PayPal was fortunate to host a Japanese delegation of influential government officials this week, during their technology and innovation fact-finding trip to Silicon Valley.  The delegation was lead by Motohisa Furukawa, Minister of State for Science and Technology; Minister of State for Economic Fiscal and Policy and Minister of National Policy.  The delegation received a presentation delivered by PayPal President, David Marcus; PayPal Senior Vice President of APAC Rupert Keeley; eBay Inc. Vice President and Deputy Counsel of Government Relations Tod Cohen and eBay Inc. Executive Director of Government Relations Emerging Markets Michelle Peacock which provided a deeper understanding of PayPal and eBay Inc. businesses, as well as an inside look into our innovative products like PayPal Here. In addition, a case study highlighted Bento&co, a bento box exporter who launched and grew his online business from a website to a brick and morter store with PayPal as a key driver.  Bento&co, exports bento boxes to 75 countries around the world and use PayPal Here as the key payments mechanism.   After presentations the group visited the Shopping Showcase and saw live demonstrations of these new payments technologies. The delegation energized by the innovations, responded by extending invitations to meet again in Japan. 

“Just as Minister Furukawa and his team seemed energized by the demonstrations of new innovations in payments, we grew more engaged with them as well.  Building relationships around shared excitement about our product developments is key to  our Government Relations strategy,” said Tod Cohen, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Government Relations.  “When governments engage with us directly, it helps create understanding and lays the groundwork for future relationship building.”