【Event Report】Norway 101 – NCCJ's Cultural Awareness Workshop
Cultural Awareness Workshop at the Embassy
On Thursday, November 25. the NCCJ, together with its co-host the Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo, welcomed 25 employees from Norwegian companies in Japan for a cultural awareness workshop in Aurora Hall.
3 presenters touched upon a variety of topics to educate the participants about Norway, its history, and culture.
Bridging the Cultural Gap – the Background for Norway 101
With its more than 60 corporate members, the NCCJ is an organization catering to business people hailing from a magnitude of sectors, industries, and fields. While the member base is diverse, one important commonality persists; all companies are involved in the cooperation between our two countries, Norway and Japan. In an effort to bridge the gap between the countries and facilitate increased collaboration and business opportunities, understanding is crucial. Norway 101 is a new initiative by the NCCJ to educate its members to enable this important understanding.
The Content of the Day
After a welcome from NCCJ by General Manager Mr. Simen Aasen, Deputy Head of Mission Ms. Line Aune held her presentation covering the topics of Norwegian history, geography, equality, gender roles, and the SDGs. After a short break, Ms. Sumika Furakawa, working for the friendship organization Norway-Japan Society, gave an overview of the cultural aspects, with a primary focus on business culture. In her presentation, participants also had the opportunity to learn a few Norwegian phrases and partake in a quiz – three lucky winners received a goodie-bag of Norwegian prizes. Finally, before lunch with Norwegian ingredients, Mr. Teruyuki Takahashi shared his experiences from working over 12 years in Norway for Idemitsu.
Future editions
The NCCJ is planning to continue the Norway 101 workshop into 2022. If you and/or your employees or colleagues are interested in joining the next Norway 101, voice your interest to the NCCJ secretariat. You will be put on a priority list and secure your spots at the next edition. Note that Norway 101 is also open to participants outside the NCCJ. To reserve your spots at the next edition, click the button below to send an e-mail.
The NCCJ would like to thank our co-host the Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo, our 3 presenters, and the participants who attended the workshop.