Press Releases
Holding of the 32nd Japanese-German Forum
On October 30 and 31, the 32nd Japanese-German Forum was held in Tokyo.
- The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Eizo Kobayashi, Honorary Director of ITOCHU Corporation, and Mr. Matthias Nass, Chief International Correspondent, Weekly Newspaper DIE ZEIT, and attended by experts from various fields including H.E. Mr. Christian Wulff, Former President of the Federal Republic of Germany. They had a lively exchange of views on the political and social situation in Japana and Germany as well as the situation in international society.
- In the first session, under the theme of “Current Political and Economic Situation in Japan and Germany – How to Cope with the Population Issues and the Demographic Change”, discussions were held to share knowledge on the issue of declining population, which is a common challenge for Japan and Germany, including approaches taken by both countries, such as measures against declining birth rates and labor market policies.
- In the second session and the open session, under the theme of “Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Changes and Impacts on Society and Desirable Forms of Regulation”, there was a lively discussion on the impact of the development of technologies related to generative AI on society, including the improvement of efficiency and productivity in business, as well as desirable regulations to minimize various issues and risks. The participants had a thoughtful enchange of views on the desirable regulatory framework to minimize various challenges and risks.
- In the third session, under the theme of “Prospects for the International Order after the U.S. Presidential Election and the Role of Japanese and German Foreign Policy”, there was a open and candid exchange of views on the possible impact of the forthcoming U.S. presidential election on the international community and the role that diplomacy of Japan and Germany should play in maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order amid the severe challenges that the rule-based international order is faced with, including the situation in East Asia, Ukraine, the Middle East, and other regions.
The Japanese-German Forum was created in 1993, based on the agreement of (then) Japanese Prime Minister MIYAZAWA Kiichi and (then) German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, for the purpose of strengthening Japan-Germany relations and promoting mutual understanding, as a group of eminent persons consisting of experts in various fields from each country who engage in open debate. A joint meeting of the Forum, attended by high-level participants from politics, business, academia, and other fields from Japan and Germany, is convened annually, with the venue alternating between Japan and Germany, and a statement from the meeting is submitted to the Japanese Prime Minister and the German Chancellor.