One of the primary functions of local economic federations anywhere is to serve as both a political lobby and an economic think tank. Economic and social policies that are approved by local politicians, and sometimes funded by a national parliament, often originate in these federations, which have their own visions of what the future should look like.
In the Kansai region, the future, as envisioned by the Kansai Economic Federation, looks something like a penguin.
The 2030 vision released last year by the federation, which includes Kansai’s largest and most influential firms, emphasized that what was really needed to revive the region was to encourage the spirit of a “first penguin.” The concept refers to the first of the birds to break away from a huddled group on the ice, in order to jump into the sea and search for food — despite no guarantees it can be found, and the presence of predators.