Rio de Janeiro / Brazil

Rio de Janeiro (Rio) is the second largest city in Brazil, with a population of 5.57 million. The name of the city, meaning "the river of January," has its roots in a misunderstanding upon its discovery in 1502, when people mistook the bay for a river. Visitors to the city are overwhelmed by the magnificently beautiful scenery. Images associated with Rio are representative of a cheerful Brazil. These include the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the hill of Corcovado, a view of what is acclaimed to be one of the three most beautiful harbors in the world, Ipanema, as well as Copacabana Beach, Bossa Nova, soccer, the samba and morena (brown beauty). In particular, the Carnival held every February or March, is the largest event in Brazil and is representative of ethnic arts and jubilance, where people dance to the rhythm of samba with passion and pomposity until they are exhausted.

 The Rio de Janeiro Office (Rio Office) is located on the seventeenth floor of the Argentine Building, which has many Japanese office tenants, situated along the Botafogo Beach, one of the most scenic places in Rio. The Rio Office boasts 14 employees, including 4 Japanese staff.

 Although the economic center of Brazil is Sao Paulo, the head offices of the global-sized natural resources and energy companies, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) and Petroleo Brasileiro (PETROBRAS), are located in Rio. These companies are the principal trade partners of the Rio Office whose main businesses are the trading of mineral resources, electric power development, oil/gas related project development and the sale of medical equipment.

 In its mineral resources trade operations, the Rio Office exports iron ore and manganese ore to Japan and other countries and imports coking coals and copper tubes that are used as air conditioner components.

 The Rio Office is developing Independent Power Producer (IPP) operations with PETROBRAS. These IPP operations will utilize natural gas to meet the increasing demands that have accompanied Brazilian economic expansion.

 In addition, the Office is deeply involved in oil/gas-related project development promoted by PETROBRAS, which utilizes financing from the Japanese government.

 The Rio Office has contributed to the provision of medical services throughout Brazil with its medical equipment operations by supplying the Ministry of Health with advanced medical equipment.

 Armando Kawasaki, a second-generation Japanese-Brazilian, has been in charge of industrial machinery at Marubeni Brazil for 23 years. Presently, he is involved in the sale of medical equipment to the Brazilian Ministry of Health and also handles audiovisual equipment sales to the Brazilian Ministry of Education for use at schools for journalism and other media.

 Kawasaki deals with medical equipment including gastric gammacameras, endoscopes and radiotherapy equipment for the prevention and treatment of cancer as well as artificial dialyzers. Through combined financing by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Marubeni, Kawasaki procures these advanced treatment equipment from Germany, Japan and the U.S. and then sells them to the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Ultimately the equipment are distributed and installed in large hospitals throughout the nation including the Amazon area.

 All of Kawasaki's customers are government offices located in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. Moreover, due to the complicated bureaucratic procedures in line with the laws, the delivery of products is a time consuming process of negotiations. After gaining the first negotiation rights in international tendering, each negotiation can take three to four years before reaching an agreement. In the process of negotiations with government officials Kawasaki is sometimes required to stay in a hotel room in Brasilia for two to three weeks at a time.

 However, Kawasaki carries out these hard negotiations with the desire to help improve the lives of the Brazilian people. This is achieved when, as a result of his efforts, medical and educational equipment is delivered to hospitals or schools as far as the Amazon. Kawasaki is proud to be able to support Brazilians in basic are as of their lives and make a contribution to Brazilian society through his tasks assigned by Marubeni.

The building where the Rio de Janeiro Office is located. A church in Rio de Janeiro. The famous statue of Christ is located in the far background (out of picture).