Spain-Japan Business Contribution Awards
List of SJBCA Winners
2016 LALIGA đź“·
2017 Rakuten, Inc. đź“·
2018 Gestamp Autotech Japan đź“·
2019 FAST RETAILING CO., LTD. đź“·
2020 Japan Airlines and Amadeus ITÂ Group đź“·
2021 Sports&Life (Never Say Never) đź“·
2022 NTT DATA, Inc. đź“·
2023 Hitachi Group đź“·
2024 ITX Japan đź“·
The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Japan (SpCCJ) is proud to announce the opening of the candidacy submission for the 10th Edition of the Spain-Japan Business Contribution Awards (SJBCA).
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the SJBCA, a milestone that celebrates a decade of recognising excellence in Spain–Japan business relations. To commemorate this special edition, we have introduced a new nomination system that welcomes proposals from all our members, ensuring broader participation and recognition of outstanding contributions across our community.
Previous editions
2016 – LaLiga
The first Award was given to LaLiga, whose President Javier Tebas flew from Spain for the ceremony, to recognize LaLiga’s impressive work around Sports Business, from broadcasting and digital, to fan merchandise and travel, which influenced the Japanese football business enormously.
2017 – Rakuten, Inc.
In its second year in 2017, the Award was presented to Rakuten’s CEO, Mr. Hiroshi Mikitani for their remarkable contribution to Spain-Japan’s commercial relationship by investing in Spain in various sectors. Rakuten is also recognised globally as the Main Global Partner and the first-ever Official Innovation and entertainment Partner of FC Barcelona for more than 4 years.
2018 – Gestamp Autotech Japan
In 2018 we presented the Award to the Spanish multi-national automotive engineering company Gestamp Autotech Japan, to recognise their outstanding performance in Japan, which includes the launch of their R&D Centre in Tokyo and the opening of a production plant in Mie prefecture in Japan.Â
2019 – Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.
In 2019, the award’s ceremony took place at the  Residence of H.M. Ambassador of Spain to Japan, Jorge Toledo and the Award was presented to Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., to celebrate their rapid expansion in Spain with store openings of their signature brand UNIQLO, in various locations in Spain.Â
2020 – Japan Airlines & Amadeus IT Group S.A.
In 2020, the award ceremony took place at our corporate member hotel, The Prince Park Tower Tokyo Hotel. In this fifth year, the SpCCJ presented for the first time “the joint award” to Japan Airlines (JAL) and Amadeus IT Group S.A. (Amadeus) for making outstanding contributions to Spain Spain-Japan commercial relationship through their partnership agreement signed last year in 2019.
2021 – Sports&Life (Andrés Iniesta)
In 2021 we presented the award to the Spanish football legend Andres Iniesta and his company SPORTS&LIFE (S&L) at our corporate member hotel, the Tokyo EDITION. We recognized his outstanding career in football both in Spain and Japan and also his contribution to strengthening Spain-Japan business relations through his various projects at S&L.
2022 – NTT DATA, Inc.
The 2022 Award was granted to the Japanese company NTT Data, Inc., during a ceremony at the Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon. NTT Data was recognised for its contributions to Spain in areas like direct investment, digital transformation and strategic market value. The prize was accepted by Kazuhiro Nishihata, Representative Director, President, and CEO of NTT Data, Inc.
2023 – Hitachi Group
In the 2023 edition, the ceremony returned to the Tokyo EDITION. The Award was presented to Hitachi Group for establishing their eighth subsidiary in Spain and participating in key industries such as mobility, renewable energy, and IT, which are crucial for developing smarter, greener, and more efficient systems for the future. Mr. Jun Taniguchi, Vice President and Executive Officer of Hitachi, Ltd., and CEO of Hitachi Digital LLC, received the award from the Ambassador of Spain to Japan, H.E. Fidel Sendagorta Gomez del Campillo.
2024 – ITX Japan Corp.
The ninth edition of the SJBCA was held at The Peninsula Tokyo in June 2024. The Board of Directors of the SpCCJ proudly awarded ITX Japan Corp. (a subsidiary of Inditex) in recognition of its exemplary and sustained contribution to Spain–Japan commercial relations. ITX Managing Director Etsuko Lawson received the award in a excellent ceremony with over 100 distinguised guests.Â
The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Japan (SpCCJ) is proud to announce the opening of the candidacy submission for the 10th Edition of the Spain-Japan Business Contribution Awards (SJBCA).
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the SJBCA, a milestone that celebrates a decade of recognising excellence in Spain–Japan business relations. To commemorate this special edition, we have introduced a new nomination system that welcomes proposals from all our members, ensuring broader participation and recognition of outstanding contributions across our community.
Call for Candidacies
We welcome nominations of companies that have demonstrated excellence in promoting bilateral economic, commercial, or technological relations between Spain and Japan.
Submit your candidacy or propose a company that exemplifies success, innovation, and collaboration across borders.
Key Dates
- Opening of Candidacy Submissions: May 20
- Deadline for Submissions:Â June 6
- Award Ceremony: November 28 (Save the date!)
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Rules & Eligibility
Legal Entity Requirement
- The nominee must be a legally registered company with an established presence in Spain or Japan.
- The company must demonstrate active business engagement with the counterpart country.
Contribution to Bilateral Business Relations
The company must have significantly contributed to strengthening Spain–Japan business ties through one or more of the following:
- Trade, investment, or supply chain integration
- Bilateral partnerships or joint projects
- Innovation, research and development, or market expansion
- Job creation, skills development, or talent training
- Promotion of Spain–Japan branding, culture, or values in a business context
Track Record
The company must have operated for at least three consecutive years in its market.