Professional Dinner;
Takeo Kawamura,
Chief Cabinet Secretary, State Minister in Charge of the Abduction of Japanese Nationals

The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with simultaneous English Interpretation.

*Doors will open at 17:45 and the moderator's introduction will begin at 18:00. Dinner will be served from approximately 19:00.

Takeo Kawamura is the face of the government of Japan. As chief cabinet secretary he is responsible for fronting up to the nation's press to explain the government's positions on everything from economic crises, to street crime.

Kawamura represents Yamaguchi's 3rd district in the House of Representatives, to which he was first elected in 1990. That came after a political career begun in the Yamaguchi Prefecture House of Assembly, where he had headed after graduating from Keio University in Tokyo.

Kawamura is known as a specialist on government policy, in particular education policy. He was appointed Minister for Education and Technology in 2003, and was involved in drafting Japan's first law outlining the nation's policy on the use of space.

He has served as Chief Cabinet Secretary since September when he was appointed by Prime Minister Taro Aso.

As the government heads towards a bleak winter, come and hear what the chief government spokesman has to say about its political prospects in the new year.

Hot plate:red snapper with mixed mushroom gratin.
Special plate:sirloin minute steak with sauteed onions.

Takeo Kawamura