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On August 9, 2022, a virtual award ceremony was held to recognize the 12 honorees of 91�Թ�’s 2021–2022 regional programs in Japan. These students performed at the highest levels in their respective courses. Their names, high schools, and final research project titles appear below.

Stanford e-Fukuoka (Instructor )

• Kasane Horiuchi (Tochiku High School), “Research on Plastic Bottle Recycling”
• Mihiro Tomomatsu (Hakata Seisho High School), “Break Invisible Barriers. Create the World that Everyone Needs”
   

Stanford e-Hiroshima (Instructor Rylan Sekiguchi)

• Minori Imai (Hiroshima Prefectural Kuremitsuta High School), “All Lives Are Important”
• Yui Miyake, (Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima High School), “U.S. Prison System: How the Country’s History of Racial Inequality Drives the High Rate of Incarceration in America”
   

Stanford e-Kawasaki (Instructor )

• Sayaka Kiyotomo (Kawasaki High School), “How Can We Improve Junior and Senior High School English Education in Japan?”
• Anne Fukushima (Tachibana High School), “How Are Invisible Disorders Accepted in the United States and Japan?”

Stanford e-Kobe (Instructor Alison Harsch)

• Nonoha Toji (Kobe University Secondary School), “How to Foster Entrepreneurship in School Days: Between U.S. and Japan”
• Cullen Hiroki Morita (Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School), “The Different Work-Life Balance in Japan and America”
   

Stanford e-Oita (Instructor Kasumi Yamashita)

• Rina Imai (Usa High School), “Learn 91�Թ� War and Peace Through the Naval Air Base Bunkers in Oita”
• Yuki Nojiri (Hofu High School), “I Want to Live in the Second House of the Three Little Pigs”

Stanford e-Tottori (Instructor Jonas Edman)

• Sakurako Kano (Tottori Keiai High School), “Being Proactive”
• Yuki Yamane (Tottori Nishi High School), “The Effect of Collectivism and Individualism on Education”
   

The event began with welcoming remarks by the Honorable Hajime Kishimori, Acting Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, who recognized the students for their impressive academic achievement. “You have demonstrated initiative and dedication to enhancing your understanding of Japan and the United States. I’d like to congratulate all of you.” He also expressed his hope for the students to play an active role in the future of U.S.–Japan relations. “I hope that your experiences have motivated you to consider an international career involving Japan and the United States. I believe the future of Japan–U.S. relations is in the hands of the next generation, and I hope young leaders like you will continue to strengthen our countries’ friendship as we move forward.”

Following Acting Consul General Kishimori’s remarks, each honoree delivered a formal research presentation in English and fielded questions from the audience. Each honoree also received a plaque to recognize their award.

For the instructors, it was a joy to watch the students present the research projects they worked for months to refine. “It’s so rewarding to see their hard work pay off,” commented Stanford e-Kobe Instructor Alison Harsch. “You can’t help but feel proud of them—for their academic accomplishments, but also for the ways they’ve grown as young adults over the course of the program.”

Stanford e-Fukuoka honoree Kasane Horiuchi is a case in point. Thinking back on her experience in the course, she reflected, “At first, I hesitated to speak up in class, but my instructor always encouraged us to be brave and told us that making mistakes was important. Thanks to her encouragement, I was able to talk with my classmates and enjoyed participating in every class. This experience was so important to me.”

91�Թ� would like to thank its collaborators at the Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Oita, and Tottori Prefectural Boards of Education, Kawasaki City, and Kobe City, who have helped make these regional programs a success. 91�Թ� would also like to thank Fukuoka Governor Seitaro Hattori, Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, Kawasaki Mayor Norihiko Fukuda, Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto, Oita Governor Katsusada Hirose, and Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai for their continued support of these regional programs.

91�Թ�’s regional programs are a subset of our local student programs in Japan.

To stay informed of news about 91�Թ�, and follow us on , , and .

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is a partnership between 91�Թ� and NPO e-Entrepreneurship, which is led by Yusuke “Ed” Matsuda and Junna Hagiwara. Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan enrolls exceptional high school students from Japan. Top Japanese and American scholars and entrepreneurs provide web-based lectures and engage students in live discussion sessions or “virtual classes” on topics like design thinking, health and welfare, agriculture, environment and energy, and education and technology. The course is offered in English and includes reading assignments, online lectures, discussion board posts, and research projects. Students who successfully complete the course receive a Certificate of Completion from 91�Թ�, 91�Թ�.

On August 15, 2022, NPO e-Entrepreneurship’s Junna Hagiwara facilitated an online ceremony during which the top two students from the summer 2021 course and the top two students from the fall 2021 were honored. The honorees also gave presentations on their research papers. The honorees and the titles of their research paper topics are:

Summer 2021

• Yamato Obinata, Shibuya Makuhari Senior High School, Chiba; “School Truancy”
• Scott Watanuki, Iolani High School, Honolulu; “A Cost-Effective Solution for Diagnosing Cataracts in Developing Countries”
   

Fall 2021

• Mona Abe, Urawa Akenohoshi Girls’ Senior High School, Saitama Prefecture; “Eliminating Labor Exploitation: Taking an Individual Approach to Ethical Fashion”
• Nahoko Okamoto, Kikuzato High School, Aichi Prefecture; “LGBTQ+ Inclusivity”

Following each presentation, each honoree fielded questions from an audience of teachers, fellow Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan students, and members of the 91�Թ�/Stanford community. While listening to their presentations and the Q&A period, Hagiwara noted, “It became clear to me why these four students were chosen as the honorees by their instructors. Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan has the objective of empowering students with creative thinking and problem-solving skills with a focus on social innovation to solve global issues. This certainly came through each presentation during the ceremony.”

Instructor stated the following about the summer 2021 course. “Throughout the course, the students learned to work together to build a solution for a problem, and I hope that this experience helped them realize that the more different ideas and perspectives they bring in, the more innovative they can be in problem-solving. Both Yamato and Scott not only demonstrated innovation but also excellent leadership in fostering teamwork and collaboration.”

Reflecting on the fall 2021 course, Instructor Irene Bryant noted, “As we navigated another year of the pandemic, I was impressed with how students were able to empathize with their classmates and step up to help one another during challenging times. It was also great to see them apply new skills and improve how they approached each new topic as the course progressed. Mona and Nahoko, our fall honorees, showed exceptional leadership skills and their ability to grasp the importance of empathy really showed in their work.”

The fall 2021 course was generously supported by Noriko & Norman Chen and Andrew & Mako Ogawa. The spring 2022 course was generously supported by the Water Dragon Foundation. Bryant, Bacha, and Hagiwara are grateful to Mitsuhito Ikeda, a senior at International Christian University, who contributed his time to both the fall and spring courses.

Stanford e-Japan is an online course that teaches Japanese high school students about U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations. The course introduces students to both U.S. and Japanese perspectives on many historical and contemporary issues. It is offered biannually by the  (91�Թ�). Stanford e-Japan is supported by the .

In August 2023, three of the top students of the Spring 2022 Stanford e-Japan distance-learning course will be honored at a Japan Day ceremony through 91�Թ�. The three Stanford e-Japan honorees—Hana Kameyama (Seikei High School, Tokyo), Miyu Kato (Hiroshima Prefectural Senior High School, Hiroshima), and Yuta Muraki (Matsumoto Shuho Secondary School, Nagano)—will be recognized for their coursework and exceptional research essays that focused respectively on “A Comparative Analysis between the United States of America and Japan: Women in STEM,” “U.S. Public Health Policy in Hospitals for People with Disabilities,” and “Legitimacy of the United States and Japan as Permanent Members of the Security Council from the Viewpoint of Regional Representation.”

Mona Abe (Urawa Akenohoshi Girls’ Senior High School, Saitama) received an Honorable Mention for her research paper on “Protecting Undocumented Children in the U.S. and Japan: Extending DACA.” Oki Sugiyama (Musashi High School, Tokyo) also received an Honorable Mention for his paper on “A Study on Machine Translation Application to Strengthen the U.S.–Japan Relationship.”

All 28 students successfully completed the Spring 2022 session of Stanford e-Japan. They represented the following schools: Ashiya International Secondary School (Hyogo); Columbia International School (Saitama); Hachinohe High School (Aomori); Hiroshima Prefectural Senior High School (Hiroshima); Hyogo Prefectural Ono High School (Hyogo); Kagoshima Prefectural Oshima High School (Kagoshima); Kaishi Kokusai High School (Niigata); Katoh Gakuen Gyoshu Senior High School (Shizuoka); Keio Girls Senior High School (Tokyo); Kumamoto High School (Kumamoto); Kyoto Prefectural Rakuhoku Senior High School (Kyoto); Lycée Français International de Kyoto (Kyoto); Matsumoto Shuho Secondary School (Nagano); Matsuyama Higashi High School (Ehime); Musashi High School (Tokyo); Okinawa Prefectural Yokatsu High School (Okinawa); Omiya High School (Saitama); Sapporo Minami High School (Hokkaido); Seikei High School (Tokyo); Seisen Junior and Senior High School (Kanagawa); Takada High School (Mie); Taki High School (Aichi); Tamagawa Academy (Tokyo); Tennoji High School attached to Osaka Kyoiku University (Osaka); Tokyo Gakugei University International Secondary School (Tokyo); Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School (Tokyo); Touoh Gakkan High School (Yamagata); and Urawa Akenohoshi Girls’ Senior High School (Saitama).

For more information about the Stanford e-Japan Program, please visit . The application period for the spring 2023 session will begin November 15, 2022.

To stay informed of news about Stanford e-Japan and 91�Թ�’s other programs,  and follow us on , , and .

Stanford e-Fukuoka is an online course for high school students throughout Fukuoka Prefecture in the southwestern island of Kyushu, Japan, that is sponsored by the Fukuoka Prefectural Government. Launched in spring 2022, it is offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91�Թ�) in collaboration with the Fukuoka Prefectural Board of Education. 91�Թ� is grateful to Fukuoka Governor Seitaro Hattori whose vision made this course possible. Stanford e-Fukuoka is one of 91�Թ�’s local student programs in Japan. 

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Having spent three wonderful years in Fukuoka Prefecture on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program after college, I welcomed the opportunity to teach “e-Fukuoka,” Stanford’s online course on U.S.–Japan relations, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and entrepreneurship. In Spring 2022, I had the pleasure of teaching 30 high school students from 16 public and private schools throughout Fukuoka Prefecture.

For the inaugural course, I invited the following guest speakers to our virtual classroom:

Yuki Kondo-Shah (former Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka)
Kondo-Shah introduced students to the concept of “soft power,” coined by political scientist Joseph Nye. Unlike “hard power,” which refers to military or economic might, she described “soft power” as the people-to-people relationships and grassroots student exchanges that enhance communication, deepen cross-cultural understanding, and strengthen U.S.–Japan relations. “Soft power” at times calls for engagement based on empathy and empowerment.

Miwa Seki (General Partner of MPower Partners)
Seki’s venture capital fund, MPower, is Japan’s first Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG)-focused global venture capital (VC) fund. Seki, a Co-founder of the women-led VC fund, explained that even young entrepreneurs of global start-ups need resources to launch their businesses and that VCs like MPower provide them with this funding. Born and raised in Fukuoka, Seki showed students how she countered adversity at various stages of her career by “becoming the solution.”

Fred Katayama (former anchor and producer at Reuters; Executive Vice-President of the U.S.-Japan Council in Washington, DC)
Katayama shared his family’s transnational migration from Fukuoka to Hawaii and Los Angeles, and later to Belem (Brazil). He also traced his family’s wartime incarceration at Tule Lake (CA) and Gila River (AZ). Katayama reflected on his early struggles with his Japanese American identity. He explained that despite the discrimination that he experienced, the role models from his youth encouraged his pursuit of an international career in journalism.

Jan Johnson (owner of the Panama Hotel in Seattle; recipient of the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation)
Johnson grew more conscious of the need to preserve the history of buildings like the Panama Hotel (designed by a Japanese immigrant) after traveling to Italy in her youth. She challenged gender bias to purchase the building. She saw the importance of preserving a historic building and its sustainable practices before anyone else saw the value in doing so.

Each speaker shared their personal and professional journeys between and beyond the United States and Japan. They contextualized and localized the broad concepts of diplomacy, global finance, journalism, and immigration, respectively. Finally, they allowed students to see that these ideas are not foreign but rather are relevant to our everyday lives.

As a final project, each of the Stanford e-Fukuoka students identified a sustainability-related issue in their community that was meaningful to them. They conducted fieldwork and interviewed individuals engaged in the topic. They explored how their topics related to the global world around them and how they could make a difference through a change in perception, education, or innovation.

The two honorees from this year’s Stanford e-Fukuoka cohort are:

Kasane Horiuchi (Tochiku High School, Kita-Kyushu City)
Kasane explored recycling challenges at her high school and offered potential solutions that students can make to enhance conventional “reduce, reuse, and recycle” processes. She proposed the QR-coding of plastic bottles, suggested transparent collection bins, and looked into incentivizing sustainability through gamification.  

Mihiro Tomomatsu (Hakata Seisho High School, Munakata City)
Mihiro shared her mental health challenges and discussed the resulting discrimination and disruption of education that she endured. She suggested thoughtful ways to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness through empathetic, peer-based interventions. Mihiro encourages awareness and the creation of a culture of compassion that is sustained through mutual responsibility.

Students joined Stanford e-Fukuoka with varying degrees of English communication abilities. Yet each week, as they became more brave, they expressed their opinions through their writing, shared their thoughts in class discussions, and grew comfortable making mistakes. Students were especially inspired by the stories of personal struggle and resilience among our distinguished guest speakers. By openly discussing their vulnerabilities alongside their strengths, the speakers connected with the students. The presenters showed these high school students how we are more alike than different. No doubt, this was “soft power” at work.

I’d like to thank Chie Inuzuka (Director, Fukuoka American Center) for her positivity and support on the other side of my virtual classroom. I look forward to continue working together to create a meaningful learning experience for our Stanford e-Fukuoka students.

Stanford e-Japan enrolls exceptional high school students from Japan to engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture. The Reischauer Scholars Program enrolls exceptional high school students from the United States to engage in an intensive study of Japanese society and culture. Both courses underscore the importance of U.S.–Japan relations. is the current supporter of Stanford e-Japan, and the Japan Fund at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) is the current supporter of the RSP.

On August 8, 2022, an award ceremony was held to honor 91�Թ�’s Spring and Fall 2021 Stanford e-Japan student honorees and 2022 Reischauer Scholars Program student honorees. The honorees performed at the highest levels of their courses as determined by Stanford e-Japan Instructors Waka Takahashi Brown and Meiko Kotani, Reischauer Scholars Program Instructor Naomi Funahashi, and the research paper review committees.

Spring 2021 Stanford e-Japan Program Honorees
Yura Amaya, Toyama Chubu High School, Toyama
Akira Fukutomi, Yaeyama High School, Okinawa
Yuto Kimura, Waseda University Senior High School, Tokyo

Fall 2021 Stanford e-Japan Program Honorees
Yohei Kiguchi, Chiba Prefectural Chiba Senior High School, Chiba
Mio Kobayashi, Shirayuri Gakuen, Tokyo
Tomoka Matsushima, Senri International School, Osaka

Honorable Mentions: Ayuki Ichikawa (Keio Senior High School, Kanagawa), Risei Ko (Ikeda Senior High School attached to Osaka Kyoiku University, Osaka), Saya Miyake (Keio Girls High School, Tokyo), and Moe Shimizu (Shibuya Senior High School, Tokyo)

2022 Reischauer Scholars Program Honorees
Cindy DeDianous, Scarsdale High School, New York
Yurika Sakai, Greenwich High School, Connecticut
Riyana Srihari, Nueva School, California

Honorable Mentions: Sora Shirai (Hanover High School, New Hampshire) and Colin Cham (Nueva School, California)

The program began with welcoming comments from the Honorable Hajime Kishimori, Acting Consul General of Japan in San Francisco. “I would like to recognize this year’s honorees for their outstanding academic performance and to congratulate all the participants for completing the programs. I believe that through these programs, your understanding of Japan and the United States has been deepened, and I hope that it will inspire you to consider your future study and career involving Japan–U.S. relations.” He continued, “I am glad that we have platforms such as the Reischauer Scholars Program and Stanford e-Japan where young people from both countries learn about each other’s country and mutual history and have a chance to engage in direct exchanges."

Following Acting Consul General Kishimori, Chikano Shiroma, Deputy Secretary General of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation, made opening comments. She noted, “First of all, I would like to congratulate the Reischauer Scholars Program and Stanford e-Japan students who are participating today… Our Foundation has supported Stanford e-Japan since 2018, so I am happy to be able to hold this ceremony in person in Japan… Our Foundation’s President, Mr. Tadashi Yanai, is also the founder of Uniqlo and also President of Fast Retailing, the holding company of Uniqlo and other fashion brands. The Yanai Tadashi Foundation supports talented Japanese high school students to have the opportunity to pursue higher education at universities in the U.S. and U.K. so that they can contribute to the future development of Japan worldwide.” She continued, “Our main business is a scholarship program for Japanese students who wish to enter universities in the U.S. and U.K.—universities that are ranked among the top 60. We have provided scholarships to approximately 200 students. Among them are many students who have taken the Stanford e-Japan program so if you seek to apply for universities in the U.S. or U.K., we encourage you to apply for our scholarship program… Our Foundation hopes that what you learn about the relationship between Japan and the U.S. through Stanford e-Japan will be helpful in your future careers, and we hope for your international success in the future.”

Following the welcoming and opening comments, Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi gave introductions of their courses. The student honorees made presentations based on their research papers and expertly fielded questions from the audience. While listening to the presentations, I reflected on the tremendous impact that Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi have had on their students over many years. The RSP and Stanford e-Japan are about to enter their 20th and 8th years, respectively. Many of the alumni are now engaged in various fields related to U.S.–Japan relations and continue to give back to both programs by being guest speakers or mentors to the current students. Also, in their comments, Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi profusely thanked their guest speakers, many of whom have remained unwavering in their support since the launch of the programs.

Takayuki Enomoto, Teacher at Waseda University High School in Tokyo, kindly made arrangements to host the Stanford e-Japan honorees at Waseda University High School. Reflecting on the event, he noted, “As someone who shares a common goal in educating young people, the 91�Թ� team receives my respect and appreciation for nurturing our students with a broad perspective in U.S.–Japan relations… The e-Japan students will certainly make a significant difference in the future.” Following the formal event, the student honorees—most having met each other in person for the first time—had the chance to enjoy lunch together and visit sites in Tokyo. It is the hope of Brown, Kotani, and Funahashi that the Japanese and American student honorees will someday have the chance to gather in person when it is safer to do so.

91�Թ� is grateful to President Tadashi Yanai for his generous support of Stanford e-Japan and to Chikano Shiroma and Daisuke Kato of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation for their regular correspondence and encouragement. 91�Թ� is also thankful to the Japan Fund committee at FSI for its generous support of the Reischauer Scholars Program. These courses and the ceremony would not have been possible without them.

The Reischauer Scholars Program’s next application period will begin September 5, 2022. Stanford e-Japan’s next application period will begin November 15, 2022.

 

In 2022 91�Թ� launched the Stanford e-Fukuoka program, a new online course offered to high school students across Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan. Stanford e-Fukuoka’s main themes revolve around U.S.–Japan relations, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and entrepreneurship. In the course, students engage in discussions with speakers on topics such as Japanese immigration to the United States, the historical preservation of cultural sites, and media representations of ethnicity.

Stanford e-Fukuoka is the latest of 91�Թ�’s growing number of local student programs in Japan, which include other regional programs such as Stanford e-Hiroshima, Stanford e-Kawasaki, Stanford e-Kobe, Stanford e-Oita, and Stanford e-Tottori. These online courses are a collaboration between 91�Թ� and local government and school officials in Japan and challenge students to think critically about global themes related to U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations.

The inaugural session of Stanford e-Fukuoka recently came to a close, and two students have been selected to be recognized as honorees for their outstanding performance in the course. Congratulations to the 2022 Stanford e-Fukuoka honorees on their excellent academic achievement!

Student Honoree: Kasane Horiuchi
School:  Tochiku High School
Project Title: Research on Plastic Bottle Recycling

Student Honoree: Mihiro Tomomatsu
School:  Hakata Seisho High School
Project Title: Break Invisible Barriers. Create the World that Everyone Needs

These students will be honored at a virtual event hosted by 91�Թ�, 91�Թ�, this week. During the ceremony they will also make a formal presentation to members of the Stanford community, the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, and the Japanese community in the San Francisco Bay Area.

91�Թ� also offers national online courses to Japanese high school students (Stanford e-Japan), to Chinese high school students (Stanford e-China), and to U.S. high school students on Japan (Reischauer Scholars Program), China (China Scholars Program), and Korea (Sejong Korea Scholars Program).

To stay informed of 91�Թ� news, and follow us on , , and .

The following reflection is a guest post written by Stanford e-Hiroshima alum Rio Sasaki, who served as one of three high school peace messengers from Hiroshima Prefecture in 2021–22.

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Hello. I am Rio Sasaki, a 19-year-old woman living in Hiroshima, Japan. Today, I want to share about my experience as a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger.

Do you know the Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messengers program? It was started in 1998, and since then, Peace Messengers have visited the United Nations every year to appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of a peaceful world. Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messengers collect signatures against war and do peace-promoting operations. We have submitted more than two million signatures so far. We visited the UN Headquarters in New York City, the United States, until 1999, and since 2000 we have been visiting the UN Office at Geneva, Switzerland, where the Conference on Disarmament will be held.

Last year, in my third year of high school, I was chosen as a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger. The reason why I wanted to be a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger was because my grandparents are hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) and I wanted to tell the truth of their story to posterity as the last generation that can hear the voice of hibakusha. Moreover, I was inspired by the story of a young woman who fought to protect democracy in Hong Kong. Then I thought to myself, “I want to make a difference in the world, too.”

The most shocking event in my year as a Peace Messenger was the world suddenly being in a situation in which nuclear weapons may be used in war. We—the Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messengers—held urgent fundraising activities for Ukraine and collected signatures against the war. After that, we went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo with the signatures we collected and handed them to State Minister for Foreign Affairs Odawara. Then, I conversed with Prime Minister Kishida at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum as a Youth Communicator for a World without Nuclear Weapons. I did not think an ordinary high school student like me would have a chance to talk to the prime minister of a country. I was very nervous, but it became a memorable day for me. In this way, my experience as a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger had a huge effect on my life. Photo to the right: Rio Sasaki in Nagasaki speaking as a peace messenger.

I participated in the Stanford e-Hiroshima program when I was in the first year of high school and learned about the United States and the world. Being able to finish this curriculum lent me great confidence. In particular, my life changed by meeting my Stanford e-Hiroshima instructor, Mr. Rylan Sekiguchi. I challenged myself to become a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger when I was a second-year high school student, but I was not chosen and felt very discouraged. However, Mr. Rylan encouraged me to keep my chin up. The next year, I applied a second time, and I was chosen. If it had not been for Mr. Rylan’s support, I wouldn’t be who I am. Participating in Stanford e-Hiroshima and meeting Mr. Rylan Sekiguchi were extremely important events in my life.

I am now a first-year student at Hiroshima City University majoring in International Studies. Moving forward, I hope to continue advocating for peace in my community and around the world. From now on, I plan to polish my English skills to continue promoting peace activities to the world.