activities

Main activities

Exchanges and cooperative enterprises

Regional YEG meetings: Local YEGs in Japan are grouped into 9 regions, each of which holds a regional YEG meeting attended by all local YEG members involved in that area. During meetings, active exchange of opinions and promotion of interaction are aimed at. Lecture meetings, subcommittee meetings, visits to companies, and other activities are carried out.

National Annual Conference: During the National Annual Conference, YEG members from across Japan gather for activities such as subcommittee meetings, business networking forums, and product exhibitions. About 5,100 members participated in the 2005 National Annual Conference, held in Aichi. Conferences are held in November of every year, and the next will take place from November 9-12, 2006, in Oita.

Training activities

Training workshop for chairpersons of local YEGs in Japan: YEG chairpersons participate in a national study workshop for the purposes of improving the quality of YEG activities and raising awareness of various relevant issues. About 1,200 chairpersons participated in the workshop for 2005 held at Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, while the event for this fiscal year will be held in Kaga, Ishikawa, from February 16-17, 2007.

YEG Business Plan Contest: This contest aims to discover outstanding business ideas among YEG members, and useful training is conducted for getting started with and commercializing such ideas. This contest does not aim to rank the ideas but rather encourages YEG members to improve their sense of management from various angles and become opinion leaders in their areas.

The Shosei School: The Shosei School provides training for young entrepreneurs and future leaders. It is scheduled to be held in Tokyo this fiscal year.

Committee activities

For promotion of activities undertaken by Japan YEG, there are four standing committees (the Administrative Committee, the Planning Committee, the Training Committee, and the Public Relations Committee) as well as special committees, which are instrumental in conducting necessary activities each year. Two special committees were established during this fiscal year: the Committee for Regional Creation and Support, and the Board for YEG Reform Promotion.

The Committee for Regional Creation and Support: This committee provides assistance for local YEGs, promotes the establishment of new YEGs in CCIs that haven’t established them yet, and supports accession to Japan YEG. It promotes the formal inclusion of clauses concerning YEGs in the articles of local CCIs that don’t have such provisions, conducts policy advocacy for the benefit of local areas and SMEs, and facilitates exchange of views among local YEGs.

The Board for YEG Reform Promotion: This committee promotes the exchange of views between young government officials and provides support for the nine regional federations as they hold meetings with relevant organizations and municipalities It also facilitates deliberations concerning the structure and activities of Japan YEG and works to determine methods in which Japan YEG is able to cooperate with Asian countries.

International activities

Mr. Teisuke Suzuki, Adviser of Japan YEG for the year 2006, has assumed the position of Vice Chairman of the Committee on Young Entrepreneurship, CACCI(The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry). In addition, the Board for YEG Reform Promotion will explore methods in which Japan YEG is able to cooperate with Asian countries.

Publicity activities:

Japan YEG is involved in the management of a website and the issuance of the Web Shosei, an electronic bulletin, and an e-mail magazine that is distributed once a month. YEG information is also disseminated through Ishigaki, JCCI’s monthly magazine.

Social welfare activities:

Japan YEG provides support for areas that have suffered from natural disasters as circumstances demand. (Examples include donations for the Kobe earthquake of 1995, the Niigata and Fukushima deluge of 2004, and the Fukui deluge of 2004.)

Other

Angel Touch: Software specially developed for YEGs allows opinion and information exchange among Japan YEG officers, as well as the rationalization of management and improvements in efficiency. Activities are underway to increase the use of this software by YEG members.