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New York City and State Responses to Covid-19 As of March 26, 2020

Overview New York City The City will provide relief for small businesses across the City seeing a reduction in revenue because of COVID-19. Businesses with fewer than 100 employees who have seen sales decreases of 25% or more and that meet certain other criteria will be eligible for zero interest loans of up to $75,000 to help mitigate losses in profit. The City is also offering similarly eligible small businesses in the five boroughs with fewer than 5 employees a grant to cover 40% of payroll costs for two months to help retain employees. NYC small business relief: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/sbs/businesses/covid19-business-outreach.page The City is providing information for parents on city schools, for… Read More »New York City and State Responses to Covid-19 As of March 26, 2020

COVID-19 Update as of March 23, 2020

As the Covid-19 response has ramped up, JLGC New York has moved to follow Governor Cuomo’s executive order and reduced our in-office staffing to zero. We will continue to work remotely until such a time as it is possible to have at least some personnel return to the office. Unfortunately, nobody knows when this might occur, so please check here for updates. During this period, you can still contact us through email using our general jlgc@jlgc.org address. You may also phone us at 646-856-3140. Again, this only applies to JLGC New York. For CLAIR Tokyo and other offices, please check with them directly. We want everyone to know we will… Read More »COVID-19 Update as of March 23, 2020

COVID-19 Update as of March 17, 2020

In response to the current situation, heeding recommendations by government officials to limit exposure through switching to telework as much as possible and cancelling or postponing any events, meetings, or other gatherings, JLGC has moved to have most staff work from home for the next few weeks. We will also postpone any planned events and business travel until it is safe to consider these activities again. There will be minimal staffing in our office, consisting of personnel who can most safely commute without using public transit, so please feel free to contact us through normal telephone and email channels (212-246-5542 for the office and any of our staff emails or… Read More »COVID-19 Update as of March 17, 2020

The BIG U(n-simple Problem of Water): An interim report on the evolution of the BIG U resilience proposal

Superstorm Sandy hit the New York region on October 29, 2012. Although it had been downgraded from a hurricane, in the Five Boroughs alone it damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of buildings, paralyzed services, claimed 44 lives, and submerged large areas of coastline. The cost from damage and lost economic activity is estimated to be around $19 billion. In the years since, the MTA, ConEd, Verizon, and other service providers have worked diligently to restore and upgrade infrastructure and improve its resilience and survivability. This has taken place across the city, but the most ambitious elements of this effort cover the coastline of the lower quarter of Manhattan, the… Read More »The BIG U(n-simple Problem of Water): An interim report on the evolution of the BIG U resilience proposal

Mayor’s Fund Holiday Reception

We were invited by Bill de Blasio, the Mayor of the City of New York, and Chirlane McCray, the First Lady of the City of New York, to the “Mayor’s Fund Holiday Reception” at Gracie Mansion in New York on Dec.13. The reception was held for patrons, who donate to a program that brings mother and child to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan for arts-based programs. These programs are designed to support the development of a healthy family bond. The Ceramic Artist Friendship Association (CAFA) held its 17th anniversary of the Tokyo-New York Friendship Ceramic Competition on May 30, 2018. CAFA was established in 1996 to promote the sister city… Read More »Mayor’s Fund Holiday Reception

Modular Housing Construction: Everyday to Emergency

New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) has issued a report on its Post-Disaster Housing Prototype Program, carried out with the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) with support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Titled “Close to Home: An Urban Model for Post-Disaster Housing”, the report outlines the roots of the project in the emptying out of many areas in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina when sufficient housing could not be provided in or near the city, through the “What If New York City…?” competition that brought together a number of ideas for mass-produced, readily-deployable urban housing options, to the design and execution of the urban… Read More »Modular Housing Construction: Everyday to Emergency

Improving Business Improvement Districts in Japan

Japan has been looking at the concept of business improvement districts (BIDs) for at least the last 20 years, and JLGC New York has been extensively involved in supporting that effort to provide better service to local business communities and promote their revitalization. That is one reason we were interested to see the revision of the national-level Local Revitalization Law passed in February 2018 and now being implemented. Most fundamentally, the revision provides for a system similar to the one used here whereby local governments are allowed to levy a surcharge on businesses in certain designated areas to support the activities of a nonprofit group working for the betterment of… Read More »Improving Business Improvement Districts in Japan

2018 JET Furusato Vision Project

We would like to announce the upcoming “JET Furusato Vision Project”. Through this project you can return to your former place of employment on JET, visit places you had strong connections with and reconnect with the community. More importantly, you can develop and implement your own ‘Vision Plan’ that utilizes the skills and connections you acquired after JET to make new contributions to your former community in areas such as Tourism Promotion, Economic Exchange, Educational Exchange, Culture & Arts Exchange, Grassroots Exchange, Current JET Participant Career Support, or some other project to deepen your ties with your furusato and their ties with the world. JET alumni whose former contracting organizations… Read More »2018 JET Furusato Vision Project

Research Visit to Gary, Indiana

We visited the City of Gary in Indiana as part of a research report being prepared by one of the Japanese staff. The report is on the efforts made by cities in the United States that have lost a considerable amount of population to re-vitalise their communities. Incidentally, Gary is the birthplace of Michael Jackson. We were able to see the city has the potential to be great again. It has a variety of neighbourhoods, from the lake front beauty of Lake Michigan that is a natural treasure to the University of Indiana complex. U.S. Steel is still operating in the city though at a much small scale than some… Read More »Research Visit to Gary, Indiana

★Information★The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Accelerator Program – Blockchain Business Camp Tokyo

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will hold for the first time, the Blockchain Business Camp Tokyo accelerator program for foreign companies that possess blockchain technology that is considered one of the fields of the growth strategy of Japan, in such areas as transactions, securities, supply chains, the sharing economy and IoT. Please refer to the following link. http://www.seisakukikaku.metro.tokyo.jp/bdc_tokyo/japanese/bizcamptky/blockchain/

★Information★Guidance to the Asset Management Industry in Japan

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government compiled the English guidebook titled ‘Guidance to the Asset Management Industry in Japan’ (‘the guidebook’) with the cooperation of the Financial Services Agency in order to provide useful information for foreign asset managers to enter the Japan’s Market smoothly. This guidebook gives easy-to -understand explanations of Japanese financial laws and regulations, how to apply for registration as a financial instruments business operator. For details, click below Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s website Guidance to the Asset Management Industry in Japan Guidance to the Asset Management Industry in Japan（Summary Version ）

★Information★New Tech Business Camp Tokyo

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) has been actively working to attract foreign companies to raise international competitiveness and bring about further growth for the city by promoting the creation of a more business-friendly environment for overseas businesses and startups. The TMG will hold for the first time, the New Tech Business Camp Tokyo accelerator program for foreign companies that possess advanced technologies related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including IoT, big data, and artificial intelligence. For details, please refer to the following URL. http://www.seisakukikaku.metro.tokyo.jp/bdc_tokyo/english/bizcamptky/newtech/