July 2007                  Monthly Newsletter              Vol.1 English Version

Dear We are pleased to start this monthly newsletter for our valued customers. It is our hope that each newsletter will have something for everyone. We hope you enjoy this.

*****Highlights of this edition*********

１． What is Third immigration basic law plan?
２． Live Work and Invest in Japan
３． News
*. Japan to launch tourism authority to attract foreign visitors
*. More Japanese ATMs to accept foreign cards
*. IT foreign investment slack
*. Are Indian IT, BPO Companies losing their sheen?
４． About Japan: - Tanabata Festival & Sumo
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１．What is third Immigration basic law plan?

This is a draft law to indicate future direction of the basic policy of the Immigration Office, placing importance on the issue of accepting foreigners in light of Japan's declining population and outlining countermeasures to combat illegal foreign overstayers. Let me explain the outline.

1. Promoting the acceptance of foreign workers in professional and technical fields.
2. Investigating whether it is possible to accept foreign workers in other areas besides professional and technical fields in light of Japan's declining population.
3. Expanding international exchange through tourism.
4. Accepting an appropriate number of foreign students and pre-college students.
5. Appropriating the training and skills-drilling system.
6. Creating a society in which long-term foreigners can live comfortably, including measures to clarify the permanent visa requirements.
7. Simplifying and speeding up the procedure to reside in Japan.
8. Protecting against illegal entry by foreigners by using stricter landing examinations.
9. Carrying out strict investigations into illegal overstayers
10. Promptly deporting foreigners who are in custody.
11. Creating a more effective forcible deportation procedure and reviewing protection systems against violations of immigration law.
12. Examining punishments and considering the violation situations of immigration law offenders.

２．Live Work and Invest in Japan

Do you think Japan is really expensive, especially the real estate?
Well, to some extent it’s true. But if you are planning to live here for a long time you can convert your expenses into investments. Just think if you are living at a good location in Tokyo you are paying at least 20 to 30% of your income as a monthly rent. To maximize cash flow, you have two choices; one is to work harder at your office. The other is to make your money work for you and dedicate more of your time doing things you like. And if you’re thinking about making an investment, one way to maximize your earnings is to own your own home. Since Japanese interest rates are so low, and the Japanese currency is so weak against other currencies, you’ll find Japanese real estate a very attractive option.
Japan is famous as a country with expensive real estate.  This is only a surface reality. Although Japanese real estate bottomed out, in previous years and on a rise recently, which makes  it attractive compared to other countries, especially given the weakness of the yen. And if you are worried about tax, we have some good news for you, if you work harder, make money and receive a higher salary; you have to pay higher tax on the total income. However, if you invest your money wisely together with borrowing money from a bank if possible, you can offset some of the painful income tax deductions.
If you have any plan to invest in real estate market in Japan we are very happy to help you on all aspects of real estate investment decisions. For further details please feel free to contact take@admini-s.com

３．News

*Japan to launch tourism authority to attract foreign visitors
Japan's transport ministry is planning to integrate its tourism-related divisions into a single authority in fiscal 2008 in a bid to reinforce efforts to attract visitors from other countries and help reinvigorate local areas through tourism. Under the goal of making tourism a major industry for the Japanese economy, the government is trying to increase the annual number of foreign visitors to 10 million by 2010, and the planned tourism authority would help spur those efforts.
The launch of such an authority has been called for by both chambers of the Diet in resolutions following the enactment in December of a basic tourism promotion law, as well as by the travel and transport industries. The government is slated to adopt a basic plan on how to attain the goal in a Cabinet meeting shortly.
The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry will then seek budgets and personnel for fiscal 2008 and amend its related ordinances for the planned integration of the Tourism Policy Division and five other divisions in its Policy Bureau. About 7.33 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2006, compared with about 17.53 million Japanese tourists going abroad, which the government aims to increase by 2010 to 20 million.

*More Japanese ATMs to accept foreign cards
Visitors to Japan now have easier access to their cash after more than 12,000 automated teller machines at 7-Eleven convenience stores across the country began accepting foreign cards. So far tourists in Japan have been mainly limited to ATMs at certain foreign-owned banks or the post office if they want to avoid queuing up to exchange money. Now holders of VISA, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and China Union pay cash or credit cards can also use the Seven Bank machines to withdraw yen almost 24 hours a day. The machines will operate in English, Korean, Chinese and Portuguese. Japan's government hopes the move will help to make the country a more attractive tourist destination.


*IT, foreign investment slack
According to trade ministry, Japan needs more foreign and information-technology investment to boost its service sector and make it more competitive with the U.S. and Europe. It is analyzed that compared with manufacturing, the service sector is not competitive. It urges such industries as transportation, telecommunications and real estate to enter or expand in foreign markets, particularly the faster-growing regions in Asia. Ensuring sustainable growth in the service sector is indispensable for steering the economy because the sector generates 70 percent of Japan's gross domestic product and employment. But today only a few industries, such as finance and insurance ? including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. ? and wholesale and retail ? like Aeon Co. ? are competing globally. The report says broader use of IT and higher productivity are key for the service sector to better compete with those from the U.S. and Europe.
A stable supply of personnel, including Japanese with a good command of English and foreign nationals wishing to work in Japan, and lower operational costs are necessary to attract more foreign companies to Japan. The ratio of foreign direct investment in the service sector against nominal GDP comes to 1.3 percent here, compared with 8.0 percent in the United States, 24.1 percent in France, 20.3 percent in Britain and 10.4 percent in Germany, citing Japanese and World Bank data.

*Are Indian IT, BPO Companies losing their sheen?
The annual growth of India's IT and BPO industries may fall to 30 per cent for the next four years, after expanding by 35 per cent in the past two years, says a study.
Nevertheless, both large and smaller companies in the two industries in India have seen a faster growth than their peers globally at the expense of Western firms, says the study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Over the years most of the Indian IT services and BPO players have been moving up the value chain and in most cases are integral to the business of the client. Considering the positive outlook toward Indian IT/BPO service industry, private equity and venture capital investors are looking at investing in these companies to be part of India growth story. The study says investors were particularly looking at picking up stakes in niche companies like Flextronics that specializes in telecom, Geometric Software that has major presence in engineering services and Applabs in software testing. It also lists some major deals executed by investors in the domain - Carlyle Group's $170 million deal in Olympus Capital's $100 investment in BPO firms and ChrysCapit
 al's $28 million deal in networking and system integration. Across all the sectors, venture capital and private equity firms obtained exit routes for their investments in 37 Indian companies during 2006, including 19 via initial public offerings according to the study. For 2005, this figure stood at 41, including 17 via initial public offerings. The study says the one merger and acquisition that grabbed global attention was when the US-based EDS acquired 52 per cent stake in the Indian BPO firm Mphasis-BFL for $380 million. Similarly, Citigroup sold its 23 per cent stake in Progeon, another BPO firm, to its promoters Infosys Technologies for $115 million, resulting in a return of over 5.7 times in four years. Citigroup had invested $20 million in 2002. 

4．About Japan
- Lastly about a festival celebrated this month & national sport of Japan. This month the sumo competition is going on in Nagoya.

Tanabata: - It’s about a festival celebrated in July named as Tanabata. The star festival (Tanabata) takes place on July 7. On this day two stars (Altair and Vega) that are usually separated from each other by the Milky Way, come together. Because the 7th month of the year roughly coincides with August rather than July according to the formerly used lunar calendar, Tanabata is still celebrated on August 7th in some regions of Japan, while it is celebrated on July 7th in other regions. Colorful Tanabata festivals are held across Japan in early July and August. Among the biggest and most famous ones are the Tanabata Festivals of Sendai in August and Hiratsuka near Tokyo in July. As many other Japanese traditions, Tanabata has its origin in a Chinese tradition but has become distinctively Japanese over the centuries. On the day before Tanabata, the Japanese express best wishes by writing on a piece of colored paper and tying it to the branches of bamboo trees found in fro
 nt of the house. It is believed that prayers uttered and hanged on bamboo trees on the evening of Tanabata will be granted. It appears, however, that today society feels less inclined to celebrate this celestial event. Yet, for some the belief is as clearly evident today as it was decades past.

Sumo: - Sumo is a Japanese style of wrestling and Japan's national sport. It originated in ancient times as a performance to entertain the Shinto gods. Many rituals with religious background are still followed today. The basic rules of sumo are simple: The wrestler, who either first touches the floor with something else than his sole or leaves the ring before his opponent, loses. The fights themselves usually last only a few seconds and in rare cases up to one minute or longer.
Six tournaments are held every year, each one lasting 15 days. Three of the tournaments are held in Tokyo (January, May, September), and one each in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July) and Fukuoka (November). The competition is going on in Nagoya this month. At the top of the sumo wrestlers' hierarchy (banzuke) stands the yokozuna (grand champion). At the moment, there is only one yokozuna, Asashoryu from Mongolia. Once a wrestler reaches the rank of yokozuna, he cannot lose it anymore. However, he is expected to retire as soon as his results are starting to worsen. Most elite wrestlers are highly trained athletes and between 20 to 35 years old. Besides working out, the wrestlers are eating large amounts of food and go to bed right after eating in order to gain mass. The wrestlers are living in special sumo stables where the rules are very strict, especially for lower ranked wrestlers.

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We Appreciate feedback, corrections and comments about anything mentioned in this newsletter please send your thoughts to rimpi@admini-s.com
Thank you very much we look forward to serve you,
Rimpi Jindal
(Office Assistant)
AdminiSolution Co. Ltd.