At their annual gathering that wrapped up Friday, Kansai's corporate leaders warmly welcomed the Liberal Democratic Party's return to power, vowing to would do whatever they can to assist the new government in enacting a wide range of economic, financial, social and diplomatic initiatives.
But the impact of the continued shutdown of atomic power plants on the region's economy and the possibility they will remain offline or even be scrapped due to the presence of probable active fault lines had some participants from Kansai Electric Power Co. and heavy industries worried.
The two-day Kansai Economic Seminar was attended by more than 500 representatives from Kansai area firms, academics and foreign diplomats. In addition to local and national economic issues, the event also featured an at times frank exchange of views between corporate leaders and college students on opportunities for younger workers.