Roundtable by The Japan Times #3 (Minako Iue)

Roundtable: Sustainability with Ross Rowbury #3

The English-language events will invite readers of The Japan Times to be guest speakers. Ross Rowbury (former representative of Edelman Japan), who has a deep knowledge of Japan and boasts a wide network both here and abroad, will sit down in the role of host with Japanese and non-Japanese to discuss their lives in Japan. Held once a month, the format of the roundtable will include time for panel discussions with the participation of the audience.

For our special speaker, Rowbury will invite Minako Iue from Sailor of the Sea Japan, which supports ocean conservation through raising awareness and proposing recommendations to the Japanese government.

Minako Iue
Chair and CEO, Sailors for the Sea Japan.
Minako Iue established Sailors for the Sea Japan as an affiliate of the ocean conservation NGO Sailors for the Sea, founded by David Rockefeller Jr., chairman of the company that controls the Rockefeller family’s investments. Her goal is to improve the ocean environment and sustainability through advocacy activities. She runs programs such as Blue Seafood Guide to raise awareness for sustainable seafood and Clean Regattas to promote environmental protection through marine sports. Minako is a doctoral candidate in environmental studies and lecturer at Kyoto University and a senior researcher of Keio Research Institute at SFC. She is an official columnist for Forbes Japan and 25ans online.

Ross Rowbury
Ross Rowbury has observed Japan while living and working here for four decades. Commencing his career in finance in Tokyo in the early 1980s, he later moved into public relations and communications, holding senior positions at Gavin Anderson & Co. (now Kreab) and PRAP Japan. Most recently, he headed the Edelman business in Japan for 10 years until July 2020. Ross is studying to become a kataribe (traditional storyteller) of Japanese legends while doing freelance consulting for a number of firms on their Japan business strategy. He is also visiting professor of Asian marketing at Doshisha University in Kyoto.