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On Thursday, February 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold an international seminar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs entitled, "Building smart communities in TOHOKU together with the World: collaborating with and spreading to the international community" jointly with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment.

This seminar will be held almost two years after the Great East Japan Earthquake and one year after the International Energy Seminar "Smart community proposals for reconstructing the disaster-affected areas"* held in Fukushima City on March 2, 2012. The seminar aims to follow up on efforts for community building in the disaster-affected areas and the dissemination of these efforts to the world. It will also discuss what sort of initiatives can be undertaken by the international community in responding to common challenges for both the disaster-affected areas and the world to create sustainable communities.
*Please see the following link for a summary of the results of the International Energy seminar ( http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/energy/seminar120302.html).

At the seminar, a keynote speaker and panelists, including the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), will offer presentations and discussion on a way to take forward efforts for community building in the disaster-affected areas and the dissemination of these efforts to the world in collaboration with international agencies and other countries, followed by an exchange of opinions among seminar participants on the matters. In addition, the seminar will address what sorts of frameworks or modalities are needed to make full use of the wisdom of the world in responding to the common issues of sustainable community building that the cities of both the disaster-affected area and the world are facing.

Ahead of this international seminar, delegation from the IEA and IRENA will visit and observe Minamisoma City in Fukushima Prefecture and Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture. The group is also scheduled to have an exchange of opinions about creating smart communities with the municipalities and companies as well as university professors and students of the disaster-affected areas.

Outline of the International Seminar

(1) Date and time: Thursday, February 28, 2013 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

(2) Venue: International Conference Hall at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 (North International Conference Hall on the 7th floor)

(3) Organizer: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 Joint Organizers: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
  Ministry of the Environment
 With support from: Iwate Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture,
Miyagi Prefecture, Reconstruction Agency (TBC)
  

(4) Program
(note: all events to feature Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation;
panelists listed in no particular order; honorifics omitted):

14:00  Opening (Doors open at 13:30)
Opening remark from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

14:05  Keynote speech
Ichiro Nagoshi, Deputy Mayor of Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture
"Community building in Iwate Prefecture toward Reconstruction" (tentative title)

14:20  Panel Discussion I:
The current progress and future direction for creating smart communities in the disaster-affected areas: Building on the observation of the areas by international organizations and the keynote speech from Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture

Moderator:
Kazuyuki Tohji, Chair of the Environment Science Department, Tohoku University

Panelists:
Jean-Francois Gagné, Head, Energy Technology Policy Division,
International Energy Agency;
Dolf Gielen, Director, IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre;
Ichiro Nagoshi, Deputy Mayor of Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture;
Sho Okuno, Chairman,
Sho Okuno Architect & Associates Co., Ltd.
(Partner in the Minamisoma Smart Community Network);
Yoichi Horigome, Chief Engineer,
Environmental Industry Promotion Unit, Environmental Policy Division,
Environment and Livelihood Department, Miyagi Prefecture

15:20  Coffee break

15:30  Panel Discussion II:
Link together and work together with the world for community-building: Contributions to reconstruction of the disaster-affected areas and creation of future communities around the World

Moderator:
Yosuke Mochizuki, Director of Nikkei BP Cleantech Institute

Panelists:
The Embassy of the United States to Japan;
Jesper Thomsen, Deputy Head of Mission, the Embassy of Denmark in Japan;
Matthew Gubb, Director,
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC);
Takeshi Furutani, Director,
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Investment and Technology Promotion Office, Tokyo;
Taihei Shibata, Director responsible for Smart Community projects,
Future City Promotion Bureau, Kitakyushu City;
Ichiro Nagoshi, Deputy Mayor of Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture;
Sho Okuno, Chairman,
Sho Okuno Architect & Associates Co., Ltd.
(Partner in the Minamisoma Smart Community Network);
Yoichi Horigome, Chief Engineer,
Environmental Industry Promotion Unit, Environmental Policy Division,
Environment and Livelihood Department, Miyagi Prefecture
Dolf Gielen, Director, IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre;
John Dulac, Energy Analyst, Energy Technology Policy Division, IEA

16:50  Wrap-up
Closing remarks from METI and the Ministry of the Environment

Registration:
Please fill in an application form and respond to intl-seminar2013@mofa.go.jp

Contact ： Seminar Secretariat (Attn: Ms. Kotono Hara, Mr. Akihiro Tonai)
Economic Security Division, Economic Affairs Bureau
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
TEL   ：03-5501-8000(2519)　FAX：03-5501-8337
E-mail ：intl-seminar2013@mofa.go.jp
http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/press/event/seminar130214.html