The University of Tokyo Program for Leading Graduate Schools
Integrated Human Sciences Program for Cultural Diversity (IHS)

The Toyota Foundation

The Ways to Havea Better Dialogue
for Empathy
Mutual Learning and Exchanges

Event
ReportMay
2020

F ORE W ORD

This booklet introduces the content of a joint symposium between the University of Tokyo Program for Leading Graduate Schools Integrated
Human Sciences Program for Cultural Diversity (IHS) and the Toyota Foundation, which was held on February 7 and 8, 2020.
In today’s increasingly globalized world, dialogues and collaboration across national, cultural and sectoral boundaries have become an
indispensable approach to solving complex social issues.
In this symposium, the grantees of the Toyota Foundation who are working towards solving social issues in collaboration with people from avariety of nations, cultures and sectors, and the researchers and students in IHS who offer a high level of expertise and a broad perspective,in addition to insights and integrative abilities to apply academic learning to actual practice in society, have gathered and discussed various
methods and experiences in project management as well as raising public interest in social issues, focusing on dialogues with society.
The University of Tokyo’s Integrated Human Sciences Program for Cultural Diversity (IHS) was inaugurated in 2014 to train proactive leaders.
Meanwhile, the Toyota Foundation’s International Grant Program (IGP) focuses on deepening mutual understanding and knowledge-sharing
among people on the ground in their target countries who are finding solutions to shared issues. Through promoting direct interaction
among key players, the grant program aims to survey and analyze situations in those areas, obtain new perspectives and expand thepotential of future generations.
The IHS and the Toyota Foundation collaborate beyond the differences in their priorities on the academic side and practice and invite
researchers and students as well as the IGP grantees from the past few years. The co-organizers aim to share the successes and trials inproject management across sectors as well as their efforts on the dissemination of the project outputs with the audience, especially from theperspective of communication with society.
In this report, we introduce the highlights of the two-day session from the perspectives of the participating IHS students. We hope that the
dialogues between the grantees of the Toyota Foundation and the researchers and students of IHS, along with the learnings of the students
gained from this symposium, will provide insights into the potential of integrating research and practice.

02

F OR E WORD

p.02

A B OUT TH E O RGA N I Z E RS

P ROGRA M

p.04

p.06

Session1
F i l m S creening and Cro ss Talk : Their/ Our Views

p.08

Session2
S y m p o s i u m : T he Wa y s t o Go Beyo nd th e Bo u ndaries

p. 12

Session3
C losed Wo rksho p
AF T ER W OR D

p.17

p.22

C O N T ENTS

03

ABOUT THE TOYOTA FOUNDATIONThe Toyota Foundation is a grant-making foundation established in 1974 by the Toyota Motor
Corporation. It views events from a global perspective as it works to support activities that bringbroad, long-term benefits to society. The Toyota Foundation identifies issues in a wide range of areas
in line with current needs, including human and natural environments, social welfare, and educationand culture, and provides grants for research and projects that address these issues.

ABOUT THE TOYOTA FOUNDATIONINTERNATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM
S i n c e 2 0 1 3 , t h e To y o t a F o u n d a t i o n h a s s e t i t s m a i n f o c u s o n c o m m o n i s s u e s i n A s i a f o r i t s
International Grant Program (IGP). At first, it set its target on the three significant themes of aging,international migration, and renewable energy. In the course of running the program, the Toyota
Foundation has lear ned that cultural and philosophical dimensions are critically important inunderstanding the backgrounds of the issues in local communities.
A l s o , t h e a p p ro a c h e s t h a t w e re s u p p o r t e d , m u t u a l l e a r n i n g t h ro u g h e x c h a n g e s a n d s h a r i n gexperience beyond sectors as well as international boundaries, are integral and can be applicable toother efforts. In this regard, the Toyota Foundation has been continuously redesigning the IGP. As
the result, the current IGP is promoting direct interaction. It aims to deepen mutual understanding
and knowledge-sharing among key players in the target countries in East and Southeast Asia whoare finding solutions to shared issues. Through promoting direct interaction among key players, thegrant program aims to survey and analyze situations in those areas, obtain new perspectives, andexpand the potential of future generations. Current and upcoming challenges in the world arecomplex and cross-border, multi-sectoral cooperation is essential to find solutions. The Toyota
Foundation hopes that the IGP contributes to connecting leaders in all sectors from the ground up in
East and Southeast Asia.

04

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO PROGRAM FOR LEADING GRADUATE SCHOOLSINTEGRATED HUMAN SCIENCES PROGRAM FOR CULTURAL DIVERSITY (IHS)

Launched in 2014, this program that is subsidized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology aims to demonstrate a new direction for education at graduate schools. It
enrolls around 50 students, some of whom major in this program and others take this program as
minor while majoring in their respective subjects.
Integration stands as a key part of the concept behind this program. It suggests that the program
seeks studies that transcend the boundaries of fractionalized academic disciplines. In the program,students study methodologies and mindsets in different areas through lectures. It aims to help themacquire multi-disciplinary literacy and to understand the significance and potential of the latest
research in areas other than their specialty.
Another key element is coexistence. The program uses the term of coexistence instead of cultural
diversity to pay attention not only to the state in which various individuals live in comfort but also
the state in which they are mutually respected and valued.
Beyond the boundaries between academia and society, students will acquire skills in acting andplanning through different training sessions outside the university.
The IHS program will address the future challenge of seeking a method for returning the results ofm u l t i - d i s c i p l i n a r y e x c h a n g e t o t h e re a l w o r l d . F o r t h i s p u r p o s e , t h e p ro g r a m h a s o rg a n i z e driddle-solving events and research in sparsely populated regions as well as other events outside theuniversity aimed at promoting outreach beyond academic studies and hands-on research activities
based on communities (see pp. 18-19). To tackle questions such as what results are expected frommulti-cultural coexistence, whether the closeness of relationships and other qualities can bevisualized as achievements, which results should and should not be presented in the form of
numerical figures, and what actions are needed to prevent events and gatherings from only occurring
once, students use trial and error and conduct activities based on their ideas.

05

The Ways to Have a Better Dialogue for Empathy
Mutual Learning and Exchanges

ProgramDate: Friday, February 7, 15:00-18:00
Saturday, February 8, 10:00-16:30
Venue: Hall and Collaboration Room 3, Bldg 18,
The University of Tokyo Komaba Campus

Friday, February 7
15:00-18:00
Session1 Film Screening and Cr o s s Ta l k : The i r /O u r Vi e w s

Ab ou t t h e To yo ta F o und ati o n
H id e o Tone, Pro g ram Officer, T he To y ot a Fou n dat ion [C oordin at or ]Film Sc re eni ng and C ro ss Tal k “ T heir / O u r View s ”
C h ou Yu n Ju, Sp eci al i st, N ati o nal C u lt u re an d A r t s Fou n dat ion
J. Yooh yu n Lee, Ph. D. Researcher at t h e H on g K on g P oly t ech n ic U n iv er s it y
“ Th rou gh Vi sual E x p ressi o ns: Retri e v in g C on fiden ce w it h in M ar r iage M igr an t Wom en ”

Dip e sh K harel , E thno g rap her/F i l m m ak er, R es earch er at t h e U n iv er s it y of Tok y o“ C a p t u r in g Mul ti ethni c Jap an: F o rei gn S t u den t s an d J apan es e L ear n in g t o L iv e Toget h e r”

Su yh e a n g Kry, Ex ecuti ve Di recto r, Wom en P eace M ak er s
“ U n d e r st and i ng ‘ U s’ to kno w ‘ T hem’: Em ploy in g Facilit at iv e L is t en in g D es ign region allyt o b u ild e mp athy to ward s the Other t h rou gh u n der s t an din g t h os e t o w h om w e can relate ”

06

Saturday, February 8
10:00-12:30
Session2 Symposium : The Wa y s to G o B e y o n d the B o u n d a r i e s

Sh ige t o S o no d a, Sel ecti o n C o m m i tt ee C h air of In t er n at ion al G r an t P rogr am , t h e Toy ot a Found a t ion ; P ro fesso r, T he U ni versi ty o f Tok y o [C oordin at or ]H id e mi Takahashi , Pro fesso r, T he U n iv er s it y of Tok y o

N a p isa Wai to o l ki at, Di recto r, C enter of A S EA N C om m u n it y S t u dies an d D ean , Facu lt y of Soc i a l
Sc ie n c e s, N aresuan U ni versi ty“ L oc a t in g Peace thro ug h harm o ni z i n g R eligion , G en der, an d A ge: Th e C as es of Th ailan d ’s
De e p S outh and Ind o nesi a’s Aceh”

Sh u ko E b i hara, F o und er, Kuri ya“ E mp owe ri ng Intercul tural Yo uth fro m a C reat iv e A pproach ”

M a i Yosh ikawa, F o und er, N ap ura- wo r k s . C o., L t d“ Pr a c t ic e o f C o - Lear ni ng fo r C o m m u n it y B as ed Tou r is m in S am bor P rei K u k , C am bodia
a n d in N a n j yo Oki nawa T hro ug h Onl in e Exper ien ce S h ar in g an d a S ocial P lat f or m ”

14:00-16:30
Session3 Closed Workshop07S e ss io n1 Fi lm Sc reeni ng a n d C r os s Ta l k “T h e ir / Ou r V iew s ”
Audio-visual is an effective tool for transmitting messages to society. Recently, the international
grant program has produced audio-visual products as deliverables in several projects. In Session 1,
the three groups screened the work with presentations, and discussed the background, aims, andmethods of using video media.

I ntr oductio n of the Spe ak e rs

Chou Yun Ju and Jen Yoohyun Lee
Yun Ju and Jen first met in Thailand in 2016. Shortly after that, they discovered that theyboth were interested in socially engaged art and ended up designing a cross-national
project together. Jen is a community art practitioner, currently earning a Ph.D. in social
design. Yun is an art event programmer, currently working for the Art Council of Taiwan.
*With the latest change, only Jen participated in the symposium.

A b s t r a c t fo r t h e Proj e ct I n f orma t ion

Through Visual Expressions : Retrieving Confidence within Marriage for Migrant Women (Project countries: Taiwan andSouth Korea)

South Korea and Taiwan are both facing the effect of the dramatic economic boost in the late 20th century: a hike inmarriage immigration. The majority of immigrant partners are women from China and Southeast Asia that arrived throughinternational marriage agencies. Society positions them as passive strangers and they have been overlooked in theirmarriages and society. Their children are named after their fathers, speaking the father’s language. Accordingly, they
have low self-esteem. The children not only consider their mothers’ heritage to be lowly, but also to lack education, andthey are less competent among peers.
This project frames this matter as a human rights issue, and empowers the women and their children to become
activists, to speak out about their side of the story and to gain self-esteem through artistic approaches and have theconfidence to speak up about themselves in society.
The significance of relationship building for all participants became clear as the project unfolded. By gathering once aweek, the women and their children were able to interact with other participants and local volunteers all while acquiring
different languages, skills, and tools in order to share stories and transform their position in society by forming a newkind of community.

08

Dipesh Kharel
Dipesh is a visual ethnographer and a filmmaker. He received the President Award 2018 at the
U n i v e r s i t y o f To k y o f o r h i s n o v e l a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e v i s u a l e t h n o g r a p h i c m e t h o d i n s t u d y i n gtransnational migration. His fieldwork data have already resulted into manuscripts as well as severala w a rd - w i n n i n g e t h n o g r a p h i c fi l m s . C u r re n t l y, a s a J S P S p o s t - d o c t o r a l re s e a rc h e r a t S o p h i a
University and a researcher at the University of Tokyo, he is doing visual ethnographic research on
the migrants as well as foreign student from South East Asia to Japan.

A b s t r a c t fo r the Proj e ct I n f orma t ion

Capturing Multiethnic Japan : Foreign Students and Japanese Learning to Live Together (Project Countries: Nepal,
Vietnam, and Japan)

Recently, the number of Vietnamese and Nepalese students coming to Japan has dramatically increased, making themthe second and the third largest foreign student communities in Japan, respectively. Indeed, these student migrants are
becoming important for labor in the rapidly aging society of Japan. Both the young migrants and Japanese are sharing a
number of challenges and opportunities while living together and creating an inclusive society. The main purpose of this
ethnographic film project is to document the experiences of Kyosei (living together) and disseminate this knowledge
throughout the world.
Gaining mutual understanding of the causes, processes and social consequences of international migration from Vietnam
and Nepal to Japan could contribute to shaping a comprehensive policy on international migration in Japan, Vietnam and
Nepal as well as other countries.

Suyheang Kry
Serving as the Executive Director of Women Peace Makers Organization (WPM) in Cambodia.
Founded in 2003, WPM works to support the empowerment of women and youth, transformc o n fl i c t s , a n d p r e v e n t v i o l e n c e b y p r o v i d i n g t h e t o o l s a n d s p a c e f o r d i a l o g u e , d e e p e r
understanding, and strategic intervention into issues of gender and peace. Suyheang holds a
master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, USA,and a Bachelor of Education from the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

A b s t r a c t fo r t h e Proj e ct I n f orma t ion ( On go i n g )“Understanding ‘Us’ to know ‘Them’ : Employing Facilitative Listening Design regionallyto build empathy towards the Other through understanding those to whom we can relate” (Project countries: Cambodia,
Thailand and Vietnam)

Understanding “Us” to know “Them” employs a community-based action approach developed by Women Peace Makers
in Cambodia to collect information and subsequently foster better mutual understanding and empathy towards others. By
training Khmer minority participants from outside of Cambodia to use Facilitative Listening Design (FLD) to gather
op ini o n s an d p erce pt i o n s wit h in t h e i r c o m m u n i t i e s , t h e y w i l l p ro v i d e a n e w u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e s t re n g th s an dchallenges in a minority context. By having Cambodian participants take the same approach with minorities inside ofCambodia, there will be a range of data for analysis and comparison of two different minority settings. Bringing thewhole group together, the connection of being Khmer or Cambodian will also show that the Other inside Cambodia hassimilar experiences and perceptions as Khmer minorities in Vietnam and Thailand. The ultimate goal is to understand theexperience of other minority groups by understanding the concept of us in a more familiar context.

09

Report from the IHS
Findings Gained through Filming

Jen Yoohyun Lee

Use of video media has the advantage that both shooting and viewing are close to people. Holding cameras
inspired mothers and their children to actively communicate.
Jen organized art workshops in Taiwan and South Korea from two standpoints: as a planner and as an artist.
The events targeted migrant mothers and their children. According to the initial plan, the two workshops would
have identical proceedings. In reality, the workshop in South Korea featured art production while the one in
Taiwan featured filming. The organization of different programs in the same period allowed participants at two
locations to present their respective works to each other and to have dialogues through video conferencing.
The art therapy encouraged the children to open their minds and allowed the mothers to gradually talk about
their feelings. In one film, a mother said that she gained new understanding about the relationship between
the mother and children and learned as a human being. Stating that her team as the planner had learned a lot
from the workshops, Jen concluded her report by expressing gratitude.
As a future task, it was pointed out that preparations should be made to attract parents and children in various
living conditions. The team had intended to study with a focus on mothers under difficult living conditions, butmany of the actual participants in the workshops were mothers with a somewhat stable livelihood. It will aim
to develop a system that will be able to empower not only mothers but also their children.

Films for Motivating Storytelling and Dialogues

Suyheang Kry

The appeal of film as a communication medium lies in the breadth of its reach. While taking about theirrespective experiences, presenters repeatedly stress that film is an effective means of making issues thatare unlikely to attract attention known profoundly at a low cost.
Suyheang Kry is engaged in the empowerment of women and youth and works to promote understanding
through dialogues for the prevention of conflict and violence. In this project, the team practiced the threesteps of listening, recording and conducting a joint analysis. They had originally been designed forcross-cultural understanding of ethnic minorities in Cambodia. By filming themselves, these minorities wereable to recognize their life history that focused on individuals as well as their links to their community.
The films were edited in a style in which viewers are gradually drawn into the world of personal stories.
Hearing individual speakers’ voices and talking rhythms and seeing their atmospheres while taking about
what they do for living, what languages they speak and how often, whether they have families, what they
think about their traditional ethnic culture, what difficulties they have experienced, what differences they
perceive between the past and the present and so forth, viewers will naturally feel attached to speakers
and think that their conditions are no longer someone else’s affair.
The team actively worked to show the films and to provide opportunities for dialogues. It was meaningful toprovide the works for those unfamiliar with the hardships and social issues of minorities. “We would like tohelp people reconsider who they are and who others are, realize with surprise that they share many thingsin common and commit to living with others as humans,” said Suyheang.

10Visualizing Viewpoints of Migrants

Dipesh Kharel

Film production is something in which anyone can take an active role, because of its simplicity and the breadth of its
outreach. Video media appear to be fairly compatible with the philosophy behind activities conducted by thepresenters. The following outlines the presentation delivered by Dipesh Kharel.
“There is still a huge divide between migrants and society. Many Japanese are unaware of their hardships. Is it
appropriate to adopt a solution in which the majority empower the minority (migrants)? The answer is no. We should
build a community where we learn and discuss together. I believe that our role is to act as a bridge between them.”
Dipesh is a visual ethnographer. Based on his field work, he published a large number of articles and videos. In thisproject, migrants and students from Asia living in Japan carried out filming activities to keep visual records in a way inwhich they were involved in the production. Their films featured the actual living environment of young people, such as
sharing of a small room for sleeping and their part-time jobs at a monjayaki (pan-friend batter) restaurant, aconvenience store and other places. The film depicted the heavy burdens and hardships they faced. For example, they
worked for money to be sent to their families in their home countries in addition to their tuition. They cannot take days
off work even after they are injured. Their visa applications are not easily approved. Their future remains uncertain,
whether they return home or stay in Japan. A mixture of their fatigue and faint hope for the future was seen in theircomments. The team interviewed personnel in Tokurinji Temple in Nagoya as providers of support. This Buddhist
temple erected a Vietnamese temple on its premises and has been conducting memorial services for young students
from overseas who have lost their lives. The cases of their deaths vary, including suicide, traffic accidents and unknown
causes. The temple also provides support for overseas students. When there is a festival on its premises, it has foodstalls run by Vietnamese students.
Dipesh’s activities are not confined to visual ethnographic fieldwork at different locations. They include the organizationof filming workshops. He emphasizes the point that overseas students visualize their own perspectives when theyinterview each other in their films. In view of a sharp growth in students from Vietnam and Nepal, Dipesh is thinking ofcontinuing to uncover the reality of Japanese society that is shifting towards a multi-ethnic community.

Film Work as a Process and Communication
Finally, the coordinator asked about what the presenters did to build collaborative relationships. While speaking
about their respective stories, they pointed out the importance of taking plenty of time to communicate.
Suyheang explained that she did not immediately start filming a documentary. She spent at least one and a halfyears on building personal relationships of trust. She also said that it took her an extra six months untilinterviewees spoke about their life histories. After the completion of her film, she asked the interviewees toreview it before it was shown. She always provides an opportunity for dialogues at each screening.
The cross-talk session repeatedly highlighted the importance of flexible planning, according to which eachproject should plan activities suited to its purpose at different stages from the viewpoint of regarding film
production and screening as a process rather than focusing on film works as finished products.

R e p o rt f ro m t h e IHS
11

S essio n2 Sy m po si u m: Th e Wa y s t o G o B e y on d t h e B ou n d a r y
Session 2 began with a summary of the previous day and the questions raised by Professor Shigeto
S o n o d a , w h o c o n t r i b u t e d t o d e s i g n i n g t h e I H S P ro g r a m a n d i s a l s o t h e c h a i r o f t h e To y o t aFoundation International Grant Program Selection Committee.
Dr. Hidemi Takahashi, the coordinator of the IHS program, and two students from the IHS program,followed by three recipients of the Toyota Foundation International Grant Program spoke at thissession.

I n tr oduction of the Spe ak e rs

Shigeto Sonoda

Hidemi Takahashi

Professor of Sociology and Asian

Coordinator of the IHS program. Professor

Studies, Institute for Advanced

at the Graduate School of Arts andStudies on Asia (IASA), The

Sciences at the University of Tokyo, and a

University of Tokyo; Selection

philologist specializing in the study ofCommittee Chair, International

Syriac and medieval Arabic literature.

G r a n t P r o g r a m , T h e To y o t aD.Phil. (Frankfurt)

Foundation

Hiroko Tanabe (2nd year in IHS Doctoral Program)
Minami Iizuka (1st year in IHS Master Program)

Shuko Ebihara
Founder of kuriya, the non-profit organization (NPO) that provides opportunities for career education for
immigrant youth (age 16 to 26) in Japan. With a mission to engage and empower immigrant youth inJapanese society, Shuko founded the organization in 2016 after 10 years of operating more than 100 art
and cultural workshops to engaging 300 youths. She was selected for the Global Cultural Leadership
Programme by the European Union. Since 2019, she also serves as an advisor for MEXT in Japan.

A b s t r a c t fo r t h e Proj e ct I n f orma t ion

Empowering Intercultural Youth from a Creative Approach (Project countries: Japan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia)
This project perceives the potential for intercultural youth in society, with so much cultural diversity. The project has
supported the empowerment of intercultural youth through a creative approach by providing opportunities to 1) visualize
the perspectives of intercultural youth through art and media to advocate for them in society, 2) to connect intercultural
youth across Asia to create a dialogue on common global issues and potential in our society, and 3) to build a global
network and to consider together possible actions to be taken in order to create a better future for our lives. Artists andNPOs practicing empowerment programs through art in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Penang visited project sites in eachcountry and shared knowledge and experiences, and have developed a program addressing the common issues.

12Mai Yoshikawa
Founder of Napura-works Co., Ltd. Creating transformative travel programs with the local community at
the Sambor Prei Kuk site, under the concept of “Connecting the ancient world and modern society todesign our common future” by growing “Heritage Ecosystems,” linking heritage, nature, and people—
those living in the community and those visiting.

A b s t r a c t fo r the Proj e ct I n f orma t ion

Practice of Co-Learning for Community-Based Tourism in Sambor Prei Kuk, Cambodia and in
Nanjyo Okinawa Through Online Experience Sharing and a Social Platform (Project countries: Cambodia
and Japan)

Focusing on the surrounding area of the Sambo Precook Archeological Site, which was registered as a World Heritage
Site in 2017, and the Nanjo City, Okinawa Prefecture, where the Sefa Utaki World Heritage Site is located, the project
created an opportunity to study and learn about common issues and future prospects for sightseeing, living, and thefuture of the area. We implemented a field study program in Japan, Cambodia and Italy to connect community members
who are involved in community based tourism at each site. Through these experiences we could create partnerships toshare the experience and the issues as the hosts and guests in deeply and directly, and have confidence to design ourown future for own community.

Napisa Waitoolkiat
Dr. Napisa Waitoolkiat, Assistant Professor, is the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Naresuan
University, Phitsanulok, Thailand, and former President and current Executive Secretary of the Asian
Political and International Studies Association. Her research interests include party/electoral politics,
democratization, peace studies, human security and migration in Southeast Asia.

A b s t r a c t fo r the Proj e ct I n f orma t ion

Locating Peace by Harmonizing Religion, Gender, and Age : T h e C a s e s o f T h a i l a n d ’s D e e p S o u t h a n dIndonesia’s Aceh (Project countries: Thailand and Indonesia)

This project examined the multigenerational and multicultural issues, including women in the conflict zones of Thailand’s
Deep South and Indonesia’s Aceh who have experienced armed conflict and secessionist movements. What we learnedis that peacebuilding needs democracy and participation from all walks of life. We also learned a lot from other partners
because the peace building phase and religious situation are different. We organized four forums and a symposium inseveral non-Deep South provinces to disseminate information, raised awareness about Deep South issues among Thai
people and sought to place these issues atop the national agenda in Thailand to help end the violence. Our outputs,
such as a booklet, video clips with Thai subtitles, and articles in two peer-reviewed papers will aid in disseminating thecollected information to contribute towards peace.

13

Report from the IHS
Borders and Divisions ―A Question Raised in This Session
Professor Shigeto Sonoda served as the coordinator for this session. He referred to the argument of Emile Durkheim, a Frenchsociologist, on transition from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity to raise a question over the idea that evolution of society
meant the change from a society consisting of homogeneous members to a society consisting of heterogeneous members unitedby division of labor.
According to him, it would be favorable if heterogeneous members were organically combined, but in reality, organic division oflabor does not occur. Especially at graduate school, where students strive for a doctoral degree in their specialized subjects,
nothing but deep exploration with a focus on specific matters was considered to be important and collaboration based on sharedinterests has not been encouraged. As a result, the divide between disciplines, society and universities may be intensifying.
Formulated from this sense of crisis, the IHS program aims to develop personnel who will fill the gap between academia andsociety. The program emphasizes insight, creativity, cooperativeness and integration. They are closely associated with the points
stressed by the Toyota Foundation’s International Grant Program, namely transnational, cross sector, mutual learning andforesight. In view of this relationship, the talk session discussed the subject of borders.

Cultivating Attractions Through Empathy

Mai Yoshikawa

Regarding the question of how to overcome the challenge from outsiders doubting the significance of the enthusiastic planningof an event, Mai said that the experience of her own pregnancy and childbirth was similar to her feeling at the time of carryingout an experimental project. It is the challenge of trying without knowing how the results will be. She said, “The best way of
increasing our personal network is to talk with them frankly face to face. It is just like holding hands with a person who issensitive to cold temperatures.”
She engages in community-based tourism, which she considers to be tourism that energizes local communities. The subsidized
project reviewed the desirable form of tourism through exchange based on mutual visits to two regions, Nanjo City and Sambor
Prei Kuk. Common aspects of the two regions are proximity between a World Heritage site and the everyday life of local people,
and the vastness of the heritage that makes it difficult to grasp its overall picture. It is more important to image what happened
there in the past than to view the visible buildings.
In areas with World Heritage sites, the relationship between locals and the heritage site tends to be weaker as the areas areturning into tourist destinations. There is a vicious circle in which visitors to the heritage site decline as it is more separated fromlocals. For the tourism industry, it is imperative to maintain the relationship among the local community, the heritage site and thetourists. With the stance of regarding a World Heritage site as including the whole town and people living there, the team
explores a form of tourism that will shake the values of visitors.
The project provided several opportunities for simple but heart-warming exchanges. For example, participants ate
home-prepared meals in the kitchens of regular homes and received guidance on the district from local people. Then, theytalked not only about superficial attractions but also real problems. People are not moved by looking at positive aspects alone.
They feel empathy when they understand the problems. Project activities revealed that it was important to think about thesustainability of local lifestyles when discussing sustainability in tourism. In the process of developing a tourist destination, it isoften a case of bringing what is lacking in the region from outside. However, that does not produce a solution. Local charm thatstill remains invisible is very important, and it is necessary to allow a good deal of time for discovering it. The project succeededin attaining the discovery through mutual learning between people in different areas. Mai presented a photo of all participants ofher projects, and passionately emphasized their big smiles.

14

Translation Capacity for Transcending Positions

Shuko Ebihara

In response to the question about how to overcome boundaries, translation capacity was proposed as a requirement. It means
the communication ability premised on positional differences, not the skills for translation between different languages. Serving
as the representative director of the NPO kuriya, Shuko is engaged in a project for human development through art for
multicultural youth. Her group has conducted activities in Hong Kong, Penang and Tokyo, regarding multicultural youth not as aproblem but as a source of potential.
In parallel with the implementation of on-site activities, the organization made policy proposals. Until then, on-site activities
always faced a dilemma. While witnessing the severity of the environment surrounding multicultural youth, the group noticed theincompetence arising from the absence of any tangible support system. Young migrants to Japan leave school before
graduation, cannot obtain higher education even if they want to or they are exposed to abuse and other forms of violence indaily life. After realizing the limitations of its art programs, the non-profit body decided to make a policy proposal with anemphasis on the inadequacy of mechanisms for supporting high schoolers of foreign origins. The translation capacity wasneeded when delivering the voices of these young people in the form of a policy proposal to the government. That produced
positive results, such as complementing fact-finding surveys.
“When you project yourself into someone else’s situation, you can understand the way they interpret your words and that willprompt you to improve how you use words.” In response to this remark from Shuko, Hiroko in the IHS program said that thetranslation capacity might be needed at the level of logics. A different position leads to different logic. The difference in position
between teachers and students in the IHS program is an example. In this case, the party at the position where logics of the twosides and their mismatch can be observed, such as the administrative office, will play a coordinating role. Hiroko argued thatclose communication with the coordinating party had paved the way for translation of logics in the IHS program. Professor
Takahashi remarked that there was an issue about invisibleness of students’ conditions to teachers and that it was similar toessential difficulty in the majority understanding the status of the minority.

Arousing Interests Beyond Interference

Napisa Waitoolkiat

In response to a question on what boundary posed the greatest difficulty, Napisa mentioned interference by the military. In
Thailand’s Deep South, conflicts, violence and deaths are intensifying. In this region, Muslims are the majority, making up 77% of
the population. It is exceptional, given that they are a minority throughout Thailand. The situation is so serious that genocide isoccurring there, claiming at least 7,000 lives by 2020. Data on casualties according to faith shows that deaths are concentrated
among Muslims. Among the two genders, males make up 80% of the deaths, and among the age groups, 18- to 59-year-olds
account for 70%. The group of unknown ages make up 20%. It should be additionally considered in view of the fact that thedead could not be identified. In addition, there are 10,000 orphans.
They are supposed to have the right to live in peace. Those in conflict-affected areas are filled with unrest while living in theireveryday lives, while the military budget has continued to increase. When asked about this issue, most of the university students
in the country say that they are unaware of the situation. People in non-conflict areas tend to regard the issue as distant or
having nothing to do with them.
With the aim of stimulating a sense of involvement in people, the project team held forums and conducted field work in threecities, both in an area where there was an ongoing conflict and in an area in which a conflict had been settled. It is working withdetermination towards strengthening the support systems of citizens’ groups and raising public awareness.

15

Why We Try to Cross Borders
At the end of the session, each presenter discussed what they paid attention to when crossing borders and what
inspired them to carry out their projects. Shuko said that, for the purpose of gathering people from all walks of life, it
was important to provide a place that would offer psychological security and peace of mind. Her motivation tocontinue activities with this stance stems from her experience of living as a minority. Mai attached importance to theaction of eating and sharing time together. She said that she was most inspired by the potential of the people living in
the district. Napisa remembered the days when there was peace in Thailand’s Deep South. Buddhist priests andMuslims had daily exchanges with considerate attitudes. She bears this picture in mind when conducting her activities.
For improving the situation, dialogues need to be repeatedly held to build favorable relationships between the
non-profit organization, the community concerned, and the military. Napisa stressed that peace is a political matter.
They find issues to be tackled and shed light on them in places where plenty of difficulties and problems areentangled. What the three presenters, Shuko, Mai and Napisa, have in common is insights into key areas of focus. It islinked with researchers’ activities in organizing questions and deepening speculation through academic papers. The
session provided some clues on generating interactions between practice and research, instead of confrontation
between them.

R e p o rt f ro m t h e IHS
16

S essio n3 Clo sed Wo rksh op
Designed by the IHS students, Session 3 was an opportunity in which the students and guests who
received grants from the Toyota Foundation had closer exchanges of opinions. With their respective
ideas, the students worked on the issue of how the accumulation of cross-sectoral activities should
be returned to society. Three groups of students delivered reports on their respective projects. In thesecond half, the participants were split into smaller groups to closely discuss key concepts thatemerged from the reports.

Concept of This Session
The relationship between research and practice cannot always be summarized as a direct one-way relationship between
theory and application. As a specific issue is studied more deeply, it becomes clearer that any practice involves
problems and risks. While grass-roots empowerment is needed, we should never turn away from the problems that lie in
the abyss. We should consider the entire society while looking at specific individuals, and we should also consider
individuals while viewing society as a whole. There is a proverb that goes: “You cannot see the forest for the trees.” The
concurrent implementation of research and practice may be likened to the alternate shifting of our focus between theforest and the trees.
The IHS program has the educational aim of helping students acquire academic knowledge to develop solutions tonumerous problems stemming from the challenges associated with the need for peaceful coexistence in our globalizedsociety. The students undergo training for developing both their expertise and extensive culture. They not only author
papers in their specialty areas but also participate in multidisciplinary lectures in the university and outside training
sessions. They are also provided with an opportunity to voluntarily organize events independently from the planningstage. Then, they proactively seek balance between research and practice. The three teams of IHS students that gave
presentations in this session attempted to shift their focus between details and the overall picture.

17

From IHS Activities
Kawachi Nazoto ki M a c h i Ta n ken ( Ex p l o re Kaw ac h i t o S o l v e L o c al Myst eri es)‒ A n ev e n t fo r d i scove rie s in Ta k a chiho- ch o , N i sh i - Usu k i - g u n , M i yaz ak i P refec t u r e
Hiroko Tanabe and Ryo Nakagawa, who delivered their report, have an interest in storytelling in local communities. This
event was held in fall 2019 jointly with the NPO Tabaru Mirai Project, aiming for local revitalization. In the region where
the population was shrinking, participants walked around while solving riddles about the history of the town. Throughresearch, a rehearsal, and the actual event in collaboration with local people, the event awoke many different memories
and participants were able to hear stories based on local life.
After the report, the audience remarked on two points. One was the relationship between the needs in the area
concerned with the event, namely the Kawachi district in Takachiho-cho, and the content of the event. The other was the
position of IHS students in the participation of the event and their interests. Participating students majored in subjects
with no direct linkage to regional development and public administration studies. They made little contribution as experts
at the stages of planning and operation. Focusing on the question of how studies on language, such as studies ontheatrical plays, philosophy and linguistics, may be applied to regional development, they cooperated in the activities of
the Tabaru Mirai Project as visiting planners to produce the event. Explanations of this point made up a large portion of
the question-and-answer session. Closer discussions could have occurred if more detailed reports had been made on
interests shared among local inhabitants, the NPO and the students as well as on the background for setting a common
goal for the region.

Hajimete no Ga kka i ( The F irst Aca de mi c C o n fer en c e) b y O F F L A B E L
The second group reported about an event that aimed for academic outreach. It was designed by a group called OFF
LABEL, established by four students named Minami Iizuka, Rena Takada, Chao Yi and Nan Heejoo, who joined theprogram in the 2019 academic year. Its objective is to remove various negative images from people, organizations,
nations and regions using the power of academic studies and research. They desire to spread the joy of studies in waysthat are easy to understand and carry out activities for making studies known to society in order to bridge between theacademics and the real world. Its first event, Hajimete no Gakkai (the First Academic Conference), was held in January
2020. A wide variety of researchers ranging from the teaching staff of the University of Tokyo to researchers in theprivate sector were invited. The event was designed to fundamentally review what research is all about and to discuss
the actual state of graduate schools. It thus attracted more than 100 participants. For increasing the recognition of theorganization and ensuring its continued activities through the presentation and the question-and-answer session, it waspossible to elucidate the importance of clearly setting problems and of having methods for solving them.

Development of educational materials for social studies that visualize cultural backgrounds
The third group reported activities regarding the initiative of Masao Oi, who was highly experienced as a social studiest e a c h e r, f o r b u i l d i n g a p l a t f o r m f o r m u l t i c u l t u r a l d i s c u s s i o n s . A s i n t e r n a t i o n a l i z a t i o n a d v a n c e s , d e e p e n i n g o f
understanding about multicultural coexistence is needed in Japan. However, specific methods for nurturing thisawareness in school education have not yet been fully studied. What is even worse, school education focuses so muchon questions with one clear right answer that it hardly gives pupils a surprising experience that stimulates theirintellectual curiosity. Oi is working to develop educational materials that visualize the existence of history in each country18

or culture behind the opinions of individuals and that help pupils actively learn about diversity. He gathered commentsfrom people in more than 100 countries and plotted them on a digital earth. His research explores which methods are
effective in the development of multifaceted perspectives among children and what problems lie in Japan’s education
system. In the question-and-answer session, some audience members posed questions about importance of problem
setting and study methods that make learners realize the necessity for holding dialogues with others in addition tomeeting opinions that are different from theirs.

Group Discussion
I n t h e s e c o n d h a l f , t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s w e re s p l i t i n t o s m a l l g ro u p s f o r h o l d i n g i n - d e p t h d i s c u s s i o n s b a s e d o n t h epresentations. The event invited suggestions on several key terms to be discussed, and selected four phrases:“empathy”, “school education”, “diversity”, and “the local community and its voice”. Small groups of three to four
actively discussed these subjects. That offered an opportunity to talk for a long time with recipients of grants from the
Toyota Foundation. The participants gained many different suggestions on how to address different communities in IHS
activities.
In the course of attaining a balance between research and practice, it is vital to understand commonalities anddifferences. This session gave participants the significant opportunity to discover the differences. Processes such as
grasping of needs at the planning stage, the determination of positions in activities and presenting results suited to theneeds and positions are all significant when conducting activities outside academia.
Students will apply what they learned in this session to their future activities and will continue to seek a balance between
research and practice. The knowledge obtained on this occasion will be helpful to the students in the IHS program when
implementing long-term projects in the future.

19

Report from Activities of IHS Students
In this program intended to encourage cross-sectoral exchanges and off-campus studies, students
often obtain unexpected inspiration from what seems to have nothing to do with their specialty
areas. For example, a student majoring in the analysis of dramas started rethinking the fundamental
concepts of theatrical plays after viewing dialogues where mental health welfare services areprovided. Another student studying migrants was inspired to review the inside and outside of thecommunity through the discovery of the significance of tradition that supports the ethos of thecommunity after watching the long-inherited sacred music and dancing in a mountainous region.
Each student has internal dialogues about experiences and intellectual inspirations that they could
never obtain if they only read papers in a specific discipline.

The IHS program offers unique inspirations unavailable elsewhere not only for individuals but also forvoluntary study groups. One example is a reading session that was joined by students in the naturalsciences, social sciences and humanities and discovered a basic fact about the difference between
academic papers and books. When authoring books targeted at the general public, researchers in
the natural sciences may add their messages to the public, which they never included in theirpapers. Books in the natural sciences differ significantly from those in humanities and social
sciences in the sense that they are intended for the dissemination of knowledge rather than forstrictly mastering the expertise. However, students studying experimental sciences began to thinkthat they should be aware that the authors’ authority as scientists will accompany such messages
and scientists may present their personal views outside their area of expertise.

Apart from that, a workshop on the Ainu had been organized. Under the principle that it is important
to start by lear ning the language to lear n about their culture, their members lear ned the Ainu
language and read Ainu stories in that language. Students majoring in many different subjects
ranging from linguistics and literature to photography and geology joined the workshop. Although it
is unusual that 10 students gathered on the subject of the Ainu on a campus in Japan, this workshop
was realized because students in many different fields had a major question with which they could
associate, even though the Ainu was not their specialty.

20

Participants from the IHS
T h e IH S pro g r a m h a s a bo u t 5 0 m a j o r a n d s u b - m a j o r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t s .
H e re we i n t ro du c e 1 1 m e m b e r s w h o w e re i n v o l v e d i n t h e s y m p o s i u m .

Rena Takada : M a j o r

P y a i P hy o M y i n t : M a j or

Cha o Yi : S u b - ma j o r

Yu k i Na g a e : S u b - m a j or

Mina mi Iizuka : M a j o r

Hi r o k o Ta n a be : S u b - m a j o r

Na m Heejoo : S u b - ma j o r

R y o Na k a ga w a : S u b - m a j o r

Ma sao Oi : S u b - ma j o r

Ak i hi r o M i y a ta : S u b - m a j or

Na t suki Takamura : S u b - ma j o r

21A F T ERWO RD

Shigeto Sonoda
Professor and Deputy Director, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (IASA), The University of Tokyo;
Selection Committee Chair for International Grant Program, The Toyota Foundation

Usually we start to gain some research interests through our connection with society. In all disciplines, ranging from thehumanities to the natural sciences, our research questions, such as “Why did such event occur?”, “Why cannot this issue besolved?”, “How can these accidents be prevented?”, will be formed and developed in particular social settings in which
researchers are located.
Our connection with society will be barely maintained after the research starts. Our research will be sharped to be an original one
through exchanges with others or by reviewing previous research, presenting research designs and receiving comments on it.
When we ask ourselves what we can do and contribute to society, we find it difficult to answer, because we, especially young
researchers, might say, “I haven’t thought of this,” or “I’m not sure whether I can really contribute to society through myresearch.”
In rapidly changing research environments, young researchers, especially those in the humanities, are likely to become isolated.
It is far from ideal if we are losing our connection to society in the course of pursuing research. An increasing number of Ph.D.
students are experiencing mental disorders, which is partially caused by their loss of connection with society.
Many factors, including differentiation from other’s research as a result of seeking originality, a decreasing number of those who
can discuss the same research topic in the course of deepening research, and losing self-esteem due to the lack of expected
results, contribute to the separation of researchers from society. Thus, we need to take a variety of actions to regain theconnection between researchers and society.
When the IHS program launched in 2014, we prioritized the mission of restoring the connection with society. “Society” heremeans not only the group of researchers in the same discipline, but those who might be inspired by or benefit from the research,
those who might share the same research interests abroad, and others. This is why cooperativeness is included in the four
abilities that our program students should acquire.

I feel very lucky to have been able to serve as Selection Committee Chair for the Toyota Foundation International Grant Program
since 2019 FY, because I can directly learn about the content of the programs financially supported by the Foundation and thepeople who are running them.
I have confidentially started to think the possibility of whether our program students can be inspired by the recipients of the
project grant since the staff of the Foundation started to discuss on the content of the events with me. The result is, needless tosay, this joint event between the Toyota Foundation and the IHS program. This report takes the form of a joint event organized by
the Toyota Foundation and the IHS program. However, I think that it is a report of the event in which the program made use ofhuman resources of the Foundation.
We cannot foresee the results of the project before we start. Simply because the results are invisible, it is difficult for us topersuade our colleagues to join our project. Simply because the results are invisible, we sometimes ask ourselves whether weare on the right track. IHS program that we are running is in the same situation.
Positive attitudes while looking ahead when we are in totally difficult situations and patience to repeatedly ask our colleagues tobelieve what we cannot currently see are indispensable not only to young students in the program but also to those of us who
are managing the program.
Through this joint event, I realized that outstanding personal qualities are indispensable for carrying out the project to gain
something invisible and unpredictable, and I believe that our program students will agree.

22

International Grant Program
The Toyota Foundation
Shinjuku Mitsui Building 37F,
2-1-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo 163-0437, Japan
https://www.toyotafound.or.jp
Published in May, 2020
Designed by Masayuki Momiyama (snug.)