Japanese Society of Melbourne which is at the core of Japanese community in Melbourne, and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Melbourne held their general meeting to select new officials.
From the left, Honorary President Susumu Hasegawa ( Japanese Consul-General in Melbourne), New President Wataru Takeuchi ( Managing director of NEC Australia ), ex-President Masahide Yasuda ( Managing director of TOYOTA Australia ).
Japanese Society of Melbourne held its general meeting on Sunday July 25 at Japanese Studies Centre, Monash University, Clayton. In the meeting, they introduced new officials and reported on their activities, financial accounting and so on.
･Vice-president and Manager of JGA（Japanese Golf Association of Melbourne) : Mr. Toshiro Nakada, Managing director of Mitsui & Co, Australia.
･Executive Director and Culture and Public Relations Manager: Mr. Kei Oyamada from TOYOTA Technical Centre in Melbourne
･Executive Director and Sports Manager: Mr. Michio Taki, Managing director of Mitsubishi Australia Ltd
･Director and Women's Association Manager: Ms. Noriko Oba.
Mr. Takeuchi, new president, announced that the summer festival, which was first held this year, would be held next year as well.
Monash University, Clayton is around 15 minutes bus ride from Clayton station.
Before the meeting, about 80 participants enjoyed a Japanese-style buffet lunch provided by Japanese Society of Melbourne, consisting of sushi, boiled spinach with soy sauce, crab tempura, grilled fish balls and miso soup with pork. After the meeting, there was a performance of the Argentine tango, which the participants fully enjoyed.
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Melbourne held its general meeting on Wednesday July 27 at noon at Grand Hyatt Melbourne with about 40 participants. In the meeting, they introduced new officials, and made both activities and financial reports.
･President: Mr. Kiyoyoshi Oba, Managing director of TOYOTA TSUSHO ,Australia.
･Vice-president: Mr. Takashi Ikeda, Managing director of Australian Arrow Pty. Ltd.
･Honorary director: Mr. Susumu Hasegawa, Japanese Consul-General in Melbourne.
･Executive director: Mr. Nobuyuki Koyama, JETRO
(Left) Mr. Kiyoyoshi Oba,new president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry In Melbourne
(Right) Mr. Wataru Takeuchi, new chairman of Japanese Society of Melbourne
Consul-General Susumu Hasegawa said that “a survey held in October 2009 shows that apart from short-term residents, the number of Japanese people living in Australia is around 78.000, an increase of 7 percent over the previous year, which makes Australia rank third after the U.S with a Japanese population of 380,000 and China with 120,000. The number of Japanese living in Brazil and Britain, countries with the 4th and 5th largest Japanese population respectively, has been decreasing, so Australia is likely to stay in third place for some time.
In terms of the Japanese population in foreign cities, Melbourne ranks 16 in the world with a population of 12,000, an increase of 10 percent over the previous year. The difference between Melbourne and Paris, which ranks 15, is 500, so it's only a matter of time before Melbourne overtakes Paris.
Sydney ranks 6 with 26.000 but the population decreased 0.8 percent over the previous year”
