WHAT ABOUT KANSAI KEIZAI DOYUKAI

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.

Organization

【General Management/Activity Support】

  • Committee on Research and Planning
  • Council for Partnership between Associations of Corporate Executives
  • Committee for International Exchange
  • Committee for International Symposium and Forums
  • MICE and IR Study Group
  • Support Committee on “Global TEKIJUKU”
  • Support Committee for “Omizukumi Festival”

【Exchange and Mutual Study】

  • Members Fellowship Meetings
  • Young Members’ Committee
  • Committee on the Culinary Culture of Osaka
  • Frontier Research Council
  • Social Gathering of Company Executives
  • Women’s Leadership Seminars

【Investigation and Research】

  • Committee on SME Management
  • Committee on Sports
  • Committee on Economic and Fiscal Policy
  • Committee on Regional Revitalization
  • Committee on Expo Legacy
  • Committee on Carbon Neutrality

【Recommendation】

  • Committee on Corporate Management
  • Committee on Countermeasures to the Declining Birthrate

【Implementation】

  • Committee on “EXPO 2025 OSAKA, KANSAI”
  • Committee on Education
  • Committee for Wide Area Tourism
  • Committee on Art and Culture
  • Committee for Kansai Bridge Forum
  • Committee for a Global Startup Ecosystem in Kansai
  • Committee on Circular Economy
  • Committee on National Security

Executive Members As of July 1, 2024

Co-Chairpersons [Representative Directors]:

Mr. Yoshiyuki Miyabe*
Executive Vice President, Member of the Board, Corporate Representative in Tokyo
Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Mr. Seiji Nagai*
Executive Vice President
OBAYASHI CORPORATION

Managing Directors:

Mr. Teruhiko Achikita
Representative Director & CEO Chairman
Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Mr. Toshiyuki Imai
Senior Executive Officer Member of The Board
Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
Mr. Masahiro Imai
Ambassador
Senior Vice Representative for External Affairs
ITOCHU Corporation
Ms. Rieko Ueda
President
Mothernet Co., Ltd.
Ms. Nobuko Ueno
Advisor
JATO Co., Ltd.
Mr. Shoji Kurasaka
Vice President, Representative Director
WEST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY
Mr. Taisei Kondo
Member of the Board, Executive Vice President
TAKENAKA CORPORATION
Mr. Jun Sato
President & CEO
Showa Marutsutsu Co., Ltd.
Mr. Motomitsu Shirakawa
President
SOPPRA Corporation
Mr. Minoru Soutome
Member of the Board of Directors, Deputy President
Head of Japan Western Region
MUFG Bank, Ltd.
Mr. Koichi Takahashi*
Member of the Board and Senior Executive Officer
General Manager of Finance and Accounting Div.
Daikin Industries, Ltd.
Mr. Toyonori Takahashi
Executive Officer, Group Kansai Representative
ORIX Corporation
Mr. Kunihiro Tanaka
Founder & CEO President
SAKURA internet Inc.
Mr. Shigeo Hirose*
Managing Director, Secretary General
Kansai Keizai Doyukai
Ms. Junko Foley
President
Daidomon Co., Ltd.
Mr. Mikio Matsumura*
Adviser
The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
Mr. Yuji Mikasa
Director and Executive Vice President
Nippon Life Insurance Company
Mr. Toshihiro Michioka*
Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Mr. Kazutoshi Minami
Deputy President
Resona Bank, Ltd.
Mr. Ryuichi Morotomi*
Director
Hankyu Corporation
Mr. Nobuhiro Yoshida
Managing Executive Officer
General Manager for Japan Region
General Manager, Kansai Office
Sumitomo Corporation

*Executive Directors

Contact

KANSAI KEIZAI DOYUKAI
(Kansai Association of Corporate Executives) Nakanoshima Center Bldg.,
2-27, 6-chome, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku Osaka 530-6691 Japan
Phone:+81-6-6441-1031