ManGeo research group meetings at GAJ conferences
International Economic and Management Geography Research Group 国際経済・経営地理学研究グループ
Representatives: Rolf D. Schlunze and Atsushi Taira
See also in Japanese 日本地理学会 国際経済・経営地理学研究グループ記録
International Economic and Management Geography Research Group Meetings
The International Economic and Management Geography Research Group held a meeting on March 27 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in Room F302 of the Fujimizaka Building at Hosei University.
The meeting featured three presentations addressing international business and management from a geographical perspective.
魏晶京 (Wei Jingjing), Osaka University Graduate School, presented “How Was Toyota’s China-Origin EV Developed? The Impact of the Strategic Alliance with BYD and the Spatial Reorganization of Supply Chain Planning.” The presentation examined how Toyota’s cooperation with BYD influenced electric vehicle development in China and reshaped the spatial organization of its supply chain.
王雪松 (Wang Xuesong), Ritsumeikan University Graduate School, presented “Spatial Patterns of Chinese Entrepreneurial Entry in Japan: A Management Geography Perspective.” The study explored the geographical distribution and entry patterns of Chinese entrepreneurs in Japan through the conceptual lens of management geography.
Rolf Schlunze, Ritsumeikan University, presented “A Conceptual Framework of Management Geography: A Cross-Border Perspective.” The presentation introduced a framework for examining how managerial activities, organizational practices, and business relationships are shaped by cross-border and spatial contexts.
The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to discuss how corporate strategies, entrepreneurial activities, and management practices interact with geographical conditions in China, Japan, and the wider international business environment.
国際経済・経営地理学研究グループ and/or ManGeo Research Group (former name was SIEM=Spaces of International Economy and Management) has continuously conducted meetings at the Association of Japanese Geographers (AJG) since 2007. Find recent and previous meetings listed below.
Research meetings 2025
During the 2025 academic year, the International Economic and Management Geography Research Group conducted several activities to promote dialogue between economic geography and international management research.
At the Spring Conference held at Komazawa University in March 2025, the group organized an international symposium entitled “Management Geography: Introducing Management Perspectives in Geographical Research.” The symposium brought together a number of economic geography and international management scholars from overseas, including Richard Nakamura and Tomasz Dorożyński.
At the Spring Conference scheduled to be held at Hosei University in March 2026, the research group will organize a meeting featuring presentations by 魏晶京 (Wei Jingjing), Osaka University Graduate School; 王雪松 (Wang Xuesong), Ritsumeikan University Graduate School; and Rolf Schlunze, Ritsumeikan University. Their presentations will address electric vehicle development and supply-chain reorganization in China, Chinese entrepreneurial entry into Japan, and the conceptual development of management geography from a cross-border perspective.
In a related activity, the group’s sister organization, the Management Geography (ManGeo) Research Group, held a workshop at Ritsumeikan University in Osaka in June 2025. These activities contributed to strengthening international and interdisciplinary exchange on the geographical dimensions of management, corporate strategy, and cross-border business development.
Research meetings 2024
Research meeting at 15. Sept. 2024 Autumn conference AJG, SanNan University, Nagoya
Presentation: Wang Xuesong (Ritsumeikan University, Graduate student): Proximity and network formation: A cross-cultural perspective on managerial sustainability
Research meeting at the 2024 Spring conference AJG, Aoyama Gakuin University
We will have our research group meeting as below. Please attend. Thank you.
Date: March 20 (Wed), 1 to 3 pm Venue: Room 17505, Building 17
Presentation: Abe Yasuhisa (Kyushu Univ.) and San Wen-Yue (Graduate student, Kyushu Univ.) Jobs after college graduation and their place preference in China after the COVID-19, and measures of Japanese-affiliated firms. (発表者阿部康久（九州大）・桑雯月（九州大・院）：ポストコロナ期の中国における大卒者の就職先・希望地の変化と日系企業の対応)
Research meetings 2023
Research meeting – September 2023, Kansai University
Research presentation: HOU Shenglan (Graduate student, Ritsumeikan Univ.): The role of hybrid managers in multilingual workplaces: A constructive cross-cultural management perspective
Research meeting – March 2023, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Research meeting – Lost Years 2020 – 2022
In 2020, due to 
the spread of the new coronavirus, the spring academic conference scheduled at Komazawa University was canceled. The autumn meeting scheduled at Kyushu University was held online. In 2021 and 2022, the AJG conferences were held online due to the spread of the new coronavirus. Finally, the autumn conference held at Kagawa University was held in person again for the first time in these three years due to the government’s relaxation of new coronavirus countermeasures. Since Professor Taira served as the chairperson of the conference executive committee we did not hold our research group meeting.
Thanks to Professor Taira completed the proofreading work with Springer for the Japanese Geographical Society’s English series “Management geography: Asian perspectives focusing on Japan and surrounding regions,” which has been a lengthy review and re-writing process by authors of our research group. Finally, Profs. Taira and Schlunze publish the book as hardcover version on September 27th, 2022.
Research Meeting – September 2019, Niigata University Igarashi Campus.
Research presentation: Rolf Schlunze (Ritsumeikan Univ.): The role of network promoters shaping spaces of innovation communities: Comparative studies on cross-cultural R&D cooperation and Joint Ventures.
Business meeting was held discussing about a) our publication plan in the English Springer Nature Book series; and b) the Spring Academic Conference (Komazawa University) in March 2020.
Research meeting – March 2019, Senshu University.
The following symposium was held jointly with the Geography of Industrial Economics Research Group. Profs. Ishimaru and Taira gave presentations. The theme of the symposium was entitled “Return to the countryside” of the population and regional conditions for employment and entrepreneurship
- Satoshi Ishimaru (Fukuoka University of Education): “Actual status of social business and entrepreneurial environment in rural areas”
- Atsushi Taira (Kagawa University): “Support for small and medium-sized enterprises (including entrepreneurship) in local areas and learning from each other – Using Kagawa Prefecture as a case study”
Research Meeting – September 2018, Wakayama University.
Research presentation:
Presenter: Chen Lin (Hiroshima University): Characteristics and survival factors of companies located in inland areas of Fujian Province, China
A business meeting about the Spring Conference of the Japanese Geographical Society (March, Senshu University). At the Spring Conference (Senshu University) in March 2019, we are planning to hold a symposium titled “Population’s Return to the Rural Area and Regional Conditions for Employment and Entrepreneurship” in collaboration with the Geography of Industrial Economics Research Group.
Research Meeting – March 2018, Tokyo Gakugei University.
Research presentations:
- Yasuhisa Abe (Kyushu University), Yu Chen (Graduate School of Kyushu University): Research on the development of the apparel industry in the southern region of Jiangsu Province, China – Focusing on local government policies and business decisions of entrepreneurs
- Natsuki Kamakura (University of Tokyo): A study on the management issues of global R&D in Japanese chemical companies
A business meeting about the Japanese Geographical Society Autumn Conference (September, Wakayama University) was conducted.
Reports about previous meetings (2007 to 2017)
- Report of 17th meeting
- Report of 16th meeting
- Report of 15th meeting
- Report of 14th meeting
- Report of 13th meeting
- Report of 12th meeting
- Report of 11th meeting
- Report of 10th meeting
- Report of 9th meeting
- Report of 8th meeting
- Report of 7th meeting
- Report of 6th meeting
- Report of 5th meeting
- Report of 4th meeting
- Report of 3rd meeting
- Report of 2nd meeting
- Report of 1st meeting
