Japan Society welcomes top economists and experts from Bank of Tokyo, Citi, Conference Board, Eurasia Group and Nomura on Wednesday, January 25 to share their outlook for 2012 – this After the Turbulent 2011.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012, Noon, at Japan Society

Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 at 42nd Street-Grand Central Station or the E and V at Lexington Avenue and 53rd St.) For further information call 212-832-1155 or visit www.japansociety.org.

New York, NY – The year 2011 was one of great turbulence, with the sovereign debt crisis in Europe; a budget deadlock in the U.S.; the earthquake, tsunami and stalled economy in Japan; and the unsettled growth of emerging countries.

With The 2012 Outlook: After a Turbulent 2011, What Lies Ahead for the Global Economy? -  Japan Society hosts a panel of highly respected analysts to examine the outlook for the coming year.

In addition to a review of 2011 and insights and analysis for 2012, the panelists will discuss many issues, including the recovery in Japan, the position of the U.S. dollar, the political landscape worldwide, the U.S. presidential race of 2012, and the health of financial institutions in the major economies.

Panelists include The Conference Board’s chief economist Bart van Ark, Eurasia Group’s research director John Green, The Bank of Tokyo Research Group’s managing director and chief economist Toshiki Iwaoka, Nomura global chief economist Paul Sheard, and moderator Nathan Sheets, Citi’s Global Head of International Economics.

Agenda: Noon, registration and reception; 12:30, luncheon; 1:00-2:00, lecture and Q&A.

Admission: $65 lunch and lecture/$15 lecture only. Japan Society Corporate Members are entitled to a designated number of FREE admissions based on their company’s membership level. Discounted rates are available for additional Japan Society Corporate Members, certain individual members, government officials and academics. To register or for more information, please emailregister@japansociety.org, visit www.japansociety.org/corporateevents, or call 212-715-1208.

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Bart van Ark is Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of The Conference Board. A Dutch national, he is the first non-U.S. Chief Economist in The Conference Board’s 90-year history. Van Ark is an expert in international comparative studies of economic performance, productivity, and innovation. From 1988 to 1990 he worked as a research associate with the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (UK) on international comparisons of economic performance in Europe. He has participated in such international research projects as the Productivity Research Program of the McKinsey Global Institute, the CEPR Program on Comparative Experience of Economic Growth in Postwar Europe, and European Commission programs on productivity.

John Green is a director of research at Eurasia Group. He played a key role in developing the Global Political Risk Index (GPRI) methodology, a cutting edge tool for global market risk analysis. Prior to joining Eurasia Group, John worked for an equity-derivatives structuring team at a leading financial products firm in New York. His professional experience includes three and a half years in the United States Marine Corps, including service in East Asia and operations with foreign military forces. He has also worked for hedge funds in Hong Kong and New York, where he was involved in developing global investment strategies.

Toshiki Iwaoka joined the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi in 1996 as a loan officer at the Kojimachi branch, where his clients included a major TV station. In 1999, he managed the macro-economic analysis of Southeast Asian economies, then covered the Japanese economy from 2000. He won the Best Forecaster Award in forecast survey conducted by the Cabinet Office in 2006. He became head of the Japanese economy research team in 2007 and of the Economic Research Department NY in January 2011.

Paul Sheard joined Nomura in November 2008 as the firm’s Global Chief Economist and Head of Economic Research, based in New York. He leads a team of 38 economists located in seven countries, which is responsible for producing a consistent and comprehensive set of country economic outlooks and forecasts, as published in Nomura’s flagship Global Weekly Economic Monitor. Prior to joining Nomura, Dr. Sheard spent eight years at Lehman Brothers, the last two and a half as Global Chief Economist and Head of Economic Research; before that he was Lehman’s Chief Economist Asia, based in Japan, where he lived for 17 years over a 30-year period. Before entering financial markets 16 years ago, Dr. Sheard was a well-known academic researcher on the Japanese economy. Dr. Sheard has written two books on the Japanese economy and finance in Japanese–one winning the prestigious Suntory-Gakugeisho book award–and has edited two volumes in English. He has served on a number of government advisory bodies in Japan, including appointments to Economic Deliberation Council committees under the Hashimoto and Obuchi administrations.

Nathan Sheets recently joined Citi as Global Head of International Economics.  In that role, he helps lead the Firm’s team of economists around the world, with a special focus on coordinating the international forecast.  His own research will focus on global themes, with a particular emphasis on the position of the U.S. in the world economy. Previously, Mr. Sheets worked at the Federal Reserve Board for 18 years in a variety of positions.

Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a world-class, multidisciplinary hub for global leaders, artists, scholars, educators, and English and Japanese-speaking audiences. At the Society, more than 100 events each year feature sophisticated, topically relevant presentations of Japanese art and culture and open, critical dialogue on issues of vital importance to the U.S., Japan and East Asia. An American nonprofit, nonpolitical organization, the Society cultivates a constructive, resonant and dynamic relationship between the people of the U.S. and Japan.

This event is supported by Citigroup Inc., Deloitte, Mizuho Securities USA, United Airlines, and WL Ross & Co., LLC.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

Japan’s Hunt For Former Glory: Recommendations From A Leading East Asia Expert

Via.

It is hard to imagine that Japan, the nation many look to for cutting edge technology and pop culture coolness, may be waning as a world power. The revolving door of a government saw six different Prime Ministers in five years led to what some view as unstable domestic politics, and the recent natural disasters devastated the northeast coast of the country and caused a major meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant that is still affecting the city. Japan held the distinction of being an economic powerhouse second only to the U.S. for decades until China surpassed them this year, and the country now faces its third “lost decade” its bubble popped. While tensions surrounding the U.S. base in Okinawa eased a bit this year as a result of Operation Tomodachi, some believe South Korea is becoming a more viable strategic ally for the U.S.

In Losing Its Edge? Evans Revere on How Japan Can Remain a Leader & America’s Closest Partner in East Asia, former diplomat and revered East Asia expert Evans Revere tackle these issues. Sitting down withForeignAffairs.com editor Andrew Bast on December 1 at Japan Society, Revere draws on his experience to offer insights on how Japan can return to its former glory.

Evans J.R. Revere is a Princeton University graduate, a U.S. Air Force veteran and has gone on to become a top foreign affairs specialist, with 35 years of government service under his belt and being fluent in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. He is currently the Senior Director at the global strategy firm Albright Stonebridge Group and specializes in advising clients concerning Korea, Japan, and China. From 2007 to 2010, he served as the President and CEO of the Korea Society in New York and notably was part of the “New Beginnings” policy study panel that came up with recommendations for improving Korean relations with the U.S. before President Obama met with South Korea President Lee Myung-bak. He has negotiated between the U.S. and North Korea and was responsible for the State Department’s effective response to the tsunami disaster that hit Indonesia and other parts of South Asia in December 2004.

–Sean Tomizawa