NEWSLETTERNO.

39

2015. 4. 1

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY
THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
東京大学公共政策大学院

Contents

1 Witnessing the silent transformation -my seven years as a gaikokujin-［Andi Demo ］
2 Murmurs and Musings, No.11［ Hiroaki Miyamoto ］／ GraSPP International Students Trip to Izu［Warran Kalasegaran］
3 International Student Interview, No. 5［ Ms. Rachel Olanoﬀ ］
4 Thoughts from Seoul［Yuka Yamanouchi ］／ Topical News

Witnessing the silent transformation -my seven years as a gaikokujinAndi Demo MPP/IP 1st Yearof that very building. Dreams do come true sometime, albeit only if you work
toward them [and with a twist of luck].
My father is a history and geography teacher and raised my brother and me
in the midst of world Atlases and interesting "foreign" books. James Clavell's
novel, later made into a ﬁlm,
, was my ﬁrst window into “the Japans”,
as addressed in the movie by a pilot John Blackthorn (the character loosely
based on Miura Anjin, the ﬁrst Englishman coming to Japan). For many
Europeans and in particular Albanians, the cliché images of sword swinging
samurais and capricious geishas of the Edo days strangely remain as bulk
knowledge, associated with the country. In addition, I fell in love with enka
songs. They have a warm and familiar melody, reminding me of my furusato,
as well as a strong incentive in improving my modest Japanese skills, bytrying to sing them in karaoke parlors.
In March 2011, the very foundation of Japan was shaken to the core by the
triple catastrophe. I remember being in my oﬃce, reporting live on thephone, to an Albanian news edition. Japan persevered graciously throughoutthat most unfortunate disaster, and while still problems remain for the people
in the aﬀected areas, that turn of events strongly aﬀected me. I decided topursue graduate studies in public policy, focusing on disaster and crises
management at the University of Tokyo, disrupting my studies at Waseda insearch of a more concrete set of knowledge and skills. I chose UTokyo
because it is UTokyo. But, I gladly opted for GraSPP because of the exciting
potential output of the economics and law interdisciplinary symbiosis. I
believe that good public oﬃcials should have a strong "grasp" of social
sciences in order to better implement positive social engineering.
Japan is changing and transforming from within. I am very happy to be partof the internationalization process of Japanese universities. It is a promisingproject and with a greater potential to alter the country and show to theworld, In this regard, Tokyo Olympics in 2020 will serve as a midterm exam, alitmus test of the new Japanese social fabric. Human-to-human interaction is
the only way that we can reduce the considerate geographical distance inbetween, better understand each other and serve as intellectual bridges, able
to explain to the West “the Asian values” and still approach Asia, with the
curious and positive eagerness of Marco Polo (and Miura Anjin).

NEWSLETTER

Twenty-one at the time, after spending the summer in Massachusetts, I
landed in Narita airport on August 18th, 2007. I remember that day
particularly well, because it was two days prior to the start of my orientation
week at Temple University, Japan Campus. Junior year ahead, I wastransferring my courses from the American University in Bulgaria and my life
from the city of Blagoevgard, inside three big pieces of luggage, to Tokyo. In abizarre attempt to roam the surroundings solo style, “hiding” from thedesignated tutor, for two long days I struggled with the jetlag, the humidity
and the crowds of people at Shibuya and Shinjuku station. Everything wasnovel, diﬀerent and refreshing with a strong aura of excitement andadventure pending on my head and ﬁlling my chest.
A lot of things have changed in the past seven years, albeit Shinzo Abe is still
the Prime Minister of the country. In retrospect, what started as a byproductof a Dragon Ball induced fantasy and a lighthearted conversation with myhigh school history professor about the “Imperial University of Tokyo”,
subconsciously left a lasting impression. People have asked me time andagain, the “why Japan?” question, and time and again, I have failed myself intrying to come up with a convincing answer. However, given theopportunity, I would like to share with my friends and colleagues, some of mythoughts and emotions from living in the Land of the Rising Sun as a student,a government oﬃcial and a scholar-in-waiting, for the past seven years.
In a growingly interdependent world, understanding [other] people andaccommodating [external] cultures has become of prime importance.
Factoring that in, I graduated in International Aﬀairs from the oﬀshore
campus of Temple University and pursed further research at Waseda
University, with focus on East Asia. Throughout my studies, I have beneﬁted
from the generosity of the MEXT scholarship, which has helped metremendously in fending oﬀ rent prices, allocating quality time to studies andtravel, and of course, in not bankrupting my family. After graduation and a
successful internship at the Embassy of the Republic of Albania, my native
country, I was appointed as the Secretary of the Ambassador in 2010, andlater on as the Financial Manager. Thanks to my job, I have had a great
opportunity in understanding the world and diplomacy a little better,meeting famous people from all walks of life, and more importantly growing
as a person.
The geostrategic momentum is back in Asia, and Japan is a formidable
country to witness the dynamism of world politics and economy. The
learning environment, the safety, the cleanness combined with great
hospitality and terriﬁc food, made me stay and make this country my second
home. Wherever I resided, be this in the shitamachiness of Nishi-Magome or
Edogawa, the convenience of Itabashikuyakushomae or the exuberating
Roppongi neighborhood, I always felt at ease. In Tokyo, one can learn asmuch from school textbooks, as interacting with the city and its complexity.
In addition, Tokyo, much like New York, nourishes your ambition and a strong
desire to succeed. In 2008, I took a picture in front of the Japanese Diet
Building, waving as a tourist and by 2012, I was accompanying the Speaker of
the Parliament of my country to meet Her counterparts, in the Drawing Room1

M

urmurs and Musings

11

No.

Hiroaki Miyamoto Project Associate Professor
An Encouragement to Studying Abroad
I have had the one-in-a-lifetime opportunity of working
in research and teaching at GraSPP since April 2014. The
appointment at GraSPP was my ﬁrst time back in Tokyo,
my home town, in ten years. Looking back over my time
away, I spent the ﬁrst ﬁve years as an international student
myself, studying in the USA, and the second ﬁve years
providing guidance to international students at auniversity in Niigata. To tell the truth, to end up engaged
in research and teaching work in such an international
environment like GraSPP was something I never expected.
The trigger for my overseas study came while I was still auniversity student when a former professor told me, “toexpand your horizons, you need to move to aninternational environment where you can study withtalented people from around the world.” Based on myown experience, I see overseas study as an ideal
opportunity to strengthen your inner self and become abroader and deeper person.
Naturally, even more so than the study itself, studying
overseas means living in a place where the language,
culture, and customs are diﬀerent. In an environment inwhich the things you take for granted in your own country
are no longer a matter of course, everything you
encounter becomes an invaluable experience. It also
provides numerous opportunities to learn as a person byliving among people and deepening your mutual

understanding beyond the boundaries of nation andculture. While being able to study your area of expertise at
an international level is one of the obvious beneﬁts ofoverseas study, it also has a “utility” that goes beyond this,which is the real thrill of studying away from your homecountry.
GraSPP provides something rare in Japan: an
international environment for learning and research. I havefound it to be a wonderful place which, if approached witha high-minded attitude, oﬀers enormous scope for study. I
urge all students to strengthen your inner self and take anactive role in international society while deepening yourunderstanding of your specialist ﬁeld through valuable
encounters with other people.
My areas of expertise are macroeconomics and labor
economics, and my primary interests are in the problemsof employment and unemployment. Employment is the
major concern in leading developed nations, whether it bein relation to the globalization of economies, ongoing
technical innovation, or the eﬀects of recession.
Furthermore, the problems of employment andunemployment apply not only to those in work, having
rather a central role in the economy and a close
relationship with social stability. Through my research andteaching, I intend to devote myself to making acontribution to the economies of Japan and the world,
and to international relations between Japan and othercountries.

GraSPP International Students Trip to Izu

Warran Kalasegaran MPP/IP 1st Year

NEWSLETTER

Singing Karaoke (author on left)

2

One week into the start of theacademic year, the international
students of the Graduate School of
Public Policy (GraSPP) took oﬀ on a
department-organized trip to Izu. The
two-day trip was aimed at providing
an opportunity for students to get toknow each other through an
excursion that also exposed them toJapanese traditions and a little ofJapanese life outside Tokyo. In thisregard, it would be an undeniablesuccess. By the end of the ﬁrst day, all
the guys were lounging comfortably
naked alongside each other in an
onsen. I was told that the girls were

getting along just as well too.
Travelling by coach and accompanied by the very fun and informative
staﬀ from the GraSPP International Aﬀairs Oﬃce, we departed from Hongo
at 9.30 am on a very sunny October Saturday morning. Already, the staﬀ
had sorted us into groups, and I found myself sitting next to a rather lanky
British chap called Kieran. I found a good friend in Kieran, and the many
more people I met or got to know more about over the next two days.
In fact, the highlight of the trip for me was appreciating the diversity ofstudents that ﬁlled up the two buses. I met Korean students from the
CAMPUS Asia program, double degree students from the Hertie School,and exchange students from Sciences Po. The students that had started at
MPP/IP with me were also a sundry bunch, including a garrulous Albanian
diplomat who had already been living in Japan for a while and a lawyer
who had just moved from the Philippines. The heterogeneity of ourtravelling fellowship made for lively, interesting and many times
educational discussions. The atmosphere was fantastic.
To and from the hotel we were staying overnight at, we stopped atseveral tourist sites. At Shuzenji many of us visited our ﬁrst Japaneseshrine, took in the beauty of the bamboo grove nearby, and used the freetime to explore more of the charming town. On Sunday, we observed

tourists and locals ﬁshing near the idyllic Joren Waterfall. The braver ones
tried the wasabi ice cream available. The highpoint of the trip however,would be the Saturday night we spent at the Dogashima New Ginsui Hotel.
We excitedly changed into the kimonos and slippers the hotel gave us
and rushed to what was a wonderful Japanese banquet in the dining
room. This was followed by a horrendous round of karaoke that made me
relieved we were interested in careers related to public policy and notmusic. This activity indeed put the “high” in highpoint. The need to soothe
our eardrums hastened our move to the onsen. There, it was our eyes thatsuﬀered. We enjoyed soaking in the hot spring or sitting in the massage
chairs while chatting with each other before we decided to re-join the girls.
A little impromptu gathering of the entire group allowed everyone tomingle late into the night.
We woke up the next day to a glorious view of the Paciﬁc Ocean, readyto make our way back to Tokyo by sunset. I think it is safe to say on behalfof everyone on the trip that we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, andappreciated the opportunity to interact with each other in an informal
setting while exploring a diﬀerent part of Japan. It would thus be ﬁtting to
end this note by saying thanks to GraSPP, and in particular theInternational Aﬀairs Oﬃce, for putting everything together so wonderfully.

― I understand you have lived in Japan before?
That's right. I started out teaching English as an assistant language teacher,while also taking private lessons in Japanese. My Japanese teacher introduced
me to an acquaintance who knew the person in charge of the Okunoto
Endenmura tourist facility in Ishikawa Prefecture. After getting the job, I went
back to America to prepare a visa application, returning to Japan to work
there from March 2010 to May 2011. The job included selling Noto salt madein the traditional way and leading tours for overseas visitors. I was alsointerviewed by reporters and appeared a couple of times in the newspaper.
During that time, a friend of mine told me about a system for taking dual
degrees (double degrees) from American and Japanese universities. This was
the double degree program available through the School of International andPublic Aﬀairs (SIPA) at Columbia University and GraSPP. I also met a staﬀ
member from GraSPP while I was living in Noto who left me with a strong
desire to participate in this program of study.

Rachel Olanoﬀ
MPP/IP, 2nd Year

International

Student
Interview
No.

5

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO

Mitsuketaro, a mascot for Suzu City in Ishikawa Prefecture

That said, I felt it would be good to get some work experience before
recommencing study, having never lived in Tokyo before and needing to save
up money for my tuition fees. To this aim, I worked for two years in Japan at aforeign-owned recruitment company. By bringing me into contact with manyjob-seekers and companies looking for staﬀ, this job provided me
opportunities to talk to all sorts of diﬀerent individuals and helped me
develop an eye for people. In my work, I placed an emphasis on myrelationships with the people I was dealing with. While meeting my sales
quota was important, I realized there are things that do not show up in thenumbers alone. In the future, I hope to be involved with work that has a public
policy element while also being in the business sector. If possible, I would also
like to work somewhere that takes staﬀ training seriously. As I am not ready to
become an entrepreneur, I intend to look for a job at a large company thatlooks after its staﬀ. I would also consider working as a consultant. Best of all
would be a public policy consulting job that deals with government agencies.
― Was there anything in particular that struck you as diﬀerent between
SIPA and GraSPP?
I have only just ﬁnished my year at SIPA and started my year at GraSPP.
Studying at any graduate school, not just GraSPP, is rejuvenating. GraSPP
has students from Germany who are very diligent despite being so young, andstudents from the Philippines who are very intelligent, etc. My age makes me
feel I should be advancing more quickly. I enjoy how graduate school brings
you into contact with new ideas and concepts. There are times, though, when
the class is full of Asian students but I am the only one speaking. It leaves me
thinking there are many cultural diﬀerences, even just in communication, witheveryone contributing to classes in their own way. I particularly like Professor
Nishizawa's classes because he looks for ways that everyone can contribute to
the class while at the same time guiding discussion and also arranging for
lectures by guest speakers. Compared to that, classes that consist only ofgetting students to summarize assigned texts and make presentations areboring.
SIPA has a wealth of resources and also beneﬁts from its location, such as its
proximity to organizations like the UN. In a class on microenterprisedevelopment conducted by someone who does consulting for the UnitedStates Agency for International Development, we prepared an actual private
sector intervention proposal, which was worthwhile. There were also many
lectures and symposiums. However, at times the competition between
students was intense and made me feel more stressed.

(Interview and text by editor)

Hiking in Akita with a friend from GraSPPNEWSLETTERIn this respect, GraSPP provides a chance to relax, with less competition andeveryone wanting to do diﬀerent things or having diﬀerent interests that do
not compete with each other but rather complement one another.

3

Thoughts from Seoul
Yuka Yamanouchi Economic Policy Division, 2nd YearI am studying at the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at
Seoul National University in South Korea. It feels so much like a country
that is close and yet so far. I have been studying cultural export policy
since my time as an undergraduate and I have come to feel genuinely
passionate about South Korea given how they have been so successful inthis area. My days feel very full and I ﬁnd it inspiring just to walk thestreets or talk with friends. On the other hand, I am aware of a constantniggling problem that this genuine passion has not been enough todispel, an ever-present irritation concealed beneath my happy exterior.
It is often said that studying abroad makes you think about your homecountry, and it is true that the issue that was in my thoughts related toJapan throughout my ﬁrst semester at GSIS. What struck me most of all
was that I need to feel more conﬁdent and responsible about my own
country. My generation in particular, perhaps because we have grown up
through the two “lost decades”, has become too ready to be dismissive

Group photograph with others in CAMPUS Asia Program
Participants come from the University of Tokyo, Seoul National University,and Peking University

Trying on traditional chima jeogori dress
at a festival celebrating links between Japan and Korea.
(the author is on the left)

about Japan. But no matter how much we talk down our country, we
cannot expect anyone to take pity and come to our rescue. In otherwords, we are the ones who need to do something about our own
predicament.
This applies to individuals as much as to countries. While the term
"globalization" tends to be used in the sense of striving toward some sortof greatness, meaning “overseas” or “foreigners”, it is not the case that
their thinking and actions are always correct. There are times when you
need to assert your own views and have them prevail, and this too is asort of globalization. While it is true that Japanese education does notexactly encourage creativity, I believe it compares favorably to othercountries in the application of logic. We should be more conﬁdent andhave a greater sense of responsibility for expressing our own ideas. Being
able to say “no” when appropriate, and explain the reasons: while simple,
this is extremely important.
Naturally, achieving this requires a certain command of language. While
I have always been aware that I am not very good at English, I now feelthe constant frustration of wanting a more “combative English”. I alsofeel I need to become familiar with Korean, enough to convey my honest
emotions. Whether it happens soon or in the distant future, if a second
joint hosting of the World Cup by Japan and Korea occurs in my lifetime,
it is my heartfelt wish that I will be able to smile with a truly happy face.

TopicalNews
GraSPP's Tenth Anniversary
Homecoming Day Memorial Lecture and Gathering
Yuna Yamamura Chairwoman, GraSPP Alumni Association (Tatsuoka-kai)

NEWSLETTER

Attended by more than 120 people, the memorial lecture and gathering held on
November 15 last year to mark the tenth anniversary of GraSPP's founding was a great
success. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who camealong.
As a graduate myself, I was thrilled to hear the presentations by Professor Takatoshi
Ito and Professor Shinichi Kitaoka and to mingle with the cosmopolitan students andthe graduates now active in a diverse range of ﬁelds. I was particularly surprised by the
number of overseas students. Their number has increased considerably in the three
years since I graduated, making the place even more multinational. Along withlooking forward to what changes GraSPP may make in the future, the day remindedme that I need to continue growing myself, without being scared of change.

4

Editorʼs
Postscript

NEWSLETTER
This issue has contained articles expressing the contributorsʼ
thoughts on “international” topics, a subject that is very abstractand diﬃcult to pin down. This has resulted in a mix of hard andsoft articles that have left me, the one who commissioned
them, more surprised and delighted than anyone. No doubt thisis because the word “international” is not limited to one simple
meaning, rather having many facets. (Editor)

No.

39

［Editor+publisher］GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY

THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO

東京大学公共政策大学院［date of publication］2015. 4 . 1［design］Masahiro ABiCo

7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan tel 03-5841-1710 fax 03-5841-7877
E-mail grasppnl@pp.u- tokyo.ac. jp

http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp