March Event to Commemorate Anniversary of The Great East Japan Earthquake in Minneapolis

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - Feb 25, 2015) - In commemoration of the Fourth Anniversary of The Great East Japan Earthquake, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Japan America Society of Minnesota (JASM) will host a program entitled "Sustaining Tohoku: Perspectives of the Recovery from American Companies in Fukushima and an In-Depth Look at the Strength of its Economy." The event will be held from 6:00 -8:30 PM on Thursday, March 12, 2015.

John Harris, President and Representative Director of Nippon Becton Dickinson Co., Ltd. will make the keynote address. Nippon Beckton Dickinson Co. Ltd., has a factory located in Fukushima Prefecture. Mr. Harris will discuss why his company is located in Fukushima and how they recovered after the 2011 disaster. He will also explain Japan's importance for Becton Dickinson and how the company views Japan as a source of innovation for the medical device industry. Additional speakers will include:

• Ichiro Soné, Chief Executive Director of JETRO Chicago, who will provide a brief update on the progress of Abenomics and how the policies are designed to sustain the economy of the Tohoku region;
• Joe Dixon, Environmental Program Manager at Minnesota-based PaR Systems Inc. will talk about the challenges and successes of his company's efforts at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
• Yasuhiro Nagamatsu, formerly the Chief Director of JETRO Fukushima and the current Executive Director of JETRO San Francisco, will talk about the current recovery of Fukushima, the strength of the local economy and the importance of the Tohoku regional economy to Japan.

The event is supported by the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the JET Alumni Association of Minnesota and the Saint Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee. 

Registration will begin at 5:30 PM. Presentations will begin at 6:00 PM, with a networking reception to follow. The event will be held in the Thomas H. Swain Room of the University of Minnesota's McNamara Alumni Center, located at 200 University Avenue, S.E., Minneapolis, MN, 55414. Parking for the event will be available in the University Ramp (1926 University Avenue, S.E., Minneapolis),

The event is free of charge, however there is limited seating and advance registration is required. To reserve your seat, contact the Japan America Society of Minnesota at jasm@us-japan.org or call 612-627-9357.