The Japan Times Cube Co., Ltd. (representative director: Minako Suematsu) launched Roundtable by The Japan Times, a series of talk events that will be broadcasted in Japan.

The English-language events will invite readers of The Japan Times to be guest speakers. Ross Rowbury (former representative of Edelman Japan), who has a deep knowledge of Japan and boasts a wide network both here and abroad, will sit down in the role of host with Japanese and non-Japanese to discuss their lives in Japan. Held once a month, the format of the roundtable will include time for panel discussions with the participation of the audience

For our special speaker, Rowbury will welcome Luke Date, a Japanese Gen-Z sustainability strategist, whose strategic planning is rooted in the concept of collective impact.

Date and time: Tuesday, September 14, 2021

 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Talk session

 *Monday, September 13, 17:30-18:30 (Pacific Standard Time)

Registration at: https://peatix.com/event/2713968

Participants: You will receive a notification when the recording is posted online.

Registration fee: Free

The contents of Roundtable by The Japan Times will be published as an archive at a later date and will be introduced in the main paper of The Japan Times and the website of Sustainable Japan by The Japan Times.

Luke Date

Luke Date is a Japanese Gen-Z sustainability strategist, the Founder & CEO of UMINARI, and a Strategic Advisor for The Yield Lab. His strategic planning rooted in the concept of collective impact allows a variety of sectors effectively cooperate in achieving overarching optimizations for more dynamic, sustainable, and resilient ecosystems. Luke has experience in establishing a nonprofit organization at twenty, in starting a joint enterprise with United Nations Environment Program at twenty two, and in consulting major corporates, startups, VC, associations, and other forms of sectors both within and outside Japan. Besides having a prime focus on circular economy for tackling marine plastic pollution, his work covers the ground of agriculture & food systems, impact investment, and urban development. Luke is the TEDx speaker for “How does generation z start taking actions for sustainability” and a presenter for UNEP Forum 2019.

Ross Rowbury

Ross Rowbury has observed Japan while living and working here for four decades. Commencing his career in finance in Tokyo in the early 1980s, he later moved into public relations and communications, holding senior positions at Gavin Anderson & Co. (now Kreab) and PRAP Japan. Most recently, he headed the Edelman business in Japan for 10 years until July 2020. Ross is studying to become a kataribe (traditional storyteller) of Japanese legends while doing freelance consulting for a number of firms on their Japan business strategy. He is also visiting professor of Asian marketing at Doshisha University in Kyoto.


◾︎The Japan Times

Established in 1897, The Japan Times is Japan’s largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper, providing English-language news on Japan and the world. The Japan Times is “Japan’s Window to the World,” covering politics, economics, culture, society and sports to keep the world informed about Japan and its current situation. As the largest English-language news site in Japan, we offer a variety of unique content.

Website: www.japantimes.co.jp/

【Inquiries】

The Japan Times Cube Co., Ltd.

<Press release inquiries>

Public Relations: Ms. Kumano

E-mail: [email protected]


The press release may be downloaded in PDF format