New FCCJ Board has been elected, the port strike in Finland is over, so let's get back to work. Ie. let's resume our work to build Finland image further up, as attractive as it is already.

Must say, it seems I was too worried about the negative effect of renewed striking in Finland on Japanese public. Talking to chamber colleagues and Embassy contacts, it seems almost like only my company and a few others in the forest related business were seriously worried about the negative effects of not meeting the promised delivery dates to customers. We still are, even with the strike over- about long term change in our customers' purchase policies to trust Finland for delivering what is promised day in, day out, come rain or shine. Others probably do not have so strict schedules or can rely more on stocks held by their customers or rather use air cargo for their high value product shipments to Japan. Better still, many members sell services rather than concrete products that can be moved easy by human contact or internet communication. No ports, no ships and no containers.

In culture and science, of course, a few thousand dissident port workers could not make any stop in the flow of contacts between universities or in travelling schedules of visiting conductors. It's good for all members to know that the inflow in this field is extremely active, young talented people keep coming here lifting Finland image. Apart from conductors and musicians, there's a long line of design, dance and other arts schedules which you can pick up from the home pages of Embassy and Institute. Personally, I am especially delighted of the exhibition by Ishimoto-san, the long time chief designer at Marimekko, who finally is getting the exposure for his great work long overdue in his original "furusato". On music front, trust all younger members have noticed the Finland Fest that will again bring a new wave of heavy rock bands to Shibuya plus a lighter brigade of musicians like the harmonica wizards Sveng. In jazz, the "post modern" Viiskulman Vintetti (Five Corners Quintet), on their third visit here, is this time promoted to play in Blue Note. the No.1 jazz club in Tokyo whose sister club in New York is World No.1.

Apart from culture, to promote Finland, what we need is good news, I said, but special personal performances will do if they catch sufficient exposure in the media. Showing good example in this direction is no other than our Honorary Chairman, Ambassador Gustafsson himself. His personal cooking performance in a television programme introducing different embassies in Tokyo recently caught attention like no other programme before and his beautiful wife showing off their Finland theme residence in a design magazine caught much positive attention, too, I am sure. To take things further for Finland, the Chairman has attended many ski events this winter and proposes his active support for any member company who would like to use that sport for its promotion. In the business for ski sports itself, he says, all blocks are in place: we have great products to sell, Japanese skiers know them and recently our image has been further lifted up by many Finnish ski coaches training the best in Japan. In fact, skiing is near to Ambassador's heart: he was an avid Alpinist during his younger days and he has already developed personal contact with many Japanese ski stars, both current and former who are today in a position of national influence like the Ogihara brothers. You might remember them when they competed at world top level in Nordic combined. Now one is Parliament member, the other television presentator. Each year they trained in Finland for months and got to know Finnish people and culture well. There's not many Japanese who can sing "Kaiken takana on nainen" by Matti and Teppo in original Finnish language!

Sauna follows usually soon after sports and here, too, we will have an interest event coming up next month: an international sauna conference in Tokyo. I have always observed that the Japanese and Finnish cultures are very close to each other in this area again: we both think that having a bath can be a nice relaxing social experience to share with friends as much as such clinical cleaning of your body alone. Sauna or onsen hot spring, which ever, you can have a good relaxing bath, then relax more together with your friends sharing snacks and beer, informal talk. Hope this social aspect about bathing will come out well in the conference that is arranged by Finland's Sauna Seura. Go listen - sorry no bath this time.

No space here this time for my favorite subject, Japan politics, even if the scene there is really coming to a boiling point. The July Upper House election is approaching and all elements in the field are in move like never before. Said earlier the vote might go any way but now it looks like just about anything might happen even before the voting date. It's not only individual politicians like Prime Minister himself that are being questioned but even whole parties are on move like earth and lava from a volcano. You could say the whole political system is smoking heavily like Eyjafjallajokull. Will the Japanese volcano erupt already before elections and how will it all affect the society and the economy, our business base? More of that next time.