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The NCCJ held its annual shin-nenkai (New Year Party) with de Nederlandse Kring in de Kanto (NKK – Dutch circle in Kanto) on Jan. 27, a particularly popular event, with about 55 members and guests attending, and we were honored by a visit from the Dutch Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Radinck Jan Van Vollenhoven. The event was held at Aux Bacchanales at the Hotel New Otani.

The evening began with a Sector Briefing on KLM’s new route between Fukuoka and Amsterdam. Mark Arxhoek, sales director at Air France and KLM in Japan, introduced his company’s new route, and gave a brief overview of the processes involved in setting up a new air route in Japan. At first glance, considering the fierce competition in the air travel field, opening a new route might be a bit surprising. But as Mr. Arxhoek noted, Fukuoka’s modern, convenient airport serves a population of almost 19 million potential passengers, and the Kyushu region’s thriving electronics and automobile industries are a ready customer base for the cargo trade.

The potential for connecting flights to the rest of Japan and Asia is also promising, especially since the Fukuoka-Tokyo route is, many of us were surprised to learn, the No. 3 route in the world in terms of passenger numbers. And Amsterdam, of course, boasts easy connections to over 60 cities in Europe, which is very appealing to Japanese travelers.

Junichiro Mizumoto, sales manager for Kyushu and Fukuoka at Air France and KLM, also gave us a rundown on the local implementation process for the new route, including details of his efforts to promote the route among the target population in the Kyushu-western Honshu region.

Ambassador Vollenhoven then gave a talk on embassy news and events in the last year and the months to come.

After the presentations the attendees stayed at Aux Bacchanales for a shin-nenkai, a few hours of drinks and fellowship to welcome the New Year.