About the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The first chamber of commerce and industry in Japan was the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce (later known as the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry), founded by Eiichi Shibusawa in March 1878. Chambers of commerce were also established in Osaka and Kobe that same year, and subsequently in a succession of other major cities throughout Japan.
The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) was founded in June 1922 at the initiative of the chambers of commerce and industry established nationwide by that time as a federative organization to pursue activities focusing on the Japanese economy as a whole. With its missions being to boost the vitality of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to revitalize local economies, the JCCI has since taken part in a wide range of activities while working closely with chambers of commerce and industry across the country.
Now boasting a membership of 515 chambers of commerce and industry located throughout Japan, the JCCI operates as a private-sector regional comprehensive economic organization under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Act. It also provides support to local chambers of commerce and industry directly assisting SMEs and local communities, engages in international private-sector economic exchanges, and develops human resources for industry through certifying examinations.
Underlying all of these activities is the desire to resolve the various issues facing SMEs and local communities and thereby energize Japan, and all of JCCI’s projects are in line with this objective.
Main activities
Policy advocacy
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and local communities face a variety of challenges and, to help resolve these, JCCI aggregates the individual views of these smaller companies, formulates policy recommendations and requests, and submits these to the national government and other relevant parties as a voice for SMEs and local economic communities.
Surveys and research
JCCI conducts its own surveys and research on a variety of topics utilizing its network of chambers of commerce and industry and member companies throughout Japan. The information on actual conditions at companies and in local economies obtained through surveys and research is used to formulate policy recommendations and requests.
Support for SME overseas expansion
JCCI is striving to create environments conducive to the overseas expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by sending and receiving delegations to strengthen and expand economic relations between Japan and other countries, by holding meetings with government officials and business community representatives from other countries to build firmer ties, and by disseminating information through seminars and other means.
Issuance of certificates of specific origin
Japan has concluded economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with several countries. If a product exported from Japan is certified as meeting the origin criteria of an EPA, the customs authorities of the other country may apply a lower tariff rate than normal. This document certifying that a product meets an EPA’s origin criteria is a certificate of specific origin, and JCCI issues certificates of specific origin as an issuing agency designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Certifying examinations
JCCI conducts the Official Business Skill Test in Book-keeping and other Chamber of Commerce and Industry certifying examinations with the aim of fostering human resources for industry who have the knowledge and skills required by companies. It offers a lineup of certifying examinations that focus on skills directly related to business practices, enabling examinees to acquire knowledge and skills needed regardless of company size, industry type, or business category.
Support for chambers of commerce and industry nationwide
It is the local chambers of commerce and industry located throughout Japan that deliver direct support to parties engaged in commerce and industry in their locales. JCCI in turn underpins the activities of these local chambers of commerce and industry by providing them with a variety of information and tools that can be used to support SMEs and regional development, by holding training sessions, and by providing administrative support.
Differences between JCCI and local chambers of commerce and industry
The chambers of commerce and industry located throughout Japan are private, membership-based organizations whose members are local businesses. Like the JCCI, they are private-sector regional comprehensive economic organizations under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Act, which requires them to engage in activities that contribute to the public interest, extending beyond projects for member companies to include support for members and non-members alike as well as efforts to promote community development and tourism.
Local chambers of commerce and industry are engaged in (1) resolving management issues faced by companies (management support), (2) pursuing regional development activities such as urban development and tourism promotion, and (3) aggregating the views of companies and presenting them to city and prefectural governments (policy advocacy). Each chamber of commerce and industry operates as an independent organization.
