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  ISSUE 1/2010 7 January 2010  
Dear !*TITLE*! !*LASTNAME*!,

A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We are back in business after a fairly long, and hopefully relaxing, holiday season.

Our first event in 2010 is a luncheon meeting on Tuesday 26 January with Jyrki Katainen, Minister of Finance of Finland This is a joint Nordic Chamber event with an interesting speaker who was named the best finance minister in Europe in November 2008 by the Financial Times. Read more below!

  Tuesday, 26 January
Joint Nordic Luncheon Meeting with Mr. Jyrki Katainen, Minister of Finance of Finland

At the Joint Nordic Luncheon Meeting organized by the FCCJ on 26th of January we will have Mr. Jyrki Katainen, Minister of Finance of Finland as our guest speaker. In November 2008, the Financial Times named Katainen as the best finance minister in Europe.
The theme of his presentation will be informed in my next email bulletin and on our web site.

Date & Time:Tuesday, 26 January, 12.00-14:00
Venue: Hotel Okura, Kensington Terrace (South Wing 12F) MAP
Cost:7,000 yen for members, guests 8,000 yen (collected at the door)
Registration:by Friday, 22 January

Minister Katainen's Profile
Jyrki Katainen, born October 14, 1971, is the chairman of the Finnish National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) and the current Minister of Finance of Finland. Katainen became a member of Siilinj?rvi municipal council in 1993. He was elected member of the Finnish Parliament (Eduskunta) from the district of Northern Savonia in 1999, served as the vice-chairman of his party since 2001, becoming its leader in 2004.

In the 2007 parliamentary election, the National Coalition led by Katainen won the second place from the Social Democrats. Katainen became the Finance Minister in the new cabinet with Center, National Coalition, Greens, and Swedish People's party.

In March 2003, he was elected Vice President of the European People's Party (EPP) for a three-year term.

If you like to attend, please click link at right. Note that we have to invoice the lunch fee for cancellations after 12:00 on Monday, 25 January and "no-shows".
Thursday, 28 January - SCCJ Team Building Event
Bowling Competition at Tokyo Port Bowl

The Swedish Chamber (SCCJ) has organized a team building event - bowling competition - for several years and it has been very successful (click here for images from last year's event). As we are considering some similar event, the SCCJ has kindly invited us to join with 2-3 teams to test out the idea.

Date & Time:Thursday, 28 January, 18.30-20:30
Venue: Tokyo Port Bowl, 1-13-10 Shibaura, Minato-ku Tel: 03-3451-9211 MAP
Cost:5,500 per person (incl. 2 games play fee, party fee)
Registration:by Wednesday, 13 January

Each team consists of four members, professional bowlers, beginners are equally welcome!
You could either collect your own team (with colleagues, friends or spouses), or register individually and we gather a team. For the prize ceremony, we would appreciate a prize contribution by each player.

If you like to participate, please click link at right. If you have a four person team, give names of all team members as well as the name you would like to call your team..
Wednesday 20 January - Symposium on Keizai Doyukai's Corporate White Paper
"Creating a New Style of Japanese Corporate Management"

Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives) will be hosting a symposium on January 20. The purpose of this symposium is to encourage discussion on Keizai Doyukai's "The 16th Corporate White Paper" titled "Creating a New Style of Japanese Corporate Management" published in July, 2009. Simultaneous interpretation available.

Date & Time:Wednesday 20 January, 12.00-14:00
Venue: Dai-ichi Hotel Tokyo, LA ROSE, 5th Floor
Cost:free
Registration:by Wednesday, 13 January

For details, please refer to the attached invitation and registration form or contact the Keizai Doyukai (Mr. Yamaguchi 03-3284-0545; yamaguchi08@doyukai.or.jp) directly.
News from Finland

Penttila named head of Finnish Central Chamber of Commerce

The Finnish Central Chamber of Commerce said in a statement Tuesday its board had named Risto Penttila director-general, effective May.

Kari Jalas is to retire as director-general of the Central Chamber of Commerce in September.

Mr Penttila has been a director at the Business and Policy Forum (Eva), a pro-business thinktank, since 2002, having been an MP in 1995-9 and worked for consulting company Oxford Analytica and the World Economic Forum, a corporate-funded thintank.

Grin of the Week

Famous quotes

One Friday morning, a teacher came up with a novel way to motivate her class. She told them that she would read a quote and the first student to correctly identify who said it would get the rest of the day off.

She started with "This was England's finest hour." Little Suzy instantly jumped up and said, "Winston Churchill."

"Congratulations," said the teacher, "you may go home early."

The teacher then said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but.." Before she could finish the quote, another young lady belts out, "John F. Kennedy!"

"Very good," says the teacher, "you may go also."

Irritated that he has missed two golden opportunities, Little Johnny said, "I wish those girls would just shut up."

Upon overhearing this comment, the outraged teacher demanded to know who said it.
Johnny instantly rose to his feet and said, "Bill Clinton. I'll see you Monday."
Best regards

Clas G. Bystedt
If you have any comments, rumors, gossip or inside information,
send it to: fccj@gol.com

ABOUT THIS BULLETIN
This bulletin is published by the Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Japan (FCCJ) and distributed to over 650 recipients among its members and related organizations.

FCCJ was established in April 1999 to promote trade and economic exchange between Japan and Finland and has today 62 corporate members, 16 individual and one special member.