Salons

Negative interest rates – are the capital markets broken?

Speaker: Robin Harding, Tokyo Bureau Chief, Financial Times

Robin is one of the deepest thinkers about economics and financial markets in Tokyo, and especially good at explaining his analysis in limpid prose. The DN asked him to come along and give his thoughts on what the latest markets spasm says about the nature and prospects of Quantitative Easing and Abenomics in Japan. He will also explain what it means for capital markets – supposedly finely calibrated measurers of risks and rewards – when central bankers interfere so radically with the relationship between time, return and risk. Indeed, bankers these days for all their vaunted ability to filter information and spot risk, appear to have degenerated into monetary easing junkies. If capital markets are indeed no longer fulfilling their original mandate, the practical and theoretical repercussions will likely be wrenching. If the QE experiment has failed, what is left?

Date: March 8th 2016

Time: 7-8.30pm

Location: Ginza 1-13-8, 6F, Habiulu Ginza Building, Tokyo 〒104-0061

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/wTWTG

Fee: ¥4,000

Iran – back in from the cold, or just terrified of ending up like Syria?

A personal view.

Speaker: Nazafarin Khalili former Iranian journalist, currently covering Iran for NHK

Ms Khalili came to Japan 8 years ago after being recruited by NHK to cover developments in Iran, a country Japan has always striven to maintain cordial relations with. The daughter of a cosmopolitan business person, she nevertheless struggled in the repressive atmosphere of the Islamic Republic – despite achieving professional success as a journalist for the state media. The DN asked her to address our members on the nature of recent reforms in Iran. In a situation when the grandson of the Ayatollah Khomeni cannot stand because he is too liberal, should recent positive spin about the opening up of the country be treated skeptically? Ms Khalili will give a personal, authentic portrait of her time in Iran and her first-hand experience of dealing with a fundamentalist state, and then share her estimation of whether such a dominant structure can meaningfully change. Ms Khalili believes that although we are surely all keen for the cradle of Persian civilization to rejoin the international community, much of the opening-up is driven by the fear of ending up like Syria – broken up and with the scraps being fought over by assorted local and international hyenas…

Date: March 22nd 2016

Time: 7-8.30pm

Location: Ginza 1-13-8, 6F, Habiulu Ginza Building, Tokyo 〒104-0061

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/wTWTG

Fee: ¥4,000

Monika Merz President Asia Pacific Toys”R”Us Japan.

Doing E-commerce right

Under Monika, ToysRus has built up a highly successful e-commerce operation. Monika will share her thoughts on how this was achieved, and the obstacles she had to overcome. We have 1-2 places left.

Date: March 31th, 2016

Time: 12-1.45pm

Location: Bulgari Building, Ginza,

Map: http://www.bulgarihotels.com/en-us/tokyo-osaka-restaurants/tokyo/directions-ginza

Fee: ¥7,000

The Trump Phenom explained

Speaker: Humza Ahmad,

Humza Ahmad is a Muslim and Republican voter from the US (New York) currently working in Japan, whose family is steeped in the political and philosophical issues of modern America. His sister is a senior prosecutor who has participated in high-profile anti-terror cases, and his mother a successful local politician. Humza himself is an astute political analyst and an engagingly frank speaker. If anyone can clarify the paradoxical appeal of currently the world’s most successful populist politician, he surely can. Join us to hear Humza’s thoughts on whether Trump can win, and whether the end of the world as we know it will follow his election!

Date: April 5th 2016

Time: 7-8.30pm

Location: Ginza 1-13-8, 6F, Habiulu Ginza Building, Tokyo 〒104-0061

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/wTWTG

Fee: ¥4,000