Time: 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Cost: FEW Members ¥2,000 / Guests ¥5,000 (supper and drinks included)
No advance reservation required.
Please note this is a women only event.

Venue: Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ), Yurakucho Denki Building, 20th Floor (http://www.fccj.or.jp/~fccjyod2/aboutus/map)

Speaker: Mr. Waichi Sekiguchi, Editorial Writer, Nikkei Inc.

Responding to the Internet revolution, the Japanese government launched a new policy called the “e-Japan Initiative” in 2001. As a result, within just five years Japan has become one of the world leaders in broadband infrastructure. Many have called this another miracle next to Korea’s success in broadband policy. In wireless, “i-Mode,” the mobile internet service has gained tremendous popularity, particularly among young people in Japan.

Yet, in the context of rapidly evolving technological advances within the industry, there is still a significant number of the population that do not use PC’s or cannot type without looking down at their keyboards. With this in mind, can we truly say that Japanese people have adapted themselves to the new information age?

Drawing from over 15 years of experience covering topics in IT, Mr. Sekiguchi will share his insights on the IT industry in Japan providing the truths and misconceptions on how far Japan has come in reaching its e-Japan Initiative. In addition, he will discuss the impact the IT revolution has brought to the Japanese media industry.

Waichi Sekiguchi is an editorial writer for the Nikkei Newspaper, the largest business daily in Asia. He joined Nikkei in 1982 and currently covers the IT Industry and cyberspace issues.

Sekiguchi was a Washington correspondent during the Bush and Clinton Administration, covering US trade and politics. Prior to that, he was a researcher at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and a chief writer for The Nikkei Weekly, the English edition of the Nikkei newspaper.

He has also written books on the Internet and IT industry including “Cyberspace Revolution,” “Savvy Search Techniques,” ”Pioneers of the Japanese PC Industry,” “Modern Times 2001,” etc.

He graduated from Japan’s Hitotsubashi University and presently teaches at Hosei University Business School as a visiting professor and at Hitotsubashi University and Waseda University as a part-time instructor. He is also a member of the Japanese government’s cyber security committee.