THE JAPAN SOCIETY2010
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
TRUSTEE ELECTIONS

Notice of the 2010 Annual General Meetingat the Embassy of Japan, London on Wednesday 16 June

THE JAPAN SOCIETY (THE “COMPANY”)

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGNOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Company will be held on 16 June2010 at 6.00pm at the Embassy of Japan, 101-104 Piccadilly, London W1J 7JT. The business of the meetingshall be to record thanks to Sponsors and Benefactors and to consider, and if thought fit, pass the following
resolutions:1.

To receive and adopt the audited annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ended
31 December 2009 and the Trustees’ Report.

2.

To reappoint Richard Place Dobson as auditors and to authorise the Board to approve theirremuneration as thought fit.

3.

To elect and re-elect Ordinary Trustees of the Company to fill certain vacancies arising.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD_______________________________H C POTTER
Chief Executive
Dated: 27 May 2010
Registered office: Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AJ

NOTES
1

A summary of the annual accounts is enclosed with this notice. The full accounts may be seen on the Company’s
website (www.japansociety.org.uk) or may be requested in hard copy from the registered office.

2

The Appendix to this notice explains the election or re-election of Ordinary Trustees pursuant to resolution 3 andsets out a list of candidates for election, together with their biographical details.

3

A member of the Company is entitled to appoint a proxy to exercise all or any of his or her rights to attend,
speak and vote at the meeting. A form of proxy is enclosed with this notice. The proxy must be a member of theCompany or, in the case of a corporate member, its authorised representative.

4

To be effective, the instrument appointing a proxy and any authority under which it is executed (or a certified
copy of such authority) must be deposited at the registered office of the Company not less than 48 hours before
the time for holding the meeting. Completion and return of the form of proxy will not preclude members from
attending and voting in person at the meeting. If you have appointed a proxy and attend the meeting in person,
your proxy appointment will automatically be terminated.

5

To comply with security policy at the Embassy of Japan, members are asked to notify the Company in advance of
their intention to attend the meeting. Please bring a copy of this Notice, together with some form of photographic
ID with you to the meeting.

3Appendix
Election of Trustees
The Board of the Japan Society consists of a chairman, two vice-chairmen, up to four appointed officers(solicitor, treasurer, librarian and editor), two ex officio members (one additional vice-chairman, the deputy
head of mission at the Japanese Embassy, and one ordinary member, a member of the Japanese Embassy)
and up to 14 ordinary trustees. The total number of trustees should be not more than twenty. The numberof ordinary trustees should be no fewer than four.
One-third of the ordinary trustees are required to retire by rotation each year. Those who have retired byrotation may stand for re-election but no one may serve for longer than six consecutive years as a memberof the Board.
The Board has appointed a nominations committee comprising Christopher Purvis (chairman), Paul
Dimond, Ken Okaniwa and Heidi Potter. This committee reviews the skills that are required on the Board
from time to time and the succession policy; and it makes recommendations to the Board on possible futureappointments.
This year it is expected that, as a result of the requirement to retire by rotation and some resignations during
the past year, there will be four vacancies for ordinary trustees which may be filled at the annual general
meeting (“AGM”). Two of the ordinary trustees who will retire by rotation, Pauline Chakmakjian and Andrew
Fraser, have indicated that they are willing to stand for re-election. Pauline is a keen instigator of art andcultural events and Andrew takes an active role in developing the business programme; the Board proposes
their re-election.
There are two people standing for election to the Board as ordinary trustees for the first time. David Cairns
is returning from a posting at the British Embassy in Tokyo and Koji Nakamura is a leader in the Japanesebusiness community in London; both have been pro-active in supporting Japan UK relations. The Board
proposes each candidate’s election. Biographical details of all four ordinary trustee candidates are set out
in this Appendix.
There are four candidates for election to fill a possible four ordinary trustee vacancies on the Board. Members
are therefore asked at the AGM to cast their votes “For” or “Against” each candidate. Members may also
select the “vote withheld” option if they do not wish to vote for or against any particular candidate, althougha vote withheld in this way is not a “vote” by law and will not be counted in the calculation of the proportionof votes “For” and “Against” a candidate.
We are always looking for new people to be involved with the Japan Society in different capacities, including
as committee members and as trustees. We encourage members to let us know if they would like to be
more involved. Suggestions of names of people to be considered for committees or for the board should bemade to any member of the nominations committee or indeed any member of the board.
Members may vote, as normal, in person at the AGM on 16 June 2010 or by proxy. A proxy form is enclosed
in this booklet for this purpose.

4

Biographical Details of theOrdinary Trustee Candidates 2010
DAVID CAIRNSPAULINE CHAKMAKJIANDavid Cairns has been Director of Trade andInvestment at the British Embassy in Japan from2006 to 2010, and will return to the Foreign Office inLondon from August 2010.

Pauline Chakmakjian is a specialist in Occidental
and Oriental Freemasonry. She mostly gives lectures
on both eighteenth-century English Freemasonryand contemporary Freemasonry in Japan. In 2006,
Pauline founded The Japan Room, a salon within theFreemasons’ Hall in Covent Garden to promote theculture of Japan through mainly arts-related events.
(www.thejapanroom.org.uk)

David studied Japanese at Pembroke College,
Oxford from 1987-1992, including a one year
internship at Barclays in Tokyo, thanks to a grantfrom the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. He
worked at Nomura International London before
joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He
has subsequently had two postings to the Embassyin Tokyo, as well as four years at the UK delegation
to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva.
During his most recent posting to Japan, he hashelped secure a number of significant investmentsfrom Japanese industry, including Nissan electricvehicle investment in Sunderland, Toyota hybrid
vehicle investment in Derbyshire, Mitsubishi Heavy
Industry investment in wind power near Newcastle,
and Eisai pharmaceutical investment in Hatfield. He
has been a member of the Executive Committee of
the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and heand his team have helped many hundreds of British
companies develop business in Japan during thesame period.
David is a member for the Campaign for theProtection of Rural England (CPRE) and in 2009
fostered agreement between the CPRE and Japan
Tobacco Group to cooperate on the CPRE’s anti-litter
campaign. He and his children are learning Japanesecalligraphy and haiga, and his link with the Japan
Society goes back to 1988, when he met his wife-tobe at a Japan Society event at Oxford.

Since becoming a member ten years ago, Pauline
has organized many events on behalf of the Japan
Society. Since 2003, she also organizes events as aLondon Region committee member of the English
Speaking Union, a charity that promotes the useof the English language worldwide as well as theart of public speaking. Pauline holds degrees inEnglish Literature, Law (Inner Temple), French andis writing up her PhD in History. She also received a
merit scholarship in fine art for drawing and painting
during her BA.
Pauline was born in California, but has been based
mainly in London since 1996. When she is in Japanshe is based in Kyoto and volunteers for the Kyoto
International Community House in the elegant arts
quarter of Okazaki. Her hobbies include fencing andpainting and sometimes piano and riding.

5

ANDREW FRASER CMG

KOJI NAKAMURA

Andrew Fraser has been the Senior Adviser to
Mitsubishi Corporation (Europe and Middle East)
since October 2000. He also serves on the Advisory
Board of Financial Dynamics International. He hasserved on the Board of the Japan Society since 2005,
and is chair of the Business Group.

Koji Nakamura is Managing Director of Mitsui & Co.
Europe Holdings Plc as well as a Senior Executive
Managing Officer and Chief Operating Officer for
Mitsui’s EMEA Business Unit.

His other pro bono commitments include the Councilof Chatham House (Royal Institute of International
Affairs), the Trust Board of Shakespeare’s Globe andthe Board of Think London.
For the previous six years (July 1994 – September
2000) Andrew served as Chief Executive of Invest UK– the sole Government body marketing the wholeof the UK to international investors – during whichtime the stock of UK inward investment more thandoubled. Prior to joining Invest UK, Andrew enjoyedan extensive career in international advertising as
Executive Vice President and Director of Business
Development for Saatchi and Saatchi Worldwide,and latterly as CEO for Europe for Dentsu Company.
Andrew was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1950.
He was educated in the UK, graduating from the
University of Sussex School of English and American
Studies, and on scholarship programmes at Harvard
School and UCLA in North America.

6

Koji joined Mitsui in 1973 upon graduation from Keio
University’s School of Science and Technology, witha Masters Degree from their Department of Applied
Chemistry. His successful career at Mitsui has so
far spanned more than 37 years. During this time
he has had considerable overseas experience withpostings to Iran, Germany, The Netherlands and theUnited Kingdom.
At Mitsui’s Headquarters in Japan, Koji has held
various roles which focused on Speciality Chemicals
and Plastics internationally. In 2009, while Head of
Mitsui’s Osaka office, he was promoted to his current
position.
Koji is a very keen and able golfer, and in addition
to holding various directorships, he is a Deputy
Chairman of The Nippon Club and President of The
Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Mitsui & Co is a donor to the Japan Society andmember of the President’s Circle.

please detach here and return to the Japan Society

THE JAPAN SOCIETY

PROXY FORM for the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2010
I/We, being a member of The Japan Society, hereby appoint the Chairman of the meeting (see note 3) /........................................................................................................ as my/our proxy to vote for me/us at the Annual General
Meeting of The Japan Society to be held on Wednesday, 16 June 2010 and at every adjournment thereof.
Name (please print).......................................................................................................................

Category of membership

Individual

FamilyCorporate

Name of corporate
member (if applicable).......................................................................................................................

Signature.......................................................................................................................

Dated....................................................................................................................... 2010
Instructions to Proxy

Please indicate with an “X” in the boxes below and overleaf how you wish the proxy to vote. The Proxy will
vote or withhold their vote, at his or her discretion, on (a) any resolution listed below if no instruction is
given regarding that resolution and (b) on any other business transacted at the meeting.
For

1

Receiving the Accounts and the Trustees’ Report2

Re-appointment of the Auditors

3

Election/Re-election of Ordinary Trustees

AgainstVote
withheld

Please indicate overleaf how you wish theproxy to vote

Notes
1

A member of The Japan Society is entitled to appoint a proxy to exercise all or any of his or her rights to attend, speak and vote at a
general meeting of The Japan Society.

2

Appointment of a proxy does not preclude you from attending the meeting and voting in person. If you have appointed a proxy andattend the meeting in person, your proxy appointment will automatically be terminated.

3

If you wish, you may delete the words “the Chairman of the meeting” and insert the name of a proxy of your choice. The proxy must
be a member of The Japan Society or, in the case of a member which is a corporation, its authorised representative. Please initial any
alteration. A proxy must attend the meeting to represent you.

4

The completed and signed proxy form (and, if relevant, the power of attorney or other authority under which it is signed, or a certified
copy of that power or authority) must be received at Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AJ not less than 48 hours before
the meeting or the adjourned meeting or, in the case of a poll, not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for taking the poll.

5

To direct your proxy how to vote on the resolutions mark the appropriate box with an ‘X’. If no voting indication is given, your proxy will
vote or withhold their vote at his or her discretion. Your proxy will vote (or withhold a vote) as he or she thinks fit in relation to any othermatter which is put before the meeting.

6

The vote withheld option is provided to enable you to instruct the proxy not to vote on any particular resolution. However, it should be
noted that a vote withheld in this way is not a “vote” by law and will not be counted in the calculation of the proportion of votes “For”
and “Against” a resolution.

7

Any power of attorney or any other authority under which this proxy form is signed (or a duly certified copy of such power ofauthority) must be included with the proxy form.

8.

If you submit more than one valid proxy appointment, the appointment received last before the latest time for the receipt ofproxies will take precedence.

Election of Ordinary Trustees
There is a maximum of four vacancies amongst Ordinary Trustees and four candidates to fill thosevacancies. The voting will be conducted at the meeting on a poll.
The names of the candidates are listed below (in alphabetical order). Please indicate, by placing an “X”
against the names of the relevant candidates, how you wish the proxy to vote on the poll.
Please note:•

You have a maximum of four votes and may vote only once for any particular candidate. You
may cast a vote in relation to all or some only of the candidates.

•

The vote will be conducted by counting the number of votes cast “For” and “Against” eachcandidate.

•

The “Vote withheld” option is provided to enable you to instruct the proxy not to vote for any
particular candidate. However, it should be noted that a vote withheld in this way is not a “vote”
by law and will not be counted in the calculation of the proportion of votes “For” and “Against” acandidate.
If you cast a vote for fewer than four candidates and do not wish the proxy tohave discretion to cast the remainder of your votes in relation to the remaining
candidates, please place an “X” in this box.

•

CANDIDATESFor

1David Cairns

2Pauline Chakmakjian

3

Andrew Fraser

4

Koji Nakamura

AgainstThe Japan Society, Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AJ

Vote
withheldplease detach here and return to the Japan Society

7.