Kazuhisa Takabatake is the senior commercial trade specialist at the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe, Japan. TS Takabatake is responsible for U.S. construction building materials and industrial textiles sectors in Japan. For the fiscal year 2006, Takabatake-san was the leading export success producer in Japan, reporting 60 export successes and credits during the period. This outstanding level of performance was a direct result of his extensive and innovative efforts to support U.S. companies in his assigned sectors. In particular, CS Takabatake’s oversight and development of the US Housing Seminar and Mini-exhibitions in the cities of Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka, played a large role in his success. The events, which are the brainchild of CS Takabatake, showcase a maximum of five U.S. building products and/or their representatives in a format that creates maximum exposure for the U.S. companies in the top 5 residential construction markets in Japan.
The vigor and creativity that Takabatake brings to his work is also highlighted in the success of his DVD series, "U.S. Drywall Construction Techniques" and "U.S. Green Building Construction Methods and Technologies." The Drywall DVD, which showcases the development, uses for, and installation techniques used for drywall use in residential and commercial buildings, has been particularly popular with Japanese construction and architectural companies. The Green Building DVD, which was recently completed, highlights U.S. green building design and construction techniques for use in increasing the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings. These in-depth and informative DVD’s were developed and produced entirely on Takabatake’s own initiative.
For more information on the market for U.S. construction and building materials in Japan, contact Kazuhisa Takabatake at: Kazuhisa.Takabatake@mail.doc.gov
Japan Housing Starts - January 2007