CIPFA Japan was established in December 2013 as the first international branch of CIPFA.
Many members who played an important role in establishing the Japan branch are academic staff of Professor Toshihiko Ishihara’s laboratory in Kwansei Gakuin University. They are university professors, lecturers, Japanese qualified accountants (JICPA) and PhD graduates.
In 2014, CIPFA Japan set up Local Government Auditing and Accounting Technician (LGAAT) as local category of membership, regarded as at the same level as CIPFA Affiliate members, which has been very popular. There are more than 500 LGAAT members in Japan, including 54 CPFA members, 45 local council members, six elected governors and mayors, 278 local government officers, 13 university professors, 76 qualified accountants of JICPA, 20 licensed tax accountants, and others.
Members are spread all over Japan, from Hokkaido (the northernmost county) to Okinawa (southernmost county). Okinawa is a tropical island where CIPFA Japan hosts study and continued professional development (CPD) sessions as well as social activities.
CIPFA Japan holds an annual conference every year in September at Kwansei Gakuin University. It also issues a textbook and a journal each year, as well as a monthly newsletter. CIPFA Japan organises regular CPD meetings in Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya and other centres about ten times a year.
CIPFA Japan has continued to build the reputation and relevance of CIPFA and has recommended some very senior politicians to be made Honorary Members of CIPFA, including Mr Shigeru Ishiba, MP (a potential candidate to be the Japanese prime minister) and Mr Tatsuya Ito, MP (the former state secretary of financial services agency of the Japanese Government).
More information about CIPFA in Japan can be found on their website.
CIPFA member benefits
Institute members play a crucial role in helping CIPFA spread the benefits and value of sound public finance management around the world. At the same time, membership helps build your expertise and ongoing development to support your professional career.
As a CIPFA member, you are part of an elite network of key decision makers with an internationally recognised professional designation. You have access to a wealth of online information and support to help your development. For example, members have access to Management Direct, a portal which features over 12,000 resources such as videos, checklists, e-learning modules, e-journal articles and much more. This gives you the latest thought leadership, research and insights including Public Money and Management journal, research reports and discussion papers.
Thank you to all those who took part in the members’ survey at the end of last year. This research showed that members outside the UK really value the professional recognition CIPFA provides. Members also enjoy having access to information and a wide network of public finance specialists.
For more information about the range of benefits available to members, please visit the website.