#2-9 Asia’s new model company [Oct 1st 2011]

Asia’s new model company [Oct 1st 2011]

Oct 9th 2011 10:00-12:00 Yebisu ANTICO CAFFE AL AVIS

Ogawa, Ono, Iino, Tomozawa, Yamagata, Shimada and Kurasawa

Articles we discussed:

[Leaders] [The world economy] Be afraid

[Leaders] [Vladimir Putin] The once and future president

[Economics & Finance][Economic Focus] Tinker, tailor

[International] [The changing adult business] At a XXX-roads

[Europe] [Charlemagne] Keep the fire burning

[Economics & Finance] [Tobin taxes and audit reforms] The blizzard from Brussel

We had a various kind of articles this week from Russia’s politics to an adult business. Two of us picked up the same article about Russia. Ono prepared his discussion paper based on his argument about growing industries and the role of government so his paper was favorably received. Yamagata made his discussion paper about EURO crisis handwritten. Iino bravely chose an article about adult business and he made a presentation in a loud voice in a refined Italian café. Shimada chose a column of EU. Impressive discussion we had this week.

Firstly we focused on the return of Vladimir Putin. As we all know, Mr. Putin is the leader of Russia even though he had resigned president once in 2008. Now he will win the election again. He told his United Russia party conference on September 24th that he would run for the presidency next march. We discussed mainly about the future of this “managed democratic” country. How will Russia change? What should Japan do? Kurasawa focused on their favor of dictatorship and controls on freedom of speech. She doesn’t think a dictator state can prosper for a long time and at some point they have to change their political system. There was a cold war in her mind when she mad her opinion. Tomosawa more focused on economic point of views. He was interested in the origin of power of Russia as a resourceful country, which he think is dictatorship.

Ono made his opinion based on the article from economic focus. He insists that not a public sector but a private sector pick growing industries and a public sector should more focus on deregulation than pick-the-winner policy. What matters is not whether governments can pick winners –they cannot- but whether they have the good sense to let losers fall by wayside. Fiscal reform and growing strategy both are the most important subjects we manage to do with. We should keep continue the discussion.

The article Iino picked up looks like he chose to make a joke but it was serious topic about adult business and IT. He was interested in it because an adult business is deeply rooted in human desire so it is one of the large industries so he wanted to know the circumstances. The article introduced us about “.xxx” domain. We mainly discussed influences of the domain on adult industry. The interesting point was that new types of technologies are also introduced and make developments in the industry.

Finally we follow the current situation of EURO crisis based on two articles; “The world economy: Be afraid” and “Keep the fire burning”. Many kinds of metaphors are used for the crisis. On these articles, these are a fire and a black hole. The economist always criticizes the absence of leadership among European leaders. What matters the most is to take a strong leadership to put out a fire by making consensus among people and countries.

We gathered at Yebisu for the first time. This town was refined and felt good when we sat on a table at a open café. We ate lunch in Udon restaurant near from the station. We talked about “Goucon” -parties with men and women. We concluded that to be friend with the opposite sex, activities such as golf, hiking and cycling are better than holding a drinking party.