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[[{"fid":"230391","view_mode":"crop_870xauto","fields":{"format":"crop_870xauto","field_file_image_description[und][0][value]":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","field_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","thumbnails":"crop_870xauto","alt":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","title":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"crop_870xauto","field_file_image_description[und][0][value]":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","field_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","thumbnails":"crop_870xauto","alt":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","title":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"alt":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","title":"\"American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan\" by Dennis T. Yang","style":"height: 230px; width: 144px; margin: 0px 10px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-crop-870xauto","data-delta":"1"}}]]Dennis T. Yang is member of the U.S. Foreign Service and is currently based in Kathmandu, Nepal, serving as the Regional English Language Officer overseeing Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. In addition to his recent publication, American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan, he is author of The Pursuit of the Chinese Dream: Chinese Undergraduate Students at American Universities. Dennis earned a Ph.D in International Education from NYU, an Ed.M in International Educational Development from Columbia, an M.A. in East Asian Studies from Duke, and a B.A. in Sociology from Boston University.
 
American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan discusses the aspirations and operations of American universities in China through the lens of previous American universities’ expansion efforts in Japan. This talk will provide an explanation of the factors that contributed to the rise and decline of American universities in Japan in order to examine and predict the sustainability of American universities in China today. Through a review of historical documents, interviews with stakeholders in Japan and China, and an analysis of the cultural contexts of both the Japanese and Chinese higher education systems and the position of American universities within these environments, this book/talk seeks to address the potential success or failure of the American university abroad.
 
Lunch will be served. Presented in collaboration with the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia.

Goldman Conference Room

Encina Hall, 4th Floor 

616 Serra Street, Stanford, CA 94305

Dennis T. Yang Regional English Language Officer U.S. Department of State
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Gary Mukai
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Since the mid-19th century, the United States has had strong—albeit sometimes tense—historic ties with Kanagawa Prefecture. In 1853, U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry entered Edo Bay (now Tokyo Bay) just south of Yokohama with the mission of pressuring Japan to open its ports to the United States. This resulted in the signing of the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854, which opened the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to trade and established the first U.S. consulate office. During World War II, the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in Kanagawa was attacked by the United States, and since the end of the war in 1945, its facilities have been used by the U.S. Navy. Today, United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka is home port for the U.S. Seventh Fleet.

Students in Kanagawa Prefecture are taught about these historic episodes between their prefecture and the United States. They also live alongside a significant number of American residents today. Following Tokyo and excluding U.S. military personnel in Japan, Kanagawa has the second largest number of American residents in Japan. Because of these historical and contemporary ties with the United States, some of Kanagawa’s teachers have reached out to the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) with hopes to more fully introduce their students to U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations and also to encourage their students to study abroad in the United States. This encouragement was inspired in large part by the Japanese government.

On May 1, 2015, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Stanford University—a first by a Japanese prime minister—and said that he wants “the best and brightest Japanese talent” to study at places like Stanford and to learn about Silicon Valley. Shortly after Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Stanford, SPICE launched an online course called Stanford e-Japan for high school students in Japan with funding from the United States-Japan Foundation, New York City. Stanford e-Japan, which is taught by Waka Takahashi Brown, introduces topics like Commodore Perry, World War II, and Silicon Valley to students with hopes that they will come to better understand the bilateral relationship and also consider someday studying in the United States.

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One of the high schools that has enthusiastically supported and enrolled students in Stanford e-Japan is Yokohama Science Frontier High School (YSFH). Thanks to the initiative of teachers Nobuyo Uchimura and Yukimasa Uekusa, Naomi Funahashi and Rylan Sekiguchi traveled to Kanagawa Prefecture to visit YSFH and a partner school, Yokosuka Senior High School. They met with faculty, chatted with students, and led several classes and after-school sessions to encourage students’ global thinking. Following their school visit, English teacher Gentaro Tatsumi, noted, “Sekiguchi-sensei and Funahashi-sensei gave very impressive lessons to my students. I believe many of them surely had moments to think deeply about war and peace with different perspectives or viewpoints. Also, I was so happy to see that there were several students who showed a big interest in studying abroad following their after-school presentation.”

Four of these students had the occasion to see Funahashi and Sekiguchi again but this time at Stanford University. Three students (Ayaka Nakaminami, Daiichi Soma, and Rin Suzuki) from YFSH and one student (Keisuke Hara) from Yokosuka Senior High School participated in a SPICE-led seminar on January 24, 2018. After engaging in a series of globally themed lessons led by Funahashi and Sekiguchi, the students toured Stanford campus and experienced lunch in a student dining hall. The afternoon portion of the seminar featured a presentation by Tatsumi-sensei on English education in Japan, remarks by Uchimura-sensei and Uekusa-sensei, and four science research-focused presentations that were given by the students to Stanford community members.

One of the audience members was Stanford law student, Yuta Mizuno, an attorney with Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu in Tokyo. “I was truly impressed by the students’ preparation and performance with the presentations,” he reflected. “I’m sure that they gained inspiration and confidence from the seminar here at Stanford, and there’s no doubt that they have a promising future on the global stage. I wish I could’ve had such a priceless experience when I was in high school.” In between the student presentations, Mizuno also had the chance to talk with Hara, who aspires to be an attorney.

After their return to Kanagawa Prefecture, Uchimura-sensei commented, “Our visit to Stanford was a precious opportunity. The seminar we had at SPICE was focused on ‘globalization’ and ‘interdependence,’ which are especially important themes today. The four selected students, who are potential global leaders, were lucky enough to have been given the chance to experience studying at a U.S. university early in life. We are convinced that this experience at SPICE has given them a guide into their future.”

SPICE expects that many students from Kanagawa Prefecture will apply to future offerings of Stanford e-Japan, due in large part to the enthusiasm of the teachers and the students who represented their prefecture so well. SPICE’s hope is that the four students will someday return to Stanford or other U.S. universities as students. It is remarkable how the once tense relationship between Kanagawa (and Japan broadly) and the United States has evolved into a close interdependent friendship. We entrust the future of this friendship to students like Nakaminami, Soma, Suzuki, and Hara.

 

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Students and teachers from Kanagawa Prefecture at Stanford University, January 2018
Students and teachers from Kanagawa Prefecture at Stanford University, January 2018
Rylan Sekiguchi
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This webinar will take place on the Zoom (video conferencing) platform. Please click on the link at least 5 minutes in advance to allow ample time for setting up your computer or mobile device for Zoom: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/613472625


This webinar will introduce three Stanford-designed online courses for high school students in the United States that leverage digital learning to develop global competence and diverse perspectives. The focus will be driven by the following essential question: how do we cultivate global citizens through digital learning? Our objectives are to introduce teachers and students to innovative online courses—the Reischauer Scholars Program, Sejong Korean Scholars Program, and China Scholars Program—that connect high school students in the United States to content on Japan, Korea, and China, respectively. 

Participants will learn about how the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) engages students using synchronous and asynchronous online technologies to enhance the development of cross-cultural knowledge, empathy, and understanding. We will explore the importance of leveraging technology to build an inclusive environment for sharing diverse perspectives and ideas within an online learning community, and teach strategies for actively engaging students in an online classroom. Participants will also learn about building global networks of students with an interest in developing mutual understanding and connections across borders through digital learning.

616 Jane Stanford Way
Encina Hall, E007
Stanford, CA 94305-6060

(650) 724-4396 (650) 723-6784
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Naomi Funahashi is the Manager of the Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) and Teacher Professional Development for the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE). In addition to her work as the instructor of the RSP, she also develops curricula at SPICE. Prior to joining SPICE in 2005, she was a project coordinator at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California and worked in technology publishing in San Francisco.

Naomi's academic interests lie in global education, online education pedagogy, teacher professional development, and curriculum design. She attended high school at the American School in Japan, received her Bachelor of Arts in international relations from Brown University, her teaching credential in social science from San Francisco State University, and her Ed.M. in Global Studies in Education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

She has authored or co-authored the following curriculum units for SPICE: Storytelling of Indigenous Peoples in the United States, Immigration to the United States, Along the Silk Road, Central Asia: Between Peril and Promise, and Sadako's Paper Cranes and Lessons of Peace.

Naomi has presented teacher seminars nationally at Teachers College, Columbia University, the annual Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning Conference, the National Council for Social Studies and California Council for Social Studies annual conferences, and other venues. She has also presented teacher seminars internationally for the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools in Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia, and for the European Council of International Schools in France, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

In 2008, the Asia Society in New York awarded the 2007 Goldman Sachs Foundation Media and Technology Prize to the Reischauer Scholars Program. In 2017, the United States–Japan Foundation presented Naomi with the Elgin Heinz Teacher Award, an honor that recognizes pre-college teachers who have made significant contributions to promoting mutual understanding between Americans and Japanese. Naomi has taught over 300 students in the RSP from 35 U.S. states.

Manager, Reischauer Scholars Program and Teacher Professional Development

616 Jane Stanford Way
Encina Hall, C332
Stanford, CA 94305-6060

(650) 725-1480 (650) 723-6784
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Jonas Edman is a Curriculum Writer for the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE). In addition to writing curriculum, Jonas coordinates SPICE’s National Consortium for Teaching About Asia (NCTA) professional development seminars on East Asia for middle school teachers, and collaborates with FSI and other Stanford colleagues on developing curricula for community college instructors as part of Stanford Human Rights Education Initiative (SHREI). Prior to joining SPICE in 2010, Jonas taught history and geography in Elk Grove, California, and taught Theory of Knowledge at Stockholm International School in Stockholm, Sweden.

Jonas' professional interests lie in curriculum and instruction and teacher professional development, with a special interest in online education development. He received his Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Science from California State University, Sacramento in 2010, and a bachelor degree in History from Stockholm University in 2008. He graduated high school from the American School in Japan in 1996.

Jonas has presented teacher seminars nationally for the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia in Omaha, Nebraska; the California Council for Social Studies in Anaheim and Burlingame, California; the National Council for the Social Studies in Washington D.C.; the Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs in East Lansing, Michigan; and the National Association for Multicultural Education in Oakland, California. He has also presented teacher seminars internationally for the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and Bangkok, Thailand; and the European Council of International Schools in Nice, France.

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Stanford e-Japan is a distance-learning course sponsored by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Offered for the first time in 2015, Stanford e-Japan presents a creative and innovative approach to teaching Japanese high school students about U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations, and most importantly, the course introduces both U.S. and Japanese perspectives on many historical and contemporary issues. The Fall 2017 cohort was the fifth group of students to complete Stanford e-Japan.


On August 10, 2018, three of the top students of the Fall 2017 Stanford e-Japan course will be honored at an event at Stanford University. The three Stanford e-Japan honorees—Amane Kishimoto (Kyoto Prefectural Rakuhoku Senior High School), Yurika Matsushima (Keio Girls Senior High School), and Jun Yamasaki (Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen Senior High School)—will be recognized for their coursework and exceptional research essays that focus respectively on “Open Innovation: A Secret to Silicon Valley’s Success,” “Employment Measures for People with Disabilities: A Comparison Between Japan and the U.S.,” and “The U.S. Education System: Lessons to be Learned from Japan.” Miteki Ochi (Keio Girls Senior High School) received an Honorable Mention for her research paper on “Working in the 21st Century: Innovations and Flexible Work in a Digital Society.”

Applications for the Fall 2018 session of Stanford e-Japan will be accepted from April 1 through May 15, 2018, and will be available for download at the following link: http://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/fellowship/stanford-e-japan

The Fall 2018 session will run from August 27 to December 21, 2018.

To stay informed of SPICE-related news, follow SPICE on Facebook and Twitter or join our email list.

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Compilation of the final research papers of students in the Fall 2017 cohort of Stanford e-Japan.
Compilation of the final research papers of students in the Fall 2017 cohort of Stanford e-Japan.
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—SPICE: Offering teacher institutes since 1973—

 

In 1973, the roots of the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) were established with the creation of the Bay Area China Education Program, which focused on the development of K–12 curriculum materials and teacher professional development. Only a year prior, President Richard Nixon had made his historic trip to China and many American students were able to view contemporary images of China on television for the first time in their lifetimes. Teachers who attended SPICE institutes on China in the 1970s often commented that they were at a loss about how to teach about China.

Forty-four years later, a new generation of educators expressed similar sentiments at a SPICE institute. However, the challenge wasn’t so much about the teaching of China but rather the teaching of North Korea. Thus, when Pulitzer Prize-winning author Adam Johnson spoke about his book, The Orphan Master’s Son, a New York Times bestselling novel about North Korea, teachers were riveted by his comments. Teachers were interested not only in ways that his novel could help them better understand contemporary North Korea but also in ways they could use the book to help their students gain a more balanced view of North Korea. The 22 teacher participants received copies of The Orphan Master’s Son to use in their teaching and were offered two SPICE curriculum units titled Inter-Korean Relations: Rivalry, Reconciliation, and Reunification and Uncovering North Korea.  

Co-sponsored by the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), the SPICE summer institute, July 24–26, 2017, had the objectives of (1) deepening teachers’ understanding of Asia, U.S.–Asian relations, and the Asian-American experience; (2) providing teachers with teaching resources; and (3) creating a community of learners. The institute featured lectures by Stanford faculty (like Johnson), U.C. Berkeley faculty, and other experts on a range of Asia- and Asian-American-related topics closely aligned with the History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools standards, which were recently revised. Interactive curriculum demonstrations by SPICE staff were also offered.

One such standard focuses on recent economic growth in China. Following a lecture by Thomas Fingar, Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center Fellow, on “Recurring Themes in U.S.–China Relations,” a curriculum demonstration on the SPICE curriculum unit, China in Transition: Economic Development, Migration, and Education, was offered by its author, Rylan Sekiguchi of SPICE. One teacher remarked, “I teach about China, and it was so helpful to hear someone with such deep expertise [Fingar] speak about U.S.–Chinese history in a way that enriches my knowledge and understanding to bring back some bigger themes to my teaching. I can’t wait to bring this content back to my students [through the SPICE curriculum].” Other scholarly lectures on Japan and Korea were also followed by curriculum demonstrations by SPICE staff. This coupling of lectures and curriculum demonstrations has been a hallmark of SPICE since its inception.

Updated History-Social Science Framework standards on the Asian-American experience were also addressed at the institute. Dr. Khatharya Um, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, introduced the diverse cultural and historical backgrounds of the Asian-American student population which often comprises a significant percentage of students in schools in areas like the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. She emphasized the importance of acknowledging individual circumstances in minority student populations and breaking down commonly cited stereotypes of Asian Americans as being a critical element of effective teaching. One of the topics that she addressed was stereotypes of Japanese Americans that arose following the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor. Her lecture was coupled with the sharing of first-hand experiences by Dr. Joseph Yasutake, who was interned at the age of nine. Dr. Yasutake’s talk stimulated discussions on civil liberties, race relations, discrimination, and American identity among the teachers. “Hearing history from one who has experienced it as well as studied and taught the history is really wonderful,” said one institute participant. “This combination brings a great amount of authority and well as authenticity to the narrative he [Yasutake] provides.” The SPICE curriculum unit, Civil Rights and Japanese-American Internment, was recommended as a resource for teachers.

The institute brought together both experienced mentor teachers and those new to the field. Naomi Funahashi, who organized and facilitated the institute, remains in communication with many of the teachers and has noticed that a community of learners, who are committed to a long-term exploration of Asian and Asian-American studies, has grown from the institute. She reflected, “One of the unexpected outcomes of the institute was the recommendations that many of the teachers have written in support of their students’ applications to my online class on Japan called the Reischauer Scholar Program. My hope is that some of my students will someday attend SPICE institutes as teachers and that SPICE institutes will continue to serve teachers as they have since 1973 for many decades to come.”

SPICE is currently recruiting teachers to attend its 2018 summer institute for middle school teachers (June 20–22, 2018) and summer institute for high school teachers (July 23–25, 2018).

To stay informed of SPICE-related news, follow SPICE on Facebook and Twitter.

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Teacher participants in the 2017 East Asia Summer Institute examine propaganda posters from China's Cultural Revolution.
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Last night, SPICE Director Gary Mukai was formally conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, for his lifelong contributions to the promotion of friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

The Order of the Rising Sun is a decoration in the Japanese honors system that dates back to 1875. It was established as the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, and it recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to Japan or its culture. It is one of the highest decorations conferred by the government.

Dr. Mukai accepted the decoration in a ceremony at the residence of the Honorable Jun Yamada, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco. Also in attendance were Dr. Mukai’s family, present and former colleagues at Stanford, key supporters of SPICE, and many other friends in the U.S.–Japan field.

Before presenting the decoration, Consul General Yamada recognized Dr. Mukai for his steadfast commitment to U.S.–Japan relations, praising both his career in cross-cultural education at SPICE as well as his decades-long support of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, a program supported by the Japanese government.

Dr. Daniel Okimoto, Stanford Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Dr. Mukai’s longtime friend and mentor, also addressed the evening’s guests. He commended Dr. Mukai’s trailblazing educational work in U.S.–Japan relations, including his development of numerous SPICE curriculum guides on Japan for K–12 classrooms and his creation of the Reischauer Scholars Program and the Stanford e-Japan Program—a pair of nation-wide online courses that teach American and Japanese high school students about each others’ countries.

During the ceremony, Mukai informed Consul General Yamada that the award is the greatest honor of his life and thanked him for his unwavering support of SPICE’s efforts to educate students in Japan and in the United States, and also thanked Dr. Okimoto for his 30 years of mentorship.

To read the Consulate’s announcement of the recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, visit http://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/17_1103.html.

To stay informed of SPICE-related news, follow SPICE on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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Dr. Gary Mukai receives the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays. February 8, 2018.
Dr. Gary Mukai with his Stanford friends and colleagues, after receives the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays. February 8, 2018.
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The Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) is an interactive, synchronous online course for high school students in the United States. As part of Stanford University’s SPICE Program in Pre-Collegiate Global Learning, the RSP provides students with a broad overview of Japanese history, literature, religion, art, politics, economics, and contemporary society, with a special focus on the U.S.–Japan relationship. Although intensive, the RSP will equip participants with a rare degree of expertise about Japan that may have a significant impact on their choice of study and future career.

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The U.S.-Japan Council’s TOMODACHI Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) identifies, cultivates, and empowers a new generation of Japanese American leaders. A new cohort of Emerging Leaders is selected annually to attend USJC’s Annual Conference, participate in leadership education, and join program alumni in bridging the future of the U.S.–Japan relationship.


SPICE’s Rylan Sekiguchi, Manager of Curriculum and Instructional Design, recently returned from Washington, DC, where he participated in the U.S.-Japan Council’s annual conference as a member of the 2017 TOMODACHI Emerging Leaders Program (ELP). USJC was conceptualized by the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii and Irene Hirano Inouye, President of USJC.

Sekiguchi was born and raised in Honolulu, and from as far back as he can remember, Senator Inouye was a role model and iconic figure in Hawaii, serving as the state’s U.S. Senator from 1963 to 2012 and as President pro tempore of the Senate from 2010 until his death in 2012. Sekiguchi graduated from Roosevelt High School and chose Stanford University over Harvard and Yale—to avoid the snowy winters—for his undergraduate studies. He joined SPICE in 2005 shortly after graduation.

“I feel honored to participate in USJC and the ELP specifically,” reflects Sekiguchi. “The ELP is such an incredible program, and knowing that USJC was conceptualized by my home state’s late Senator Inouye makes the experience even more meaningful to me. The 2017 ELP cohort has five members who are originally from Hawaii, and I hope that we and the others in my cohort will help realize Senator Inouye’s vision of empowering a new generation of leaders in the U.S.–Japan relationship.”

Sekiguchi is one of 12 delegates of the eighth ELP cohort. “Acceptance into the ELP is highly competitive,” notes Kaz Maniwa, Senior Vice President of  USJC, who has directed the ELP since its inception. Maniwa closed his law practice in San Francisco after 36 years to dedicate himself to the Council and the empowerment of youth specifically through the ELP. “It’s exciting to be able to work with the next generation of leaders of our community and in U.S.–Japan relations. The ELP delegates are smart, compassionate, ambitious in a good way, forward-thinking and supportive of each other. They come from across the United States and Japan and have developed into a broad network of future leaders.”

Rylan Sekiguchi at the 2017 U.S.-Japan Council conference Rylan Sekiguchi at the 2017 U.S.-Japan Council conference in Washington, DC

Besides receiving leadership training and networking with program alumni, the 2017 ELP delegates attended the U.S.-Japan Council’s annual conference and met with leaders in the business, nonprofit, and government sectors. This year’s conference theme was “Unity in Diversity: Shaping the Future Together,” and its panelists and keynote speakers spanned a wide range of backgrounds, expertise, and politics, and included two current members of the U.S. Cabinet. Delegates considered changes that have arisen under the new White House administration and how Japan and the United States can continue to work together toward mutually beneficial goals.

Sekiguchi and his fellow ELP delegates have already seeded ideas to help strengthen U.S.–Japan relations. Some of the ideas lie in the area of education. For example, Sekiguchi shared his current SPICE work with the Mineta Legacy Project, which focuses on the life of former Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, Vice Chair of USJC’s Board of Councilors. Secretary Mineta served as President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Commerce and President George W. Bush’s Secretary of Transportation. The Mineta Legacy Project will include a documentary being developed by USJC Council Leaders Dianne Fukami and Debra Nakatomi and an educational curriculum that is being developed by Sekiguchi.

The U.S.-Japan Council’s 2018 conference will take place in Tokyo in November, and plans are already underway for the eighth ELP cohort’s first reunion.

 

Find more information on the TOMODACHI Emerging Leaders Program online
http://www.usjapancouncil.org/tomodachi_emerging_leaders_program

Find more information on the U.S.-Japan Council online
http://www.usjapancouncil.org

Follow SPICE on Facebook and Twitter

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Rylan Sekiguchi at the 2017 U.S.-Japan Council conference
Rylan Sekiguchi at the 2017 U.S.-Japan Council conference in Washington, DC
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Sponsored by the United States–Japan Foundation, the Elgin Heinz Teacher Award recognizes exceptional teachers who further mutual understanding between Americans and Japanese. The award is presented annually to pre-college teachers in two categories, humanities and Japanese language. It is named in honor of Elgin Heinz for his commitment to educating students about Asia as well as for the inspiration he has provided to the field of pre-college education.

SPICE’s Reischauer Scholars Program Manager and Instructor Naomi Funahashi has won the 2017 Elgin Heinz Teacher Award for her teaching excellence with the Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP), an online course named in honor of former Ambassador to Japan Edwin O. Reischauer that introduces Japan and U.S.–Japan relations to high school students in the United States. Funahashi formally accepted the award at Stanford University on November 20, 2017.

In his opening comments, David Janes, Director of Foundation Grants and Assistant to the President, United States–Japan Foundation, who hosted the ceremony, praised Funahashi, explaining why she is so deserving of the distinction: “Like Ambassador Reischauer, Naomi knows how global education at the high school level can transform kids for life, making them better leaders for the future.”

Comments from the Honorable Jun Yamada, Consul General of Japan, were shared by Maiko Tamagawa, Advisor for Educational Affairs, Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. Consul General Yamada noted, “Ms. Funahashi is indeed an extraordinary educator. Her dedication and commitment to inspiring and empowering young Americans to become experts on Japan is an invaluable contribution to the promotion of mutual understanding between our two countries.” Consul General Yamada, who serves on the advisory committee of the RSP, also graciously hosted a dinner at his residence in honor of Funahashi in July 2017, shortly after the announcement of the award.

SPICE Director Gary Mukai, who nominated Funahashi for the award, commented that “Naomi is extremely dedicated to her students, and I hear regular praise from her students, including those who have matriculated to Stanford. Elgin would have rave reviews of her interdisciplinary approach to teaching… Because of Naomi, the original RSP goal of creating a new generation of leaders in the U.S.–Japan relationship has become a reality.”

David Janes presents the 2017 Elgin Heinz Teacher Award to Naomi Funahashi David Janes (United States–Japan Foundation) presents the 2017 Elgin Heinz Teacher Award to Naomi Funahashi (SPICE)

Former RSP student and recent Stanford graduate Aryo Sorayya spoke next and thanked Funahashi for extending herself to students far beyond the RSP’s course requirements themselves. Sorayya spoke not only about Funahashi’s careful attention to students’ work but also her sincere interest in their college plans and careers.

Also in attendance were former Ambassador to Japan Michael Armacost; many Stanford scholars—including Takeo Hoshi, Kenji Kushida, and Phillip Lipscy—who contribute lectures, lead online “virtual classrooms,” and/or serve as principal investigators of the RSP; former recipients the Elgin Heinz Teacher Award Norman Masuda and Saya Okimoto McKenna; and members of Funahashi’s family, including her mother Jan Funahashi, husband Rich Lee, and three-year-old son Akira, hopefully a future RSP student in 2030.

Funahashi was born in Tokyo and grew up moving between the United States and Japan. Naomi has resided in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2000, joining SPICE in 2005. She is a graduate of Brown University (BA), San Francisco State University (teaching credential), and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (M.Ed.). She has served as Manager and Instructor of the RSP since joining SPICE.

Find more information on the Elgin Heinz Teacher Awards online
http://us-jf.org/programs/elgin-heinz-teacher-awards/

To stay informed of SPICE-related news, follow SPICE on Facebook and Twitter.

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David Janes presents the 2017 Elgin Heinz Teacher Award to Naomi Funahashi
David Janes (United States–Japan Foundation) presents the 2017 Elgin Heinz Teacher Award to Naomi Funahashi (SPICE)
Rylan Sekiguchi
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SPICE Director Gary Mukai has been named a recipient of the 2017 Autumn Conferment of Japanese Decorations. On November 3, the government of Japan announced that Dr. Mukai will be awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays for his contributions to the promotion of friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

The Order of the Rising Sun is a decoration in the Japanese honors system that dates back to 1875. It was established as the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, and it recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to Japan or its culture. It is one of the highest decorations conferred by the government.

“I am very humbled by this honor,” reflects Mukai. “I still find it hard to believe. But as someone who has always cared deeply about the U.S.–Japan relationship, this decoration truly means a lot to me. I’m just thankful I’ve had so many opportunities to be involved.”

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After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching credential from UC Berkeley, Dr. Mukai moved to Japan to teach in 1977 and has since worked to promote cross-cultural education between the United States and Japan. Besides working as a teacher in both countries, he has served as a longtime interviewer for the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and has been a selection committee member of the United States-Japan Foundation’s Elgin Heinz Teacher Award since its inception. At SPICE, he has developed numerous curriculum guides on Japan for K–12 classrooms as well as overseen the creation of both the Reischauer Scholars Program and Stanford e-Japan—a pair of nation-wide online courses that teach American and Japanese high school students about each others’ countries.

A date for Mukai’s formal conferment ceremony has not been announced.

To read the Consulate’s announcement of the recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, visit http://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/17_1103.html.

To stay informed of SPICE-related news, follow SPICE on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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Gary in Hiroshima, his ancestral hometown.
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