TELL US YOUR STORY!

Send your stories to tujalumni@temple.edu

TUJ—The Outsider Within JapanOne of the great strengths of TUJ is its truly
international character. On the simplest level
it is an American university in Japan, but we havefaculty and staff from over twenty different countries and we regularly have students from over fifty
countries. This semester we have students from56 countries. We can say that TUJ is global, as those 56 different
countries represent every area of the world, and we can say that it
is international because our education affects peoples from manynations as well as the relations among them.
I have long been fascinated by nationalism ever since I wasa student, especially by the way the individual consciousness ofthe nation, and membership in that nation, remains strong evenas the world becomes more interconnected. TUJ students are
becoming adults in the 21st century and yet we still define ourselves and categorize others by concepts that were developed in
the mid-19th century. Nationalism is a very easy and simple way todefine oneself; you’re from there and I’m from here. But the conundrum of nationalism is demonstrated by the desire of European
countries to break into the smallest possible units after the end of
the Cold War while simultaneously trying to join Europe’s major
integrating institution, the European Union. In my opinion it can be
explained by fundamental psychological and cultural imperatives.
New communications technologies, led by the internet, meanthat our world is expanded to include all people from everywhere,
and that it forms the platform for the globalization of economics,
politics and cultural interaction. While this is in some ways exciting and liberating, it also frightens us because it challenges ourself-identity and so we want to maintain a space that is ours andours alone. In other words, we want to keep our identity in a small
human group. Most people do not perceive the peoples of the
globe to be a group in the way that their nation is a group. Indeed,
it is even very difficult to develop a true identification with a region
such as being “Asian” or “North American.” They are concepts but
not identities.
As an American who has lived in and studied Japan for many
years, of course I see this conundrum in the context of the internationalization of Japan. In that context, I’ve been watching the
Rugby World Cup and I’m struck by the relationship between theJapanese national team and what we do at TUJ. In Japan’s opening game with France, one of the top teams in the world, Japanfought much harder than any had thought possible. At 14 minutes
left in the game they were only 3 points behind France at 24-21,
and although they went on to lose, many thought it was the best
game that Japan has ever played in the world cup. For the firsttime a Japanese player was named the Man of the Match in aworld cup. That man was James Arlidge, a New Zealander. Asa matter of fact the reason the Japanese team did so well is that
half the starting 15 were non-Japanese. This is allowed under therules of the International Rugby Board. Some would say that this isa travesty, that the team was not really “Japanese.” However, if you
look at all the teams, including the two teams in the final match,
New Zealand and France, they all have players who are neither
citizens nor members of the nation.
Is this a travesty? If it is, it is a travesty of the consciousnessof nationalism, especially in Japan. A member of the Japanesenation is more defined by racial and cultural elements than politicalones such as citizenship. This is very different from a nation which
is more made up of people from all over the world, like the UnitedStates. In the United States “us” is very hard to define.
And that brings us back to TUJ and the Rugby World Cup.
All developed countries have “guests” of one form or another andthey are essential to economic growth and prosperity. If Japan cancompete much better as a rugby team with those foreigners they
have brought inside and allowed to be part of the national team,perhaps it is also true that Japan cannot compete in the global
economy without doing the same. Japan believes itself to havebeen internationalized through trade, but that was a one-way street
which sent exports from Japan to the world but blocked off much
return traffic. Industrial goods flowed out but foreign nationals were
not allowed to flow in, and those who did have never been allowed
to become important figures in domestic Japanese economic,
political or cultural areas. However, like the rugby team, in order tosucceed in the future, Japan will have to bring in foreigners who
can work within Japan for Japan. TUJ is an “outsider within” andone of its missions is to support Japan’s global competitiveness bycreating Japanese and non-Japanese human resources that help
Japan succeed globally, but also enrich Japan domestically. Ourstrength is Japan’s strength and the world’s strength.

Keeping on top of alumni news | Volume 17 | Fall 2011

TUJTIMES
11/11/11 TUJ Alumni Reunion

2011 TUJ ALUMNI REUNION
RETURN. RELAX.
RECONNECT. REMINISCE.
Friday, November 11027_1011_tuj_reunion_postcard_sl_r.indd 1					Dr. Bruce Stronach

The Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies
The Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies (ICAS)
hosted a presentation by six American veterans who were
captured during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines
during World War II. These soldiers, who visited Japan at theinvitation of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, endured the Baatan
Death March and several years in slave labor camps. During theirpresentation, the men spoke about their captivity and then fielded
questions from a large audience of close to 100. Prior to their talk,
TUJ hosted a small dinner for them with TUJ students who have
served in the U.S.Armed Forces and are currently studying at
TUJ under the GI Bill. TUJ has seen an increase in students using
the GI Bill to support their education in Japan. Over 100 students
have graduated from TUJ using the GI Bill. The recent increase inapplications demonstrates the interest of veterans in attending an
American university in a foreign country.
ICAS is an organization at Temple University, Japan Campus
dedicated to fostering study and research on various topics
related to contemporary Japan and Asia. www.tuj.ac.jp/icas.

Temple University, Japan Campus
2-8-12 Minami Azabu
Minato-ku
Tokyo 106-0047
Telephone: + 81-3-5441-9800
Fax: + 81-3-5441-9811

Please contact TUJ Development and Alumni Relations
office at tujalumni@temple.edu to pass on your views,
and any feedback you might have on the TUJ Times.

8/15/11 10:43 AM

The 2011 TUJ Alumni Reunion kicked off at theHamamatsucho Tokyo Kaikan. The three hour gathering
seemed to fly by with alumni relaxing and reminiscing with
old and new friends. The evening ended with a lively raffle
and plenty of prizes.
The reunion was highlighted by an update from Bruce
Stronach, Dean of TUJ on the creation of the Goldman Sachs
Mochida Scholars Fund through Goldman Sachs Gives; on
the response and comeback of TUJ after the Great East Japan
Earthquake; and on the introduction of the TUJ Relief Fund tosupport current students affected financially by the Great East
Japan Earthquake.
TUJ raised funds through raffle sales at the reunion. The
funds are allocated to the Dean’s Fund to support TUJ andstudent activities. With the continued success of the TUJ Alumni
Reunion, the Development and Alumni Relations Office is now
planning TUJ’s 30th Anniversary Alumni Reunion. TUJ continues
working with the Alumni Association Committee and its leadership to arrange new events and attract alumni to connect backwith TUJ.
The Development & Alumni Relations Office will continue
to host the successful TUJ Night, held every third Thursday,
to provide an opportunity for alumni to meet the TUJ Boardof Overseers Chairperson Midori Kaneko and other alumni ina casual environment. A special discount is available for TUJ
Alumni who come with their Alumni Card.
We thank the Miyako Hotel, Hamamatsucho Tokyo Kaikan
and others for their generous support. We also thank our alumni,
friends and TUJ Family for their support and participation.
Mark your calendars as TUJ looks forward to a bigger bash
at TUJ’s 30th Anniversary Alumni Reunion on November 9,2012. We ask our alumni to contact the TUJ Development andAlumni Relations Office and share their stories and connect
back with TUJ.

JALT 2011, TUJ TESOL Student andAlumni Reception in Tokyo
The 37th Annual International Conference on Language
Teaching and Learning & Educational Materials Exhibition(JALT 2011) was held at Olympics Memorial Center, Yoyogi,
Tokyo, from November 18–21. Every year, the JALT Conference
brings together language-teaching professionals from around theworld. The conference is the largest international conference of
language teachers and researchers in Japan.
This year, more than 70 TUJ students and graduates madepresentations at the conference on a wide variety of topics,
such as extensive reading, foreign language assessment, motivation, vocabulary acquisition, and group dynamics. This large
number of presenters indicates just how strong the impacts
of TUJ’s graduate TESOL programs have been in Japan. In
addition to presenting at international conferences, many TUJ
students and graduates publish articles in international journals
as well as in journals in Japan.
With so many TUJ TESOL students and graduates being
involved in the field of foreign language education in Japan,
the conference provides an excellent opportunity for people
with connections to TUJ to network and reconnect. One way
in which this happens is at the Annual College of Education
Student and Alumni Reception, which is sponsored by the
TUJ Graduate TESOL Program every year. This year the reception was held at the Tokyu Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku on Saturday
evening, November 19. More than 70 students, graduates,
faculty, and staff from all over Japan attended the reception.
The energetic spirit of the TESOL graduate students was evident throughout the evening. We’re now looking forward to andbeginning to plan next year’s reception in Hamamatsu. We’resure it will be another great opportunity for the TUJ TESOL
family to meet and share stories and laughter.

In this issue:
1/11/11 TUJ Alumni Reunion; JALT 2011; TUJ Continuing Education in Osaka;
TUJ Neighborhood Outreach; TUJ Accepts Credit Cards for Tuition; Sempai/KohaiDeveloping a Community; TUJ MBA Program; Law Professor Barry McCarthy
Lecture; Alumni Watch; ICAS; Dean’s Update: TUJ-The Outsider Within JapanFor more news
and information,please go to
www.tuj.ac.jp/alumni.

“As we approach TUJ’s 30th Anniversary I want to thank alumni, parents, andall our friends in the community for supporting our mission as an American
institution of international higher education in Japan.”– Dean Bruce Stronach

TUJ will hold the Diamond Club Annual Dinner on June 2, 2012 tostart the 30th Anniversary celebration and 2012 Alumni Reunion
Tokyo on November 9, 2012.

Continuing Education in Kansai

TUJ Neighborhood Outreach

TUJ MBA Program

With the opening of the Continuing Education at the TUJOsaka campus last October 1st, TUJ’s presence in the
Kansai area increases with each invitation to local international festivals and Halloween events. One such event
was the MAFGA (Minoh Association for Global Awareness) 2011
Festival which drew a multiethnic crowd of 2,000 participantsfrom near and far. TUJ donated some TUJ goods (maneki cat,mugs, T-shirts, etc.) as prizes for the event.
Another invitation came from UII (Urban Innovative Institute)/
GVH (Global Venture Habitat) for TUJ teachers to spice up their
Halloween party with English games and activities. Our teachers came in costumes and masks and encouraged participants
to speak in English. One of the games required participants tohold an orange with their partners using just their bodies, nottheir hands. You can imagine the awkward positions that resulted
among participants! Simply hilarious!
The Osaka campus offers English courses on professional
development to help the working sector advance their careers in
multinational settings. Some of the courses on offer are: Revenue
Management, Negotiation, Human Resources Management,
English for Tourism and Hospitality and English Legal Writing.
We also have a fun course on Understanding Business Slang.
Students can also work for certificates in: Management
Fundamentals, Executive Office Administration, International
Business Communication and International Business
Management. Earning certificates enhances one’s resume andopens up more opportunities for moving up.
So, don’t forget…spread the word that TUJ Continuing
Education is in Kansai and that using English is not only beneficial
for one’s career, but also a lot of fun!

Halloween is gaining acceptancethroughout Japan,
but “Ontakesan
Halloween” is distinguished by its
truly multi-national
participants. TUJ
Ontakesan Dorm
residents, dressed increative (and creepy)
costume, joined the
local event on Saturday, October 29th, to pass out candies,navigate the kids on the street, and take pictures of adorable
kids in costume. More than 250 kids visited our dorm to trick ortreat and enjoyed a rare opportunity to interact with international
students. We not only gave away candies but entertained thekids by playing Japanese hand-sign game (extra candy was atstake, so kids were seriously competing with dorm students).
Ms. Julie Thomas, American neighbor and long-time resident
in Japan, in cooperation with the local chamber of commerce,launched “Ontakesan Halloween” in 2010. This year’s sequelattracted more stores and kids and filled the whole town withfestive atmosphere. TUJ is pleased to be a part of the festivity
and to mingle with Japanese neighbors and create a stronger
step in committing towards our relation to Japan.

Dr. James Portwood, Professorof Human Resource Management,
Fox School of Business, hastaught Leadership and Group
Dynamics Course since 1997
for the Executive MBA (EMBA)
Program at Japan Campus. He
also teaches a leadership course in
the EMBA program in Singapore whichstarted July 2011. On October 5, hegave a lecture for the MBA Seminarin the evening on October 5 at Room 502 in Mita Hall. The titleof the lecture was “pressing need for enterprise level managers
in developing countries in Asia.” Students, alumni, and otherguests attended the seminar. Dr. Portwood shared his view
about what might be necessary for foreign companies in Asia tomove to next level. Many attendees participated in discussion
and he was not able to leave the room for about a half an hour
after the seminar. Later, a group of alumni led by Edwin Omura,the President of TUJ Alumni Association, walked to a local pub
with him for a drink and they had a great time.

E-mail: conted@tuj.ac.jp | Call: 0120-86-1026

TUJ Accepts Credit Cards for Tuition
TUJ has begun accepting credit cards as a method of payment for undergraduate and graduate program tuition andfees from spring semester 2012 onwards. This additional payment option will increase convenience of financial transactions forstudents and their parents.
Credit cards are a very common method of payment at universities in the U.S. but the tuition payment method at TUJ, like mostJapanese universities, has until now been limited to bank transfer.
However, the need for credit card payment as a much easier
option has been mounting as the number of international students
reached 60 percent of the undergraduate student body, increasing parent demand for an easier option than international transfers
when paying from abroad.
Payment by credit card will also alleviate myriad problems
that arise from the several payments students have to make overa trimester system, especially when paying on a per-credit basis.
TUJ has been working with UC Card Co. Ltd., to develop
a system to solve these issues. Now that tuition and fees of allcredit-bearing programs at TUJ can be paid by either one of themost popular cards, Visa or MasterCard, students and their parents can choose a payment option that best fits their needs*.
*At the moment credit cards are accepted only for payments of tuition statements.

Sempai/Kohai—
Developing a Community
The night before a big presentation which would determine if he would pass his probation period at Morgan
Stanley, Alex Chibana (Business ‘11) was in Mita Hall his
giving back to TUJ.
“The TUJ community is important to me,” said Alex, “I was
happy to share my experiences.”
More than 75 people came to Mita Hall on October 26 for Life
after TUJ, which was jointly sponsored by International BusinessStudies, the Career Development Office and the MBA program.
The key goal of this event was to launch a network that will bevaluable for the entire TUJ community. It was the first TUJ event
ever to bring together current students and recent alumni.
In addition to a talk by Noreen Dooner of Barclays Capital,
the evening featured a panel of recent TUJ alumni: Alex
Chibana, now finished his probation at Morgan Stanley; Dang
T. Dang (Economics ’08) a derivatives broker; JR Lipartito(Communications ’09) the Creative Director of a TV production
company; and Koki Takao (Business ’12), who will start at Fuji
Heavy Industries (aka Subaru) in April 2012.
A major theme of the panel was that TUJ students andalumni are unique. “You must use that competitive edge toyour advantage” said TUJ Board of Overseers Chairperson
Midori Kaneko who moderated the panel.
The panel and the reception that followed was a greatchance for current students to network with their TUJ sempai
even ones who graduated just a few months ago.

Alumni Watch!
A few months ago
I attended TUJ
Alumni Night for
the first time. To
be honest, I hadn’t
been in touch with TUJ since
I graduated in 2006. Although I
felt distant at first for not knowing anyone there since I was
surrounded with people who
had graduated recently, as I
talked to them I learned that
there are so many awesomealumni of TUJ. That’s actually
one of the reasons I decided
to go to TUJ. There are somany great students alongwith wonderful and dedicatedprofessors. TUJ gave me theopportunity to see many thingsfrom different perspectives with
its international environment.
When I transferred to Main
Campus in Philadelphia after
having spent a year at TUJ, I
was stunned at the huge campus and variety of classes andawesome professors who wereso willing to help students likeme who come from overseas.
Some of my professors had
to put up with me after almost

every class during office hours,
yet they always encouraged me
to come back anytime. Needless to say, graduating from
Temple was one of the bestexperiences in my life. I believethat what I learned and experienced there not only helps meadvance in my career but also
helps me be a better person.It
has been a great pleasure getting to know TUJ alumni and I
look forward to getting to know
more of them in the near future.
Hi, it’s Yurie
from Tokyo!
I studiedInternational
Affairs andEconomics
at TUJ. I had a great experience in India with the NGO
class program in 2008 andlearned so much about international development. Since I
graduated in 2009, I have beenworking as a secretary for an
associate professor at the Keio
University School of Medicine.
My current interest in health,food, and enzymology has
recently led me to complete a
Raw Food Culinary course inTokyo. I am looking forward

TUJ Law Professor Barry McCarthy
Lectures on Hague Convention
on Child Abduction
After decades of resisting international pressure to join
the International Hague Convention on the Civil Aspectsof International Child Abduction, Japan has recently
announced plans to introduce legislation next year thatwill allow it to sign the treaty. While the decision has been
applauded by countries in the West, it faces much opposition
domestically, and poses considerable logistical problems inenforcing the treaty within the structure of Japanese family law.
Professor McCarthy of Temple University Beasley School of
Law addressed both the treaty and the issues posed in Japan’s
potentially historic decision at a meeting of the Foreign Women
Lawyers’ Association on November 8. Professor McCarthy joined
the Temple law faculty in August 1991. He teaches courses on
employment discrimination, international family law, property law,and trusts and estates. He has taught continuously at the Tokyo
campus since 2007.

to teaching a bilingual Raw
Food Cooking class in the near
future. I hope to link Raw Foodand international development
to help women and children
suffering from poverty. My
motto is never stop learning
new things in my life! j.b.s.in.
who.you.are@gmail.com.
The EMBA program at TUJ and
its outstanding
cadre of visiting professors
from the U.S.
have been key
factors in my ability to start
up my own business inJapan — something I havewished to do as far backas 2008 when I graduated.
All courses were importantfor my development as abusiness leader. In particular, financial, marketing andstrategy courses gave me theinsight necessary to see anopportunity existed to create asolution to an existing problem
in talent acquisition sourcing. Futuresinfinance.jp is an
online social community where
employers and employees
can exchange real-time trends

related to career opportunities within their own industries
and career specialties. Moredetails can be found at www.
futuresinfinance.jp.
Nathaniel
French graduated from TUJ
with an M.S.Ed.
in TESOL in
May 2011. His
areas of specialization within
the TESOL field are the automatization of correct grammar
and pronunciation in learner
output, and learner motivation.
He has been very active in the
TESOL community this year:
he has had five manuscripts
accepted for publication (twoprinted this year), he has given
five presentations at TESOL
conferences around Japan
including JALT 2011, a major
global publishing company
is considering publishing his
speaking/listening themebased course book for lowintermediate learners, and heis conducting a case study on
giving feedback to students on
their written output.