Keizai Events – Keizai Silicon Valley

UPCOMING EVENT

32nd Anniversary Shinnenkai

This year, we will kick off Shinnenkai with a traditional New Year’s toasting and greetings led by Hiroshi Kawamura, the Consul General of Japan in San Francisco.

Let’s welcome the first Asian female astronaut, Dr. Chiaki Mukai, as our honored guest to receive the Keizai Silicon Valley Distinguished Achievement Award. Known for her space missions in 1994 and 1998 as a medical doctor and physiologist, Dr. Mukai made a remarkable contribution to life sciences and space medicine. She currently serves as the Specially Appointed Vice President at Tokyo University of Science. Professor Richard Dasher, from Stanford University, will host the award interview for Dr. Mukai. There will be a Q&A where event participants can ask her questions.
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PAST EVENTS

2021 Summer Networking in the Park

Come and join us for an outdoor picnic, where we’ll welcome back our Keizai community for in-person events! We will hold the picnic at Serra Park in Sunnyvale. This 11.5 acre, Mark Twain era-themed park is well shaded with spacious picnic sites, children’s play area and tennis courts. This event is ideal for both networking and catching up with old acquaintances or making new friends. The park’s green open field also offers your family members, significant others and friends a place to enjoy outdoor activities.

Being Innovative in “with Corona” Era

COVID-19 changed our working environment and many of us were forced to get used to WFH (Work From Home) working style. Currently, the government is rolling out COVID vaccination and 40% of Americans either finished being vaccinated or at least received first vaccination. Pandemic may ease but some predict we may not come back to working in the office 100% of the time and we may need to adapt hybrid of WFH and Working in the office.

The question is: Can we continue to be innovative when all of us are working from home? What will happen to our collaboration? Will we miss serendipity moment during our office chat? How will people deal with FOMO (Fear of missing out)? Will Silicon Valley continue to be the place for innovation?

Electrification of Air Transportation

With the recent market and government interest in electric vehicles, it’s clear we are on our way to the electrification of much of our ground vehicle transportation system. There is another form of transportation that is starting on its path to electrification – aircraft. Air travel is recognized as one of the more carbon intensive transportation modes and electrification is one path to reducing its carbon footprint. This webinar will explore the technology and business opportunities of electric air transportation.

Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami 10-Year Anniversary Commemoration

On March 11, ten years ago, the largest earthquake in modern Japanese history shook the Tohoku region. The tsunami that followed devastated many areas in the region; and was the cause of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Keizai Silicon Valley invites the community and its members to observe a minute of silence for the victims, before we hear from two speakers who witnessed the aftermath of 3.11 and bravely took the initiative to respond to the disaster.

31^st Anniversary Shinnenkai

Join us in celebrating Keizai Silicon Valley’s 2021 Shinnenkai (New Year’s Reception Webinar) on Friday, January 29th.

Movie Night

Keizai Silicon Valley is pleased to present our first Keizai Movie Night. As our first film we will be showing “Three Sisters,” which was a highly popular movie from 2014. And as a follow-up, we will have a Q&A via Zoom with the film’s producer Seishiro Nishida, who also plays the role of the father in the film. The film will be in Japanese with English and Spanish subtitles.

Harnessing Big Data for Innovation

In part 2 of our webinar series, we explore how digital transformation has advanced “Big Data” through the digitization of paper records and previously inaccessible data points, enabling new ways to collaborate and create. Join our team of expert panelists to learn how organizations are transforming and analyzing big data into innovation and ideas.

How Has COVID19 Accelerated Digital Transformation?

The digital transformations that were well under way for companies, governments, and education institutions all over the world before COVID-19 have been forced to adapt and accelerate those programs. In the first of two webinars, join our panel of Technology, Operations, and Strategy experts to learn about the opportunities and risks presented by digital transformation in the COVID-19 era.

Mobility Innovations: What Do VCs, Accelerators, and Corporates Think?

The way we transport from point A to point B is rapidly changing. Autonomous vehicles, flying taxis, electric scooters, and so on. How are these technologies coming to reality and what comes next?

In this event you will hear from Venture Capitalists and an Accelerator in the mobility sector to picture the innovations that are going on and what comes next.

30th Anniversary Shinnenkai

Join us in celebrating Keizai Silicon Valley’s 2020 Shinnenkai (New Year’s Reception) on Friday, January 24 at the Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club.

Market Trends of Industrial Robotics

Across industries worldwide, automation is taking place at scale. Robots are becoming the main enablers of this automation with an accordingly large economic impact. The market for industrial robotics has been growing at a record rate of 19% per annum since 2012/13 and is expected to continue grow at double-digit rates at least through to 2025.

The Privacy Tsunami!

You may have heard about the alphabet soup of new privacy legislation, including Europe’s GDPR and California’s effort to storm the stage, the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act). New privacy laws are upending the handling of consumer information and forcing companies to reevaluate business models.

2019 Summer Networking

Sunday, August 4th

Come join us at our annual summer networking in the park. This year our event is going to be held at Serra Park in Sunnyvale. A babbling brook runs through this 11.5 acre, Mark Twain era-themed park. It is well shaded with spacious picnic sites, children’s play area and tennis courts. This event is ideal for both networking and catching up with old acquaintances or making new friends. The park’s green open field also offers your family members, significant others and friends a place to enjoy outdoor activities.

Automated Food

What we eat, where it comes from, and how we eat it are all changing as consumers’ preferences evolve and they demand more selection and convenience to fit an ever- changing range of nutritional needs and lifestyles.

Drones: Current Uses and Future Trends

Originally developed for military, drones are quickly evolving for commercial and consumer uses: facility inspections, first responder surveillances, filming, and so on.

29th Anniversary Shinnenkai

This year, we honor Ambassador John Roos, Founding Partner of Geodesic Capital and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, with the Keizai Silicon Valley Outstanding Impact Award for US-Japan Business. READ MORE

Halloween Happy Hour Networking

Join Keizai Silicon Valley and JET Alumni Association of Northern California for a Halloween costume happy hour at Steins Beer Garden in downtown Mountain View. Please join us to share ideas, meet new people and expand your network.

Costumes are optional but highly encouraged. Prizes to be awarded to the best costumes!

Batteries and Clean Tech: Energy Storage Trends for Transportation and Grid Storage A Joint Program with the Japan Society of Northern California

First developed in 1800, batteries still play an important part in our digital world. Recently, batteries occupy an increasingly crucial role in reducing the carbon footprint of our transportation and electrical grid sectors. Yet, the limitations of battery technology remain a barrier to the market acceptance of electrified transportation and renewable energy. In conjunction with the Japan Society of Northern California, this program will explore recent trends in the North American, Japanese and Chinese markets in battery technology,

2018 Summer Networking

Sunday, August 5th

Come join us at our annual summer networking in the park. This year our event is going to be held at Serra Park in Sunnyvale. A babbling brook runs through this 11.5 acre, Mark Twain era-themed park. It is well shaded with spacious picnic sites, children’s play area and tennis courts. This event is ideal for both networking and catching up with old acquaintances or making new friends. The park’s green open field also offers your family members, significant others and friends a place to enjoy outdoor activities.

Why are Japanese Corporates Interested in Silicon Valley Innovation Methods?

From design thinking to lean startup, Silicon Valley’s innovation methods have attracted global interest. As Japanese corporations strive to innovate, some have adopted these methods to disrupt their own innovation ecosystem. How are they learning these techniques? Can they be adapted for the framework of Japanese corporations? What are some of the results?

Avoiding Environmental Pitfalls When Doing Business in California

California has various environmental laws regulating companies and the proper management of hazardous products, including universal and hazardous waste, e.g. batteries, electronic devices, mercury-containing equipment, lamps, and paint. Improperly managing these products can lead to various fines and sanctions. These regulations can be confusing, especially to companies that are just starting to do business in California.

28th Anniversary Shinnenkai

This year, we honor Mr. Yuzaburo Mogi, Honorary CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kikkoman Corporation with the Keizai Silicon Valley Lifetime Achievement Award for US-Japan Business. READ MORE

Clean Tech Development and The Role of State and Federal Regulation In Structuring Emerging Markets

This panel focuses on the intersection of clean tech development and the role of state and federal regulation in structuring emerging markets.

How to Launch and Scale High Growth Tech Business in Japan

Japan has historically enjoyed great prosperity based largely on its world class manufacturing — an area that lends itself to incremental improvement through kaizen, decentralized shop floor decision-making, and keiretsu-based value chains. Japan’s large companies embraced and optimized these principles, but what worked exceptionally well to drive Japan’s economic prosperity from 1970-1989 has faltered over the past 25 years. What happened? In two words… Digital Disruption!

2017 Summer Networking

Come join us at our annual summer networking in the park. This year our event is going to be held at Serra Park in Sunnyvale. A babbling brook runs through this 11.5 acre, Mark Twain era-themed park. It is well shaded with spacious picnic sites, children’s play area and tennis courts. This event is ideal for both networking and catching up with old acquaintances or making new friends. The park’s green open field also offers your family members, significant others and friends a place to enjoy outdoor activities.

The Future of Medical Device Industry: Views from Japan and Silicon Valley

Medical Device Industry has been one of the largest sectors within the healthcare industry. United States and Japan are amongst the top 2 countries with largest Medical Device Industry. What are the market trends between Japan and United States? How will the rise of big data and personalized medicine shape the future of both healthcare systems?

Japanese Corporate Strategies in Silicon Valley: What Do the Locals Think?

Japanese corporations in Silicon Valley have often struggled to become driving forces for innovation due to several persistent constraints: headquarter bureaucracies, siloed business units, a lack of decision-making authority, discontinuous HR systems, and geographical and psychological distance.

27th Anniversary Shinnenkai

Join us in celebrating Keizai Silicon Valley’s 2017 Shinnenkai (New Year’s Reception) on Friday, January 27 at the Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club
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The Role of Silicon Valley in Japanese Innovation

Silicon Valley has been studied by the world as the epicenter of innovation. Japanese corporations have been visiting Silicon Valley consistently. What purposes do these trips serve Japan’s innovation ecosystem? Why do established corporations and VC firms from Japan establish a footprint here? How have their views of innovation and interactions with Silicon Valley changed over the years? How successful have they been in importing the Silicon Valley way back to Japan? What have we learned from their presence? Join us as we explore these and other questions in a moderated conversation among the panelists and with the audience.

Oktoberfest Happy Hour Networking

Friday, October 7, 2016

The Keizai Silicon Valley, JETAANC and Procopio have organized an Oktoberfest networking nomikai at Tied House in downtown Mountain View. Please join us to share ideas, meet new people and expand your network.

Additionally, you can casually ask any questions about patent law, copyrights, corporate law etc. to the Procopio attorneys at this Oktoberfest!

The New Space Industry: Views from the US and Japan

Over the last several years, the technology industry has turned to space ddds yet another area it can disrupt. Tech titans such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are involved with space launch startups and even Google has purchased a satellite company. With Silicon Valley’s latest focus on the space industry, the forum will discuss the role private industry, Silicon Valley companies and investors are currently playing in the space industry versus other areas in the US. It must also be recognized that the US isn’t the only country with a space industry to disrupt; we will also discuss the Japanese space industry and the possibilities of cooperation between Silicon Valley and Japan in this exciting field.

2016 Summer Networking

Sunday, July 31st

Come join us at our casual networking event at Washington Park in Sunnyvale. Built in 1945 it remains one of Sunnyvale’s most popular parks. It is a very inviting space with plenty of parking. This well shaded, 12-acre park offers lots of fun for everyone. This event is ideal for both networking and catching up with old acquaintances or making new friends. The park’s green open field also offers your family members, significant others and friends a place to enjoy outdoor activities, such as playing football, baseball, soccer etc.

Trends in BioTech: Value Creation and Innovation

Wednesday June 15, 2016

According to reports from PricewaterhouseCoopers, recent venture capital investments in the biopharmaceutical industry were some of the largest in history averaging $6B-$7B per year. Thanks to the ease of global monetary policy, the rapid increase in merger & acquisition (M&A) activities along with much easier access to public financing via IPO and robust revenue growth help fuel the venture ecosystem and provide a fertile ground for high-risk companies and young start-ups. The recent paradigm-shift innovations, such as immune-oncology and targeted therapies for previously incurable diseases, surely helped open up many doors of opportunities for both companies and investors alike.

Trends in AgTech: Real Needs in the Industry

The agriculture and food industries are estimated by the FAO to comprise 10% of global GDP — making them the largest industries in the world. Concerns over food production and distribution relating to global climate change, land-use change, emerging health issues, and a growing population are driving innovation like never before. Last year, venture capital invested $4.6 B into the category, an almost 100% increase in investment year-over-year.

26th Anniversary Shinnenkai

Join us in celebrating Keizai Silicon Valley’s 2016 Shinnenkai (New Year’s Reception) on Friday, January 29th at 5:30 pm at the Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club.

This year, we honor “the Orchid King” Mr. Andy Matsui with the Keizai Silicon Valley Lifetime Achievement Award, and we present the Economic Innovation Award to his daughter, Ms. Kathy M. Matsui, chief Japan equity strategist and co-head of Asia Investment Research, Goldman Sachs.

Exploring Manufacturing 2.0

The manufacturing ecosystem is changing rapidly. The agile manufacturing revolution has brought about today’s world where even small electronics hardware companies can take advantage of mass manufacturing systems which until recently were only available to large companies. Yet, more changes are in the air with such technologies as 3D printing, robots designed to work with human workers, printed electronics, Internet community collaborative manufacturing, the maker movement, etc.

Demystifying the Industrial Internet of Things – Use Cases and Requirements

The market of the Internet of Things (IoT) is about to explode. Analysts forecast the total economic value-add from IoT will be multi-trillion with 30 billion Internet-connected devices by 2020, unlocking innovation and new business models. While tremendous opportunities are ahead of us, little is understood as to how to leverage this much-talked-about innovating trend to strategic advantage and value creation.

2015 Summer Networking

Sunday August 2nd, 2015

Come join us at our casual networking event at Washington Park in Sunnyvale. Built in 1945 it remains one of Sunnyvale’s most popular parks. It is a very inviting space with plenty of parking. This well shaded, 12-acre park offers lots of fun for everyone. This event is ideal for both networking and catching up with old acquaintances or making new friends. The park’s green open field also offers your family members, significant others and friends a place to enjoy outdoor activities, such as playing football, baseball, soccer etc.

Exploring Japan and California Cooperation on Cleantech

In September, 2014 the Governments of California and Japan entered into an agreement to support cooperation in technology associated with ameliorating climate change as well as boosting water conservation. Targeted areas include electric vehicle charging, renewable energy and high-speed rail.

KEIZAI Networking Night

Please join us on June 13th for a casual night of networking and drinks at Izakaya Roku in San Francisco.

New time: 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Wine Tasting Event at Testarossa

Please join us on May 9th, 2015 for a wine tasting and networking event at a world-class vineyard and historic winery.

M&A of Early-Stage Startup What makes it different?

In Silicon Valley mergers and acquisitions have become a prominent exit strategy for early-stage startups. However, these are different from M&As of more established companies.
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25th Anniversary Shinnenkai Reception

Please join us in celebrating Keizai Society’s 25th anniversary at our Shinnenkai on Friday, January 30th at 6:00pm at the Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club. Keizai Society Lifetime achievement recipients: Nobuyuki Idei, Yoshi Akiba, Ambassador Michael Armacost, Dr. Koichi (Ko) Nishimura, and Prof. Daniel Okimoto will discuss their forecast of the next 25 years of US-Japan relations

CrowdFinancing: Moving Beyond Kickstarter

By now, most everyone in Silicon Valley has heard of crowdfunding where groups of people fund a wide variety of projects.

2014 Oktoberfest Happy Hour Networking with JETAANC

The Keizai Society and JET Alumni Association of Northern California (JETAANC) have organized an Oktoberfest networking nomikai at Stein’s Beer Garden in downtown Mountain View.

Please join us to share ideas, meet new people and expand your network.
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The Future of Food in a Resource Constrained World

Leveraging Silicon Valley Solutions for our Food System
Most people know about Silicon Valley, but how many people realize that Silicon Valley’s backyard is the largest Agricultural production region READ MORE

2014 Summer Networking

Come join us for casual networking at Washington Park, one of Sunnyvale’s favorite venues! READ MORE

Demystifying Big Data

The Keizai Society will hold an exciting and thought-provoking panel discussion on big data covering four main areas of interest, READ MORE

Latest Trends for the Connected Car

As Internet connections spread to devices beyond just personal computers and mobile phones READ MORE

24th Anniversary Shinnenkai Reception

Please join us in celebrating Keizai Society’s 24th anniversary READ MORE