Beginning in the winter of the previous year, I started asking friends and colleagues to keep me in mind whenever opportunities arose to give lectures. Since then, I have been invited to speak to Japanese audiences on topics such as Japan–China Relations in the 21st Century, U.S.–China (Taiwan)–Japan Relations, China’s System of Governance, and Business Operations in Mainland China. For Chinese audiences, I have delivered presentations on subjects including Establishing and Operating a Business in Japan and Japan’s Employment Environment and Immigration System. I have also been honored to speak at events in cities such as Fuji and Kanazawa.

　For BENCHWORK50 Administrative Scrivener Corporation, the first full year of operations has brought an exceptionally diverse range of client engagements. Through these projects, I have gained a much deeper understanding of Japan’s investment environment, particularly the practical impact of non-tariff barriers faced by foreign businesses. Above all, I have come to appreciate how difficult—and meaningful—it is to earn the trust that leads to business opportunities, how deeply rewarding every client relationship can be, and how indispensable perseverance and an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit are in building a business.

　Reflecting on the experiences I have accumulated over the years, I intend to further refine my expertise in supporting foreign companies establishing and operating businesses in Japan, with the ultimate goal of contributing to Japan’s productivity and economic vitality. By continually honing my professional skills and approaching every client with sincerity, diligence, and integrity, I hope to create lasting value through specialized expertise.

　I was also pleased to learn that the private-sector activities of the China–Japan (Suzhou) Local Development Cooperation Model Zone will continue this year. Together with colleagues who share our belief in the value of this initiative, we have begun preparing for an intensive series of projects to be carried out during the second half of the year.

　With the continued cooperation of many partners, we organized the 2025 Suzhou (Tokyo) Silver Economy Industry Innovation Cooperation Matching Event in June. As in the previous year, the Vice Mayor of Suzhou visited Kawasaki—my hometown—during the delegation’s stay in Japan. We also supported a private-sector initiative between Nanjing and Kawasaki to facilitate the acceptance of Chinese nurses in Japan and the dispatch of Japanese physicians to China.

　At BENCHWORK50 Administrative Scrivener Corporation, we welcomed two employees as executive assistants in the spring, and both have made outstanding contributions to our rapidly growing team. Through our initial client engagements involving company establishment and immigration services in Japan, we have gained valuable experience and practical know-how. Above all, we are deeply grateful to our early clients for placing their trust in a newly established team.

　We have also learned a great deal from our business partners. NewAsia Inc. is committed to bringing the world’s most advanced AI technologies into Japanese businesses as quickly as possible, particularly in areas that improve labor productivity. We were pleased to support the company in its Japan–China collaboration initiatives. In addition, we assisted Tsukurie Inc. in obtaining official recognition from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as an Accredited Foreign Entrepreneur Support Organization under the Startup Visa program.

　Just as I began to feel that our nonprofit and for-profit activities had started to move forward together as two complementary wheels, a cold winter descended upon Japan–China relations. Over the years, I have experienced many ups and downs in the bilateral relationship, but this is the first truly difficult period I have faced since moving into the private sector—and I must admit, it has been a far harsher winter than I had imagined.

　Even so, I remain confident that spring will eventually return. Together with my colleagues, I hope to continue moving forward by focusing on each task before us, one step at a time.

　In 2024, I supported the establishment of the Suzhou Fuji Japan Center as the Japanese liaison organization for the China-Japan (Suzhou) Local Development Cooperation Model Zone. Together with like-minded colleagues, we held the 2024 Suzhou (Tokyo) Healthcare Industry Innovation Cooperation Matching Exchange Meeting in June.

　From summer through autumn, we were also able to carry out a training program, both online and offline, for doctors and therapists working on the front lines at hospitals in Suzhou, introducing them to Japan’s rehabilitation philosophy and techniques.

　As a new initiative, Ritsumeikan University’s Kinugasa Research Organization and the General Incorporated Association Action5 concluded a joint research agreement. In September, we began serving as the secretariat for a comprehensive research project on the Taiwan situation and U.S.-China relations. Since then, I have also had the opportunity to accompany the research team on regular visits to Taiwan, where I have been learning a great deal about peace and stability in East Asia.

　Thanks to many valuable connections, from late October to the end of November I had the opportunity to visit Osaka, Kawasaki, Kyoto, Kobe, Shanghai, Suzhou, Taipei, Tokyo, Nanjing, and Yokohama. Seeing so many dynamic cities clustered so closely together has once again reminded me that this very density is a source of East Asia’s vitality.

　At the same time, I began to feel the limitations of relying solely on nonprofit activities. I therefore established BENCHWORK50 Administrative Scrivener Corporation and began engaging in business activities with a for-profit dimension. We quickly established a strategic cooperation partnership with the Jiangxin Group, through which we will further deepen collaboration in startups and innovation between Japan and China.

　After leaving Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the autumn of the previous year, I spent about six months as a full-time homemaker—a period during which I truly came to appreciate how demanding housework can be. In February, I established the General Incorporated Association Action5, marking the start of a new chapter in my professional life.

　As a “first-year member of society” once again, I have begun working from the ground up, taking on what I can with humility and a practical mindset, primarily through consulting projects that promote cooperation between Japan and China.

　In August, I had the opportunity to visit Suzhou for the first time in quite a while. This time, in a different capacity from my previous role, I was honored to become involved in promoting cooperation between Suzhou and Japan.