91³Ô¹Ï

When I saw the photo (above) of the Port of Kobe, I immediately thought of my paternal grandmother, Wakano Mukai, who, at the age of 17, departed on the SS Manchuria from the Port of Kobe on January 10, 1910. She left Japan to join her husband, Buntaro, in California. She had agreed to marry him based only upon a photo that she had seen of him. If Wakano were alive today, I would ask her about what the voyage from Kobe to Honolulu to San Francisco was like and what her life in California had taught her about the world.

The goal of educating youth about the world has been promoted by Kobe City Mayor Kizo Hisamoto, who supported Kobe City¡¯s decision to collaborate with the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91³Ô¹Ï) on the development of a new online course, Stanford e-Kobe. The opening ceremony for the inaugural Stanford e-Kobe course was held on September 18, 2021. The course will help high school students in Kobe expand their knowledge of the United States and U.S.¨CJapan relations¡ªincluding topics like diversity and entrepreneurship¡ªbeyond just a superficial level. In his opening comments, Mayor Hisamoto noted, ¡°Our city strives to create an environment in which young people could fully realize their potential. We have already implemented a number of startup support programs in cooperation with various universities and private companies in the city.¡± He continued,

³§±Ê±õ°ä·¡¡¯²õ Alison Harsch, Stanford e-Kobe Instructor, and I represented 91³Ô¹Ï during the opening ceremony. During the ceremony, Harsch told the 29 students that they will be encouraged to think in an ¡°internationally minded manner¡±¡ªthat is, to think about different points of view. She also emphasized that students need not be concerned if they encounter small setbacks in the course, and to ¡°fail forward.¡± Harsch offered students a glimpse into what Stanford e-Kobe will be like with its active learning and student-centered focus. Teacher Consultant Tomoko Nakamura, Fukiai High School, commented, ¡°Alison-sensei¡¯s words encouraged our students a lot. They must think that it is important to be positive and express their opinions without hesitation¡­ I am grateful for her welcoming of our students so warmly into Stanford e-Kobe.¡±

Harsch noted that ¡°students should come away from the course with a much deeper understanding of the United States and its strong history of diversity, including early Japanese immigration.¡± Wakano was never able to return to Japan after immigrating to the United States in 1910. She died in 1947. I wish that she were alive today to hear me share with the students of Kobe, who are about her age when she left Japan, that her last fading glimpse of Japan¡ªthat of Kobe¡ªhas become clearer again through students of Kobe who aspire to build bridges between their city and the United States and to encourage their peers in the United States to see Kobe firsthand.

I am grateful to Mayor Kizo Hisamoto for making this course possible and for his vision; and to Superintendent Jun Nagata for his leadership and support. I am most grateful to Masanori Nagamine, former Director, Kobe Trade Information Office in Seattle, and Dr. Takaaki Hoda, Kobe University, for allowing me to consult with them while they were in Seattle and at Stanford, respectively. Importantly, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Tomoko Nakamura from Fukiai High School and Toshihiro Nishiyama from the Kobe Board of Education for their kind correspondence and unwavering support; and to Satoshi Kawasaki as well.

Stanford/91³Ô¹Ï East Asia Seminars for Teachers in Hawaii (¡°Stanford SEAS Hawaii¡±) is a teacher professional development opportunity for educators who wish to enhance their teaching of East Asia. Offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91³Ô¹Ï) with the generous support of the Freeman Foundation, Stanford SEAS Hawaii will select 25 teachers to participate in a nine-month fellowship from November 2021 to July 2022. This program is managed by Rylan Sekiguchi and coordinated by Sabrina Ishimatsu.

The application deadline for Stanford SEAS Hawaii is October 15, 2021.

The 2021¨C22 program is open to all public, charter, and private high school teachers on Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Niihau, and the island of Hawaii. Selected teachers¡ªStanford/Freeman SEAS Hawaii Fellows¡ªwill build their content knowledge of East Asia by learning from a combination of experts based at 91³Ô¹Ï and other institutions. Fellows will also receive extensive curricula, teaching resources, and training from 91³Ô¹Ï to support their teaching of East Asia in the high school classroom.

The 2021¨C22 program will consist of two parts:

1. A series of four private virtual seminars with scholars during the 2021¨C22 academic year (November 15, January 13, March 22, and May 3; to be confirmed), each exploring a different aspect of East Asia.
2. A three-day in-person teacher institute in Honolulu in the summer of 2022 (July 12¨C14; to be confirmed) that will highlight the geography, cultures, politics, and history of East Asia, including a special focus on U.S.¨CAsia relations and the Asian diaspora in the United States. Teachers will be joined by the 2020¨C21 Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawaii Fellows from Oahu. (Note: The institute will be subject to local health and safety guidelines at the time. Participants will be notified in advance if plans must be changed.)

Twenty-four teachers from Oahu participated in the inaugural year (2020¨C21) of Stanford SEAS Hawaii. In their reflections, many commented on the rich subject matter content that was delivered by the Stanford scholars. Dr. Robert Straton (Punahou School) commented, ¡°To my mind, the Stanford SEAS Hawaii program is spot-on! In a nutshell, you get down-to-earth professors who provide extremely interesting talks, then do their best afterwards to answer all questions in clear, straightforward language¡­ Each session includes a shortlist of further readings, useful primary source documents, and more.¡± Shawna Poitra (Kapolei High School) noted ¡°The Stanford SEAS Hawaii program was a great opportunity for educators to learn about multiple aspects of history. The presenters were engaging and knowledgeable; the depth in their content area made it a rich experience. The 91³Ô¹Ï coordinators did a fantastic job creating meetings that were useful and manageable as working teachers. This experience was well worth my time.¡±

To apply for this opportunity, visit this webpage.

To be notified of other professional development opportunities, and follow 91³Ô¹Ï on , , and .

In addition to Stanford SEAS Hawaii, 91³Ô¹Ï offers teacher PD opportunities virtually to teachers nationwide and locally in California to middle school teachers, high school teachers, and community college instructors. For more information on those programs, please visit the webpages below.

• East Asia Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers
• East Asia Summer Institute for High School Teachers
• Community College Programs

Gathering educators from across the Bay Area for our in-person summer institutes on East Asia and the Asian American experience has always been a highlight of our year at 91³Ô¹Ï. Teachers soak up content lectures from Stanford faculty and other experts and discuss pedagogy, and, most importantly, form a meaningful learning community in which diverse ideas and varied perspectives are encouraged and shared. Teachers also gain valuable insight and feedback from 91³Ô¹Ï curriculum specialists. Sitting eye-to-eye with like-minded educators seeking deeper content knowledge and authentic voices is a special experience, and it¡¯s one that we look forward to every year.

The COVID-19 pandemic, of course, necessitated a change of plans. We moved our middle school and high school teacher professional development programs online amidst concerns that the deeper person-to-person connections that we valued would be lost. Much to our surprise, these fears proved to be unwarranted. After 18 months of teaching under the most challenging and exhausting of circumstances, teachers were eager for a safe space to connect, share, empathize, listen, and learn. Perhaps we had all become used to interacting as little squares on a Zoom screen.

Moving to an online model enabled us to broaden our reach considerably, engaging teachers from all across North America and beyond, with participants joining from as far as China and India. This geographic diversity¡ªas well as the wide range of subject areas taught by the participants¡ªenhanced the learning experience of these summer institute cohorts in surprising ways. Rich curricular and pedagogical resources were shared generously in the discussion boards on Canvas, our online learning platform. One of the most rewarding aspects of the posts was to hear about the diverse communities of students with whom the teachers work¡ªfrom inner city schools on the West Coast to rural schools in the Midwest and suburban schools in the South.

Seventeen educators gathered online from June 28 to July 1 for the 2021 Virtual East Asia Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers, deepening their content knowledge on Asia and considering new perspectives and pedagogical approaches for the upcoming school year. The first three days focused on the Silk Road, Chinese dynasties, and Tokugawa Japan respectively. On the final day, teachers explored and discussed ways to incorporate more authentic Asian American voices in their teaching, culminating in a panel discussion with Asian American authors of YA fiction and memoirs.

During the final week of July, the 2021 Virtual East Asia Summer Institute for High School Teachers engaged 20 teachers with content lectures, small group discussions, and curricular resources highlighting the geography, cultures, politics, history, and literature of East Asia, with a special focus on the Asian diaspora in the United States and the diversity of the Asian American experience. Teachers absorbed subject-matter content from a range of guest speakers and collaboratively discussed ideas for implementing the content into their classrooms.

¡°I gained so many valuable takeaways from this summer 91³Ô¹Ï seminar to be able to adapt meaningful content points and activities,¡± noted Kelly McKee, a social studies teacher at Lake Forest High School in Illinois. ¡°It is such a challenge cultivating an effective online learning community. This summer I participated in several online PD [professional development] programs, but the 91³Ô¹Ï seminar was certainly one of the most engaging and worthwhile.¡±

With the fall 2021 academic term under way, the teachers now face the challenge of taking their newfound knowledge and finding ways to incorporate it into their classrooms. Mike Vazquez, a history teacher at Brenwood Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, commented that he appreciated the opportunities to interact with other educators, and that ¡°it is up to us to continue those relationships in the future.¡± With this in mind, we hope to convene additional virtual gatherings with these two cohorts later this year, and to continue strengthening this learning community as educators continue to face new challenges brought about by the pandemic.

³§±Ê±õ°ä·¡¡¯²õ teacher institutes are offered in partnership with the , which is generously funded by the Freeman Foundation. For more professional development opportunities for educators, visit our Teacher Programs webpage, , and follow us on , , and .

Stanford e-Japan is an online course that teaches Japanese high school students about U.S. society and culture and U.S.¨CJapan relations. The course introduces students to both U.S. and Japanese perspectives on many historical and contemporary issues. It is offered biannually by the  (91³Ô¹Ï). Stanford e-Japan is supported by the .

In Summer 2022, top students of the Spring 2021 Stanford e-Japan course will be honored through an event at 91³Ô¹Ï.

The three Spring 2021 honorees¡ª (Toyama Chubu High School, Toyama),  (Yaeyama High School, Okinawa), and  (Waseda University Senior High School, Tokyo)¡ªwill be recognized for their coursework and exceptional research essays that focused respectively on ¡°Organ Donation After Brain Death in Japan and the United States,¡± ¡°Ambiguity and Clarity: Cultural Differences between Japan and the U.S.,¡± and ¡°The U.S.¨CJapan Relationship: Consideration from the Perspective of U.S.¨CChina Friction.¡±

Risei Ko (Ikeda Senior High School Attached to Osaka Kyoiku University) and Moe Shimizu (Shibuya Senior High School) received Honorable Mentions for their research papers that focused respectively on ¡°The Metaverse & Human Relations: A New Approach to Tackle Racism in Japan and the U.S.¡± and ¡°Mental Health Care for U.S. High School Students Under COVID-19.¡±

In the Spring 2021 session of Stanford e-Japan, all 28 students successfully completed the course. The students represented the following schools: Aichi Shukutoku Junior and Senior High School (Aichi); the Academy for the International Community in Japan (AICJ) High School (Hiroshima); Hachinohe St. Ursula Gakuin High School (Aomori); Hiroo Gakuen High School (Tokyo); Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima Senior High School (Hiroshima); Hokkaido Sapporo Minami High School (Hokkaido); Ikeda Senior High School Attached to Osaka Kyoiku University (Osaka); International Christian University High School (Tokyo); Kaijo Senior High School (Tokyo); Kaisei Academy (Tokyo); Kasugaoka High School (Osaka); Keio Girls Senior High School (Tokyo); Kyoto Gakuen High School (Kyoto); Kyoto Prefectural Rakuhoku Senior High School (Kyoto); Mita International School (Tokyo); Nagasaki Prefectural Isahaya High School (Nagasaki); Oin High School (Tokyo); Okayama Prefectural Joto High School (Okayama); Oshima High School (Kagoshima); Saitama Municipal Urawa High School (Saitama); Senior High School at Otsuka, University of Tsukuba (Tokyo); Shibuya Senior High School (Tokyo); Takada High School (Mie); Takamatsu High School (Kagawa); Toyama Chubu High School (Toyama); Waseda University Senior High School (Tokyo); Yaeyama High School (Okinawa); and Yatsushiro High School (Kumamoto).

For more information about the Stanford e-Japan Program, please visit . The application period for Spring 2022 will begin November 15, 2021.

Under the leadership of Carey Moncaster (MA ¡¯94) and Liyi Ye (MA ¡¯16), Stanford e-China recently concluded its Spring 2021 session. Launched in Winter 2020, Stanford e-China, Technologies Changing the World: Design Thinking into Action, is offered twice annually and introduces high school students in China to cutting-edge technologies that are defining the future and providing exciting areas for academic study, professional opportunities, and entrepreneurial innovation. Focusing on the fields of green tech, finance tech, health tech, and artificial intelligence, students engage in live discussion sessions and real-time conversations with 91³Ô¹Ï scholars, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, as well as American high school students. Moncaster partners with Stanford e-China Advisor Liyi Ye and Ye¡¯s team at Third Classroom in Shanghai.

A key challenge in developing Stanford e-China has been finding and refining a framework that encourages students to analyze the challenges facing each of the technologies highlighted in the course and then brainstorm innovative solutions. To showcase the dynamic research and teachings at 91³Ô¹Ï, Moncaster honed in on Design Thinking, a creative-thinking and problem-solving framework widely utilized throughout campus and Silicon Valley. Moncaster explained, ¡°Design Thinking is a very hands-on, interactive, team-based experience that is dependent on critical feedback from other people. Translating the Design Thinking concepts online, with students, scholars, and practitioners virtually scattered across the world, presents an exciting opportunity to create curriculum that effectively introduces the relevant skills and mindset.¡±

For final projects, Stanford e-China students delve into an area of personal interest in one of the technology fields, applying aspects of the Design Thinking framework to develop a prototype pitch and action plan. Some of the sample projects have focused on improving the accessibility of digital healthcare for China¡¯s rural residents, improving the mental health of Chinese students, utilizing solar energy at rural schools to provide electricity to students at night, and lowering carbon emissions at traditional power plants. Once it has been deemed safe to travel to the United States again, the top three students from each session will be invited to annual ceremonies at 91³Ô¹Ï. During the ceremonies, students will present their pitches and sharpen their Design Thinking skills with Stanford community members present.

Based on feedback from students, a highlight of Stanford e-China has been the chance to collaborate with American high school students studying about China and U.S.¨CChina relations in ³§±Ê±õ°ä·¡¡¯²õ China Scholars Program (CSP). With the support of CSP instructor Dr. Tanya Lee, the Chinese and American students work together in small groups on WeChat and Canvas to apply Design Thinking to an environmental challenge in their respective communities. In the process, they figure out how to bridge different time zones, tech resources, learning styles, and cultural perspectives.

Moncaster reflected, ¡°Since Tanya, Liyi, and I are trying to cultivate future leaders in U.S.¨CChina relations, we are hoping to increase the interaction between the students in Stanford e-China and the China Scholars Program. It has been fascinating to hear them discuss not only cutting-edge technologies but also how they can serve as change agents and address topics such as social inequality.¡± She continued, ¡°Thanks to our inspiring guest speakers and the robust dialogue between my students and the CSP students, I am confident that many of my students have been inspired to become social entrepreneurs of the future. I also hope that some of my students will consider applying to Stanford as undergraduates or graduate students.¡±

In terms of next steps, Moncaster and Ye hope to shift some of their attention to training schoolteachers in China¡ªincluding the regular schoolteachers of their Stanford e-China students¡ªvia professional development seminars. 91³Ô¹Ï Instructor Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang and already offered one such seminar, which focused on Design Thinking. 91³Ô¹Ï hopes to offer additional seminars to teachers in China on Design Thinking as well as other pedagogically focused strategies such as Project-Based Learning.

91³Ô¹Ï is seeking support to broaden its work with Stanford e-China, the China Scholars Program, and teacher professional development in China.

On August 23, 2021, a virtual award ceremony was held to recognize the eight honorees of ³§±Ê±õ°ä·¡¡¯²õ 2020¨C2021 regional programs in Japan. These students performed at the highest levels in their respective courses. Their names, high schools, and final research project titles appear below.

Stanford e-Hiroshima (Instructor Rylan Sekiguchi)

• Sara Arakawa (Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima Kokutaiji Senior High School), ¡°Silicon Valley: Secrets Behind Success¡±
• Chika Isone (Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima Senior High School), ¡°Innovation by Design Thinking in Silicon Valley¡±

Stanford e-Kawasaki (Instructor )

• Eric Silang (Kawasaki High School), ¡°Humor and America¡±
• Shunya Tani (Kawasaki High School), ¡°Possible Ways to Promote Renewable Energy in Japan and the U.S.¡±

Stanford e-Oita (Instructor )

• Hana Burkart (Hofu High School), ¡°Social Discrimination Against Foreigners in Japan¡±
• Yayano Okuda (Usa High School), ¡°Environmental Education¡±

Stanford e-Tottori (Instructor Jonas Edman)

• Eri Tamura (Tottori Nishi High School), ¡°Teachers¡¯ Treatment in the U.S.¡±
• Hinata Yonemura (Yonago Higashi High School), ¡°Veganism: How Japanese Society Can Promote It¡±
   

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The Honorable Toru Maeda, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, made opening remarks and congratulated the honorees on their outstanding academic performances. Addressing the students directly, he said, ¡°You have demonstrated strong initiative and deep understanding of various aspects of Japan and the United States.¡± He also expressed optimism in the future of the U.S.¨CJapan relationship. He continued, ¡°With young people like you, I¡¯m confident that Japan¨CU.S. relations¡ªwhich are now firmly based on shared fundamental values and common strategic goals¡ªwill continue to grow for many years to come. A deeper understanding among young people on both sides will promote greater cooperation and collaboration between our two countries, which will enable us to meet the challenges lying ahead.¡±

Consul General Maeda¡¯s remarks were followed by introductions of the student honorees by their instructors Sekiguchi, Bacha, Yamashita, and Edman. The honorees then gave formal research presentations in English and responded to questions from the audience. Each honoree received an award plaque to recognize their achievement.

Although some of the students felt nervous about their presentations at the beginning of the event, once the ceremony ended, they felt a sense of accomplishment and renewed motivation. ¡°I had a great time today,¡± commented Sara Arakawa. ¡°My desire to study English is getting stronger each day, and I will practice hard to be a person who works globally in the future. I will never forget everything I learned in this program.¡±

The 91³Ô¹Ï instructors would like to express their gratitude to their key contacts at the Hiroshima, Oita, and Tottori Prefectural Boards of Education and the City of Kawasaki, who have helped make these regional programs a success. They would also like to thank Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, Kawasaki Mayor Norihiko Fukuda, Oita Governor Katsusada Hirose, and Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai for their continued support of these regional programs.

³§±Ê±õ°ä·¡¡¯²õ regional programs are a subset of our local student programs in Japan.

To stay informed of news about 91³Ô¹Ï, and follow us on , , and .

is an online course offered to high school students from throughout Japan. It is offered annually in spring and fall by 91³Ô¹Ï and the Japanese NPO e-Entrepreneurship, led by . The instructors are Maiko Tamagawa Bacha (spring) and Irene Bryant (fall).

On August 11, 2021, the top students in the 2020 spring and fall cohorts were honored in a virtual ceremony. They are listed below alphabetically.  

• Naho Abe, The American School Foundation in Mexico City
• Yasuko Kinoshita, graduate of Akita Senior High School, Akita Prefecture
• Rion Kurihara, Shibuya Senior High School, Tokyo
• Sungyeon ¡°Sunny¡± Park, The British School in Tokyo

The goal of Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is to foster creative thinking and problem-solving skills in students with a focus on innovation to address social issues. During the ceremony, the honorees made presentations that focused on history textbook controversies in Japan (Abe); aging communities in rural prefectures like Akita (Kinoshita); gun control in the United States (Kurihara); and poverty alleviation (Park).

While listening to the presentations, Bacha and Bryant were struck by the diversity represented by the honorees. Bryant, who is a former Coordinator of International Relations on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, reflected, ¡°As an American who has lived outside of the United States for many years, I have no doubt that Naho¡¯s attendance at a high school in Mexico City and Sunny¡¯s attendance at The British School in Tokyo will have a profound effect on their college studies and possibly careers, just as my overseas experiences have had a profound effect on my life.¡± Bacha similarly reflected, ¡°As a Japanese national who attended graduate school in California and also worked in San Francisco, I think it¡¯s great that Yasuko, who is from the rural prefecture of Akita, will be enrolling at Minerva University in San Francisco this year, and hope that Rion will fulfill her dream of enrolling in a university in the United States as well.¡±

Bryant and Bacha are most grateful to the following educators in Japan for their support throughout the 2020 courses:

• Mana Miura, Curriculum Designer, NPO e-Entrepreneurship
• Roy Lee, former teacher at Seiko Jr. and Sr. High School
• Sara Inoue, currently a student at Harvard University¡¯s Graduate School of Education

The spring 2020 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan course was generously supported by the Water Dragon Foundation. The fall 2020 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan course was generously supported by Noriko Honda Chen and the Capital Group, Norman Chen, Andrew Ogawa, and Mako Ogawa.

For more information about ³§±Ê±õ°ä·¡¡¯²õ online courses for students, visit our Student Programs page.

On August 9, 2021, a virtual award ceremony was held to honor ³§±Ê±õ°ä·¡¡¯²õ Spring and Fall 2020 Stanford e-Japan honorees and 2021 Reischauer Scholars Program honorees. The honorees performed at the highest levels of their courses as determined by Stanford e-Japan Instructors Waka Brown and Meiko Kotani, Reischauer Scholars Program Instructor Naomi Funahashi, and research paper review committees.

Spring and Fall 2020 Stanford e-Japan Program Honorees and Their Research Paper Topics

• Coco Kawaguchi (Keio Girls Senior High School, Tokyo), ¡°To Infinity and Beyond! National Survival in the Era of Venture Space Development¡±
• Sotaro Kunieda (Suwa Seiryo High School, Nagano), ¡°Fostering Social Enterprises in Japan: Lessons from the United States¡±
• Yun-Tzu (Allison) Lin (Canadian Academy, Kobe), ¡°Nuclear Deterrence Theory: An Evaluation of Its Effectiveness in Preventing Future Deployment of Nuclear Weapons¡±
• Minami Matsushima (Senri & Osaka International Schools of Kwansei Gakuin, Osaka), ¡°The Price We Pay for Men to Be Men: Toxic Masculinity in the United States¡±
• Yuna Naoi (Tokyo Metropolitan Hibiya High School, Tokyo), ¡°Online Secondary School Education in Japan and the U.S. Amid the COVID-19 Crisis¡±
• Kenta Yoshii (Shukutoku Junior and Senior High School, Tokyo), ¡°In Search of a Realistic Substitute for U.S. Extended Deterrence for Japan¡±

Honorable Mentions: Risako Nomura (Yokohama Senior High School of International Studies, Kanagawa); Satoru Uchida (Tokyo Metropolitan High School, Tokyo)

2021 Reischauer Scholars Program Honorees and Their Research Paper Topics

• Erica Cai (The Harker School, San Jose, California), ¡°The Darkness in Pursuing Lightness: Western Perspectives on Japanese Colorism¡±
• Kristine Pashin (Notre Dame High School, San Jose, California), ¡°The Rite of Rights: An Examination of Socio-Cultural Precedent in Japanese Law¡±
• Kasha Tyranski (St. Petersburg High School, St. Petersburg, Florida), ¡°Gastrodiplomacy: Examining the Soft Power of Food in U.S.¨CJapan Relations¡±

Honorable Mentions: Noah Kurima (Sage Creek High School, Carlsbad, California); Kalia Lai (The College Preparatory School, Oakland, California); Benjamin Thomas (Garfield High School, Seattle, Washington)

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The Honorable Keiichi Higuchi, Deputy Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, made opening comments. ¡°I commend each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication to complete your program in spite of your regular school responsibilities,¡± he remarked. ¡°You have demonstrated your initiative and determination to further your understanding of Japan and the United States. However, this should not be the end but just the beginning of your journey. I strongly encourage you to continue your studies, and I hope that your experiences in these programs will inspire you to think about a career involving Japan and the United States. I look forward to the day when I hear that some of you will be actively engaged in furthering the Japan¨CU.S. relationship in your careers and in your lives.¡±

He continued, ¡°I would like you to know that the special expertise and knowledge that you gained makes you uniquely qualified to take a leading role in promoting Japan¨CU.S. relations¡­ With young people like you, I have full confidence that the Japan¨CU.S. relationship will continue to grow and thrive for many years to come.¡±

Following Deputy Consul General Higuchi¡¯s comments, the student honorees made presentations based on their research papers and expertly fielded questions from the audience.

Yu Higashisawa, Osaka University North American Center for Academic Initiatives, commented, ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure and honor to be invited to Japan Day for several years. It¡¯s wonderful to see that 91³Ô¹Ï has provided a platform for high school students in Japan and the United States to exchange ideas and build relationships remotely. The presentations by the honorees of the RSP and Stanford e-Japan always amaze me and open my eyes to new perspectives. They are ready to go out into the world and make changes in our future!¡±

Funahashi hopes that her students will someday have the opportunity to study abroad at universities like Osaka University, and Brown and Kotani hope that their students will someday have the opportunity to study abroad at universities like Stanford in the United States.  

is the current supporter of Stanford e-Japan, and Daisuke Kato represented the Yanai Tadashi Foundation during the ceremony. 91³Ô¹Ï is grateful to Tadashi Yanai for his generous support and to Daisuke Kato and Chikano Shiroma of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation for their regular correspondence and encouragement. Naoaki and Yuka Mashita are the current supporters of the Reischauer Scholars Program, and 91³Ô¹Ï is thankful to them for their generous support. These courses and the ceremony would not have been possible without them.

The Reischauer Scholars Program¡¯s next application period will begin September 6, 2021. Stanford e-Japan¡¯s next application period will begin mid-November 2021.

The update below also appears on ³§±Ê±õ°ä·¡¡¯²õ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page, where we post periodic updates about ³§±Ê±õ°ä·¡¡¯²õ DEI-focused work.