When I visited Tottori Prefecture for the first time last year, I learned that it was the last prefecture in Japan to open a Starbucks outlet and that it is well known for the Tottori Sand Dunes and the Sand Museum. Of the 47 prefectures in Japan, Tottori is the least populated and one of the more geographically remote. The Sand Museum has featured sand sculpture exhibits that depict images from countries like Italy, Brazil, and Russia and also continents like Africa. The current exhibit focuses on the United States and features sand sculptures of the Statue of Liberty, Mt. Rushmore, President Trump, the U.S. flag, and other iconic images of the United States. This is one major way in which Tottori government officials are hoping to not only attract more tourists to Tottori but also to educate Japanese students about the world.

The goal of educating youth about the world has been promoted by the vision of Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai, who supported the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education’s decision to collaborate with the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) on the development of a new online course on U.S. society and culture. The inaugural Stanford e-Tottori course was offered in 2016 to help high school students in Tottori expand their knowledge of the United States beyond just a superficial level.

SPICE’s Jonas Edman, Stanford e-Tottori Instructor, represented SPICE on July 27, 2017 at an opening ceremony for the second Stanford e-Tottori course. The ceremony was attended by Office Director Fujiwara, English Education Advancement Office, Director Tokuda, High School Division, and many students from the 2017 Stanford e-Tottori cohort. At the ceremony, Edman told the students that they will be encouraged to think in an “internationally minded” manner—that is, to “think about different points of view and to realize the importance of diversity and cross-cultural communication.” He also emphasized that students need not be concerned if they encounter small setbacks in the course, as learning from setbacks can become “stepping-stones to success.”

Following the opening ceremony, a special session with Edman was held at Tottori Nishi High School, one of the schools that enrolls students in Stanford e-Tottori. Edman led an interactive discussion in English about the risks and rewards of helping strangers. The discussion offered students a glimpse into what Stanford e-Tottori will be like with its active learning and student-centered focus. Teacher’s Consultant Takuya Fukushima, English Education Advancement Office, commented, “Edman-sensei was an instrument of inspiration as he helped students feel comfortable in analyzing the risks and rewards of helping strangers from different perspectives and to come up with as many solutions as possible… His teaching at the special session illustrated why Stanford e-Tottori is so attractive to students.” Some of the topics Edman plans to introduce in this year’s course are World War II, Japanese players in Major League Baseball, the U.S. educational system, Silicon Valley, and diversity—topics that should spark constructive discussion and debate. Students should come away from the course with a much deeper understanding of the United States.

Typically when Japanese students are asked what comes to mind when they think of the United States, many mention things like the Statue of Liberty, Mt. Rushmore, or other images that are depicted at the Sand Museum display. Edman is looking forward to launching the 2017 Stanford e-Tottori course this fall so that he can help students see beyond such images by asking questions like “What does the Statue of Liberty symbolize?” and “Why are some presidents depicted on monuments and not others?”

“While observing the remarkable sand sculptures that depict images of the United States,” reflects Edman, “I thought to myself, ‘These images offer teachable moments.’ I may ask my students in Stanford e-Tottori to research how and why these images were chosen. My objectives are not only to help students improve their English abilities and to gain new perspectives on the United States, but also to strengthen their critical thinking skills. I am so grateful to Governor Hirai and the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education for this opportunity.”

We often speak about U.S.–Japan relations in grand terms that focus on links between our countries. But the heart of our connection is personal—innumerable interactions between Japanese and American citizens who recognize the national and the individual benefits of such links… This is what gives Japan Day its special significance.

—The Honorable Michael Armacost, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan

The Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) honored top students of the Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) and Stanford e-Japan at “Japan Day 2017”—an event held at Stanford University on August 11, 2017. The RSP honorees were Tuvya Bergson-Michelson (Lick-Wilmerding High School, San Francisco, CA), Mallika Pajjuri (Dublin High School, Dublin, CA), and Evan Wright (homeschool, Greenwood, IN), and the Stanford e-Japan honorees were Reon Hiruma (Waseda University Senior High School, Tokyo), Saya Iwama (Takada High School, Mie Prefecture), Mako Matsuzaki (graduate of Keio Girls Senior High School, Tokyo), and Alisa Tanaka (graduate of Keio Girls Senior High School, Tokyo).

Japan Day 2017 began with opening remarks by the Honorable Jun Yamada, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, who commended the students for their study of U.S.–Japan relations and underscored the importance of educational programs such as the RSP and Stanford e-Japan in strengthening cross-Pacific relations. "There is no better investment for the future of Japan–U.S. relations," he noted, "than in educating and empowering the most promising of our youth, who will become the leaders of the future."

Stanford e-Japan Instructor Waka Takahashi Brown and RSP Instructor Naomi Funahashi presented overviews of the two programs and recognized the honorees for their outstanding academic performance and research papers. The students then took to the podium one by one to present their research to an audience of over 40 people, which included the Honorable Michael Armacost (former U.S. Ambassador to Japan), Ai Hiyama (Advisor for Community Affairs, Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco), and Maiko Tamagawa (Advisor for Educational Affairs, Japan Information and Cultural Center, Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco).

The honorees’ presentations spanned a wide range of topics related to U.S.–Japan relations, including immigration, social media, LGBTQ issues, entrepreneurship, politics, cross-cultural education, and the environment. In several cases, these topics coincided closely with the work and expertise of audience members, making for fruitful conversation and welcome synergies. During his presentation on “Cross-Cultural Education: An Unconventional Path to Immigration Reform and Economic Prosperity in Japan,” Evan Wright spoke about the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and its role in promoting grassroots and cross-cultural international exchange between Japan and other nations. Tamagawa was pleasantly surprised to hear Wright’s comments, as she oversees the JET Program at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. Wright hopes to participate in the JET Program after graduating from college.

For the students, a major highlight of the day was simply the chance to meet each other in person, after interacting intensively for months in an online-only context. Seeing the students connect with each other in person was also especially gratifying for the instructors. “One of the most rewarding things for me,” commented Funahashi, “is to see the depth of the connections that are established between RSP and Stanford e-Japan students, and how much they learn from one another. In addition to discussing American and Japanese perspectives on various aspects of contemporary society, education, politics, historical memory, and diplomacy, some students develop friendships that last far beyond their participation in these courses.” Brown agreed, adding, “For my students, having the opportunity to interact with peers from the United States was one of the highlights of the program. To see all the RSP and Stanford e-Japan award winners honored at the same event was extremely rewarding.” Ambassador Armacost emphasized the importance of building real person-to-person connections, too. “Personal relationships are deepened by a shared knowledge of language, culture, and history. But they depend ultimately on awareness of the value of personal ties, a proliferation of friendships, and a sustained effort to cultivate and maintain them through events such as Japan Day.”

Following the formal program, the students and their families took a tour of Stanford University campus. Honoree Mako Matsuzaki commented on how much she enjoyed the tour and regrets not having more time to talk with her American peers. She also somewhat jokingly noted, “I can’t imagine how Stanford students can actually study very seriously with so many temptations! (The good weather, many places to nap, frisbees, cycling, and being close to beaches.)” Funahashi and Brown hope that the friendships that have blossomed among their students will continue to strengthen the ties between the United States and Japan.

SPICE has received numerous grants in support of the RSP (since its inception in 2003) from the United States-Japan Foundation, the Center for Global Partnership (The Japan Foundation), and the Japan Fund, which is administered by the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Stanford e-Japan (since its inception in 2015) has been supported by a grant from the United States-Japan Foundation.

Tottori Prefecture—the least populous prefecture in Japan known for its seafood and stunning natural beauty, including its iconic sand dunes—is now collaborating with Stanford University. The first kanji character of Tottori means “bird” and the recent launching of a new online course, Stanford e-Tottori, is helping high school students to gain a bird’s-eye view of U.S. society and culture with a focus on U.S.–Japan relations.

On July 18, 2016, SPICE Director Gary Mukai participated in an opening ceremony in Tottori for Stanford e-Tottori. The ceremony included opening remarks by Governor Shinji Hirai, greetings from Superintendent of Education Hitoshi Yamamoto, comments by Mukai, and reflections by Tottori native, Takeshi Homma, Founder and CEO at HOMMA, Inc., Silicon Valley. In his comments, Mukai thanked Governor Hirai for his unwavering support of this collaboration between the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education and Stanford University, and also made a historical note about Tottori Prefecture’s relations with the United States by noting, “Hajimu Fujii, who was born in 1886 in Takashiro, Tottori, left Tottori for the United States in 1906. Hajimu Fujii became a Japanese-American community leader in the state of Idaho. In the 1930s, Fujii was recognized as the first Japanese pioneer in large-scale onion farming.”

Mukai was followed by Tottori Nishi High School student Shue Shiinoki, who read a “Resolution Declaration,” representing the 36 students who were selected to participate in the inaugural Stanford e-Tottori course. Mukai and Homma had the pleasure of visiting Tottori Nishi High School as well as Seishokaichi Junior and Senior High School during their visit.

The Stanford e-Tottori course instructor is Jonas Edman, who is an Instructional Designer at SPICE. As of mid-December 2016, Edman has facilitated three “virtual classes” on the following

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Edman, an alumnus of the American School in Japan, recently reflected that the rigor of taking a course solely taught in English has proven to be challenging to the Tottori students but that he is clearly noting progress in the students who are willing to take on the challenge. Koji Tsubaki, Teachers’ Consultant, Tottori Prefectural Board of Education, also recently commented, “Students in Tottori Prefecture are full of excitement to learn about the contents of the SPICE Stanford e-Tottori program, accelerating their development of self-expression skills. They are overflowing with questions for deeper understanding.”

Recently, Edman introduced Stanford e-Tottori to a delegation of business people from Tottori Prefecture who visited SPICE on November 16. The delegation was led by Tottori Bank, Ltd. Chairman Masahiko Miyazaki. Homma was not only instrumental in bringing the delegation to Stanford but also suggested the initial idea of developing Stanford e-Tottori. Chairman Miyazaki expressed his gratitude to Homma, Edman, and Mukai for making Stanford e-Tottori a reality.

During the delegation’s tour of Stanford University, many of the business people expressed hopes that their own children or grandchildren will someday be able to enroll in Stanford e-Tottori. Many also expressed agreement with one of the goals of Stanford e-Tottori, that is, to encourage students in Tottori to study in the United States either as exchange students or as undergraduate or graduate students.

Given Japan’s national focus on internationalizing the curriculum and preparing students to “think globally,” the timing of Stanford e-Tottori is ideal. SPICE’s hope is that someday the Tottori students’ birds-eye view of U.S. society and culture with a focus on U.S.–Japan relations—provided through Stanford e-Tottori—will become useful background information for them when they visit the United States as students, as business people, or in other capacities.

The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) and the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) present a unique professional development opportunity for middle and high school teachers of world geography, world history, world languages, religion, economics, and language arts/literature.

Seminar topics cover East Asian geography, culture, religion, politics, history, literature, and art. The seminar series includes (1) lectures by Stanford scholars, (2) curriculum presentations by SPICE, (3) talks by authors of literature, (4) curricular applications for the classroom, (5) discussions of the Common Core State Standards. SPICE‘s teacher-centered professional development offers new perspectives, collaborative discussions, and the best scholarship and pedagogy available for promoting globally-minded classrooms.

Applications now available (priority given to early applicants).

NCTA Middle School (postmark by December 16, 2016)

NCTA High School (postmark by January 27, 2017)

2017 Seminar Schedule:

Breakfast and lunch are provided.

• Middle School Sessions: January 18, February 8, March 8, March 29
  Full-day Wednesday sessions at Stanford University (January–April 2017), and one follow-up morning session on April 26.
   
• High School Sessions: February 10, March 3, March 24, April 14
  Full-day Friday sessions at Stanford University (February-April 2017)

Benefits of Participation:

• Content lectures on East Asia from Stanford faculty and other leading experts in the field
• $250 professional stipend upon completion of all five sessions and seminar requirements
• Optional three units of credit through Stanford University Continuing Studies
• Excellent selection of free materials for classroom use
• Discount on future curriculum purchases

Jonas Edman
Middle School Seminar Coordinator
P: 650.725.1480
F: 650.723.6784
jcedman@stanford.edu