Why Tokyo is the New Paris
Event Date & Time: Friday, August 9th from 5:30 PM-7:00 PM
*Registration starts at 5:00 PM
When economics blogger Noah Smith announced last year that he thinks Tokyo is the world’s greatest city, similar to what Paris was for past generations, many people took notice. He’s joining us to talk about what he likes best about Tokyo and what factors he thinks contribute to its success as a huge, dynamic city that manages to remain safe and livable. He will also share his thoughts on the potential economic implications of more people from around the world discovering Tokyo’s charms and wanting to live there.
Join us for what promises to be a fun conversation that will make you want to visit Tokyo again soon!
近年、経済ブロガーのノア・スミスが「東京は世界一の都市だと思う」と発表したブログが話題になりました。観光で人気なだけでなく、住んでみたい街としての注目が高まっています。ダイナミックな巨大都市としての成功の要因、潜在的な経済効果について解説します。
Noah Smith is a blogger, journalist, and commentator on economics and current events. A former assistant professor of Behavioral Finance at Stony Brook University, Smith writes for his own Substack blog, Noahpinion, which has over 229,000 subscribers. He has also written for publications including Bloomberg, Quartz, Associated Press, Business Insider, and The Atlantic. Smith left Bloomberg in 2021 to fully focus on his own blog.
Stephen Katayama is a travel industry veteran having spent 30 years in various management capacities in Sales, Research & Marketing, and as General Manager with two leading Japanese corporate travel agencies. Steve joined Japan Airlines in 2018 and leads the Western Regional Sales Team at four JAL stations from SEA, SFO, LAX to SAN, covering twelve western states.
Steve grew up in Los Angeles, has lived overseas in Tokyo, Japan and on the Gold Coast of Australia, and has called San Mateo his home for the past 25 years. He enjoys listening to music, spending time with family and rooting for his favorite sports teams, LA Dodgers, Lakers and UCLA.
Chikahiro Honda has been working as the administrative Manager of JAL’s San Francisco Branch since October 2022. In addition to budget planning and personnel planning and hiring new staff to support daily Tokyo-San Francisco flight operations, Chikahiro is also involved in JAL’s promotional activities within the U.S. region.
Rochelle Kopp (Moderator) is a board member of the Japan Society of Northern California and Managing Principal of Japan Intercultural Consulting. She moved back to Tokyo in 2021, her third time living in the city.