This Friday, August 14th I will be finishing my post in Japan as the Israeli Economic Minister of the Israel Embassy in Tokyo heading the Israeli Economic and Trade Mission to Japan.
I have been working here for exactly 6 years and had outstanding experiences. In particular, this period 2014-2020 can be defined as a period of real revolution in the economic relationship between Israel and Japan.
Since 2014, the Japanese market has opened up to Israeli companies and we have been witnessing growing partnerships between Israeli and Japanese companies, large increase in the Japanese investments in Israel and many new branches of Japanese companies in Israel and vis versa.
Frequent Mutual Visits of Prime Ministers and Economy Ministers as well as the new joint platform that have been created since 2014, emphasize the desire to increase the level of relations. The visits demonstrate an understanding that the cooperation between Japanese and Israeli companies creates a real synergy – the Israeli and Japanese capabilities are complementary: on the one hand, the Israeli capabilities in entrepreneurship and disruptive technologies, and on the other the Japanese technological capabilities in the field of production and product quality.
As a result of the warming of economic relations, the work of the Israeli economic and trade mission in Japan has been intensified dramatically. We have supported Japanese organizations and companies who became increasingly proactive in their search for Israeli collaboration, we had almost weekly (prior to the Corona) visits of Japanese companies in Israel, monthly visits of Japanese economic organization to Israel and monthly Israeli sectorial delegations visiting Japan to find local partners. Altogether we have been organizing and participating in more than 70 events annually and assisted more than 200 Israeli companies in Japan every year.
It is my wish that this revolution will continue to expand and additional Japanese and Israeli companies will find opportunities to collaborate for the benefit of both sides as I’m a strong believer in the synergy that could be created.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Japan team (past and present) at the Foreign Trade Administration, Ministry of Economy and Industry in Israel, the Embassy of Israel in Japan amazing team headed by two extraordinary Ambassadors – Ms. Ruth Kahanoff and Ms. Yaffa Ben-Ari, our partners in Israel and Japan and last but not least the excellent Israeli Economic and Trade Mission team members that have been fully dedicated to creating this revolution. Please continue to communicate with them .
Thank you for being part of this journey and for making the past 6 years memorable and meaningful.
I tremendously enjoyed my time and experience with each of you and shall always be grateful for the opportunity I have had to work with you and learn from you.
I wish you all the best and hope that we could find ways to collaborate in the future.
Hopefully we will return to real life soon and the sky will be open again pleases keep in touch if possible
Linkedin- http://linkedin.com/in/noa-asher-260b452
Congratulations to Mr. Daniel Kolbar, my successor!
All the best
Noa
