From NRW to Japan - Where Politics meets Business

This event is co-organized in kind cooperation between Consulate General of Japan in Düsseldorf and Deutsch-Japanischer Wirtschaftskreis (DJW).

In May 2026, the Parliamentary Friendship Group of North Rhine-Westphalia will travel to Japan – a journey that matters diplomatically and economically. Today, global challenges demand more than political intent or entrepreneurial drive alone. Progress happens when politics and business join forces, align perspectives, and act together. Delegations like this are most effective when they build bridges that connect political vision with economic reality through dialogue and shared priorities.

To prepare for the mission, our Gogo no Kai will welcome representatives of the Parliamentary Group and focuses on two dimensions where policy and industry are inseparable:

• Experiences from Japanese working culture in Germany – authentic insights into collaboration, leadership, expectations, and what supports long-term success. These learnings are essential for political decision-makers engaging with partners abroad, because policy shapes the frameworks in which business relationships grow.
• Japanese business activities in Düsseldorf – a dynamic ecosystem of investors, innovators, and long-established corporate players. Understanding their contribution to the region means understanding where economic cooperation becomes strategic policy.

Good preparation enables political leaders to enter dialogue not as observers, but as informed partners. It invites curiosity, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to recognize potential and pitfalls. It helps avoid misunderstandings, strengthens relationships, and ensures that every conversation in Japan is meaningful, intentional, and future-oriented.

Parliamentary Friendship Groups play a key role in this effort: they translate diplomacy into actionable cooperation. They hear what companies experience on the ground, understand what regions need, and channel these insights into policy frameworks.

This seminar creates the space where politics meets business openly and constructively – because only together do we turn exchange into progress.

Agenda

• 4:00 pm  Opening Doors, Registration and Networking
• 4:30 pm  Opening by Anne Pomsel, Managing Director, DJW (video message)
• 4:35 pm  Word of Greeting by Consul General Yoshitaka Tsunoda
• 4:40 pm  Word of Greeting by Angela Erwin, President, Parliamentary Friendship Group NRW-Japan
• 4:45 pm  Keynote Speech: “Japanese Business Etiquette” by Rumi Hasegawa, Rumi Hasegawa Intercultural Expert
• 5:05 pm  Keynote Speech: “Japanese Business Activities in NRW and Düsseldorf” by Tatsuo Kamino, Secretary General of Japanische Industrie- und Handelskammer zu Düsseldorf e.V.
• 5:20 pm  Q&A with Audience
• 6:00 pm  Networking and Dinner Buffet with Japanese Cuisine and Sake
• 7:00 pm  Close of Event

Language

German; questions can be asked in Japanese and English as well.

Participation Fee and Registration

Thanks to the tremendous support of Consulate General of Japan in Düsseldorf, participation is free of charge for all attendees.

For this event, we are happy to welcome a maximum of 45 participants. Registrations will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis.

Contact

Deutsch-Japanischer Wirtschaftskreis e. V. (DJW)
Anne Pomsel
events@djw.de