Congratulations to Yamada Tatsushi who will serve as the new Japan WG Chair.

The focus of the Japan WG is to promote the education and adoption of Kantara Initiative deliverables in the Japanese market and government. The Japan WG also generate best practice guidelines, suggestions and technical recommendations that feed into appropriate Kantara Initiative Work Groups (WGs) to make Kantara Initiative deliverables better suited to thrive in the Japanese market environment.

Yamada is Manager of R&D Head Quarters working at NTT DATA for 22 years. He created and operated NTT DATA’s internal identity management infrastructure for 8 years and served as product manager of VANADIS Identity Manager/VANADIS SSO product line. Yamada has a bachelor’s degree in urban planning from the University of Tokyo 1988.

Yamada can be reached at yamadatt[at]nttdata[dot]co[dot]jp or hackedudesan at Twitter or yamada.tatsushi at Facebook.

Please join in welcoming Yamada – we look forward to his strong leadership and the continued work of the Japan WG.

Kantara Initiative Japan Work Group (Japan WG) will host a technical seminar on Tuesday, December 14 in Tokyo, courtesy of CA Technologies Japan and other members.

When: December 14, 2010, 15:00-17:30

Where: CA Technologies Seminar Room (Tokyo, Japan)

Capacity: 30 seats (this event just reached capacity as of December 6, 2010)

Abstract: Cloud computing has focused renewed attention on “identity federation technologies” as an important part of IT security measures. This seminar will feature a practical lecture on identity federation by “GakuNin” an academic authentication federation project, and look at another case study of identity federation around egovernment area.

Details in Japanese: http://kantarainitiative.org/confluence/display/WGJ/Kantara+Initiative+Tech+Seminar+2010

Thanks to Kantara Initiative’s Japan WG and their leadership, the Kantara Initiative Symposium 2010 in Japan is being held September 1, 2010, 13:00-18:00.

The workshop covers identity trust inclinations, identity control bases applied to numerous global governments, etc. Kantara Initiative’s President, Matthew Gardiner will report on the latest industry activity and identity case studies.

Due to a high level of interest this event has just reached capacity. Agenda details and content:
http://kantarainitiative.org/confluence/display/WGJ/Kantara+Initiative+Symposium+2010. We will share details of the event after September 1.

Catch the round up of recent updates from Kantara Initiative:

• Authorization Standards Workshop at Burton Catalyst San Diego, July 27, 12:30-2:30pm
• Merger of Kantara’s IdP Selection WG into ULX WG
• Kantara Initiative Meeting, Oct. 19-21, Paris, France hosted by Orange-FT
• Kantara Initiative announces the formation of the Federation Interoperability Work Group (FIWG)
• Kantara Initiative Announces Identity Assurance Framework 2.0
• Announcing Yasuhisa Sakamoto & Toshihiro Suzuki as Kantara Initiative’s Japan WG co-chairs
• Kantara Initiative Engages Drummond Group to Manage Global Interoperability Program
• Comparing OAuth and UMA – by Eve Maler
• Kantara speakers featured at Burton Catalyst Prague, June 21-24, 2010
• Kantara Initiative Webcast via BrightTALK: Identity Assurance Frameworks within Federated IAM Systems, May 6 - listen and view the audio of this Webcast
• Catch up on recent activities at industry events: UMA at EIC 2010, IIW X round-up
• What exactly is “open” in Open Identity?
• Industry events – contact Dervla O’Reilly regarding discounted conference rates: pii2010, August 17-19, Seattle, Hacker Halted October 9-15 Miami, WHIT 6.0 Nov. 8-10 Washington D.C., Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit November 15-16 San Diego

We are happy to announce that Yasuhisa Sakamoto of NTT will serve as co-chair alongside Toshihiro Suzuki of Oracle Corporation for the Japan Work Group (WG).  Yasuhisa Sakamoto has been active with the Japan WG since it’s inception and is is pleased to join Toshihiro Suzuki to move the work of of the Japan WG forward.

We congratulate Toshihiro for his new leadership role and look forward to the continued work coming from the Japan Work Group (WG) this year.

We’re happy to announce the continued leadership of Kenji Takahashi as Kantara Initiative’s Japan WG (Working Group) Chair.  Mr. Takahashi of NTT has worked with Kantara Initiative since it’s launch alongside Toshihiro Suzuki of Oracle Corporation as co-chair of the Japan WG.  Kenji also leads the Japan Discussion Group for Kantara. Both Kenji and Toshihiro have played a significant part in extending the education and adoption in the Japanese market, most recently presenting the Kantara Initiative Symposium.  Kenji also served in previous years as co-chair of the Liberty Alliance Japan Special Interest Group (SIG).

We congratulate Kenji in his continued role and look forward more great work coming from the Japan WG this year.