EVENTS
04.20.2023
Scene Report from the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Karuizawa, Nagano: JCS × G7 × Sustainable Conventions®
JCS was responsible for running the 3-day G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Karuizawa, Nagano, which occurred from Sunday, April 16 to Tuesday, April 18. The G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, attended by the foreign ministers of Japan, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Canada and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security, is an important forum for dialog on current global affairs and for laying the groundwork for debate at the G7 Summit.
JCS proposed sustainability initiatives from the planning stage of these events. Our BSI’s Associate Consultant performed on-site assessments of sustainability initiatives at the meeting based on JCS’ own Sustainable Conventions® guidelines. In this report, we present the latest from the field and our efforts on sustainability at the meeting.
Ministers travel together via the Shinkansen
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, along with his international counterparts, took the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Karuizawa Station. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), this mode of transport was chosen in part to showcase Japanese technology and omotenashi, the spirit of hospitality.
Participation by children who are our future
Upon arrival at Karuizawa, Foreign Minister Hayashi hosted his international counterparts. Local children presented ministers with bouquets of flowers and posed for photographs together. During the welcome event, there was a violin performance by children in Nagano studying the Suzuki Method, whose headquarters are in the prefecture.
Omotenashi with Nagano foodstuffs: initiatives to produce and consume locally
During the 3-day event, lunches and dinners featured a rich variety of dishes promoting the wealth of ingredients produced in Nagano Prefecture and Nagano-brewed sake and domestically produced wine. The appeal of Japanese culinary culture was showcased to the world.
During the gatherings, G7 Water from the Karuizawa springs was offered to the participants. On the round table were desk plates made of Nagano-produced wood, engraved with the country of each minister.
In August 2012, JCS became the first company in Japan to be ISO 20121 certified (Event Sustainability Certification). As a leader in the convention industry, JCS is committed to offering Sustainable Conventions®*, which consider environmental, social, and economic sustainability to add value to events and help create a sustainable society.
*Sustainable Conventions: trademark registered by Japan Convention Services, Inc.
