（一社）日本ジュエリー協会（ＪＪＡ）は、１０月１６日山梨・甲府の古名屋ホテルで理事会を開き、終了後「甲府懇親会」を開催した。ＪＪＡ関係者２０人、（協組）山梨県ジュエリー協会（ＹＪＡ）１３人に加え、地元の来賓も参加して親睦を深めた。
午後５時、司会のＪＪＡ田中由美理事が甲府での懇親会は隔年開催のため２年ぶりの開催となる旨を説明し開会を宣言。最初に登壇したＪＪＡ長堀慶太会長は、ジュエリー業界の現状や未来について、要旨次のように挨拶した。
「本日、２年ぶりに来賓をお招きして懇親会を開催できることに感謝申し上げる。先ほどの理事会では、ジュエリー業界の今後について多くの議論を行った。山梨のジュエリー産業は、日本国内において特に重要な位置を占めており、ＪＪＡとしても山梨の皆様との連携が業界の活性化にとって不可欠であると考えている。本日の懇親会は、そうした連携をさらに深めるための有意義な機会だと思っている」と語った。
また、２０２８年に日本で開催予定の技能五輪国際大会についても触れ、貴金属装身具部門を盛り上げるため、協会として全力で支援する意向を表明。特に山梨には優れた職人が多いことから、こうした機会を通じて、さらに地元のジュエリー産業が活性化することを期待していると述べた。
続いて、ＹＪＡ柳本力理事長が登壇しＪＪＡと来賓に対して感謝の意を表した。さらに、ＹＪＡが昨年、若手メンバーを中心としたプロジェクトチームを立ち上げ、中長期的なビジョンを策定したことを報告し、職人の減少問題に取り組んでいる現状についても言及した。
柳本理事長はまた、２０２５年４月９日から１１日に開催予定の「山梨ジュエリーフェア２０２５」に向けて、ＪＪＡ会員や関係者に協力を呼びかけた。
その後、来賓として招かれた衆議院議員ジュエリー議員連盟永井学幹事、同中谷真一幹事（代理）、同堀内詔子幹事長代理（代理）、山梨県大久保雅直副知事がそれぞれ挨拶を行い、ジュエリー業界の未来に向けた期待を表明した。
乾杯の音頭は甲府市樋口雄一市長が務め、「本日、甲府でこのように盛大な懇親会が開催されることを心から喜び、甲府市長として感謝申し上げる。２年に１度と言わず、何度も開催していただけることを願っている。今後も甲府市としてジュエリー業界の振興に尽力してまいるので、ＪＪＡの皆様方には引き続きご指導とご支援をお願い申し上げる」と述べ、乾杯を唱和した。
写真説明
- 挨拶するＪＪＡ長堀会長
- ＹＪＡ柳本理事長
- 乾杯の挨拶を述べる甲府市樋口市長
- 懇親会の途中には、ＹＪＡ国際委員会ソンキヤ・ナビン委員長から８月に実施された「インド視察ツアー」の報告が行われた
JJA Kofu Social Gathering Held
Aiming to deepen cooperation with local producers and revitalize the industry
The Japan Jewelry Association (JJA) held its board of directors meeting on October 16 at the Konaya Hotel in Kofu, Yamanashi, followed by a reception in Kofu. 20 JJA members and 13 members of the Yamanashi Jewelry Association (YJA), along with local guests, attended the reception to deepen friendship.
At 5:00 p.m., JJA Director Yoshimi Tanaka, the MC, opened the meeting by explaining that this would be the first time in two years that the reception would be held in Kofu since it has been held every other year. JJA President Keita Nagahori, who took the stage first, gave the following summary of his remarks on the current state and future of the jewelry industry.
I would like to thank you for inviting our guests to the reception today for the first time in two years. At the Board of Directors’ meeting just now, we had many discussions about the future of the jewelry industry. The jewelry industry in Yamanashi occupies a particularly important position in Japan, and JJA believes that cooperation with the people of Yamanashi is essential for the revitalization of the industry.I believe that today’s reception is a meaningful opportunity to further deepen such cooperation,” he said.
He also mentioned the International WorldSkills Competition scheduled to be held in Japan in 2028, and expressed the association’s intention to provide full support to boost the precious metal jewelry and ornaments category. He expressed his hope that the local jewelry industry will be further revitalized through these opportunities, especially since Yamanashi has many excellent craftsmen.
YJA President Chikara Yanagimoto then took the stage and thanked the JJA and the guests for their support. He also reported that last year the YJA established a project team led by younger members to develop a medium- to long-term vision, and noted that the YJA is currently addressing the issue of the declining number of craftspeople.
President Yanagimoto also called for cooperation from JJA members and related parties for the “Yamanashi Jewelry Fair 2025” scheduled to be held from April 9 to 11, 2025.
Then, invited guests Manabu Nagai, secretary of the Diet Members’ Jewelry Caucus of the House of Representatives, Shinichi Nakatani, secretary (acting) of the same, Akiko Horiuchi, acting secretary (acting) of the same, and Masanao Okubo, vice governor of Yamanashi Prefecture, each gave a speech and expressed their expectations for the future of the jewelry industry.
The toast was given by Kofu City Mayor Yuichi Higuchi.
He said, “As Mayor of Kofu City, I am very pleased and grateful to have such a grand reception in Kofu today, and I hope that it will be held again and again, not just once every two years. Kofu City will continue to make every effort to promote the jewelry industry, and I ask for the continued guidance and support of the JJA members,” he said, and proposed a toast.
Photo Description
① JJA President Nagahori
②YJA President Yanagimoto
③Mayor Higuchi of Kofu City
④ In the middle of the reception, YJA International Committee Chairperson Sungkiya Navin reported on the “India Inspection Tour” conducted in August.
