Chair Ian Kennedy’s Report:

Following a highly successful Japan Festival on Saturday it was good to to see a strong turn out at the business breakfast hosted by Wellington City Council and the Asia New Zealand Foundation on Monday morning. Held in the Grand Hall of Parliament, the breakfast was an opportunity to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Japan. It was a great to get an overview of the relationship from Ambassador Koichi Ito and MFAT CEO Chris Seed with Mayors Andy Foster and Grant Smith providing a local government and sister city perspective. I was glad to join the discussion representing the JNZBC alongside Toyota NZ CEO Neeraj Lala and Wellington Chamber of Commerce President Karun Shenoy looking forward to this year's JNZBC annual joint conference on 20-22 November in Beppu, Japan.