On September 12, 2023, Monterey County Supervisor Luis A. Alejo and Supervisor Chris Lopez formally recognized Dr. Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez’s efforts to educate the public about the Bracero Program. During the ceremony in Monterey County, former bracero workers were also formally recognized for their contributions to the agricultural industry and economy of the United States from the early years of the U.S. involvement in World War II. 

Ornelas Rodriguez noted,

The Bracero Program was a series of laws that allowed the United States to recruit temporary guest workers (braceros, lit. “individuals who work with their arms”) from Mexico. As the United States entered World War II, its agriculture and railroad industries witnessed a shortage of laborers due to the U.S. military draft and the forced removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast of the United States. The United States and Mexico entered into legal agreements that would ultimately be known as the Bracero Program, which operated from 1942 to 1964. Braceros worked throughout the United States, but the largest concentration of braceros was employed in California. There were an estimated 4.5 million contracts signed by braceros over the 22-year period. Today a large proportion of the Mexican American population can trace its heritage to former braceros.

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KSBW 8 reporter Brisa Colón (photo above, courtesy Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez) reported that “History was made Tuesday, in Monterey County. It was the first time bracero workers were recognized with a dedicated week to honor their contributions. Never before have the workers been recognized at this level by the county for their contributions to the agricultural industry and economy in the United States.” 

As part of the ceremony, there was also an acknowledgement of the 1963 bus crash that occurred on Highway 101 in Chualar, an areas of Salinas Valley, California. The bus collided with a train and claimed the lives of 32 braceros and injured many other braceros and farm laborers. It is still the single deadliest crash in California history and one of the worst in the nation. In 2013, Ornelas Rodriguez was instrumental in the naming of a portion of Highway 101 as the Bracero Memorial Highway in honor of the braceros who lost their lives. 

Ornelas Rodriguez also focused his PhD dissertation on the Bracero Program and currently works as a lecturer at the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at Stanford (CCSRE) and trains and collaborates with educators to implement the ethnic studies curriculum in the San Jose Unified School District. He continues to conduct research and share the history and legacy of the Bracero Program through his teaching and public outreach through the Bracero Legacy Project he founded at Stanford. 

I feel a strong emotional connection to the Bracero Program, as I grew up and worked with braceros from the 1950s to 1964. I wish that there were a way for me to reunite with the braceros with whom I worked. 

Fortunately, during the ceremony, SPICE had the honor—through Ornelas Rodriguez—of offering each bracero in attendance a certificate from SPICE as a very modest acknowledgement of their hard work. Former bracero Josafat Arias, depicted above (photo courtesy Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez), noted, “I accept this certificate on behalf of the over one million braceros whose lives continue to impact the Salinas area, California, and beyond.” 

After the ceremony, Ornelas Rodriguez, whose grandfather was a bracero, shared that events like the one in Monterey County are important not only because of the recognition offered to the former braceros but also because they empower young descendants of former braceros to do well academically. “School-age descendants are given the chance to reflect on the bracero journey, consider how far descendants of former braceros have come, and appreciate the endless possibilities that lie ahead of them.” 

For more information about the Bracero Legacy Project, visit https://www.facebook.com/BRACEROLEGACY/.

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In 2015, SPICE launched Stanford e-Japan, a national online course that enrolls high school students from Japan to engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations. In 2016, SPICE launched Stanford e-Tottori, SPICE’s first regional program in Japan that enrolls high school students from across Tottori Prefecture. As of this fall, SPICE now enrolls approximately 230 students from eight regional programs in Japan. Five programs are prefectural programs (Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Oita, Tottori, and Wakayama), and three are municipal programs (Kawasaki, Kobe, and Kagoshima). SPICE’s newest course, Stanford e-Kagoshima City, was just launched this month. Six top students from Fukuoka, Oita, and Kobe were honored on Stanford campus on August 15, and six top students from Kawasaki, Tottori, and Wakayama were honored on August 17. The ceremony for Stanford e-Hiroshima was held virtually last month. 

Both in-person ceremonies began with opening comments by Yumiko Ishii, Advisor for Cultural and Educational Affairs at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. She commented on how envious she felt that high school students in Japan today have access to online programs such as Stanford e-Japan and the regional programs and can learn various aspects of U.S.–Japan relations virtually, an opportunity she didn’t have as a student. She also noted that “as I was born and raised in the city of Tokyo, I wish that I could have interacted with high school students like you from other regions of Japan… I hope you, young leaders, will continue to deepen our countries’ friendship and exchange as we move forward.” 

Ishii’s opening comments were followed by remarks by the instructors of the courses and student presentations. The instructors and student honorees are:

Stanford e-Fukuoka (Instructor Kasumi Yamashita) 
Student Honoree: Rui Ogura   
School: Chikushi Jogakuen High School   
Project Title: Creating a New System for a Sustainable Society: From Fukuoka to the World 

Student Honoree: Ayumi Ryu   
School: Kurume High School   
Project Title: A Better Hometown with a Sustainable Food Supply  

Stanford e-Kawasaki (Instructor Maiko Tamagawa Bacha)  
Student Honoree: Miho Ebisawa   
School: Tachibana High School   
Project Title: Possibility of Entomophagy 

Student Honoree: Aoi Yagi   
School: Kawasaki High School   
Project Title: Forest Fires in the U.S.

Stanford e-Kobe (Instructor Alison Harsch)  
Student Honoree: Kiyoka Ueda   
School: Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School   
Project Title: Multiculturalism of Cuisine in Japan and the U.S.: How Washoku Influences Food Culture in the U.S.

Student Honoree: Jaine Haruka Buck   
School: Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School   
Project Title: LGBTQ+ History: Japan vs. USA 

Stanford e-Oita (Instructor Kasumi Yamashita)  
Student Honoree: Sae Higashi   
School: Usa High School   
Project Title: Gender Inequality in Schools

Student Honoree: Nanako Hara   
School: Kusu Miyama High School   
Project Title: “A Pantry for Everyone” Project 

Stanford e-Tottori (Instructor Jonas Edman)  
Student Honoree: Miyoko Mabuchi   
School: Tottori Nishi High School   
Project Title: How to Stop Depopulation in Tottori with Uber Taxis  

Student Honoree: Marin Okabe   
School: Yonago Higashi High School   
Project Title: How to Make the Rate of Foster Parenting Increase 

Stanford e-Wakayama (Instructor Makiko Hirata)  
Student Honoree: Hanako Tanose   
School: Seirin High School   
Project Title: Education Support in Southeast Asia

Student Honoree: Sena Ishibashi   
School: Hashimoto High School   
Project Title: On HSP, Highly Sensitive People

Following each ceremony, the students enjoyed a luncheon, a campus tour, and a dinner. Many students commented that one of the highlights of the visit to Stanford was having the chance to meet high school students from other regions of Japan. Instructor Yamashita commented, “It was an honor to observe the 12 students deliver their presentations in English. They were all very well prepared and spoke with such ease and poise. When challenging questions arose during their Q&A session, they were unflustered and approached each question with curiosity and confidence. They all showed genuine concern for the world around them.”

Importantly, SPICE is grateful to the Board of Education representatives who accompanied the students to Stanford. They are Kyoko Tomita (Fukuoka Prefecture), Kentaro Kojima (Kawasaki City), Shin Hasegawa and Hiroko Murakami (Kobe City), Hironori Sano and Noriko Fujitsuka (Oita Prefecture), Shuichi Hata (Tottori Prefecture), and Masanori Toda (Wakayama Prefecture).

Stanford e-Hiroshima was launched in 2019 with the support of the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education. It is one of SPICE’s regional programs in Japan. 

In 2022–23, Stanford e-Hiroshima enrolled 29 students from 19 high schools across Hiroshima Prefecture. The lessons focused on several topics, including diversity, peace education, environmental issues, and entrepreneurship and Silicon Valley. Students Yoshino Dake and Haruka Koga performed at the highest levels in the course and were chosen as this year’s honorees.

SPICE held an online ceremony on August 7, 2023 to honor Dake and Koga. It began with opening comments by Yumiko Ishii, Advisor for Cultural and Educational Affairs at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. She stated, 

I believe the future of Japan–U.S. relations is in the hands of the next generation like you [Yoshino Dake and Haruka Koga], and I hope that young leaders like you will continue to strengthen our countries’ friendship as we move forward. I hope that your study with the program has motivated you to consider an international career involving Japan and the U.S.

Ishii’s opening comments were followed by remarks by Mineko Kobayashi and Noriyo Hayashi, Teacher Consultants at the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education. They expressed appreciation for the opportunities that Stanford e-Hiroshima provides students to deepen their critical thinking skills, congratulations to Dake and Koga, and gratitude to course instructor Rylan Sekiguchi.

Sekiguchi followed by introducing his student honorees. He noted that Yoshino Dake is currently a third-year student at Hatsukaichi High School in the city of Hatsukaichi. She is interested in the legal field, and her dream is to help people as an international lawyer. He noted, “Yoshino’s final research project was extremely well researched and formatted, with an impressive list of references in both Japanese and English.” Dake followed by presenting her award-winning research project, titled “What Can Japan Learn from the History of Discrimination Against Immigrants in the U.S.?”

Following Dake’s presentation, Sekiguchi introduced Haruka Koga, who is currently a third-year student at Hiroshima High School. Koga hopes to work in a job related to international peace and equality. Sekiguchi commented, “Throughout the course, Haruka was extremely active on the online Discussion Boards, always sharing extensive, well-researched posts every lesson, to everyone’s benefit. Her participation made the course better for everyone.” Koga then presented her award-winning research project, titled “What We Can Do to Reduce Food Waste.” After their outstanding presentations, both Dake and Koga skillfully fielded questions from the audience, several of which focused on comparisons between U.S. and Japanese society and culture. What became obvious is how much they both came to learn about the importance of perspective-taking.

Throughout the ceremony, I was fully aware that the day prior to the ceremony (August 6th) marked the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In my closing comments, I noted that as a Japanese American with ancestral roots in Hiroshima, this time of the year is always very emotionally challenging for me. During World War II, I had relatives in both the United States and Hiroshima. Seeing the interaction between students and Board of Education staff from Hiroshima and SPICE/Stanford staff and guests from the United States made me feel very hopeful that our two countries will continue to join hands in both challenging as well as happy times and that the future of U.S.–Japan relations remains very bright. I agree with Yumiko Ishii that “the future of Japan–U.S. relations is in the hands of the next generation.” Fortunately, we have future leaders like Yoshino Dake and Haruka Koga at the forefront of the next generation. 

SPICE is grateful to Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki for his vision and leadership and Superintendent Rie Hirakawa and High School Guidance Division Director Hiroyuki Ono for their support. SPICE extends its appreciation to Teacher Consultants Mineko Kobayashi and Noriyo Hayashi of the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education for their regular communication with Stanford e-Hiroshima Instructor Rylan Sekiguchi.

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It was in 2020 that I participated in the Stanford e-Hiroshima Program. I was 16, a first-year student at Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima Kokutaiji Senior High School. I had wanted to study abroad since I was a junior high school student in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted my whole high school life. However, moving to Hiroshima Prefecture and being chosen to be a part of the Stanford e-Hiroshima Program—one of the amazing regional online courses run by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE)—was a watershed in my life.

In the Stanford e-Hiroshima Program, I felt extremely privileged to have been given a chance to learn from leaders and experts who are at the forefront of various fields in the United States. This enabled me to ask questions to the experts directly, which fully enriched my understanding of the lectures. The opportunity to discuss ideas with other participants via Zoom and the online discussion boards helped me deepen my knowledge, as well. The lessons on “Peace Education,” “Diversity,” and “Entrepreneurship and Silicon Valley” interested me the most.

After completing the Stanford e-Hiroshima Program, I became more interested in studying peace.  As I realized the difference in peace awareness between Hiroshima and Japan’s other prefectures, I strongly began to think that I wanted to be a person who could spread peace and take action by myself, not just study peace.

In my second year of high school, I was chosen as one of the participants in the 6th Hiroshima Junior International Forum and exchanged ideas about global peace, peacebuilding, and the abolishment of nuclear weapons with participants from 14 countries. We also collaborated in formulating the “Hiroshima Declaration.” 

As a student attending the high school closest to ground zero of the atomic bombing, I strongly felt the horror and inhumanity of nuclear weapons. War should never be repeated again, and peace is not something to be taken for granted. We should increase awareness for peace, and it must be maintained with efforts to achieve a peaceful world without nuclear weapons.

Putting words into action, last year, in my third year of high school, I decided to become a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger. I was very happy that I was chosen as one of three high school students to represent Hiroshima Prefecture in the 25th cohort of Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messengers. Now, I have been a Peace Messenger for a year, and I have gained many precious and insightful experiences that I will cherish forever.

The key activity of the Peace Messengers each year is to collect signatures for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of a peaceful world. We deliver the signatures to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in Geneva, Switzerland, and give a speech during the Conference on Disarmament. Although the 23rd to 25th Peace Messenger cohorts were not able to visit the United Nations (UN) due to the pandemic, my successors, the 26th cohort of Peace Messengers made it this year to the UN to deliver about 600,000 signatures collected from 2020 to August 2023. I was delighted and honored to be a part of this activity. Now the Peace Messengers have collected more than 2,600,000 signatures in total for over 20 years, and we have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize since 2018.

Sara Arakawa giving a speech at 2023 United Peace Assembly in Hiroshima.

Because of COVID-19, the 25th cohort of Peace Messengers wasn’t able to perform our normal activities like visiting the UN. Instead, we went to Tokyo and visited several places significant to peace activities, including several foreign embassies. I was able to talk with Consul Stephan Heisler of the Austrian Embassy. It was the first time for the Peace Messengers to make such a visit. Having a discussion with the Consul, I learned that Austria is one of the pioneers in working for world peace, and under the Austrian constitution, Austria will never use and develop nuclear weapons. In addition, Austria has a resolute position in terms of nuclear power. Austrian citizens have a high awareness of peace, and they never allow their government to use nuclear power plants. Moreover, Austria has friendly relations with its neighboring countries, so it doesn’t have to rely on nuclear weapons or the nuclear umbrella. Through this visit, I realized that each nation has different historical backgrounds, situations, and issues to take into consideration for peace building.

We also visited Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met with Deputy General Shigeki Ito to submit 11,119 signatures and a letter requesting further peace initiatives in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I hope that Japan—the only country in the world to have ever suffered atomic bombings—will lead the way to a nuclear-free world. 

Moreover, this year in March, I proposed and coordinated a peace activity with Ms. Maya Mizuno, whom I met through the Stanford e-Hiroshima Program. She works at the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica. She traveled to Japan to give a peace education workshop to my fellow Peace Messengers. My peers and I learned about holistic peace education and peace and conflict studies. I was able to study actively by thinking logically—not emotionally—about why peace is so important and why wars and conflicts are evil. I was very happy that the workshop went well. We all had a very valuable experience actively learning and discussing peace. 

I believe that peace varies from person to person and it cannot be defined exactly. Peace Messengers normally conduct peace activities for the abolition of nuclear weapons, but Ms. Mizuno’s workshop gave me a new perspective. It was great to learn about other peace-building projects to address issues such as gender equality, human rights, poverty, the environment, etc., and many kinds of approaches such as music, the arts, group work, and so on.

This year in May, the G7 Summit was held in Hiroshima. Eager to support this important event, I applied for a job. I was glad to be able to land the job and took part as a staff member at the International Media Center of the G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023. I experienced the frontiers of world media and its effect on the world first-hand. This was an experience I will not forget for the rest of my life.

Needless to say, as a Peace Messenger, I give priority to talking to hibakusha, atomic bomb survivors. Their average age is now 85, and I, being a part of the last generation to listen to their testimonies directly, hope to continue conveying their voices to future generations and around the world. I would like to help keep their memories alive and prevent their testimonies of war and the atomic bombings from fading away. Also, I will bear in mind the slogan of the Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messengers, “Our efforts are humble but not powerless.” Although my tenure as a Peace Messenger is now officially over, I intend to continue taking part in various peace activities, contributing to achieving world peace, and striving to be a global citizen in the future.

I am now studying in Malaysia, a multi-ethnic country. My university, Monash University Malaysia (MUM), has students from 76 countries. Here I am able to build a diverse network of people. By gaining cross-cultural understanding, an international outlook, language skills, and a high level of expertise, I hope to become someone who is both globally minded and active in international society, working to solve international issues and contributing positively to Japan and the world. I believe that it will bring significance and fulfillment into my life.

Last but not least, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to Stanford e-Hiroshima instructor and my mentor, Mr. Rylan Sekiguchi, for his unwavering support, the many guest lecturers in the Stanford e-Hiroshima Program, SPICE, and all the people supporting the activities of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers.

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Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is an online course offered to high school students in Japan. It is offered annually in spring and fall by SPICE in collaboration with the Japanese NPO e-Entrepreneurship, led by Yusuke Ed Matsuda. The instructors in 2022 were Maiko Tamagawa Bacha (spring) and Irene Bryant (fall). The goal of the course is to foster creative thinking and problem-solving skills in students with a focus on innovation to address social issues.

On August 19, 2023, the top students in the 2022 spring and fall Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan cohorts were honored in a virtual ceremony. 

Spring 2022 honorees: 
•    Aiko Hayashi, Higashi Katsushika High School, Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture
•    Airi Tachino, Island School, Hong Kong

Fall 2022 honorees: 
•    Ririko Noda, Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School, Tokyo
•    Yuna Otsuki, Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen Makuhari Senior High School, Tokyo

The ceremony began with opening comments by Yusuke Ed Matsuda, who noted,

[T]his is a very rigorous course and very selective as well. Your contributions were very much appreciated and made the 2022 courses very successful. Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is becoming a huge buzz here in Japan. A lot of students who are considering enrollment want to study abroad… I hope that you will continue your endeavors with the social projects that you conceptualized in this course and connect the projects with your future pursuits.

Course instructors Maiko Tamagawa Bacha and Irene Bryant shared general reflections on the 2022 courses as well as specific contributions of each of the four honorees. The honorees then made outstanding presentations that focused on “Suggesting a New Solution for the Problem of Vacant Houses in Urban Areas” (Hayashi); “Reviewing the Current Situation Concerning Organ Transplantations for Children in Japan” (Tachino); “The Emergence of ‘Silver Democracy’: Lack of Youth Political Participation in Contemporary Japan” (Noda); and “Analysis of Barriers for Japanese Female Students in STEM” (Otsuki). They also skillfully answered questions from the audience. 

Reflecting on the growth of the course since its launch in spring 2020, Bryant noted, “I am so pleased that Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan has become so popular in Japan. I believe that one major contributing factor to this is our roster of engaging guest speakers, such as Stanford MD/PhD candidate Richard Liang, who was in attendance during the ceremony.” And reflecting on the presentations by the four students, Bacha reflected, “Each year, I am so impressed by the caliber of the student honorees, and the 2022 honorees were certainly no exception. What I believe is special about teaching Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is observing students learning to work together as a team to tackle a problem. I believe that this is a crucial aspect of problem-solving skills in general.” Bryant and Bacha both expressed their gratitude to Junna Hagiwara, Program Manager at NPO e-Entrepreneurship, for her unwavering support throughout the 2022 courses.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is currently accepting applications for its fall 2023 course. For more details, visit the program page at https://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/fellowship/stanford-e-entrepreneurship-japan. Applications are due September 8, 2023. 

The spring 2022 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan course was generously supported by the Water Dragon Foundation. The fall 2022 course was generously supported by Noriko Honda Chen and the Capital Group, Norman Chen, Andrew Ogawa, and Mako Ogawa.

For more information about SPICE’s online courses for students, visit our Student Programs page. To stay informed of SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Stanford e-Japan enrolls exceptional high school students from Japan to engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture. The Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) enrolls exceptional high school students from the United States to engage in an intensive study of Japanese society and culture. Both courses underscore the importance of U.S.–Japan relations. The Yanai Tadashi Foundation is the current supporter of Stanford e-Japan, and the Japan Fund at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) is the current supporter of the RSP.

On August 7, 2023, an award ceremony was held at Stanford University to honor SPICE’s Spring and Fall 2022 Stanford e-Japan student honorees and 2023 Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) student honorees. The honorees performed at the highest levels of their courses as determined by Stanford e-Japan Instructors Waka Takahashi Brown and Meiko Kotani, Reischauer Scholars Program Instructor Naomi Funahashi, and the research paper review committees. The honorees are:

Spring 2022 Stanford e-Japan Program 
Hana Kameyama, Seikei High School, Tokyo
Miyu Kato, Hiroshima Prefectural Senior High School, Hiroshima
Yuta Muraki, Matsumoto Shuho Secondary School, Nagano

Honorable Mention: 
Mona Abe, Urawa Akenohoshi Girls’ Senior High School, Saitama
Oki Sugiyama, Musashi High School, Tokyo

Fall 2022 Stanford e-Japan Program 
Yukie Arashida, Yonezawa Kojokan High School, Yamagata
Yohkoh Hineno, Tokai High School, Aichi
Ami Osaka, International Christian University High School, Tokyo

Honorable Mention: 
Risa Fukushima, Senzoku Gakuen High School, Kanagawa
Kotaro Tomita, Shibuya Junior and Senior High School, Tokyo

2023 Reischauer Scholars Program 
Adrien Bouvard, Riverdale Country School, New York
Oliver Cho, Nueva School, California
Sienna Yamashita, Lincoln High School, Washington

Honorable Mention: 
Elise Chin, Oak Ridge High School, California
Tara Hagerty, Harpeth Hall, Tennessee
Hanah Youn, Roslyn High School, New York

The program began with welcoming comments from the Honorable Yasushi Noguchi, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco. (Photo above courtesy Mia Kimura.) He commented,

Platforms such as the Reischauer Scholars Program and Stanford e-Japan are very important for our two nations. Through these programs, young people from both countries learn about the other country and mutual history, and have a chance to engage in direct exchange. To build a reliable and amicable relationship, mutual understanding is an essential factor. I believe that our young people’s deeper mutual understanding will enhance our two countries’ further cooperation and friendship.

Also in attendance from the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco were Noritoshi Kurokawa, Consul for Education, Science and Technology, and Yumiko Ishii, Advisor for Cultural and Educational Affairs.

Following the welcoming and opening comments, Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi gave introductions of their courses. The student honorees made outstanding presentations based on their research papers and expertly fielded questions from the audience.

One of the audience members was Jun Yamasaki, a recent graduate of Northwestern University who was a Yanai Tadashi Scholar and is now a PhD student at Stanford. (Photo courtesy Mia Kimura.) Yamasaki, who is originally from Tokyo, was a Stanford e-Japan honoree in 2017. Reflecting on the ceremony, he noted,

I am truly grateful for the continued interactions with the e-Japan program and its students over the years, and in particular, this opportunity to meet the honorees in person. I was very impressed by the unique perspectives from which they viewed the U.S.–Japan relationship, as well as the initiative, creativity, and rigorous thought they displayed in conducting the analysis. As I look back on Japan Day five years ago, I remember that my interactions with e-Japan and RSP students—who were intellectually curious and willing to discuss their opinions—solidified my decision to apply to U.S. colleges. I hope the students will continue to engage with each other and further build upon their cross-cultural awareness even after the conclusion of their programs.

The RSP and Stanford e-Japan are about to enter their 21st and 9th years, respectively. Many of the alumni are now engaged in various fields related to U.S.–Japan relations and continue to give back to both programs by being guest speakers or mentors to the current students. Also in the audience were Stanford e-Japan guest speakers, including Dr. Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu. (Photo courtesy Mia Kimura.)

Following the formal event, the student honorees—most having just met each other in person for the first time—had the chance to enjoy lunch and a Stanford campus tour together. It is the hope of Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi that the Japanese and American student honorees will continue to strengthen their budding friendships and ensure that the U.S.–Japan relationship remains strong.

SPICE is grateful to President Tadashi Yanai for his generous support of Stanford e-Japan and to Chikano Shiroma of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation for her regular correspondence and encouragement. SPICE is also thankful to the Japan Fund committee at FSI for its generous support of the Reischauer Scholars Program. These courses and the ceremony would not have been possible without them.

The Reischauer Scholars Program’s next application period will begin in September 2023. Stanford e-Japan’s next application period will begin November 2023.

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At the invitation of Nicole Ripley, Senior Program Officer of Leadership and Exchange Programs at The Asia Foundation, I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with the 2023 LeadNext fellows from across Asia and the United States on July 18, 2023. LeadNext is made possible by Amanda Minami, who has provided seed money for the initial three years of the program. According to The Asia Foundation website, the LeadNext Fellows: Ambassadors for a Global Future program is described as follows:

LeadNext builds a vibrant network of future leaders aged 18–25 from across Asia and the United States and supports their growth, impact, and capacity to address today’s greatest challenges.

With the profound structural changes that will transform geopolitics, global governance, the global economic order, and social landscape over the next decade, a new generation of globally minded leaders is imperative. The LeadNext program equips emerging leaders across cultures and disciplines with strong international networks, exposure to wide-ranging experiences, and leadership tools to thoughtfully steer the future.

Harnessing the innovation and energy of young leaders is essential. Positive and lasting change will depend on leaders who can move ideas and action forward to address rising inequality, find solutions to climate crises, mitigate conflict, and empower communities most vulnerable and insecure.

There are four components of the LeadNext program: Leadership Training Intensive, Monthly Virtual Masterclasses, Global Leaders Summit, and Mentorship. The LeadNext fellows’ visit to Stanford, depicted in the photo above, was part of the culminating Global Leaders Summit. (Photo courtesy Nicole Ripley.) Prior to my talk on “What does it mean to be a global citizen?,” I had the chance to listen to self-introductions of the 20 LeadNext fellows, half of whom come from across the Asia-Pacific region and the other half from the United States. I was delighted to learn that several of them focus their work on educational issues that are also areas of focus of SPICE.

Phạm Nguyễn Đức Anh, from Vietnam, is a Leadership Development Fellow with Teach for Viet Nam in a rural secondary school and is focused on inequality and non-inclusion in the education ecosystem. Weeryue Chiapaoyue, from Laos, is a co-founder of the WESHARE Project, a fundraising program to provide supplies to underprivileged schools. Linda Kim, from the United States, promotes STEM careers at low-income high schools and represented her company at the 2022 One Young World Summit. Mohammad Tanvirul Hasan, from Bangladesh, advocates for youth leadership and education. And Samantha Powell, from the United States, supports Evanston public school students. During the session at Stanford and at a dinner reception later in the week, I felt so much energy from the LeadNext fellows. I agree with the LeadNext description above that “Harnessing the innovation and energy of young leaders is essential.”

I hope that there will be opportunities in the future for SPICE to partner with or support Phạm Nguyễn Đức Anh, Weeryue Chiapaoyue, Linda Kim, Mohammad Tanvirul Hasan, and Samantha Powell in their work with students and schools, and also ways to encourage some of my colleagues at FSI to collaborate with other LeadNext fellows.

A list of the 2023 LeadNext fellows follows: 
•    Phạm Nguyễn Đức Anh, Vietnam
•    Prakriti Basyal, Nepal 
•    Mel Britt, United States 
•    Weeryue Chiapaoyue, Laos
•    Temuulen Enkhbat, Mongolia
•    Andrew Farias, United States 
•    Ayesha Noor Fatima, Pakistan
•    Zeruiah Grammon, Papua New Guinea 
•    Mohammad Tanvirul Hasan, Bangladesh
•    Lorena James, United States 
•    Nishtha Kashyap, India 
•    Linda Kim, United States
•    Natalie Montecino, United States, 
•    Samantha Powell, United States
•    Brendan Schultz, United States 
•    Jia-Kai Eric Yeh Scott, United States
•    Melinda Anne Sharlini, Malaysia 
•    Edris Tajik, Afghanistan
•    Chenxi Zi, China

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The LeadNext visit to Stanford was led by Nicole Ripley (person on the right) and Tessa Charupatanapongse (person on the left), Asia Foundation Program Associate; photo courtesy Nicole Ripley. I share their academic interests in global studies and international education development, respectively. I also hope to expand our collaborative work, and am so grateful to Nicole for her invitation to meet with the LeadNext fellows. 

Stanford e-Japan is an online course that teaches Japanese high school students about U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations. The course introduces students to both U.S. and Japanese perspectives on many historical and contemporary issues. It is offered biannually by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE). Stanford e-Japan is supported by the Yanai Tadashi Foundation.

Throughout the entire Stanford e-Japan Program that I participated in fall 2020, I was able to develop the ability to critically consider my perspectives on social issues in Japan. The participants came from various regions in Japan, not only public high schools like mine, but also private schools and international schools. The student backgrounds were diverse, ranging from individuals who grew up in Japan like me to those who were born and raised abroad, with experiences in different countries. Engaging in discussions with such members made me realize that different backgrounds can bring significantly different perspectives and opinions to class discussions. For example, when I read posts on the discussion board from participants who held opposing views, I found myself understanding and accepting their perspectives, while often thinking, “Oh, I never considered that way of thinking before.” By listening to the reasons behind their thoughts during class discussions, I also found that my perspectives could be reconsidered. It was the first significant opportunity for me to contextualize myself on a global scale, extending beyond Japan.

At that time, I was on the debate team in high school, and I experienced that I could argue both for and against controversial topics if I had appropriate supporting data. However, I found it challenging to express opinions that were beyond broad generalizations. Stanford e-Japan had a thrilling course design centered around discussions, with a significant portion of the class dedicated to Q&A sessions. Initially, I struggled to express my genuine opinions, and could only provide general arguments that were often heard. I felt quite frustrated with this. However, as the classes progressed, I began to pay closer attention to the various elements behind my opinions, such as my country of birth, my gender, or my experiences that might have shaped my views. I learned from how others formed their opinions, and gradually, I was able to post my original ideas. To this day, this way of thinking remains an important foundation for my aspirations and their impact on the future.

Furthermore, Instructor Meiko Kotani cultivated an open atmosphere throughout the course where everyone was encouraged to think about the course’s progression. We were able to provide feedback on the course and discuss how to utilize our time effectively, and the feedback influenced the design of future courses. It became a catalyst for considering what learning methods were most comfortable for me, as it introduced a different style of learning compared to that of the high school I had attended.

The most memorable module during the 13-week course was about innovation in Silicon Valley, where we compared the industries of the United States and Japan. It was not only fascinating to learn about innovation, which I was already interested in, but also genuinely gratifying to work on the group assignment. In particular, the ability to examine innovation from various perspectives such as ideas, work styles, and economic trends directly relates to my current endeavors, and I still keep in touch with those group members who are now friends.

For the final assignment, I combined the ideas I had been contemplating during my local activities to promote a regional and global understanding of the SDGs with what I learned in the Silicon Valley module. In my paper, “U.S.-Japan Cooperation on Innovative Technology: The Way to Balance Economy and Protection of the Earth,” I concluded that by leveraging traditional Japanese lifestyles, combining the strengths of Japanese and American companies, and engaging in joint ventures, we could potentially influence the values of people worldwide and achieve a balance between economic growth and environmental protection. Looking back, the idea of balancing the two things has become elemental to my way of thinking since then.

Currently, I have a strong desire to apply cutting-edge technology in everyday life. I took the entrance examination for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo and was accepted. After completing two-year liberal arts education, I will specialize in precision engineering starting next year. My goal is to create a cycle of technology where advanced robotics technology used in space can be applied to solving challenges on Earth, and vice versa. I am excited about working in the space industry, which has always been my dream. To achieve that, I am currently acquiring knowledge in the fundamental study of robotics and learning about business and backcasting methodologies through Deep Innovation Creation Ecosystem (DICE), a research and development-oriented startup community that focuses on fostering talent. In March 2023, I had the opportunity to visit Silicon Valley through DICE, where I observed the robotics laboratories at Stanford and the community of startups and investors. It was an overwhelming experience to meet Meiko Kotani in person for the first time. Additionally, driven by the desire to address social issues while maintaining profitability, I am working on creating a web service to solve mobility challenges for the elderly in Japan. My team has established mairu tech Inc., and we are planning to proceed with service demonstration experiments in Japanese cities.

The society I would like to create in the future is one that can simultaneously address immediate challenges and achieve long-term goals. Engaging in conversations with diverse individuals allows for deeper consideration of topics and enables us to contemplate what society and the future should aspire to from multiple evaluative perspectives. Although decision-making often requires one to narrow down options to a single evaluation axis, which can be challenging, I believe it will gradually become possible by engaging with many people with a positive mindset.

Finally, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have participated in Stanford e-Japan and to have met amazing fellow participants. Moving forward, I want to continue learning, form teams, and strive toward my vision with unwavering determination.

For more information about the Stanford e-Japan Program, please visit stanfordejapan.org. Application deadline for the fall 2023 session is August 12, 2023.

To stay informed of news about Stanford e-Japan and SPICE’s other programs, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Applications opened today for Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ), an online course conducted in English to foster Japanese students’ creative thinking and innovative problem-solving skills to address social issues. SeEJ is offered twice annually in the fall and spring by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) at Stanford University and the non-profit organization e-Entrepreneurship in Japan. It is open to Japanese students in their first and second years of high school. The fall 2023 course will be taught by Irene Bryant and will run from late October 2023 through February 2024. 

The application form is now live at https://forms.gle/3JFWsxxq4AB12qKE9. The deadline to apply is September 8, 2023 23:59 Japan Time. 

SeEJ offers students an opportunity to engage with various scholars and entrepreneurs from Stanford University and beyond through its virtual classes, which are held twice a month on Sundays. The course will culminate in an individual research paper and final group projects. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion from SPICE and NPO e-Entrepreneurship.

“When I came across this program, I had to look up what the word ‘entrepreneurship’ meant,” said Juria Kawabe, a student in the summer 2022 session of SeEJ. “Three stimulating months later, I now have a clear vision of what entrepreneurship is, a goal that I desire to achieve, and a countless amount of information about our world’s issues.” 

For more information about Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, visit the program webpage. Interested high school students should apply online by September 8, 2023. 

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.  To stay updated on SPICE news, join our email list or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.