I will start this essay with the surprises that I experienced in Japan as a student studying abroad. I lived in Beijing first and then moved to Tokyo. It means that I moved from the capital of China to the capital of Japan. I was surprised at beautifulness of Tokyo. And it is a safe city. Particularly I was surprised with the politeness and quick response of the   restaurants. Waiters brought me water immediately when sat at a table　and it was always iced water. (It took some time for me to get habituated to take cold iced water as being from China.) When I was ready to place an order, waiter would immediately come to take one before I call him. He takes good care of customers and moves around kitchen and table inside. The response remains the same if I order food of Yen 500 only. I thought within “you don’t need to do so much”. I do not care whether a glass of water is cold or not and do not even care also to be left alone. Is it the only me who comes from China and is surrounded by unfriendly waiters?  As the time passes in Japan, I began to have a feeling that even Japanese feels “hard to live” in such peaceful country where everything is perfect.  I was vaguely aware before the pandemic that everybody moved around expressionlessly as if they were chased by something. They could not enjoy peaceful life and were deprived of freedom of moving around the street by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Foreign tourists disappeared and “Mask Police” appeared. They tell each other not to go out without mask or and to citizens who do not cover their noses by mask. It is a shame that people in Japan made their society hard to live by themselves.  I think they can live their life more casually. It will be OK for you, as far as you wear mask and sterilize your hands even if others do not. It would be hygienic enough if you compare with other countries. I remember one of my fellow international students from India told me that he had a feeling that Japan is the most beautiful in the world after returning from academic conference from other counties and his home country. I think Japanese in Japan made their society harder (to live) and hard by themselves.    There is one Japanese who raised the question, why it is so hard to live in Japan? His name is WAKASHIN Yujun. He is the Manager of Company and a Specially Appointed Associate Professor of KEIO University. He pointed out that people in Japan seek “correctness” too much and make themselves harder to live. When people enter restaurant, waiter serve cold water. It is “correct” and common sense in Japan. It is very convincing for me. Now in Japan, everybody wears mask when going out. “Mask Police” came from the reason, why Japanese seek correctness too much. There is no sign to stop seeking for correctness and the society becomes harder to live.    I think it better to change the society which seek “correctness” more.For example, it is quite common not only in China but in Europe and America that, trains delay sometime. There are no announcements made on how long the trains will delay and passengers do not care. In Japan, however, there is an announcement made on how long the train will delay even if the delay would be for a few minutes only. It will be a kind information for passengers who are waiting. I am used to wait in other countries but in Japan and I have a question why station attendants in Japan try so hard to excuse for the delay. I think the stress of station attendants or companies might be relieved if the number of announcements will decrease. The most important thing for passengers is that they should not care if there would be a few minutes delay. Five minutes will pass quickly if you watch the phone while you wait for the train.  Prof. WAKASHIN is researching the communication between people and organizations and likes to establish “allowable society” in the end. He suggests such society that can allow the mistake of consumers by relaxing standards of their daily life.  I agree that we can live our lives in the society more relaxed by allowing others. Such thinking is “effective” in other countries than Japan and it is “necessary” in Japan.  The future of Japanese society will be possible to be bright as far as there would be the people who like to change, and not running away, from the present “hard life”. I do not care to be served lukewarm water or served foods with water at the same time.  SGRA Kawaraban 673 in Japanese (Original)  XIE Zhihai / Associated Professor at Kyoai Gakuen University    Translated by Kazuo KawamuraEnglish checked by Sabina Koirala

 I was often asked about the reason why I started studying Japanese. Perhaps it was my destiny to enter the Department of Japanese language, even though it wasn’t my original intention. Or perhaps it might have originated from my mother’s love of YAMAGUCHI Momoe and MIURA Tomokazu.   I did not initially choose “Japanese language” when I was filling out my university application, because I had no intention to major in foreign language. But there was a question in application form that says, “Do you still intent to enter the University, even if the major you desire is unavailable to you?” and I answered yes. I was accepted to the university of my choice, Nanjing University. But unfortunately, I couldn’t get into the major that I wanted. I was instead made to change into Japanese Language major, which was still available for enrollment at that time. I thought about taking a year off, because this switch was quite unanticipated. But it was my mother who encouraged me to enroll in Japanese Language course. She even joked, “when you learned how to speak Japanese, you can take me to Japan, and even interpret for me when I meet Momoe and Tomokazu.” My mother has been a big fan of Japanese movies since her young days in the 80s. During that time, a lot of Japanese movies were imported to China. A lot of Chinese, including my mother, became fascinated by the actors in these Japanese movies. As a result, I would hear about these movie stars’ names over and over again during my childhood. So even though I had no clear idea what I would do by studying Japanese language, at least, in my mind, it might be helpful someday when my mother gets to meet these movie stars. Once I started to learn Japanese, I found myself enjoying language study more than I expected. The more I learned about Japan, the more I was drawn toward Japanese culture. I was grateful to have enrolled into Japanese language major despite not being my first choice. When I was a junior in university, I accepted the invitation from Japan-China Friendship Association to homestay for a week in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. It was my first visit to Japan. I stayed with a Japanese family, and got to participate in the local town festival too. It was a valuable experience for me to learn about Japanese culture in such intimate way. It made me realized the limitations of learning only from textbook, and as a result, I decided to continue my post-grad education in Japan. Despite having decided to come to Japan, I had a hard time choosing which field of research I should advance. Some of my classmates majored in Japanese language because of their love for anime or Japanese idols, but I had a hard time searching for a field of study that I would be passionate about. At that time, Soushoku-Kei Danshi, or “Herbivorous men” in English, had become the hot topic in Japan and China. Someone in my class joked with me by calling me such term, and through this exchange, I got myself very interested in “Gender study”. Just as I had this realization, I coincidentally crossed path with a lecturer, who was presenting movie analysis from the gender viewpoint, at the annual intensive joint course held by Nanjing University and University of Tokyo. Instantly I made the decision to major in gender theory and film studies, and that lecturer would later become my current academic supervisor. I finished my undergraduate thesis under the title “Herbivorous men” and was subsequently accepted to post-graduate program in Tokyo University, which I am still continuing currently. Every time I was asked about the reason why I came to Japan, I get a renewed understanding of how I get to where I am was the result of series of unpredictable occasion. These unplanned events changed my life course beyond my expectation. Even though these paths were not my initial choices, I believe I am heading the right way. Amidst all the unpredictability, I am grateful to my mother for pushing me toward taking this path. Someday, I would like to bring her to Japan to enjoy the sceneries she once saw in movies. And if by a miraculous chance we get to meet YAMAGUCHI Momoe and MIURA Tomokazu, I would try my best to be the prefect interpreter for her, and convey her love and admiration to the couple as clear as possible.  SGRA Kawaraban 672 in Japanese (Original)  YU Ning / 2020 Raccoon, Researcher of Gender Research Center at International Christian University  

 I am a Uyghur and I come from East Turkistan (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region), where is 4,348 Km away from Japan in fair distance. When I was a child, I had great impression about Japanese advanced knowledge and technology because of the popularity of Japanese home appliances and automobiles among us. Furthermore, my interest in Japanese manga and animation which started form elementary school had deepened my impression of Japan and Japanese culture.  We, living in the areas where is the furthest region from the sea in the world, know the world better by expansion of internet at the late 1990s. Since as a young kid in high school, I have had a dream to be a good doctor. And I realized that in order to achieve my dream, I have to learn top and advanced knowledge in medicine, which is the major reason why I chose to study medicine in Japan eventually. Because Japan is widely known by its advanced knowledge and technology not only in the manufacturing and production, but also in medical science. It was the year 2015 that I made my first step to achieve my dream.   I would say that my school life from the school of Japanese language to graduate school in medicine and my <semi-worker life> as a part-timer was overall quite enjoyable. And my imagination about Japan before I came here was mostly same. For example, how beautiful and developed country Japan is. And the manner of Japanese people. I can say that Japanese is the politest people regarding social manner and relationship in the world as far as I know. I was impressed by their attitude of honesty and conscious. The typical Japanese Yamato race as expected, What a people!  Of course, there was a little discrepancy as well. For example, before I came to Japan, I was told that Japanese love readings and they read books and newspapers in trains. Then I found that just only few people still do it especially elderly people. The young people mostly have stick to smartphone instead of readings as imagine.  What surprised me most is the decreasing rate of marriage and population in Japan. It seems the young do not care about their marriages so that population keep dropping. I wonder what would be the Japanese population in 50 years? And this made me worried about existence of this remarkable nation.  During my life in Japan, I have faced many barriers and difficulties such as culture, language as imaginable. And I knew that I have to overcome those difficulties, which I had been prepared to be faced to as a foreign student. I did my best to turn these difficulties and feeling of loneliness to my motivation to learn and accumulate experience. Just like the saying < Endeavor never betray>, from school and part-timer life, I have learned not only about my major knowledge in medicine and also Japanese culture. I also made some Japanese friends during the part-time job. Fortunately, I got my scholarship after trying for several times. Then I stopped doing part-time job and I was able to dedicate my all effort and time to my studies and other activities. I would say that the scholarship gave me opportunity to enjoy my school life more and helped me to finish my Graduate school smoothly.   The best impression I have in my six year’s life of studying aboard in Japan that when you encounter any difficulties, the most important thing is try your best, attain your effort and face it bravely, rather than give up or escape easily. Things do not always work out as we expected. If we could compensate every shortcoming and defect that we had this time, we would be able to do anything next time.  My advice to those who are thinking to study abroad, you may encounter various difficulties in the beginning, such as language, culture, economic even emotional difficulties. But do not give up. If you overcome those difficulties, such experience would become your treasure of life.Try your best! Do not forget your goal.    SGRA Kawaraban 671 in Japanese (Original)  Mardan Nurmuhammat: 2020 Raccoon, The Uyghurs, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University 

 I have always concentrated on majoring in “Japanology” since my undergraduate. It all started when I heard about J-POP in my second year of junior high-school. And I was interested in Japanese culture. I could not catch the meaning of the words of songs, but I was enchanted by its special atmosphere which was different from Korea and started learning Japanese language by self-educating as watching Japanese movies and dramas. When I entered high school, I chose Japanese language as an elective course because I did not want my passion to learn Japanese language remain just as a hobby. I made up my mind to major in “Japanology” when I would be enrolled at a university. I have grown up from a   junior high school student to a university student who have majored in Japanology just listening to J-POP.  When I was an exchange student during my undergraduate period in Tokyo, I could encounter actual “Japan” which I only imagined in my head and wanted to study more about “Japan” at graduate school rather than finding an employment in Korea. As a result, I have encountered “Zenkyoto” (All-Campus Joint Struggle League) which include history of student movement and social movement.  It was the time when I knew a word “Zenkyoto” at a seminar of graduate school in Korea.  Theme of seminar was “Japan in 1960s” which was unknown to me. I remember I studied Japanese history at the course “Japanese early and postmodern history” in earnest at my undergraduate age. But I did not learn the history of 1960s. Framework of “Postwar Japanese History” was fixed to until 1950s. Japan in 1960s was explained as “Politics’ Season” and I had an impression that it was succession of various events. I thought Japan in 1960s　was only “past” news which were broadcasted hotly rather than “history” which were stated stiffly. Students who lived in 1960s were distressed in society and Japan started getting problems from their universities. In order to express their opinions, they raised objection in form of struggling and I was interested in such points.  “Zenkyoto” movement, which occurred in the later part of 1960s successively in universities in Japan, interested me.  Above all, Zenkyoyo in Nihon University interested me the most. It differed from that of the University of Tokyo which belonged to the left-wing series. Students in Nihon University were prohibited to assemble and could not have usual student movements and were very naïve in politics. It is said that they did not know strategy nor tactics of the movement.  Despite of such situation, the happening of unaccounted expenditure amounting 2 billion yen by the board of directors triggered Zenkyoto of Nihon University and established their own style which was apart from “sect-like” correspondence.  A series of their struggle triggered “Student Power” correspond to “the year of 1968” from appearance of unimaginable “mass”-like existence. The struggle became bigger in its scale and was evaluated as “the barricades of Nihon University are the strongest in the world”. Fresh passion in their behavior were pass on clearly to me who live in the present.  “It is interesting!” I thought it was interesting because we cannot find such passion in present Japan at all which is equal to that of Zenkyoto of Nihon University.  Starting with the Japan-US Security Treaty in 1960, student movements were activated in earnest. Zenkyoto movement put an end to the voluntary function of “the youth” or “students” who voiced the democracy. Youths grew up to be adults and students became members of society and formed the generation which could share the memory of experiences of struggles in 1960.  We can say that they have looked back upon the memory of “the year 1960”as their “nostalgy”.  However, present youths have just conventional image on such memory and it is difficult for them to share sympathy. I think it is causing so-called “generation gap”. Moreover, it may be the reason why they were extinguished from communication among generations because they were labeled as “baby boom generation” or “Zenkyoto generation” through media.   Under such circumstances, I think it is important for the present youth to have contemporaneousness same as generation youth inputting the background and values of “the year 1968”. They can imagine and “understand” the things at that time although they may not be able to “remember”. I think it is necessary for them to practice converting their paradigm gradually having sympathy for their framework of “study” “young” and “students”.  SGRA Kawaraban 670 in Japanese (Original)  CHO Sojin / 2020 Raccoon, Graduate School of Global Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies,   Translated by Kazuo KawamuraEnglish checked by Sabina Koirala

SGRA Sustainable Shared Growth Seminar 28 ReportTowards Sustainable Shared Growth Policy BriefsMay 31, 2021In collaboration with College of Public Affairs and Development of the University of the Philippines Los BañosSeminar Report (Lite Version) Seminar Report (HD Version)