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CFMP hosts Japan Consul General at Peninsula Hot Springs

The Committee was honoured to host the Consul-General of Japan, Mr Furuya Tokuro, and guests at the Peninsula Hot Springs for a briefing on energy, partnerships, and business links between our region and Japan.

Left to right: Shohei Nishimura (Carbon Net), Therese Sakaomoto (FSFA), Celeste Koravos (AJBCV), Jane Burton (Carbon Net), Consul-General Mr Furuya Tokuro, Josh Sinclair (CFMP), Yuko Fukuma (HESC), Yuki Davidson (PHS), Julie D'Arcy (FSFA)

Special guests included:

  • Consul General of Japan, Mr Furuya Tokuro
  • Yuki Davidson, Peninsula Hot Springs
  • Celeste Koravos, CEO of the Australian Japan Business Council of Victoria
  • Yuko Fukoma from the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) project
  • Jane Burton and Shohei Nishimura from Carbon Net
  • Therese Sakomoto and Julie D'Arcy from the Frankston City-Susono Friendship Association 
  • Local councillors Cr Cam Williams, Cr Nathan Butler and Cr Emily Green

Yuki Davidson from Peninsula Hot Springs welcomed the delegation to the magnificent Glasshouse overlooking PHS' food bowl and rolling hills of Fingal. The Peninsula Hot Springs story was inspired from Charles Davidson's many trips to onsen in Japan and is now a well-known global success story right here on the southern Mornington Peninsula. 

Consul-General of Japan, Mr Furuya Tokuro then talked to the strong, close relationship between Japan and Australia, and Victoria's significant impact across energy, trade and tourism. In his first ten months in the role, the Consul-General has visited many parts of Victoria and thanked the Committee for his invitation to the Mornington Peninsula Shire.


Celeste Koravos, from the Australia Japan Business Council of Victoria, spoke about the intricacies of businesses in Victoria seeking to engage with Japanese businesses, including practices and guidelines around etiquette, hospitality, and cultural norms. She also underpinned just how important it is to relate local business ambitions and goals back to Japan's targets and economic objectives. The business council facilitates business to business links between Victoria and Japan and has successfully strengthened economic ties between the State and Japan. 

Yuko Fukoma from HESC provided an update on the proposed hydrogen project for the La Trobe Valley which would see hydrogen shipped from Hastings to Kawasaki City in Japan. This project would help Japan meet its energy needs and net-zero targets in partnership with projects like Carbon Net. An update and explanation to what Carbon Net involves was provided by Jane Burton and Shohei Nishimura, where they outlined that future customers of carbon net would be able to sequester Co2 underneath the surface and emit zero emissions - with projects like HESC a key partner.


Finally, we heard from Julie D'Arcy and Therese Sakomoto from the Frankston City - Susono Friendship Association on the cultural ties between Japan and our region. The partnership has been ongoing for 43 years and allows Frankston students and Susono students to spend time in each others' countries learning language and culture. A group of students from Derinya Primary School will visit Japan next month as part of the Australian delegation in Osaka at the World Expo. 

Thank you to our members for attending this unique opportunity, and thank you to our special guests for taking time out of their very busy schedules to provide updates on their respective work. Thank you to CFMP founding and Corporate Gold Member Peninsula Hot Springs for your hospitality and lovely venue for the event.