Contribution entitled “The Challenge of an East Asian Community” to the December 2008 edition No. 7 of “GPI Brief” (Global Policy Initiative) (Associate Senior Economist Tomoyoshi Nakajima)
Participation in the JOGMEC committee meeting “Russian and Central Asian Oil and Natural Gas Investment Environment Research” (Tokyo, Associate Senior Researcher Shoichi Itoh)
Attendance at the Northeast Asian Studies and Exchange Network (NEASE-NET) 14th executive board meeting and 8th policy seminar (Tokyo, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Susumu Yoshida)
Participation in the “Russian Far East Economic Issues Research Group” at the Institute for International Trade and Investment (Tokyo, Research Division Deputy Director Hirofumi Arai)
Attendance at the 41st executive board meeting of the Japan–China Northeast Development Association (Tokyo, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Susumu Yoshida)
[13th – 14th December] Participation in the Keio Institute of East Asian Studies “Reorganization Reforms on the Korean Peninsula” research seminar (Tokyo, Associate Senior Researcher Mitsuhiro Mimura)
Address at the special symposium “Whither the Resource Giant Russia?” co-hosted by the Institute of Eurasian Studies, Rissho University, and the Japan Association for Trade with Russia & the NIS (Tokyo, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Susumu Yoshida)
Participation in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry “International Distribution Partnership Conference: Japan–China–ROK Working Group” (Tokyo, Research Division Deputy Director Hirofumi Arai)
Presentation at the Hokuriku Regional Development Bureau “Pan-Sea of Japan Economic Sub-Region Study Group in Niigata” (Niigata Port and Airport Office meeting room, Researcher Hisako Tsuji)
Appearance on Nikkei CNBC “The World Now—JETRO Global Eye: ‘Target the Russian Far East! A Rapidly Expanding Consumer Market’” (Senior Fellow Toshiji Maeda) (Broadcast at Tokyo MX, JETRO Internet Broadcasting Station and others)
Attendance at the 38th Northeast Asia Economic Committee meeting and its 36th research meeting (Tokyo, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Susumu Yoshida)
Institute of Developing Economies “Political Economy of the Oil Industry in Developing Countries” research group (Chiba, Associate Senior Researcher Shoichi Itoh)
Address at the “9th Education and Research Forum: Job-Placement Assistance for International Students” hosted by the University of Toyama International Student Center (Toyama, External Relations Division Director Hisashi Sato)
Attendance at the shareholders general meeting of the Northeast Asia Ferry Japan Co., Ltd. (Niigata, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Susumu Yoshida, and others)
JOGMEC “Investment Climate of the Energy and Natural Gas Sectors in Russia and Central Asia” research group (Tokyo, Associate Senior Researcher Shoichi Itoh)