BBL Seminars

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RIETI's periodic Brown Bag Lunch (BBL) seminars welcome an array of guest experts to share their research and views. The sessions encourage lively discussion that contributes to dynamic policy-related debate.
Select transcripts and handouts are available below.
Videos of the seminars are published on RIETI’s official YouTube channel, “rietichannel,” after each event.

Past BBL Seminars Reports and Summaries

  • February 6, 2026

    Regional Strategies for the Era of the Circular Economy: The future of communities supported by organic waste and biogas plants

    • Speaker: KIKUCHI Sadao (Ph.D. in Veterinary Hygiene / President & CEO, Biomass Research Co., Ltd. / Vice President, Biostock Co., Ltd. / Director, Okhotsk Yubetsu Biogas Co., Ltd.)
    • Commentator: KITANO Yoshio (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (Ph.D.) / Former Deputy Director-General, Agriculture Department, Kagoshima Prefectural Government / Former Chief Veterinary Officer / Adjunct Lecturer, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University.Advisor to Multiple Companies)
    • Moderator: SAKAI Yoshimasa (Director of PR Strategy, RIETI)

    Japanese

  • February 5, 2026

    Frontiers of Urban Economics through the Urban Landscape

    • Speaker: NAKAJIMA Kentaro (Faculty Fellow, RIETI / Professor, Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University)
    • Commentator: YAMAGISHI Keisuke (Consulting Fellow, RIETI / Director for Planning, National Spatial Planning and Regional Policy Bureau, MLIT)
    • Moderator: SEKIGUCHI Yoichi (Director of Research and Senior Fellow, RIETI)

    Japanese

  • January 29, 2026

    The Economics of Organ Transplantation: The concept of sharing organs

    • Speaker: SAITO Yukiko (Senior Fellow (Specially Appointed)/Professor, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University)
    • Speaker: ITO Yukiko (Professor, Graduate School of Business and Commerce, Keio University)
    • Moderator: SAKAI Yoshimasa (Director of PR Strategy, RIETI)

    Japanese

  • January 28, 2026

    Italy in Turbulent Times. Connecting Atlantic, Mediterranean and Europe: Politics, economy and foreign policy

  • January 23, 2026

    APEC Energy Demand and Supply Outlook 9th Edition

    • Speaker: TAKADA Mitsuhito (Vice President, Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre (APERC))
    • Speaker: KASAI Hyuga (Researcher, Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre (APERC))
    • Moderator: NATSUMI Yuna (Deputy Director, International Affairs Division, ANRE)

    Japanese

  • January 15, 2026

    The Effects of Japan’s Investment Promotion Policies During the High-Growth Period and Their Implications for Current Industrial Policy

    • Speaker: HATASE Mariko (Professor, Research Division of Economic Institutions and Policy, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University)
    • Speaker: MATSUBAYASHI Yoichi (Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Kobe University)
    • Commentator: INOUE Seiichiro (Vice Chairman, RIETI)
    • Moderator: SEKIGUCHI Yoichi (Director of Research and Senior Fellow, RIETI)

    Japanese

  • January 7, 2026

    The Reality of the Job Market Ice Age Generation and Future Necessary Measures

    • Speaker: KONDO Ayako (Professor, Institute of Social Science, the University of Tokyo)
    • Commentator: TAKAGI Yuichi (Director, Future Human Resource Strategy Office, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, METI (concurrent) Director, Economic and Social Policy Office, METI)
    • Moderator: SEKIGUCHI Yoichi (Director of Research and Senior Fellow, RIETI)

    Japanese

  • December 24, 2025

    What Is the Problem about the Assertion "the WTO Is Dead" - About rule makers and rule takers

    • Speaker: YANO Hiromi (Counsellor at the WTO (retired))
    • Commentator: KAWASE Tsuyoshi (Faculty Fellow, RIETI / Professor, Faculty of Law, Sophia University)
    • Moderator: TOMIURA Eiichi (President and Chief Research Officer (CRO), RIETI / Dean, Faculty of Data Science, Otsuma Women's University)

    Japanese

  • December 19, 2025

    Proposal for Japan-Korea Economic Partnership Framework

  • December 18, 2025

    Strengthening Economic, Critical Mineral, and Semiconductor Security: Bridging goals and means between Europe and Japan

    • Speaker: Joris TEER (Research Analyst for Economic Security and Technology, European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) / Senior Advisor at the Chips Diplomacy Support Initiative (CHIPDIPLO))
    • Commentator & Moderator: TAMURA Akihiko (Senior Advisor RIETI / Director General JETRO Paris)
    • Video (Presentation) (YouTube)
    • Video (Comment and Q&A) (YouTube)