On the 1st of February, the IJCC were delighted to collaborate with the Embassy of Ireland, Tokyo on a joint event marking Brigid's Day.

This private event celebrated Women in Leadership across a range of disciplines in Ireland and Japan, acknowledging the many forms where women have led and continue to lead in business, in society, and in our communities.

Ambassador of Ireland to Japan, H.E. Damien Cole welcomed our esteemed guests to this special event, many of whom are leaders in the space of gender equality and diversity in their fields.

We were privileged to have Ms. Maiko Kuroda, President and Executive Officer of Toyoko Inn, as our keynote speaker on the evening. Ms. Kuroda shared inspiring insights to how Toyoko Inn supports their female workforce in taking leadership roles in the company, and ways other corporations could encourage and support diversity in their leading positions. Thank you again to Ms. Kuroda for your invaluable time and thank you to Toyoko Inn, Platinum Sponsor of the IJCC.

Following the keynote address, we held a panel discussion with esteemed guest speakers Ms. Junko Ishii, Director, International Affairs of the Japan Economic Foundation, Ms. Brietta O’Leary, Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, of the Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce and Ms. Sonoko Watanabe, Managing Executive Officer of Nikkei Asia, with Ms. Catherine O’Donovan, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Ireland, Tokyo moderating the discussion.

The panellists shared insights from their own personal journeys that fully captured our audience from start to finish. The discussions also highlighted that though progress has been made, there is unfortunately still a long path ahead until equality is achieved. We hope that this evening helped spark a dialogue towards meaningful change in gender equality or further empowered those already leading changes in this space to continue to challenge established norms.

We were honoured to be a platform to highlight the incredible lived experiences of these leaders. Thank you again to Ms. Ishii, Ms. O'Leary, Ms. Watanabe, and Ms. O'Donovan for sharing your profound stories with us. Thank you also to Nikkei ScoutAsia, IJCC Knowledge and Information Partner.

The IJCC is committed to supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) within the Chamber and in the broader community. If you would like to get involved in DEI and help support our mission, please reach out to Brietta O'Leary, IJCC Director and lead of the DEI Committee.

Lá fhéile Bríde sona duit!