Newsletter of theJapanese-German Center Berlin(Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Berlin)
No. 135, June 2021

echo
160 Years German-Japanese Friendship
Miguel Berger, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin

As State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office, and member of the JDZBBoard of Executives, I am very happy
to see Germany and Japan celebrating 160 years of diplomatic relations.
Our two countries first entered theirlong-lasting bond when Prussia andJapan signed a friendship, trade, andshipping agreement on 24 January
1862. In a first exchange, the Japanese“Takenouchi Mission” visited Berlin in
1962, and people watched in awe as
the delegates paraded the streets of
their city donning traditional Japaneseclothing and samurai swords.
In the meantime, the initial sense of
exoticism when regarding each otherhas given way to close, intense, andtrusting relations, as we look back on
a 160 year-tradition of cooperationand exchange in the areas of politics,
economy, science, arts and culture,
medicine, and philosophy. In spiteof their geographic distance – 8,000
kilometers lie between Tōkyō andBerlin – Germany and Japan have a
lot in common, giving their relations
a firm footing. After the destruction
and devastation of WWII, Japan andGermany have moved on to become
stable democracies, and advanced
industrial nations. Both strive for aworld based on democratic values andfree, rule-based economic exchange,
a world in which peoples can live together in peace, relying on functioning
multilateral structures, above all, theUnited Nations.
The lively exchange between ourcountries is not limited to their governments: In around 100 GermanJapanese and Japanese-German societies, citizens regularly gather to discuss
the challenges our countries are facing
today. There are 56 town twinningschemes bringing together people
from Frankfurt and Yokohama, Lübeck
and Kawasaki, Cologne and Kyōto. In
1,600 university cooperation projects,
German and Japanese students cangain insights into each other’s country
and university system.
A stable long-term relationship between two countries may sometimes
resemble a marriage right before its
golden wedding anniversary. Like a
good marriage, it requires dedicationand fresh impulses to preserve its value
over time. The similar challenges ourcountries are facing as globalization
advances make this dedication all themore important. One aspect I am
especially concerned about in thiscontext is the need for reforms brought
about by low birth rates and ageing
societies. Driving forward digitization,
cyber security, climate and environmental protection, and sustainableenergy policies, while maintaining
high standards of living is another area
in which the third- and fourth-largest
world economies can learn a lot fromeach other. In this context, the “Green
Alliance” adopted by EU representatives and Prime Minister Suga at the
EU-Japan Summit on 27 May is a stepin the right direction.
Last but not least, both our countries© Foreign Office

are struggling to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. What can we learn
from each other after a year-long fight?
How can we prepare our young for the
future in spite of the pandemic?
Internationally speaking – in the IndoPacific, and right here in Europe – weare facing major challenges in termsof security policy. With rivalries growing stronger, international rules andCONTENT
160 Years German-Japanese...
Miguel Berger

1-2Interview
Future of Democracy

3

Conference Report
Gender Equality

4

Exchange Programs

5

Other Events

6

Preview of Events 2021

7

Tōkyō Olympics 2020

8

2

C O N T I N U E D EF D
R IOTMO RP IAAGL E 1

EDITORIAL
Dear Readers!

standards have increasingly come under pressure. As the power of the law
clashes ever more fiercely with the lawsof power, unilateral and protectionist
tendencies are growing stronger. How
can we successfully promote a rulebased world order under such difficult
conditions?
In September 2020, the German government adopted guidelines aimed
at strengthening relations with its
partners in the Indo-Pacific and finding
new ways to cooperate with them, because tomorrow’s world order largely
depends on the imminent developments in this region. Are we facing
the formation of new blocks? Will theregion remain open to everybody?
What government models will prevail?
Democracy or authoritarianism, rule oflaw or government despotism? Germany is working towards a rule-based,
inclusive Indo-Pacific it considers thebest possible protection against hegemonial tendencies and the formationof new blocks.
In the face of these challenges, it isvital to intensify our dialogue withcountries that share our values, above
all, with Japan. In terms of security
policy, we want to take a more active
stance in the region. Our countries’
ministers of defense and foreign affairs, Foreign Minister Heiko Maasand his Japanese counterpart Motegi
Toshimitsu, Minister of Defence Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and her
Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobuo,
met last April to discuss these issues.
In the summer, a German Navy frigate
will be dispatched to the Indo-Pacificfor six months aimed at monitoring
North Korea and promoting rule-basedorder with a special focus on nuclear
non-proliferation. In spite of, and because of, the Covid-19 pandemic thathas dominated our lives over the pastmonths, it is more important than everto keep sustaining and nurturing our
exchange on all levels.
Having become a central site of Ger-

man-Japanese exchange and cooperation, the JDZB plays a major role in thiscontext. Since its founding in 1985 at
the initiative of then chancellor Helmut
Kohl and Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro, the JDZB has added a new levelof depth to German-Japanese cooperation in science, politics, economics andculture and given it a new, outstanding
intellectual dimension. This year’s Japanese-German Forum at the end of May
centered on issues including a fresh
start for diplomatic relations with the
US, German and Japanese strategies
in the Indo-Pacific, as well as lessons
learned from the Covid-19 pandemic,
showing how the JDZB does not limit
its range of topics to bilateral issues
but puts German-Japanese relations
in a global context. In this way, with
its numerous events – in Berlin, Tōkyō,or online – the JDZB continues to keeppeople in Germany and Japan talking
to each other, discussing the pressing
issues of our time.
In the JDZB’s 36th year, the JDZB ismaking a fresh start as a significant
site representing German-Japaneseexchange, and facilitating encounters
between the two countries’ people.
This includes a new website, new business models and partnerships, andconceptual and organizational plans
for a “JDZB of the Future”, to namebut a few. I wish the JDZB’s Secretary
General Dr. Julia Münch and all its
employees good spirits and a successful outcome for the renewal process
and would like to thank all of you foryour relentless efforts. It is thanks to
its highly motivated employees fromJapan and Germany that, in spite of all
the changes the world has seen overthe past three decades, the JDZB has
been able to maintain its reputation
as a point of contact for any questions concerning German-Japaneserelations. I wish the JDZB all the bestand hope you can continue to supportand shape German-Japanese relationsin the future!

In this issue of jdzb echo, we are pleased
to present an editorial by State Secretary Miguel Berger from the German
Federal Foreign Office. In his article, hediscusses current foreign and security
policy challenges in the Indo-Pacificregion. In order to actively shape our
future world order, as partners withshared values he considers cooperation and an intensification of dialogue
between us as essential. Japan’s Prime
Minister Suga und German Chancellor
Merkel also reaffirmed the importanceof the Indo-Pacific region for our two
countries during their brief conversation on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.
With regard to the pandemic, a light is
now appearing on the horizon for both
Japan and Germany as opportunities
for vaccination and testing progress.
We remain very cautious, but we arevery pleased to tentatively reopen the
JDZB in a hybridized format. It was avery special feeling when, after a longtime, music once again sounded in our
house at our “Herbstlied” (autumnsong) concert. The event was streamed
live, and can still be viewed on our YouTube channel. Our German-Japanese
Forum also took place for the first timein a digital-analog mixed format. We are
currently learning lots!
We wish you all a great summer. Pleasestay healthy!
Dr. Julia Münch
JDZB Secretary Generaljdzb echo
Published quarterly in March – June – Sept. – Dec.
Publisher:
Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB)
Editor: Michael Niemann
Tel.: +49-30-839 07 186, E-Mail: niemann@jdzb.de
Opinions expressed reflect the author‘s
opinion and not necessarily the opinionof the publisher.
JDZB, Saargemünder Str. 2, 14195 Berlin, Germany
Tel.: +49-30-839 07 0 Fax: +49-30-839 07 220
E-Mail: jdzb@jdzb.de
URL: https://jdzb.de
Library closed! Only returning of media items
possible, please contact us by E-Mail (bibliothek@jdzb.de) or phone (030) 839 07 167.

INTERVIEW

33

On 29 September 2021, the JDZB will host a virtual symposium on the overarchingtheme of “The Future of Democracy”. This event, held in cooperation with Seinan
Gakuin University (Fukuoka), the University of Duisburg-Essen and the Friedrich
Ebert Foundation (Berlin), is the first in a planned series of discussions on the futureof democracy and related issues from a political science perspective. To kick off
the series, below is an interview with Prof. Axel Klein, who holds a professorshipin Japanese politics at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
The symposium planned will take place inthe run-up to the upcoming federal elections in Germany in September and potential parliamentary elections in Japan: Whatdo you expect for the party landscape inboth democracies?
Voters in both countries will have theoption to choose between six parties
represented in parliament in autumn,
but that’s probably where the similarities
end. In Germany, the question is whowill politically lead the Federal Republic
after 16 years of Merkel‘s chancellorship.
Since “The Greens” now also have hopes
for the highest office in government,
there are three leading candidates, Baerbock, Laschet (CDU/CSU) und Scholz(SPD), between whom the voters must
decide. According to opinion polls, various coalition governments are possible,
so it will be exciting. It’s a different story
in Japan, where Prime Minister Sugais currently going through an opinion
poll slump, but the opposition would
have to achieve considerable mobilization success among those voters whostayed home in past elections to preventa victory for the LDP/Kōmeitō coalition.
Perhaps the Japanese government’s
pandemic management is a suitablemobilization theme, perhaps the Olympic and Paralympic Games, perhaps thegovernment’s plans for constitutional reform. Either way, it would be desirable forJapanese democracy to see a resurgencein voter turnout from the most recent(2017) 53.7%.
Political scientist Karl-Rudolf Korte recently
published a book with two other authors
titled “Coronacracy – Democratic Governance in Times of Exception,” whichattempts to answer the questions “Whatis the pandemic doing to our political system? How resilient has political management shown itself to be since March 2020,
and what consequences can we expectfor democracy?” What are your thoughts
regarding Germany and Japan?

Prof. Korte is a colleague here at the
University of Duisburg-Essen, and his
co-editors have, among other things,
raised the question of the necessary
trade-off between health and freedom.
Freedom is guaranteed in the Basic Lawof the Federal Republic, health is not, atleast not explicitly. How do governments
deal with this situation? How strongly dopeople demand individual freedom evenin the face of health risks? How far dothey show a willingness to cooperate? An
attitude that makes possible what Korte
calls “curated governance.” I think thesequestions are important not only froma political science or democratic theory
perspective. When I compare the populations in both countries with regard to thedemands for individual freedom, on thebasis of my own experience it seems tome that people in Japan are more willingto temporarily give up small components
of individual freedom in favor of healthrisk minimization and solidarity-based
protection of fellow human beings.
This impression is confirmed by the factthat in Japan there are apparently fewer“Corona deniers” or “lateral thinkers”
and hardly anyone thinks a “mask obligation” is an infringement on their personal
rights. However, I eagerly await the studies that ask how much the populationsof both countries actually associatedeveryday pandemic-related restrictions
with their fundamental rights. Perhaps
we will soon learn that most people weremerely inconvenienced and reluctant
to forgo certain pleasures, but simply
accepted the restrictions out of consideration for others and did not directly
associate them with the “big gun” offundamental rights.
In your research, you strongly focus on
populism in East Asian democracies. How
do you describe the role of populist elements in the German and Japanese politicallandscapes – be it populist politicians or a
populist “extra-parliamentary opposition”?

In my view, the term “populism” ispredominantly used in both countries
for political actors who would be better
placed in other categories. In Germany,
the AfD is often described as populist,
but what is meant is often “right-wing(extreme),” anti-immigration and antiforeigner. The party does not have adominant, charismatic leader, as called
for in various concepts of populism, anddoes not fit the ideal type of a populist
movement for other reasons. The Linke
Party also has populist traits, but they
are rarely addressed as such in the mass
media, perhaps because they are always
presented together with demands for“social justice” – whatever that means
in concrete terms.
The Japanese term taishū geigō shugi,
which translates as “populism,” means
being pleasing/opportunistic to themasses. Just as the accusation of being a
dictator and the comparison to Hitler ispulled out every now and then in political disputes (against the previous prime
minister Abe, among others), sometimes
the “fighting term” (Max Weber) “populist” is thrown at the head of the political
rival when tax cuts, higher child benefits,
minimum income for farmers, abolitionof highway tolls or the like are proposed.
Sometimes an extraordinary kind of political communication or “presentation”(performance) is enough to be portrayed
as populist. The original populist call forthe masses to fight against the corrupt
elites, however, is only found in a very
diluted form when the dominant LDP or
the ministerial bureaucracy are criticized.

4

CONFERENCE REPORT

Symposium “25 years after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, five years
after the adoption of Agenda 2030: Progress in Gender Equality Policy in Japan
and Germany” 4-5 March 2021
Susanne Auerbach, M. A., Freie Universität Berlin
After JDZB Secretary General Dr. Julia
Münch’s opening words, Franziska
Giffey (Minister of Family Affairs, Senior
Citizens, Women, and Youth) gave thefirst keynote speech, outlining the significance of gender equality for Germany’s
modern society, while adding that past
successes had not been achieved without effort and, oftentimes, in the faceof resistance.
In the second keynote, Hayashi Tomoko(Director General of the Gender Equality
Bureau in the Japanese Cabinet Office)pointed out that in December 2020, theJapanese government had published a
new basic plan for gender equality aimed
at eliminating different treatment of men
and women by the 2030s.
The keynote part was wrapped up by
Ishikawa Kae (Director of the UN WomenJapan Liaison Office in Tōkyō). 2020,
she said, had been an important yearfor gender equality, but so far, not asingle country in the world had achieved
gender parity. Ishikawa expressed hopethat Japan and Germany would continue
actively fighting for women’s rights.
The first part of the conference, hosted
by Dr. Phoebe Stella Holdgrün (Head of
Project Management at JDZB) was dedicated to political and economic aspects.
Prof. Dr. Etō Mikiko (Professor for Political
Science at Hōsei-University Tōkyō) gave
an overview of the state of gender equality in the Japanese Parliament, mentioning a positive trend since the introductionof “Womenomics” in 2013.
In the second speech, Dr. Ina Bieber(Research Assistant at GESIS – Leibniz
Institute of Social Sciences in Mannheim)
said that, historically speaking, Germany
had constantly made progress since1919, the year women in Germany firstgot voting rights, up to the election of thecountry’s first woman chancellor Angela
Merkel. On the other hand, she deploredthat women in politics continued to facediscrimination, not only by parties, butalso by voters who still had less faith infemale than in male representatives.
In the next speech, Prof. Ōsaki Asako (Director of the Gender Action Platform GAP

and Visiting Professor at Kwansei Gakuin
University) discussed aspects of genderequality in the Japanese working world.
While, at first sight, some of the measures
adopted in this field seemed progressive,
she criticized that they were not actually
aimed at gender equality but at integrating women in the labor market. Genderequality could only be achieved, she said,
if society’s understanding of men’s andwomen’s roles fundamentally changed.
In the speech concluding the first partof the event, Dr. Katharina Wrohlich(Head of the Research Group “Gender
Economics” at the German Institute for
Economic Research in Berlin) described
the current situation of the German labormarket saying Germany’s situation wascomparable to Japan’s: While, overall,
women’s employment rate had increased, the increase was limited mostly
to part time work.
The final discussion centered on otherreasons why fewer women than men
held leadership positions. Reasons statedincluded women lacking networks andself-esteem. It was concluded that bothcountries should start promoting womenearlier on in their careers, and both societies had to rethink their approach togender roles as a whole.
The second day of the conference addressed Japan’s and Germany’s international fight for gender equality, andthe effects of the Covid-19 pandemic ongender issues.
In her role as first German woman
ambassador to Japan, Ina Lepel said
she was often asked about the differences between Germany’s and Japan’s
approach to gender equality. Whilelegal provisions, better protection fromunequal pay, and progress in politicalparticipation were good results, Lepel
warned that Germany was still ranked
only 10th on the Global Gender Gap
Report and should not rest on its laurels.
The next two keynotes discussing theeffects of the Covid-19 pandemic on gender equality were held by Prof. Dr. Shirahase Sawako (Professor for Sociology at
the Graduate School of Humanities andSociology and Vice President at Tōkyō
University) and Prof. Dr. Ute Klammer(Professor and Executive Director at theInstitute of Work and Qualifications IAQ,
University of Duisburg-Essen). Shirahasestressed that the pandemic’s negative
effects on women’s rights were a global
phenomenon, and action was urgently
needed.
Klammer described a similar situationin Germany, saying that stereotypicalgender perception was still rampant,and the image of men as breadwinners
still prevalent in German society. On theplus side, she said, the pandemic had
finally drawn public attention to theimportance of typical female professions
like care workers and shop assistants.
Part two was hosted by Satō Mariko(Director of the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA’s Tōkyō Office) andcentered on Japan and Germany’s international involvement in the fight for gender equality. In her speech, Uchikawa
Tomomi (Head of the Office for Gender
Equality and Poverty Reduction at theJapan International Cooperation Agency
JICA), presented JICA’s work in the areaof gender equality.
In the final speech of the conference, Dr.
Angela Langenkamp (Gender Commissioner of the German Society for International Cooperation GIZ) presented GIZ’swork and gender equality strategies. Like
JICA, she explained, GIZ was a service
provider implementing projects in cooperation with local partners.
In the second panel discussion, Uchikawa and Langenkamp agreed that, toachieve gender equality, the involvement of men was also important, andthat raising awareness early was crucial
to achieving a breakthrough for society
as a whole.
The conference was closed by Prof. Dr.
h. c. Mae Michiko (Cultural Scientist,
Gender Researcher, and Retired Professor at Heinrich-Heine-University in Düsseldorf). On both days, the symposium
introduced milestones on the road togender equality in Japan and Germany
and pointed out necessary steps for the
future. Around 170 participants fromJapan and Germany bore witness to thefact that the subject of gender equality
is still highly relevant to both countries.

EXCHANGE PROGRAMS“A picture is worth a thousand words” ... and far more impressive than a videoconference. But digital formats open up new opportunities!
Dr. Julia Münch, JDZB Secretary General
One of the most important goals of the JDZB is
to inspire (future) decision-makers from Japan
and Germany to become excited about theother country. What could be better suitedfor this than traveling to the other country,
experiencing the culture with all your senses,
conversations with peers as well as intergenerational encounters on location?
The JDZB offers various programs for young
professionals and trainees, young volunteers
and professionals from the child and youth
welfare sector (funded by the Federal Childand Youth Plan and the Japanese Ministryof Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology). As part of the Junior Experts
Exchange Program, young scientists fromJapan and Germany learn more about eachother’s research fields (funded by the Federal
Ministry of Education and Research and theJapanese Foreign Ministry). In the privately
funded German-Japanese Young Leaders
Forum we support future leaders (current
sponsors: Daido Life Insurance Company,
Mori Manufacturing Research and Technology
Foundation, Yamaoka Memorial Foundation,
YANMAR HOLDINGS CO., LTD., Yuasa M&B
Co., Ltd.). In addition, the ScienceYouth Program serves to initiate sustainable exchanges
between Japanese and German high schools(sponsored by OLYMPUS Europa SE &Co. KG).

exchanges and internship programs (suchas DAAD’s “Language and Practice in Japan”,
the “Vulcanus” program for young Europeans
or individually organized internships, e.g.
through KOPRA – International Internship
Platform).
Intensive exchanges also take place in thefields of music, culture or sports (e.g. throughthe Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- undJugendbildung (BKJ) or the professional andsimultaneous exchanges of the Deutsche
Sportjugend). Encounters between young
people from Japan and Germany also takeplace within the framework of numerous
city, school and university partnerships andthrough the more than one hundred JapaneseGerman and German-Japanese societies.
Through the Foundation of the Federationof German-Japanese Societies, established in2018, funds are explicitly available for youth
exchange activities. In addition to the numerous regionally anchored projects, there is evena supra-regionally active German-Japanese
Youth Association on the German side (DJJG)
and, on the Japanese side, the Japanese-German Youth Network with its “Hello” program,among others.
The Studienwerk für Deutsch-Japanischen
Kulturaustausch in North Rhine-Westphaliaorganizes an annual four-week scholarshipprogram in cooperation with the Düsseldorf-

Paths to Germany - Paths to Japan
Initial and continuing encounters between
young people from Japan and Germany arealso facilitated and initiated at many otherlevels, for example, through governmentfunded exchange programs (e.g. the Japan
Exchange and Teaching Program JET and the
MIRAI program of the Japanese Ministry ofForeign Affairs, specialized programs organized by IJAB – Fachstelle für internationale
Jugendarbeit der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, organized specialized programs), homestays abroad arranged by not-for-profit youth
exchange organizations (such as AFS Interkulturelle Begegnungen e. V. or Deutsches YouthFor Understanding Komitee e.V.), voluntary
services (e.g. through ijgd), youth hostel

Japan Study Fund. Now, in the current COVID
pandemic, alumni have planned an online
event “Experience Japan Digitally,” in which
visions for “Urban Life 2.0” will be developedin various interactive breakout sessions.
The Embassy of Japan offers a good overview of exchange, research and education
programs of non-commercial institutions aswell as scholarships on its website (www.
de.emb-japan.go.jp/austausch/); anothersource of information on the German side is
the country page Japan of IJAB (ijab.de/japan)and “rausvonzuhaus” (let’s leave home) (byeurodesk) or the Japan fair “#Seitenwechsler– wir bringen dich nach Japan!” (Change sides– we’ll take you to Japan). The DJJG regularlypresents various exchange organizations here.

55

International encounters in the digital space
Unfortunately, many of the usual programs
could not take place last year and this year
due to the pandemic. But how do you maintain international exchange when you can’t
travel? There is certainly no substitute forinternational experience in person in the othercountry. On the positive side, however, thecurrent state of technology has opened up
good opportunities to overcome geographical distance in an uncomplicated way, at least
digitally, through online video conferences
and communication platforms and networks
in social media.
Like many other organizations, we have therefore taken advantage of the situation to moveinternational meetings into the virtual space
and to maintain existing networks throughlow-threshold, continuous exchange. For example, our colleagues in the Youth Exchange
department set up online regular catch-up
sessions for alumni during the pandemic,
and were surprised at how well it worked.
Using digital exchange formats, we also succeeded in efficiently maintaining the professional collaboration of the German-JapaneseStudy Program for Child and Youth Welfare
Professionals, which this year looks back on
a fifty-year history.
The virtual “kick-off” for the 15th GermanJapanese Young Leaders Forum was notintended as a replacement for the summer
school originally planned for Berlin and Potsdam, but it was an interesting alternative anda good prelude to the originally planned program. The Alumni Association of the GermanJapanese Young Leaders Forum is also creating
new points of interaction with a new virtual
event series. The talks will take place regularly
about once a quarter and highlight relevant
topics, initially around sustainability, fromthe perspective of Japan and Germany. The
aim of the series is to create more exchanges
for the association’s members in a relaxedatmosphere in addition to the regular annual
alumni conferences, especially during thecurrent COVID pandemic, and also beyond.
Shaping the future together
It would be highly desirable if, even after the
pandemic, we increased the benefits of digitization by all of us joining forces even morestrongly to create awareness for the numerous existing offerings. It’s true that in Japan,
as in Germany, there is interest in the othercountry among the younger generation – but
the potential is greater! Let’s shape the future
together by showing young people the opportunities of Japanese-German cooperationand thus widening their perspectives.

6

OTHER EVENTS

What strategies are Japan and Germany pursuing in the Indo-Pacific? How are our relations with the U.S. evolving? What are the
new approaches to national issues, and what lessons can we learn from the Covid-19 pandemic? This week, leading figures frombusiness, politics, academia and the media engaged in lively discussions on these topics, and led to concrete recommendations forthe governments of both countries.
For the first time this year, the German-Japanese Forum took place in a hybrid virtual form with its 29th meeting held on 20 and 21
May. German Federal Chancellor Merkel welcomed the participants, not in person in the Federal Chancellery in Berlin as is usual at
the regular meeting, but by video message due to the pandemic.
Matthias Naß (DIE ZEIT) and Kobayashi Eizō (Itōchū Corporation) chaired the meeting. While the Japan Center for International
Exchange (JCIE) in Tōkyō acts as the Japanese secretariat, in Germany the JDZB is entrusted with this task.

Virtual opening of the exhibition “After the rain falls the ground hardens” with ceramic sculptures, drawings and video installations by
Akimoto Naomi und Claudia Schmacke on 28 May. The exhibition will
be on display at the JDZB until 28 July. Admission is free, but subject topandemic-related restrictions. (Photo © Akimoto/Schmacke)

The virtual networking event “Boosting Transcontinental SME Collaboration between Germany and Japan” was held on 25 May. Organized by
the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT together
with Lyogroup International at the virtual JDZB, the event seeks to shapedigital transformation and foster international exchange.

Workshop talk “Contemporary Music” on 4 May. Guests were Jörg-Peter
Mittmann (founder of the ensemble Horizonte), the composer Itō
Miyuki, who joined from Japan, and two musicians of the ensemble,
Maria Pache (viola) and Helene Schütz (harp), who played selected
examples of works.

VSJF Annual Meeting 2021 “Continuity and Change 10 Years after 3.11”
held on 19 March. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Great
Eastern Japan Earthquake and the subsequent nuclear disaster at the
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, the long-term impactof the triple disaster on Japanese politics and society was highlighted.

77

PREVIEW OF EVENTS 2021

Conferences by
Focal Areas
Global Responsibility
Security Policy Workshop, Track 1.5
C: Federal Foreign Office, Berlin; Ministryof Foreign Affairs, Tōkyō; Konrad-AdenauerStiftung, Berlin; The Japan Institute of International Affairs, Tōkyō
Date: 22-23 June 2021
Conference: Global Health IV
C: National Center for Global Health andMedicine (NCGM), Tōkyō; Waseda University;
Alexander von Humboldt University, Berlin;
Heidelberg University/Heidelberg Institute of
Global Health (HIGH); Association of Researchbased Pharmaceutical Companies, Berlin
Date: To be confirmed in 2021, in Tōkyō

Sustainability and theEnvironment
10th Meeting of the German-Japanese Expert
Council on Energy Transition
C: Hennicke Consult, Wuppertal; ECOS Japan Consult GmbH, Osnabrück; Institute forEnergy Economics Japan (IEEJ), Tōkyō; Federal
Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi),
Berlin; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Tōkyō (by invitation only)
Date: 13-14 September 2021
Symposium: The Role of Digitization in
Sustainability
C: German Economic Institute (IW), Cologne;
Fujitsū Ltd., Tōkyō
Date: October 2021

Digital Transformation
French-German Dialog on Japan II: AI and
Health
C: France-Japan Foundation of the École desHautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS),
Paris; Duisburg-Essen University
Date: 16-17 September 2021, in Paris
Conference: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Legal Areas and Legal Norms
C: German-Japanese Association of Jurists(DJJV), Hamburg; Waseda University, Tōkyō;German Center for Research and Innovation(DWIH), Tōkyō; The German Federal Bar, Berlin
Date: 19 November 2021, in Tōkyō

State, Economy, GovernanceSymposium: Coping with the Crisis. Psychosocial Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic
C: German Center for Research and Innovation(DWIH, Tōkyō)Date: 10 June 2021, in Tōkyō
Panel Discussion: Recovery Games under
the Mask. The Tōkyō Olympics through theLens of Japan Scholars
C: German Institute for Japanese Studies ( Tōkyō)Date: 17 June 2021
Symposium: The Future of Democracy I:
C: Seinan Gakuin University, Fukuoka; DuisburgEssen University; Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (Berlin)
Date: 29 September 2021

Culture and Change“Good Morning My Moon”
Photographs by Nicole Ahland and glass
sculptures by Hirohata Masami
Duration: 28 August until 26 November 2021

Concert“AUTUMN SONG” Concert with Members of
the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie
C: Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, Frankfurt
a.M.; Werner Reimers Foundation, Bad
Homburg
Date: 9 June 2021
Ensemble Horizonte “Dialogs on Nature”
Contemporary Compositions from Germany
and Japan
Date: 2 September 2021
String Quartet and Harp
Verus String Quartet (Tōkyō) meets MariePierre Langlamet (Harp, Berlin Philharmonics)
Date: 21 September 2021
Concert with contemporary compositions:Inoue Satoko (piano), Maurizio Barbetti(viola) and Hartmut Schulz (vocal/bariton)
Date: 22 October 2021

Japanese + Calligraphy Courses
Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, all courses will
be held online until further notice.

Exchange Programs- Junior Experts Exchange Program

Demographic Change
Symposium: Demographic Change in Germany and Japan
C: Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior
Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), Berlin; Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare(MHLW), Tōkyō
Date: October/November 2021
Conference: Aging and Care in German andJapanese Communities
C: German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ),
Tōkyō; Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Tōkyō office
Date: November 2021

German-Japanese Architects Dialog
C: Association of German Architects, Berlin;
Technical University Dortmund; Technical
University Berlin
Date: To be confirmed in 2021

- German-Japanese Young Leaders Forum- Youth Group Leaders Exchange Program- Study Program for Youth Work Specialists- Exchange Program for Young Em­ployees- JDZB ScienceYouth Program
For details of the programs, please refer to:

Cultural Events
Exhibition“After the rain falls the ground hardens”
Ceramic Sculptures, Drawings and Video
Installations by Akimoto Naomi and Claudia
Schmacke
Duration: 31 May until 28 July 2021

Based on the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, this is only a preliminary planof JDZB programs as reflected from June 2021.
Please confirm the dates and format for each event on the JDZB homepage!

https://jdzb.de --> Exchange Programs
Opening hours of exhibitions
Mon - Thursday 10 am - 0.30 pm and 1 pm to 5
pm, Fri 10 am - 0.30 pm and 1 pm to 3.30 pm
Free admittance, but subject to retrictions
due to the pandemic
C: = in cooperation with
Venue: JDZB, if not stated other­wise (also
digital)For more information please refer to:https://jdzb.de22

8

PANEL DISCUSSION: THE TŌKYŌ OLYMPICS THROUGH THE LENS OF JAPAN SCHOLARSFor 34 days running the world’s gaze is steadily fixed on the host city of
the Olympic and Paralympic Games – that’s how long the Games laston average. However, building and preparing the infrastructure for thegames takes many years. During this time, they significantly change
the cityscape, politics, society, economy and public discourse of the
Olympic city.
The organizers of the 2020(+1) Olympics in Tōkyō originally marketed
the Games as the “Recovery Games” to symbolize reconstruction after
the Triple Disaster of 11 March 2011. In the wake of the ongoing pandemic, the Olympics are now expected to become a symbol of “recovery
from the Covid-19 pandemic” or at least “give hope to the world.”
The JDZB, in cooperation with the German Institute for Japanese Studies(DIJ) in Tōkyō, will host a virtual panel discussion on social, political,
economic and historical aspects of the Games on June 17. As an introduction, the panel speakers will provide brief opening statements:
Sonja Ganseforth on the anti-Olympics protests, Barbara Holthus on
Olympic volunteers, Axel Klein on the Olympics in Japanese politics,
Wolfram Manzenreiter on the relationship of the mass media and Tōkyō
2020, and Torsten Weber on the memory of Tōkyō 1940 and 1964. The
speakers are authors of the recently published book “Japan through theLens of the Tokyo Olympics” (Routledge 2020, open access), editedby Barbara Holthus, Isaac Gagné, Wolfram Manzenreiter and Franz
Waldenberger.

Photos (clockwise from top left):Japanese daily newspapers celebrating the awarding of the Games toTōkyō in September 2013 (© Antje Bieberstein)Book Cover Japan through the Lens of the Tokyo Olympics (Routledge 2020)
Olympic volunteer Barbara Holthus in official volunteer attire
Anti-Olympics demonstrator holding “Liar Olympics” placard
Flag celebrating the awarding of the 1940 Olympics to Tōkyō (© Torsten Weber)(remaining photos © Barbara Holthus)