Issue No. 45

Winter 2003

JLGC UPDATE

2002 US-Japan Local Autonomy Forum“Public-Private Partnership” in Regional Development:
A Look at Japan and the United States
The Japan Local Government Center(JLGC) held its fifth annual “US-Japan Local
Autonomy Forum” at the New York office ofthe Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO) in midtown New York on
November 14th and 15th, 2002.
The Japan Local Autonomy Forum isa symposium on topical issues of interest
facing local governments in Japan and theUnited States. The Japan Local Government
Center has hosted this annual event since1998, providing academicians, policy specialists and public administration practitioners
from both nations the opportunity to enrichand share knowledge about their local
government systems.
The theme for this year’s Forum was“Public-Private Partnerships in RegionalDevelopment.” A relevant and fundamental
economic development strategy, the use of
public-private partnerships is widely becoming
an increasingly popular and efficient means bywhich local governments can effectively provide services to their constituents. The goal of
the Forum was to highlight the policies andpractices that encouraged the use of thesepartnerships by local governments in Japanand the United States and to analyze theiradvantages and disadvantages.

Two informative and expert
keynote speakers opened theForum. Shun’ichi Furukawa, aprofessor at the Institute ofPolicy and Planning Sciences,
University of Tsukuba, presentShun’ichi Furukawa, professor at the Institute of Policy anded a comprehensive white paper
Planning Sciences, University of Tsukuba, served as a lead
speaker at the two day forum.
entitled “The Role of the Public
Sector and the Public-Private
surement. Knowledge sharing and collaboraPartnership.” The paper examined the develtion are the factors constituting this new govopments and transformation of local goverernance, and of course knowledge is the key
nance in Japan by describing the traditional
nature of Japan’s public sector, the role of the component leading to continuous innovation.
public-private partnership, and the changing
continued on page 2nature of governance. Governance in Japan
has undergone a transformation to accommoTABLE OF CONTENTS
date accountability and the emerging role ofJLGC UPDATE
2002 US-Japan Forum1
citizens. Public-private collaboration hasSISTER
CITIES
become a lynchpin in this new framework.
Yokosuka City and Corpus Christi
3
Professor Furukawa discussed how postwar
JETAA ACTIVITIESJapan strongly committed itself to fostering
2002 JETAA Conference
4
major public policy including regional develJAPAN TODAYInternational Driving Permit in Japan 5
opment and urban affairs. Such commitment
GUEST COLUMN
and the dominant role of government has
Yokosuka Internship
6
drastically lost its effectiveness in the last few
JETAA ACTIVITIES
years due to changes of governance and instiJETAA Chicago
7tution. Public-private partnership has emerged
CORE CITY
Matsuyama City
8as a viable means to accommodate such new
Masthead: The sakura, or cherry blossom, is Japan’s
governance. He also introduced the new concherished national flower. Special hanami parties andcept of “knowledge based governance,” aexcursions are held during blossom time each year.
product of governance and performance mea-Copyright 2003 Published by Japan Local Government Center

The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, TokyoJLGC UPDATE

2002 US-Japan Local Autonomy Forum“Public-Private Partnership” in Regional Development: A Look at Japan and the United States
continued from page 1

Day two was devoted to a panel discussion featuring the keynote speakers and threepanelists, each of whom gave short case study
presentations. Keiichi Matsushita, Director ofResearch, Business Planning Department,
Water Works Bureau, the City of Yokohama,spoke about civic collaboration where citizens, local government and NPO’s work
cooperatively on public works projects. Heof the Central Platte Valley in Colorado.
This area spent a good part of the past
century as an industrial wasteland. But,
with strong government leadership, partnerships with diverse stakeholders, committed
public and private sectors, and long-term
vision and strategic planning, it has evolved
into a thriving new urban neighborhood.
Anchored by the 25 acre Commons Park,
the Central Platte Valley is avital connection between
downtown and the surroundingcommunities.

Also, John Tepper Marlin, the Chief
Economist at the New York City Office of theComptroller, presented his paper entitled:“The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in
the Management of US Cities and the Limits
to Their Usefulness.” Highlighting his experiences in New York City, he expoundedon how public-private partnerships offer solutions to theinevitable conflict faced in democratic government between elected officials and professionalmanagement. Collaboration proMarion Robertson,
vides local government access to
Executive Managing Director
the special skills and manageof Insignia/ESG, related hisment expertise found in businessexperiences as a commercial
and non-profit organizations. Dr.
real estate developer and conMarlin categorized the five basic
sultant working with developers
public-private partnership modin Japan, China and the Unitedels; the CEO led model; theStates. Representing many
Chamber of Commerce model;
large private companies, he
the Elected Officials Initiative
has brokered land developmodel; the Presidents’ment projects by encouraging
Organization model and thelocal governments to offer
Day Two featured short case study presentations from noted panelists.
Privatization model. All models
concessions that allow forcontained a common purpose: toflexibility, profitability andspecifically cited that the Yokohama Road
recognize the interdependency of businessurban renewal. Moderator Hideki Shiroyama,
Project utilized “civic participation,” a new
and regional interests, coordinate individual
Associate Professor of Public Administration
method by which citizens’ opinions areand local efforts, and provide assistanceat the Graduate School of Law and Politics,
solicited and analyzed at the beginning of the Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo, identiwhere existing institutions are unable toconcept planning stage. This was an innovatackle certain problems.
fied major issues for discussion which weretive initiative in Japan, and the city received a addressed by the panelists as well as memfirst place award for promoting interactive
Public-private partnerships provide abers of the audience.
government.
way to preserve lessons from the past to bepassed on to future managers. Therefore,JLGC intends to hold its sixth “USSarah Rapalyea, Redevelopment andpartnerships both promote communication
Japan Local Autonomy Forum” this coming
Public Policy Specialist with the Denveramong citizens and between citizens and city
November highlighting another important andUrban Renewal Authority, spoke about themanagers and offer flexibility in the managerelevant topic affecting local governments insuccessful transformation and redevelopment
ment of city services.
Japan and the United States.

JLGC Newsletter

2Issue 45Winter 2003

SISTER CITIESYokosuka City and Corpus Christi
Delegation Travels to US to Commemorate 40 Years of Sisterhood
Yokosuka City in Kanagawa Prefectureand Corpus Christi in Texas have much incommon. Yokosuka City, surrounded by Tokyoand Sagami Bays, receives many benefits fromthe sea and sea-related industries. Corpus
Christi faces the Gulf of Mexico and capitalizes on its ports and harbor industry, as well.
Both cities host US military bases.
The year 2002 marked 40 years of sistercity relations between Yokosuka City andCorpus Christi. These two cities were tied
together on October 18, 1962 by invitationfrom Corpus Christi and assisted by the USCities Association in Yokohama. Over the last
40 years the two cities have built a close relationship.
Yokosuka and Corpus Christi haveongoing gift exchanges that have contributed
greatly to each city’s culture. For example,
Yokosuka presented a stone lantern to Corpus
Christi which now stands in front of the Texas
State Museum of Asian Cultures. The mostfruitful exchanges, however, are the ones
involving people, such as the annual student
exchanges and the Sister Cities International
supported volunteer exchange program.

In October 2002, Yokosuka City dispatched a 23 person “Citizens’ Cultural
Exchange Delegation” to the US Members
included: Hideo Sawada, Mayor of Yokosuka,
the City Council Chairperson and their spouses. There were two main purposes for this delegation. The first was to commemorate 40
years of sister-city relations. The second wasto explore Yokosuka’s deep relationship with
the US by expanding Yokosuka’s citizens’
awareness of their own historical heritage. In
doing so, the delegation hoped to help otherpeople understand the traditional culture,people, places and events of Yokosuka City.
In exploring Yokosuka’s historicalroots, the delegation paid a visit to Newport,
Rhode Island. Newport is the birthplace ofCommodore M.C. Perry whose arrival almost
150 years ago in Yokosuka brought about
the opening of Japan to the western world.
In August 2003 Yokosuka will hold the“Yokosuka Kaikoku Festival” in commemoration of this event
For the 40th Anniversary of sister-city
relationship the Yokosuka delegation presented
the “Japan Festival in Corpus Christi” which
included cultural presentations such as:tea ceremonies, calligraphy, origami,
flower arrangements, dancing, storytelling, and traditional cuisine. Over 300
Corpus Christi citizens visited the festival
to deepen their understanding about theculture of their sister city.

The Mayor of Yokosuka, Hideo Sawada (left), leads theCalligraphy Corner at the “Japan Festival in CorpusChristi” which celebrated 40 years of sister-city relations
between Yokosuka City and Corpus Christi, Texas.

JLGC Newsletter

Many people contributed to making
this exchange such a huge success. The
Coordinator for International Relations(CIR) of Yokosuka’s JET Programmefrom the United States played an impor3

Corpus ChristiEmblemYokosukaCity Emblem40 Years
Sister-CityAnniversarySealtant role in establishing and maintaining close
contact with Corpus Christi officials, preparingschedules and translating letters and presentation materials. His interest in traditional
Japanese culture, combined with his in-depth
knowledge of the tea ceremony, ensured that allinvolved were left with a lasting impression.
The delegation also visited places around
Corpus Christi, including the local food retailer, H-E-B, the USS Lexington where theMayor received a plaque, and a luncheon at
the Museum of Science and History. They also
participated in the 40th Anniversary Signing ofProclamation where they were presented
Honorary Citizenship Certificates. A houseparty was also on the menu and a traditional
American dish of warm hospitality was served
for all to enjoy. Another highpoint was theexcitement and honor of receiving a police
escort to and from the airport.
Prior to the arrival of the Yokosuka delegation, Corpus Christi was struck with a tornado that caused terrible damages. The delegation could not help but express their concern
for the people of Corpus Christi in their timeof crisis. Yet during this difficult period, thecitizens of Corpus Christie put their worries
behind them for a short while and provided thedelegation with a warm and heartfelt experience. Yokosuka City looks forward to showing
the same warmth and hospitality to the Corpus
Christi delegation when they visit in 2003.

Issue 45

Winter 2003

JETAA ACTIVITIESThe 2002 JETAA International
Conference in Vancouver, BC
Representatives from 41 JET Alumni
Association chapters in eleven countries
around the world gathered at the Metropolitan
Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada, in November to participate in the2002 JETAA International Conference. Most
chapters sent one delegate to the conference,and these alumni were joined by representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MOFA) in Tokyo, consular officers fromVancouver and New York, and personnel from
CLAIR’s offices in Tokyo, New York, andToronto.

tive committee. These helped update everyone on issues concerning Japanese government support for JET and JETAA, and on thevarious activities of the JETAA International
executive officers over the last year. The main
event of the morning was a presentation byPaul Donovan, British Columbia Chapter,
introducing an idea for a centralized JETAAwebsite. After lunch the delegates split up
into breakout sessions dealing with communications, special chapter activities, and relations with the community. In the evening
CLAIR hosted a reception at the hotel.

The Japanese Consul General in
Vancouver kicked-off the four day conferencewith a charming reception at his residence on
Thursday evening, November 21st, during
which attendees had the chance to get
acquainted or catch up with old friends andtouch base before getting down to businesson Friday morning. Friday started off withspeeches by representatives of MOFA,
CLAIR, and the JETAA International execu-

On Saturday morning the delegates started in once again at 8:00am, breaking up into
three groups to discuss re-entry and career
support for returning JETs, regional issues,and funding issues. The parliamentary session
was conducted in the afternoon. Amendments
to the bylaws were voted on, elections were
held for JETAA International officers for thecoming year, the website proposal was discussed further, and issues relating to the exec-

utive committee were debated. The British
Columbia Chapter then took everyone out fora lively and relaxing dinner at a local Chinese
restaurant.
Sunday morning was given over to small
group sessions on information sharing andorganizational issues, membership recruitment and retention, JET Programme issues,and small versus large chapter issues. Despite
the fact that many delegates were alreadycatching their flights home throughout themorning, these sessions were well attended
and productive, and everyone seemed tocome away with a sense of accomplishment
and a wealth of new information to take homewith them.
Overall, the general consensus seemed
to be that the conference was productive
and worthwhile, and held great promise forbeing a strong platform for action to improve
JETAA and its international organization overthe coming year.

Pictured here are the JETAA Chapter representatives who attended the inspiring JETAAI meeting in Vancouver, BC last November.

JLGC Newsletter

4Issue 45

Winter 2003