the society.