SGRA Report Special Issue   AFC6 Round Table 2 Contemplating the World from Southeast Asian Lens 1:  "Community and Global Capitalism ~ It’s a Small World After All ~"   Date：August 29, 2022 (Mon) Venue：Taiwan (via ZOOM) Organizer：Atsumi International Foundation Sekiguchi Global Research Association (SGRA)   Abstract In a world that seems to misconstrue globalization as global standardization that is based on establishing hegemonies, ASEAN stands in stark contrast with its respect for diversity based on a principle of non-interventionism. This call for harmony amidst diversity is in fact the hallmark of the Atsumi International Foundation’s vision of good global citizenship. This in turn has been imbibed by the Sekiguchi Global Research Association, which has been organizing various seminars, one of which is the sustainable shared growth seminar series in the Philippines.    These sustainable shared growth seminars have always been concerned with communities. This proposed session is in line with the seminars’ focus on decentralization as a major principle in attaining sustainable shared growth. In the roundtable, this focus on communities is taken using international, interdisciplinary, and inter-sectoral lenses, with a strong Southeast Asian perspective.   The term ‘small world” is understood in two senses. In the first sense, we borrow from social network theory, which looks at nodes in a complex network as being effectively separated by small degrees so that everyone essentially lives in a small world. In the second sense, we refer to the small worlds of communities, the microcosms of our societies.   Social Network theory tells us that a small world network, especially with scale-free tendencies, tends to create hubs, which make the network more efficient, as well as more robust against random shocks, such as natural disasters, but less robust against orchestrated shocks, such as simultaneous terrorist attacks. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us once again that the global economy is a small world after all. While conspiracy theories would tell us that this was a concerted attack that brought the global economy to its knees, latest evidence-based analysis tells us otherwise. In either case, the pandemic is similar to an orchestrated terrorist bombing attack as it almost simultaneously struck the major hubs of the global economy. This is a natural result of the hubs being the major points of entry of people or virus carriers from all over the world.   This roundtable brings together those from Southeast Asia who are contemplating communities in a turbulent global economy. The pandemic has also reminded us that the small worlds of communities may just be important after all.    Click here for the report.   Sekiguchi Global Research Association (SGRA) Atsumi International Foundation

“See you next year at Taipei, Taiwan!” My words above were addressed at the closing party of the 5th Asia Future Conference (AFC) in Philippines in January 2020 together with ex-President Shui Shing-chin、Chinese Culture University and Taiwan Raccoon (Atsumi scholarship students).   Do they remember the what volcanic eruption next day of Conference?  Runway of the airport was closed by volcanic ash, and we had to wait long time at airport. They had to change their return flight in confusion.   We started our preparation for the 6th AFC after coming back from Japan. However, we have started our preparation since long time ago actually. It was the time when we visited volcano. Professor Shui advised us “Let’s have a liaison conference for preparation” at observation deck just before eruption.     One month later, we had a meeting in Taiwan. Ms. Imanishi and Mr. Tsunoda from Japan and three AFC members from Thailand joined.   We had tight schedule from morning to night for inspection of accommodations and trying Taiwanese sampling foods. Many opinions flied out how to make Taiwanese charm points known to people.   Taipei one-o-one (101) Building is famous as a landmark. Do you know the Grand Hotel in Taipei? It is 14-story Chinese Palace style hotel having red pillars and golden roof tiles and it is the first five-star hotel in Taiwan. We found banquet hall where people can enjoy prestigious feeling. We saw 11 meters high ceiling where coiling dragon throwing up beads in the sky. Each member thought if we would have our closing party there, we could have glorious atmosphere. And we decided to reserve this hall.   At that time, we did not imagine Covid would become so influential in the world.  In Taiwan, we were on the alert and masks were rationed. I remember clearly that Imanishi-San asked me “Can I give you masks?” when she came back to Japan at the airport. And I replied, “No thank you, please keep it for yourself”. I did not imagine supply of mask became so insufficient. On March 19, 2020, just after Imanishi-San and others went back to Japan, Taiwan closed borders and Covid spread throughout the world.   Amid a circumstance which we could not see a convergence of Covid, preparation committee members discussed many times whether we can have face-to-face conference. It is the best part of the Asia Future Conference to have opportunity to be able to have academic exchange through face-to-face discussions with scholars from various countries. However, we decided to postpone the 6th AFC which was scheduled to be held in Taiwan in August 2021 thinking “We can see some hope if we will postpone one year.”  And we decided to have online “Pre-conference” on August 26, 2021, as a propaganda instead.   We could finish “Pre-conference” successfully aiming for actual conference. However, Covid took an unexpected turn having mutated to “delta” and “omicron” from “beta” and we could not decide style of conference, ‘online’ or ‘hybrid’ or ‘face-to-face’. As the preparation committee, we thought communication through face-to-face style, which is the best part of the AFC, is important. However, we decided ‘hybrid’ style finally because there were immigration restrictions. It was the first challenge for the AFC.   We had hectic atmosphere till few days before the conference and had to take temporary measures. The number of infected persons among panelists and interpreters increased one after another. At five minutes before the midnight of August 25, we got a sudden request from secretariat that information in English, which would be released on the 26th, should be interpreted into Chinese. We had a tense moment whether “we are in the time or not in the time” in the unit of second. We realized now that we can start our conference with various network and team members were mobilized.   On August 27, the conference started at Chinese Culture University which locates in a mountain of norther part of Taipei. Although there were various restrictions against Covid in Taiwan like ‘keep a distance’ ‘wearing masks’ etc. We got a lot of people at conference hall.   At the symposium, professors who are active in various fields, starting from an Epidemiologist Doctor Chen Chien-jean Ex-Vice President of the Republic of China, told us variously about COVID-19 as a keynote speech. According to one of the panelists, Doctor Huang Sheng-Jean (ex-Director of TAIPEI City Hospital), keynote and other speeches were perfect for our objectives of the Conference “Our issues shall be solved by ourselves”. We agreed fully.  Thanks to proactive corporation from every member of Chinese Culture University, staff members from Japan and Thailand and preparation committee members, we could carry out keynote speech, symposium, round table talks and breakout sessions for three days smoothly. We cannot forget corporation from a lot of people behind. I thank them from bottom of my heart.   I spent those three days nervously having so many roles as a member of preparation committee, commentator, moderator, presenter or co-presenter using Japanese, Chinese and English (I am not used to). It gave me a lot of motivation that my new research theme was evaluated as “Best Presentation”. I acknowledged that the Conference could establish fields that we can share results of new research or challenge and established also other fields that scholars from different fields or countries discussed from different viewpoints. I am so glad that I could participate the Conference.   The 6th AFC ended safely. I feel sorry for the fact that we could not manage face-to-face conference. However, I think era of hybrid style conference would become normal.   The conference from the 1st to 6th, we had no-Covid era, Covid-era, post-Covid era and with-Corona era. What kind of era will it be next? The 7th conference will be held in Bangkok where we had the 1st conference. I am looking forward what kind of subject would be talked.    Then, I like to pass the baton to Bangkok from Taipei.   See you in Bangkok in August 2024.     SGRA Kawaraban 718 in Japanese (Original)     CHEN Tzu-Ching / SGRA member, Professor Ochanomizu University (Cultural Sciences)     Translated by Kazuo Kawamura English checked by Sabina Koirala

Summer vacation is over now, and we can see school children who carry Randoseru (school bag) in school uniform.  In Japan, on August 6 and 9, we consider of atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and on August 15, we welcome the End of World War II Memorial Day and taste the preciousness of peace. However, everybody can hardly believe there was a war on earth now, 77 years after World War II.   We, my family, ended August without any trips or outing. However, I think we could spend memorable summer vacation having a chance to speak about war and peace. There is the Museum of Modern Art in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture and we can see a famous tapestry “Guernica” by Picasso as their permanent collection. My wife told me she likes to let our children see it and I accompanied. Staff member of the Museum had a plan “Let’s talk in front of “Guernica”. He explained children kindly the most interesting part of “Guernica” withholding the words “War” and “Peace”. Children could not think of a word “War” from Guernica and wondered “why human and animal are drawn in this way?” However, they were inputted “it is an anger against war drawn by famous painter Picasso”.   Museum staff explained us that there are three Guernica tapestries in the world, and one is in United Nation Headquarters in New York. He also explained Picasso himself joined supervision of threads and colors which were used for making tapestry. According to him, he visited a school near the Museum and discussed with students how they feel in their heart in front of Guernica.   A few days later, Guernica became a topic again at home. My son, primary school student, told us that teacher told him about a picture book, the word account is low, titled “Sensou sinai (we do not engage in War)”. According to my checking, it was written by Shuntaro Tanigawa. I recalled he has said in some TV interview that it was at his junior high school age when there was the Great Tokyo Air Raid, WWII in 1945.   I think it is great to engrave the history of War in children’s heart by handing down the War using pictures and picture books for thoughts of peace. According to my son staff member of the Museum told him “In Japan, student study about Guernica at the sixth grade in elementary school.” I asked my wife “Is it sixth grade when you learn about Guernica?” She replied, “At seven-year-old!” She added “I had a birthday present titled “Beautiful Picture” written by Kako Satoshi at the first year of elementary school. Guernica was introduced in this book. Shuntaro Tanigawa and Kako Satosi ! There is no place where I, as a scholar of international relations can do. Because they convey easily toward wider generations what they like to say and remains in readers’ heart long.   I had a class this spring about “International Relations” and “Learn about history of international relations”. And I taught about difficult issue “War and Peace” also. We recalled war and peace in the 20th century and thought of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine together. I told students that there is a war in the 21st century and now is the time to consider war strongly. I have been reading difficult academic books about war and peace. However, I like to read now easier books which are written for ordinary people and children.    In autumn term I will keep in mind to speak to students about war and peace more easily to understand.     SGRA Kawaraban 716 in Japanese (Original)     XIE Zhihai / Associate Professor, KYOAI Gakuen University     Translated by Kazuo Kawamura English checked by Sabina Koirala

SGRA Sustainable Shared Growth Seminar 33 Report The Philippine Construction Industry and Directly Unproductive Extra Costs Posted: October 2022 In collaboration with College of Public Affairs and Development of the University of the Philippines Los Baños Seminar Report (Lite Version) Seminar Report (HD Version)    

When I majored in art history, teachers repeated their words “In art appreciation, it is the most important to watch original works”. At first, I had a little doubt in such words. It may be necessary to check the original when you appraise authenticity together with paper, print and mounting. However, if you like to enjoy the art, is it important to discriminate original and copy?   Thanks to the progress of technology, it became possible to preserve high-precision print replica or graphics data. There is an anecdote. When a Chinese specialist for Chinese art history found a famous masterpiece of the Chinese Southern Song Dynasty in a hotel in Japan, he was much surprised. It was a copy made by Japanese publisher “NIGEN-sha”. A copy which can deceive professionals is said to be the one “which is almost the same with the original. But it is one rank lower than the original because it is copies”. However, high-precision graphics data can be enlarged easily and be confirmed in detail. On the other hand, when you see the original in museum, you cannot discriminate because it is too dark and too far. I think it better to use graphics data than the original when you analyze graphics.   I got an answer against such question about “the original” when I studied in Japan. I would like to state my impression taking Japanese arts as an example.   First, there are differences in ‘size’. In Japanese paintings, ‘byoubu’ (folding screens) and portraits account for a large percentage. However, when we see byoubu and portraits in catalogues or graphic data on PC, those sizes become smaller than the original due to limit of size of catalogues. Impact on viewers depends on size. Impact which you look up on portrait in hall of ‘Nijo Castle’ in Kyoto is incomparable with sensitivity which you see illustrations in art books. Figure painting is the same. Life-sized graphics can shorten a distance between appreciators and figures in painting and leave an impression as real human beings. In case of gigantic buddha or God in religious mural paintings, it emphasizes its impersonality and awake sublime respect of viewers. If size would be changed by duplicates, it will become difficult to understand real intention of producers.       Next, there is a unique appeal in material. In Japanese art, mineral paints or gold /silver leaf are used generally. Paints which are made by mineral reflect by change of beam. This glittering shimmer bring transparency and liveliness in scenes. Photo printer and graphic data cannot bring such charms of the material. Gold or silver color is one of the most difficult points to reproduce in photos and become worse when you print. The works by Higashiyama Kai (1908-1999) are good examples. I have tried many times to confirm his pictures in works of art or lectures by Power point. But I could not feel charisma.  It was the year 2018 that I found its beautifulness when I saw his original at “Higashiyama Kai Exhibition at his 110th birthday anniversary” at the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art. When I stood in front of his paintings, I had a feeling which I wandered in the dark and chilly forest at night.      Lastly, I think it is impossible to find intention of creators in their composition without special display methods. When we talk about painting on the ceiling of lecture hall in temples, “Happou Niramino no Ryuu” (Dragon which glares in all directions) is famous. When you look up at ceiling, you feel that you are stared by dragon wherever you are. You can see such dragon at Shokokuji-temple, Kenninnji-temple, Nanzennji-temple and Tenryuji-temple, all in Kyoto. Some Byobu (folding screen) create three-dimensionality using its ruggedness. Both “Unryu-zu byobu” (folding screen of cloud dragon) (The important cultural property of 1773) by Maruyama Oukyo (1733-1795) and “Kan-getu” (winter moon) by Konoshima Oukoku (1877-1938) (you can see at KYOCERA Museum of Art in Kyoto) are these kinds of pattern.   During these few years of my studying in Japan, I saw a lot of the original paintings which  broadened my horizons and recognized deeply the important meanings of “the original” in art appreciation. I would like to share such knowledge with all of you.       SGRA Kawaraban 713 in Japanese (Original)     CHEN-Yijie / 2021 Raccoon, Doctor of The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (International Research Center for Japanese Studies)     Translated by Kazuo Kawamura English checked by Sabina Koirala