The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) held the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC21) Forum with the theme of “Persons of Asia ~ the TMG Officials Who Connect the Asian Cities ~.” The report on this Forum, which was held with the participants of over 100 TMG officials, is introduced here.

On March 7, 2013, the ANMC21 Forum was held at the TMG office. This forum was organized to respond to questions, such as "What sort of international affairs are operated by the TMG, including the ANMC21?", "What is the profile of the people who actually engage in international affairs?", and "I am interested in international affairs, and am I cut out for this kind of job?"

The forum started with an introduction of the ANMC21's activities, followed by a presentation by the Tokyo Fire Department officials who participated in the "International Urban Search & Rescue Course" in Singapore. Then, a panel discussion was held for the purpose of talking with the officials who work actively at the ANMC21.

The panelists of this discussion were comprised of five officials in charge of ANMC21 projects, who have been involved in various fields, such as environment, welfare and tourism. Based on their experiences, these panelists frankly discussed the key points in operating international affairs and the qualifications required for the human resources.

The first topic of the discussion was about the best part of international affairs. With respect to this matter, all five panelists stated in common that encounters with people through international affairs are one of the most important components.
"One of the assets we can gain from international affairs is an opportunity to meet various people at home and abroad. In many occasions, we have difficulty in contacting our partners in foreign countries to make coordination, and feel nervous until the program participants arrive in Japan. However, when we actually meet each-other, we often enjoy chatting on various topics including unexpected ones."

All the panelists shared the opinion that coordination with foreign cities may not be easy all the time, but at the same time, overcoming such a difficult situation deepens friendships. The panelists also mentioned that they can learn the issues that Tokyo has in common with other cities and the cases that are unavailable in Tokyo through communication with foreign cities, which makes their jobs very attractive.

Next, the discussion addressed the qualifications required for human resources who promote international affairs, in which every participant should be interested. When the question was posed to the Forum participants, the majority of them replied that "communication ability is important!" On the other hand, some participants were concerned about language skills, which they believed essential to operate business with foreign countries. One of the panelists replied to this question. "A language is just one of the tools. Rather than that, it is more important to have coordination ability that enables us to communicate our own idea to people of different cultures. A sense of balance is also required to work on the projects amid these differences."

It's difficult to say what "International affairs" is in a word. Their purpose, content and method are different depending on the project. Although a fair command of foreign language may be required, the panelists mentioned that the ability consistently necessary for any project is to flexibly respond to unexpected situations or troubles, which anyone experience when conducting international affairs.

Finally, the panelist, who is promoting international business at the TMG Bureau of Waterworks made the remarks concerning the meaning of the international affairs that the TMG engages in and the direction Tokyo should head for: "One of the purposes that the TMG promotes international affairs is to enhance the presence of Tokyo. Each region or country around the world faces various water-related issues. Under such circumstances, TMG Bureau of Waterworks, as the water-works cooperation taking advantage of one of the largest facilities and the most advanced technologies, is expected to play a leading role in waterworks around the world. We strive to enhance Tokyo's presence in Asia through promoting international cooperation.

This report covers only a portion of the forum. The heated discussion, with the participation of five panelists and a large audience, lasted longer than scheduled.

After the forum, one of the participants mentioned: "It was new to me that steady coordination, patience and connection with people are critical in operating international affairs despite its exciting image. I am eager to engage in international affairs in the future after listening to the experiences of those who are actually working in this field. To this end, I'm giving consideration to my course of action." This forum offered the opportunities to clearly discuss the ideal status of the international affairs, in which Tokyo is expected to engage, from various aspects, creating very valuable experiences for the panelists involved in international affairs, as well as the audience.
Using this discussion as one of the opportunities, the TMG will continue to make efforts to promote international operations in response to global conditions.