Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie at the Sugihara House museum in Lithuania, commemorating
Chiune Sugihara, the WWII-era Japanese diplomat who issued “Visas of Life” for Jewish refugees.

Feature:Japan’s Passion for
Food Excellence“Walk in U.S.,
Talk on Japan”

The Origin of Japan's Modernization:
Reviewing the Significance ofthe Meiji Restoration after 150 YearsJapanGov (https://www.japan.go.jp)
is your digital gateway to Japan.
Visit the website and find out more.

JapanGov, the official portal of the Government of Japan, provides a wealth of information
regarding various issues that Japan is tackling, and also directs you to the sites of relevant ministries
and agencies.
It introduces topics such as Abenomics, Japan’s economic revitalization policy, and the attractive
investment environment that Abenomics has created. In addition, it highlights Japan’s contributions
for international development, including efforts to spread fruit of innovation and quality
infrastructure worldwide.
You’ll also find the articles of all past issues of “We Are Tomodachi ”(https://www.japan.go.jp/
tomodachi).

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JapanGov / JapanPMOJAPAN

Contents“We Are Tomodachi” is a magazine published with the aim of further deepening people’s understanding of the initiatives of the Government of Japan and the charms of Japan. Tomodachimeans “friend” in Japanese, and the magazine’s title expresses that Japan is a friend of thecountries of the world–one that will cooperate and grow together with them.

Feature:Japan’s Passion for
Food Excellence
My Love for Japanese Food & Service

6

Cultivate the Seas!

8

Strawberry Paradise Japan

10

Cherry Blossoms Markthe Coming of Spring

4

Prime Minister in Action

12“Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan”

16

Cellular 3D PrinterBrings New Hope

18

Japan’s “Free and Open
Indo-Pacific Strategy”
as Grand Strategy

Artificial Intelligence:
A Rival for Humans,
or a Partner ?

20

Japanese Individuals
Contributing Worldwide

The Seto Inland Sea:
An Enchanting and Tranquil
Place

22

The Origin of Japan'sModernization: Reviewing
the Significance of the Meiji
Restoration after 150 Years

24

Cover

Towards the Future, Faster:
Co-Creating a New HighSpeed Rail in India
Contributed Article:
Dr. Michael J. GreenP. 16

An Expert’s Touch Improves
African Farmers’ Lives

26

28

P. 26

30

P. 20

P. 30
Friends of Japan
Making Japan
Accessible to All

The JET Programme
Shared Histories,
Bright Futures

P. 24

32

34
P. 32

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the Sugihara House museum in Kaunas, Lithuania. The museum occupies the city’s restored former
Japanese consulate and commemorates the actions of the late Japanese Consul Chiune Sugihara (seen in the framed photograph on
the left side of the desk), who issued “Visas of Life” to Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. The museum’s purpose is to remind
visitors of the importance of peace and humanity.

Note: U.S. dollar equivalents for Japanese yen amounts in this issue are calculated at 108 yen to the dollar, roughly the rate at the time of publication.

3

This
is
Japan

Cherry Blossoms Markthe Coming of Spring

Japan’s “cherry blossom front” shows when the cherry trees across the country will bloom. The front starts in the south
in late March and moves northward as the season progresses. The long Japanese archipelago, from south to north,is gradually steeped in pink.

Tokyo

Cherry trees usher in a season of new beginnings

Even the streets of metropolitan Tokyo offer many beautiful spots for cherry blossom viewing.
In April, the sight of newly-minted first graders holding their parents’ hands as they walk beneaththe cherry trees in full bloom on their way to their school entrance ceremonies is charming to behold.
Photo: Along the Shakujii River next to Takinogawa-Momiji Elementary School in Kita City. ©The Asahi Shimbun Company.

42018 Cherry blossom forecast
Released March 12, 2018
Source: Weather Map Co., Ltd.

Yamagata CityMay 10

Yamagata City
Kajo Park

Apr. 30
Apr. 20

Yamagata
Pref.

http://yamagatakanko.com.e.db.hp.transer.com

Apr. 10

Mar. 31

Kita CityTokyo

Mar. 25▶︎ For more information, please visit:

Mar. 20

Shinjuku

Kita City▶︎ For more information, please visit:

http://www.kanko.city.kita.tokyo.jp/wp/wp-content/themes/
kitatokyo/images/guidemap/mappdf/gaikokuzin-en.pdf

Mar. 15▶︎ For more information, please visit:

http://sakura.weathermap.jp/en.php

1,500 cherry trees celebrate spring in the north

Yamagata Castle’s Kajo Park is a renowned spot for viewing its approximately 1,500 cherrytrees blooming in gorgeous profusion. The park bustles with visitors from across the country
and abroad who eagerly welcome spring’s arrival to northern Japan. The cherry trees lit up atnight are a magical sight.

5

Yamagata

Feature: Japan’s Passion for Food Excellence

My Love for Japanese Food & Service

East Side Sushi Director Talks about Japanese Food Culture

Juana (Diana Elizabeth Torres as a Mexican-American single mother) and Aki (Yutaka Takeuchi as a sushi chef) in the film East Side Sushi. Juana’s watch can be seen. ©Blue Sun Pictures

enable a professional chef to be used as a “hand double”
during close-ups of the sushi preparation. “When I wentaround to local sushi restaurants in Japan, I learned that nosushi master would ever wear a watch during either the
preparation or the serving of sushi. I asked the reason, andthe answer was ‘In order to present your cuisine to the gods,
you must be as pure as possible.’ Here, ‘the gods’ refers to
the customers. In Japan, everything seems to be permeatedby a certain degree of spiritualism.”
Lucero was intrigued to find how seriously the Japaneseregard their meals, whether preparing, serving, or eatingthem. “The first thing to know about food in Japan is that
it is very difficult to find a bad meal anywhere. Japanesepeople are very committed to their work and to customer
service, and they take pride in what they do. Whatevertask they do, they aim for perfection. In addition, Japanesecustomers are very discerning when it comes to theirfood. That is why Tokyo has the most Michelin-starred
restaurants in the world.”
Lucero continued, “What I found most fascinating about“I never thought my film would bring me 14 awards
and a trip to Japan,” laughs Anthony Lucero, the directorof the film East Side Sushi, a film about a MexicanAmerican single mother who encounters cultural andtraditional barriers as she strives to realize her dream of
becoming a sushi chef. In 2017, Lucero traveled along
the Japanese archipelago from north (Sapporo) to south(Okinawa City) upon the invitation of the U.S. Embassy
and Consulates in Japan, talking about his film toJapanese audiences.
Looking back on his Japan tour, Lucero says he foundinspiration everywhere he went. After sampling a wide
range of local specialties and meeting people from allwalks of life to discover still more captivating aspects ofJapan, he now claims, “Had I known all this before I
filmed the movie, I might have revised my script!”
Lucero reveals that during his tour around Japan, somemembers of his audience remarked it was peculiar for theheroine of his film to wear a watch while making sushi. In
fact, the watch had been a necessary technical addition to6After discussing East Side Sushi with Chukyo University Senior High School students in Nagoya,at an event co-hosted with the U.S. Embassy.

Bumping into locals at a yakitori restaurant in Kyoto. The secret ingredient was the bincho-tan
charcoal.

use this special charcoal, and again consumers are very
aware of how that affects the taste.”
Lucero also noticed that the Japanese approach to foodwas very similar to how he had made East Side Sushi.
“Western food is about adding spices and seasonings in theright combinations to make a delicious dish, just like how
many of the movies I had worked on previously
incorporated lots of visual effects. But Japanese food tries tobring out the ingredients’ natural flavor with a minimum of
spices, like using no visual effects in a movie and instead
relying on the strength of the story and the acting to pullthe viewer along. I could feel the chefs’ pursuit of purenessin Japanese cuisine and I feel I too was trying to capture apureness in my film,” Lucero explained.
One thing that left a deep impression on Lucero is thatsome Japanese people who watched his movie commented
he had a Japanese soul. “At first I wasn’t quite sure what
they meant, but after traveling around Japan, I came toappreciate the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship much more
fully. Japanese craftsmen—including those pursuing thecraft of sushi making—put their soul into their work to thepoint that their work becomes art. I put my soul into myfilm, and I am glad that my passion transcends acrossborders and people.”
Lucero now lives in Los Angeles and is searching for an
opportunity to use these and other areas of inspiration in
his life to create his next film.

Giving a talk at the American Center Japan in Tokyo after screening East Side Sushi, hosted by
the U.S. Embassy.

Japan is that even average consumers pay considerable
attention to where their food originates from, whether it
be meat, fish, vegetables, rice, or anything else. If it’s fish,
they want to know where in Japan it was sourced from. If
it’s beef, they again want to know the region, because
they know the differences between beef from Kobe,
Matsusaka, and Sendai. They also put tremendous emphasison eating seasonal ingredients. In the U.S., consumers
generally don’t pay that much attention to where the foodoriginates from, and when they order a meal, I rarely see
people discussing which fish or vegetables are at the peakof the season. In the U.S. people are more concerned
about whether or not something is organic. I was intrigued
to see how Japanese select their food in the same way
Americans select wine based on the year, region, and typeof grape.”
One of Lucero’s favorite foods in Japan was yakitori,
chicken dipped in or brushed with sauce and then handgrilled over charcoal. He couldn’t put his finger on thesecret to its remarkable flavor until he realized thatmany restaurants in Japan use a specific kind of charcoal,called bincho-tan charcoal, to give the yakitori a distinctive,
more complex taste. “In the U.S., it is difficult to findrestaurants that hand-grill their food over charcoal. But
in Japan many restaurants post signs saying that they

Anthony Lucero
Worked as a visual effects engineer for George Lucas’
Industrial Light and Magic on Star Wars: Episodes I & II,
Pirates of the Caribbean, Iron Man, The Mummy, Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, etc. Resigned hisengineering position and went on to make the film East
Side Sushi, which earned 14 awards and led to his trip
to Japan. ©Blue Sun Pictures7

Feature: Japan’s Passion for Food Excellence

Cultivate the Seas!

World’s First Fully Farm-Raised Bluefin Tuna

Kindai University began exporting “Kindai Tuna,” its fully farm-raised bluefin tuna, together with Toyota Tsusho Corporation in 2017. These exports are planned to reach 80–100 tons per year (estimatedbased on one tuna weighing 40–50 kg (88–110 lb.)) by 2020, focused primarily on Southeast Asia.

recent developments, a new aquaculture techniquedeveloped at the Aquaculture Research Institute of Kindai
University in Japan is garnering attention for successfully
producing the world’s first fully farm-raised bluefin tuna.
“We began our research on cultivating fully farm-raised
bluefin tuna in 1970 after receiving funding from thegovernment’s Fisheries Agency to conduct research on thecultivation of aquatic resources,” says Shukei Masuma,
general director of the Aquaculture Research Institute of
Kindai University. Masuma goes on to explain, “Althoughtuna and other marine resources were still plentiful at thetime, researchers were already anticipating that overfishingof aquatic resources would occur in the future as the world’s
human population continued to grow and various countries
achieved economic development. Meanwhile, Japan
understood the importance of advocating the idea among

Called the “diamond of the sea,” bluefin tuna has long
been popular as a high-end neta (topping) for sushi.
However, with the growing popularity of fish-based
cuisine around the world, excessive harvesting of tuna by
many fishing nations has drawn attention from theinternational community. In particular, overfishing of
bluefin tuna in the Pacific has led to serious concerns
about the depletion of bluefin tuna stocks, prompting theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to
add Pacific bluefin tuna to its Red List of Threatened
Species in 2014. Furthermore, there have been active
movements calling for the regulation of trade in Pacificbluefin tuna by designating it as an endangered species
under the Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),
also known as the Washington Convention. Amid these8

When asked about the secret to Kindai University’s
success in cultivating fully farm-raised tuna, Masuma
explains, “At first, we received funding from the national
and local governments to develop aquaculture
techniques, just like other research institutes. However,we actually put into practice the aquaculture techniquesthat we had developed and perfected through our
research, and sold the cultivated yellowtail, red sea breamand other fish to wholesale markets. We then applied theproceeds from these sales to our research on bluefin tunaaquaculture so, as a matter of fact, we were able tocontinue our research even when official funding driedup.” Upon further reflection, Masuma adds, “In the end,
what really supported us and kept us going throughout all
the repeated failures was the words of the founding creedof Kindai University’s Aquaculture Research Institute:‘Cultivate the seas!’”In 2013, the Aquaculture Research Institute of Kindai
University opened restaurants in Osaka and Tokyo serving
their farm-raised fish. The name of the restaurants,
fittingly, is “Kindai University Aquaculture ResearchInstitute.” The purpose of these restaurants is not merely
to serve fully farm-raised bluefin tuna and other fruits of
their research as dishes, but also to obtain feedback from
customers on taste, price levels and so forth to use infurthering their research. The fact that their restaurant
business is also turning a profit is a testament to thequality and appeal of their cultivated fish.
Masuma considers Kindai University’s research on fully
farm-raised bluefin tuna to be a mission of great
importance, saying, “Amid growing concerns over the
depletion of aquatic resources and marine pollution, I
hope to deliver safe and delicious farm-raised fish fromJapan to dinner tables around the world.”

The “Kindai University Aquaculture Research Institute” restaurant Osaka branch. Its mission is“putting ‘learning for the real world’ into practice for future research.”

the international community that there was a need formaritime nations to act responsibly and not only harvest
marine resources, but also protect these resources throughaquaculture. It was amid this backdrop that the Fisheries
Agency began approaching outside research institutes andfunding research toward developing techniques of
propagating and cultivating tuna species, turning toinstitutes that had the facilities, equipment and provenexperience necessary to handle such research.”
Nobody at the time, though, imagined that cultivating
fully farm-raised bluefin tuna would prove so difficult as
to require 32 years of research before the first success.
Normally, the cultivation of farm-raised tuna involves
capturing fry (juveniles) weighing between 100 and 500
grams (3.5 to 17.6 oz.) from the sea and raising them innet pens in the sea for three or four years until they weighabout 50 or 60 kilograms (110 to 132 lb.). Unfortunately,
this technique necessitates capturing large numbers ofwild fry, making it an ineffective measure for preserving
aquatic resources. Thus, the key point lies in achieving the
production of fully farm-raised tuna without relying on
wild fry. Producing fully farm-raised tuna consists ofraising wild fry into adult fish (farm-raised tuna), having
these farm-raised tuna lay eggs, artificially hatching theseeggs and then once again raising the resulting spawn into
adult fish (fully farm-raised tuna). While the process may
sound fairly simple, in fact many research institutes, withsupport from the national and local governments, triedand ultimately failed to accomplish the cultivation of tunaover the course of 32 years. In the end, Kindai University,
the only institution that continued its research for 32
years, succeeded in producing the world’s first fully farmraised Pacific bluefin tuna in June of 2002.

Dr. Shukei Masuma
Graduate of Hiroshima University’s Facultyof Fisheries and Animal Sciences. Received
his doctorate in agriculture from Kyushu
University and spent many years studying
tuna at the Japan Sea-Farming Association(currently the Japan Fisheries Research and
Education Agency, a National Research andDevelopment Agency). Since 2012 he hasserved as a professor at Kindai University’s
Aquaculture Research Institute. In 2016 healso became the institute’s general director.

9Feature: Japan’s Passion for Food Excellence

Strawberry Paradise Japan

From January 2018, strawberries harvested the same morning for sale at a shop operated by a Japan Airlines Group company in Terminal 2 of Narita International Airport have become very popular.
Strawberries are available until early May, and other fruits in season are sold throughout the year.

With 159,000 tons produced annually and 148
varieties registered, strawberries are one of Japan’s
leading fruits. And although they may be expensive,
strawberry-lovers abroad hold Japanese strawberries inhigh regard for their outstanding flavor. Exports ofJapanese strawberries, primarily to markets in Asia suchas Hong Kong, have reached 526 tons (valued at JPY 1.15
billion (USD 10.65 million)) annually, and the volume
is increasing. Greenhouse cultivation, one factor in thisgrowth, allows producers to set the delivery time so thatdelicious berries can be enjoyed even in December, andnot only in the April–May strawberry season.
Strawberries gained popularity among Japanesehouseholds after greenhouse cultivation became possible
in the 1960s. However, until the late 1990s, few varieties
existed and two main ones, “Nyoho” and “Toyonoka”
strawberries, dominated the market. Due to their rathersour taste, people usually ate these berries with milk andsugar or condensed milk. This changed after the Tochigi

Greenhouse at the Kumamoto Prefectural Agricultural Research Center, where work on thecultivation method of “Yubeni” strawberries continues. Conditions are changed little by little in theeffort to produce a harvest of flavorful berries.

prefectural government initiated the breeding of its
namesake “Tochiotome” strawberry. Other prefectures
soon began competing to come up with their own local
10varieties, with the result being the sweet, juicy strawberrybrands that are produced around Japan today.
Kazuhiro Tajiri of the Kumamoto Prefectural Agricultural
Research Center describes one of the challenges indeveloping a new brand. “Flavorful strawberries, measured
in the pointed tip, have a balance of a 14–15 degree sugar
content (brix) and 0.6–0.7% acidity. However, acombination of factors including firmness of the berry
determines flavor, so mechanically determined data alone
does not tell the whole story. In developing new varieties,
we have to eat and evaluate thousands of strawberries one
by one. This continuous tasting irritates the stomach, so
we must take stomach medicine as we work.”
Strawberry breeders face other challenges in their quest
to develop delicious, marketable berries. A breed may
receive a positive evaluation at the research center, but
prove vulnerable to unexpected diseases in cultivation
trials by farmers. Tatsumi Koba of the Kumamoto
Prefectural Agricultural Research Center tells of the case of“Hinoshizuku,” a strawberry developed in 2003. “Although
it received a very positive response for its flavor, its
weakness to disease made it difficult to grow and control
the delivery timing. To develop one breed takes about 10
years, and working to address these issues, we came out
with the ‘Yubeni’ strawberry in 2015. Work to improve thisbreed still continues.”
Breed improvement is not the only goal in the development

Kazuhiro Tajiri (left) and Tatsumi Koba (right) at the Kumamoto Prefectural Agricultural ResearchCenter distribute cultivation method manuals to farmers that have purchased seedlings.

of strawberries; simply growing a breed may lead to aninconsistent quality of flavor. The cultivation method mustalso be researched for each breed to reach its full potential.
Details like exposure to sunlight, proper humidity andtemperature, and how many fruits each branch should bearmust be taken into consideration. Only breeds producing
strawberries that meet exacting standards for flavor can bemarketed in Japan and overseas.
Have you tried Japanese strawberries? Please do! One
taste will change your image of what a strawberry canbe.

Leading Japanese strawberry brands
Sagahonoka (Saga Pref.)Slightly firm flesh; less acidic,
very sweet.

Amaou (Fukuoka Pref.)Large fruit of consistent shape,
distinctive flavor.

Mouikko (Miyagi Pref.)Has large, cone-shaped fruit;
can grow in cold areas.
Tochiotome (Tochigi Pref.)Pale red flesh, with well-balanced sweetand sour flavor.

Sachinoka (Nagasaki Pref.)Flesh firm and red to the core.
Suitable for processed foods.

Nyoho (Tochigi Pref.)Slightly firmer flesh; keeps well.
Suitable for processed food.

Toyonoka (Kumamoto Pref.)Popular for high, early-season yields;
has strong, sweet aroma.

Skyberry (Tochigi Pref.)Bred from “Tochiotome”; has goodaroma and well-balanced flavor.

Hinoshizuku (Kumamoto Pref.)Beni-Hoppe (Shizuoka Pref.)Well-balanced sweet and sour flavor,
rich taste.

Juicy with sweet, subtle, less sour flavor.

Yubeni (Kumamoto Pref.)New variety registered in 2015;
easy to cultivate.

Aiberry (Aichi Pref.)Berries average 40 g (1.4 oz.) each.
Moderately sweet, but juicy with nicetexture.

11

Akihime (Shizuoka Pref.)Long, cone-shaped fruit; soft, juicy flesh.

Prime Minister in Action
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continues to expand his “Diplomacy That Takes a Panoramic Perspective of the World Map.”
In January 2018, he visited the three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as well as Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania as
the first Japanese prime minister to visit these countries. His vigorous summit diplomacy also included meeting withnumerous heads of state visiting Japan.

Europe■ Bulgaria■ Estonia■ Latvia■ Lithuania■ Romania■ Serbia

With H.E. Mrs. Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Republic of Estonia,
in Tallinn, Republic of Estonia. (January 2018)

With H.E. Mr. Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, in Tallinn,
Republic of Estonia. Prime Minister Abe was accompanied by CEOs ofJapanese companies who participated in talks to deepen business ties.
Similar talks were held in other countries visited. (January 2018)

With H.E. Mr. Saulius Skvernelis, Prime Minister of the Republic of
Lithuania, in Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania. (January 2018)
With H.E. Dr. Dalia Grybauskaite, President of the Republicof Lithuania, in Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania. (January 2018)12

Countries and Regions
Whose leader met the Prime Minister in Japan
Visited by the Prime Minister
Whose leader met the Prime Minister while they both were abroad(Only represents activities featured in the photos of this article)

With H.E. Mr. Māris Kučinskis, Prime Minister of the
Republic of Latvia, in Riga, Republic of Latvia, laying down
flowers at the Freedom Monument. The Freedom
Monument is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of theLatvian War of Independence, which followed World War I.
(January 2018)

With H.E. Mr. Boyko Borissov, Prime Minister of the Republic of
Bulgaria, in Sofia, Republic of Bulgaria. (January 2018)
With H.E. Mr. Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria,
in Sofia, Republic of Bulgaria. (January 2018)

With H.E. Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, President of the Republic of Serbia,
in Belgrade, Republic of Serbia. (January 2018)

With H.E. Mr. Klaus-Werner Iohannis, President ofRomania, in Bucharest, Romania. (January 2018)13

Europe■ Germany■ Luxembourg

With His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg at
the Prime Minister’s Official Residence. A banquet washeld afterward. (November 2017)

Asia■ Myanmar

Africa■ Madagascar■ Senegal

Pacific■ Australia

Hosting the Universal Health Coverage Forum 2017 (UHC Forum 2017), where he gave a speech (See Winter2018 issue). The forum was attended by several world leaders as well as Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of theWorld Bank Group, and leaders in the fields of healthcare and medicine such as World Health Organization
Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (December 2017)

With H.E. Mr. António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, Secretary-General of theUnited Nations, who visited Japan to attend the UHC Forum 2017, at theJapanese Prime Minister’s Office. (December 2017)

With H.E. Mr. Macky Sall, President of the Republic ofSenegal, who visited Japan to attend the UHC Forum 2017,at the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office. (December 2017)14

Countries and Regions
Whose leader met the Prime Minister in Japan
Visited by the Prime Minister
Whose leader met the Prime Minister while they both were abroad(Only represents activities featured in the photos of this article)

North America■ United States of America
With H.E. Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of theFederal Republic of Germany, at the Japanese Prime
Minister’s Office. (February 2018)

With H.E. Mr. Htin Kyaw, President of the Republic of the Union of
Myanmar, who visited Japan to attend the UHC Forum 2017, at theJapanese Prime Minister’s Office. (December 2017)

With H.E. Mr. Rakotoarimanana Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina,
President of the Republic of Madagascar, at the Japanese Prime
Minister’s Office. (December 2017)

With the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP, Prime Minister of theCommonwealth of Australia, inspecting Japan Ground Self-Defense
Force Camp Narashino. (January 2018)
With the Honorable Mike Pence, Vice President of theUnited States of America, at the Japanese Prime
Minister’s Office. (February 2018)15

“Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan”

Liu visited Norfolk, Richmond, Nashville, Clarksville, and Honolulu in January 2018 as part of a delegation led by former ambassador to the U.S. Ichiro Fujisaki. The group visited six universities and twohigh schools, spoke with two governors, and interacted with many other government officials and business people during a week-long trip to the U.S.

From its beginning in 2014, participants in the “Walk in
U.S., Talk on Japan” program have highlighted Japan’s
attractiveness and appeal to audiences in cities across theUnited States. The program is rooted in the belief thatexchanges between Japanese people and a broad anddiverse range of Americans—focused on regional cities
where there are fewer opportunities to know andappreciate Japan—can nurture the Japan-U.S. friendship at
a grassroots level.
In “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan,” former Japaneseambassadors or other public figures lead delegations of
three or four selected members, and visit local areas
throughout the U.S. for grassroots interactions. In
meetings with university and high school students,
government officials, business people, and others, thesedelegates share their own stories about Japan as well as
what is currently going on in Japanese society.
So far, 69 people from various backgrounds and ranging
in age from 18 to 82 have participated in the program. Eachof the 20 delegations sent out thus far has “walked andtalked” for about one week in what is now a cumulative
total of 79 U.S. cities in 35 different states. Meetings with

FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017

Total: 20 delegations to 79 cities in 35 states in the U.S. (and 2 cities in Canada)

local students and business people begin with a speech by
the delegation leader, followed by speeches of members.
The events then continue with lively discussions and a Q&A
session with the audience about various topics, ranging
from pop culture to national security to the economy.
Dr. Xiaoyan Liu, born in Shanghai, was the first nonJapanese participant in the “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan”
16Members take turns sharing theirexperience of Japan, following aspeech by the head of thedelegation. Liu was given the honorof speaking first.

This grassroots exchange program
has deepened understanding
between Japan and the U.S. on
both the national and individuallevel. “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan”
wants to see the friendly
relationships initiated in the courseof the program continue into the
future.

Dr. Xiaoyan Liu
Researcher at Meiji Institute for Global Affairs, Meiji University (MIGA). Born in Shanghai, China
and majored in Japanese at Tongji University. Received a Master of Public Policy from the
University of Tokyo in 2007 and worked for the Development Bank of Japan’s Research
Department. Earned a master’s degree in East Asian Studies at Washington University in St.
Louis, Missouri in 2011 and a PhD in Chinese Studies at Heidelberg University in Germany. She
has been working at MIGA since 2015.

scholarships.” Students are allowed to work for up to 28
hours per week, enabling them to meet practical needs
while engaging with the society. Liu believes that thosecommitted to studying in Japan can find their dreams
become reality. She smiles, “Japanese people are quitemodest, right? They are too modest to talk about theirown merits. I feel that since I am a foreigner, and because I
have experience living outside of Japan, I can objectively
share with Americans the positive aspects of Japan.”Liu commends Japanese hospitality, saying, “Manyforeigners are coming to Japan today, and wherever theygo, Japanese are doing their best to please them, even, togive a small example, using hand gestures to help
overcome language barriers. Japanese exhibit a spirit oftolerance and kindness toward foreigners and that always
reminds me of my favorite Japanese proverb, ‘Nasake wahito no tame narazu (Kindness does not go unrewarded).’”Liu encourages other foreigners to follow her path byparticipating in “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan.” Non-Japaneseoften have an important perspective on Japan’s positive
qualities that audiences find fresh and enlightening. As Liu
experienced, foreigners in Japan can play a vital role inbuilding bridges, opening channels of communication, andfostering friendships between Japan and the U.S., and withother countries of the world as well.

program. After coming to Japan as a student in 2000, sheearned a Master of Public Policy degree from the Universityof Tokyo in 2007. She worked at the Development Bank ofJapan’s Research Department, and then went to the UnitedStates for further study, receiving a master’s degree in East
Asian Studies from Washington University in St. Louis. Liu
went on to earn a PhD in Chinese Studies at Heidelberg
University in Germany, after which she moved back toJapan, and she has been working as a researcher in Tokyo
since 2015.
Liu explains her motivation for joining “Walk in U.S., Talk
on Japan.” “I was neither born nor raised in Japan; however,I love this country. I feel that many people overseas havelittle knowledge about Japan or misunderstand the country
and its culture. I applied to this program because I wanted
to share what I know of Japan’s attractiveness to people in
the U.S., especially those who are not familiar with Japan.”Liu’s ability to talk both passionately and frankly about
her positive experience of Japan and her time spent
studying in the U.S. made her a natural choice to becomea member of this bridge-building program.
Addressing audiences in Norfolk, Richmond, Nashville,
Clarksville and Honolulu, Liu spoke on “Realizing YourJapanese Dream, As I Did.” Contrary to the widespread
image of Japan, Liu has found Japan anything but inwardlooking. “The Japanese warmly welcome exchange
students, and provide well-organized support through asystem that includes health insurance and possible

For more information about “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan,” please visit:https://www.japan.go.jp/walkinus/index.html

17

Cellular 3D Printer Brings New Hope

Cyfuse’s research lab on the campus of the University of Tokyo (providing commercialization support at the University of Tokyo Entrepreneur Plaza). The original basic technology was developed incooperation with Kyushu University, which also houses a Cyfuse lab.

Regenerative medicine uses cells and other materials
to restore the function of internal organs and to repair
tissue that has been damaged or has ceased working
properly. All over the world various research is rapidly
m ov i n g t owa rd s re a l - wo r l d a p p l i c a t i o n s , a n dbreakthroughs for further progress are on the horizon.
Given these circumstances, the “three-dimensional
tissue fabrication technology” developed by Cyfuse
Biomedical K.K., a Japanese startup founded in 2010, isgarnering much attention.
Until now, the creation of tissue or organs forregenerative medicine has primarily used artificial
scaffold materials like gel and collagen, but Cyfuse’s
technology makes it possible to generate threedimensional tissue and organs using cells exclusively,
without any scaffolds. For example, bones can be createdbased on cells extracted from a patient’s buttocks.

Masahiro Sanjo, Cyfuse Board of Directors member and
CFO, explains, “Tissue produced using only cells is also
more compatible with the body and has a lower risk ofinfection. Once regenerative medicine using cellularbone, cartilage, blood vessels, and nerves becomes
available, it can be an option that may reduce the stressfor patients resulting from the removal or exchanging ofartificial components that comes with conventional
materials, and therefore greatly increase their quality oflife.”
Cyfuse is unique in that it developed its Regenova
device, which handles the task of automatically stacking
the cells, in collaboration with Shibuya Corporation, acompany most renowned for its production of bottlingsystems. Regenova, also referred to as a “Bio 3D printer,”uses a robot arm to stack the cells, which have been
aggregated in small groups called “spheroids,” according
18

The “Kenzan method,” a platform technology for the three-dimensional stacking of cells
Step 1: Spheroid preparation
Cells

After large numbers of the type of cellcorresponding to the target tissue or organ havebeen cultivated, tens of thousands of these cells
are agglutinated to produce each cell spheroid

Step 2: 3D printing withthe “Kenzan method”
The cell spheroids are stacked threedimensionally in accordance with the
3D data input

Step 3: Maturation
Restructuring and selforganization based on cell typeleads to the formation ofworking tissue and organs

Tens of thousands of cells cultivated from a small sample
extracted from the patient are agglutinated, producing cell-based
structures 0.5 mm (0.02 in.) in diameter called “spheroids,” which
are stacked on a jig containing a needle array (called a kenzan).
Next, the spheroids of cells are made to fuse with each otherutilizing the cells’ natural abilities inside a culture solution. Oncethey have matured, they are removed from the needle array.

Regenova and an actual kenzan
needle array. Cell spheroids are
picked up and stacked one by one,which would be a truly arduous task
for humans. Currently, Regenova isin its third generation, and research
to enable production of larger
structures and operation at faster
speeds continues.

Cyfuse Board of Directors member
and CFO Masahiro Sanjo says, “Itwill take some time for such
advanced regenerative medicine
and the cell-based products
developed with Japanesetechnology to become a new global
standard, but I would like to work
step by step towards accomplishing
Cyfuse’s dream to ‘Create New
Hope from Cells.’”

to three-dimensional arrangement parameters that havebeen set using 3D design software. This cuts production
time, which would amount to several dozen hours if
researchers constructed the tissue manually, andimproves consistency in the quality of structures
produced. “Connecting high-level biotech research andengineering and then commercializing this connection
is a generally difficult task because of the extent ofmutual understanding required. However, manydifferent individuals share Cyfuse’s ideal of ‘contributing
to the rapid progress of medicine through theimplementation of innovative technology’ and havehelped bring about innovations through the fusion of
biology and engineering. Since the Regenova system’s
launch in 2012, it has spread both domestically andinternationally, and research and development
regarding its commercialization is accelerating at eachof the institutions that have adopted it,” recounts Sanjo.
With Regenova, a variety of cell-based structures can beproduced. Cyfuse is currently focusing its research anddevelopment on the generation of bones, cartilage, bloodvessels, and peripheral nerves, for which there are themost significant unmet needs in medical settings. All ofsuch research is carried out in conjunction with
universities, research institutes, and private companies,

and Cyfuse also receives support from governmental
sources including national research and development
agencies. The production of bones and cartilage has
moved to the clinical trial stage, while that of bloodvessels and peripheral nerves is still in pre-clinicaldevelopment. Cyfuse is also involved in the developmentof liver structures to use as samples in the evaluation of
newly developed medication and in the exploration of
mechanisms that lead to disease. Expectations for suchresearch in the field of drug discovery support are rising,since the risk of clinical trials involving human subjects
will decrease once it becomes possible to conduct trials
using liver structures produced only from human cells.
In the future, Cyfuse will continue its efforts to bringcurrent research to market, spread advanced technology,
initiate new technology development, and strive toexpand its market share through technologicalinnovation and lowering costs. “It is our hope to be able
to provide patients with new options that will allow
recovery from diseases and injuries that used to beconsidered impossible,” says Sanjo. “In order for that tohappen, we mustn’t withhold our technology, but share it
widely with the industry. We will keep working with as
many universities, research organizations, and companies
as possible to bring patients hope.”
19Artificial Intelligence:

A Rival for Humans, or a Partner?

Amahiko Sato (right), the current Meijin title holder, in a match with shogi AI at the Shogi Denou Tournament, in which professional shogi players play against various kinds of shogi AI.

the AI software. Currently, over 250,000 shogi matches
are played on Shogi Wars daily, and the company has
accumulated game data on a total of more than 320
million matches during the five years since the app was
first launched. Moreover, even professional shogi players
are playing games on Shogi Wars to learn the moves used
by Ponanza and other AI shogi software. Hayashi says ofthis relationship, “AI is not a rival of human beings, but apartner for learning together.”A unique feature of HEROZ is that it develops andprovides the AI platform “HEROZ Kishin,” which can beused by various industries, including finance. This
platform applies machine learning, including deeplearning, accumulated through the development of its AI
shogi software to evolve AI-related techniques. For
example, together with a stock brokerage firm, it hasdeveloped a system for institutional investors that studies
past share price and transaction data and forecasts share

A “technological singularity,” when artificial intelligence,or “AI,” surpasses human intelligence, is coming closer toreality. In 2017, AI software named “Ponanza” that plays
shogi—a Japanese game similar to chess—defeated theholder of the Meijin title, one of the most prestigious
titles in professional shogi, for the first time ever. Because
shogi allows players to use captured pieces as their own,
the number of potential moves is 10 raised to the power of
100 times more than in chess, making the game
substantially more complex.
HEROZ, Inc., founded in 2009 by Takahiro Hayashi andTomohiro Takahashi, is the AI tech company whose
engineers developed the Ponanza software. The
company’s online application “Shogi Wars” has a featureby which, at the touch of a button, a player not sure of
the best move to make can have the AI select the best
possible strategy on his or her behalf for the next fivemoves. The player can thereby learn new tactics through20

Innovation through machine learning
Before machine learning(Before 2003)

operations, to the point that in the future, we’ll be sayingthat necessary infrastructure is electricity, gas, water, andAI.”
Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. estimates that overthe next decade or two, approximately 49% of Japan’s
working population will be able to be replaced by AI or
robots. However, Hayashi’s analysis is that, “Many are
under the false impression that people will be deprived ofjobs because of the emergence of AI. But what AI does
best is tasks that can be represented by numerical data.
The expansion of services using AI in the future will leadto an increase in jobs in design and other creative
domains in which human beings have always excelled.
Looking back at history, the advent of the automobile
caused a marked decrease in jobs related to horses andhorse-drawn carriages, but the automotive industry andits related industries developed dramatically, to a scale
several times larger than what they replaced.”
In 2016, Japan positioned AI as one of the technologicalfoundations for bringing about a super-smart society, often
referred to in Japan as “Society 5.0.” And, with a view tosupporting AI research and development, Prime Minister
Abe gave instructions for the launch of the Artificial
Intelligence Technology Strategy Council, under which
industry, academia, and government come together andpursue cooperation in research and development. Hayashi
underscores Japan’s strong position, saying, “Although AI
engineers are in short supply throughout the world,
Japan has a solid number of highly capable AI engineers.”
Takahashi agrees, adding, “Right now, Japan has a great
opportunity. Japan should press forward boldly withforward-looking AI policies at the national level, not onlyat the level of individual companies.”

Programmers write
write code
code based
based onon thethe rules
rules ofof shogi
shogi
Programmers
and convert
convert human
human thinking
thinking into
into program
program code
code
and

Must have knowledge ofboth shogi and programming

All program
program code
code written
writtenAllby programmers
programmersbyAfter machine learning(After 2004)

Programmers treat
treat thethe shogi
shogi pieces
pieces as
as points
points ofof
Programmers
geometric figure,figure, andand produce
produce assessment
assessment
aa geometricfunctionsforjudgments
anddecision-making
functions for judgments and decision-making
via
via machinemachine learning,learning, using
using bigbig datadata

1. Full
Full width
width searchsearch byby computer
computer
1.
2. Evaluation
Evaluation function
function by
by machinemachine learninglearning
2.

Knowledge of shogi is not required
IfIf

Technology is applicableto various fields

is
is an
an isosceles
isosceles rightright
triangle,
triangle, itit is
is
worth
10
pointsworth 10 points

The shogi AI can think of moves outside the range of human thinking. These moves are based oncomputed evaluation scores which the AI has learned from big data. This method does not rely on
shogi’s rules, and can be applied to various fields.

HEROZ Kishin platform
Input

AI

OutputHEROZ Kishin platform

Business
problem/
Data

Accumulation

Analysis

Modeling

Solvesproblems
Expands
businesses

Extract features
Generate rules
Prediction
SearchOptimization
Recognition
Classification

Real data

HEROZ Kishin solves various types of problems by accumulating real data as big data, andanalyzing and modeling it. It also improves the accuracy through continuous learning.

prices several minutes into the future based on thecurrent share price and trading volume. Similarly, in theconstruction industry, together with a general contractor,
the company is now developing an AI system by which
the AI studies structural design data of the past as well as
design know-how, rules, and the like, and then assists
with the structural design process by producing multiple
structural design proposals in a short time. The result willbe that designers will be able to concentrate on morecreative tasks and spend more time creating new design
proposals. Takahashi says, “We have a mission of creating
services that amaze the world. In light of that, we willcontribute to resolving our clients’ problems and expanding
their operations by making HEROZ Kishin available to allindustries, including the finance, construction,
automotive, and transport and logistics industries, andpush ahead with an AI revolution. We want to foster
companies that make use of AI in every aspect of their

HEROZ, Inc. COO Tomohiro Takahashi (left) and CEO Takahiro Hayashi (right). HEROZ has morethan 10 employees with amateur shogi rankings at the dan level, for which only high-levelplayers qualify. Hayashi says, “We found out later that people we knew through playing shogi
were superb programmers.” Takahashi adds, “It’s clear that shogi and programming are highly intune with each other.”

21

This
is
Japan

The Seto Inland Sea:
An Enchanting and Tranquil PlaceThe Seto Inland Sea is surrounded by the three major islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu in theJapanese archipelago. More than 700 islands dot the waters, which are as tranquil as a lake, forming scenerythat is nothing short of breathtaking. Long bridges stretching from one island to another provide access tothese islands and connect Honshu and Shikoku through three routes. An abundance of sumptuous seafood,traditional industries remaining on the islands such as pottery making and textile weaving, and welcoming
inhabitants create an allure that attracts travelers with a magnetic charm. Some enjoy touring the area byboat while others cross the bridges to explore the area by car or by bicycle. The Seto Inland Sea is sure todelight you with never-ending discoveries during your visit.

Festivals
The Niihama Taiko Matsuri is a festival held in the city of Niihama in Ehime
Prefecture to give thanks for a bumper harvest in autumn. It is one of the threemajor festivals on the island of Shikoku, along with Tokushima Prefecture’s
Awa Odori and Kochi Prefecture’s Yosakoi Matsuri. Its origins are said to traceback some 1,000 years into antiquity. Floats carrying taiko drums measure 5.5
meters (18 ft.) high and roughly 12 meters (39 ft.) long and weigh roughly three
tons. More than 150 men pool their strength together to heft these floats onto
their shoulders and multiple floats come together in one spot, whereupon they
begin to parade through the city. Both men and women dress up during thefestival, and this high-spirited major event, brimming with both gorgeous
mikoshi—portable shrines—and excitement, never fails to enthrall the crowds.
(Held annually from October 16 to 18.)

22

Kojima-Sakaide route(Great Seto Bridge)
Main phototaken from here

Kobe City

Hiroshima City

Niihama City

Kobe-Naruto route(Akashi Kaikyo Bridge,
Onaruto Bridge)

Onomichi-Imabari route(Shimanami Kaido highway)

Cycling
The Seto Inland Sea is a virtual utopia for cyclists. One of cyclists’ many
touring options is the 70-kilometer (43-mile) Shimanami Kaido highway
linking the city of Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture and the city of Imabari in
Ehime Prefecture. With a route linking islands directly above the waters of
the sea, it features special lanes for cyclists and pedestrians and can beenjoyed by everyone from beginning cyclists to seasoned athletes. One-way
bicycle rentals are also possible. Visitors can cross the bridges between
islands, basking in the mild climate of the Seto Inland Sea while being
invigorated by the feeling of flying above the sea waters. A trip only cyclists
can experience, permeated by the gentle daily rhythms of the islands, awaits
tourists.

23

The Origin of Japan’s Modernization:
Reviewing the Significance of the Meiji
Restoration after 150 Years

In 1872, with the support of the United Kingdom, a railway was officially opened for service in Japan between Shimbashi Station and Yokohama Station, a distance of about 29 km (18 mi). The opening
ceremony is illustrated here in a traditional Japanese ukiyoe print.

2018 is a significant year for Japan, as it marks the 150th
anniversary of the Meiji Restoration. The Meiji Restoration
was a major revolution that brought an end to over 260
years of feudal government. In its place, a democraticsocial and political system was established based on
constitutional law over the course of about 20 years, and it
led to significant economic reforms and growth.
“The driving force behind the Meiji Restoration was astrong desire for freedom,” says Shinichi Kitaoka, Presidentof the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) andProfessor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, who
specializes in modern Japanese politics and diplomacy.
Having begun with the rise of the feudal Tokugawa
Shogunate in 1603, the Edo period saw Japan mature
both economically and culturally. At the same time,
however, the Edo period was bound by a strict classstructure, which even placed restrictions on access to
education, meaning that Japanese society was far fromfree. It was the Meiji Restoration that finally abolishedthe strict class system and created a more free anddemocratic system that allowed the Japanese people tounleash their full potential.
Under this new democratic system, Japan modernized

Shinichi Kitaoka
President of JICA since 2015. Emeritus Professor of the University of Tokyo. His specialty is modern
Japanese politics and diplomacy. He has taught at multiple universities and has also served as
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to theUnited Nations) and on various committees established by the Government of Japan.

24and developed rapidly. In order to facilitate this process,the Meiji Government turned to the models set by the
U.S. and European countries.
In 1871, Tomomi Iwakura, Udaijin (Minister of the Right)
under the Meiji Government, set off from Japan as
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on a
diplomatic expedition known as the “Iwakura Mission.”With 107 top government officials, scholars and young
students participating, the Iwakura Mission spent over a
year traveling through the U.S. and various countries ofEurope. Kitaoka explains, “The Iwakura Mission observed
and recorded in great detail various aspects of Americanand European societies, from politics to industry, commerceand even agriculture. Through their observations, theycame to realize that the military power of western nations
lies in their industrial might. Not long after the mission,
Japan became fully focused on the introduction of policies
intended to enrich the nation through modernization andindustrialization. Thus, it is no overstatement to say thatJapan’s modernization began with the Iwakura Mission.”
Today, 150 years after the Meiji Restoration, that same
spirit still lives on in Japan. Under the leadership of Kitaoka,
JICA serves as an implementing agency of Japan’s Official
Development Assistance (ODA) tasked with promotinginternational cooperation for developing countries. Kitaoka
carries out his tasks “out of a desire to share with othercountries Japan’s own experience of successfully
modernizing in the years following the Meiji Restoration,”he explains. “As the first non-Western nation to become adeveloped country, Japan built itself into a country that is
free, peaceful, prosperous and democratic while preserving
tradition. It is our hope that Japan will serve as one of thebest examples for developing countries to follow in theirown development. Japan modernized under democratic
ideals, with an established legal system and while
proactively learning from other countries. I firmly believethat there are quite a few aspects of Japan’s experience thatcan provide lessons for developing countries today.”
According to Kitaoka, the fact that Japan was able tomodernize while still preserving its own traditions makes its
experience particularly valuable. “If we force our support
upon developing countries while ignoring their culture andtraditions, the support will not be able to last for long. Japan
pushed forward with modernization, focusing our efforts onsuch cornerstones of national development as education,
public health and infrastructure, while at the same time
maintaining our treasured culture and traditions. JICA also
strives to give proper consideration to local cultures while
offering the types of support that will take root within thecontext of those cultures.”

In 2018, JICA launched “JICA Program with Universities
for Development Studies ( JProUD),” a program that
invites future leaders from developing countries to Japan
to complete master’s degrees at Japanese graduate
schools, where they learn about Japan’s experiences with
its own modernization and with providing development
cooperation to other countries.
Kitaoka has high hopes for this program. “I believethat these students will not only study in theirrespective academic fields, but will also learn muchfrom modern Japan’s experience of development, which
differs significantly from the history of growth anddevelopment found in the West. Of course, Japan’s
process of modernization also had its share of negative
aspects, such as war and serious industrial pollution. I
hope that these students will study the ‘Japaneseexperiences’ systematically, including negative ones, sothat they may use this knowledge to contribute to thedevelopment of their own countries.”
Reflecting on the 150th anniversary of the Meiji
Restoration, Japan hopes to use this opportunity tocontribute even more to the development of othercountries.

The Iwakura Mission set off from Japan on November 12, 1871 with 107 members, including top
government officials, scholars, and others. The mission lasted around one year and ten months,
traversing the continental United States and then visiting a range of countries in Europe.

JICA provides active cooperation for primary schooling around the world. The photo shows anelementary school in Ethiopia supported by JICA.

25

Towards the Future, Faster:
Co-Creating a New High-Speed Rail in India

Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Narendra Modi take a tour of Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Hyogo Shinkansen train plant in Kobe, Japan on November 12, 2016.

A vast country in the throes of rapid economic growth,
India’s GDP shot up by over 6% during 2017. This is inaddition to a population increase of over 13% during thelast 10 years. Unsurprisingly, India is facing unprecedented
demographic challenges as a result of this success.
“India needs mobility. Our average rail speed does notmeet the growing expectations of the public. Unless webuild a system that allows much faster mobility for ourpeople, we’ll struggle to move forward,” explains Achal
Khare, managing director of National High Speed Rail
Corporation Ltd. “So for me, I knew we needed a highspeed rail. The question was ‘which one?’”After numerous in-depth feasibility studies, India’s
Ministry of Railways settled on a close working relationshipwith Japan International Consultants for Transportation Co.,
Ltd. ( JIC). “The Japanese system was chosen for manyreasons,” explains Khare. “The Shinkansen (Japan's highspeed rail system) has maintained an unmatched safety
record since its establishment in 1964, such as zero
fatalities; it really has an edge over other high speed rail
networks.”“Currently, the roughly 500 km (310 mi) route fromMumbai to Ahmedabad can take over eight hours tocomplete. This will be reduced to just two hours,” says
26

Khare and the joint Indo-Japanese team conduct a survey forconstruction of an undersea tunnel in Mumbai.

Achal Khare

Toshiji Takatsu

Managing Director of National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd.
He has been working on India’s extensive rail network for over
34 years.

Executive Vice President of Japan International Consultants forTransportation Co., Ltd. He has extensive experience in railway
management and international diplomacy.

Khare. “This is a paradigm shift that allows us to enter into
a new arena, but it also provides a huge economic boost.
During the construction phase, 40,000 to 50,000 jobs willbe created.”
The majority of on-site consruction materials will be
Indian-made, part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Makein India” initiative. “With this project, Japan has
demonstrated that it is a strong partner of India,” said Prime
Minister Modi shortly after the Ground Breaking Ceremonyin September 2017. Prime Minister Abe said, “For all of
India’s people, Japan’s government and private sector will
work tirelessly toward achieving high-speed rail that runs
throughout India.” He added, “A strong India benefits
Japan, and a strong Japan benefits India.”
To ensure India can take greater initiative during futurehigh-speed rail construction, India and Japan are working
together very closely. Khare is enthusiastic about Japan’s
efforts to speed up technology transfer. “We are moving
forward very fast. I see a total commitment from all membersof the Japanese team. They show a level of care and passion
as if they were building this project in Japan,” says Khare.
These positive sentiments are echoed by Khare’s
Japanese colleagues. “‘Working together’ is our keyword,”
explains Toshiji Takatsu, executive vice president of JIC,
which has been working with India on research
operations and detailed design for India’s high-speed
rail. “In 1853, India became the first country in Asia tohave a railway. Presently it boasts an enormous networkof over 60,000 km (37,282 mi) of tracks, so it is criticalthat we listen to each other’s opinions in order to work
well as a team,” says Takatsu.
One issue the team faces is how to adapt Japan’s
Shinkansen technology for the Indian market. Summers
in India are extremely hot, requiring different standards
for train cars and tracks. There will also need to be othercareful modifications to make the trains suitable to run

Sabarmati (505.88)
Ahmedabad (500.18)
Anand/Nadiad (448.13)
Vadodara (397.06)

Bharuch (323.11)

Surat (264.58)
Bilimora (216.73)
Vapi (167.94)

Boisar (104.26)
Virar (65.07)
Thane (27.95)
Mumbai (0)Making use of Japan's Shinkansen technology, India's
high-speed rail is planned to cover the distance ofabout 500 km (310 mi) between Mumbai and
Ahmedabad in around two hours.
Source: National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd.

in India’s environment, like adding protection from dust
and sand.
Challenges like these are discussed at the local project
office, which has a combined Japanese and Indian staff ofover 200. Parties are held every month to foster bonds
between team members. Takatsu explains, “Indian andJapanese staff members alike are very proud to be a partof this project. The opening of the Shinkansen in 1964
greatly advanced Japan’s development as a nation, andwe expect the same to happen in India.”
Khare agrees on the huge potential of the project andon the importance of cooperation. “India has many
cities spread out over a wide area, and there is a pressing
need to connect them for high-speed travel among
them. But perhaps more importantly, this line will be aneverlasting symbol of friendship between our two
countries, and I expect to see many Japanese and Indiancompanies and organizations cooperate closely.”
India’s high-speed rail is scheduled to open in 2023.
Japan and India both look forward to that day.
27

Contributed Article: Dr. Michael J. Green

Japan’
s“Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy”
as Grand Strategy
In years past, many scholars criticized Japan for beinga “reactive state” incapable of proactive or strategic
action. I argued in my book Japan’s Reluctant Realism(2001) that the rise of Chinese power was propellingJapan away from an earlier era of “checkbook
diplomacy” towards a foreign policy strategy based on
more proactive balance-of-power logic. At the time, I
was very much in the minority among Japan scholars in
the United States in making that point. Today there is amuch broader consensus among scholars and diplomatsthat Japan is, in fact, attempting to lead in thedevelopment of an open and rules based order in the
Indo-Pacific region. Now the debate is focused onwhether Japan’s grand strategy is effective.

Is the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy” Japan’s
grand strategy?
What is “grand strategy”? It is the integration of all
instruments of national power to shape a more favorable
external environment for peace and prosperity. Thesecomprehensive instruments of power are diplomatic,
informational, military and economic. Successful grandstrategies are most important in peacetime, since war
may be considered the failure of strategy. Sometimes
states pursue grand strategies without any explicit
announcement. Sometimes states ceremoniallyannounce grand strategies, but fail to actually executethem. Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s government hasannounced the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.” Is it a grandstrategy? And will it be effectively executed?
I believe the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” flows from astrategic worldview in Japan, even if it does not spell-out
every detail of the national objectives and instruments ofpower to be employed. That worldview is that Japanbenefits from a regional order that is based on rule-oflaw; transparency; openness; high quality rules for trade,investment and infrastructure; and the prevention of
coercive actions against smaller states. That is a

Dr. Michael J. Green
Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS) and Director of Asian Studies and Chair in Modern and Contemporary Japanese
Politics and Foreign Policy at Georgetown University. He was Special Assistant to President
George W. Bush and Senior Director for Asia on the NSC staff.

worldview that is strongly shared by the United States, as
one can easily discern from the Trump administration’s
decision to adopt the same label of “Free and Open IndoPacific” for its strategy towards the region. One canrightly criticize the Trump administration’s withdrawal
from TPP as undermining that vision, but the fact
remains that a strong majority in the Congress and theAmerican public support free trade, strong alliances, andexpanded American engagement in Asia. Australia and28

opportunity to hold China to higher levels of transparency
and accountability through cooperation rather thancompetition. Japan and other like-minded states will havemore leverage in this approach if there are parallel efforts
to expand support for infrastructure investment by thedeveloped countries and the international institutions.

India also explicitly identify with the “Free and Open
Indo-Pacific” framework, as the formation of a “Quad”
forum among these four maritime democracies
demonstrates. Middle and smaller powers ranging from
Korea to Indonesia and Sri Lanka would strongly support
this vision as well, though these powers are more
vulnerable to Chinese pressure and careful about
appearing to align against Beijing. Indeed, both Tokyoand Washington will have to accept that not all
governments will openly sign on to the “Free and Open
Indo-Pacific” strategy even though they will privately
want the major maritime democracies to stand together
for an open and rules based regional order—and mostimportantly, to dissuade Beijing from thinking it canchange that order based on coercion.

The role of values of Japanese and American
strategies in the Indo-Pacific region
There is another dimension to shaping the direction
and impact of the Belt and Road that Tokyo andWashington must both take more seriously—and that is
the role of values in our respective “Free and Open IndoPacific” strategies. The goal should not be to force thediverse political systems across Africa, South Asia andEast Asia into one model of liberal democracy. On theother hand, the United States and Japan should notignore governance issues within countries so that we can“keep up” with China. The reason is simple: states thathave greater transparency, freedom of press, legislative
accountability, and rule-of-law will be more resistant tobribery, coercion and subjugation and will insist on
higher quality infrastructure. Our goal is not to stop
China’s infrastructure investment, but instead to keep
healthy pressure on Beijing to conform with establishedinternational norms. That pressure will only be effective
if it also comes from within recipient nations.
I would conclude by arguing therefore that Japan’s“Free and Open Indo Pacific” framework is an importantelement of grand strategy and that it has a good chanceof being effective, if we define the goal as shaping theregion’s response to China’s rise rather than somehow
trying to “contain” China. The international relations of
the Indo-Asia-Pacific are a contradictory mix ofcooperation and competition, and the United States andJapan will need nuanced approaches that recognize
both aspects of the problem and leverage our strong
alliance and our partnerships with like-minded states.

The “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy” for investment
and sustainable economic development in the region
Japan’s version of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific has
one strength over the Trump administration’s version, andthat is the recognition that all the nations encompassed in
the arc from Africa to the Western Pacific desire
investment and sustainable economic development.
Indeed, most are more interested in that aspect than open
competition with China, as much as they each worry about
Beijing using its “Belt and Road” initiative to establish amore hegemonic position that might limit their own
freedom of action. The U.S.-Japan-Australia-India Quadhas begun taking up the theme of “quality infrastructure,”
which suggests that Washington has realized thisshortcoming in its own formulation. Japan provides far
more government-supported infrastructure assistancethrough yen loans that the United States does through its
official lending, but together the United States and Japan
can bring a great deal to the table through cooperation
with the Asia Development Bank and the World Bank. The
Japanese decision to cooperate with China on the Belt andRoad was wise, since this will give Tokyo some29

Hiroshi Kodama
Worked with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries in Japan on rural development and promotion ofagriculture, food-related technology development support,
and the analysis and improvement of the value chain offlowers. He worked on a United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization project in countries in south-east and south
Asia and served with the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) in the Philippines and Nigeria. Currently, he isworking with JICA in Senegal and Guinea.

Series: Japanese Individuals Contributing Worldwide

An Expert’s Touch Improves
African Farmers’
Lives
For many African countries, national development
relates directly to agricultural development. The present
insufficiency of institutions and personnel offering
technical expertise in agriculture, however, hinders
improvements in agricultural productivity, forcing
countries to depend on imports of foreign foodstuffs.
Japan has long dispatched expert personnel to provide
support for African agriculture. When the Sixth Tokyo
International Conference on African Development(TICAD VI) was held in August 2016, many African
heads of state asked for an expansion of this support.
Japan has responded by creating a new platform toconnect Japan and African nations. While continuing todispatch specialists to share their agricultural expertiseand educate locals, Japan will also boost efforts to create
effective Official Development Assistance (ODA)
projects related to agricultural cooperation.
The Government of Japan, after considering therequests from national leaders at summit meetings anddetermining specific needs, recently dispatched Japanese
agricultural expert Hiroshi Kodama to Senegal andGuinea. Kodama, who has a wide range of experience in
his field, explains the approach as follows. “In agriculture,
just as in providing any kind of support, things won’t gowell if you force your technology upon people. Before
introducing new technology, it’s so important to match30

Parboiling process

Conventional
parboiling process

Lid

Improved
parboiling process

False bottom

Kodama in Nigeria explaining the process of parboiling with false bottoms. JICA is partnering with theWorld Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the German Corporation forInternational Cooperation (GIZ), and other institutions to spread the process throughout Nigeria. As ofJanuary 2018, 23,607 persons have been trained in the new process and 14,216 have adopted it.

In the conventional process, rice near the bottom gets boiled, but heat doesn’t adequately reachthe rice at the top. Inserting a perforated false bottom separates the rice and water, allowing theboiling water to steam the rice. Adding a lid prevents the steam from escaping, forcing it tocirculate and cook the rice evenly.

innovative, adaptive solutions with the needs of thepeople. This is what we mean by the term ‘appropriatetechnology’: responding to people’s needs in ways thatmake sense technologically and economically for thoseparticular people.”
Kodama, who grew up in a city, has strong sentiments
about agriculture. “As a child, I realized that for me toenjoy urban life, I depended on the strenuous labors offarmers that provided my food. Out of a feeling ofindebtedness to these farmers, I decided in high schoolthat I wanted to pursue a career that involved doing
something useful for them.”
This led Kodama to major in agriculture in university,where he studied agricultural chemistry. He then went
on to do specialized research on soil and plant nutritionin graduate school. Kodama’s thought when he learnedin university about the plight of farmers in developing
countries was “I wish I could help make their lives
better.” He joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries after graduation, and has since beenworking for agricultural development in Japan. Doors
also opened for Kodama to contribute his expertise in
Asia and Africa. Recently, he has been involved in a
project teaching rice-processing techniques in Nigeria.
Much of the world’s paddy rice is processed byparboiling, a method of cooking in which hot water andsteam force nutrients in the rice bran back into the ricekernel. Parboiled rice can also be milled efficiently andwith less breakage than non-parboiled rice. In Nigeria
and elsewhere in West Africa, however, the parboilingprocess wasn’t performed optimally and the quality ofthe milled rice varied greatly. Kodama worked to solve

Kodama hopes “not only to spread the false-bottom technique, but match innovative, adaptive
solutions with the needs of people in Senegal and Guinea. To do this, I first want to get a clear
picture of the people’s situation with my own eyes and ears and figure out what they need.”this problem. He encouraged Nigerians to adopt aparboiling technology that uses a perforated “false
bottom” (see diagram). This increases the rice’s quality
and allows it to be traded at a price 10% to 20% higher
than conventional rice. Kodama explains, “In rural
districts, farmers’ wives are often tasked with theparboiling process. After beginning to use the false
bottom, their income has risen and I’ve heard some ofthem tell me ‘now I can pay my children’s school-related
fees’ or ‘I can buy lots of beans and eggs now.’”
Such reports bring a smile to Kodama, encouraging
the grateful city boy turned farmers’ friend in his mission
to discover, develop, and spread the use of appropriate,
life-changing technology so that it can bring smiles tothe people of Senegal and Guinea as well.
31

Josh Grisdale
Born in Canada, and has lived in Tokyo since 2007.
Manages the websites for a group that runs nursing
homes, retirement homes, kindergartens, and nurseryschools. In his spare time, he works on Accessible
Japan, his website that provides accessibility
information in English for disabled people visiting
Japan. Josh has cerebral palsy, is quadriplegic, andhas used a wheelchair since the age of three. He
became a Japanese citizen in 2016.
Grisdale in his barrier-free workplace. He calls barrier-free design an investment that benefits all, including the elderly as well as people with disabilities.

Series: Friends of Japan

Making Japan Accessible to All
wheelchair down the flights of stairs. This eagerness toserve the customer, along with Japan’s appealing mix ofthe traditional and modern planted in Grisdale the dreamof one day making Japan his home.
Significant for Grisdale and other disabled people, inthis same year, 2000, Japan enacted the Transportation
Accessibility Improvement Law, committing the society
to becoming “barrier-free.” Grisdale returned to Japan in
the years that followed, each time impressed by theaccessibility improvement. He felt that everyone, not justthe government, was working together for this goal.
In 2007, Grisdale moved permanently to Tokyo. He hasa full-time job managing social welfare institution
websites. In addition, working in his spare time, helaunched his own website, Accessible Japan, in 2015. “Istarted the website because of the limited information onaccessibility in Japan in English. I don’t want people togive up their dream of visiting Japan because they think

Can disabled guests to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic andParalympic Games expect to find Japan accessible? Josh
Grisdale, creator of the website Accessible Japan and a
10-year resident of Japan answers a resounding “yes.”
Canadian-born Grisdale, a quadriplegic, was diagnosed
with cerebral palsy when he was six months old. From
the age of three, he used an electric wheelchair.
Disability did not stop the ambitious boy from working
hard and getting top grades in school.
Taking Japanese in high school sparked in Grisdale thedesire to see Japan firsthand. In 2000, he came to Tokyo
with his father for one month as a high school graduation
present. Accessibility in Japan exceeded his expectations
and the spirit of omotenashi (hospitality) impressed him
deeply. After visiting Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, heremembers looking for an elevator to take him to thesubway platform. The elevator had yet to be built, but six
station attendants carried him and his 130-kilogram32

Implementation of the Transportation Accessibility Improvement Law has resulted in 92.8% oftrain stations and 92.6% of city buses in Tokyo being equipped with step-eliminating devices asof March 2017.

Checking Meiji Shrine for accessibility. Grisdale visits sightseeing spots on weekends and posts
reviews on Accessible Japan.

Chatting with his boss. Grisdale appreciates the at-home feeling of his workplace.

Grisdale started Accessible Japan in 2015. The website has gained popularity with foreign
travelers that need assistance. He also published a book, Accessible Japan's Tokyo, in 2017.

it’s not accessible.” Grisdale’s efforts have touched lives.
For example, an Australian father and his daughter withcerebral palsy, bonded by their shared love of anime,
decided to come to Japan because of the information on
Accessible Japan.
In daily life and on weekend excursions, Grisdale canobserve Japan’s progress toward accessibility. After
visiting Meiji Shrine, for example, he wrote in a review
that the gravel paths were difficult for wheelchairs tonavigate. He returned two months later to find thatramps and a pathway down the main route had alreadybeen added.
Seeing everyone work together to make the Tokyo
2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games accessible excites
Grisdale, as does the aim of welcoming the highest evernumber of participating countries and regions to theTokyo Paralympics. Grisdale envisions Tokyo becoming acity that is open to everyone, and looks forward to seeing
more buildings with entrance ramps, accessible platforms

at stations, and an increased number and variety ofaccessible hotel rooms. With Japan a leader in robotics
and barrier-free design in Asia, he feels confident thatchallenges will be overcome as Japan boosts efforts tomake stations, airports and other facilities barrier-free by
2020. Grisdale seeks to do his part by providing up-todate and deeper-level information on accessibility in
English. He visits sites, searches websites, and makes
calls so he can inform others with disabilities of thelocation of elevators and restrooms, the accessibility of
tourist sites and restaurants, and other important details.
He wants each disabled visitor to enjoy Japan in safety
and comfort.
Grisdale reflects, “Coming to Japan actually meant a lotof freedom for me. My dream now is that more and more
people find Japan accessible and exhilarating as I have.”
Towards that end, Grisdale and Accessible Japan are
paving the way for other people to realize their dream ofvisiting Japan.
33

Series: The JET Programme

Shared Histories, Bright Futures
My first contact with Japan came through watching
dubbed anime, which is probably true for most of us inEurope. I guess I first heard the language while watching
Naruto in the original Japanese. But as I tried to makesense of the sounds I was hearing, I was unaware of how
my country’s long history with Japan would strongly
influence my future career.
I first studied Japanese at Zuyd University, taking part inan exchange program with Kyoto University of Foreign
Studies during 2009 for five months. This was followed byfour months at the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language
Institute, Kansai. The warmth and kindness of the local
people left me with a soft spot for the Kansai area.
After this, I studied Japanese language and culture andinternational relations for my master’s degree in Leiden,a Dutch town not far from The Hague. While studying
there, I was selected for an internship at the City Hall ofNagasaki in 2014. Nagasaki and the Netherlands have along history of trade and cultural exchange. During theEdo period, the Netherlands was the only country inEurope that was permitted to trade with Japan. Dejima, asmall island in Nagasaki, was the only port that was open
to Dutch ships. This was as a result of Japan’s strict
isolationist policy. This special relationship was further
celebrated in 2017 when Nagasaki and Leiden became
sister cities.
After my return from Nagasaki and my subsequentgraduation, I applied to become a Coordinator forInternational Relations (CIR). I was thrilled to be
accepted, and I was soon dispatched to Koriyama,
Fukushima. Like Nagasaki, Koriyama has a profoundconnection to the Netherlands. It could be said that
Koriyama owes its development largely to the efforts of
one Dutch man.
Up to the 1870s, Koriyama’s fields were so dry that fights
broke out over water usage, so an expert in hydraulicengineering by the name of Cornelis Johannes van Doorn
was invited to Koriyama to help irrigate the area.
The work he oversaw provided a steady flow of water
through the Asaka Canal to Koriyama, paving the way for
agriculture and industry to develop. Local schoolchildren
all know of his contribution to their hometown, with astatue in his honor.
This sense of gratitude is felt so deeply that Koriyama

Joost Kralt
Born in Sassenheim, the Netherlands.
Graduated from Zuyd University andLeiden University. Has been working asa CIR in Koriyama, Fukushima
Prefecture since August 2015. Enjoys
spending time in Fukushima’s beautiful
countryside and attending dramatic
local festivals, as well as speed skating
and karaoke.

Joost in front of a poster depicting van Doorn in theentrance hall of Koriyama City Hall.

Joost standing in front of the Jurokkyo Sluice Gate, a key component of the Asaka Canal
construction project. It regulates the water level of Lake Inawashiro while allowing water to flow
to the Asaka Plains.

City decided to construct a memorial to him in the
Netherlands. A gravestone was carved from local rock,shipped to Amsterdam and installed there. This was also
backed by a pledge to provide 100 years of maintenance.
Every few years, a delegation from Koriyama visits thisgrave to pay their respects. In addition to thisrecognition, van Doorn’s hometown of Brummen has
been sister cities with Koriyama since 1988.
On arrival in Koriyama I came to share Koriyama’s
appreciation for his hard work, because in August 2015
when I stepped out of the Shinkansen bullet train thetemperature was 38°C (100.4°F). Without a water supply,
I would have surely perished! But thankfully the heat was
not the only warm welcome I received, as my newcolleagues quickly helped me feel right at home. Thanks
to them, I soon found my feet as a new member of the
Koriyama International Policy Division.
From teaching introductory Dutch language lessons to34

Inawashiro, the fourth largest in Japan. There are also
two great skate rinks nearby, where I’ve recently started
speed skating again, a sport I used to practice back homein the Netherlands. In fact, Koriyama has been selected
as a Host Town of the Netherlands for the Tokyo 2020
Olympic and Paralympic Games.
I haven’t made up my mind what I’d like to do after
finishing my CIR contract. Perhaps I’ll study translation in
more detail, but I’d also like to try working in the private
sector in Japan. I’d like to continue strengthening ties
between Japan, the Netherlands and the rest of the world.
For those considering applying to the JET Programme, I’dsay this: Go in with an open mind, and read up on articles
like this so that you know what might be asked of you.
But most of all, just do it!

translating and performing the Koriyama City mascot’s
theme song, my job here is very rewarding. I also publish
EiGo Koriyama , an English magazine for our many
foreign residents. It contains news and information on
local events, including strawberry picking, shrine visits
and festivals. My favorite event by far is the Taimatsu
Akashi, a festival in the town of Sukagawa, south ofKoriyama. Honoring those who perished during the civil
wars of the sixteenth century, this fire festival sees giant
torches carried up Mount Gorozan, the largest of whichmeasures ten meters (33 ft.) long and weighs three tons.
They are then placed upright and set alight.
But Koriyama isn’t all fire and fury. I love to escape tothe countryside during my time off. In the summer I go
for drives in Fukushima or go for a swim in Lake

Sendai City
Fukushima City

Fukushima Pref.

A map of the Asaka Canal in 1882. On the righthand side area of the map, the water supply waspoor, which was devastating for local agriculture.
However, during the Meiji period a canal stretchingfrom Lake Inawashiro (seen in the left of the map)
was planned.

The International Policy Division staff in discussion at City Hall.

Joost taking part in the Koriyama Uneme (court lady) Festival.

Koriyama City

Tokyo

Elementary school students enjoy a presentation about Hollandfrom Joost.

About the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme
The Japan Exchange and Teaching ( JET) Programme began in 1987 with the goal of promoting grass-roots international
exchange between Japan and other nations, and is now one of the world’s largest international exchange programs. JET
participants are placed in every region of Japan and work in one of three positions: assistant language teachers (ALTs),
coordinators for international relations (CIRs), or sports exchange advisors (SEAs). In 2016, the JET Programme welcomed 4,952
participants, and currently there are approximately 62,000 alumni from 65 countries living in all parts of the world.

The JET Programme official website
http://jetprogramme.org/en/

35

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36

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