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A major part of the Societyıs charitable objectives are fulfilled by the creation of a Scholarship Fund designed to support the development in young people of the essential business skills needed to work effectively in Japan and through Japan, in East Asia.
The fund is named after Aberdeen Asset Management the major sponsor of the Scholarship and Thomas Blake Glover (1836-1911), the Scottish born entrepreneur. His career in Asia began with Jardine, Matheson & Co in Hong Kong from where he went to Japan. He created Glover and Co. in Nagasaki in 1859, and was most successful in helping the modernisation process ushered in by the Meiji Period (1868-1912). He also left some tangible results in the form of a brewery that later became the Kirin Beer brand and is associated with the Mitsubishi group of corporations. For decades, Kirin was the best selling beer in Japan and still remains a leading force in the market. Glover House in Nagasaki draws thousands of visitors every year, which makes Glover a powerful symbol of the Scottish presence in Japan in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Other Scots made various important contributions in the fields of civil engineering, education and public administration, but Glover remains the symbol of commercial involvement and enterprise.
The Japanese language and the business culture of Japan are inextricably linked and as a minimum requirement for any serious business involvement need to be understood and assimilated. Large numbers of young Chinese are flocking to Japan to study the language. Indeed, Chinese nationals are securing work in the UK often because they are fluent in both English and Japanese and can operate effectively in Japan. As the world's economic centre of gravity moves further east, the importance of the Japanese language should be more apparent if the Chinese consider it, in many cases, to be almost as important as English.
For details of the Scholarship and the timetable please follow this link.
We will be adding to the web site for the Japan Society of Scotland over the coming months. In the meantime, if you wish to find out more about the Society, you can download our brochure by clicking here or just contact the Membership Secretary, Tim Steward either by email Japan Society of Scotland or write to him at 21/5 Leopold Place, Edinburgh EH7 5LB, Scotland, UK.