The 23rd Japanese-German Forum brought together more than three dozen business leaders, policy experts, and politicians, including State Minister Minoru Kiuchi; former Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba; Volker Kauder, the parliamentary chairman of the Christian Democratic Union; and Rainer Bruderle, the former Federal Minister for Economics and Technology. In their Berlin meeting, they discussed the current domestic trends in Germany and Japan; the two countries’ respective responses to recent security challenges, such as Ukraine and the Islamic State; and the ways in which they can effectively work together to achieve shared objectives, such as addressing the challenges of human resource shortages and immigration.
The program began with a reception on the evening of November 4, hosted by Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The second day featured a full day of discussions, including a separate meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Discussions concluded on November 6, following which a joint statement was drafted for submission to the Japanese prime minister and the chancellor of Germany that documents common challenges facing both countries and outlines recommendations for German-Japanese cooperative action.
The Forum, which began in 1993, is organized by JCIE on the Japan side, while the Japanese-German Center Berlin acts as the German secretariat.
November 5
Session I: Political, Economic, and Energy Trends in Germany and Japan
Session II: The Roles of Germany and Japan in a Changing Global Security Environment (Russia, Ukraine, China)
November 6
Session III: German and Japanese Responses to Demographic Change: Labor Shortages and Immigration Policy
GERMAN PARTICIPANTS | |
CHAIRMAN | |
BERNHARD SCHEUBLE | Chairman of the Foundation Council, Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB) |
PARTICIPANTS | |
MATTHIAS BARTKE | Member, Bundestag (SPD) |
VERENA BLECHINGER-TALCOTT | Professor, Free University of Berlin |
FRIEDERIKE BOSSE | Secretary-General, Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB) |
RAINER BRÜDERLE | Member, Bundestag (FDP); former Federal Minister for Economics and Technology |
VOLKER DEVILLE | Head, Berlin Representative Office, Allianz SE; Advisory Board Member, Berlin Demography Forum |
ELKE FERNER | Member, Bundestag; Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth |
GESINE FOLJANTY-JOST | Vice President, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg |
VOLKER KAUDER | Member, Bundestag; Chairman of the CDU/CSU Faction |
STEFAN LIEBICH | Member, Bundestag (The Left) |
MATTHIAS NAß | Chief International Correspondent, Weekly Newspaper DIE ZEIT |
LARS NICOLAYSEN | Managing Director, German Press Agency Tokyo |
PETER PRÜGEL | Director-General for Asian Affairs, German Foreign Office |
HEINZ RIESENHUBER | Member, Bundestag (CDU/CSU); former Minister of Scientific Research |
FRITHJOF SCHMIDT | Member, Bundestag (Alliance 90/The Greens) |
MARIO SCHMIDT | Redaktionsleiter Aktuelles, NDR (North German Radio and TV) |
THOMAS SILBERHORN | Member, Bundestag (CSU); Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development |
VOLKER STANZEL | Former German Ambassador to Japan / Guest Professor, University of California |
SABINE STRICKER-KELLERER | Senior China Counsel, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer |
PROF. DR. FRANZ WALDENBERGER | Professor, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich |
HANS CARL VON WERTHERN | German Ambassador to Japan |
GERHARD WIESHEU | Partner, Bankhaus Metzler; Chairman, Japanese-German Business Association |
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JAPANESE PARTICIPANTS | |
CHAIRMAN | |
YUZABURO MOGI | Honorary CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kikkoman Corporation |
PARTICIPANTS | |
SHOGO AKAGAWA | Chief Correspondent in Berlin, NIKKEI Inc. |
KEIKO FUJIWARA | Managing Director & CEO, Komatsu Europe International n. v. |
KOICHIRO GEMBA | Member, House of Representatives, Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ); Former Minister for Foreign Affairs |
TOSHIMASA IUE | Executive Officer and Executive Vice President, LIXIL Group Corporation |
YOKO KAWAMURA | Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Seikei University |
MINORU KIUCHI | Member, House of Representatives, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) |
TOSHIAKI MIURA | Editor-in-Chief, GLOBE, Asahi Shimbun |
TAKESHI NAKANE | Japanese Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany |
AKIO OKAWARA | President, Japan Center for International Exchange |
MASARU ONISHI | Director, Chairman, Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. |
HAJIME SASAKI | Honorary Advisor, NEC Corporation |
TOSHIYUKI TAKANO | Senior Advisor, ITOCHU Corporation; Former Japanese Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany |
HITOSHI TANAKA | Senior Fellow, Japan Center for International Exchange; Chairman, Institute for International Strategy, Japan Research Institute, Ltd.; Former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs |
TAIZO YAKUSHIJI | Research Counselor, Institute for International Policy Studies (IIPS) |
KENICHI YANAGISAWA | Director General, Japan Foundation London |
