Thank You!

Highlights of the two-day conference included the keynote address from Kenichi Kawasaki, Lehman Brothers' Chief Japan Economist, who struck a cautiously optimistic note with his review of Japan's expected growth in the short term whilst highlighting the potential upside of the government's striking free trade agreements with countries including China, Thailand and Korea, and the potential for globalisation of Japanese companies.

Speaking at the Gala Dinner, Kiyotaka Sasaki, Director of the co-ordination division at Japan's Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission, a division of the FSA, highlighted the importance of self-regulation for participants in Japan's capital markets, and the desirablility of a principles-based, rather than a rules-based accounting system—perhaps indicating a gradual shift to less onerous reporting requirements in the country.

Next year's event will take place in Tokyo in early April—sakura (cherry blossom) season—once more. We look forward to seeing you there.

To view photos, click here.