Recently, we have to keep a watchful eye on world affairs because of their seriousness. As in the cases of the economic crisis of Greece, and the Islamic State  terrorist organization, it is also difficult for us to foresee the perspectives of affairs in Asia, like the stock-price-crash in Chinese market and national security bills including the right to collective defense in Japan.　As we think this state of affairs may change tomorrow, we have to follow the news all day long since getting up in the morning. I feel strongly that international relations, in economics, politics and diplomacy are related to each other, and I, myself, have to study and analyze everything beyond my own special fields.   During my busy time following events in a changing world, I happened to read an interesting news item in a half page in the Newsweek (Japanese edition) dated July 14.  It says “Don’t shoot down a drone although it may obstruct your view”. This is a story of a man who flew a drone and a man who shot it down.The spread of small drones is very quick and legislation for it cannot catch up.  According to an episode of an article, when a pilot flew a drone in his native town (in California), his drone was gunned down by a neighbor.  It is said that the man who shot down the drone thought that it was a CIA spying drone. It became a legal case and the man who flew the drone got damage compensation.   Until quite recently, it was unnecessary for us to think of a scene that a drone come flying over our houses.There was a news item that a drone landed on the roof of the Japanese prime minister’s official residence. We have to be aware of a possible presence of a drone when we open the windows of our houses in Japan. Yes, this is not a story in the United States. According to an articles mentioned above, it an interpretation of the law against trespass remains uncertain when a drone flies over privately-owned land. There is a boundary like fence on land between houses, but, in there no such boundary in the sky. It is said legislationwill advance in the process of coping with individual cases.  However, another news about a drone came in. We have to expedite its legislation without waiting for the cases.   About the same time that the Newsweek article came out, a picture of a drone which fires its gun is floating appeared in the YouTube.  According to the news on TV, it was a teenage university student in the US who flew the drone.  Drones, which have been developed for the purpose of people’s convenience and defense against danger are taking unexpected direction.  Drones, which have already been flown in the world where there is no legislation yet, seem to tell us ironically that there is no borders in the sky.   An article about drones seems to be suggesting me that I have to make my researches always farsighted,　and notconfined to my specialties. And, I have to keep watching hereafter the future of drones.   (Full-time lecturer,Kyoai Gakuen University)     Translated by Kazuo Kawamura English checked by Mac Maquito   SGRA Kawaraban 467  in Japanese (original)

On July 11, 7th SGRA Café was held at “Terashima Bunko Minerva-no-Mori” in Kudanshita, Tokyo. Lecturer of the day was Mr. Lim, Chuan-Tiong, Assistant Researcher of Institute of Taiwan History, Academia Sinica(Central Research Academy of Taiwan).  Mr. Dele Sonja took the chair and Ms. Junko Imanishi, Director of SGRA, delivered the opening remarks. Then, Mr. Lim started his speech and I report it here briefly. He took up “The Sunflower Student Movement” in Taiwan and “The Hong Kong Umbrella Movement” as the most impressive incidents in the Chinese-speaking world in 2014. Those two incidents which symbolized modern Taiwan and Hong Kong were transmitted to the world with a strong impact by media with photos of students who occupied the legislative offices and the roads. Mr. Lim analyzed those incidents and their meanings for understanding the present situation of the Chinese-speaking world. Basing on this, he proceeded to the identities of the young in Taiwan and Hong Kong. According to Mr. Lim, there are special features in these two incidents. First of all, both movements were done by students who were motivated by their interest in politics and the gaps in societies. And, they took up the ways of nonviolence and democracy as their ideology. Both movements had similarity in using the internet which played an important role in their development. It was another characteristic that students of those movements supported each other strongly with deep interest. Mr. Lim has published a book titled “Identities and Politics of East Asia Frontiers; Okinawa, Taiwan and Hong Kong”. As you can easily see from this book, his key-words to understand those movements are “Distance between the center and the frontiers”. Those movements seem to be the same as the other movements in the Chinese speaking world if we consider that both movements are based on democracy. But there is a big difference．This is the phenomenon of “the rise of China” which is the most important recent change in the Chinese speaking world. The power balance among China (main land), Taiwan and Hong Kong has been changing now in the present Chinese speaking world. Hong Kong is losing its ec onomic centripetal force which they have had in the past. Taiwan is worried about how to maintain their relations with China which has been making an explosive development. We can catch a glimpse of such changes of relations in Chinese counter measures, especially toward the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement. According to Mr. Lim, Chinese counter measure toward the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement was stronger than expected. We can say, in a sense, this reflects a situation that the Chinese government is now being superior to Hong Kong because the economic importance of Hong Kong has now weakened. In the face of such realities, what students of Hong Kong now has to ask for is not only democracy itself and its procedures but also their standpoints in such a violently changing social situation. Such position can be applied to Taiwan’s situation too. Chinese counter measure against the Taiwan Sunflower Movement was moderate compared with Hong Kong. If we consider that an economic agreement between China and Taiwan was a cause of the Movements this time, what Taiwan students have been distressed about was not only appropriateness of process of political decision-making but also their anxieties of their standpoint in the era of China’s rising. Two movements this time reflect the instability of relations between China which is being centralized and Taiwan/Hong Kong which are becoming frontiers. So, it becomes  impossible to understand correctly the movements this time as only a movement toward democracy by the youth. Distance between the center and the frontiers connect to an issue of identities which was the main theme of his speech this time.  According to his research, most of the inhabitants in Taiwan and Hong Kong consider themselves as Taiwanese/Hong Konger. We cannot judge now a meaning of the consciousness of Taiwanese/Hong Konger and what such consciousness would suggest to the Chinese speaking world hereafter.  It will be true that changes of social situation may change a phase of the problems in the Chinese speaking world and such tendencies will be accelerated hereafter. I analyzed this issue as above, but it will not be easy to show the way which the people in the Chinese speaking world should follow. On this point, Mr. Lim explained that it will be a key to how the Chinese government, who should play a leading part, recover reliance of the frontiers.  Overall, I think his pointing this out will be a right direction, though we have to discuss concrete solutions one by one depending on the issues. An issue on identities of the young in the Chinese speaking world reflects realities of the areas directly.  His speech was very exciting in the meaning that, by focusing on actual phenomenon, we have to think of how the Chinese speaking world should be.  Photos of the day （Doctoral Course , the University of Tokyo）   Translated by Kazuo KawamuraEnglish checked by Mac Maquito SGRA Café transmitted on July 23 in Japanese (original)

Japan, China and Korea, three countries in East Asia, are facing difficulties since 1970’s in regard to ‘understanding of histories’ and ‘territorial issues’.  While Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was being established, we can expect economic cooperation utilizing financing power. Japan, however, remains wary of transparency and publicity of AIIB in which China took an initiative.  70 years have passed since the end of the war, but a lack of mutual ‘’trust’ in Asia has greatly undermined political relations and cast dark shadow over people’s sentiments. In order to establish stable relations in this area, it is indispensable to bring about mutual trust, and we have to work out common ‘wisdom’ as a prerequisite. What is asked of intellectuals who have important responsibilities in these countries is to build a cross-border ‘shared space of ‘wisdom’.   In East Asia where people are not yet released from restrictions of histories, it will not be easy to build ‘shared space’ in the field of studies like “Chinese Studies” , “Japanese Studies” and “Korean Studies”. It is very important that each country is studying other countries in their own context. For example, the gap between an image about Japanese modern history by Chinese and Korean scholars and that of Japanese scholars became bigger in these 30 years.  Chinese Studies are now very active and the stagflation of Japanese Studies in East Asia badly affects international relations in this area.   The problem exists in the Japanese side. First of all, in Japan, Japanese Studies in Asian studies were excluded and were shut in “Japanese Space”. It affected also Japanese Studies in the world and “uniqueness” of Japan resulted in being strongly emphasized. Needless to say, it is quite obvious that Japan has concerned with every fields in the development of Asia starting from wars and revolutions, modernization of society and economy, and cultural spread and development since the 19th century. Real Japanese Studies should broaden their horizon and step into Asian Studies .   There are problems too in Japanese Studies by China and Korea. For example, in China, many students have studied abroad in Japan, America and Europe since the end of the Qing dynasty to the age of the Republic of China. What they studied were courses that would be useful for the modernization of China. They tried to find what historical factors prevented China from achieving modernization. And they concentrated their efforts in re-explanation of Chinese histories, thoughts and cultures using the study system of the West. On the other hand, Chinese intellectuals have greedily absorbed a concept of modern ‘wisdom’ through Japan.  They have never shown any interests in the studies of Japan and the West. Due to this, “Japanese Studies“ or “Asian Studies” in real meaning, have never been accomplished.   The second wave of Chinese scholars to study abroad which started in the 1980s followed these traditions. Students who specialized in social science were interested in modern history, politics, societies and economy of China. The number of students who intended to take up Japanese Studies were very few.  Chinese studies in public organizations for education and researches in Japan were sufficient and offered good surroundings to foreign students.  There was a tradition in Japan called “Sinology” (Chinese Study) led by Konan Naito and Naoki Kano before the War, which became “Chinese Studies” after the War. “Orient Academy” which was established in 1947, as a nongovernmental society, is still playing an important role in the development of Asian Studies in Japan and the civilization of countries of the East. Most of the scholars of the Japan Association for Asian Studies (JAAS) are researchers of Chinese studies.  It is an urgent issue for universities in Japan which are positive in accepting foreign students to encourage Chinese and Korean researchers of Japanese studies.   Power of “shared wisdom” is necessary for the realization of reconciliation of the histories in East Asia and, at the same time, for restoring confidence among people to establish a stable cooperation. We cannot ignore the significance of encouraging Japanese studies that would lead to “shared wisdom”. Modern Japan has pursued a complicated way, together with Asian countries. Success and failure which Japan has experienced shall be sublimated to common property of Asia and it would result in overcoming of history. After the War, Japan experienced such a lot of problems as environmental issue, issue on aging population, energy problems and natural disasters.  Japan have accumulated ample knowledge. It goes without saying that it is meaningful to direct such experience toward Asian common property. What Asia is asking for now to the present Japanese studies are “Experiences by Japan” both of failure and success.   Then, how to establish “Japanese Studies” as “Shared Wisdom in Asia”?   1. We have to overcome ‘histories’.  In order to do this, first of all, conversations among researchers of ‘National Histories’ of China, Japan and Korea would be necessary. Interchanges among researchers for ‘National Histories’ contribute to ‘Asian histories’ which they can share, and to create an environment of ‘Asian Studies’ in Japan that would result in adopting Japanese studies in it.   2. Japan, as a leading part, has to establish a platform of Japanese studies and bring it up to be shared in Asia. A lot of materials necessary for Japanese studies are surely gathering in Japan. A base for Japanese studies which aims not only at ‘Japanese Culture’ but for merging humanities and social science will be necessary. Though it is necessary to cooperate and tie up in various fields, it will be important to start from utilizing existing results of researches.   3. We have to aim at owning information jointly. A study by “Japan Center for Asian Historical Records” is contributing to Japanese studies in the world. Not only historical records but also outcomes of Japanese studies which have been accumulated until now would be necessary to be translated into multi-lingual versions and be distributed in various ways.   Building of a network for Japanese studies in Asia. There are many organizations for Japanese studies in Asia. But there are no systems which provide international cooperation among them. To provide such networks and bases for joint researches, Japan has to exert effort to play the role as focal point and provide leadership for it.       （Professor, Graduate School of Social Science, Waseda University）   *This essay was prepared for the SGRA Forum #49 “Searching for New Paradigm of Japanese Studies” held on July 18.     Translated by Kazuo Kawamura English checked by Mac Maquito   SGRA Kawaraban 466 in Japanese (original)

SGRA Work-shop No.4 was held in Tateshina, Nagano Prefecture, for three days starting from July 3. I participated in this trip feeling uneasiness whether it is just a trip to Tateshina or a so-called “Work-shop” (which has a very serious meaning). This is my report of my personal impression on this “work-shop”.   July 3 (Fri.) It rained heavily since this morning. We were supposed to leave Shinjuku at 9:00am, but due to heavy rain and unexpected circumstances, we left Shinjuku one hour later. Luckily, there was no traffic jam on the way, and it stopped raining by the time we arrived at Suwa.   We had lunch at a restaurant looking at the lake of Suwa, in “Garasu-no-Sato” (town of Suwa Glasses), It seems a standard practice that we visit the museum and shops of Garasu-no-Sato after lunch. I was impressed by a lacquered box with gold foil work which was expressed in glass. It is exactly the same with hexagonal lacquered box, but actually it was foiled by gold on the surface of the glass. I could not understand why it was made of glass. (There was a cabbage also which was made of glass!) Anyway, it was so beautiful.   Next destination was the Suwa Grand Shrine. It was raining on and off and the old shrine seems to me very mysterious being enveloped in a fog and rain. I tried to pass through a thatched circle which is a Shinto purification ceremony of to ensure a peaceful summer. I could not pray for anything since my attention was on how to pass through the circle. I should have prayed for everybody who are in the same class of the Raccoon as me to complete their doctoral thesis.   We arrived a little late at our final destination “Certo (Italian) no Mori (Forest)” in Tateshina Heights. We had an ice-breaking time after dinner. We discussed in small group that “my strong point is ～" or "my weak point is～”which are seldom discussed even among close friends. At first, I did not understand that such talking is good for ice-braking, but our discussion got really lively. I am also interested in watching some people around me discussing seriously and positively or staying absent minded or feeling easy. At the get-together meeting after this, enjoyable conversation, even listening only, continued.   July 4 (Sat.) On the second day, a real workshop started. In the morning, we had talk shows by Dr. Liu Jie and Dr. Jun-ichi Chaya. Starting from a definition of the concept of ‘intellect’ and ‘space’, we could hear from both doctors their thinking in depth, for example, the relations between intellect and politics. Both speakers pointed out clearly that, between intellect and political power, there are delicate and tense relations. Dr. Chaya referred to American think tanks and political policies. Dr. Liu referred to Japanese studies (or scholars) in China.   Tateshina Workshop, as being called Tateshina Trip, was planned originally for scholarship students, who are tired from preparation of their doctoral thesis, to give them a refreshing time. It is a consideration of AISF and has a meaning of enjoying with ease. But, it is serious activity and a theme this time with heavy meaning. Due to this, everybody seems to be serious and earnestly accepted the theme.. At the questions and answers part after the lectures, we had vigorous discussions from various aspects and viewpoints. For example, possibilities of East Asian community in an “intellectual space”, relations between ‘intellect’ and ‘power’, establishment of relations of ‘specialty’ and ‘intellect’, connection of academic ‘intellect’ and regional ‘intellect’ etc.   I am living in such a very narrow field as Japanese history, especially modern and present history, but it was certainly an exciting and enjoyable time for me in itself. On the other hand, pressure for sectional meeting of the workshop and presentation of the next day increased. But, it was utterly groundless. I could enjoy light-heartedly a sectional meeting, as per original plan, which started in the afternoon. At the five sectional meetings, each team had a time for freely discussing their topic, while enjoying fully the nature of Tateshina about color and shape which can image ‘intellectual space” like a treasure hunting, and finding themes necessary for, or prohibited in intellectual space.   After this sectional meeting, each team began to work on their presentation next day on the basis of today’s discussion. We, in our team, decided to combine various images which symbolize ‘intellectual space’. We started our work at first, not knowing what shape our result would be. But, our work took shape gradually by finding out proper image giving our idea little by little. As a result of our good team work, we could finish our preparation work for the presentation next day before dinner. We could forget about our presentation for the time being and enjoyed our dinner, after which we continued our meeting, though it started rain again outside.   July 5 (Sun) This is the third and the last day of the workshop. The time has come for the presentations. Each team is getting ready for the presentations. Every presentation had their individualities and they were interesting in contents and style. Our ‘collage’ expressed a shape of human beings based on an order of the universe. Other teams expressed their works in various ways. One expressed intellectual space and its birth, using egg shaped lighting effects; another expressed intellectual space, like baking a chocolate cake as shown in cooking programs on TV; and some seriously explained connections and diffusions of intellectual space using paper handicrafts. The last team expressed links among people in intellectual space letting all the participants hold each other’s hands which demonstration was calculated accurately up to the last minute. I thought the last presentation was the most suitable one for the theme of the workshop. I thank all the organizers of the workshop for not letting only new scholarship students but also OB/OG students, staff members concerned and lecturers participate through discussions, as well as in conducting the presentations. This participation was rendered enthusiastically.   There was an award ceremony which satisfied everybody . We left for Tokyo by bus after lunch. I think everybody had spent valuable time enjoying a nature (we could see deer twice); and becoming more intimate with each other.   (Photos of Tateshina Workshop)     （Doctoral Course (History), Waseda University）     Translated by Kazuo Kawamura English checked by Mac Maquito   SGRA NEWS on July 30 in Japanese (original)

The 48th SGRA Forum (the 14th Japan-Korea Asia Future Forum) was held at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Yoyogi, Tokyo on February 7. This forum was co-sponsored by ‘SGRA Research Association for Asia Initiative’ and ‘Japan-Korea Asia Future Forum’.  I like to report the status quo and the problem of the dynamism of rapid economic growth in Asia from a viewpoint of building of logistic systems.   The writer reported about dreams for the future of Asia and the present under the title “Asian Highway Network and Regional Integration” – its status quo and problems – “. Ten years ago, I, as a member of National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA),　 a Japanese national think tank which has been participating in research and policy recommendation about the “North-East Asian Grand Design” which is a joint project among NIRA, Korea Research Institute for Human Settlement (KRIHS), and National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).  KRIHS and NDRC are think tanks of Korea and China. I have been studying for a few years now about the future, the present and the problems of the integrated logistics in North-East Asia, especially the Asia-Highway Network, Japan-Korea Undersea Tunnel Plan and　“North-East Asian Logistic Network Plan”.   “Asian Highway Network” which aggregates Asia into one has been proposed and promoted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).  Thirty-two countries from Asia and Europe have already signed the participation agreement among these countries　as of the year 2004. Starting from Nihon-bashi, Tokyo (AH1) at the east end to Istanbul at the west end, Asian countries will cooperate and together develop and realize their dreams of peace and prosperity. Of the total length of 141,714 km, 26,699 km in China were designated to the “Asian Highway Network.” The traffic network is planned to expand through the continental region of China, to Southeast Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, North Asia and Russia.   An important idea which provides a strong impact for materialization of the Asian Highway Network was proposed by China’s General Secretary, Xi Jinping .  It is called “One Belt, One Road” (一帯一路).  China would utilize the “One Belt, One Road” idea as a new axis for the growth of its present economy, so-called “New Normal” (新常態), developing together with the Asian countries as a new developing “Belt”.   In China, they call the present situation which shows a slowdown of its economy since the spring of 2014 as “New Normal” and the Xi leadership calls for the realization and acceptance of the actual situation of the Chinese economy. Based on such situation, the leadership announced economic strategies and reforms. In the economic and diplomatic relations with other countries, they announced “New Asian Grand Design” (newly coined words by the writer) by the “One Belt, One Road” slogan and are putting it into practice.  This is a new economic and diplomatic strategy of the Xi Jinping Administration. If this plan will progress as planned, the power composition of Asia would change significantly.   The phrase “New Normal” was first proposed to show a new direction of the Chinese economy for a soft landing after a slowdown. But, as long as I have watched the economic and political diplomacy during the latter half of 2014, “New Normal” has been used as new diplomatic strategy of international relations which exceeded the original meaning of just new normal economic condition. Together with “New Normal”, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed “One Belt, One Road” when he visited countries in Central Asia and South Asia where he appealed for the realization of these ideas..   “One Belt, One Road” is considered as a strategic turning point in the new Asian order from the strategy of “Look East” to “Look West”.  In other words, relations with the advanced countries like Japan and Korea and their strategic value, which China has regarded as important until now, have lowered in importance. And India, Southeast Asia and Central Asia, instead, will be targets of strategic development by China. India and China are now the two “Elephant and Dragon” in Asia in the sense  not only of economic development but also politically and diplomatically. They think “Elephant and Dragon” will be the center of the future world.   I think such Chinese changes in diplomatic policy and the strategies for the world and Asia would cause negative impact in international relations and economic cooperation in North-East Asia. This is a big change for me – a “North-East Asian” - in the sense that it casts a shadow over my “Dreams and Hopes”.   Mr. Takao Kubo, a scholar of international relations, pointed out in his mail magazine  (“Orta” No.133 dated January 20, 2015) “A sign of reversal of North and South / East and West which progresses simultaneously – thereby accelerating the diastrophism of the world –“, signifying that “American hegemony is declining, the reverse of the North and the South (Advanced countries vs. Developing countries) and the reverse of the East and the West (Asia vs. America and Europe) in the world politics are developing.” (to be continued)   (Li Gangzhe / Professor, Hokuriku University)     Translated by Kazuo Kawamura English checked by Mac Maquito   SGRA Kawaraban 451 in Japanese (original)