Business leaders urge Japan to join TPP

Business leaders urge Japan to join TPP

TOKYO, Japan - Hiromasa Yonekura (L), chairman of the Japan Business Federation known as Nippon Keidanren, Tadashi Okamura (C), chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, shake hands in Tokyo on Jan. 5, 2011, after a press conference. They urged the Japanese government to join a trans-Pacific free trade agreement, backing Prime Minister Naoto Kan's resolve to promote free trade.

Business leaders urge Japan to join Pacific FTA negotiations

Business leaders urge Japan to join Pacific FTA negotiations

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese business leaders (From L to R) -- Masamitsu Sakurai, head of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, Tadashi Okamura, leader of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation -- take part in a meeting hosted by the three organizations in Tokyo on Nov. 1, 2010. The participants called on the government to announce its intention to join negotiations for a U.S.-backed multilateral trans-Pacific free trade agreement at an upcoming summit in Japan of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

PM Kan meets with business leaders over surging yen

PM Kan meets with business leaders over surging yen

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (R) shakes hands with Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Aug. 25, 2010. Yonekura, along with Tadashi Okamura (2nd from L), chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Masamitsu Sakurai (L), chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, asked Kan to take decisive measures to counter the sharp rise of the yen and the recent steep fall of the stock market, including currency market intervention and faster implementation of the government's growth strategy.

Businesses wary about economic recovery in 2010

Businesses wary about economic recovery in 2010

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R) Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, and Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, attend a joint news conference at a hotel in Tokyo on Jan. 5, 2010.

Businesses wary about economic recovery in 2010

Businesses wary about economic recovery in 2010

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R) Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, and Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, join hands after their joint news conference at a hotel in Tokyo on Jan. 5, 2010.

Business leaders upbeat on economy despite high oil prices, stock falls

Business leaders upbeat on economy despite high oil prices, stock falls

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R) Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, and Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, hold a press conference at a Tokyo hotel on Jan. 7 following the three organizations' New Year's reception. The heads of Japan's major business lobbies expressed optimism about the outlook for the Japanese economy.

Ricoh acquires IBM's business-oriented printer business

Ricoh acquires IBM's business-oriented printer business

NEW YORK, United States - Masamitsu Sakurai (R), president and chief executive officer of Ricoh Co., announced Jan. 25 that the Tokyo-based company will acquire IBM's business-oriented printer operations for 87 billion yen. He was joined by top IBM executives at a news conference in New York, where he said the global market for business-oriented digital printers will expand to 3-4 trillion yen a year from 1 trillion yen now.

Business leaders upbeat on economy despite high oil prices, stoc

Business leaders upbeat on economy despite high oil prices, stoc

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R) Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, and Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, hold a press conference at a Tokyo hotel on Jan. 7 following the three organizations' New Year's reception. The heads of Japan's major business lobbies expressed optimism about the outlook for the Japanese economy. (Kyodo)

PM Kan meets with business leaders over surging yen

PM Kan meets with business leaders over surging yen

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (R) shakes hands with Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Aug. 25, 2010. Yonekura, along with Tadashi Okamura (2nd from L), chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Masamitsu Sakurai (L), chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, asked Kan to take decisive measures to counter the sharp rise of the yen and the recent steep fall of the stock market, including currency market intervention and faster implementation of the government's growth strategy. (Kyodo)

Keizai Doyukai head calls for hike in consumption tax

Keizai Doyukai head calls for hike in consumption tax

TOKYO, Japan - Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives known as Keizai Doyukai, speaks in a recent interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo. Sakurai has urged the government to hike the consumption tax to secure stable revenues to fund its policies. (Kyodo)

Business leaders urge Japan to join TPP

Business leaders urge Japan to join TPP

TOKYO, Japan - Hiromasa Yonekura (L), chairman of the Japan Business Federation known as Nippon Keidanren, Tadashi Okamura (C), chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, shake hands in Tokyo on Jan. 5, 2011, after a press conference. They urged the Japanese government to join a trans-Pacific free trade agreement, backing Prime Minister Naoto Kan's resolve to promote free trade. (Kyodo)

Businesses wary about economic recovery in 2010

Businesses wary about economic recovery in 2010

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R) Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, and Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, join hands after their joint news conference at a hotel in Tokyo on Jan. 5, 2010. (Kyodo)

Businesses wary about economic recovery in 2010

Businesses wary about economic recovery in 2010

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R) Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, and Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, attend a joint news conference at a hotel in Tokyo on Jan. 5, 2010. (Kyodo)

Businesses wary about economic recovery in 2010

Businesses wary about economic recovery in 2010

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama (L) addresses a New Year's reception of business leaders from the Japan Business Federation, Japan Association of Corporate Executives and Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry at a hotel in Tokyo on Jan. 5, 2010, with Fujio Mitarai (R), chairman of the business federation, Tadashi Okamura (2nd from R), chairman of the chamber of commerce and industry, and Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the association of corporate executives, looking on. (Kyodo)

Ricoh acquires IBM's business-oriented printer business

Ricoh acquires IBM's business-oriented printer business

NEW YORK, United States - Masamitsu Sakurai (R), president and chief executive officer of Ricoh Co., announced Jan. 25 that the Tokyo-based company will acquire IBM's business-oriented printer operations for 87 billion yen. He was joined by top IBM executives at a news conference in New York, where he said the global market for business-oriented digital printers will expand to 3-4 trillion yen a year from 1 trillion yen now. (Kyodo)

Business leaders urge Japan to join Pacific FTA negotiations

Business leaders urge Japan to join Pacific FTA negotiations

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese business leaders (From L to R) -- Masamitsu Sakurai, head of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, Tadashi Okamura, leader of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation -- take part in a meeting hosted by the three organizations in Tokyo on Nov. 1, 2010. The participants called on the government to announce its intention to join negotiations for a U.S.-backed multilateral trans-Pacific free trade agreement at an upcoming summit in Japan of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. (Kyodo)