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On December 6, during a ceremony held at the Embassy of the Netherlands, it was announced that Elsevier and Scarabee Aviation Group have won the 2018 edition of the Deshima Business Awards. The award, an original delftware plate, was handed over to the winners by the Netherlands’ Ambassador to Japan, his Excellency Mr Aart Jacobi. 

With the Deshima Business Awards, the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in Japan (NCCJ), supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, awards companies with Dutch roots that lead the way in Japan; those companies that have demonstrated impressive business achievements in Japan, and have added value to Japanese society. 

Elsevier Japan KK

In the Large Companies category, Elsevier was elected winner. The award was handed over to Shuji Uraguchi, Regional Director of Elsevier Japan KK. 

Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps institutions and professionals advance healthcare, open science, and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. It provides web-based tools and solutions, published over 2,500 journals (online and in print), as well as more than 38,000 e-books. Japan is Elsevier’s second largest market globally. The journals and database solutions for research strategy and discovery are used by the great majority of Japanese leading universities, Japan’s major corporations, and at the clinical point of care. Currently there are around 120 local employees, based in Tokyo and Osaka. Elsevier Japan is one of the global offices having achieved the first level of Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certification, the leading global standard for gender equality in the workplace. Among staff 60% are women, and in managerial positions 40% are women.

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Other nominees in this category were Brand Loyalty Japan, Buurtzorg Neighborhood Care Asia Ltd., DSM Japan K.K. and NN Life Insurance Company, Ltd. 

Scarabee Aviation Group

This year’s award for the Small and Medium Sized Companies category went to Scarabee Aviation Group. Naoki Shirakawa, CEO of Scarabee Aviation Group Japan, received the award together with his team, and in attendance of their business partners from All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Oki Electric Industry (OKI).

Scarabee is a leading player in the aviation industry with over 25 years of experience working closely with the world’s leading airports, airlines and business partners, developing unique, innovative and tailor-made solutions for the passenger, baggage handling and security sector. Following strong business developments in Japanese airports, such as the deployment of 56 self-service BagDrop units by ANA at major domestic airports in Japan, including Haneda Domestic Terminal No.2, Sapporo New Chitose Airport and Fukuoka Airport, Scarabee Aviation Group - Japan is building a bridge between Japanese and Dutch professionals and products.

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Other nominees in the same category were Dick Bruna Japan, Plugwise, Security Matters LLC, Sense 14, Stars and Stories, Ultra Super New and Veldoen + Company. 

The Jury

The Deshima Award winners were elected by a jury panel representing the Japanese and Dutch business community. The selection was made based on proven success in the Japanese market, exceptional business acumen and entrepreneurship as well as the contribution made to Japanese society.  Shinji Fukukawa, Senior Advisor of the Global Industrial and Social Progress Research Institute (GISPRI) was the jury’s chairman. The other panel members were Mr. Hiromitsu Kuramoto, Chairman of the Netherlands Market Council (NMC), Mr. Paul Zwetsloot, Minister-Counsellor of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tokyo, Mr. Takeo Nishitani, Chair Japan at Weber Shandwick, Mr. Willem Kortekaas, Treasurer at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan (FCCJ) and Mr. Yasukazu Irino, Executive Vice President of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).  

The next edition of the Deshima Business Awards will take be held in 2020. 

Pictures of the event