The Japan Society Annual General Meeting 2012
The Society’s 2012 AGM took place on 12 June 2012 at the Embassy of Japan. The
membership was well represented and we are grateful to all who attended and who took thetime to vote by proxy.
Minutes of the 115th Annual General Meeting of The Japan Society
Held at the Embassy of Japan, 101-104 Piccadilly, London W1
at 6.00 p.m. on Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Chairman’s Welcome
Christopher Purvis, the chairman, opened the meeting by welcoming all those present; hegave a particular welcome to the Society’s President, the Japanese Ambassador, Mr KeiichiHayashi. This was the Ambassador’s second AGM since his posting to the Embassy in early
2011. It was also Christopher’s last AGM as chairman of the Society after six years in thisrole. He invited the Ambassador Hayashi to make a few comments.
Ambassador Hayashi
A little over a year had passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
Ambassador Hiyashi spoke about the events of the last year reflecting on the importance of
all those who had given their support to Japan. He made particular note of the generous
support Japan had received from volunteers and fund raisers in response to the Great East
Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. He thanked the members of the Japan Society for all theirefforts over the last year. He noted the close friendship between our two nations and inparticular the way the Japan Society and the UK had worked alongside Japan in its recovery.
The ambassador thanked Christopher Purvis for all his time and work during his tenure as theSociety’s chairman.
Christopher Purvis
The chairman also took time to reflect on the unprecedented events of the last year noting that
the Great East Japan Earthquake had dominated the work of the Society as it fulfilled its roleat the heart of UK-Japan relations. The chairman touched on the work of the Society after asuccessful year on all fronts, which included lectures, business related events for members
and non-members and an active schools programme.
Christopher Purvis described the improved financial situation of the Society, and touched, inparticular, on its increased financial reserves. This was due in part to a change in theSociety’s financial model; moving from a purely membership society to an organization witha broader educational remit with diversified funding sources.
The chairman reminded the meeting of the Society’s 125th anniversary in four years’ timeand its potential financial importance. He thanked the Sean Curtin and Sandy Sano, theoutgoing trustees, all the other trustees and volunteers as well as the office staff, for theircontinued support and hard work. Before turning to the ten items of formal business on theagenda, the chairman invited Members to make comments and questions.

Comments and Questions from Members
On behalf of the membership, Paul Dimond gave a vote of thanks to the chairman andcommented on the successful linking of the Japan Society and Japan 21, which had beenachieved with his guidance.
Sir Hugh Cortazzi made particular mention of the Society’s annual Proceedings and waspleased to hear that it would be published later this year. He was adamant that theProceedings remained an important element of the Society’s work.
Agenda Items
Christopher Purvis explained that there were ten ordinary resolutions to be considered andthat a show of hands instead of ballot papers would be used to pass them.
The following resolutions were passed:
1. To receive and adopt the audited annual accounts for the financial year ended 31
December 2011 and the Trustees’ report.
2. To reappoint Richard Place Dobson as auditors and to authorize and the board toapprove their remuneration as thought fit.
3. To elect Sir David Warren KCMG as chairman of the Japan Society with effect from
1 January 2013.
4. To elect the following Ordinary Trustees of the Company:
1. Graham Holden
2. Michiaki Nakamura
3. Tetsuro Terada
5. To re-elect the following Ordinary Trustees of the Company
1. Martin Day
2. Stephen McEnally
3. George Olcott
4. Michael Spencer
Following the formal business of the AGM, there was a short report on the Japan Society
Tohoku Earthquake Relief Fund. The report included a presentation on progress in Tohoku ascommunities recover from the devastation of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
and, in particular, on the Society’s partnership with the Sanaburi Foundation in distributing
funds.
Documents
If you wish to receive a hard copy of the annual accounts and Council Members’ report,
please contact us.