I am in difficulties. I would like to mutter to myself “Nippon! Will this do ?” This is a story of public telephones. The decrease in the number of public telephones due to the spread of cellular phones is remarkable. The number of public phones in 2002 was 584,162 and it decreased to 195,514 in 2013. (“White Paper on Telecommunications” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)  I can easily imagine that if the number of public telephones decreases, the number of telephone booths will also decrease. This may be unavoidable. But I am a person who do not like to see the number of telephone booths reduced. I would rather like to see the number of telephone booths increase.  The reason is not only for emergency purposes or for the aged but for modern reasons.   Using the telephone is obviously increasing despite the spread of “LINE”(free short-message service). Due to this change, I think we are becoming insensitive to noise. On the street or in the buildings, we are always getting or making phone calls.  While travelling in trains, we often see a notice saying , “Please refrain from making phone calls in the train”, but are we prepared with an alternative place, such as on the noisy station platforms?, on the center, or even the edge of the street? All are not suitable due to the noise in these areas. It is also dangerous to engage in cellphone converstations while one is walking along quiet town, or even on residential streets, as voices can be easily heard by everybody in such quiet surroundings. When we talk over the telephone, our voice becomes louder compared with that in face-to-face conversation. I often hear noisy phone conversations by pedestrians who are passing by my house.   Then, how about in the buildings? Voices or sounds in the lobby of buildings resound well. We are often asked “May I have your full name?” by someone whether in a beauty salon or department store. I do not like to make a reservation of place or thing, ask setting aside items or claim saying my cellular phone number in such public places. I do not like to cause trouble to people around me. But, it will be more dangerous in deserted parts in the buildings. A guard may appear in the harsh times. How shall I enter the place against “No Entry” ?  Hidden value of telephone booths may appear in such situation.   In the telephone booths, noise may be reduced to a certain level and we can see outside through the transparent glass wall of the booth. Using cellular phones does not arouse any suspicion. I sometime use a telephone booth to talk on the cellular phone instead of  using public phones. In such a case it may be funny if people look at me from outside the booth and they actually laughed at me.  So, what?  I use a phone in a place for a phone.  I am not doing anything wrong. People who laugh at me are insensitive to the manner of verbal conversation. How pitiable they are!   Telephone booths were often seen in old movies or in lobbies of high-class hotels. I like to increase the use of telephone booths.  Revival of telephone booth would lead not only to improvement of manners but more importantly to show respect for fellow human beings.     (Atsumi International Foundation, Finished Institute of Policy and Cultural Studies, Graduated School of Chuo University)     Translated by Kazuo Kawamura English checked by Mac Maquito   SGRA Kawaraban 468 in Japanese (original)

49th SGRA Forum -“Looking for New Paradigm of Japanese Studies”- was held on July 18 (Sat.), 2015 at “The Okuma Kaikan” (Okuma Memorial Hall) in Waseda University.  About 20 researchers in Japanese Studies assembled in a conference room to have animated discussions on how new Japanese Studies should be conducted and presented. They are active at the front of the organizations representing China, Korea and Taiwan. Despite the multi-national attendance the forum was managed in semi-open style, There were nearly 100 participants, a number  which was more than we expected.   Ms.Junko Imanishi, Managing Director of Atsumi International Foundation, representing SGRA, made an opening address. According to her, many people have misgivings about present Japanese Studies and worry about its future at the round-table discussions on Japanese Studies in the Asia Future Conference which had been held two times in the past. Taking advantage of this 49th SGRA Forum, we called out to organizations of Japanese Studies which represent China, Korea and Taiwan and the Japan Foundation and the International Research Center for Japanese Studies . As a result, to our surprise, many of the head or his assistant and researchers,who are active at the front lines, of each organization participated in this forum. We had to revitalize again the importance of the theme of the forum..     “Keynote Speech”by Dr. HIRANO Ken-ichiro    Professor Emeritus, Waseda University and Executive Director of “Toyo Bunko (Museum)” (The Oriental Library)   He emphasized the following two points in his keynote speech, titled “What we seek for New Japanese Studies in Asia”   (1)   When we elaborate “shared space for wisdom” which spans across national borders, we have to consider interdependence, commonality and universality of culture. Specifically, we have to consider“Understanding of Mutual Relations” which means to first understand culture individually and then understand culture as a phenomenon of international common experiences. And we have to go further to “Multi-layer Understanding” of Japanese Studies in the context of Asia and other areas globally; and   (2)   We better add a new theme - “Peace and Security ”in Japanese Studies hereafter. What we take up as Japanese  experience after the War as an issue of peace would give an important suggestion to other countries of not only  wrong consciousness about history. Peace can be built by strong will.  Researchers of not only Japan but also of Asia  can take part in the establishment of peace, in other words, East Asian Community through establishing intellectual  community.   His speech suggests exactly “New Japanese Studies in Asia”.     “Report”   Following his keynote speech, three panelists reported about the present and the future of Japanese Studies in their respective  countries.They are : Professor Yang Bojiang, Deputy Director, Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Science. Dr. Shing-Ching Shyu, Director, Center for Japanese Studies, National Taiwan University, Dept. of Japanese Language & Literature,. Cheol-Hee Park, Director/Professor of Seoul National University   Mr. Junichi Chano, Executive Director of The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, reported about the present and prospect of their support to Japanese Studies.     “Round-Table Discussion”   In the afternoon, we had a round-table discussion in open style, composed of about 20 panelists including the above speakers. Young researchers in the conference joined.in the discussion.   Professor Liu Jie (Graduate School of Social Science, Waseda University) summarized the discussion as follows.   (1)   As a cultural phenomenon, Japan is taking a growing interest and new research for Japan is growing. This is different from traditional Japanese Studies in a field of studies and personalities. Such a growing interest in Japan, however, is not always directly related with the concept of “deepening of Japanese Studies”. It will be important for “New Japanese Studies” hereafter how such growing interest link with “shared” Japanese Studies in Asia.   (2)   “Japanese Studies as a method” in this area are especially important now. It has a meaning that Japanese Studies reflects, like a mirror, how a nation or people ought to be. In other words, it will be a way of self-recognition. We could confirm the importance of “Japanese Studies as a method” through this forum.   (3)   I am sure that “Japanese Studies as a method”would link to reconciliation of East Asia, namely peace of East Asia. An important tool for the stabilization of reconciliation shall be “Wisdom”. By utilizing Japanese Studies as a method, we can establish not only “shared space of wisdom” and “community of wisdom”, but also reconciliation of the area.  In other words, we can contribute to possibilities of peace and stabilization of the area.   (4)   We could reach common consensus that we aim at building “Japanese Studies as shared wisdom in Asia”.   When we discussed how to utilize our network which was established this time, Park, Cheol-Hee, Director/Professor of Seoul National University suggested to hold a “Conference for scholars of Japanese Studies in East Asia”. We decided to form an environment to discuss what kind of works would be needed to be done and how to proceed with such works. We decided also that we send such message to the outside.   After this forum, we had a social gathering. Researchers, lecturers and panelists,  together with scholarship students and Raccoon members (ex-scholarship students) talked and discussed until late at night.   More than 20 researchers and panelists for Japanese Studies in East Asia who are active and are at the forefront of this endeavor assembled at the forum this time.  It was very lively, with an excellent moderator of the round-table discussion, Nam Ki-jeong, Professor, Seoul National University, Institute for Japanese Studies / SGRA member. The forum accomplished its objective despite the limited time.   I am deeply grateful to all the lecturers and panelists and I do hope that the network which has been formed this time would make a rapid progress hereafter.       Aggregate results of questionnaires of the day (in Japanese)   Photos of the day   (Written by Eiichi Tsunoda, Secretary General, Atsumi International Foundation)     Translated by Kazuo Kawamura English checked by Mac Maquito   SGRA News in Japanese (original)

  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)