61st JASC kickoff!

In just a few days, the 28 members of the American delegation will fly into Seattle from all over for the American Orientation (AO). We are all super excited to see you all in person (no more emails and skype meetings)!

Pre-AO begins on the 21st, where the AECs will be preparing for the Amedeles' arrivals. Rachel will be coming from NYC, Karen and Yoshi from Philly, Durkin from Akron, Colin from Connecticut, Mina from Houston, Ed (who lives in Seattle) and me from Tokyo.

The AECs havent gotten together since Spring Meeting in mid-March, so I assume we'll have the same late-night-food-binging-talk-talk-talkingg parties at UW campus. And maybe bump into Ichiro on the streets? (hmm...)

The Japadeles will get together in Tokyo on the 26th and await our arrival to Tokyo on the 28th. I met a few of them in Tokyo and they're all excited to meet the Amedeles, too.

See you all soon~

The Loss America Didn't Notice

The United States was shocked [perhaps too shocked] by the losses of celebrities Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Billy Mays. Between the three of them, they have the top-selling album, poster and product-pitching business in the world. But there was another loss last week that went largely unnoticed, despite it being that of an American icon. It was due to a slow decay, the kind that the paparazzi would have no interest in. I’m talking about the discontinuation of Kodak’s Kodachrome film.

At this point, you may be chuckling to yourself; how could I possibly have compared the phasing out of a line of film to the death of the King of Pop? I don’t see Kodachrome as a product title, but rather as the representation of an era. The time of analog technology is drawing to an end, and it with it goes much of our culture, our history. Kodachrome was the first mass-marketed color film, going on sale in 1935. Since then it has sold in dozens of variations, including 16mm movie film and 35mm camera film. There’s a halfway decent chance that your parents’ or even grandparents’ wedding photos were done in Kodachrome. It proved to be such an important part of our cultural identity that its name was used for the title of a 1973 Paul Simon #2 hit.

Analog has been creeping out of our lives for years now, and most people have hardly noticed. February of this year marked the end of analog television, rendering more than ninety percent of TVs made since 1946 effectively useless without a special box. The switch was made out of necessity, as there was no longer enough airspace for the broadcasting industry’s rapidly ballooning amount of programming. All the new advanced cell services like 3G have begun to stake their claim over wireless capacity in the United States, and the switch to digital TV helps to free up space. It’s too bad for the estimated three million Americans who didn’t get properly set up before the switch and turned on their sets to darkness on every channel.

Music may be the most swiftly-changing industry, mostly because the modes of recording and selling music change almost constantly. It seems that as time progresses, the technology moves faster. The record player was the primary playback equipment for listeners from the turn of the century until the late 1980s, but the CD may die before it reaches the age of 30. Music download purchasing is expected to overtake CD sales in 2012, and illegal downloading is already one of the main sources for music. There are certainly advantages to digital, like the enormous amount of music that can be stored. My iTunes library is currently 5363 songs totaling 23.69GB and over 14 days of music, which many of my friends consider to be ‘puny’. Still, between my laptop and my external hard drive, I could theoretically store enough music to be played continuously for over one year.

There is a loss, with digital music and picture, in the warmth and depth that is seen in analog technology. Enthusiasts all seem to agree that nothing will ever top vinyl records for musicality, and Michael Mann was blasted for the sloppy and unattractive use of digital film in his upcoming movie, “Public Enemies.” I realized my own switch to digital when in one day this summer the only writing I did by hand was signing a check at a restaurant after I had paid – digitally. It is sad to me that many children growing up now may go their entire lives without ever getting film developed or see an original 35mm print on the big screen. Good luck trying to find a copy of Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome” on vinyl!

J_SC: The Japan - ? Student Conference

It's been awhile since we last posted, so I thought I'd write about something current. I like to go to the media for inspiration, so I often look at print news, magazines and online journals for comparison. Tonight, my first stop was the Japan Times. Seeing that front page made me think of a relevant issue that has been under my fingernails for awhile now: JASC has become hugely Japan-focused.

Don't think that this is any real bone of contention for me; I freely admit to applying to JASC mainly to meet Japanese students and learn more about Japan itself. The 'America' part of the Conference's name appealed only to my passport. When I arrived in Portland, Oregon for American Orientation last year, I found that most of the American delegation was just like me. Most of us studied or knew Japanese, many majored in East Asian Studies and I may have been the only Amadele who had never been to Japan before. There was plenty of chit-chat about anime, Genji and samurai, but little to be heard about muscle cars or the NFL.

Looking back, I'd expected more events during a U.S. year to have been about the United States alone. I did a homestay in Montana and visited Boston's city government, but the overall tone of the Conference had a definite Japanese flavor to it. I was thrilled and couldn't help but to learn nonstop. The honeymoon lasted through the first site or so.

Though I cannot speak for all of my American peers from the 60th JASC, my attitude toward the Conference changed markedly as our time together passed. While I had begun as a listener, less willing to contribute, I later found myself speaking up with my own point of view and engaging in our discussions more actively. It occurred to me that to get the most out of this experience, I had to represent the United States as a delegate. There would be no contrast and no discourse if I just wanted to hear about what Japan had to say. I had an amazing time on the 60th JASC because I figured out the give-take premise of discussion in time. I guess on a subconscious level, I just didn't feel like JASC-y sorts of issues would be found in the New York Times instead of say, Asahi Shimbun.

Now I cannot forget the "A" when I introduce myself to someone as the AMERICAN Chair of the 61st JASC. I've been writing about the Japanese economy and Japanese issues, but maybe my next blog post will be about GM's bankruptcy or the powerhouse that is the American film industry. Ideally, JASC is an experience that highlights both nations' contributions to the global community. It excites me to be able to join so many other young Americans in discussing the world's problems and celebrating its beauty; I don't care what anyone says, the U.S. has plenty of globally-minded people who are ready to listen.

Going into the 61st Conference, I know that our delegates will be excited to go to Japan. Many of them probably know a lot about it already. But what I also hope to see in them is appreciation and affinity for that which makes them Amadeles. I am certainly not the most patriotic chair to come down the line, but I do remember what the "A" in JASC stands for, and I recognize that without it we have very little in the way of productive conversation! This year we committed ourselves to selecting a diverse group that would be up to the task, and I honestly feel like we succeeded. We'll have to wait and see how things really turn out, but I'm optimistic!

Colin

Global Entrepreneurship and Us

What is entrepreneurship and how does it affect us? I just read a fantastic piece in the March 14th, 2009 issue of The Economist, and it’s gotten me thinking more about the global state of economic affairs.

Taking stock of the unemployment figures for April of this year, it is abundantly clear that there is a problem in the United States. The number of unemployed has risen six million to a total 13.7 million over the past year, a figure of 8.9 percent and nearly double what has been seen throughout the decade. Many analysts expect the figure to pass the ten percent mark, a bleak outlook for an already beleaguered American workforce. Japan’s problems are much milder, as is usually expected. Though the central bank cannot slash interest rates any further and consumer price inflation is still knocking on the door of zero, the unemployment rate in Japan is still only 4.8 percent, a slight but noticeable increase over last year.

Why then, does it seem that Japan is in deeper than the US in terms of ‘bouncing back’? Everyone knows that Japan has been cursed with stagnant growth for two decades now, but the causes obviously remain unclear, or something would have been done about it. I see part of the answer in the examination of global entrepreneurship.
The United States is statistically the ‘riskiest’ developed nation in the world. According to The Economist, venture-capitalism is more than twice as developed in the US as it is in the EU. An astonishing 22 percent of startups have become top-1000 companies in the US since 1980, compared to only five percent in Europe. I encourage you to read the article, but if I may paraphrase: the United States is an adept at taking risks and derives much of its momentum from such activity. Surely, there is nothing more hip in the states than to be working for a young startup.
Japan, on the other hand, is almost pre-programmed to detest entrepreneurship. Granted, there are startups and there are success stories, but Japan was ranked as the least entrepreneurial of all developed nations. This honor can be attributed to a number of things, including harsh bankruptcy punishments, an inability to innovate and a different set of priorities for top-tier workers and graduates. Even if young companies were able to create exciting new products without the fear of severe penalties, the brightest and most capable minds are attracted mostly to established companies and large banks, as well as government.

The result is a country that exhibits slow but steady growth in the traditionally recognized industries and little progress in new sectors. Large firms and banks take on most of the top workers in the country, starving underdeveloped industries for new talent. Corporations are hell-bent on making their known products better and better to stay ahead of a rapidly growing pool of competitors. In the scramble, it looks like they’ve forgotten to keep making new and infectious products like the iPod. Japan will need its own iPod if it hopes to restore growth to something acceptable. So, in an ironic twist of fate, the same attributes that brought Japan such acclaim during the late 20th century are the same ones that threaten to strangle it during the early 21st century. I would prescribe some inventiveness for Japan; make risk-taking a little more socially and legally acceptable and let Japanese business reach its full potential once again.

And, as an afterthought, the American unemployment woes. Our current nine percent rate of unemployment is only two percent above what was during the 1990s considered to be the non-accelerating inflationary rate of unemployment. NAIRU has changed, though, and so should our policies. I am a proponent of wage subsidies. The Federal government encourages companies to hire less-skilled workers and offsets the corresponding decline in private sector production per unit of labor with a subsidy. In return, the unemployment rate falls, and the burden of crime and welfare programs is slashed. The added bonus and this policy’s advantage over conservative ideas is that unlike increased labor mobility (making it easier to hire and fire workers), wage subsidies develop and train untapped labor. For further reading on the subject, I suggest the works of Nobel Economics Prize winner Edmund Phelps.

Colin

61st JASC START!

Hey guys, it's certainly been a while!

I should apologize for my lack of writing on the blog-- I am afraid that I am just not cut out for such actions. Anyway, I figured I should probably update you all on what went down in Tokyo last weekend... The start of the 61st conference activities in Japan!

From Saturday the 2nd to Monday the 4th the newly selected delegates representing Japan gathered for a series of introductions, OB meetings, informational sessions, and roundtable pre

-conference discussions. I am not entirely sure about the new delegates, but I do know that the JEC as well as Mina and I had an extremely fun time. Each of the new delegates has their own unique personality with lots of hidden secrets to be uncovered... Yesterday I learned that one of our new delegates is skilled at barking like a dog (among other things)... It's something I am looking forward to hearing this summer. Posted below for your pleasure are a serious of pictures and videos from spring camp.

Here are the RTs! Just an FYI, not everyone is pictured. Also, I may have messed up name spellings... sorry!

Globalizing Economies Roundtable

Left to Right: Yuri Takeuchi (leader), Miyuki Nozu, Ayumi Ando, and Satoshi Ibukuro

Public Interest vs. Individual Rights RT

Left to Right: Takahiro Taniguchi, Mari Nakamura, Akari Takagi and Takuma Tanaka (leader)

Educating a Global Citizenry RT

Left to Right: Tohru Omiya, Yoko Iinuma, Midori Nishino, Koji Jimba (leader)

Food Politics RT

Left to Right: Koichiro Yasukawa,Natsuki Sakata, Hiroki Takahashi, Yuna Chou, Moto Ono (leader)

International Development RT

Left to Right: Yuri Sasaoka , Yoshiko Tokuchi, Seiichiro Nakamura, Hidetoshi Tanihara

Environment and Sustainable Development RT

Left to Right: Taishi Asano, Yuri Sugimoto, Keisuke Matsuo (leader), Azusa Kato

Modernized Technology and Health Issues RT

Right to Left: Hiroka Ozawa, Yuki Umemoto, (ignore the guy in purple) Shuta Takada, Sunaho Onishi

BRICs RT Discussion!

Delegate discussion with international students!

For more pictures and videos, check out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25933237@N04/sets/72157617775655871/

That is all for now.

EC Self-intros

Perhaps a bit repetitive cuz we've introduced ourselves already, but here we are.
2D and moving.

AEC Intros: http://jasc.sophiashelf.com/?s=84

JEC Intros: http://jasc.sophiashelf.com/?s=68

Bonus video for those who still haven't got enough of us:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmaDxHH4jO0

Wait, wait: ANOTHER JEC? YES, the last and the BEST.

Hello everyone, it's Karen!

Thus far, 7 AEC members have introduced 7 JEC members, but guess what, there are 8 AEC members, including me, which means...? Yes, another JEC member.

Before the Conference begins, let me introduce him.
Moto Ono.
Moto and I were in the same roundtable, Minority Issues, last year at 60th JASC. Boy, if you ask any 60th JASCer WHO transformed most drastically from the beginning to the end of the Conference, I bet the answer is Moto. I definitely will go with that answer.
(Picture: Takuma, Jinha, and MOTO in red)

Moto is currently a junior at Kyoto University in the Faculty of Integrated Human Studies.

At 61st JASC, he is leading the "Food Security and the Future Accessibility of edible Commodities" RT with Kayoko.

He was asked some questions, and the answers are finally here!

---

* What was your original intention for attending the 60th JASC?
Frankly speaking, I thought it was good chance to visit the US cheaply and to meet up with new people.

* Now that the 60th is over, and some time has lapsed since, how much as a person do you think you have grown?
I do not know how much I've grown after JASC, but I think at least I learned the simple fact that what I was able to see was based on my experience and other person caught different impression even if we saw the same views and began to respect the difference.

* What kind of leader do you want to become for the 61st?
I would be very happy if I can help delegates to find their own ways to enjoy JASC.

* What do you want to accomplish in the 61st in the RT?
In our RT, the topic looks very concrete. Through analyzing issues or dilemmas on Food Security, I would like to share the different philosophy and view to the world and start to build the concept of the desirable world, though it sounds a little too idealistic.

* Briefly describe one particular memory you had at JASC that was memorable to you.
The discussion with a veteran, a peace activist, a historian, local residents and JASC members in Montana. We made one large circle and tried to draw something from this meeting while expressing different each standpoint honestly.
However, my JASC memory can be said as a collection of scenes such as the endless conversation lying on the floor of the Reed College, Portland, with one of the reliable RT members while trying to submit my term essay for the university via e-mail.

* If you could describe yourself as a type of food, what would it be and why?
..Egg
- egg-shaped face? in the making? having a shell!? Above all, I like omelette.

* If you only had one option, which would you choose: time or money? Why?
Time, because I cannot do anything without time even if I had plenty of money.

* What is your ideal day?
Waking up comfortably in the morning (without the alarm), riding my bicycle to Kamo river in Kyoto, reading a book and taking a nap by the riverside.

* The world is ending in 24 hours. How do you want to spend your last day on Earth?
To spend with dearest people or ask NASA to take me to another place in the space.

* If you had to lose one of your 5 senses, which would you lose and why?
Smell, since I sometimes wish the sense of my nose were lost because of hey fever.

* Please write a brief message to the Amedeles.
I am looking forward to spending great time with you in this summer!!
---

hahahaha. Oh Moto.. his answers are quite witty.

I hope you enjoyed!

Karen

Crisis Averted? Hardly.

At the beginning of April, the Japanese Minister of Finance, Mr. Kaoru Yosano announced plans for a US$100 billion stimulus package to correct the failing domestic economy. Having adjusted their official projections to a three percent contraction for the fiscal year, the Japanese Finance Ministry is gearing up for what appears to be closer to five percent. With Japan’s worst recession since the Second World War beginning to eat away at growth, Aso’s LDP has shed its reluctance and committed four percent of the nation’s income to this stimulus package. Surprisingly enough, this figure is greater than that of either the United States of the United Kingdom.

The plan comes as a response to the numerous problems ailing the domestic economy. Japan was only recently released from the effects of the ‘lost decade’ of the 1990s during which deflation stifled growth to an alarming degree. The export economy is now floundering with horrific exchange rates as the yen continues on a trend of valuation against the dollar. With the yen accruing value on the international money market, Japanese goods become comparatively more expensive. To a nation of export-heavy industrial behemoths such as Japan, the yen’s lingering strength is nearly a death sentence. To put the issue in perspective, the beginning of 2008 saw the yen valued at approximately 120 per dollar. The figure a year later was closer to 85 yen to the dollar and it was projected to fall further. This damaged exports as well as the yen carry trade, a high-volume trade of the yen traditionally used to cheaply fund subprime lending or enterprises in developing countries like the BRICs, for example. Clearly, the Japanese problem is felt the world over, reaching from the most developed nations to the least developed resource economies.

However, as a result of the announcement, the yen hit its lowest level against the dollar in almost six months and the Asian markets performed at their highest over the same period. It would seem, therefore, that the crisis has gone into remission and that Japan’s export economy will begin to reemerge. The yen’s current value of 98 to the dollar is encouraging to Japan’s producers. So is this the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel? Will this stimulus package be enough to save an economy starved for growth for twenty years?

Maybe. Economics is such a tough game to predict that it’s impossible to say for sure just how quickly change will take hold or even if the current measures are part of a greater trend toward correction. Personally, I remain skeptical. The Bank of Japan has finally cut its key interest rate to just 0.1 percent, an impossibly low figure and even now it is being forced to buy up commercial paper to help firms drum up the funds to continue. The man who has pledged to make Japan the first country to emerge from this downturn, Mr. Taro Aso, could find himself out of a job before too long as his approval rating goes from depressing to dismal. And before the year is out, the DPJ could become the ruling party, leaving the long-term effects of a last-ditch LDP package up in the air. The government is spending a great deal of money it doesn’t have to finance this, but Japanese citizens can take solace in the idea that the national debt is already so high that a four percent increase is almost negligible.

Please feel free to contact me about this topic! Things may sound bleak, but I have upbeat things to say as well.

Colin

Will money solve our education problems?

Most Americans agree that there is something wrong with our public education system. It's hard not to--we often hear any number of bleak statistics about the alarming state of public education in the US (low high school graduation rates, enormous gaps between racial and socioeconomic groups, low performance compared to other countries, etc etc etc).

What we don't agree on is what to do about it! Let's skip the issues of charter schools or vouchers entirely and, for the moment, focus on public schools. Most people agree that it's a good thing for the government to spend more money on education, but the allocation of government funds can be controversial.

So what about... merit pay for teachers? ♥ Michelle Rhee ♥ , the chancellor of Washington DC public schools, is a big proponent of merit pay for teachers. This would involve bonuses (often quite large ones) for teachers whose classes perform better on the standardized tests currently used to measure academic progress. Possibly also bonuses for teaching in more needy or dangerous districts, or for teaching subjects that are more in demand of teachers (math or science), or for teaching special-education classes, or for having higher qualifications.

While there are some obvious benefits for merit pay, the fundamental question is: does throwing money at education really solve its problems? Will paying teachers more change anything at all? Perhaps it will motivate existing teachers to work harder, or perhaps it will encourage some bright people who otherwise would have gone on to more lucrative careers to be teachers instead. But it completely fails to address some of the structural concerns with public education (budget gaps, differing levels of parental investment or emphasis on learning at home), and it sends us even farther along the path of standardized testing for all (to determine which teachers are doing well, you'd have to test often and rely on those numbers as accurate measures of achievement).

In other words--is this a problem we can solve by throwing money at it?

iPhone

My brother... oh silly brother. He is in S. Korea at the moment serving in the US Army.
Before getting informed of his first duty station, he thought he would remain in the US and... oh silly brother purchased the [then] new 3G iPhone.
Of course, after about a month of use, he realized he won't be using the phone because he's going to Korea.
There was no need to sell the phone to someone else because... duh, I wasn't going anywhere.
So the day before leaving to Korea, he shipped me the phone.
At first, I was more or less indifferent about getting the phone because I don't use phone that much, and this whole high-tech cell phone deal was never too appealing.
Yep, that was me before I got the phone.

When I first got the phone, I adjusted the general settings and wallpaper to my own liking, put some awesome music on the iPod, set up my e-mail accounts [Dickinson & JASC gmail!], and texted a bunch of people, "iPhone is overrated..." haha.

Can you guess what the next thing I did was?
You've seen it on TV, "You want to _____? There is APP for that."

Dorky enough, the first "APP" I downloaded was the USA Today News app.
Then the next was Kotoba!, the Japanese dictionary app.
Then gFlash+, a flashcard app.
Then iheartradio, Who wants to be a millionaire, TWC, iHandy Level, Tap Tap, Skype...
Please trust me when I say I do not play any sort of games on daily basis-- no time, not attracted. But one night, I downloaded SCRAMBLE Live, oh my.. I played from like 2 to 5am.
[Shame, shame, I know... I profusely apologized to my brain a few hours later]
But also good APPs exist, like the MAP.
I'm so easy to take the wrong turn, I still confuse myself with East & West x_x, so I know how to track myself on that little radar on the screen and then! turn around...

What is it about technology that we are so fascinated about?
Electronics are just a bunch of wires and switches in circuits in which voltages go through, and voila, but somehow the products take different forms and functions to entertain us all day and all night.
Entertainment technology is now such a vital part of our lives. Well, not really vital.
There were other ways to enjoy yourself 50 years ago, 100 years ago, 1000 years ago.

I suppose it's all about self-control: knowing when to stop.
But I tell ya, the new, hip tech products just seduce you with all sorts of their own little charms to keep you attached and dependent.
Seriously, some of us are so dependent on technology that people sometimes wonder what will happen if all of a sudden everything we love disappears.
What will happen???

For me, I would have become more of a nerdy book reading girl, or at least a class-assignment reading girl so that I wouldn't be awake at such odd hour like this one struggling to finish a paper!

Karen

[Japan-US-World] Current Events #1

It's 6 am and I've been typing away (not so furiously) to finish my takehome midterm due in 4 hrs. I accidentially overdosed on too much caffeine, so I have this urging feeling to go sprinting down the dorm hallways...


Anyone a bit worried about North Korea's plans of launching a long-range rocket in the next few days?

"North Korea says it will attack the Japanese military and "major targets," if Japan shoots down a rocket Pyongyang plans to launch in the coming days, North Korea's state-run news service, KCNA, reported Thursday" (CNN Report on April 1st)

Apparently, the satellite's first booster would land in the Sea of Japan, and the second stage would drop into the Pacific Ocean between Japan and Hawaii.

North Korea is claiming that they want to explore outer space, but several intelligence agencies have stated that they are actually testing a long-range missile under the guise of a satellite launch.

Some articles if you're interested:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/26/north.korea.missile/index.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/04/20094253322939933.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7978397.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/world/asia/03korea.html?_r=1&ref=world

Pictures of the PAC-3 missile interceptors, which are now stationed in Akita:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-04/01/content_7637924.htm


We all know that North Korea is a threat to the security of East Asia. It has sufficient technology and resources to create nuclear weapons. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused it of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation and have been referred to as "some of the world's most brutalized people." It's relations with the U.S. and Japan are...not so great. (Former president George W. Bush had named North Korea as a part of an "Axis of Evil," which also includes Iran and Iraq)

What's the bigger picture here? How would Pyongyang's international relations change after the launch? Will it be launched, or will they bend down to international pressures?

Who knows? We'll find out in the next few days...

Launch is scheduled to take place between April 4 and April 8.

Spring Meeting Reflection

AEC @ Spring Meeting [March 16th, 2009]
(back: JMD, Yoshi, Ed, Colin; front: Rachel, Kayoko, Karen, Mina)

On Thursday, I headed for Bloomfield, CT, [crib de Colin the Chairperson] from Philadelphia where it was still pretty chilly and not so Spring-like.
The meeting did not officially start until Friday, but I did not want to drive for 5 hours, only to drive a few more hours picking up people from the Hartford station & airport.
We AECs had our 5-day spring meeting to select delegates, continue site discussions, conduct a phon-a-thon and reconnect with our alumni, and just enjoy ourselves in a very JASCy way.

On Friday, after the last AEC, Ed, arrived, we stayed up until 3 or 4am discussing site planning. I mean... was anyone tired? We had people who endured xx-hours of bus ride, flew in from Seattle, and... the JAPANs. Everyone enthusiastically participated in our late night discussions, and at that moment, I realized everyone wants to make the conference really the best as it can possibly get.

Saturday was when we really kicked off our official task of selecting delegates. Prior to the meeting, all of us already had read and graded the applicants' personal essays & short answers, references, and writing samples in order to focus on discussing each and every applicant. Honestly, I saw way too many applicants with the JASC potential, and it was such a difficult process selecting just a few.
Around noon, Regina, the executive director of ISC, arrived at Colin's and gave us a rundown on what we will be doing for Sunday, and stayed with us throughout the delegate selection process to provide us with her valuable opinions and advices. Thank you, Regina!

Sunday was the Phon-a-thon day-- we called our American alumni to update them on JASC and ask for support for the 61st JASC. I had never done one before so I was super duper nervous, but I managed to talk to some alumni. I know other AECs did a better job than I did, so I admire them! I overheard some AEC members talking for an extended period of time with alumni about their past JASC experiences, such as sites they went to, dorms they stayed in, JASCers they still keep in touch with, and, of course, JASC marriages :)

The quite fun part of the meeting was the video making of the serious AEC on Monday. We wanted to create one to introduce ourselves to the world-- yep, that's right. Although it was pretty serious and official, in the process of filming there were much laughing and "Karen, take 25" involved. Also, gullible Kayoko didn't know when she was being recorded and when she was not, so we got a footage of Kayoko being... totally Kayoko. Thanks for the cooperation!
At night, we discussed web resources for us to better organize ourselves and present materials to the selected delegates. [sarcasm] After that, we went to this great Japanese restaurant called "Kinsa（きんさ）." [/sarcasm] Actually, it's Ginza, but it was nothing like Ginza we had hoped for. However, what mattered is that we had a deep, thoughtful reflection on our spring meeting-- what could have gone better, what we did well, etc. The reflection will help us and the future AECs to truly plan the best, well-prepared conference for delegates.

Everyone left at different times on Tuesday; Ed at 5am, Rachel at 9am, Mina at 7pm. Kayoko stayed back and prepared for her alumni interviews in NYC the next day with Colin.
I drove Yoshi and JMD to NYC for them to go on their ways. Before separating though, I had the opportunity to take JMD to his ultimate favorite Chipotle [non-existent in Japan]. JMD looked like a kid with glittering eyes biting down on the burrito, haha.

Personally, I hadn't seen most of the AEC members since last Fall meeting, so I was [GYAAA] so thrilled to reunite with everyone. Right before the meeting, I had mixed feelings about the meeting; how productive it was going to be, how to resume conversations with some of the AEC members that I had not seen in awhile, etc. However, as soon as we were together, the biggest concern for all of us was not being able to stop talking, not just on conference-related matter, but also on anything and everything else. Sometimes, with streams of AEC work and tension among ourselves, I found myself burying away the memories of our friendship during the 60th JASC. I feel as if this spring meeting helped me dig out that hole and bring back the fond days and friendships we had weaved so intricately.

Now I am back in Carlisle, PA, not getting ready for today's class, instead writing a blog entry. But hey, this is way more meaningful and fun than learning about brain cells.
Only after 5 days, there is a major turn around of the weather, and now Spring is in the air. After being stuck in a room working and talking endless hours, we are able to welcome both the Spring and... new faces to JASC.

Karen

OMG

It is just about midnight here in scenic Connecticut. Colin, Kayoko, Mina, and I are all sitting around with our laptops, finishing up some JASC work. Our once-in-a-lifetime spring meeting ends tomorrow morning, when Ed flies back home at around 5 AM.

For about four days now, we've been working until 2 AM every night, too excited about our JASC work to sleep! And I am pleased to announce that

THE DELEGATES FOR THE 61ST JASC HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!

It was an incredible experience to select the delegates. We were honored to receive so many amazing applications, all of which showed care and hard work. Our applicants were all interesting people with diverse experiences that could contribute so much to JASC--it was really hard choosing just 28 delegates!

We've dealt with all sorts of other JASCy work, and of course had some fun in the meantime! We can't wait to meet our delegates, and until then, we'll keep working on the conference for them!

JASC work is picking up!

(JASC posters of the Japan and U.S. side)

Although traffic on this blog has been slow, it's because we've been busy going through each application. Thank you to those who have submitted because we've been enjoying reading them!

Next week is Spring Meeting, where all eight of us will convene at Colin's house to make final decisions on applicants and work on other JASC stuff (RTs, sites, etc). This is the first time all eight of us will be together since August (end of 60th) so we're super psyched. We also hope to have a skype meeting with the JECs during then (they'll be going through their first round of applicant interviews in Kyoto)

Full speed ahead for the 61st~

Introducing: 61st JEC Emi Yasukawa!

Now's time to introduce you all to a really smart, really fun JEC, Emi Yasukawa! Emi is a Keio grad and will be starting her graduate study at Hitotsubashi University in April. She answered our questionnaire earlier:

* What was your original goal/intention for attending the 60th Jasc?

- Intellectual curiosity (55%)
- Cheap trip to the states (45%)

* Now that the 60th is over, and some time has lapsed since, how much as a person do you think you have grown?

I got to understand the significance of so called "people's skill". I’m not sure about how much I've changed after JASC, but I think I started to think to meet new people is as important as following internal curiosity and reading books. I appreciate all the people I met during the conference, from friends to host family to professors.

* What kind of leader do you want to become for the 61st? In the perspective of the Japadeles? Amedeles?

- A leader who can take responsibility
- A leader who engages with delegates a lot
- A leader who do not forget to be partly delegate.

* What do you want to accomplish in the 61st? In the RT? As a person?

Discovery of something new, the experience of challenge and achievement

* Briefly describe one particular memory you had at JASC that was memorable to you.

The conversation at the beach in California, I discussed "relationship" with one of the dearest RT members. The conclusion was "mom's judgment on guys will haunt us."

* If you could describe yourself as a type of food, what would it be and why?

Chili dog.
- hot dog: classic
- chili: spicy!! >o<

* If you only had one option, which would you choose: time or money? Why?

Time; time is not recoverable, but money is recoverable

* Besides answering to the questions, what are you doing right now?

I'm at こたつ(kotatsu), about to faint.

* What is your ideal day?

A sunny day at the park with coffee, books and my music player.

* The world is ending in 24 hours. How do you want to spend your last day on Earth?

Stay with people I love, and eat whatever I want to eat (Hooray I don’t need to worry about my weight anymore! lol)

* What is an article of clothing/accessory that defines "you"?

Bags: the bigger the bag the more capable of carrying stuff.

* If you had to lose one of your 5 senses, which would you lose and why?

Smell, because I don't need to smell durians.

* Please write a brief message to the future Amedeles.

It will be the happiest moment to see American delegates and Japanese delegates meet in Tokyo....
I can't wait for the summer of 2009!!

So Emi is very excited for next year's JASCers and we are excited for next year's Amadeles to meet her too!

JASC Presents: Boston Report

(JASC Presents: Boston panelists ready to begin discussion)

JASC Presents finally arrived in the United States!!

"Internationalism in a New Age: Reflecting on 150 years of Japan-U.S. Relations"


The America's first JASC Presents took place at Harvard University on January 31st.

The venue is the place where we,the 61st JASC ECs, were elected as ECs. So, we felt like coming back to our birth place.

The event began with the keynote speech by Dr. Trent Maxey, Postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. He spoke of the language used to describe US-Japan relations through the past 150 years, citing many films and books as examples.
Especially for me, it is interesting to hear about how Samurai culture has been viewed as Japan's whole identity despite of the fact that Samurais accounted for only few percent of the total population at that time.

(Keynote speech by Dr. Maxey)

After the Q&A session for the speech, we moved to the panel discussion.

I'll introduce the panelists(shown in the picture above) from the left.
*Samantha Scully Senior at Bowdoin College, 60th American Executive Committee Chair
* Colin Moreshead Sophomore at Wesleyan University, 61st American Executive Committee Chair
* Yoshihiro Kanemitsu Junior at the University of Tokyo, 61st American Executive Committee(This is me!!)
* Jason Knudson Administrative Assistant at the Office of the Executive Director at ‘Facing History and Ourselves,’ 58th JASC delegate

Each panelist first gave a speech on a topic within 7 minutes.
Jason spoke on the bilateral relations of Japan-U.S. security issues, and the 6 Party Talks, Yoshi spoke on the environment and the future of green technology, Colin spoke of the lessons learned from the Japanese bubble economy of the 90s and how it could be applied to the current global economic crisis, and Sam spoke on the evolution of the modern women, and how during wartime, they had to give up their rights for the country’s priorities. This was followed by a 30 minute Q&A session, which both the audience members and the panelists thoroughly enjoyed. They received many questions and comments and replied to them enthusiastically. The most thought provoking question was “out of all the speech topics discussed, how would you rank their importance?” Each panelist gave his/her own opinion.

(an audience member asks a question enthusiastically)

After the event, JASCers and the audience members mingled, where they discussed further on the various issues raised. The interesting thing was that the audience members also mingled amongst themselves, and we saw them exchange email addresses. Many became interested in JASC and said that they would apply this year.

We were pleased to welcome around 40 people attending the event, including a 31st JASCer, a 57th JASCer and two 58th JASCers.
We once again got reminded of the strong tie between JASC alumni.


Overall, we conclude this event as great success, and look forward to future JASC Presents events. Thank you everyone for your support – this could've not been done without you!


(After the event, JASCers had a small reunion party. The treasure of JASC is the long-lasting friendship between JASCers.)

JASC Presents: Boston

After 2 in Japan, JASC Presents finally comes to the US!

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the Harris Treaty, signed at Shimoda on July 29th,1858. Forcing the 400-year old Tokugawa regime to abandon its isolationist policy towards foreigners, it opened free trading and consequently spurred Japan into its modernization phase. Despite its controversial beginnings, it nevertheless established an important foundation to the long-term relationship between the two countries. Although recent globalization has caused the U.S. to focus more explicitly on emerging Asian economies such as China and India, the ties bonding Japan and the U.S. remain powerful.

With the theme, "Internationalism in a New Age: Reflecting on 150 years of Japan-U.S. Relations" we wish to present to the public the views of the Japan-America Student Conference participants as they discuss the past, present and future relations of the two countries. Throughout its history, our relationship has seen both immense triumphs and trying frictions. Regardless, our shared commitment to cultural exchange and global mindedness has transcended economic hostility and global conflict. As our bilateral relationship reaches this milestone, we hope to reflect on the progress we have made while forging joint solutions to new challenges.

■ Event Info ■
【Date】　 January 31, 2009
【Time】　　 1:00-4:00 PM
【Location】　 Belfer Case Study Room, CGIS South Building
1730 Cambridge St., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
http://map.harvard.edu/level3.cfm?mapname=&tile=F7&quadrant=B&series=M
【Admission】 Free and open to the general public

■ Event Schedule ■　　　　　　
【1:00 - 1:10】 Opening remarks
【1:10 - 1:50】 Keynote speech, followed by a Q&A session
* Dr. Trent Maxey, PhD Cornell University 2005, Postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University
【1:50 - 2:00】 Break
【2:00 - 3:00】 Panel discussion, followed by a Q&A session
* Colin Moreshead, Sophomore at Wesleyan University, 61st American Executive Committee Chair
* Yoshihiro Kanemitsu, Junior at the University of Tokyo, 61st American Executive
Committee
* Samantha Scully, Senior at Bowdoin College, 60th American Executive Committee Chair
* Jason Knudson, Administrative Assistant at the Office of the Executive Director at ‘Facing
History and Ourselves,’ 58th delegate
【3:00 - 3:15】 Announcement of the 61st JASC and closing remarks
【3:15 - 4:00】 Reception and light refreshments

■ RSVP ■
Although a RSVP is not necessary and walk-ins are welcomed, we would like to know a rough estimate of audience members beforehand. Please email your name and contact info to jascpresents.us@gmail.com.

Thanks and hope to see you there~