ISSUE NO.

57• S

PRING 2006

[JLGC UPDATE] Greetings from the Chairman of CLAIR........................................................................ 1[SPECIAL FEATURE] New Orleans: No longer so big, nor so easy.......................................................... 2[SPECIAL FEATURE] Trendsetting Dessert from Japan: Wagashi; Traditional Japanese Sweets ............. 4[PREFECTURE TODAY] An Invitation to Ibaraki ...................................................................................... 5[JLGC UPDATE] The Council of State Governments Holds Its Annual Forum in Wilmington, Delaware... 6[JLGC UPDATE] A Message from 2006 New JLGC Assistant Directors ................................................. 7[JETAA ACTIVITIES] Hokkaido, 1995-1997 ........................................................................................... 8

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER (CLAIR, NEW YORK)

Greetings from the Chairman of CLAIR
Michihiro Kayama
Chairman of the Board / Council of Local Authorities for International Relations
C L A I R

U P D A T E

The Council of Local Authorities
for International Relations(CLAIR) was established in1988
topromotelocal-levelinternationalization in Japan. CLAIR
uses its seven overseas offices: New York,
London, Paris, Singapore, Seoul, Sydney
and Beijing, to support the international
activities of Japanese local governments.
Selected staffs from Japanese local
governments are dispatched to CLAIR’s
overseas offices to conduct research on
matters such as public sector
management, finance and administration
at the local government level within thesecountries. The Japan Local Government
Center, New York (JLGCNY) became thefirst CLAIR overseas office in 1989.
International exchange among
local authorities has developed to such an
extent that there are presently over 1,500
international
affiliations
betweenJapanese and foreign local authorities.
There are more than 400 affiliations
between Japanese and American local
authorities, the largest such relationshipin the world, and approximately 70
between Japanese and Canadian local
authorities. These include but are notlimited to new sister city relationships
and various friendship agreements. The
content of international exchange has
also become increasingly diversified witha growing trend to implement projects
that go beyond the traditional objectivesof promoting international good will. For
example, local authorities are engaging ininternational cooperation projects in thefields of technology and human resource
development. Responding to these

JLGC NewsLetter No. 57 • © 2006 Japan Local Government Center

developments, CLAIR is working toenhance its operations to meet andsupport the increased needs of local areasin Japan by strengthening networks
among local international exchange
associations and cultivating personnel tofurther the goals and objectives ofinternationalization.
Decentralization has advanced inJapan and local public organizations needto keep informed by gathering, analyzing
and disseminating information about thesystems and policies of local governments
in foreign countries. In particular,
American and Canadian state, provincial
and local governments actively engage inefforts to share information that isbeneficial to Japan. Japanese prefecturesand local governments are also providing
useful data and information to American
and Canadian local governments. CLAIR
is leading the effort to promote theexchange of information that will bemutually beneficial to all local
governments. I believe that sharing
experience and expertise across national
borders will contribute greatly to the
future development of local government.
The widespread popularity of theJapan Exchange and Teaching Programme(JET) has contributed to its steady
growth. The JET Programme is a project
to promote language education andregional internationalization by inviting
foreign individuals to work in local
government organisations throughout
Japan. JET was started in 1987 and willcelebrate its 20th anniversary this year.
CLAIR is enthusiastically working to
improve upon the success of JET.

Throughout Japan
today, you will find
JET participants developing strong
relationships with their local communities
through foreign language education andinternational exchange activities. Recently,
local governments are encouraging JET
participants to promote international
tourism by using their experiences andopinions about local tourist attractions.
After completing their time on
the Programme, many former JET
participants use their experiences inJapan to continue building stronger
relations between Japan and their homecountries. Also, for local governments inJapan former JET participants are avaluable bridge to other countries.
Several of these local governments areworking to create databases and areasking their JET participants to sign up
with them so they can share opinions andideas on international exchange, as wellas other government policies.
The overseas Japan Local
Government Centers in seven countries
promote and provide information about
the JET Programme as well as assist in
the recruitment and selection processes.
CLAIR is supporting the development of
networks to foster effective links withapproximately 18,000 JET alumni.
I would like to express mygratitude for the assistance CLAIR has
received over the years. We will continue
to work toward achieving yourexpectations and to contribute to theprogress of internationalization. CLAIR
appreciates your continued support andencouragement.
PAGE 1

New Orleans:
No longer so big, nor so easy
by Matthew Gillam / JLGC Senior Researcher
S P E C I A L

F E A T U R E

Homes near the 17th Street Canal breachThe Gulf Coast hurricanes
Katrina and, to a lesser extent,
Rita have left behind not justyears’ worth of rebuilding, but also years’
worth of analysis as to what went wrong
with the preparedness, response andrecovery efforts for these clearly foreseen
disasters. Among the several countries
that have sent teams to observe thegovernment response, Japan has been
extremely interested in understanding
how federal, state and local governments
have dealt with these events, and in what
lessons can be learned that will
strengthen Japan’s own disaster response
capabilities.
As one element of Japan’s research
into the Gulf Coast storms, a group of
five staff members from JLGC, led by
Mr. Kozo Aoyama of the Urban Policy
Institute in New York, traveled to New
Orleans in January to observe thedamage to the city and to Biloxi and its
environs, and to meet with officials fromthe police and fire departments and the
New Orleans Emergency Operations
Center.
PAGE 2

Most members of the grouparrived in New Orleans on Tuesday
morning, January 17th, and promptly
took off for Biloxi to look at the damage
to the Gulf Coast and to meet with
officials from the Biloxi Fire
Department. David Roberts, Director of
the Biloxi Fire Department, met with thegroup, along with Deputy Chief Kirk
Noffsinger and Battalion Chief Joe
Boney. A lot of the damage in Biloxi
came from the high winds, but they werealso hit by the storm surge thatdevastated so much of the coast. Despite
their best efforts, communications were
knocked out and the department’s efforts
to prepare for such an emergency werelargely overwhelmed.
The entire group met on
Wednesday morning with several
members of the New Orleans Fire
Department. Superintendent Charles
Parent joined the meeting part way
through, after coming directly from ameeting with government officials to
discuss the future of the NOFD. The
superintendent and his staff spoke

movingly and in detail about thedifficulties they faced during and after
Katrina, and frankly evaluated thestrengths and weaknesses in their
preparation and response to the storm
and flooding.
After this, the group drove
around the city to take a look at the mainlevee breach sites and get a feel for the
scale and power of the forces that
overwhelmed the city. The first stop was
the Lakeview district, where the 17th
Street Canal gave way, putting many
areas underneath more than ten feet ofwater. Next was the London Avenue
Canal breach, where most of thesurrounding neighborhood looked like it
had been hit by a mudslide. Some
members of the group were approached
by a woman who had lived near thebreach site and who had come back witha friend to make a video documentary ofthe damage. There was also at least one
family that had cleaned out the mudfrom their house and was quietly anddeterminedly hammering the frame ofthe house back together. The flood
waters had obviously blown out the front
wall after pouring in through the back,which directly faced the levee. The
woman was very friendly and glad to see
officials trying to learn about what hadgone wrong, even if they were not fromher own government. The family, on theother hand, was obviously very unhappy
to have outsiders around, intruding on
their privacy. The final stop was the

Meeting with Superintendent Charles Parent Center andhis men at the New Orleans Fire Department

JLGC NewsLetter No. 57 • © 2006 Japan Local Government Center

Lower Ninth Ward, which looked like it
had been hit by a bomb. Cars weremangled and compacted into blocks ofscrap, houses were torn apart andscattered, and the area immediately infront of the breach had been largely
scoured clear of trees and buildings.
Later that afternoon, the Japanese
Consul General in New Orleans, Mr.
Masaru Sakato, and some of his consular
staff gave a presentation on theirexperiences during and after theevacuation of the city, along withinvaluable background information on
response and recovery efforts. Staff
members were forced to carry on
operations from Baton Rouge andHouston for several weeks, until the
consulate could be reopened.
Chief James (Jimmy) Scott andhis aide, Lieutenant Lisa Marie, met withthe group on Thursday morning andtalked about the (well publicized)
problems faced by the NOPD and theirexperiences in the weeks following
Katrina as they conducted search &rescue and security operations in the 1stDistrict, which includes the French
Quarter and the Garden District. As with
the Fire Department, they were forced tocommandeer boats and do the best they
could without any communications witheven their neighboring districts. A quick
visit to the Superdome showed it to bealmost completely repaired and ready forservice, with no hint of how rancid andfoul it had become in the days following
the flooding of the city.

Chief James Scott discusses operations in the 1st District

JLGC NewsLetter No. 57 • © 2006 Japan Local Government Center

The London Avenue Canal breach

After this, there was an informal
lunch meeting with several emergency
management professionals currently
working at the Emergency Operations
Center for the city. Even though they
were not in place during Katrina, they
provided a valuable view into how thecity had set up and run its EOC prior to
the storm, and how recovery efforts areproceeding in the wake ofthe lessons learned.
Even though it wasa very quick visit to theGulf Coast, members of
the group were able togather invaluable firsthandinformation on the ways inwhich emergency planningcan be overwhelmed andon what things are
absolutely
vital
in
responding to disasters inan urban environment like
New Orleans. Recurring
messages in the discussions
emphasized the need forregion-wide evacuation and response
planning, and the necessity of
establishing what is basically a military
type of comprehensive response
operation, including providing for
security, electricity, logistics, triage,
delivery and distribution of food andsupplies, and reliable communications.

The Lower Ninth Ward

PAGE 3

Trendsetting Dessert from Japan:
Wagashi; Traditional Japanese Sweets
by Hidenori Umebayashi / Assistant Director of JLGC
S P E C I A L

F E A T U R E

Awonderful
exhibition
ofJapanese traditional sweets
known as wagashi was held in a
Japanese restaurant in New York City on
January 30, 2006. Hosted by “TheProject of ‘New Matsue Kashi’” and theJapan External Trade Organization(JETRO), the event was attended by 150
people including buyers, celebrities andthe food press corp. This was the second
wagashi event to be presented to thepeople of New York City.

The wagashi event was madepossible by the support of the Japanese
government. The members of the projectworking with patissiers in New York City
produced delicious Japanese sweets for
New Yorkers.
Matsue wagashi is not only adelicious sweet but it can be artfully
designed and beautiful to the eye.
Wagashi goes well with Japanese green
tea and the combo is healthy. The
exhibition provided an opportunity forpeople in New York to appreciate real
traditional Japanese sweets and to better
understand the local traditional foodculture of Japan.

Participants being treated to taste a variety of wagashi.

But this was more than a meresocial gathering as representatives
advertised their wares and marketed
products. Public relations were in fullswing as many kinds of new products
were showcased by Matsue city producers
for the exhibition. The Japanese sweet
master craftsman from Matsue showed
off his proficient skill in preparing
wagashi. A patissier from a famous
restaurant in New York also attended,and the two pastry cooks from Japan andAmerica prepared wagashi together.

Mr. Itame, master craftsman is making wagashi.

PAGE 4Patissier Sam Mason is preparing a new style wagashi.

I regard the new wagashi from
Matsue as an instrument to further
international exchange by examining
food cultures of local areas in Japan.
Japanese sweets are not known by many
Americans. Sushi and sake once shared
the same fate. I believe however, thatwagashi has enough potential to pique
the taste buds of the American people. As
Sushi and sake became familiar to theAmerican palate, I expect that the new
Matsue wagashi will become just as
ubiquitous on American dessert menus.
EWagashi is good for you!
Wagashi is low in calories, cholesterol
free and contains no animal fat. The
main ingredient, bean paste is not too
sweet, and it satisfies the hunger craving.
The beans and agar that comprise
wagashi are rich in fiber. Wagashi
contains many of the essential vitamins
and minerals that constitute a healthy
diet. Wagashi fits into any type of diet!

Handmade “new wagashi”

EWagashi as art!
The people of Japan have always loved
and admired the scenic seasonal changes
and the resulting unique fruits andflowers. This devotion is expressed in theartistic beauty of wagashi. The beautiful
forms and colors created by the wagashi
artisans are sophisticated works of art.
New wagashi is a cultural productof Matsue city, the capital of Shimane
Prefecture. Matsue city is renowned for
Matsue Castle, beautiful parks, and forpreserving historic sections of the city inthe Edo period style. Lafcadio Hearn,
the author of Kwaidan, was one of thepeople enamored with the city. He later
introduced to the world the Japanesetraditional culture. Tourists can imbibe
on green tea and Japanese seasonal
sweets, while they enjoy the quietude andmysterious atmosphere of a Japanese tea
house. I recommend you visit Matsue
and enjoy wagashi.
7 For more information:
http://www.matsue.jp/wagashi/

JLGC NewsLetter No. 57 • © 2006 Japan Local Government CenterAn Invitation to Ibaraki
P R E F E C T U R E

T O D A Y

I

baraki Prefecture is located in thenortheastern part of the Kanto
region, which roughly occupies thecentral area of the Japanese archipelago.
The distance of the prefecture to thenation’s capital, Tokyo, ranges from 30 to
150 km. The city of Mito, the capital of
the prefecture is about 100km from
Tokyo. The distance from Narita
Airport, Japan’s international gateway, toTshukba Science City is 40 km. Ibarakiken comprises an area of 6,095 km2, andthepopulation
in
2005
was
approximately 2.99 million.
Blessed with a typical Pacificcoast climate, Ibaraki receives rain fromspring to autumn, while in winter there
is dry air and sunny skies with anorthwesterly seasonal wind. The
weather is generally mild throughout theyear, and climatic anomalies are relatively
rare. Since the prefecture is located at themeeting point of Japan’s northernand southern climates, it is known
asthesouthernmostor
northernmost habitat for anabundance of flower and insect
species.
EOne of the Three famous...
Kairaku-en Park located in Mito
city is one of Japan’s three greatest
gardens, Kairaku-en is known for
its plum blossoms. Built in 1842
by Mito’s ninth feudal lord, Nariaki
Tokugawa, the garden is filled from late
February through March with visitors
who
come
to
experiencethebrilliant color andfragrance of nearly
3,000 plum trees.
Kashima Shrinein Kashima city is
one of easternJapan’s three most
famousshrines.
Reputedly founded
Kashima-shrinein 660 B.C., the
JLGC NewsLetter No. 57 • © 2006 Japan Local Government Center

shrinecomplexincludes a brightly
colored main buildingthat was built with adonationfrom
Hidetada Tokugawa,the second Shogun of
the Edo era. The
shrine also exhibits astraight sword thathas the distinction ofTsuchiura National Fireworks
being the only object
in Ibaraki to be designated as a nationaltreasure.
The Tsuchiura National Fireworks
Competition in Tsuchiura city is one ofJapan’s most famous fireworks events. It
is held annually on the first Saturday ofOctober over the Sakura river.
Pyrotechnical experts from all over thecountry gather to compete at thisspectacular event, filling the night sky
withmassive
sweeps of color.
Fukuroda
Falls is renowned
as one of the threegreatest cascades
in Japan. It isapproximately
120m in heightand 73 m inwidth. The power
Fukuroda Waterfall
and grace of thisscenic wonder is impressive throughout
the year.

The prefecture and various
municipalities are striving todevelop international exchange
programs in order to create
opportunities for Japanese andoverseas citizens to interact. In
the process, we will deepen ourinternational awareness andunderstanding.
Exchange activities are found in
the private sector as well,facilitated by international
publications and volunteer Japanese
language education. In this regard, theIbaraki International Association was
founded in 1990 to provide cooperationand support for such activities.

In accordance with our basic
philosophy: “Ibaraki keeping in stepwith the world,” we are constantly
promoting communication andcooperation with countries around theglobe.

EIbaraki’s International Exchange
Initiative
Internationalization is flourishing
throughout Ibaraki Prefecture. Ibaraki isclose to Tokyo and to Narita Airport,
Japan’s key international facility. Tsukuba
Science City, a world-class center for
research and development, also nurturesconsiderable international relationships.
The trend is gathering speed too, thanks
to the hosting of the 2002 FIFA Soccer
World Cup.
PAGE 5

The Council of State Governments Holds
Its Annual Forum in Wilmington, Delaware
by Seth B. Benjamin / JLGC Senior Researcher
J L G CU P D A T E

At the end of the year, usually in
December, the Council of State
Governments (CSG) holds its
Annual Trends and Leadership Forum.
In 2005, it was held in Wilmington,
Delaware. CSG is the one state
government association that includes in
its membership all of the branches ofstate government; that is, legislative,
executive and judicial. Accordingly,
CSG’s president represents the executive
branch (in 2005, it was Governor Ruth
Ann Minner of Delaware) and its
chairman represents the legislative
branch (in 2005, it was Nevada
Assembly’s Lynn Hetrick).
This year’s Forum was important
for another reason as well. It coincidedwith the publication of the second
edition of a new cutting-edge report on
the future for state governments.
Originally released as Trends in America:
Charting the Course Ahead, in June
2005, CSG introduced an updated or
second edition at the Annual Forum,
called Trends in America: Navigating
Turbulence to Success. The reportaddresses the ten most powerful ‘change
drivers’ that will have an impact on the
future of the United States; some ofwhich are aging, immigration, interstatecompetition, globalisation, privacy andsecurity, managing natural resources andfederalism. All of these issues werediscussed at the Annual Forum.
A unique aspect of the Forum isthe manner in which CSG organises its

Governor Minner of the State of Delaware welcomes
everybody to Wilmington.

PAGE 6

meeting structure. Each subject area iscovered by a committee or task force andwill assemble at least three times during
the Forum. First, the group will discussin an informal way the emerging trends
that are relevant to the subject. Then,
usually the next day, the discussion ismore formally presented in what is calleda business meeting. Finally, thecommittee or task force will discuss andvote on policy recommendations for thestates. This format allows as many
interested parties to be heard as ispossible, given the time constraints.
Indeed, in the emerging trends
discussion non-committee members areencouraged to participate.
Of course, those attending weretreated to some thought-provoking
keynote speeches. Top billing was given
to Louis Freeh, now vice-chairman of
MBNA America Bank, which is thelargest independent credit card issuer,
and who was formerly the director of theFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)from July 1993 to June 2001. He spoke
about the balancing act governments
must undertake between privacy andsecurity, especially in today’s world, after
the attack of September 11th, 2001, in
New York and Washington, DC. In atelling remark, Freeh reminded theaudience, “there is more data collected bycredit bureaus than in any police files”.
Americans have accepted a loss of some
privacy but only where they have seen acompelling reason to do so. Later, U.S.
Senator Joe Biden (D, DE), who is the
ranking member on the U.S. Senate’s
Foreign Relations Committee, gave aspirited talk about the challenges andopportunities in the global foreign policy
arena. The next day, Daniel Pink
entertained the participants with athoughtful but humorous discussion ofwhat the future labor force is likely toresemble. He took as his theme the factthat the ‘information age’ was now giving
way to what he called the ‘conceptualage’. That is to say, he warned the state
leaders that our education system wasgoing to need to re-tool itself to deal withthe enormous rise in competition fromdeveloping countries. Competency will
be a necessary condition of our workers
in the future but it will not be a sufficientone. Jobs involving routine will
eventually disappear from the UnitedStates as other countries develop a larger
middle class to fill these jobs. Even whitecollar jobs, including legal work, that canbe automated will no longer be insulated
from competition. The blossoming of
the Internet is perhaps the main source ofsuch automation. The future will lookthe brightest for what he called ‘rightbrain thinking’ - artistry, empathy andinventiveness will be the key tocontinued economic success. He
encouraged the states to consider thesefactors in designing policies that cover
the whole range of services provided totheir citizens.

Mr. Pink describes for state officials how to live in the new‘Conceptual Age’.

Not all was work. The Forum
was a good opportunity for staff from theJapan Local Government Center to catch
up with old friends, make new ones andparticipate in the various evening social
events. Perhaps, the highlight of theevening social events was a performanceby the Capitol Steps, a satirical revue.
This group, who calls Washington, DC,
its home, takes a light-hearted approach
to politics and government in general. It
was a chance for the participants to havea good laugh at their own expense.
JLGC NewsLetter No. 57 • © 2006 Japan Local Government Center

A Message from2006 New JLGC Assistant Directors
J L G CU P D A T E

Seiko Kubo
Hello! My name is
Seiko Kubo. It is apleasure to meet you.
I’m originally fromthe Kitakyushu City
Office. I’m delighted
to introduce the City of Kitakyushu
while living and working in the UnitedStates and New York City.
Located midway between Tokyoand Shanghai, Kitakyushu has thrived asa gateway for trade with Asia sinceancient times. Today, Kitakyushu’s
population of 0.9 million continues toreap the benefits of proximity to the
Asian continent.
Kitakyushu is an international
city of technology, rich in waterfronts
and greenery, with a warm and friendly
atmosphere. Japan’s first steel mill called
Yawata Steel Works was established in
Kitakyushu in 1901. Since thenindustrial growth has expanded rapidly
and Kitakyushu continues to play amajor role in Japan’s industrial
development.
For example, new industries suchas the automotive industry in and aroundthe Kitakyushu area are booming. The
ToyotaCompany’s
newenginemanufacturing plant strategically locatednear the New Kitakyushu Airport began
operation last December. The New
Kitakyushu Airport just started on
March 16th, 2006!!! It’s an extremely
busy airport that includes international
flights and airline companies haveenthusiastically embraced the airport.
Kitakyushu is much more thanbusiness and industry and offers
the traveler and visitor many
conveniences including fresh sashimi,
delicious local cuisines, and nostalgic
exotic streetscapes.
Please feel welcome to visit
Kitakyushu.
Thank you.

JLGC NewsLetter No. 57 • © 2006 Japan Local Government Center

Keitaro Tanaka
My name is Keitaro
Tanaka and I am thefirst person from theCity of Gifu to workat the Japan Local
Government Center(JLGC) in New York City.
The City of Gifu is one of the
major cities in central Japan. It prides
itself with being harmonious withnature. Gifu City’s Nagara River isfamous for cormorant fishing; an ancientfishing method that catches Japanese
sweet fish by using twelve tamed
cormorant birds. I assure you it is worth
seeing!
I am interested in the field of
public management as practiced by state,provincial and local governments in the
United States and Canada. My specificresearch will focus upon collaboration
between the public and private sectors.
This has been a trend of local governancein Japan for years. I have heard that there
are a lot of progressive and uniqueapproaches in both countries. During mystay in New York, I would like to learn
about various case studies.
I am not a stranger to New York.
I visited on two other occasions andalthough my stays were brief they wereenjoyable. For my work at JLGC, I shalllive in New York for two years with mywife and daughter. I know this will be a
precious experience for me and myfamily. I look forward to meeting a lot of
people and enjoying new experiences
while living and working in New YorkCity.
Thank you.

Yoshihiro Hirokawa
Hi, everyone. My
name is Yoshihiro
Hirokawa. I’m a
researcher in the
National ResearchInstitute of Fire andDisaster located in Mitaka City, Tokyo,
Japan. My special area of interest ismechanical engineering, especially, thestrength of material, nondestructive
testing and numerical analysis. Ourgroup analyzes and evaluates damage
incurred by facilities such as oil storage
tanks caused by seismic ground motion
using numerical analysis and/or fieldtesting. Our work supports and adds tothe body of knowledge that exists
concerning previous damages caused bymajor catastrophic events. While
working at JLGC, New York, I would liketo investigate and research thearchitectural
andmechanicaltechnologies used to combat and prevent
damages caused by serious fires, floods,
storms and natural events in the UnitedStates and Canada.
I would like to do many things in
New York. I enjoy jogging and lookforward to walking and running inCentral Park. I am sure that my initial
impressions about life in the Big Apple
will be different from my experiences inTokyo where I jogged around theImperial Palace. Furthermore, I would
like to meet and talk with many people,
to learn the culture and language ofAmerica step by step.
Thank you.

PAGE 7

Hokkaido, 1995-1997
by Jennifer Jakubowski
J E T A A

A C T I V I T I E S

That my welcome back to thesmall-town Hokkaido was every
bit as warm and fun as I
imagined it would be came not at all as asurprise. These were, after all, some of
the most giving and down-to-earth
people I have come across in all my yearsof travel and living abroad. These were,after all, the same adventurous and funloving people who dragged me to the topof a mountain in the middle of the night,
taiko drums and sake in tow, to ring in
the dawn of the New Year. This was, after
all, the same group that ended up
dancing with lampshades on their heads
when we had all (over?!)-indulged in
spirits together in the wee hours of astormy winter’s night. And these were,after all, the same fine folks who stood infront of their office building upon my
departure waving a huge American flag,
shouting “Bonsai!” with tears streaming
down their faces as I drove off into thehorizon to start the next chapter of mylife.
So, no, the fact that a visit backafter 10 years to this countryside haven I
used to call home was absolutely
charming and full of gut-splitting
laughter and nostalgia of the mostsplendid kind did not at all come as asurprise.

was on my way back to Japan,
compliments of Kintetsu International
Travel (thanks again!), naturally mymind raced ahead to a long-overdue
reunion with Japanese friends and former
colleagues. While that part of the trip
was truly wonderful, I was pleasantly
surprised by the few days I shared withthe rest of the award recipients in Toyko.
It was nothing short of inspiring to see acollection of young Americans who havegiven
grassroots
diplomacyaphenomenal name and have painted,
with their hands, minds and hearts, astrikingly optimistic picture of the futureof Japanese-American relations.

even writing a play about JapaneseAmerican relations, it is clear that theopportunity for Americans to spend timein Japan has produced the intended
effect: enhanced relations between thetwo countries.
Sadly, it’s easy these days to be
cynical about changing the world one
person or one idea at a time. But a wave
of optimism deluged my life while I wasin Tokyo this past December, an omiyage
to bring home even finer than sake. May
we continue to plant theseeds of grassroots
diplomacy, for they
are indeed bearing
fruit.

Former supervisor (Inomata san) and one former
colleague (Onodera san)Not only was I struck by thecreative and intelligent ideas outlined in
the winning essays, but I was greatly
moved by the value they placed on theirexperiences in Japan and the emotional and in many cases, professional investments that these individuals
have made in Japan since participatingin the JET Program. Whether in theform of continued friendships,
professional engagement with Japan(insert sales pitch for self(!): for yourcross-cultural training needs, contact me
at bridges_to_japan@yahoo.com!), or

The Sakura,or cherry blossom,
is Japan’s cherishednational flower.
Special Hanami parties
and excursions
are held during blossom
time each year.

Former colleagues in Shihoro-cho (Hokkaido)

What did, however, surprise me
was the fact that one of the highlights ofmy trip to Japan came in a most
unexpected form: the 14 other contest
winners. When I received word that I
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JLGC NewsLetter No. 57 • © 2006 Japan Local Government Center