[vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The relationship between the US and Japan, it is often said, is the most important one on the planet and the security alliance fosters peace around the world. The Honorable Hiroshi Furasawa spoke positively of “Abenomics,” the three-pronged approach of fiscal stimulus, monetary easing, and structural reforms that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has put into place to reinvigorate the economy. Mr. Furasawa also discussed the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, the document that sets terms for trade and business investment among the US and 11 other Pacific Rim nations.
Oregon has a high positive profile in Japan, and new Japanese companies arrive in Oregon every month. Mr. Furasawa called the local environment “open and comfortable,” with more than 100 years of welcome and acceptance behind it. Japan and Oregon share a sense of a love of nature, and as an example he noted the beautiful Portland Japanese Garden that he said is one of the best he has ever seen. As Oregon’s 4th largest trade partner behind China, Canada, and Malaysia, 160 Japanese companies reside in Oregon and provide 160,000 jobs. In 2014, $1.65 billion in goods were exported from Oregon to Japan. Mr. Furasawa, in his position as Consul General, hopes to facilitate new connections and economic opportunities in the state. He supports formation of small to medium-sized businesses that can re-invest in the local economies.
As further evidence of the strong relationship between Japan and Oregon, Mr. Furasawa cited approximately 3000 college students involved in the study of Japanese language and culture and 400 Japanese students enrolled in Oregon colleges and universities. These figures exclude numerous short-term exchanges that exist at the high school and university level.
During Q&A, Mr. Furasawa expressed his thanks for the help Japan has received in addressing the 2011 tsunami that devastated a large portion of coastline in three Japanese prefectures. He said with some sadness that, although the coastline has been cleaned up, businesses have yet to be re-established because so many residents moved away from the affected areas. He also said that they are still working to contain the Fukushima nuclear plant and that all nuclear plants in the country are currently shut down. They are preparing to re-activate one plant this August. The long-term goal is to produce 20% of the country’s energy from nuclear power to lower the cost to Japanese consumers.
Hiroshi Furasawa graduated from Columbia University in 1983 with a Master’s in Linguistics and entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984. He became Japan’s Consul General in Portland in 2013. The Consul General of Japan promotes trade relations between Japan and the US. The Consul office in Portland was opened in 1900 and is one of only 16 such offices in the US.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]