91³Ô¹Ï

With start-up companies and cafes popping up throughout the city, it¡¯s no wonder that Fukuoka is called the Silicon Valley of Japan. Meiji era schoolhouses and red-brick buildings that housed insurance companies a century ago are now being turned into start-up cafes for entrepreneurs and community cultural centers. In November 2023, the city even began offering foreign entrepreneurs a ¡°startup visa¡± that allows them to stay in Japan for up to a year to help launch their businesses.

During my visit to Fukuoka in November 2023, I wasn¡¯t surprised to learn that Fukuoka Governor Seitaro Hattori had just returned from Boston where he and his delegation¡ªrepresenting governmental, corporate, academic, and emerging sectors¡ªmet with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, hosted a pitch event for entrepreneurs, visited MIT, and promoted Fukuoka¡¯s famous Yame green tea in New York City.

Governor Hattori (photo below) joined Stanford e-Fukuoka¡¯s closing ceremony at the prefectural government office on a crisp November day, as U.S. and Japanese flags waved overhead. There, he addressed the 17 students who gathered from all corners of the prefecture and offered words of encouragement for their participation in the six-month course. He remarked, ¡°Through your participation in Stanford e-Fukuoka, you have been able to experience things that can¡¯t be learned or experienced in a regular classroom. As we confront challenging global issues and conflicts, I hope we can overcome them by holding onto what is important. Do not let the fear of making mistakes hold you back from your pursuits.¡±

2022¨C23 Stanford e-Fukuoka honorees Rui Ogura (Chikushi Jogakuen Senior High School) and Ayumi Ryu (Kurume High School) shared their thoughts about the program and their recent visit to 91³Ô¹Ï in August 2023. Ogura stated, ¡°I would like to express my sincere gratitude for giving me such a wonderful learning opportunity. Although the lecture content was extremely difficult for me, I was inspired by the high English language proficiency and proactive comments by my classmates. It made me want to work even harder.¡±

In her presentation at Stanford, Ogura suggested ways to rebuild a sustainable society in present-day Fukuoka based on the eco-friendly lifestyle of the Edo period. Ogura added, ¡°Through the six-month-long Stanford e-Fukuoka program, I reaffirmed the importance of ¡®staying curious.¡¯ Kasumi-sensei encouraged me to keep asking questions. In addition to preparing for the lectures, I was asked to think about my research and presentation from many perspectives. As I prepared for my presentation, I received new questions every few days. Answering them made me reflect on my ideas from different angles.¡±

Ryu also shared her thoughts on the course. ¡°There are many things that I gained through this course, but the two main ones are meeting diverse people and seeing things from multiple perspectives. By asking questions during lectures, sharing my own thoughts with guest speakers, and having discussions with other high school students, I not only learned about leadership but also learned about fellowship.¡±

At Stanford, Ryu presented on ways to create a sustainable food supply for residents of her hometown of Miyama City through the revitalization of akiya (abandoned buildings). Ryu added, ¡°I learned how to think about social issues and how they are related to history. Through the class, I was able to think about solutions from new perspectives and used English in a practical way. I became more interested in social issues such as food systems and the preservation of historic buildings and enjoyed learning about the diverse backgrounds of each guest speaker. Stanford e-Fukuoka made me reconsider my vision for the future.¡±

This year, we welcomed guest speakers including Julie Wurfel, a Silicon Valley sustainable food entrepreneur; Erika Enomoto, an arts enthusiast and Product Manager at Microsoft; and Jan Johnson, the owner of Seattle¡¯s Panama Hotel, a National Historic Landmark built in 1910 and steeped in Japanese American history. Students from Fukuoka also had a chance to exchange ideas with peers in the United States when they met Japanese language students from the Bronx High School of Science (my alma mater) online. Students from both countries enjoyed discussing a range of topics from anime and J-pop to differences in high school and college experiences in the United States and Japan. Many shared their mutual aspirations to study abroad in the future.

Stanford e-Fukuoka student Kokomi Wakizono (Fukuoka Futaba Senior High School) noted how it was not only students overseas but those nearby with whom she was able to connect. ¡°Stanford e-Fukuoka was an amazing chance for me to learn how Fukuoka and Japan are connected to the United States. This program gave me an opportunity to meet different people, my age, with similar interests and ideas. It was also the first time that I connected with people in Kitakyushu and Kurume even though we live in the same prefecture. I was so surprised to see how we are so connected!¡± Izumi Matsumura (Nakamura Jogakuen High School) added, ¡°This class made me realize that it¡¯s not only important to learn about our own areas of interest. We need to think about how it might be related to something or someone else. I feel motivated to study various fields and find connections from a broader perspective. Just as Steve Jobs said, we need to ¡®connect the dots.¡¯¡±

A highlight in 2023 was when we were joined by renowned poet, educator, feminist, and human rights activist, Mitsuye Yamada, who was born in Fukuoka and emigrated to Seattle as a child. She shared stories of her youth, her family, and wartime incarceration in Minidoka. Stanford e-Fukuoka students flooded her with happy birthday wishes a few weeks before her 100th birthday. Yamada was delighted and shared her enthusiasm for lifelong learning and said, ¡°We¡¯re never too old to learn and share what we¡¯ve learned.¡± With this thought in mind, I look forward to welcoming my students to the third year of Stanford e-Fukuoka in 2024.

Stanford e-Fukuoka was launched in Spring 2022 and is made possible through a partnership between 91³Ô¹Ï, the U.S. Consulate Fukuoka, and the Fukuoka Prefectural Government. I would like to extend my gratitude to the Honorable Seitaro Hattori (Governor, Fukuoka Prefecture), the Honorable Shankar D. Rao (Consul, U.S. Consulate Fukuoka), Chie Inuzuka (Director, Fukuoka American Center), and Kyoko Tomita (Teacher¡¯s Consultant, Senior High Education Division, Fukuoka Prefectural Board of Education) for their collaboration and support in making Stanford e-Fukuoka possible. This course offers students throughout the prefecture with an opportunity to learn about U.S.¨CJapan relations, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and entrepreneurship. Stanford e-Fukuoka is one of 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s local student programs in Japan. 

Since 2015, 91³Ô¹Ï has offered an online course, the ¡°91³Ô¹Ï/Stanford e-Course on Global Health¡± or Stanford e-Takatsuki to students mainly enrolled in Takatsuki Jr. and Sr. High School¡¯s Global Advanced Course. Takatsuki Jr. and Sr. High School is located in Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture. 

Since its launch, the course has provided 378 students with a unique learning opportunity that includes both a broad overview of the importance of global health and a special focus on international work conducted by medical researchers and practitioners at 91³Ô¹Ï and beyond. The speakers from Stanford are listed below. 

• Dr. Catherine Blish, Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford Medicine; Associate Dean for Basic and Translational Research, 91³Ô¹Ï School of Medicine

• Dr. Fumiaki Ikeno, Program Director (U.S.) Japan Biodesign, Stanford Biodesign; Research Associate, Cardiovascular Medicine, 91³Ô¹Ï School of Medicine

• Dr. S.V. Mahadevan, Professor of Emergency Medicine, 91³Ô¹Ï School of Medicine; Director, Global Affairs and Strategy, 91³Ô¹Ï School of Medicine

• Dr. Anurag Mairal, Adjunct Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business; Faculty Fellow and Lead, Technology Innovation and Impact at Center for Innovation in Global Health; Director, Global Outreach Programs, Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign

• Dr. Kazunari Sasaki, Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Abdominal Transplant, Department of Surgery, 91³Ô¹Ï School of Medicine

• Dr. Samuel So, Lui Hac Minh Professor and Professor of Surgery, 91³Ô¹Ï School of Medicine; Founder and Director, Asian Liver Center, 91³Ô¹Ï School of Medicine

• Dr. Paul Wise, Professor in Pediatrics ¨C Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, 91³Ô¹Ï; Senior Fellow, Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law and the Center for International Security and Cooperation, Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies, 91³Ô¹Ï

• Dr. Phillip C. Yang, Professor of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine), 91³Ô¹Ï School of Medicine

From September to March over the past nine years, the students have participated in ¡°virtual classes¡± in English and have had the opportunity to engage the guest lecturers in question-and-answer sessions. The virtual classes have covered a variety of topics ranging from stem cell research to psychiatry. Course instructor Sabrina Ishimatsu commented:

In teaching this course, I feel so indebted to the guest lecturers who have not only shared their expertise with my students in an accessible way but also served as excellent role models. The primary aim of the course is to nurture future global leaders who have a profound awareness of the significance of global health. I am extremely honored to be part of a course that brings together leading medical professionals from Stanford and other institutions with curious and driven high school students who are interested in expanding their minds on global health topics. Many of our past speakers have said they were impressed with the students¡¯ high level of questions.

Tsuyoshi Kudo, Takatsuki¡¯s principal, reflected:

The education 91³Ô¹Ï has given to Takatsuki Jr. and Sr. High School for the past nine years is so much that I can¡¯t possibly put my thanks into words. I sincerely hope we¡¯ll be able to continue this wonderful e-course. Many alumni of Stanford e-Takatsuki have gone on to pursue medical studies, and I believe that their academic studies continue to be shaped by many of the scholars whom they met in the course.

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On November 10, 2023, I had the opportunity to visit Takatsuki Jr. and Sr. High School for the first time since before the pandemic. I had the chance to meet with Principal Kudo, give a talk titled ¡°What Does It Mean to Be a Global Citizen?¡± to former and current students of the 91³Ô¹Ï/Stanford e-Course on Global Health, and meet with the faculty at the school. (Photo above courtesy of Takatsuki Jr. and Sr. High School; Principal Kudo appears on the far left, front row.) 

During my visit, I realized again what an exemplary school Takatsuki Jr. and Sr. High School is under the incredible vision and leadership of Principal Kudo. Under his leadership, Takatsuki Jr. and Sr. High School has obtained both ¡°Super Science High School¡± (SSH) and ¡°Super Global High School¡± (SGH) designations awarded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). What an honor it has been for Sabrina Ishimatsu and me to collaborate with Principal Kudo and Takatsuki Jr. and Sr. High School for nine years. 

For more information about 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s online courses for students, visit our Student Programs page. To stay informed of 91³Ô¹Ï news,  and follow us on , , and .

September 16 marked the start of a six-month-long exploration of globally important, regionally relevant topics of study in the city of Kagoshima, Japan. Twenty-five high school students from area schools converged at city hall early Saturday to begin their participation in Stanford e-Kagoshima City, an online learning course offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91³Ô¹Ï).

The air was stiflingly humid that morning as we headed into the city hall building to attend the opening ceremony. Despite the unbearable heat, the students looked bright and cheery in their uniforms as they walked into the room and deftly took their seats.

We opened the inaugural session of Stanford e-Kagoshima City with many words of encouragement from Mayor Takao Shimozuru and City Council Chairman Keiji Kawagoe to the student body. They remarked on the importance of trying one¡¯s best and remaining positive even in times of challenges. The young people in the room are the future, they said, and they hoped to see many great things from this generation¡ªnot only as Kagoshima residents but as global citizens. They emphasized that this program should be one of enjoyment and excitement and not something to be feared. Those words helped ease the tension around the room, and students seemed to fall back on their chairs slightly as they waited for the next part of the program.

91³Ô¹Ï Director Gary Mukai joined the ceremony by Zoom to encourage students to think about some key points:

• Rely on one¡¯s curiosity to add meaning to one¡¯s lives and strive to create a more inclusive world.
• Think about the significance of the learned knowledge as it applies to one¡¯s life.
• Always remind oneself to consider other perspectives on an issue. 
• Understand empathy. 
• Don¡¯t be afraid to make mistakes or fail to meet expectations. It¡¯s all part of the learning process.

Soon it was my turn at the podium to conduct the first presentation for Stanford e-Kagoshima City. Beyond the self-introductions and course overview information, I wanted most to let the students know that the program would be an opportunity to make new friends, grow self-confidence, speak one¡¯s mind, learn lots of English, and understand one¡¯s importance in the community and in the world. A tall order, but one that I felt encompassed everything 91³Ô¹Ï and the greater Stanford institution represent.

The students played an ice breaker game to start things off. They got into small groups to answer random questions, such as ¡°Describe a childhood memory you remember very clearly¡± and ¡°If you could meet someone in the past who is no longer alive, who would it be and why?¡± As I went around the room to listen in, I could see that they were slowly getting acclimated to sharing their responses. As time passed, I could hear more laughter and see more smiles around the room. I felt relieved that the outcome was better than I¡¯d hoped to mark the start of their learning journey.

I am grateful for the generosity from the Kagoshima City government, including the department of education staff. Much appreciation goes to Mayor Shimozuru, City Council Chairman Kawagoe, Superintendent Haranosono, and Consul Strader Payton, Public Affairs Office (U.S. Consulate Fukuoka) for enabling 91³Ô¹Ï to bring the regional teaching program to Kagoshima. Additionally, Administrative Manager Komura, Director of School Education Division Sadohara, Manager of School Education Divisions Nakamura contributed greatly toward creating a solid virtual learning program. Lastly, my counterpart instructor, Chiemi Hamada, has been at the forefront and is instrumental in bringing about the successful onboarding of the students to the program. I owe her much gratitude.

On November 6, 2023, I had the honor of making a visit to (formerly Takagi Girls¡¯ High School) for the first time since 2019. In fall 2020, Yokohama Eiri Girls¡¯ High School¡ªin collaboration with 91³Ô¹Ï¡ªlaunched Stanford e-Eiri, an online course that introduces global topics that focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  

The Principal and Chair of the Board of Directors of Yokohama Eiri Girls¡¯ High School is Akiko Takagi, who was formally educated in Japan (Keio University) and the UK (MBA, London Business School) and the United States (Northwestern University). The instructor of the course is Mia Kimura, who was formally educated in the United States (Brown University) and Japan (MBA, Hitotsubashi University) and 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s advisor to Yokohama Eiri Girls¡¯ High School is Mariko Yang-Yoshihara, who was also formally educated in both Japan (University of the Sacred Heart) and the United States (PhD, 91³Ô¹Ï).

Mia Kimura noted the following about Stanford e-Eiri: 

Stanford e-Eiri aims to provide Eiri¡¯s juniors with a unique opportunity to explore and learn from each other about global issues that directly impact their lives. The primary goal of the course is to equip students with both the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in conversations with counterparts about global issues in English. The course consists of seven modules, each featuring a curriculum developed and facilitated by a group of students. Additionally, each module includes a mini lecture on a supporting topic, delivered by the course instructor. Students are encouraged to select a specific issue, conduct in-depth research, design assignments for their classmates, and ultimately create and facilitate an interactive lesson plan to share their findings, analyses, and recommended actions. This year¡¯s students have chosen to focus on topics such as women¡¯s rights, artificial intelligence, climate change, food waste, and education. The culmination of the course involves a virtual exchange with juniors at Castilleja School, an all-girls high school located in the heart of Silicon Valley.

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During my visit, I had the pleasure of giving a guest lecture on ¡°What Does It Mean to Be a Global Citizen?¡± to students enrolled in Stanford e-Eiri; photo above courtesy Yokohama Eiri Girls¡¯ High School. In my lecture, I shared the following definition of a ¡°global citizen¡± from .

A global citizen is someone who is aware of and understands the wider world¡ªand their place in it. They take an active role in their community and work with others to make our planet more peaceful, sustainable and fairer.

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Akiko Takagi (photo above left), Mia Kimura (photo above middle), and Mariko Yang-Yoshihara (photo above right) are three people who come immediately to mind when I think of global citizens who are also excellent role models for girls. 

The founder, Kimi Takagi, of Takagi Girls¡¯ High School, founded in 1908, also strikes me as a visionary global citizen from the late 19th and early 20th century. Takagi¡¯s founding vision was ¡°to educate women to become trusted and productive members of the society.¡± An article about Kimi Takagi by Dr. Yang-Yoshihara can be found here.

As I spoke to the Stanford e-Eiri students, I came to realize again how fortunate the students are to be the recipients of Kimi Takagi¡¯s global vision that is being transmitted to them through Akiko Takagi and the teachers of Yokohama Eiri Girls¡¯ High School and through Mia Kimura¡¯s course, Stanford e-Eiri. Kimura reflected, ¡°I am optimistic that, by challenging the students to take a leadership role in developing the course curriculum, they will not only experience the sense of accomplishment that comes from curiosity-driven learning but also actively contribute to solutions for the issues facing their generation. It¡¯s incredibly rewarding for me to see the enthusiasm the Eiri students bring to their work, and the growth they achieve in our time together.¡±

For more information about 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s online courses for students, visit our Student Programs page. To stay informed of 91³Ô¹Ï news,  and follow us on , , and .

I was born in Hiroshima, in the west of Japan. There are a lot of forests in my neighborhood, so many people think of it as the ¡°countryside.¡± I love the nature of Hiroshima, and it has always fueled me. Surrounded by the sound of wind, frogs, and the textures of leaves, this green heals my heart. I feel that nature always tells me, ¡°You can do that, just challenge yourself.¡±

This is my original background. I love my hometown of Hiroshima. However, before the Stanford e-Japan Program, I was just a girl born in the countryside. In other words, participating in this program has totally changed my life. It was a new gateway to my future¡ªit was the gateway to a whole new world.

I was very nervous at the beginning of this program because the other students were so fluent in English. I was not confident in my English, so I hesitated to open my mouth. However, I realized this was such a precious chance to talk with other students with various backgrounds and interesting perspectives. Then, I started to communicate with them more and more.

By the end of this program, I learned about others¡¯ views from discussion boards and made friends with them through our group assignments and by chatting with them via Zoom after the virtual classrooms. Most of them dreamed of working abroad and attending universities in foreign countries. Our dreams were diverse, but all of them had their aspirations. The more and more we got to know each other, the broader and broader my own world became. I started to think about learning abroad. I realized it was meaningful to study abroad with students from other countries to understand Japan and the world. The other students were so good at English that I was motivated to develop my skills, too.

Professors who are leaders in their fields provided brilliant classes in sociology, gender studies, and so on. This course allowed students to take classes from them and ask them questions directly. This is one of the most wonderful aspects of this program. 

My area of interest is the problems people with disabilities encounter. Therefore, ¡°Gender, Equity, and Equality¡± and ¡°Civil and Human Rights: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy¡± were the most impressive topics for me. Those classes fired my interest in gender and human rights studies. I was able to deepen my thoughts through the discussion boards.

On Japan Day, which took place at 91³Ô¹Ï on August 7, 2023, I talked with Stanford professors, all of whom welcomed us warmly. I made friends with the award winners of the Reischauer Scholars Program as well as ones from e-Japan. I cannot help but hope to visit Stanford again.

After graduating high school in Hiroshima, I entered the University of Tokyo and am now studying sciences. Next year, I plan to proceed to the School of Integrated Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine. I want to research the health status of people with disabilities in Japan. I am really fascinated to study it at this university. 

In the future, I would like to contribute to realizing health equity in the world. I want to study abroad to learn more about public health in the U.S. This is my dream, which began during Stanford e-Japan.

For more information about the Stanford e-Japan Program, please visit . The application period for the spring 2024 session will begin November 15, 2023.

To stay informed of 91³Ô¹Ï news, and follow us on , , and .

Having been in the field of international relations for my entire career and with no professional experience as an educator, it was a big decision for me to accept the invitation to teach Stanford e-Kawasaki. It is hard to believe that four years have already passed, and the fifth year of Stanford e-Kawasaki has just started. 

An opening ceremony was held on September 30, 2023 in Kawasaki City Hall, and I was able to attend the event in person for the first time. The Honorable Norihiko Fukuda, Mayor of Kawasaki City, addressed the new students, saying ¡°Kawasaki is a diverse city where many of its residents have come from other parts of Japan as well as from outside of Japan. As our city has proven, I want you to learn in this program that diversity brings strength, possibilities, and innovation.¡± Dr. Gary Mukai, Director of 91³Ô¹Ï, encouraged the students to stay curious, think critically, and show empathy as they embarked on the six-month-long course that provides an overview of the United States with a focus on diversity and entrepreneurship. The ceremony concluded with each student giving a self-introduction in English from the podium. Seeing the spark of excitement in their eyes, I felt excited myself and fortunate as well to have this opportunity to work with young students like them. 

A few days after the opening ceremony, I visited Kawasaki High School and Tachibana High School to meet with the students from this year and last year. Students from these two public high schools are selected for participation in Stanford e-Kawasaki annually. The ¡°senpai¡± (upper class) students shared their experiences with their ¡°kohai¡± (younger class) students and offered advice on how to handle assignments. It was nice to see a sense of community emerging around Stanford e-Kawasaki in each school. The conversations I had with the students were also informative, and they helped me understand what this program means to them. Below are some examples of their reflections.

Before, I studied English only as a subject. Now I see it as a communication tool that changed my attitude towards English study.

Lessons on diversity gave me an opportunity to think about my identity as a Japanese living in Japan. Lessons on entrepreneurship gave me a hint to think about my future.

I enjoyed the discussion board because it was so exciting to learn what the other students thought of different topics.

I discovered myself through this program. I found out what I think, what I¡¯m interested in, and what I want to learn.

I¡¯m still on a learning curve, but I have come to believe that my role in this program is to help students enjoy learning. Most students are in the 11th grade when they enroll in this program. I believe that it is meaningful for them to have an opportunity to learn for the pure joy of it before they start their last year of high school when they have to study hard for college entrance exams. I also want this program to be a space where students feel encouraged to give things a try and embrace mistakes. One day I visited my son¡¯s elementary school in Colorado and saw a poster saying, ¡°Mistakes are proof you are trying.¡± I truly wish I had this poster around me when I grew up in Japan. What I can do now as an educator is to be that poster for the students. 

Kawasaki City will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024. I hope that the students in this program will help to shape the future of Kawasaki City in the next 100 years. 

Finally, I would like to express my deep gratitude to all the people who have supported this program. In particular, I would like to thank Mayor Fukuda for his vision and leadership. I would also like to thank Section Chief Kentaro Kojima, Kawasaki City Children¡¯s Future Bureau General Affairs Department Planning Division, for his regular communication and support and his many predecessors who have helped to make what Stanford e-Kawasaki is today.

To stay informed of 91³Ô¹Ï news,  and follow us on , , and .

Drawing from former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Edwin O. Reischauer¡¯s legacy of developing a deep understanding of the Japanese people, culture, and society, the ¡ªa unique online program that offers U.S. high school students an opportunity for the intensive study of Japan and U.S.¨CJapan relations¡ªhas fostered lasting connections with Japan for young students in the United States since its establishment in 2003. Welcoming the 20th RSP cohort at the beginning of 2023 was a milestone. Online teaching and learning was somewhat of a novelty back when the RSP was envisioned in the early 2000s, with many in the first few cohorts of Reischauer scholars needing to seek out computer access and Internet connections at their local libraries in order to participate in the weekly online classes. 

As interest and funding in Japanese language waned following the bursting of the Japanese economic bubble in the early 1990s, a subsequent decline in the study of Japan at the higher education level was beginning to cause some concern within the Japan studies field. Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy shared the following in videotaped remarks to the Reischauer scholars in 2013: ¡°Appointed as ambassador to Japan by my father, President Kennedy, Ambassador Reischauer made tremendous contributions to America¡¯s understanding of Japan¡­ and he remains a model for me and all who follow in his path. As strong as our ties between the United States and Japan are, they are not self-sustaining. Our relationship is something each generation has to rediscover, recreate, and nurture.¡±

With these priorities in mind, 91³Ô¹Ï sought to create a space for high school students to deeply engage in the study of Japan and U.S.¨CJapan relations, regardless of where in the United States they called home. Introducing students to leading scholars, experts, and diplomats who could share both American and Japanese perspectives on their studies of these two countries, Dr. David Janes, former Director of Foundation Grants at the U.S.-Japan Foundation, Dr. Gary Mukai, 91³Ô¹Ï Director, and Ms. Waka Takahashi Brown, the inaugural instructor of RSP, set the stage for a truly unprecedented learning opportunity. I began teaching the RSP from year three.

Importantly, the RSP sought to not just offer content expertise on the history, religions, culture, society, politics, economics, and foreign policy of Japan and U.S.¨CJapan relations, but to create a community of learners who could discuss these topics on a deeper level that would allow for different perspectives to be shared and understood. The goal of the RSP was never to offer a solely academically-focused course on Japan and the U.S.¨CJapan relationship. The hope was always to foster the next generation of leaders who could come together from across the United States, bringing together their shared passion for Japan and for learning new global perspectives, and to support each other in their continued growth as individuals who hoped to make a difference in the world as they moved through their academic and professional careers.

As the academic year began to wind down in late June 2023, the magnitude of 20 years of the RSP began to settle in. Since the first RSP cohort in 2004, nearly 600 talented high school students from across the United States have gone on to lead rich and fulfilling lives which, in many cases, have continued to involve Japan. I reached out to some RSP alumni this past summer, curious about how the RSP experience has influenced the life choices of our Reischauer scholars over the years. Connecting with alumni¡ªespecially when the rare opportunities arise to do so in person, as we did over lunch at 91³Ô¹Ï in 2021¡ªis always a privilege. It was both enlightening and inspiring to read reflections from 20 years of RSP alumni; the depth and scope of the RSP impact clearly varying depending on how much time had passed since they had signed off after our last virtual class together.

In the final pages of Dr. George Packard¡¯s biography, Edwin O. Reischauer and the American Discovery of Japan, he shares that Reischauer had scribbled the following note in 1984: ¡°Peace in this world depends on international understanding and understanding on knowledge and skills at communication. Thus, peace ultimately depends on education¡± (Packard 293). It is my hope that the work that students have done in this course to deepen their international understanding will have a lasting impact not only for themselves, but for the U.S.¨CJapan relationship and beyond. Here are a few reflections that were shared with us by RSP alumni that reflect the range of experiences¡ªand legacies¡ª of the RSP, in their own words.

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RSP was my first opportunity to delve deep and learn more about Japanese culture and history through an academic lens. Growing up in borderline rural Florida, prior to RSP, my only exposure to Japan and Japanese culture was through Cartoon Network anime shows and video games. I would say my time at RSP sparked an interest to continue to learn about Japanese culture. In college, I ended up taking Japanese language courses, which led to studying abroad in Japan. I have had two careers, both in medicine and in art. In both careers and in my personal life, Japan and Japanese culture continue to be a big part of it all.

¡ªCarmel Mercado, RSP Class of 2005

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After participating in the RSP in 2009, I went on to complete my undergraduate degree in Japanese Studies, graduating in 2013. The RSP laid a solid foundation for my undergraduate studies. Out of undergrad, I went straight into the JET Program where I was an assistant language teacher at the elementary and junior high school level on the island of Tokunoshima, which was historically part of the Ryukyu Kingdom but is currently administratively part of Kagoshima Prefecture. At the time I participated in RSP, I had never been to Japan but was really wanting to (re)connect with my Japanese heritage as a Nikkei gosei (fifth generation) from Hawaii. Since undergrad, I have also been exploring my Okinawan/Uchinaanchu heritage, and reflecting on RSP today, I think I'm doing much of what I did as a participant in 2009 by researching my genealogy and trying to (re)connect with indigenous Okinawan spiritual practices by learning more about lunar obon practices and doing (y)eisaa. I am also still connected to my RSP cohort members through social media. Although we don't talk much, it's nice to see how everyone is doing and how far we've come since we participated in RSP together.

 ¡ªMicah Mizukami, RSP Class of 2009

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I took RSP 12 years ago and it changed my life! Growing up in rural Maine, RSP did the remote Zoom classroom experience way before it was cool...and it worked! The program exposed me to Japan's culture and history, giving me an international mindset that I've kept with me since. I remember being able to talk to high level diplomats like the former ambassador to Japan which was especially formative. Years later, my Stanford RSP experience encouraged me to pursue a PhD in Computer Science at Stanford, where my specialty became English-Japanese Machine Translation. Today, some of my best friends in the world are Japanese. I split my time between Seattle and Tokyo. I consider Japan a second home on the other side of the world, all thanks to my RSP experience which kindled the initial interest and inertia.

 ¡ªReid Pryzant, RSP Class of 2011

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RSP gave me a window into the college classroom while I was a high school student. From my room in Alabama, I suddenly had access to scholars, former diplomats, and experts from all over the world who gave fascinating lectures on subjects far outside my school curriculum but close to my own interests. Most importantly, however, RSP enabled me to connect with an incredibly unique group of students from all over the country, a group which became a surprisingly close online community by the end of the course.

 ¡ªVincent Wesselmann, RSP Class of 2016

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I loved the cultural and historical lessons RSP offered me as a young scholar. They shaped my academic interests and drove me to pursue literature and cultural studies with a focus on East Asia. I went on to study abroad at Doshisha University in Kyoto during my junior year of college. After my short stint in Asia, I decided to further broaden my horizons by spending some time in Europe. I traveled on to Amsterdam, where I received a MA in comparative literature. Yet, once again, I was drawn back to Japan. I am typing this response seated in an express train speeding through Tokyo! I will spend the next year teaching English to young children in the Kanto region. Needless to say, my interest in Japan hasn¡¯t waned in the slightest since enrolling in RSP. I¡¯m happy to be back!

 ¡ªMadison MacKenzie, RSP Class of 2016

I applied to RSP with the motivation to learn more about my cultural background, but what I remember most vividly is the exhilarating experience of bouncing off ideas with my peers¡­ it was during those thoughtful discussions that my knowledge of Japan (and my stance on certain issues) was enriched the most. Our intellectual exchanges reminded me that learning happens not only from the consumption of educational materials, but also from the synergy of diverse perspectives.

 ¡ªMika Isayama, RSP Class of 2016

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I had an amazing experience participating in the Reischauer Scholars Program. It inspired me to participate in the Sejong Korea Scholars Program and to receive a Bachelors in East Asian Studies. Thanks to the interest in East Asia that it inspired, I have now studied abroad in Korea, traveled around Japan, and hope to participate in the JET Program. I still think about the Buddhist monk who visited our class and the stories he told us!

 ¡ªGrace Rembert, RSP Class of 2018

The RSP completely broadened my horizons with regards to Japanese culture and U.S. - Japan relations. I think so often in the U.S. we are taught with a bias towards the U.S. angle and it was so refreshing to view history through the lens of Japan and the Japanese perspective. Moreover, the RSP attracts a broad range of students from everywhere around the U.S.; the melting pot that facilitates was such a pleasure to be a part of and engaging with students with a variety of perspectives and experiences relating to Japan made the RSP extremely dynamic and engaging for me. Many of the guest speakers were extremely memorable. RSP '21 students were extremely fortunate to hear from George Takei, and my particular favorite was the film discussion we had on "´óÈˤÎÒŠ¤ë½}±¾¡¡Éú¤ì¤Æ¤Ï¤ß¤¿¤±¤ì¤É" (I was born, but...). That film, which was silent and black and white, was so incredibly fascinating and the discussion we had on it was extremely thought provoking. In a sense that's what made the RSP so compelling -- we engaged in so many aspects and elements of Japanese history that there was something to satisfy everyone's personal interests, as well as something that sparked new interests and curiosities in everyone. Almost three years removed from doing the RSP, I look back on my experience with great fondness and am grateful for the friends I made along the way, many of whom I still am in contact with today. 

 ¡ªJack Turner, RSP Class of 2021

I applied for RSP because I wanted to learn about Japanese history and Japanese-US relations, but what I took from the program was so much more than that. Particularly through the diverse set of speakers we had the opportunity to hear from, I was constantly realizing that no history is static, and that the study of history can not be an isolated field, it is connected to every profession and every person. My most favorite lecture was that from Andrew Lee, the U.S. Consulate General in Sapporo at the time, as I felt he showed how a deep understanding of history is vital to diplomacy. 

 ¡ªSara Baudler, RSP Class of 2022

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In 1858, Yukichi Fukuzawa established a school for Western studies in Edo, the former name of Tokyo. On February 9, 1860, the Tokugawa shogunate sent the first Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States and Fukuzawa was aboard the ship, Kanrin Maru, which escorted the USS Powhatan upon which the Japanese embassy traveled. The objective of the diplomatic mission was to ratify the new Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation between the United States and Japan. After the Japanese embassy¡¯s stay in San Francisco, the USS Powhatan continued with the embassy to Washington, DC, where they met President James Buchanan, and also visited Philadelphia and New York City. The embassy returned to Japan on November 9, 1860. Fukuzawa¡¯s experiences with the first Japanese embassy had a profound impact on his views of education, and in 1868, Fukuzawa changed the name of the school to Keio Gijuku, a leading institute in Japanese higher education. 

One hundred and sixty-three years after Fukuzawa¡¯s trip to San Francisco, a student delegation of 14 students from Keio University visited the San Francisco Bay Area in September 2023. The students were part of Keio University¡¯s Global Passport Program (GPP) and represented the Faculty of Business and Commerce, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Letters, and Faculty of Policy Management. The delegation was led by Professor and GPP Chair Naoko Moriyoshi, Professor Noriyoshi Yanase, and Associate Professor Nobuhiko Kijima, all with the Faculty of Business and Commerce; and assisted by Misako Sack, a graduate of Keio University who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.  

The Global Passport Program, which is offered in English, is a two-term program of Keio University for junior and senior students that started in 2014 and managed by the Faculty of Business and Commerce to cultivate global leaders. A one-week overseas study program for selected students is one of the highlights of the GPP. During the recent one-week overseas study program, I had the chance to meet the student delegation at U.C. Berkeley on September 12 (photo above courtesy Global Passport Program, Keio University), and at 91³Ô¹Ï on September 15. At U.C. Berkeley, I was joined by KC Mukai, Assistant Director, Parent and Family Philanthropy, Berkeley Cal Parents & Families. KC (front row center in photo above) and I informally spoke with the Keio students, and KC had the chance to share her experiences as the reigning 2023 Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival Queen and her identity as a Japanese and Chinese American. 

At Stanford, I had the honor of giving a lecture on ¡°What Does It Mean to Be a Global Citizen?¡± While preparing my lecture, I was aware of the long history and strong synergy between Keio University and 91³Ô¹Ï. I located an article in the April 18, 1914 edition of The Daily Palo Alto about the Stanford-Keio baseball game that was played at Stanford. Numerous sporting events have been held between Keio and Stanford. 

There are many examples of student exchanges as well. For example, the includes the following on its website:  
SJEC originated in 1954 as a two-part exchange program with Keio University in Japan. This was engineered by Professor James Watkins of Stanford through his personal contacts with Keio graduates while working in Nagoya, Japan in the late 1920s. The program originally was named The Keio Committee as part of the Institute of International Relations (IIR), a larger umbrella organization. Even today, the Keio-end of the exchange is still operated under IIR. In 1991, SJEC expanded the program by including students from Doshisha University; in 2009, Kyoto University joined the program.

Another student exchange program is the (SKIP), which notes the following on its website: 
SKIP is an international program between 91³Ô¹Ï students and Keio University students. Every year the program invites more than 15 Stanford students in September and is held for two weeks. Through the program, we deepen our understanding about the society and culture of both countries and discuss the futuristic Japan-America relation based on what we have learned in the program.

In addition, the brings together students from Keio University and 91³Ô¹Ï to engage in contemplative/artistic/somatic approaches to conflict resolution, intercultural understanding, and creative leadership development. It is led by 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Dr. Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu and Keio University¡¯s Dr. Yuki Imoto. 

Lastly, many Keio alumni and faculty have studied or participated in Stanford programs. For example, in 2018¨C2019, Keio alumnus Junichiro Hirata was a visiting scholar with the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center¡¯s and is now an advisor to 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Stanford e-Japan program and Stanford regional e-Japan programs for Japanese high school students. Many alumni of these programs have gone on to study at Keio University and 91³Ô¹Ï. Photo above: Stanford e-Japan alumni (Jun Yamasaki, currently a PhD student in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford, far left; Hikaru Suzuki, University of Tokyo graduate and now an attorney with Nishimura & Asahi, second from left; Haruki Kitagawa, Keio University graduate and now a Service Commercial Sales Executive at SAP, far right) with Stanford e-Japan spring course instructor Waka Takahashi Brown (third from left) and advisor Junichiro Hirata (second from right); photo taken on February 26, 2019.  

I can imagine how proud Yukichi Fukuzawa would be of these programs and Keio¡¯s Global Passport Program and the 14 students whom I had the pleasure of meeting. Among the diverse student delegation were eight women and six men, including 10 Japanese, two Koreans, one Chinese, and one Taiwanese. I am so impressed with how Keio University is building upon the vision of Fukuzawa with programs like the GPP. Many of the students in the delegation have already spent significant time abroad and the GPP continues to contribute to their expanding global mindsets. For example, Keio senior and GPP member Risa Toyoda has studied at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Reflecting on the GPP and the recent trip to the San Francisco Bay Area, she noted:

Throughout this journey, I have had the privilege to explore two important themes: ¡°connection¡± and ¡°failure.¡± These themes have provided valuable insights that I would like to reflect on. First, regarding ¡°connection,¡± which is about building and nurturing relationships with others, I was inspired by how our trip was organized by Professor Moriyoshi, and her effort and sincerity to establish trust with people in the Bay Area. This reminded me of the crucial role trust plays in creating opportunities. I also had meaningful interactions with my fellow Overseas Field Trip (OFT) members during the week. Unlike my usual activities at Keio, this experience allowed me to engage with a diverse group, including those who have lived outside Japan. It emphasized the importance of going back to basics, especially for those visiting the United States for the first time. I would like to cherish this idea of appreciating each other¡¯s diversity, and going back to the starting point as I start to work next year. Next, concerning the topic of ¡°failure,¡± I had an opportunity to have a presentation during this trip with five other members about the challenges Japanese startups face¡­ and was introduced to the concept of ¡°failing forward,¡± which means making progress by learning from failures, even in the face of setbacks. This approach involves venturing out of one¡¯s comfort zone, and I imagine how it will lead to success in a competitive environment¡­ I am sure that these will undoubtedly guide my future endeavors as I continue to pursue personal and professional growth.

On November 6 and 7, 2023, I will have the honor to speak at the Mita and Hiyoshi campuses of Keio University and hope that the lectures will in a small way help to further strengthen the relationship between Keio and Stanford and build upon the vision of Yukichi Fukuzawa. I also hope to see the OFT students again and encourage them to apply for graduate school in the United States with hopes that they will seriously consider applying to San Francisco Bay Area colleges such as U.C. Berkeley and Stanford.  

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91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s programs for U.S. high school students are now for next spring. Joining our long-running Sejong Korea Scholars Program (SKSP) and Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) on Japan is a new program called the U.S.¨CChina Co-Lab on Climate Solutions that will enroll U.S. and Chinese students together. 

The new Co-Lab program will be 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s first truly transnational course, bringing equal numbers of 10th¨C12th graders from the United States and China into conversation to discuss the challenges with the global climate crisis. This program is based on four years of limited collaboration between 91³Ô¹Ï¡¯s China Scholars Program for U.S. students and the Stanford e-China Program for Chinese students.  Instructors Carey Moncaster and Tanya Lee are taking this experience to the next level by expanding the collaboration into a standalone program.

As in other 91³Ô¹Ï online programs, Stanford faculty will be featured as guest speakers, sharing expertise on climate-related issues, U.S.¨CChina relations, and strategies for global cooperation. Under the guidance of Moncaster and Lee, students will get to know each other¡¯s lives and environments and work together on projects that could improve their own communities.

Meanwhile, the RSP and the SKSP will continue their academically rigorous introductions to East Asia, with students engaging with leading scholars, former diplomats, and other experts from Stanford and beyond.

High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the United States are eligible to apply to any of these three online courses. Students who are interested in more than one program can apply to two or three and rank their preferences on their applications; those who are accepted into multiple programs will be invited to enroll in their highest-preference course. 

Chinese students may apply to the U.S.¨CChina Co-Lab on Climate Solutions after October 15.

Applications for all three programs can be found at . Deadlines vary:

• RSP: Oct 20
• SKSP: Nov 3
• Co-Lab: Nov 15 for U.S. students and Dec 10 for Chinese students

For more information on a specific online course, please refer to its individual webpage at /fellowship/uschinacolab , , or .  

The China Scholars Program (CSP) for U.S. high school students will not be offered in Spring 2024; applications for Fall 2024 CSP will open in April.