Interview with Ms Katerina Katopis, General Manager
of the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce
The Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce was established in July 2000 following up the successful progress of the Association of Hellenic Japanese Business Co-operation. With such dynamic supporters as major Greek and Japanese industrial groups, banks and trading houses, as well as the active support of the Japanese Embassy and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), it aims towards promoting mutual economic, commercial and business relations between Greece and Japan, as well as to developing cultural ties between the two countries.
We have the pleasure of hosting an interview with the General Manager of the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Ms Katerina Katopi, in our webpages. Ms Katopi is an active young woman who has taken Greece-Japan relations to a whole new level.
Just as we thought that Japan is being sidetracked due to the Greek business circles’ increasing interest in the Chinese market, we are pleasantly surprised to see that the efforts for the development of Greece-Japan trade relations, far from being limited, have intensified to a great extent; a case in point is the recent collaboration agreement signed between the President of the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce Mr. D. Koutsolioutsos and the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board (HEPO) Director Mr. P. Drosos. Could you please tell us more about the content of this agreement and its importance to our bilateral trade ties?
In 2006 the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce (GJCC) in collaboration with the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board (HEPO) organized a series of very successful events, both in Japan and in Greece. Under no circumstances should we investigate the Chinese Market, which after all is the next big challenge, however, we have come to the realization that Japan at this point in time, is very open to collaborations with Greece. At the same time, Greek companies show very big interest in the Japanese Market and with great pleasure we have realized that more and more they are ready to face with new products and excellent packaging such a demanding Market as Japan. Following the signature of the MOU between the GJCC and HEPO, according to which the two organizations are committed to undertake joint actions to Japan, we prepared an Action Plan for 2007 which will include 3 Trade Missions (in particular sectors), invitation of Japanese buyers and journalists to Greece, participation in fairs and organization of events to promote Hellenic cuisine (food & beverages)in Japan.
We cannot but observe that the Greek economic planning agencies have been following a consistent export policy. At an event jointly organized by the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and HEPO last summer, the Greek Finance Minister Mr G. Alogoskoufis confirmed his support for Greek exports to Japan and pledged to further promote bilateral trade ties. In your opinion, does the Greek state offer sufficient incentives to Greek export companies and Japanese firms willing to invest in Greece? Could you identify steps which could have been conducive to better trade relations but have not been taken so far?
The Greek Government and in particular the Ministry of Economy and Finance, re-organized, upgraded and provided the financial back up to HEPO for materializing a very ambitious Action Plan in the past 2 yrs. This has given a very large boost to the export Direction of our country at a time during which, the Euro is very strong, and has shown positive results, fully substantiated by the upward direction of our exports. Especially for the Japanese Market, we have to pinpoint, that, without the financial support of HEPO, a lot of the actions undertaken or planned, would not have been easily materialized. With regard to foreign investments into Greece, it is a known fact that most foreign companies will have to come face to face with Greek Bureaucracy. Nevertheless, when it comes to attracting foreign investment from Japan, substantial efforts have been undertaken by the Greek Government. Problems faced by a large Japanese investment in Greece have recently been resolved, creating thus a positive climate and opening up the road for more investments to come . It should also be noted that the visit of the Greek Prime Minister, Mr. Karamanlis to Japan in November 2005, played a very important role in attracting Japanese investment but also in solving existing problems. The Japanese in particular, when considering investing , wish to be constantly reassured of strong political back up from each Government, and also wish to have a constant flow of information on the economic developments of the county of their interest.
The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) branch in Greece was closed down in 2005. In your judgment, has our bilateral trade relationship been adversely affected as a consequence? Has this gap been filled by another agency or organization?
Definitely, the termination of the JETRO Athens Office on February 2005 after 40 years of operation in Greece, was something which took us by surprise and also saddened us. Nevertheless, we have to point out that under the framework of JETRO’s strategy, a lot of offices in Europe closed down, while at the same time, an equal number opened up in China and in countries of Southeast Asia. The truth is that the absence of JETRO in Greece hinders Greek-Japanese commercial relations and has multiplied the responsibilities and tasks undertaken by the Chamber. This absence is felt strongly, despite the fact that in Greece, the organization continues to operate through a representative with whom we collaborate closely. Unfortunately though, the Greek companies can not take advantage of the various JETRO programs, the visits of Specialists from Japan and other benefits, which we did have when the fully staffed office used to operate in Greece. Our Chamber continues to have excellent relations with JETRO and the organization always hosts our Trade Mission on their premises in Tokyo and provides valuable assistance in co-organizing events in Greece and abroad.
The lack of a direct airflight service between Greece and Japan is perhaps the greatest obstacle to the improvement of our bilateral relationship. It has been reported that the President of the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce Mr. Koutsolioutsos has been actively promoting the scheduling of flights between Greece and China. Are there any such plans regarding air transport between Greece and Japan?
The lack of direct flight between Greece and Japan has had a negative influence on the annual number of Japanese tourists who visit our country. It should be noted that the period during which the Athens-Tokyo flight was operated by Olympic Airlines, we had approximately 200,000 Japanese tourists visiting Greece on an annual bases, while today the number has fallen to 85,000 (the lack of the direct flight is not of course the sole reason for this sharp drop). We hope that the commencement of operation of the flight Athens-Hong Kong whose operation is been strongly backed-up by Mr. Koutsolioutsos and Folli Follie, will positively contribute in the Greek-Japanese relations. Already, a possibility for an add-on leg to Tokyo twice a week is examined while at the same time a possibility of a direct flight from Athens to Tokyo through a code-share with a major carrier is under examination.
At an event jointly organized by the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy of Japan (2003), which we had the pleasure to attent, you urged the representatives of Greek business circles to enter the Japanese market, emphasizing that “Japan is a Market for a lifetime”. Could you please elaborate on this statement and describe the salient characteristics of the Japanese business mentality?
Despite the fact that the Japanese economy over the last few years has been through rocky ground, with serious problems in the financial and business sectors, we have seen a consistency on the business environment. To penetrate in the Japanese market, is a long and tedious process, not only due to the distance, as some believe, but primarily due to the different business mentality. Very often Greek business people in their efforts to place their products in the Japanese market, get disappointed. Nevertheless, they should persist because if they finally manage to enter that market, they will be compensated for their efforts. The Japanese are people of tradition, and prefer to have the same collaborator for years and even jointly undertake possible damage in order not to ruin a long standing excellent collaboration. It goes without saying of course, that Japan is indeed a Market for a lifetime, if only of course from our side, there is consistency, honesty and professionalism.
You have worked on the “Hermes Plan” aimed at the promotion of Greek-Japanese relations. Could you give us an overview of this plan and the results it produced?
The HERMES Action Plan was an innovative pilot collaboration between the Ministry of National Economy and the then Association for Greek-Japanese Business Collaboration, and all organizations involved with Greek-Japanese relations. It commenced in 1997 and was completed in 2003 and its aim was to further enhance Greek-Japanese commercial, economic and cultural relations, through the continuous collaboration and common Action Plans of all involved parties. HERMES Plan positively influenced stronger ties between the two countries by helping in increasing exports, attracting investments, facilitating Japanese companies in their contacts in Greece and of course in visits-exchanges of politicians in both Greece and Japan. It also set a solid base for the evolution of the Association for the Greek-Japanese Business Collaboration to the official Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce
You have attended the ETP program in Japan. What were your impressions of the program and your stay in Japan?
I participated in the ETP program of the E.U. during the period 1995-1996. To this date, I consider this one of the best choices of my life, not only because it contributed to my career advancement, but primarily because it gave me the possibility to get to know form an insider’s point of view, a country and a culture, which does not ‘open up’ so easily. During the two years of my stay in Tokyo, I had the opportunity to learn the Japanese language, to work in the Banking and High-End Retail sectors, to make Japanese friends and to travel throughout Japan - from skiing in Sapporo and Scuba Diving in Okinawa, all during the same season! At the same time I was very lucky to be able to have a magnificent Japanese culinary experience, to retreat to Buddhist Temples when I felt the need to do so, to study the arts and philosophy of this far away and yet so close Land, and to finally come to the conclusion that Japan is my second home. And when it comes to my experience in working in Japan, it was something so different than what we are used to here in Greece (especially being a female) and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is considering it.
It is obvious that your interest in Japan is not limited to your professional activities. How did your special relationship to Japan develop and which part of the Japanese culture do you feel most passionate about?
My special relation with Japan started from a very young age due to my family’s business relationship with Japanese trading companies. As a young girl, I used to escort my father to his meetings with his Japanese counterparts who I used to admire for their professional code of honor, their consistency and their punctuality. Nevertheless, I have to confess that further to my admiration on a professional level, my love for this country began also due to my special preference to heir Cuisine. Even today, I am in love with Japanese Cuisine and I think that it completely reflects all aspects of Japanese Culture. Minimalism, abstraction, clean taste, unique presentation and a large dosage of the “hidden” and the four Seasons. After all, in the abstraction and the demure tones of contemporary Japan, the only elements with strong color are their food, the kimonos and the trees which change their foliage every Season! And in closing I can’ t but pledge, that I am charmed by the traditional Japanese Arts and the Zen philosophy, especially in their modern interpretation in architecture and fashion design.
Interview conducted by Ph. Gkritziotis (Greece-Japan.com). We thank also Ms Marietta Kalfa, executive assistant, Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce.
