Japan and Me

I still remember my very first visit to Tokyo in 1985, thirty years ago. I was invited by Professor Shono from the Sophia University to help him during a full week with his student projects. They reserved a room for me in the New Otani Hotel and every morning I walked to the Yotsuya campus. Prof. Shono also took me to Kyoto for the weekend. I was immensely impressed by the Japanese high tech and by the beauty of temples and shrines. This first visit for sure triggered my interest in Japan, its people and culture.

Since then I travelled to Japan 2 - 4 times a year for a number of occasions like scientific workshops and conferences, business meetings with industrial partners, official Belgian delegations and family related visits.

Our link to Japan got intensified when our daughter Annelies started Japanese studies at the Leuven University in 1991 and received a Monbusho fellowship in 1995. She studied at Osaka University and got a Masters Degree in Asian Studies from Sophia University. After her return to Belgium at the end of 2000 she first worked for the BJA, later on she joined the department of Japanese studies at the KULeuven for a few years, and since about ten years, she runs a shiatsu practice IYASHI together with her husband in Leuven.

Several times I have been a member of an official Belgian delegation visiting Japan in order to strengthen the economic and scientific relations. A special visit was the one linked to the 2002 World Cup Soccer when the Japan - Belgium game, played in Saitama, ended at a 2 – 2 score, making the two countries happy.

Attending the Japan – Belgium World Cup 2002 soccer game in Saitama

In 2000 imec held its first Imec Technology Forum (ITF) in Tokyo. Imec is one of the leading research organisations in the world in the field of nanoelectronics and its applications in health care, communication and energy. The 2000 event took place at the Belgian Embassy and was attended by about 70 Japanese executives from government, industry and universities. In following years the Tokyo seminar grew into a major annual networking event bringing together imec top scientists and more than 500 representatives from the Japanese industrial and academic nanoelectronics community. Because of the growing number of participants the seminar moved from the Belgian Embassy to the nearby New Otani Hotel. However the seminar is still concluded with a highly appreciated reception at the Belgian Embassy. Over the years imec built strong partnerships with more than 50 Japanese companies and hosts about 65 visiting researchers from Japan in its research labs in Belgium.

During my many visits to Japan, I collected beautiful memories from Hanami in Yoyogi and Ueno park and from colourful autumn leaves in Arashiyama; I was emotionally shocked at the Peace Park in Hiroshima and strongly impressed by the temples and shrines in Nara, Kyoto, Kamakura and Niko. I enjoyed the Aoi Matsuri Festival in Kyoto, the Culture Day parade in Tokyo and my visits to the Tokyo National Museum.

Visiting Tofuku-ji temple in November 2012	Exploring Nijo-jo in Kyoto in 2014

When I was asked in March 2014 by Mr. Thomas Leysen to become the new president of the Belgium-Japan Association and Chamber of Commerce, I was deeply honoured. It took me a week of careful considerations before I accepted the invitation and I finally did so mainly because of my warm feelings towards Japan, towards its people and companies, and towards its culture. During my many travels through Japan and my many business negotiations with Japanese executives, I have learned that appreciation for Japanese culture and doing business are tightly linked to each other.

As chairman of the BJA my hope is to contribute to the warm friendship and business relations between Belgium and Japan. We have a lot to offer to each other and to learn from each other. The ‘gentle’ combination of culture and business is exactly what the BJA tries to achieve.