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The Philippines is currently on the investment radar of the Japanese business community. The biggest pull to Japanese investments includes the looming Mindanao peace accord and ASEAN integration. The country's tax perks and English-speaking labor pool are also among the reasons why the country is getting more attention from Japanese investors. The Philippines could very well be Japan's gateway to Southeast Asia given its proximity and attractive low-cost infrastructure, opening up investment opportunities not only in outsourcing but also in creative content and game development, export, infrastructure, agribusiness and mining, manufacturing, and the financial service sector.

As more and more Japanese investors and firms set their sights on the Philippines and aim to expand their operations here, KMC MAG Group, an award-winning real estate firm in the country, has created its very own Japan Desk. The special team will help the Japanese business community tap into the Philippines as a top business destination, making sure that Japanese business executives and firms can explore the best opportunities for real investments.

KMC's Japan Desk

With its very own Japan Desk, KMC can extend its service to the Japanese business community, helping Japanese companies and businessmen make the best investment decisions through up-to-date market research and data. KMC's special team can assist clients through expert advice and insider insights on various investment vehicles and options as well as the different requirements in property investments in the country.

The Japan Desk will be managed by two Japanese nationals who can easily reach out to Japanese clients and investors. With their business development backgrounds and excellent communication skills, they can make it easy for the Japanese business community to deal with potential investors, partners, and clients who don't fully understand the Japanese language. Important business and investment decisions can be made with help from KMC's special team for the Japan Desk.

Members of the special team

The special team is composed of top professionals in the field: Kana Odawara Evangelista and Keiko Suzuki Ozaeta.

Kana Odawara Evangelista has over a decade of experience working as a marketing professional in a multinational company. She handled brand development and innovation, project management, and strategy development in various Asian companies. With these roles, she has developed competent leadership and good social skills. Since she has lived in different countries in Asia and Europe, she has been exposed to different cultures and challenges. Kana, who once worked as a freelance Japanese interpreter, can communicate in fluent English and Japanese and speak basic French and Filipino.

Keiko Suzuki Ozaeta is well equipped to handle the job of a Japan Desk special team. She has an undergraduate Liberal Arts degree, with concentration in International Politics, Economics, and Business, at Aoyama Gakuin University and master's degree in Library and Information Science at a Boston graduate school. Her educational background is best complemented by years of working experience in various companies and institutions in Japan, the US, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. She's an international customer service manager at a world-class medical care institution in the Philippines. She was also an assistant to the Economic Counselor at American Embassy and had experience working at ivy-league universities in the US, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and at a hospital in Hong Kong. Given her acquired skills and exposure to various businesses and cultures, she'll be an asset to KMC's Japan Desk.

Events for the Japanese community in PH

To build stronger ties with the Japanese community in the Philippines, KMC hosted a tennis tournament on June 8, with Yves Luethi, KMC's VP for Marketing and Business Development, at the Manila Polo Club, Forbes Park, Makati. The VP played a tennis match with members of the Japanese community. A Japan Desk Luncheon was also hosted by KMC at the Last Chukker Restaurant at Manila Polo Club. KMC, led by Yves Luethi, introduced the Japan Desk to the Japanese delegation during the event.