Japan-USWomen LeadersDialogue CommunityDevelopment and the Roleof Women

Instituteof InternationalEducation JapanCenter for InternationalExchange Japan-USWomen LeadersDialogue

CommunityDevelopment and the Roleof Women

Instituteof InternationalEducation JapanCenter for InternationalExchange Contents

'1 Foreword RichardM. Krasno,PresdenL /rE TadashiYamamoto, Presldent Japan CenEr for lntemationalExchange

Overviewof ProjectHistory and Activities Peggy B umenthal, ///ElIce President fat Educational Seryices Shaun lvartin, //E Manager of Asia/Pacific Prognms

6 DetailedSummary of the USWomen Leaders JapanStudy Tour Activitres

1't suinmaryof MajorFindings of the IJSWomen Leaders' lapanStudy Tour

IndividualUS Delegates' Reports

'17 RonneHaffleld Directorof Museun Education,Ad lnstituteof Chicaga

21 Ruih Hinefeld Former President, The League af Wonen Voters of the United States

25 ElizabethHumsione Dnecbt fat CammunityStewardship, The CountrysideInstitute Burlington,Vermant 3t " lreneRedondo-Churchward ExecutiveDircctoa Proiect tnfo Connunity Sevices, Whittiet,Catifornia

41 SusanVimig Foundetand SeniarCansulhnt, NotthwestRegionat tacititators, SpokaneWashington

49 BernardaWong ExecutiveDircctar, Chinese Ameican Sevice League,Chicaga, I inois

-53 Summaryof Majorfindings of the JapanWomen Leaders, uS Study Tour HidekoKatsumata ExecutiveSecretary Japan Center for InternationatExchange

Individuallapanese Delegates' Reports

Yorko lmasato Editor in-Chief,Living Fukuokq NisseiShinbun, lnc., Fukuoka

YaekoSuzuki Chair,We Love Asia21, Yakohama

HarukoNumata Coatdinator SuginamiAssociatian far Befter Livesin an Aging Society, Assaciationto ProvicleFtiendship Lights, Tokyo

95 YoshikoHayakawa Edhar-in-Chief, lshikawa no Tanago, Fukuoka 103 - MitsukoYamaguchl ExecutiveDrcctoa Fusaelchikawa Menoial Association/Wonen'sSufftage tnstitute.Tokyo

111 KimieYokoyama Die ctor Des Fe m m e s Workers'Co I ecti ve, Yo ko h am a

115 Concluding Workshop Keynote Address SusAn Befiesford Vice Ptesiclent, Fotd Faundation

123 Profilesof DelegationMembers

129 USDelegations' Study Tour ltinerary

135 JapanDelegations' Study Tour ttinerary Foreword RichaldM. Krasno President Instituteof InternationalEducation TadashiYamamoto President JapanCenter {or Internationa Exchange

In the lastseveral decades. women in Japanand the UnitedStates have assumed increasinglyimportant roles in thetransformation oftheirsocieties. In bothcountries women have becorneleaders in their communities,promoting voluntarism and seekingto addressproblems in the areasof communitydevelopment, childcare, education,public health,the envkonment,care for the aged, and other issues. However,in spite of the many commonconcerns faced by women in these two counkies,there have been relativelylew opportunities forJapanese and US women leadersat the localand nationallevels to meet,discuss issues, or ioin forcesin addressingcommon problems. ln orderto stimulategreater dialogue among women in thesetu/o countries, the lnstituteof fnternationalEducation (llE) initiatedthe Japan-US WomenLeaderc Dialogueh coopetalionwith the JapanCenter tor InternationalExchange (JCIE) and with supportfrom the JapanFoundation Center for GlobalPartnership (CGP) and otherdonors. The Dialoguewas createdin orderto provideopportunities for Japaneseand US womenleadersto exchange ideas on majorsocialissues facing their communitiesand to discussthe rolewomen play in addressingthese issues through leadershipin nongovernmentalorganizations (NGOs), citizens groups, and voluntaryservice activities. The programwas designedto enhancemutual understandingbetween the h,vosocieties and to stimulatethe developmentof networksthrough which the participantsin the Dialoguewould be able to work togetheron issuesof professionalconcern. In the first phaseof the project,a delegationof six women leadersfrom various regionsofthe UnitedStatestraveled toJapan during the periodJanuary23-Febru- ary 5, 1993.The delegationvisited Tokyo, Yokohama, Fukuoka, and Kanazawa to meet with their counterpartsand learn directlyabout Japanesesociety and culturewhile sharingwith their Japanesecounterparts their experiencesin the UnitedStates. During the secondphase of the Dialogue,a reciprocaldelegation of six Japanesewomen leadersvisited the UnitedStates from June 6-19 of the JAPAN_U.S.WOI\4EN LEADERS DIALOGUE

sameyear. Following a similarprogram oufline, these leaders visited Los Angeles, Spokane,Chicago, and NewYork to meetwith relatedcounterparts in theseloca_ ttons.

Throughoutboth partsof this exchange,the Japaneseand US delegationswere able to deepentheir understandingof the host cultLlreand society.participants have also begunpromoting follow-up activities to turthertheir relations.Atthouoh there may be diflerencesconcerning specitic iss;es confronlingboth nations,-a greatnumber of similaritieswere discovered in the issuesfaced by womenin both societies,such as the role womenplay in socialreform. Allhough both societies have been pursuingvery differentapproaches to suchfundamental issues, it was alsorealized that individualsin bothcountries have a greatdealto learnfrom each other. Anotherbenefit of this projecthas been that those strivingto foster the developmentof a US-Japancommunity of concernedindividuals have been pro- vided with new insights,thus the basisfor a cooperativenetwork of leadersto promotesuch felationscan hopefullybe established. The delegationmembers of both sides, servingas individuatrepresentatives of their respectivecommunities, have by now begunto shareexperiences gained in this programwith othersin their communities.lt is hopedthat this '12 smallcircle of individualswillgradually spread its influencethroughout the US-Japancommu- nity as a whole. In addition,in order to share these experienceswith a wider audience,lheJapan Foundation Centerfor Global partnership has providedsupple- mentaryfunding to producea reportproviding a recordof this exchangeinitiative. Throughthe cooperativeactivities of E and JCIE,we hoDethat the ties between womencommunity leaders in the UnitedStates and Japanwill becomean estab_ lishedand viable network thatwill provide a steppingstone to full-fledgedactivities in communitiesin both countries supportedby citizensgroups and nongovern- mentaland nonprofitorganizations (NGOs and Npos). In lightof suchneeds, both llE andJClEplan to promotethe continuationofthis project with asecond exchange of womenleaders. During the first project,more than 2OOindividuals representing a wide arrayof organizationsbecame involved in this endeavor.We wouldlike to expressour deepestgratitude to each and every one of these individuals.In addition,we would also like to expressour gratitudeto the Japan Foundation Centerfor GlobalPartnership, as well as those US institutionsand corporations fortheirsupportoftheaforementioned initiatives. Ourappreciation goes outtothese sponsorsand individuals. lt is our hopethattheseindividuals and organizations will alsoconsider assisting us in meetingthe futureneeds and goalsoi ourjoint effort to builda strongand ongoingJapan-US Women'sNetwork. PeggyBlumenthal VicePresident for Educational Services,llE and -" ShaunMartin Managerof Asia/PacificPrograms, llE

Overview of Proiect History and Activities In the springof 1992,llE's Vice Presidentfor Educationand the Arts heldseveral advisorymeetings in New York,Washington, and Bostonwith women of localand nationalprominence in orderto identifyissues for the Dialogueand to helpidentify possiblecandidates tor the US delegation.In July 1992, llE and JCIE held a planningmeeting in New York to establishthe overallframework of the project. Althoughthe projectas originallyconceived by llE was meantto provideopportuni- ties for women'eaders in the academic,government, and privatesectors to meet and discussissues facing women, JCIF suggestedconcentrating the focus more specificallyon the nongovernmentalsector. Since women in bothJapan and the United States are a major force for societalchange ihrough their activitiesin voluntaryand nongovernmentalorganizations {NGOs), and since little attention has beengiven to exchangesand dialogue among women in the privatevoluntary sector,JCIE suggestedthat a more innovativeand fruitfuldialogue would give greateremphasis to the rolewomen play in societalchange through activities in the nonprofitor independentsector, ratherthan a more generaldiscussion of women'sissues in the tro societies.llE readilyagreed to this morefocused theme of the Dialogue. This meetingwas followedby a series of consultationsheld in Japan by JCIE with Japanesewomen leadersand representativesfrom nonprofitand women's organizationslikelyto serve as hostsof localprograms.The consultationsresulted in the selectionof institrltionsin Yokohama,Fukuoka. and Kanazawato serveas Iocalhosts for the US delegation. Withthemore concentrated focus of the Dialogue,llE beganits nationalrecruitment etfortin October,1992, targeting women based at NGOScovering a broadrange of social issues.Over 250 letterswere sent to variousorganizations requesting nominationsfor the Dialoglre.By the November20 deadline,llE had receivedthe nominations/applicationsof 42 women,each a leaderin her localcommunity. Atterconsultation with JCIE, llE selectedsix women to serveon the US delegation to visit Japan in January,1993. The delegationmembers were selectedbased ,APANU,S. WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE on their own outstandingpersonal qualifications in additionto considerationsof geographic,ethnic, and professionaldiversity. The women leadersselected for the tJSdelegation were: RonneHartfield - Directorof MuseumEducation, Art Instituteof Chicago Chicago.lllinois Ruth Hinerfeld FormerPresident, National League of WomenVoters Larchmont,New York ElizabethHumstone Directorfor CommunityStewardship, The CountrysideInstitute Burlington,Vermont lrene Redondo-Churchward ExecutiveDirector, Project Info CommunityServices Los Angeles,California SusanVirnig Founderand SeniorConsultant, Northwest Regional Facilitators Spokane,Washington BemardaWong Executive-Director,Chinese American Service Leaque Chicago,lllinois The delegation,led by Peggy Blumenthal,llE's Vice Presidentfor Educational Services,visited Japan fortwo weeks,from January23to February 5. Accompany- ing the delegationon the Japan study tour were: HidekoKatsumata, Executive Secretary,JCIE; Shaun Martin, Manager of Asia/PacificPrograms, llE; Mio Ohta, ProgramOfficer, JCIE; and Terumi Takenaka, Program Otticer, JCIE. A staffmem- ber of CGP'SNew Yorkoffice, who accompaniedthe delegationduring the entire visil.was ioinedby staffmembersof CGP'sTokyo office in eachof the citiesvisited on the studytour. The study tour began in Tokyo with briefingson the currentstatus of women in Japan by women professionalsin academia,business, and government.The delegationthen traveled to Yokohama,Fukuoka, and Kanazawa, for meetingswith women'sgroups and communityleaders, and site visits to NGOSand placesof culturalsignificance. The tour ended in Tokyowith a workshopthat broughttogether the US delegationmembers and womenleaders from variousregions throughout Japan.The delegationmembers discussed their experiencesin Japan and their impressionsof Japanesesociety, NGOS, and the womenwho have becomean imponantingredient for socialchange in the country. Upon returningto the UnitedStates, llE staff and the six membersof the US delegationimmediately began preparations forthe visitofthe reciprocaldelegation lt PEGGYBLUMENTHAI- AND SHAUNMARTIN ofJapanesewomen leaders. Drawing upon whatthey had learned aboutJapanese womenand NGOS,the US delegationmembers arranged for meetingswith women leadersoflheir respectivecommunities and sile visits to outstandingorganizations, whichwould. represent the diversityof activitiescarried out by NGOSin the United Statesand could serve as modelsfor Japaneseorganizations in their effortsto becomemore effective in their respectivemissions. Membersof the Japanesedelegation were iecruited by JCIE basedupon recom- mendationsfrom women'scenters, citizens groups, opinion leaders, and oihers in variousregions of Japan.Atter an initialscreening and intetuiewprocess, the followingsix delegateswere selectedto participatein the program: YoshikoHayakawa Editor-in-Chief,Ishikawa no lamago (Eggsin lshikawa) Kanazawa Yoriko lmasato Editor-in-Chief,Living Fukuoka, W est JapanLiving Newspaper Company Fukuoka HarukoNumata Coordinator,Suginami Association for BetterLives in an AgingSociety, Association to ProvideFriendship Lights Tokyo Yaeko Suzuki Chairman,We LoveAsia 21 Yokohama MitsukoYamaguchi ExecutiveDirector, Fusae lchikawa MemorialAssociation^Vomen's Sutfraqe Institute Tokyo KimieYokoyama Director,Workers Collective "Des Femmes Yokohama The groupvisited the UnitedStates on a two-weekstudy tour, from June 6-19, 1993, led by Hideko Katsumata,Executive Secretary at the Japan Center for InternationalExchange. They were accompaniedby Miekoltima, ProgramAssis- tant, JCIE; and Shaun Martin,Manager, Asia/Pacific Programs, llE. Joiningthe groupfor a portionof the tour were PeggyBlumenthal, Vice-President for Educa- tional Setuices,llE; Karyn Wilcox,JCIE New York; and Yoo Fukazawa,Center for GlobalPartnership, New York. The studytourbegan in Los Angeleswith briefingsby academicsand government leaderson the currentsituation of womenand NGOSin the UnitedStates and in the Los Angelesarea. The groupthen traveledto Spokane,Chicago, and New IAPAN U.5.WOMEN LEADERSDIALOGUE

York for continuedmeetings and site visits.A final workshop,held at llE's New York headquarters,brought together all 12 programparticipants to discusstheir experiences,issues of commonconcern, and how womenin both countriesmay continueto buildrletworks and exchange ideas in the future.Al the finalworkshop, severaladditional women leaders joined the discussion,including Susan Berres ford, Vice Presidentof the Ford Foundation,who gave a keynoteaddress on the roleof philanthropyin supportingNGOs and emergingwomen leaders.

Detailed Summary of the US Women Leaders'lapan Study Tour Activities January23-February 5,'1993 The delegationof six US womenleaders visited four citiesduring their tlvo-week stay in Japan:Tokyo, Yokohama, Fukuoka, and Kanazawa(for a tistof participant namessee page4). In each of thesecities, the delegationmembers visited local women'scenters and communitygroups where they exchangedviews on issues facing their respectivecommunities! measures US and JapaneseNGOS have takento addressthese issues, and the roleof womenas a forcefor socialchange at the community,regional, and nationallevels. The goal of thesemeetings was to create an ongoingdialogue, highlighting areas of mutualconcern shared by Japanesewomen and their US counterca(s,and the fundamentaldifferences in lhe situationsfaced by the two groups.Brief descriptionsof the organizations visitedin each of thesecities are outlinedbelow. Tokyo, lanuary 23 26 The study tour began in Tokyo, the nation'sbustling political, commercial, and culturalcapital. Here the partic;pantswere briefed on currentissues facing Japan, Japanesewomen, and Japanesenonprofit organizations (NPOS) by prominent women(and a few men) in government,business, the media,academia, and the nongovernmentalsector. The delegationalso visitedthe HELP Asian Women's Shelterand stoppedat the Serso/i Temple in Asakusaon a brief sightseeing break.At a receptionhosted by CGP,the delegationhad the opportunityto meet manyCGP staffmembersand learn moreabout lheir programsand interests. HELPAsian Women's Shelter(The House in Emergencyof Love and Peace): HELP is a women'sshelter that providesrefuge, counseling, and legalservices to womenfrom manycountries, particularly those trom SoutheastAsia, who have foundthemselves trapped working in the Japanesesex-related industry. Facilities at the centerinclude single and doublerooms, a diningroom, kitchen, bath, and a children'sroom. ln 1991HELP providedshelter for 332 women and received telephoneinquiries lrom over 2,000 individualsseeking advice on a wide range of problems. Yokohama, January 27-28 Followingtheir stay in Tokyo, the group moved on to the nearby port city of Yokohama,which was one of the first citiesin Japan open to the outsideworld. PEGGYBLUMENTHAL AND SHAUNMARTIN

The delegationwas hostedby the YokohamaWomen's Forum. At the Women's Forumand atthe AlternativeLifestyles Opportunity Center, roundtable discussions wereheld with localvolunteer groups active in.the communityon avariety of issues such as the .environment,the arts,and batteredwomen. YokohamaWomen's Forum for Communicationand Networking: The Yoko- hama Women'sForum (YWF) is an ultramodernwomen's center financed and builtby the City of Yokohama.The Woment Forumprovides a placefor women jn the communityto meet and discusswomen's issues. Among the facilitiesat YWFare a library;conference and seminar rooms;a 380-seat auditorium complete with a sound-prooflistening room for parentswith smallchildren; a workshopand kitchen;a fitnessroom; a childcarecenter; a counselingroom; a healtheducation room;and a fully equipped,state-ot-the-ad video studioavailable to membersof the community. Women's Place: In 1984,the group'sfounder translated into Japanese lhe Adventuresof Pincess Arbe, a fairytale told from a woman'sperspective. After severalmajor Japanese publishers declined to publishthe book,Women's Place founda helpinghand in the YokohamaWomen's Forum. To date 70,000copies havebeen sold, and an annotatedEngiish version of the bookis now usedin high schoolEnglish classes. In addition,a picturebook versionis availablefor young children.A seriesof tapestriesdepicting scenes from the tale has beenmade from old clothingand is used in a travellingshow that tells the storyto children. Naka Ward Women's Forum: Supportedby the YokohamaWomen's Forum, this groupwas foundedby concernedhousewives who believedthat city planners did not take into considerationthe needs ol women and senior citizens.They produceda videoshowing what a citywould look like if it wereplanned by women. Thevideo was shown at a festivalheld at YWFand ultimaielyled to somechanges in governmentplanning. Recently, the groupresponded tothe city'sgrowing waste problemby initiatinga successiulclothing recycling program in which donated clothingis sentto developingcountries, used in the makingof carpetsor industrial cloth,or usedto wrap machinery. Artnet: Artnet is a group composedof any h,voor more arts groupsthat come togetherfor a commonpurpose. Artnet has no fixed numberof membergroups. The YokohamaWomen's Forum supports these groups and asks them to perform and exhibittheir work at the Forum.The majorilyoi Artnetmembers are women. Currently,YWF and Artnetare promotingfeminist art, which receivesvery little supportfrom the public. Michaera Housei This is a women'sshelter run by a groupof RomanCatholic nunsand is the onlysuch facility in Yokohama.The womenwho cometo Michaera Housearethose escaping abusefrom their husbands or parents,runaway pregnant teenagers,and girlsreferred to the shelierby juvenilecourts. Although it receives almost no outsideassistance, the shelterhas been forcedto acceptmore and morewomen each year from 98 womenin all of 1990to 135in the first quarter JAPAN U.S,WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

of 1992.A televisionnetwork has offeredto makea drama seriesbased on the storiesof the women;however, the sistersat l\,4ichaeraHouse are reluctant.ln spite of the much-neededincreased publlc awareness,they are afraidthat the storiesmay endangerwomen seeking retuge. Allernative Lives Opportunity Center: This is an umbrellaorganization that providesspace for the activitiesof its memberorganizations, some of which are describedbelow. l\,4embers include consumer cooileratives, information clearing- houses,and workerscollectives. The directorshiorotates amono the member groups.

Seikatsu Club: The SeikatsuClub is a consumers'cooperative group that was founded in 1965,when a Tokyo housewifeorganized 200 women to buy milk collectively.This strategyto save moneyeventually evolved into an entirephiloso- phyencompassing all aspectsof life.In addition to cost-effectivecollective purchas- ing of basicfooditems, the clubis committedto a hostoJ social concerns, including the environment,the empowermentot women,and the improvementof workers, conditions.Today the SeikatsuClub has over 153,000members in 10 prefectures throughoutJapan. Beginningin 1979,the club becameactive in local potitics. "Political Campaigningon the sloganof Refo.mfrom the Kitchen,,,in1987 the club succeededin gefting31 housewiveselected to municipalassemblies in the Tokyo area in a single election.The cooperativemovement has now spread to Korea.

Association of Workers' Collectives: This uniqueorganization is a networkof "workers 60 collectives"engaged in a widevariety of activitiesincluding restaurant rnanagement,care for seniorcitizens, manufacturing soap from recycledcooking oil,and publishingnewsletters. l\,4embers ofthe collectivesare volunteers, not paid professionals.A collective is startedby women interested in workingforthemselves, notfor others,and interestedin makinga contributionto the bettementof society. "Des One exampleis the restaurant Femmes."Staffed by eightvolunteer women who had no prior formal training,the restaurantis committedto serving only homemadefoods usingfresh and naturalingredients produced by cooperatives. "Des Kimie Yokoyama,proprietor of Femmes"and an active memberol the Association,was a memberof the Japanesedelegation which visited the United Statesin June, 1993. KanagawaNetwork Movement: Afteran unsuccessfulattempt to persuadelocal assembl'esto ban the use of syntheticdetergents, the SeikatsuClub formed its own localpolitical party in 1984called the KanagawaNetwork Movement (NET). Today,with a membershipofover2,500 housewives, NET has successfu y seated 29 women in localassemblies. NET promotesgrassroots citizen participation in solvinglocal problemsin the environment,community welfare, education, and peace,etc. As a principle,all womenelected through NET are requiredto donate their enlire legislator'ssalary to the NET party and are limitedto tlvo four-year terms,atwhich time they must step down to allowother candidates to run.Members 8 PEGGYBLUMENTHAL AND SHAUNMARTIN take tums caringfor the childrenand doing householdchores for those women campaigningfor and servingin otfice.

Alice Center: Alice Centeris an informationclearinghouse that aids citizensin promotingvolunteer activities in such areasas the environment,peace, and the eliminationol racism.The main functionof the Centeris to refercitizens groups to experts,notto provideanswers directly. Alice Center also publishes a bimonthly newsletter,provides management seminais to citizensgroups, and recently advisedthe governmenton how it could bestsupport citizen activities.

Fukuoka, January 29 30 In Fukuoka,a boomingindustrialcity on ihe islandof Kyushu,the delegationwas hostedby the FukuokaWomen's Center, AMIKAS. After a tour of the city and a visit to Fukuoka'snew city museum,meetings were held with representatives from localvolunteer groups and with womenprominent in the media,academia, government,and business.

FukuokaWomen's Center (AMIKAS): ANIIKAS(from the Latinword for friends) is a social facilityaimed at faciliiatingwomen's independence and their equal participationin society.Funded by the City of Fukuoka,AIVIIKAS provides space for both womenand men to meet,discuss issues, study, and train.At the facility are a library,skills classes, counseling services, fitness facilities, and lectureson women'sstudies and women's self-development. AMIKAS also conducts research on women'sissues and publishesinformation on localevents and organizations in the city.

Living Fukuoka: Thisnewspaper was foundedand is runby a womanfor women ofthe area.Fukuoka is knownas acity of branchoffices. Many men aretransferred theretemporarilV bV their companies. bringing lheir wives wilh lhem.These women are unfamil;arwith the area and may not have family or friendsin the city. This newspaperserves as a mediumby which women in Fukuokalearn about local activitiesand events.The Daoeralso featuresstories on women'sissues. The editor-in-chiefof this newspaper,Yoriko lmasato, was a memberof the Japanese delegationthat visitedthe UnitedStates in June, 1993.

Workers' Study Group on Garbage: This study groupwas establishedin 1990 by a groupof 20 housewivesin order to raise publicawareness of the issue of ever-increasinggarbage and to pursuethe potentialof recycling.Their activities includefield studies on garbage,making postcards from milkcartons, and organiz- ing recyclingbazaars. They also have producedand sold six hundredreusable cloth shoppingbags.

HakataYume Matsubarano Kai: This environmentalcitizens' group, comprised '1987 mostlyof women,was foundedin in order to create a greenerFukuoka. Their primaryactivity is to plani pine trees alonga stretchof aftiticialbeach on HakataBay. JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERs DIALOGUE lsland Summil: lslandSummit promotes cooperation and the exchangeof people livingon smallislands in NortheastAsia and the PacificOcean. Among the islands includedare Kyushu,Taiwan, Saipan, Guam, and Cheiu. Kanazawa, lanuary 31-February 2 FromFukuoka the delegationmoved on to Kanazawa,a snowycity on the Japan Sea knownfor its remarkablywell-presetued traditional architecture and culture. The delegationwas hostedby the City of Kanazawa.The groupvisited the tradi- tional Japanesegatden, Kenroku-en: the UtatsuyamaCrafts Workshop Center; ShijimaElementary School; the workshopand galleryof lhe world-famouspottery maker,Chozaemon Ohi; the KanazawaArt l\,4useum;and Zenrinkan,a seniol citizencenter. utatsuyamaCrafts Workshop Center: The UtatsuyarnaCrafts Workshop Center is a schooldedicated to teaching,exhibiting, and preservingthe traditionalcrafts of Japan, particuladythose of the Kanazawaarea. The schoolhas p.ogramsin pottery,u/ushl (laquerware), dyeing, glass-making, and zogan(intaid metal work). Studentworks are exhibitedat the school'sgallery. Because of the stringententry requirementsand the individualizedattention given to students,the schoolis able to acceptonly about30 students each year. Applications are accepied from foreign studentsprovided lhey can demonslratethe necessaryJapanese langLlage skills. The schoolalso providesworkshop sessions for Kanazawaresidents. Shijima ElementarySchool: This elementaryschool has a totalof 6j3 pupilsin gradesone throughsix, with 13 female and 6 male teachers.The school has a very progressiveeducational philosophy. which challengesthe norms often associatedwith Japanesesociety. Children are encouragedto speak their own minds,express their ideas clearly, and to listento the opinionsoftheir peers.Boys and girls are pairedtogether for many activities.Schoolwide activities allow the mixingof age groups. lshikawa no Tamago: This bilingualpublication was starled by a woman who saw the need for greatermutual understanding between Japanese citizens and the foreigncommunity living in lshjkawaPrefecture. The publicationis a means for non-Japaneseresidents to share with Japanesereaders the problemsthey encounterwhile livingin Japan,a mediumto provideuseiul informationon daily livingto foreign residents,and a way to introduceother culturesto Japanese citizens.All articlesare printedin both Japaneseand English,with many of the readersspeaking only one of the two languages.The publicationhas a total readershipof 2,250.The editorof the newspape.,Yoshiko Hayakawa, visited the UnitedStates in June, 1993as a memberof the Japanesedelegation. Tea Time: Tea Time is a forumfor residentsof Kanazawato discussissues of the day. lt was foundednine years ago by a womanwho openedher home to friendsand neighborsto havetea and informallytalk about issues such as nuclear energy,the environment,and AIDS.The grouphas had manyactivities, inctuding the publishingof an environmentalnewsletter (circulation 1,000), and the making 10 PEGGYBLUMENTHAL AND SHAUNMARTIN of a "FriendshipQuilt," which has travelledto New Zealandand to refugeecamps in Thailand.The groupwassuccessfulin stoppingthe developmentof agolf course nearthe city reservoir.The group'sfounder published a collectionof essaysshe wroteaboutmany ofthetopics discussed at TeaTime. The openhouse movement is nowspreading acrossJapan, with many similargroupsspringing up in othercities. lshikawa EnvironmentalNetwork: Thisgroup was foundedby citizensof Kana- zawawho weretroubled by Japan'svoracioDs appetite fortropicalwood products. Atter learningthat most tropicalwood in Japan is used for layingconcrete and ihen discarded,they developedan environmentalpicture story for childrenthat is currentlytravelling around Japan. They also publish a monthlyenvironmental diary that is circulatedto 100 individualsand 37 organizations.Recently the grouphas been focussingon preservingJapan's own forests. lzumi Kyoka Translation Society: In 1977 this group starteda movementto open Kanazawato the outsideworld and began with volunteersteaching the Japaneselanguageto non-Japanese residents ofthe city.More recently, the group translatedsix works by the Kanazawaauthor, Izumi Kyoka, and made the published books availableto universitylibraries abroad. The group aims to promotethe cultureof Kanazawathrough literature. Zenrinkan: Zeninkan, which literallymeans "good neighborhouse," is a social servicefacility for senior citizensand is uniqueto Kanazawa.lt is run almost entirelyby volunteers,most of whomthemselves are elderly.Among the various activitiesin which volunteerseniors are engagedare making handicraftsand preparingbox lunchestor homeboundelderly citizens. One uniquefeature of the Zeninkan is the intergenerationalcontact built into its design-services are providedfor 60 senior citizensinside the same buildingthat housesa daycare centerfor 50 youngchildren. Tokyo, February 3-5 Finally,the groupreturned to Tokyowhere a workshopwas convenedat Intefia- tional Houseof Japanfor the membersof the US delegation,Japanese women who participatedin earlier meetings,and selectedguests, to discusshow the experienceof the Dialoguemight be sharedmore broadly and howthe experience couldstrengthen community development efforts by womenin the two countries. The followingday the participanishad the chanceto follow up on their personal interestswith individualvisits to organizationsof their own choice.

Summaryof Major Findingsof the US Women Leaders'JapanStudy Tour The reportsfrom each US delegatereflect the depthsof theirlearning experiences and the wide'rangingfindings of theirdiscussions. Below are summarizedthe key findingsof most delegationmembers. '1. The nonprofit, nongovernmentalsector as known in lhe lrnited States is nonexistent in Japan. The delegationmembers soon discoveredthat the 11 JAPAN-U.S.WOMEN LEADERs DIALOGUE

conceptsof communityspirit, volunteerism, grassroots citizen participation, and NGOShad very differentconnotations than what is assumedby these termsin the UnitedStates. Although these concepts do existin Japan,for the most part Japanesesociety seems to have developedother mechanisms for dealingwith societalproblems. lt is true that many Japanesewomen have takeninitiative to bettersociety through votuntary activities, while at the same time adaptingthese activitiesto work harmoqlouslywithin the frameworkof Japanesesociety. Still, to the membersof the US delegation,it seemedthat Japanesewomen mightbe much more effectivein the? rolesas community leadersif their effortswere bolsteredby a healthynonprofit sector. There are many disincentivesto the developmentof a strong nonprofitor "independent" sector in Japan. The group was surprisedto find that, in a countrywithhalfthe population of the UnitedStates, there are only 700 nonprofit agencieswith the equivalentof 501(c)(3)status. The first major legal hurdle an organizationmust overcomewhen seeking nonprofitstatusisthat it mustreceive official aDproval from one or morerelated governmentministries, a processthat requiresan enormousinvestment of timeand resources.In addition,a prospectiveNPO mustshow capitalreserves of around$1,000,000 before it can be consideredfor nonprofitstatus! In additionto the huge capitalrequirements placed on nonprofits,there are otherobstacles that limittheir abilityto raisefunds. Philanthropy as knownin the UnitedStates is an onlyrecent phenomenon in Japan,and manycorpora- tionsprefer to giveto communitiesabroad rather than at home.Furihermore, there are no incentivesfor individualsor corporationsto make donationsto NPOs,as contributionsto charitablecauses are generallynot tax-deductible. This situationseverely restricts the potentialnumber of donors.While the Japanesecorporate community has developedsome mechanismsfor tax- deductiblecontributions to agenciesapproved by the Keidanrcn(Fedetalion of EconomicOrganizations), there are very strictconstraints on the amounts and the kindsof agenciesapproved. Athird factorIimiting the groMh of lhe nonprofitsectoris the traditionalrelation- ship betweenthe governmentand the citizensand their respectiveroles in society.In the UnitedStates private voluntary organizations are oftenseen as a way of fillingthe gapwhen government services are inadequateand thereby setueas a vehiclefor socialchange when the governmentis unresponsiveto the needsof the community.The situationis quite differentin Japan. Since the MeijiRestoration in the 1860s,it has beenthe governmentthat has served as thedrivingforce in bringingabout societal change-in its missionto ensure that Japan catch up with (and even surpass)the West. Today,government ministriesstillvigorously guard their respectivespheres of influence.lt is stitl a widely held notion that if a service is needed in a community,jt is the government'sresponsibility to providethat setuice,and that the involvement of local citizensis neithernecessary or desirable.In fact, many nonprofit 12 PEGGYBLUMENTHAL AND SHAUNMARTIN agenciesin Japanare actuallyfunded almost entirely by the gove.nment.This top-downapproach to respondingto the needsof societyis seenas asignificant inhibitorto the growthof a truly independentsector. Finally,work in the voluntarysector in Japanis not widelyregarded as a true profession.From our discussionsit was learnedthat this situationhas at least two effects.First, it meansthat marriedwomen make up a largeproportion of the voluntarysector, as they oftenhave more free timeto serveas volunteers whiletheir husbandstoil longhours in the office;these wives for the mostpart are not dependenton their own incomes.Secondly, the lack of a nonprofit professionmeans a groupfounded by one or two individualswould probably not continueto functionwithout the participationof its foundingleaders. This is especiallytrue in the caseof smalllocal groups. When the executivedirector of a US nonprofitleaves her organization,there are trainedand experienced professionalswho can be recruitedto fill her place.The lack of professional statusfor personsworking in the voluntarysector means this is not the case in Japan. This fact, combinedwith the legal and financialobstacles facing voluntarygroups, serves to prohibitthe institutionalization,and thereforethe longevity,of NPOs. This is not to say that there is no nonprofitor independentsector in Japan. The Dialogueco-sponsor, JCIE, has played a crucialand effectiverole in legitimizingand expandinglhe NGO sector in Japan. In spite of the many barriersdescribed above, there are countlessexamples of privatevoluntary groupssuccessfully bringing about significant change in their communities groupsthat would be recognizedas 501(cX3)organizations in the United States-However, these barriersdo limit the numberand size of Japanese voluntaryorganizations and the scopeof theiractivities. Many groups work on onlya singleissue, have influence in onlya very smallgeographic area (such as a city ward),and manyprobably do not survivetheir founding leaders. There ale many examples of activities in Japan trom which the United Siates could learn a greal deal. The fact that Japanesevoluntary groups face enormouschallenges made the womenwho leadthose groups seem all the more remarkable.The delegationwas impressedwith the creativitywith whichobstacles were overcome, the innovativeways community support was enlisted,and the fresh solutionsthat were beingtried in dealingwith common problems.Panicularly noteworthy is the consumercooperative movement, whichwas foundedby housewivesand has evolvedinto a successfulpolitical party,environmental movement, and majorpromoter of grassrootscitizen par- ticipation.This and otherexamples of privatevoluntary organizations in Japan are highlightedin the repodsof the US delegationmembers. There is almost no opportunityfor Japanesecitizens to further or continue their education once they have entered the worKorce. In speakingwith the manywomen we encounteredon our studytour, it soonbecame apparent to the delegationthat the conceptof continuingeducation for individualgrowth 13 IAPAN-U.S.WOMEN LEADERSDIATOGUE

is virtuallyunknown in Japan.Otherthan company-sponsofed training, it seems nearlyimltossible to furtherone's educatjon,complete an unfinisheddegree, or explorea new professionaldirection, panicularly if this involvestemporarily droppingout of the worKorce.This is due to at leasttwo majorforces. First is the fact that,once one leaveshis or herjob, it is impossibleto returnto the companyat the sameora higher-levelposition. The sameobstacle that keeps womenfrom progressing in theirprofessional liyes oncethey havechildren and mustleave the companytoraise their families also prevents their advancement throughfurther education. This limitsthe opportunitiesfor womento develop new skills after thei. childrenhave grown-skills that coutdbe emplovedin the nonprofitsector. Secondis the fact that universityenhance is basedon a highlycompetitive entranceexamination system. Any personwishing to returnto universitymust take the entranceexam and mustcompete with high schoolseniors studying for a few covetedspots. Students obviously have an overwhelmingadvantage as they devotemost of their wakinghours studying and preparingfor these exams,a luxurywhich working adults can not afford.Furthermore, there is no institutioncomparable to the US communitycollege through which one can takecourses part-time. Universities do not oflercontinuingeducation programs throughwhich nondegreecoursework may be pursued.Thus the opportunity to betteroneself through fufther education later in life,a majorvehicle for the advancementand empowermentof women in the UnitedStates, is largely absentin Japan. 4. There is very little networking,coalition building, and sharing of informa- iion amongvolunteer groups working on similar issues in differentpretec- tures or regions of Japan,In traveling tofourdiffefent citiesthroughout Japan, the delegationmembers became aware that many communitieswere tacing similarproblems, and there were numerousgroups working to solve these problemsand effect c+range in theircommunities. There is tremendouspotential for replicationof successfulprojects and activitiesin many regionsof Japan. However,we were surprisedto learnthat citizensgroups were oflen unaware of the manyother groups working on similarissues in otherprefectures and cities,thus limitingthe possibilityof sharingideas and actingcooperativety. This seemedodd sinceAmericans are so usedto hearingabout Japan as the ultimategroup sodety and aboutthe Japanesetalent for consensusbuilding. However,we eventuallylearned that',group', has a differentmeaning and "group', differentfunctions in Japanthan in the UnitedStates. Groups in Japan tend to be muchmore closed and exclusive.Whereas Americans feel free to join manygroups (and leave just as many),it is muchharder forthe Japanese to ioin a groupor to separatethemselves from one. Thesefactors may hinder the sharingof informationamong different groups and may detergroups from joiningforces and formingpowerful coalitions. We were toldthe Japaneseare uncomfortablewith the idea of simply pickingup the telephoneor writinga 14 PEGGYBLUMENTHAL AND SHAUNMARTIN letterto get informationfrom an individualor groupwith whom they may have nothad previous contact. Although the customof distributingbusiness cards is muchmore widespread in Japanthan in the UnitedStates, it appearsthis is a simpleformality (often to establishrank and seniorityamong various parties)ratherthan partofthe networking process, theconcept ofwhich seems to be absent. Thereis very little,il any, mentoringbf youngwomen prolessionals by their seniol colleagues.The delegationwas very fortunateto meetwith numerousoutstanding women in a widerange of professions.However, in spiteof theirextraordinary talents, skills, and experience, it appeared to the delegationmembers that these women were not sharing their knowledge with youngerwomen. The concept of mentoringdoes not seem to havedeveloped amongJapanese professional women, perhaps for the same reasons as ouf linedin finding#4 above.Mosi of the delegationmembers believed that the practiceof mentoringwould greatly benefit Japanese women in allfields and professions,particularly those involved in theNGO sector, where professional trainingwas thought to be neededmost- Thereis verylimited citizen participation in governmentdecision-making at lhe both the nationaland local levels.With the centuries-oldtop-down approachto government,it is perhapsnot surprisingthat modern Japan has not developeda significantmechanism to accommodatecitizen participation in publicpolicy formation. Many of thewomen we metbelieved there was little citizensgroups could do to influencegovernment policy. During the study tour, the delegationencountered many women who gaveexamples of how the governmentseemed unresponsive to, if not uninterested;n, the concernsof the tax-payingpublic. In Kanazawa,we weretold ihe city wouldnot send representativesto citizens' group meetings to listento theirconcerns on the environment,because they claimed this would be perceived as the government officiallyendorsing the opinionof a specificinterest group. In Yokohama,we learnedthat the Seikatsu Club had been largely unsuccessful in its attempt to persuadelocal assemblies lo banthe useof syntheticdetergents, in spiteof havingcollected over 300,000 signatures in supportot the ban. Inspite ofthe government's apathytowards citizen involvement, the Japanese, and in pafticularJapanese women! have developed very creative strategies to advancetheir causes, adapting their methods in an environmentthat would rendermany US activists helpless. After their proposals fell on the deafears of thegovernment, the Seikatsu Club established its own political party called the KanagawaNetwork Movement, and by 1991had succeeded in seating27 womenin localassemblies inKanagawa Pretecture. This extraordinary political party,whose membership is composedentirely of housewives,requires that womenelected through the partyreturn their entiresalaries back into the movementso thatthe funds can be usedto furlherpromote their cause. The delegationalso learned of oneenvironmental group's strategy that capitalized 15 JAPAN_U.S.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

on the factthe governmentis moreresponsive to galatsu,or pressurefrom abroad,than to pressurefrom its owncitizens. The group sent postcards to membersof the UnitedStates Congress asking them to protestthe Japanese govemmenfsbringing plutonium from France. The abovefindings are a me.esummary of whatthe delegationleamed in Japan.lt is impossibleto outlineall the expeaiencesand lessonslearned on the studytour in thesefew shodpages. Thelages that follow, written by the participants,capture more fully the profoundimpact of this trip on eachof thesethoughtful American women, as wellas theircommitment to buildon a unlquelearning experience. Ronne Hartfield Directorof MuseumEducation, Art Instituteof Chicago Chicago,lllinois

ItwasSaturdayevening, seven days since I hadlett Chicago for Tokyoand entered anotherworld. We arrivedin Kanazawa,amidst the justly fabled snowfallthat westernershave seen imaged in Hokusaiprints. These were amazing snowflakes- fivetimes as denseas theirChicago counterparts, falling from a darksky in straight unremittinglines to coverthesculptured branches and blacktile roofs of Kanazawa. Thiscity was not bombedduring World War ll, we weretold, and the small,orderly housesconveyed a little of what Japan was like in the pre-Toyota,pre-Toshiba age. This was to be our first visionof that world,and we talkeda lot about the confluenceof old and new in modernJapan. The next momingwe spent some time in KenrokuenGarden, one of the most famouspublic gardens in this pan of the world.We learnedof its samuraihistory, beginningwithLord lvlaedar We learnedof the philosophicalandaesiheticprinciptes informingthe structureof the garden,and of the importanceof the small bridge; we viewed,with some wonder,the elaborateand elegantmanner of lying tree branchesto preservethem from the weightof the fabled Kanazawasnow; and walkingin the lateJanuarychill, we sawahead of us a cacheof plumtrees, already showingtheir purple/pinkblooming. We were astonished. For me, this seminalexperience in snowy Kanazawaseryes as a powerfulmeta- phor. Our experiencein Japan presentedus with an intensiveintroduction to the culturalsituation, present and historical,of Japanesewomen leaders.lt also presentedus, intermittentlybut insistently,with radicalchallenges to a tendency to formulatefacile assumptions. l\4yoverall-andvery preliminary-summarystatements aboutthetrip resjdewithin lhatframework.From the momentwe enteredthe AkasakaTokyu Hotel, everything reflectedthe storiedJapanese efficiency- Lost bags were retrievedwithin minutes, and accommodationswere wonderful-much more modernthan lanticipated, includinga televisionset with innumerabletranslation capabilities. The roomwas equippedwith a small refrigeratorthat includedCoca Cola as well as Japanese drinks,and, of course,a lovelytea service. Our moning meetingwas one astonishmenlafter another,as I met not only our impressiveAmerican delegation, but an assortmentof Japanesewomen leaders, 17 JAPAN_U.S.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE all of whom seemedto me extremelysmart, poised, knowledgeable, and over- whelminglyimpressive. I charactedzethem, without negative overtones, as a sort of AsianUberfrau. Some things that were surprising were the numberofthem who had gone to Us-collegesand universitiesand their accompanyingcapabitity for speakingand understandingEnglish. lmmediatelyit becameapparent that the womerlknewand appreciatedtheir own talents,but were culturallyconditioned to make roomfor the malesof the group. The malejournalist presented an interestingcounterpoint to the women,and made visiblea certaininherent tension that I onlybegan to understandlater. By the time we left Tokyo,I understoodthe sharpcorner being turned by thesewomen, who were not onlybright, but vocal,formerly not a necessarilyadmirable characteristic in their society.Nonetheless, speaker after speaker was highlyarticulate, compe- tent,and self-assured. What emerged fairly quicklywasthe personal empowerment of thesewomen, rooted in a son oftriumphover cultural obstacles. What accompa- niedthat, however,seemed to be a lack of groupgestalt. I thinkwe are fortunate in the UnitedStates in that our women'smovement was builton lhe shouldersof rap groups-women's talk-cells-which allowedus a welcomedmutual network and a meansof contextualizingourselves within a largersocial movement. I think this is one area in whichwe have some modelsto otferthe Japanese.

As we movedto Yokohama,with its state-of-the-artwomen's center, a morehighly articulatedcentrality of women'spurposefulness was evident.It was in yokohama thatwe learnedof someofthe problemsofthe newJapan, with jts rapidlydiminish- ing birth rates;Iiftle present planning for an aging population;few structuresfor elderlycaretaking or f or adequatechildcare; severe space shortages/housing short- ages/groMhproblems. All of theseseemed to us problemsof a perhapstoo-rapid "internationalization," culturalchange. lt was herethat we first heardabout a term that appearedand reappearedmany times in differenttranslations. lt seemedthat thesewomen were anxiousto take their placeon the globalscene, but perhaps ambivalentabout how muchwesternization they were willingto adoptin orderto do so.

It was also in Yokohamathat we had the opportunityto listenlo some women activistsvery much involvedin communitydevelopment. They seemedto us not terriblyunlike their Americancounterparts. However, when we visitedthe soap factory,with its cooperativecommunity ol womenenhepreneurs, we wereentirely impressed.Here were womenoperating at the grassroots,in a culturewith tiftle or no historicreferent for suchactivity, and operatingwith a thrivingcapabiljty and a powerfulsense of their importanceas initiatorswith a presentand potential impactin society.

In Fukuoka,a trip to the 21st century,state-of-the-art museum synthesized old and newJapan. The museumexhibited ancient artifacts and artworksin a oristine. high{echenvironmenl. This city, so closegeographically to Korea.illumined close 18 RONNEHARTFIELD interchangebehveen the two counkies.lt also affordedus a beautifulseaside lunch/reveriein conkastto the thrivingindustrial city center.

In Kanazawa,we had the opportunityto extendour dialoguewith women who are operatingatthe grassroots.lt was herethatwe met,for example,a localvolunteer "tea womanwho runs times" in her home,providing a regularspace for women to cometogether to discusstheir own lives,the society,and frequenllyto initiate social action.Their interestin two areas,lhe environmentand translalion,held particularexcitement for our delegation.lt was herethat I first becamepowerfully aware of the importanceof translationin allowingthese women accessto the thoughtand experienceof women in the west.

Also in Kanazawa,we had the opportunityto visit an elementaryschool and a daycarecenter, introducing us to the deep concernof thesewomen for children. One of the mostfascinating models was the Zenrinkan,a seniorcitizens' daycare centeroccupying the samespace with a childrens'daycare center, with significant interchangebehveen the generations.We were completelyimpressed with this idea,and wouldlike to see it extendedto the UnitedStates. We were amazedby the outpouing of volunteereffon in Japan,particularly in Kanazawa.The United Stateshas adopted,sometimes to our own detriment,a posturethat meaningful work shouldbe remuneratedby a salaryor fee for service.Observing the quiet commitmentand deep gratificationof the volunteersin Japan,one must call this notioninto question.Also in KanazawaI had one of the most exceptionalexperi- encesof the entiretrip. The visitto the Ohi homeand studio,with all of us ctumsy Americansshaping our individualtea bowls, is an unforgettablememory. As a museumperson, I treasuredthis excursloninto the Japaneseidea of art, with its particulardimension of value in that culture.

Finally,we welcomedour wrap-upworkshop back in Tokyo,with the opportunity to sharewith representativesfrom other partsof the trip. We also welcomedthe opportunityto shareour own experiences,and I think all of us felt a kemendous degreeof energyand excitementthat developedthroughout the day. lt seemed to us that we had much to share with one anotherfrom our own experiencein strugglingwith problemsof the longerversus shorter school day; qualitydaycare in a contextof long workinghours and long commutes;care for agingparents; and other family-relatedissues. The United States perhapsplaces some less profoundexpectation on its women in these areasand allowsmore sharingand responsibilityon the pad of men. Pefiaps the Japanesehave something to tearn from us in thesearenas. On the otherhand, their sharpawareness of the rapidly pollutedplanet and the need for radicalchanges in the way we Iive offersus a revelationwhich is only dimly perceivedin our countryat most levels.ll seemed to me very inierestingthat on entedngJapan I broughtwith me a really quite pervasiveUS admirationfor Japan, for its technologicalmarvelousness, for its concernfor its elders,for its lackof ulbanproblems such as drugs,homelessness, andstreetcrime. The Japanese women we metwerenot so awareofthatadmiration 19 .IAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERSDIALOGUE acrossthe ocean.On the otherhand, we were not so aware,I think,ot their own respectand idealizationof the freedomthat characterizesAmerican society. lt seemedto me that they were perhapsmore aware of the freedomthan of some of the coststhat accompany those liberties. In conclusion,it is clear that this kind of exchangeteaches all of us important lessonsand opens fufther possibilitiesfor long-termdiatogue and exchangeof ideas.lt was a marvelouslyilluminating experience. and one for whichI am singu- larlygrateful. lwillnot forgettheplum blossoms in the snow,the abidingJapanese hospitalityand coudesy,and the strengthand powerof the Japanesewomen.

20 Ruth Hinerfeld FormerPresident, The Leagueof WomenVoters of the UnitedStates Larchmont,New York

On a Personal Note This was not my first visit to Japan. I have made several,including one over 20 yearsago, when a Leagueof WomenVoters delegation was invitedby the l\,4inistry of ForeignAtfairs to learn about Japan, particularlyits economyand bilateral relationshipswith the UnitedStates. ldid learna greatdeal. Moreover, lbecame an inveterateobserver of Japan,and was delightedby the opportunityto return affordedby the Japan US WomenLeaders Dialogue. One of the main lessonsof my earliervisits proveditself again in the courseof the Dialogue:The moreI learnaboutJapan at first hand,the moreI becomeaware of how little I reallyknow. Take a recentpersonal experience I had,for example.I boughtmyself a yukala. Havingnoticed that the yukafaprovided in the hotelswhere we stayedwere "one- sizejits-all,"lbought a handsomeone in the DaiwaDepadment Store in Kanazawa withoutbothering to unfoldit. When I did so, on our returnto Tokyo,it unfoldqd . . . and unfolded. . . and unfolded.I discoveredthat there are. indeed.ditferent size yukata,and I had purchasedthe one that fits sumo champions. Wary as I usuallyam of letting preconceptionsor first impressionsinform my judgement,I had done so, and was remindedhow poor the fit could be between assumptionsand realityin Japan.

Citizen Participation A less frivolousexample-in fact, one that was closeto the purposeof the Dia- logue-was my inabilityto find a fit betweenwhat lsaw, heard,and learnedin Japan and what I know, believe,and have experiencedwith regardto citizen participation-the aspect of American life I helped representin the Dialogue becauseof my backgroundin the nonpartisanpolitical activity of the Leagueof

PerhapsAmericans abroad should leave terms like "citizen participation" at home, loadedas theyare for uswith meaningderived from the historyofWestern political philosophyand the frontier,relorm movements, the US Constitution,and a svstem 21 JAPAN-U.S.WOMEN LEADERs DIALOGUE ot governmentthat not onlyallows for, but has instjtutionalized,a role for nonparti- san politicalorganizations and influence. I often felt when we were lalking aboutcitizen panicipation during the Dialogue that we were speakinga languagethat could not be translated.What lrustrated me when I was describingthe Leagueof Women Votersin the Dialogueat the AlternativeLives Center in Yokohamawasn't the sevenand a half minutesI had to do it in.(That's either too muchortoo littletime id explainthe purposes,structure, and operationsof the Leagueto someoneborn and bred in the UnitedStatest) What was frustratingwas the sensethat what Iwas sayingwasn,t connecting at all to the interestsand needsor the situationof the Jaoanesewomen there. not eventothe representativeoftheAlice Center, many of whoseactivities in assisting citizenactivists are similarto the League's.By the sametoken, I had a hardtime relatingthe politeadvocacy she descdbedto what's consideredeffective action to intluencegovernment in the UnitedStates. Such gentlepersuasion would not work in the UnitedStates. Nor did it work for the next speakerand colleaguesfrom alliedgroups in sevencities. When their effortsto securea ban on syntheticdetergents were brushedotf by localgovern- ment, they decidedthey had to join the systemto lick it. So they formed the KanagawaNetwork party and electedher-and other women amonqthem-to the PrefecturalAssembly. Perhaps.themost telling illustration of the difierencein Japaneseand US under- standingof the roleand value of citizenparticipation was the processfor securing publicinput on the proposeduse otan importantpiece of publicland in Kanazawa. lllembersof the public,we weretold, would havea chanceto commenta/terthe city governmenthad made its decisionand formulatedits tanduse plan,so that they-the citizens-would havesomething to reactto. In the UnitedStates, there would be screamsof a scandaland organizedprotests. In Kanazawa... the Mayor'slongterm incumbency speaks for itself.But governmentsin the United Statesand Japan havetheir grassrootsin very differentsoil.

Obstaclesto NGO DeveloDment The roleof citizenactivism is seenas an inherentand useful.if sometimesdisruo- tive, part of governancein the UnitedStates. In Japan, accordingto what we observed,nonpartisan political participation seems to have a marginalpresence and effect, which is not surprisingin a countrywhere conformity,respect for position,and the absenceof confrontationare fundamentals. Add to this contextthe practicaldifficulty of raisingmoney faced by allJapanese NGOSdue to extremelystringent conditions for tax deductiblestatus, and it was easy for us US womenio understandwhy politicallyoriented NGOS seemed so anemicand sparsecompared to what we?e usedto. A big piece of the NGO puzzlefell into place for us when Tadashiyamamoto pointedout that, untilrecently, citizen participation in Japanhas been viewedas 22 RUTHHINERFELD a largelyleft-wing phenomenon- lt madesense, then, that referencesto environ- mentalismwere frequentlylinked to mentionof the antinuclearmovement and almostall the womenwe met who are engagedin environmentalactivities eschewedthe environmentalistlabeland identified themselves with specific activi- ties such as recycling,waste reduction,reclamation, or savingthe rainforests. Nrostof the storiesof politicalactivism we heardwere about"anti-establishment" actions,action in oppositionto somethingplanned by the government-military bases,ahportexpansion, nuclearfacilities, participation in UNpeacekeeping. There were only a few storiesof successfulgovernmenvNco cooperation, such as the public-privatepartnerships at work in the YokohamaForum and AlVllKASin Fuku- oka. Granted,in politicsit's alwayseasier to opposea policyor programthan to promoteone. (Lobbying in the US Congressis a clearcasein point.)Nevertheless, it's harderto be a politicalactivist in Japan. lt's clearlyharder for NGOSto get a hearing,make proposals, and forge working relationships with electedrepresenta- tives or administrativeotficials.

Questions Givenihe obstaclesfaced by politicalNGOS, is it realisticto surmisethat citizen participationhas emergedtrom its left-wingshadow and is becomingrespectable? And if it does,in time, earn respectability,will it haveto be at the cost of past or potentialeff ectiveness? In eithercase, is there a specialrole for women as agentsof change?Women havealready changed Japanese society to the extentthat recentlythere has been a gradual,inexorable redefinilion of rolesand improvement in the statusof women. Are they now betterable than men to tosler"internationalization," or openingup of Japan, becausethey are less circumscribedby jobs or position?Or do they have just as muchto lose in terms of their own jobs or posilion. . . or those of theirhusbands? And don't they still face tremendous odds as aforceto be reckoned with in the male-dominatedarena of publicdiscourse? The only power strong enoughto nudge the reigningconsensus of the LDP/ bureaucracy/business,we were frequentlytold, is galatsu,or pressurefrom the outsideby toreigngovernments or publicopinion. lt's a leverthat eventhe "grass- roots"recognize and use, to wit,the letterssent bywomen in Kanazawatomembers of the US Congressprotesting passage of the Japaneseship bringingplutonium from France.Although no one in the Dialoguementioned the possibilitylhat gaiatsu can be a double-edgedsword, isn't it capableof causinga nationalisticreaction "Japan toforeignpressures seen as bashing?"Might it not causeaturning inward, "internationalization?" ratherthantoward lsn'tgalalsutoo dangerous and unreliable to serveas Japan'sprincipal agent for change? My last questionis the one that hauntedme throughoutour dialogues,and still does. Is the whole subjectof promotingcitizen participation a timely productof widespreadunhappiness with the statusquo in Japan?Or, if the apparentfrailty 23 JAPAN.U,S.WOMEN LEADERSDIALOGUE and paucityof NGOSin Japan is due to the fact that the Japaneseare generally satisfiedwith government,the way it's doingthings, and the systemin general, "straw wascitizenpadicipation a man"in ourdialogue?Where does it gofrom here?

Certainties

While my view of citizen participationin Japan was coloredby the stricflyUS brandof nonpartisanpolitical activity l've practic-dd,I had no troubteseeing and recognizingthe quality ofthewomen in Tokyo, yokohama, Fukuoka, and Kanazawa with whomwe mei. They representeda varietyof backgroundsand occupations, and rangedfrom the enterprisingand inventiveto the sophisticatedand estab- lished-from the grassrootsvolunteer organizing activities with a groupof neigh- borsto the top tier of prominentwomen officials, executives, and academics;from thosejust startingsomething to those at the heightof their careers.They were intelligent,talented, purposeful, energetic, and enjoyable.They were the kind of womenl'd want to recruitand like to work with. OurJapanese host organization, the JapanCenter for IntemationalExchange, did a superbiob of selectinghost organizations in the fourcities we visited,and those organizations,in turn, assembledimpressive women leadersin their respective programs.

Everythingabout the Dialoguewas first rate.The itineraryand localagendas were beautifullyplanned and executedwith unbelievableefficiency. We US women leaderswere treated graciously and attentivelyby peoplewho (amazingly)always seemedto be in good spirits. Thanksto JCIE,the CenterforGlobal Partnership, and those wonderful Japanese womenleaders, I had a greattime, and I leaned a lot. (Justbefore leaving Tokyo I even boughtmyself a yukatathat's a pe.fectfit.) l've concluded,after rereadingmy notesand thinkingabout what to say in this report,that the Dialogueraised at least as many questionsin my mind as it has answered.l\4y preconceptions were, indeed,overtaken by new ideas in the Japan-US WomenLeaders Dialogue, a voyageof discovery.

24 ElizabethHumstone Directorfor CommunityStewardship, The CountrysideInstitute Burlington,Vermont

General Observations About the Fou Settings for the Dialogues . . . Eachplace had somethingunique to offer us and all were importantto my understandingof womenand my area of interest-communityplanning and the environment. Tokyoprovided us with an overviewof women'sissues in Japan.The womenwe metthere were amongthe most powerfulin Japan,representing elected officials, academia,government, corporations, and foundations.They presentedus with informationon nationaleconomic and socialtrends, ihe roleof womenin politics and government,and the changingrole of Japanin the world(internationalization) and how it is affectingwomen and the va ety of issueswe cameto discuss. Yokohamaand Kanagawagave us our first view of a women'scenter and the varietyof ways in which women network in Japan,from women'sworkerscollectives to the KanagawaNetwork Movement, which elects women to politicaloffice. ln the rapidlydeveloping Kyushu city of Fukuokawe visitedAl\,,llKAS, another women'scenter, and met with womenfrom manyfields including tvvo involved in the first maiorsexual harassment case in Japan.I spokewith manywomen con- cernedfor their neighborhoods,ihe environment,and development-intheir city, in Japan, and globally.lt is here that we heardTakahashi-san say that women "silk"-soft, are like smooth,beautiful, of h;ghquality and strong. Kanazawaseemed a very differentstop from the othersbut very valuableto me. What stood out stronglyin Kanazawawas the naturaland culturalheritage in Japan and how it is integratedinto modemIife. lt was here that I learnedabout the planningsystem in Japanand gainedfurther insight on citizenparticipation. lt was herealso that we heardhowwomen were working locallyto tackle such global problemsas tropicalrain forest destruction and nuclearpower plant safety. About Common ThreadsBetween Japaneseand US Women . .. Womenin bothJapan and the UnitedStates lead full, rich livesbalancing careers and/oroutside interests with home,family, parents, and community.As a single, wo*ing mother I found much in commonwith the Japanesewomen, married, 25 JAPAN-U.S.WOMEN LEADER5 DIALOGUE single or divorced,who face a similarlifestyle. lt seemedto me that Japanese womenwere planningand livingtheir lives without men or men,ssupport, but with the supportof other women,which is what keepsthem bonded.In ihe United Statessingle women face similarsituations. In sp;teof the constraintson theirtime and theiropportunities, Japanese women are findingways of self-improvemenland comm-unityactvism. Womenin bothJapan and the UnitedStates share a concernforbalancing conser- valionand development.In Japan wefound women in Kanazawaconcerned about a golfcourse development that would pollute theirwater supply and about a nuclear power plant over which they were involvedin a four-yearlaw suit. In Fukuoka manywomen expressed concern about the tremendousgrovvth of the city and its impacton traditionalneighborhoods and lhe environment.As one woman said, "women are nature-,eanh-, and people-centered."The womenwe metwere very sensitiveto their environmentand concernedabout their communitiesand the changesthat were impactingthem. About DifferencesAmong Women in lapan . . . lvlanyofthe womenwe spokewith in Tokyo who held powerful (for women in Japan) academic,political, government, andcorporate positions had difterent perspectives thanthe womenworking at the communitylevel on socialissues affecting women. Our first evidenceof this was when we visitedHELP, the Asianwomen's shelter, wherewe learnedfrom the directorabout the plightof SoutheastAsian women in Japan.In Yokohamaand elsewherewe learnedmore aboutthe problems of Asian immiorantwomen, domestic violence, single moihers(feminization of poverty), and the divorce rate from women directlyinvolved in these issues_While the numbersof womenexperjencing these conditions are still smallcompared to the UnitedStates, these community activists were aware ofthe increasingsignificance "Tokyo of theseproblems for Japan,whereas the women"seemed to be less so. Thereseemed to be a gulfbetween professional women and housewivesin Japan: "housewives" Womenappeared to be eitherpart of a groupor involvedin their career.By comparison,IJS women who are housewivesand professionalsmight be partof the samecommunity group (socialservice organization orenvironmental group,for example). l,'lentoring-a word that was not familiarto many Japanesewomen we spoke with-is very limitedin Japan.Young women were not connectedto olderwomen whowere more experienced in theirchosenprofessions. Older, successfulwomen did not seemto feel the need to helpyounger women with careeradvice. Networking,while strong at the communitylevel, appeared to be weakerbetween communitiesand among nationaland intemational organizations. Groupsthatwere very activelocally on an issuesuch as the environmentwere not skonglylinked with nationalor internationalorganizations. Small local organizationswere only tacklinglocalissues, even though theywere aware of broadernationaland interna- ELIZAEETHHUMSIONE tionalissues.Women did not seemto movebeyond their localvenue eitherthrough participationin politicsor in buildinga nationalagenda in their area of interest. This may be due to the weaknessof nongovernmentalorganizations (NGOS) in generalin Japan. About Planning and Environmental Protection in Japan . . . Whilemy informationabout the planningsystem in Japanis stillextremely limited, severalthings struck me from what I did learil.Urban planning is practicedsepa- ratelyfrom resourceconservation, environmental protection, and recreationplan- ning-The professionof urbanplanning appears to be primarilyurban engineering, tryingto find technicalsolutions to meet urban groMh requirements.Resource conservationis governedby nationaland prefecturallaws; planning for resource conservationoccurs prjmarily at the prefecturallevel. Thus, lhe integrationand balancingof valuesof groMh,economic development, resource conservation and environmentalprotection-a fundamentalpractice in urbanplanning in the United States-cannot occurin Japanbecause not onlyare thesevalues handled sepa- ratelybut also they are administeredby differentlevels of govemment. Sadly,there appearto be veryfew women involved in planningin Japan,in contrast to the UnitedStates where women'sparticipation in planningis strong.lDue to women'sabiiity to makeconneclions and forge integraiion, they are ideallysuited to addressthe deficienciesthat were apparentto me in Japan'splanning system. Citizbnparticipation in communityplanning is veryunderdeveloped inJapan. Public participationis primarilyceremonial-an opportunityfor bureaucratsto present the polishedplan they have come up with. lt is expectedthat peoplewill be in agreementwith the plan presented;direct confrontation in a publicsetting over the contentof the plan is not the acceptedcustom. In Kanazawawe learnedthat neighborhoodassemblies were where government bureaucrats work wiih citizens to get "consensus"on city policies.Typically, citizens do not take the initiative, bul ratherrespond to the government. Despitethis situation,we learnedof severalexamples where women's groups had beeneftective in challengingdevelopments and practicesby the planningofficials. "Tea The Time" group in Kanazawawas inskumentalin stoppinga golf course developmentthat endangereda water supply.The Naka Ward Women'sForum in Yokohamadeveloped a video of idealtown planningthat illustratedfailures in urban engineeringfrom the perspectiveof women and the elderly.Their work

'A 1991survey of womenin planningshowed thai 26% of ihe professionalplanners in the united Statesare women.In Vermontthis percentageis muchcloser to 50%.These percentagescompare favorably to oiheriields-architeclure (18%), civil engineering (5%), landscapearchilecture (23%), and law (21%).Women's earnings in the planningfield are still only 84% of men's,however. In addition,while malesdominate "directoi' positions (directorof agencyor departmenl,CEO, owneror partnerof firm, or chairof academic deoartmenti. IAPAN U.S,WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE resultedin improvementsto paving materialsand installationof railingsalong walkwaysin steeplysloped areas. In addition,the SetagayaCommunity Design Center in Tokyooffers a promising changein the roleof citizensin planningand development. Through funds contrjb_ uted by the SetagayaWard to the DesignCenter, citizens are given grantsfor small designprojects. The staff of the DesignCenter (Ward employees) provide technicaladvice to the citizensand mediatebetiveen the citizensand the Ward. City. and otherpublic agencies. The projectsranqe from etdertycitizens ptanting flowersalong streets,to a communitygarden on a vacant lot, to an alternative designfor a children'scenter that will protectgreen space. The plight of NGOSin Japan is inhibitingthe developmentof strong national environmentalorganizations, which in turn limitsthe abilityof citizensto pressure the governmentfor environmentalreform. On our first day in Japan, Tadash; Yamamotoof JCIE explainedthe problemsfacing the establishmentof strong NGOSinJapan, and lwillnot reiteratethemhere. My observationsare that fledgling women'sorganizations, such as Tea Time in Kanazawaand NakaWard Women's Forumin Yokohama,may not surviveto accomplishmore than very local,smalF scaleactions, and due to theirdependence on the activismof a few women,may not sutuivethe participationof these individuals. ldeas for tuture Adions 1. Bring more women into the nontraditionalcareers ot city planning,archF tecture, engineeling, Iandscapearchitecture, and economics in order to bring more balanceto the decisions on urban growth. Womenseek and makeconnections, are sensitiveto natureand their communities. but are also practical,and thus are ideallysuited to addressurban growth issues. ln orderto bring morewomen into thesecareers, ihey must be introducedto them early in the educationalsystem. perhaps some of the US modelscould be helpfuihere. We offerinternships for studentsin offices.Women planners cometo schoolsand discusstheir careers with students.Universities such as Harvardotfer CareerDiscovery Programs jn the Schoolof Architecture. Women professionalsin these fields must also neh^/orkwith each other to strengthentheir role and their supportfor change.In the UnitedStates, the AmericanPlanning Association has a Womenin planningDivision that works to increasethe visibilityof women in planning,to promotewomen's issues, and to encouragemore women to enterthe field of planning. 2. Forge betternetworks among the women activists gaoupsconcerned with environmentand development.ldeally this would occurthrough restructuring NGOSin Japan(see #3 below).In the absenceof sucha fundamentalchange, thereare stillways this need can be addressed. a. ALICE,in Kanagawa,offers a good modelfor a localor regionalnetwork of environmentalorganizations. ALICE's experiences need to be shared 28 i I I ELIZABETHHUMSTONE I I with environmentalorganizations in otherregions. For example,the I Friendsof the Earlh and Tea Time groupsin Kanazawacould benefil from ALICE'sknowledge. b. Professionalwomen should provjde technicaltraining to volunteerwomen in environmentalissues and should advisethem on how to influence governmentdecisions. c. Morewomen should seek political power. The exampleof the Kanagawa Networkshould be sharedwith other regionsof the country. d. Groupssuch as ALICEthat offer networking to localgroups should them- selvesbecome networked with US andother international groups for new ideas,creative approaches, and mutualsupport. 3. There is a need tor fundamental changes in the way NGOSin Japan aae structuled in order to advance the causes of better planning and environmental ptotection. Regardlessof how well governmentis doing its job, NGOSare neededfor the followingpurposes: . to advocatefor changeand keep issuesalive . to watchdogthe governmentto be sure it is doingits job . to educatethe public . to conductGsearch . to carry out nongovemment,private voluntary approaches to conseryation . to padicipatein and forge coalitionswith other interestgroups in order to advancemutual causes.

29 lrene Redondo-Churchward ExecutiveDirector, Project Info CommunityServices Whittier,caliiornia

Firstof all, I wantto offer my sincereappreciation to the Instituteof International Educationand to the Japan Centerfor InternationalExchange for aranging this magnificentopportunity for our six-womanUS delegaiionto participatein a "Dia- loguewith our Japanesecounterparts in an effortto createa betterglobal under- standingof our rolesin promotingchange and kansformationin our societies."I alsowant to commend,as well as thank,the JapanFoundation Center for Global Partnershipfor its visionas evidencedby the supportit has giventhis project. On a verypersonallevel, my visitto Japan did much to correctmany misperceptions that I had about the status of women in that country.Their awarenessof the existenceofthese misperceptions became clear when one of theJapanese women we met asked us if we were surprisedthat they were not "walkingthree steps behindour men."We met manyinteresting women from a varietyot backgrounds. The addedbenefit ofgetting to knowtherest of the US delegatesofthe Japan-US WomenLeaders Dialogue made the trip even morespecial, not onlybecause we wereso compatible.but becausewe wereable to checkout our observationswith one anotherand lealn from each otheis area of expertise. Readingail the backgroundinformation lwas sent, as well as anythingelse pedainingto Japan that I could get my hands on, providedme with a frame of refe.encemore consistentwith the realitywe experienced.In spite of this, there werestill many surprises, because, ofcourse, nothing cantakethe place ofactually beingthere and talking to peoplein theirown familiar surroundings. The hvo weeks we spentin Japanwere like lodkinginto a constantlychanging kaleidoscope, with manydifferent exposures to people,venues, and experiences. The women we met were intelligentand welFeducatedwith muchto say about their currentstatus and the need tof more changesin Japanthat directlyaffect them.They were concened abouthuman rights, education, quality childcare and care for the elderly,and environmentalissues. They were so open and eagerto sharetheir thoughtsand ideas.Since many of them had gone to schoolin the UnitedStates, it seemedthey knew a great deal more about us lhan we abolrt them, thoughtwo of our group had attendeda year of schoolingin Japan and knew moreabout the countryand the culturethan the rest of us. 31 IAPAN U.S.WOMEN LEADERSDIALOGUE

Tokyo ,,nonprofit Duringour first orientation,we learnedthat the conceptof corporations or nongovernmentalorganizations (NGOS)', is a f€jirlynew one in Jaoan.lt seems lhat the best and lhe brighlest are atwaystapped by the government,which reducesthe pool that mightbe interestedin this area. But there now aooearsto be agrowingawareness that government and business do not holdallthe solutions for the Japanof the future.We were told by Tadabhiyamamoto, the presidentof ..thin theJapanCenterfor Inlernational Exchange, that kingJ apanese wantchange. and womenneed to be involvedas changeagents." ,.internationalization" From him we also hea.dthe word for the first of what was to be manytimes during ourvisit. We weretold that it no longermeansjust learning to speakEnglish. lt nowincludes the goalof transforming Japanese society to make it morecompatible with the outsideworld and consistentwith being a globalpower. It was acknowledgedthat in fact some of the leadersin Japan oerceiveother groupsas inferiorbecause they are not economicallyetficient. But at the same time, it was also statedthat Japan is now examiningits emphasison economics andits goalof"catchingupwiththe West,,atthe expense ofthe values -quality surrcundinq lhe of lite. ln addition.Lhe Gulf War broughtabout much self-examinationl as mostJapanese were surprisedat the reactionof the rest of the worldto thejr involvement-whichwas limitedto financialsupport only. Their failure to provide manpowerwhilesmaller,less powerful nations were doing so broughtinto question whetheror not Japancould remainan economicpower without becoming a more visibleparticipant in globalpolitics as a militarypower. lt is in this largercontext that one beginsto see the changingconditions in Japan and what roleswomen will be playingin this transitionalperiod.

ProfessorYoriko Meguro from SophiaUniversity gave us her definitionof interna_ "people tionalizationas to peopleexchange, not just goods and "sharing trade," and a of globalkey conceptsof equality,human rights, justice, and fairness." She indicatedthat the UnitedNations year of the Woman,which beqanin 1975 at the CopenhagenConference and went on to becomethe Decadeoflhe Woman (with the 1980 and 1985 conferencesin Mexicoand Nairobi,respectivety) had significantimpact on the livesof Japanesewomen. She lamentedthe fact thatthough the governmentstarted to offerconferences on genderequalily, only women attended them which, unfortunatelv. jimited the impact.She also said womenat that time were more inlerestedin eaualitvthan in peaceand development, but nowthey see the inierrelaledness.She tettstiongty that Japanesewomen must share with other women from differentcountries in orderto reconceptualizehow they relateto othersaround the world. Mediaexpert Akira Kojima brought to our attentionsome key issuesrelated "quality to the of life." The Japanesebirthrate at I.Schitdren per family,and the world,s longestlife expectancyatSl yearsforwomen and 75 yearsformen,are combining 32 IRENEREDONDO-CHURCHWARD to create major problemsfor the future. In addition,a recentsurvey found that 54% of the young women interviewedwanted to remainsingle. lf these trends continue,he predictedthe extinctionof the Japanesein 800 years. We learnedthat there is a shortageof farmersand that farmersare mostlyover 65. Thereis alsoa shortageot spousesfor youngerfarmers.We heardfrom others that a solutionchosen by some is to bring in and marrywomen from otherAsian countries,such as ihe Philippinesand Thailand. We alsolearned that these women are expectedto work the farms,that they are not treatedrespectfully, and that they are often victimsof domesticviolence. Others that spoke later statedthat Asianimmigrant women get all the "dirtyjobs." It is interestingto notethatwhile "change" isthe mainagendafor both govenment and businessin Japan,Mr. Kojimafeels men are less qualifiedto handleit than women because"men are hostagesto companies,"and thereforelack freedom to exploreand be innovative.lt was alsonoted by Professorl\,4eguro that men are afraidto changebecause they don't knowwhere they will fit. As a third-generationlvlexican"American, I see similaritiesin culturalthinking betweencountries. l havefelt the samestrugglewith "traditional sex-role concepts" from someof our men. However,though we still needto improveand are a long way from wherewe needto be, I havealso witnessed tremendous grovvih by men in general,and Hispanicmen in particular,in the last 10 years.I see moreaccep- tanceand appreciationof womens'strengths and abiiitiesto riseto all challenges and dealsuccessfully with "change."I alsosee them recognizingwomens'ability to manageseveral things simultaneously (as opposedto beingsingly focused) as somethingto be emulated. AkikoDomoto, a memberof the Houseof Councillorsin the JapaneseDiet sinpe 1989,said she is oftensurprised by how littlepeople around the worldknow about Japan.She spokeof her many interests,including biodiversity, which has to do with how cultureis determinedby the shape of the environmentsurrounding it. She spoke of meetingthen-Senator AI Gore when they were both membersof "GlobalLegislators Organization for a BalancedEnvironment (GLOBE) and was very glad to hear him say "it's lime to hear women'spoints of view for problem solving." She is a'so very involvedin tryingto changethe EugenicsProtection Law, which is the embodimentof the eugenics;deal to promotethe increaseof a populaiion with desirablecharacteristics and preventone with inferiorgenetic ones. She sees it as discriminatory,because some eugenicsurgerycases can be performedwithout the patient'sconsent. Moreover, compulsory sterilization was forcedon womenat a ratefour to five timesthat of men and completelyignores women's rights. She wantsto promotea newlaw that guarantees everywoman's right to decidewhether or notto bearchildren,as wellaseverywoman's rightto contraception and abortion. Her statementwas very consistentwith how most of the women I know in this countryfeel aboutthat issue.lt seemsincredible that the outcomeof this issue, 33 JAPAN_U.5.WOMEN LEADERSDIALOGUE which has such a significantimpact on women,could be determinedprimarily by men. lt broughtto mind how many women felt in the UnitedStates duringthe "Anita Hill" portionof the ClarenceThomas confirmation hearings. FromWakako Hircnaka, another member of the Houseof Councillors,we learned that,though they are few in number,there are morewomen elected on a national levelthan on a locallevel. This is definitelythe reverseof the kend in the United Slales.though we are makingsigniticant gains niiionally. Overall actuat positions of powerfor women,however, seem much more limitedthan in our country. "singles Professorlwao said Japan is a culture,'white the United States is a "couples culture."Her descr;ptionof the independentlifestyles led by married couplesbore that out.Of greatconcern, it seems,is the issueof menwho, having worked all their lives, retire with the expectationof being ,laken care of,, by their wives. However,since little energyhas gone into workingat the marriage relationship,theexpectation provestobe unrealistic, becausewomen have learned to leadindependent lives while the men havefocused almost exclusively on their jobs. lt appearsthat, while men focusedon..material satisfaction and quantity," "spiritual womenwere morefocused on fulfillmentand quality.,,Sinceone of their "graying majorconcemsis the rapid of Japan,"this could be a sourceof significant problemsin the future. Becauseof my professionalbackground in social services,particularly in the preventionof abusivebehaviors, I found it interestingthat there are no statisiics to showto what extentsuch behaviorexists in Japan.For example,when asked aboutthe incidenceof rape,we were told that crowdedconditions don,t allow for "domestic il to happen.In addition, violence"seems nonexistent,though it was acknowledgedthat in fact it could be seriouslyunderreported. With regardto alcoholabuse, we weretold that Japanese lack the enzymeto metabolizealcohol, and thereforeit appearsthat thingsdone underthe influenceare not judgedtoo "kitchen harshly.There was referenceto alcoholics',-womenwho drinkat home alone-but againthere was very limitedinformation. It appearsthat the maindeterrentto abusive behaviors is the veryadmirable value "not of bringingshame to the family."This is one for us to emulatefor prevention purposes.However, since this valLle could also be the reasonwhv suchbehaviors are seriouslyunderreported, and thus a reasonfor the governmentto perhaps rejectabuse prevention as a priorityitem, it wouldseem that NGOSwould be the appropriatevehicles to respondto the issueof abuse. The Directorof the Prime Minister'sOffice for Women Affairsinformed us that "National thereis a Planof Action"to improveall aspectsof women,slives. When askedto describethe mechanismfor inputfrom womenaround the country,she told us that all ministrieshave advisorycouncils, and that she is often asked "informally" to makerecommendations. The impressionis that,white government wantsto establishpolicies that create favorable conditions forcombining work with family life, it will happenneither because of a greatpush from womenin power, 34 IRENEREDONDO CHURCHWARD nor becauseof significantinput from women in general,but ratherfor economic reasons. As we beganio meetthe womenworking on the localcommunity level, it became apparentthat they were activelyinvolved in solvingwhat they saw as problems in thek respectivecommunities without waiting for governmentaction. I lovedthe passionthey showedfor the multitudeof activitiesthey were involvedwith and was thanKulfor the opportunitieswe had to-feally"dialogue" with them. Atthe HELPAsian Women's Shelter, we learnedthatthe main recipients ofservices arewomen from the Philippinesand Thailand. Ifelt greatadmiration forthe director and was inspiredas she spoke of her battlesas a human rightsactivist. Her concernfor the welfareofthese womenshe felt had beenexploited and physically and/oremotionally abused was followedwith significant action on the;rbehalf. She feltstronglythatthe underutilized women's centersfound in eachprefecture should accommodatethose women victims from othercountries who marriedJapanese men. I saw parallelswith our countryin terms of similarexploitalions of some undocumentedfarm workersin California

Yokohama OurvisittotheYokohamaWomen's Forum provided uswith a verymodern example of some of the facilitiesavailable to womenfor growth,support, and enrichment. We saw examplesof their activism,including the productionof videosto create awarenessof environmentalhazards forwomen and the elderlyand thetranslation of bookswhile giving them a femaleperspective. Their pridewas evidentas they sharedtheir work with us. They also have counselling and women's support groups that are now beginningto gainmomentum. Over dinner we discussedand agreed on the importanceof "womenhelping women." Visitingthe AlternativeLives OpportunityCenter gave us a good exampleof how communitywomen are takingcharge and goingforward with environmental concerns.Their co-op buying and recyclingconcepts have expandedto other quality-oflifeissues with, prioritygiven to "endingconsumerism and depletionof resources."One woman had even startedher own successfulrestaurant which operatedon the first floor of the three-storybuilding; she graciouslyprovided us with an "American"style meal. Anotherwoman had politicalaspirations and was part of a group that seeks to supportwomen candidates. Believing that the futureof Japanlies in the develop- ment of systemsto accessgovernment, she rcalizedthat becomingan elected officialis one importantavenue. She told us how otherwomen cameto her aid whenshe ranforofficeby helpingtotakecare of herchildren,cleaning and cooking dinner,etc. ltwas encouragingtohear ofthistype of a supportsystem,an example of how womenoften work ditferentlythan men. Again, I see parallelsin my own lifeto the supportI receivedfrom womenwho joined me in a commoncause and 35 IAPAN.U.S, WOMEN LEADERSDIALOGUE helpedin whateverway needed,with no expectedreward otherthan making strides for womenin general.

Fukuoka

Fukuokais an impressivecity with manyimpressive women as well. Herewe met h,vowomen lawyerswho were involvedin and won the first sexual harassment case in Japan'shistory. Tsujimoto-san said she irsedthe US definitionand won "hostile on the groundsof environment."She spokeof the lack of effectivelaws lor divorced women seeking alimonyor child support,and that many women seekingher counselwere not economically self-sutficient. Japan, unlike the United Statesand especiallyCalifornia, is not a litigioussociety, so thereare only4O,OOO lawyers,of whom only 700 are women. In conversationlater, she sharedhow, in spiteof her professionalcareer, she was feelingguilty being atthe receptionbecause she stillhadto go homeand fix dinner for her children.We talkedabout the difficultiesof singleparents. I empathized as I recalledsimilarfeelings when mychildren wereyounger, and howvery difficult "find it was to the rightbalance," in spiteof the fact that I was blessedwith a very supportivehusband who wouldfill in for me on djfferentoccasions. lt aDDearsthat this is an issuethatwomen with young children in bothcountries share in common. "best The constantdesire to be the mother,"as well as the,,best in the working world" is a demandingchallenge, but one that will becomemore manageableas societybecomes more responsiveto workingmothers. Here we also heardfrom Takahashi-sanwho believed,,women are tikesilk, i.e., soft, smooth, and beautitul,but also of high quality and enormousstrength." She talked about the need to divertthe currentemphasis and obsessionfrom "competition and economicsto earthand people."Hearing her wordsinspired me "SILK to think of creatinga Earth Neh/vork"of women who sharedthe same ideasand beliefs.SILK could become an acronymfor',sisterhood of International Leaders,for a KinderEarth Nehvork." Such a netlvorkcould become a viabletool for creatingmore internationalexchange of ideasand support. It was also in Fukuokathat two of us lrom the United States were invitedby ProfessorKano, who teachesModern Japanese Literature at the Universityof Kurume,and by lmamaru-san,a film maker,to eat at a sidewalkudon noodle shop.We laterwentforawalk and talked about our families and special challenges in our lives,our joys and disappointments,with one of them sayingto me: ,,Well, que sera, sera," which of course in Spanishis "what will be will be.,'Later we stoppedat a place where we sang karaokein English,Japanese, and to my surprise,in Spanishas well. Though I could only attemptto hum alongwith the Japanesesongs,myfel'ow US delegate,Susan, was abletosing them well, having spenta year in Japanas a student.I was thoroughlyimpressed with the women who couldsing the Spanishsongs along with me. Thoughwe were all very tired at the end of the evening,it was sad lo say goodbyeto our new triendswho now 36 IRENEREDONDO-CHURCHWARD felt likeold friendsbecause we had sharedso muchlaughter and enioyment.And it also pointedout how we are muchmore alikethan we are ditferent. lenjoyedtalkingwith the DeputyMayor of Fukuoka,Dr. Kato, who formerly practiced medicineat the Universityof KyushuHospital, and who at the age of 67 looked at least20 yearsyounger. She spoke ofthe needfor heatthpromotion in thisaging society.She also said she preferredthe term "ageless"to "aging."

Kanazawa Kanazawaprovided us with the most in"depthlook at the arts in Japan.We were treatedto spendingtimewithtwo very famous artists, a fatherand son combination, who not only welcomedus to their home,but graciouslyprepared a tormal..tea ceremony"together with allthe neededexplanations. Later we weretheir guests for dinnerand were invitedto visittheir gallerythe next day. They are the seventh- and eighth-generationcreators of worldJamousOhi pottery. We learnedfrom the Mayorthat this beautifulcity was not damagedduring World War ll and consequentlyis well preserved_However, students now are more interestedin modernizationthan traditionalpreservation. He felt stronglythat the youngergeneration needsto be bettereducated to appreciatethevalue of preserva- tion and to respecthistory more. He wantsto promotehis city as an "international community"and spokeof the city's30 year historywith its sistercity, Butfalo, New York. He was also very proudthat he had appointedone of the onlytwo women schoolsupe ntendentsin Japan_ It was here too that we learnedwomen cannot return to a universityeducation in later life, since most studentsare the same age and entrancerequirements are rigid.This made a strongimpression on me,as lwas a'?eturningstudent,'and graduatedfrom the universityat age 38 when my threechitdren were all in school. Thoughwewere assuredthat somethings are changing, lregardthis as asignificant blockto achievementfor manywomen in Japan.And I couldnot helpbut thinkof the manywomen I haveknown and encouragedoverthe yearsto returnto school andthe avenuesof empowermentthat it openedfor mostof them.We wereasked "normal" morethan once if we were or "typical"women. IMy response was that I was indeeda very averagehousewife and motherafter my childrenwere born, though,likemany housewives, I had worked priorto having children. Thedifference for me, of course,was pursuingmy collegedegree as a maturewoman and then becominga professional.'t is my sincerehope for the women of Japan that, in the nearfuture, continuing education will not be limitedto life enrichmentcouFes as they are now, but will includeacademic courses as well. ShijimaElementary School provided us with a first-handlook at an exampteof the educationalsystem. We enjoyedhaving lunch with the studentsand heardfrom one youngman ot his concernfor the environmentand his plansto addressit in the future. lt was interestingto note that all children,regardless of grade,were JAPAN-U.S.WOMEN LEADER5 DIALOGUE seatedor workedin groupsof four, two boys and h'vogirls. There seemed to be no separationby genderin any of the classes,and girls were even operating woodshoptools in the sixth grade. perhaps this wjll be a significantfactor in continuingthe trendthat moregirls in Japangraduate from highschool and junior collegesto the universitylevel than do boys. Theseniordaycare centerwe visited was unique in thatit offeredcross-generational opporlunitiesfor interaction,since there was a chlldcarecenter at the samefacility togetherwith socialservices. Among the most importantchallenges Japan laces in the futureare its rapidlyaging population, which is approaching25 percentover age 65, and the questionof who will be responsiblefor takingcare of the elderly. We heardfrom many women thatthey arethe ones who must bearthe responsjbjlity not only for taking care of their aging parents,but for the husband,sas well. Combinethis with the world'slongest average life span,and it appearsthat more attentionwill haveto be paidto maintaininghealthy lifestyles after age 65. In the UnitedStates, seniors are a very powerfullobbying group and as a result have manycenters that encourageinvolvement and participationin a wide range of activitiesthat helpkeep them physicallyand emotionallyfit, as well as mentally alert.There is generallya componentthat allowsfor homedelivered meals to the frail elderlywho may live alone.In somecases there are also respitecaregivers who take over for the primarycaregiver for a limitedamount of time. This then preventsordelays the onsetofthetype of problemsthatrequire 24-hour individual- izedcarcj lrom familyor others.Perhaps the feasabilityof usingthe same model in Japancould be an area for greaterinformation exchange. One of my specialmemories of beautiful,snowy Kanazawawill be of the elderly lady in a departmentstore who, recognizingme as not beingJapanese, took it uponherself to guideme onto an escalatorand showed me howto get off as well. I found it charmingthat she was concernedthat l, a perlectstranger and a gaijin (foreigner),not hurt myself,in the eventthat I didn,tunderstand how this machin-

Tokyo Revisited Upon returningto Tokyo,and afterour tastofficial meeting, I was askedkry Akiko Mashima,a memberof the NiigataCity Council,to join her for lunchat a Mexican restaurantas she wantedmy opinionon the qualityof the food.This providedus with an excellentopportunity to discussissues on a one{o-onebasis. We talked aboutthelack of a systematictraining or mentoringprocess to helpyoungerwomen learnhow to effectivelyaccess the currentpower structures. Her conclusionwas that mostwomen who are in a positionof power,herself included, need alltheir energyio maintainit. Further,she believedserving as a role modelwas equally effective. Whilethisis undoubtedly true, lshared howvaluabtethe trainingwasthat lreceived Ircm lhe National Hispana Leadership lnstitute, which is dedicated to ,,creatinq 38 IRENEREDONDO CHURCHWARD

positiveglobal change through personal integrity and ethicalleadership." lt was not onlyexcellent training, but was alsosignificant in that it was startedby women in power with a vision of helpingother women be the best they can be, and simultaneouslycreated a nationalnetwork that has grown and multipliedevery year. I believethat a similarmodel could be started,n Japanand thatthe rewards and benefitscould be substantial,not onlyfor womenin general,but for the entire countryas well. On my finalday in Japan,I went backto spendmore time withthe directorof the HELPCenter, who then introducedme to the womenat the ChristianTemperance Union.We spokeof the problemof vendingmachines, which dispense alcoholic beveragesalong with soft drinksand are everywhere,makingthem easily accessi- ble to teenagerseven thoughthe officialdrinking age is 20. lt seemsthat it is difficultto get governmentto see this as a problem,since the vendingmachines providea great sourceof tax revenue.Furthermore, because of the significant amountof moneyspent on advertisingby the alcoholindustry, they did not feel enoughsupport could be gainedby approachingthe newspapersto cooperateon this issue. We talked about how advedisingwas an issue for us in the UnitedStates as well, not only regardingliquor but tobaccoproducts as well. When I suggested approachingthe PTASas a sourcefor advocacy,it was statedthat most PTAS are controlledby the principal,who !n turn is a governmentemployee. Therefore, this seemedlike it wouldnot be a workablesolution. They were, however, hopeful thatin the nearfuturevending machines may in factbe removedfrom the sidewalks becausetheytake up too muchspace and don't allow enough room for pedestrians. Th,s aooroachthen seems less confrontationaland much more consistentwith theirvaluesystem. For me, it was avaluable lesson in uoderstandingand respecijng how we can solve problemsvery differentlyand still achievethe same desired results. IleftJapanwith a varietyof impressionsand thoughts. I knowtheyhavea "bamboo barrier"that corresponds with our "glassceiling." l alsoknowthat frustrations over limitedopportunities in some areasis somethingelse we have in common.But I wasalsovery impressed with the women in generalandwith some ofthe supportive men we met as well.The levelof awarenessof the need for changeis growing, and women need to createnational networks to assisteach other in findingthe placeswhere they can be the most effective. l'm lookingtorward to the Japanesedelegation coming to the UnitedStates in June. I only hopewe can offerthem an experienceas gracious,informative, and enlighteningas they did for us.

39 SusanVirnig Founderand SeniorConsulta nt, NorthwestRegional Facilitators spokane,waihington

I came on this trip wantingto learn eveMhing I could about the experienceof Japanesewomen. I broughtwith me the baggageot my own experience:my strugglesto jugglethe manyroles in my lifeand my effortsworking with nonprofit organizations(NPOS) to etfectsocial change. These two issuesquickly became the focus of my questionsand discussionswith my Japanesepeers.

Balance One of the burningissues I face dailyis the questionof balancein my life as the motherof a six-year-old,a spouse,a communityvolunteer, a professional,and an individual.As ltraveled aroundJapan, I askedwomen everywherewe went howtheydealt with this issueof balance.I receivedmany answers to my question, butthe clearpattern which emerged was this: MostJapanese women don,t balance alltheseaspects oftheir life because theycan't-yet-in Japan.Some few manage to continuea life-longprofessional career, but usuallythey are eitherwealthy or blessedwith an older relativewho cares for their children;they are also v9ry dedicated,as they must be to overcomethe obstaclesthey face. Thereare allsorts of challengesfacing women who want both a careerandafamily: Legally,women are not well-protectedagainst discrimination in hiringor oromotron. Changingiobs is not a normalpart of doingbusiness, so if a womanquits for any reason-becauseshe wantsto stay homeuntil her childenters school or becauseher spouseis transferred-it is unlikelythat she could returnto an equivalentjob anywherein the country. Part-timeworkers-of whomover 80 percentare women-receive significantly lowerwages, few or no benefits,and have no job security.This is the main work avenueopen to womenwith children. Womendo not havethe sameaccess to highereducation as men. IVIorelhan twice as many men as womenenter four-year universities (34 percentto '16 percentin 1991).At Tokyo University,perhaps the most prestigiouscollege in the country,there were 65 womenin a classof 2,50030 yearsago; today 41 JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

the numberis 200women out ofthe same2,500 students. lt is nearlyimpossible to enlera graduateprogram later in life unlessone goesabroad-so women can not furthertheir educationafter havingchildren. Womenare not representedin the decision-makjnglevels of the society.Less thanone percent of managerialpositions in the civilserviceare filled by women. In business,women managersrange from one to five percentof the total. dependingon Ihelevel. In politics, 6.2 percenibt the nalional Diet are women, and at the locallevel 3.2 percentof electedofJicials are women. Daycarecenters, while numerous,are gearedtoward part{ime workersand often are locatedfar from suburbanareas, so thev rarelvserve the needsof f ull-timeprofessional workers.

There is no widespreadbelief that men and womenshould share household choresand the provisionof carefor childrenor elderlyparenls, so womenwho workoutside the homealmost universally return to a secondjob in the home. In spite of thesedifficulties, we met many pioneeringJapanese women, who as volunteers,mothers, pan-time workers, and full-timeprofessionals are forging ahead,changing their own livesand the life of their nation.Here are someof the storiesI heardas I askedabout balance:

A professorspoke of spendinga year abroadon a fellowship.Every day she wouldlook at the sky and weep,knowing that herchildren were backin Japan also seeingthe blue sky. After monthsof grieving,she managedto arrange for her motherto bring the childrenabroad and they lived togetherfor the durationof her studies.

A journalisttold of beingdevastated becaLrse her employerfired her as soon as it was knownthat she was pregnant.Wilh herchildren grown, she now has an interestingposition, but is responsiblefor the care of her elderlvparents and wondershow she will manage,since leave to care for sick relativesis not available.

An attorney,one of the five percentof attornevswho are women,could not find a job after graduating.Eventually she starteda law otticerun by women for women.Contrary to what many firms require,they don,t work nightsso that they can spendtime with their children.

A judgeexplained how she managedto continueher career:fiast, she hadthe resourcesto hirefull-time help, and second, when it cametime for her manda- torythree-yearassignmentto a branchcourt, her superyisor chose a cityclose enoughthat she could commute.(lt would have been inconceivablefor her familyto relocatefor her job or for her to live elsewhereduring that iime_) A father,when asked if he missedhis childrensince he's so seldomhome, repliedthat he was alwaysgiving orders when he saw them, so they didn't 42 SUSANVIRNIG

like it much when he was home. He addedthat lhe.e is a Japanesesaying that it's betterfor the father not lo be at home.

Severalwomenspoke hesitantly about being divorced, which is not common and caries some stigma.I was told of difficultiesdivorced mothers faced in geilingchild supporl hom ex-spouses. Hearingthese storiesand others,lcame away believingthat, until and unless basicchanges are madein the socialinfrastructure, Japan will noi be ableto fully uiilizethe humanresource that its women represent. This will requireafundamental changein a culturalway of thinking,both for womenand for men. [,4en,ioo, are short-changed,missing out on their children'slives, lackingmuch qualityof life "work outsidetheir incrediblylong work hours,being viewed and valuedas ani- mals," and then nicknamed"big garbage"after they retire.This is a daunting task-to changea culture,a way of thinking-but it is happeningslowly, with forcesexternal to Japan.as wellas internal,pushing the processalong.'

Social Change and Voluntary Groups

A secondmajor issue I havefaced for 20 yearsis the challengeof usingnonprofit organizationsas vehiclesto effect social change.As we traveledaround the country,wewere introducedtodozens of groups-usuallyled bywomen-working to bringabout change in theirsociety. One groupcommitted to preservingtropical rainforests studied the issueand discoveredthat formsfor pouringconcrete are the biggestuse of such wood in Japan;the groupcreated a "picture-show"that is nowtraveling throughout Japan educating the generalpublic aboui rain forests. (lncidentally,their city governmentis now researchingwhether to ban concrete formsmade from tropicalwood.) Another group became aware of the exploitation of Asian women who are klroughtto Japan for prostitution,set up a shelterfor them and their children,intervened with their sometimesunderworld bosses lo retrievethe women'spassports and airlinetickets (held for "security"),and are providingcounselling support, legal advice, and medicalcare to them.Yet another "GarbageTimes" groupstudied garbage patterns in theircity,began publishing the newslettertoinform citizens and businesses aboutthe problem, andfigured out how to makemilk cartons into lovely postcards, which they sellto supporttheiractivities.

lsomeofthesedrivingforces b ngingabout change in Japaninclude: inlenationalization; garafsu,or foreignpressure; the dramaticdecline in the bidh rate iwere the presentrate to coniinue,we weretold, in 800 yearsthefe wouldbe no Japanesepeople); the graying ofihe population,with 25 perceniexpecled to be overage 65 bythe year2003ithe Uniled NationsInternational Decade of Women;the shiftfrom a production/supplyeconomy to a consumer/qualilyof lite economy;the aspiralionsol Japanesewomen; Japan's reaching highestnet creditorposition andthereby economic superpower staius in 1985;theuniquely importantrole oifemale part-lime workers in buildingthe economy,wo*ing in boomtimes, and beingIet go in slowdowns;etc. 43 JAPANU,5. WOMEN LEADER5 DIALOGUE

As we met with theseorganizations, I tried to ask probingquestions about thejr structure,legal status,and financialsituation, coming out of my entrepaeneurial experiencewith nonprofitsin the UnitedStates. Most of mv questionsturned out lo be irrelevanl.since there is liflleopportunity for innovationor entrepreneurship. as we knowit, in lhe Japaneseequivalent to our nonprofitsector. Social chanoe is happening,yes. but withoutthesupport ol a nonprofitorganizational infrastruciure. Groupssuch as those we met are etfectivein lpite of the tegal,financial, and culturalconstraints imposed on them. In Japan it is extremelydifficutt to achieve the equivalentof our nonprofitstatus, since it requires,among otherthings, a cash reserveof one milliondollars and permissionfrom alj topicallyrelated government agencies.Even if this statusis achieved,there js no incentivefor the publicor businessesto donateto suchorganizations because there is no tax deductionfor charitablecontributions, so there are in fact few contributors.The work of such voluntarygroups, being outside the mainstream,mosfly male, corporate struclure of the society.is usuallynot recognized,valued. or evenconsidered of anv imoort. To supportthese groupsand enablethem lo flourishin their importaniwo;k of grassrootssocial transformation would require basicchanges in the legalinfrastruc_ turerelating to nonprofits.lt wouldalso require changes in thecultural infraskucture, acknowledgingthe importanceof suchwork and thereby encouraging more particj- pation in il. For instance,lhe Japanesegovernment honors outstandinq artists with the designationol Living CulturalTreasu.e...A similarcategory J honor could be-created for the life-longvolunteer or the social innovatorwho have immeasurablyenriched the livesof olhers.

Inspite ofthe difficultiesvoluntary groups face, there are women throughout Japan givingtheir time, energy,and even moneyto causesthey believein. These are someof the examplesI was told aboutwhere women are makinga differencej A volunteertold of the etfortsof her woman,sgroup to translatea non_sexist fairy tale featuringa strong,smart girl. Becausethey found that inequalityis implantedin children,with very strongsex-role stereotypes, they wantedto publishat leastone book tellinga differentstory. Initially no publisherwould take it, but with the help of a women,sorganization, they went ahead with printingand eventuallysold 70,000copies. They simplifiedthe storv,created tabricartwork to illustrateit. and publisheda secondbook for youngchitdren. Finally,they published the originalEnglish version as a supplementarytextbook tor use in high schoolEnglish classes.

As an alternativeto returningto the part-timework force, which offers low oav and little influenceover ones own work, women are creatinqhundreds of workefs collectives.These small businesses.ranging in siTef;om I to 50 ol morc workers,allow women to put their energyinto thjngsthey believein, to earnsome money, and to self-organizeand directtheirownaffairs. Collectives selldozens of differentservices and productsjthey makevideos; they runprint shops;theymake soap from waste kitchen oil;they open shopsto sell recvcled 44 5UsANVIRNIG

productsthey havegathered or created;they make box lunchesand open restaurants;they offer home nursing care for dependentelderly or brandnew mothers,they are translators; they are bakers;they are marriage counselors. Theytypically charge less Lhan the going rale for their producls and services. astheir aim is to improvetheir community ratherthan to maximizeprofit. What they offerfor sale is oftena superiorproduct because of theirvalues; for example,the foodcollectives typically rn€ke all theirproducts from scratch, usingnatural ingredients. Theconsumer co-op movement in Japanis an incrediblesuccess story. Here is the historyot oneof the best"knownnational coops: A housewifein Tokyo begana food-buyingclub in the mid-l960s,which, over time, spread to other partsof the country.This co-op became concerned about food quality and wenton to buydirectly from organic producers and then to constructtheir own organicdairy to supplymilk to members.When they realized that detergents werepolluting local rivers and eradicaiingfish, co-op members switched to naturalsoaps and collected 300,000 signatures on petitionsto localgovern- mentsasking them to banharmful detergents. When the governments ignored the petitions,the co-oprealized they had to gettheir own members in office. In 1987in the greaterTokyo area, 31 of thesewomen won election to local governmentsat onetime. This co-op, with over 700 full-time statf, is the ninth largestof some700 consumercoops located throughout Japan. One of its prefecturaldivisions is celebratingits 20thanniversary by buildinga special homefor 50 to 100 low-incomeelderly persons who live done-a socially innovativeproject in Japan.This group, representing about one-third of the totalnational membership, has capital assets of $228mil,ion; has buili its own soapfactory, which uses recycled kitchen oilto makenatural soap; and now planstostartitsown foundation to fundcitizen{o-citizen international exchange andoverseas aid, by askingco-op members to donatethe equivalentof one meala month.

Questions As I reflecton my experiencein Japan,several questions come to mind.Were I to feturnto Jaoan.these are the issuesl'd liketo hearmore aboutl 1. Giventhe tremendous underepresentation of women in the corporate, educa- tional,professional, and governmental spheres, who has the powerin these spheresto changepolicies that keep women out? And, just as impodant,who hasthe behind-the-scenes influence needed to oersuadethese corcorate and politicaldecision-makers to move ahead? What kind of process-lobbying, arm-twisting,consensus-building, grassroots organizing is requiredto bring aboutnew policy and how can such a processof changebe encouragedand suoooned? 2. ls thereany wayto enactlegislation that legitimizesand supportsthe work of voluntarygroLlps throughoot Japan, which in effectwould provide a legal 45 JAPAN-U.s.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

intrastructure(easier access to a nonprofit-equivalentstatus, tax lawchanqes, elc.l to supportand encouragethe work ot such groups? 3. lam impressedwith the workers,collectives, otten formed in conjunctionwith consumerce-ops, as a model of the flourishingof entrepreneurialspiril in Japan.Women are startingand runninglheir own businesses.responding to real marketneeds. Many collectives focus on qualityand fosteringthe social good,rather than maximizingprofit, and in thls regardare verysimilarto small nonprofitsin the UnitedStates. How can Japaneseinstitutions suooort and encouragethis promisingand innovativedevelopment? For instance,government tax poljcycurren y allowsa secondworker in anv householdto earna smallamount of wageslhat aretax{ree. Howabout raisin; or enlirelyremoving this cap. if the secondworker is involvedin a workers: collective?Or a businesscould establish a partnerrelationship with a workers, collective,exchanging information, skills, and even workers.The collective could benefitfrom the connectionsand somebasic legaland financialassis_ tance.The trusinesscould benefit by beingexposed to the risk-taking,socially responsivenature of the collective.These suggestionsmay be the wrong answersto this question,so I ask thosewith moreknowledget How can Japa_ nese insiitutionssupport and encouragethe spreadof workers'collectives? 4. To my mind,the successoftheconsumerco-op movementin Japan is phenom, enaland representsa blendingof entrepreneurialskills and socialconscious_ ness, with some co-ops doing eveMhing from setting up nationaldelivery systemsand runningorganic tarms lo buildingsoap facloriesand spawning politicalparties that get their memberselected to office.Co-ops self-finance theirown expansioninto newareas through on-going monthly member invest_ mentscoupled with small loansfrom banksor other sources.These co_ops representnotonly innovation and entrepreneurship, but, with theirself_financing mechanismsand politicalspin-otfs, model a fairly self-containedmechanism for change in the society.My question,once more, is how can Jaoanese instiLulionssuppori and encouragethe flourishing olsuch co-ops?For instance, couldthe unusuallow-income elderly project being builtby one coop bestudied and, as appropriate,promoted as a nationalmodel? ls anvoneresearchino lhe access of these co-ops and documenlingkey aspectswhich could bi copiedin moretraditional sectors of the society?Or if thesesuggestions are inappropriate,what are the ways that Japanesebusiness, educational, and legal institutionscould encourageand supportthe fufther expansionof con- sumerco-ops and their sDin-offs?

Closing

Besidesthe richnessofwomen's lives shared with us andthe wealthof information and usefulmodels we received,lfelt encompassedby a warm and welcoming acceptanceby womenihroughout Japan. These things I will alwaystreasure: late 46 SUSANVIRNIG at night,sitting scrunchedinside a tiny, portable,sidewalk ranen stand, being treatedto the tamouslocal ramen by a feministcollege professor and an environ- mentalisthigh school teacher; huddling off to the sidewith a professionalwoman, sharingseldom{old slories from bolh our pastsinvolved in lhe headydays ot the studentpower movement; listening to a grandmotherdescribe the significanceof each piece of cloth in her fabric art for the new fairy tale ("this one is from my baby'sfirst dress,this piece was part of my,weddingoutfit, this one came from my husband'syukata"). And Ilearned yet again:As women,we use the scraps and piecesof our livesto weaveever new, ever morebeautiful works of art. I do want to thankall the inspiringwomen in Japanwho sharedtheir stories with us. Althoughall our formalsessions were professionallyinterpreted, I apologize if, during our informalconversations, my elementaryJapanese resulted in my misinierpretingwhat I was beingtold. I looktorward to hearingabout what these powerful,caring, and altogethersawy women continueto do as they work to createa new futurein Japan.

47 BernardaWong ExecutiveDirector, Chinese American ServiceLeague Lntcago, nots

The 14-daystudy tour-my firstvisit to Japan*can be characterizedas an educa- tional,eye-opening, hectic, hard-working, friendly, cultural, fun, interesting,and scrumpliousexperiencel Thanks to the Centerfor Global Partnershipand the Japan Center for InternationalExchange, the entire trip was well-plannedand organized.In all four citieswe visited-Tokyo, Yokohama,Fukuoka, and Kana- zawa-the Japanesepeople were most graciousand accommodating,the cities wereclean and beautiful(especially Kanazawa in the snow),and the womenwere eagerand readyfor the Dia'ogue.The diversebackgrounds and interestsof the participatingJapanese women were impressive;the compatibilityand comradery of the Americandelegation were a plus.

Some Observations The Dialoguecovered a large range of issues.While the six Americanwomen delegateswill reporton each of their respectiveprofessional areas, the following obsewationsfocus on humanservices. Throughout the tour,we discoveredmany similaritiesas well as differencesbehveen the Japaneseand Americanwomen and betlveenthe two cultures. Tax-exemptnonprofit socialservice systems as we knowthemin the UnitedStates arevirtually nonexistent in Japan.The numberof tax-exemptinstitutions approved by the l\,4inistryof Financeis insignificant.The contributioncommonly received by tax-exemptnonprofits in the UnitedStates is not a knownphenomenon in Japan. Individualsdo not havechecking accounts from whichthey can convenientlysend donations.There are a limitednumber of foundationsbecause they, too, rarely are approvedfor tax-exemptstatus. These tactorshave a major impacton the developmentand groMh of humanand socialservice providers and the survival of NGOSin Japan. Volunteerismas part of a long traditionof publicaltruism and contributiondoes not seemto be as commonin Japanas in the UnitedStates. In Tokyo,we heard of only a few examples.However, volunteers seem to work well in small locales withintheir own communities.lwas especiallyimpressed with Zeninkan (good neighborhouse), an intergenerationalfacility in Kanazawa.Except for one paid 49 JAPAN_U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

staffmember, the facilityis run by mihseir,i,(institutional volunteers). who receive a lokenallowance of aboutUS $450per year. ,,unsung As in the UnitedStates, there are many heroines"who often work around the clockto mee he needsof their clients.This was especiay true at the HELP Center,a women'sshelter in Tokyo, and MichaeraHouse, a similarshelter in Yokohamastaffed by Catholicnuns. Both sheltersserve Japanesewomen as well as abusedor troubledwomen from othercduntries, especially Thailand, the Philippines,and China. WiththeUnited Nations' push for the promotionofwomen's issues, manvJaoanese women have becomemore keenlyaware ot the many issuesconfronting them. These includepoverty, migration, gender equality, and their interrelatednessto jobs and economicdevelopment. Factors such as the decreaseof childrenper marriedcouple (1.53), longer life expectancyfor women (BO.O8years), and the antjmarriagesentiment (54 percentof unmariedwomen surveyed by the govern_ ment expresseda desireto stay single),have also affectedJapanese women's outlookand theirdecision making. One woman, for example,felt thatyoung Japa_ nese men and women who are the only childrenin their families,and therefore feel obligatedto take care ot theiraging parents, would preferto marrysomeone who is not an only childwho may have a siblingwho can eventuallytake care of his or her parents. Inspite of the passageofthe EqualEmployment Opportunity Act in j 986,Japanese women are still experiencinginequality in the workplace.lllany are hired ,.part_ lime orchooseto remainhousewives. This has partially conlributed tothe phenom- "overmaternalism"-when enon of women devoteexcessive time and attention to their chjldren,especially their sons. lvlanywomen with whom we spokewere concernedthat the new generationof young men would not know how to live independentlyand thereforewill not be aitractiveto the new qenerationof women who are increasinglyindependent. Throughoutour trip, it was clearthat the women'smovement in Japanis gaining momentum.Although they could probablylearn from the more active national netlvorkmodel in the UnitedStates, there are a few stronglocal programswith dedicatedvolunteers. Iwas especiallyimpressed with the KanagawaNetwork Ivlovementin Yokohama.where 2,500 registered members of a women,spolitical grouppromote candidates who, when elected,turn all salariesback to the orouo to furtherpromote their cause. Onecannotspeak ofeducation in Japan without mentioning the..entrance examina- tion," a phenomenonthat seemsto have taken controlover much of the daily energyand life of all childrenand parentsalike. Obsessionwith the entrance examinationhas taken priorityover family life, recreation,cultural activities, and familysavings (tutors for the studentsare common.) lfeel that the Japaneseare aheadol the UnitedStates in government-builtand financedwomen's centers. We wereimpressed bythe yokohamaWomen'sForum 50 BERNARDAWONG

and the FukuokaWomen's Center (AlVllKAS), where a rangeof women'sand children'sservices and resources are provided forthe residents of these communi- ties.They also provide a forumforwomen's groups promoting the women's move- ment,

Recommendations . TheJapanese government should formally recognize NGOS and acknowledge theircontributions to society. Tax exemption might be offered for private contribu- tionsto NGOSand community groups. . The problemsof illegal(and legal) aliens must be openlyaddressed by the government,with input from the NGOSnow serving these populations. . Theconcept ol volunteerismcan be promotednationally with a programto get youngerJapanese to buyinto the concept. . Childcareand carefor the elderlycan be bettersupported by programsthat blendgovernment resources and cultural sensitivity, e.9., government-supported programsthat would hire relatives suggested by the elderlythemselves. Adult childrenwill not have to leavetheir jobs and the elderly would feel that they are beingtaken care of by theirfamilies.

FinalComments ThisDialogue has eliminated many of the mythswe, the US women,held of the Japanesewomen and vice-versa. I felt a senseof closenesswith the Japanese women,a feelingthat grew as we metand talked to moreand morewomen as we continuedour tour.Being the onlyAsian woman on the US delegationand feelingso comfortablewith the culture,I sometimeforgot that I was fromthe "visitingdelegation." This, of course,was relnforced when often lwas mistaken t for a localJapanese try participating Japanese women and people in the streets! I valuethis exchange and feelthat in somesmall ways our delegation has helped I bringthe two countries closer togelher. I lookfoMard to continuingthis Dialogue i whenthe Japanese delegation travels to the USAin June.

51 Hideko Katsumata ExecutiveSecretary, Japan Center for InternationalExchange Tokyo

Report of the JapaneseDelegation

Thestudytourofthe United States by the Japanesedelegation ofwomen's leaders as the second half ot the Japan-US Women LeadersDialogue was conducted "The underthe theme Role of Women in CommunityDevelopment.,' The tour, heldJune 6-19, 1993,was cosponsoredby the lnstituteof InternationatEducation (New York) and the Japan Centerfor InternationalExchange (Tokyo), and sup- ported by the Japan FoundationCenter lor Global Partnership.The delegation visitedLosAngeles, Spokane, Chicago, and Newyorkand metwith women teaders representingprivate organizations, citizens groups, and volunteermovements, in orderto exchangeideas and experiencesand to observevarious facilities. SelectionoftheJapanese delegation began in February1993, fo owingcompletion of the visit to Japan by the US delegation.Recommendations were soughtfrom women'scenters, private organizations, citizens groups, opinion leaders, and oth- ers in ditterentparts of the country.Following screening ol the personaldata concerningeach candidaleand individualinterviews, and takinginto accountthe adviceof membersol the US delegalion,the followingsix detegateswere chosen in mid-April: Yorikolmasato Editor-in-chief,Living Fukuoka, West Japan Living Newspa- perCo., Fukuoka YaekoSuzuki Chair,We LoveAsia 21, Yokohama HarukoNumala Coordinator,Suginami Association for Befter Lives in an Aging Society,Association to Provide FriendshipLights, Tokyo

YoshikoHayakawa Editor-in-chief,lshikawa no Tanago \Eggs in tshikawa), Kanazawa MitsukoYamaguchi ExecutiveDirector, Fusae tchikawa Memorial Association/ Women'sSuffrage Institute, Tokyo KimieYokoyama Director,Des FemmesWorkers Collective, yokohama t5 IAPAN U.S.WOMEN L€ADER5 DIALOGUE

The delegationwas accompaniedby Japan-sidecoordinator Hideko Katsumata {ExecutiveSecretary, Japan Center lor InternationalExchange) and Miekolijima (ProgramAssistant, JCIE) and by US-sidecoordinator Shaun lvlartin (Asia/pacific ProgramN,4anager, llE). The US studylour was arrangedwith the cooperationof hosl communities(from whichthe US delegationmembers had come),with attentiongiven io the specjfjc interestso{ each Japanesedelegat,on member. We woulo hke io expressour sincereappreciation for the extremelyfull, tremendouslybeneficial program pro- vided.Our hostsin eachof the communitieswere: lrene Bedondo-Churchwardat ProjeclInfo Community Services in Los Angeles;Susan Virnig at Nodhwest RegionalFacilitators in Spokane;Ronne Hartfield at the Art Instituteof Chicago; BemardaWong at the Chinese-AmericanService League in Chicago;and peggy Blumenthaland Shaun lvlartinatthe lnstituteof Internalional Education in Newyork. The delegationmet forthe firsttime on the dateol departure,June 6, at the Mivako HotelTokyo lor a formal meetinglaunching the tour. The membersinlroduced themselvesand spokeabout their previous activities as well as thejranticipations of the studylour. Therewas somediscussion of topicsand ihemesto be pursued throughthe Dialoguewilh women leadersin the UnitedStates. A short briefing aboutthe statusand role ol the nonprofitsector in US societywas providedby the Japanesecoordinator. What is being done in US socielyto resolveor amelioralelhe problemsat the communitylevel? What is the roleof womenin theseendeavors? The delegation headedto Los Angeleswith great anticipationof the manythings io be learned throughdirect dialogue with US womenand first-handobservation ot US society.

Social lgsuesin the LJnitedStates and the Activities of Nonorofit Organizations (NPO5) PeggyBlumenthal, Vice President of EducationalServices atthe Instituteof Interna- tionalEducation, referred to Alexisde Tocqueville'sobservation thal ,,Americans of all ages,all conditions,and all dispositionsconstan y form associations,,,and told us lhat llE was foundedin 1919on thatsame "American impulse" to buitd internationalunderstanding and to promotecooperative efforts lo resolveinterna- tional problemsthrough exchange of peopleand ideas.This commentopening our briefingexpressed an essenlialcharacteristic of US societv.The multifarious socialills in the UnitedStates today are the resull of numerousand intertocking factors,often causingthem to grow into even largerproblems. All the problems are partol an inlricateweb-racial discrimination,drug and alcoholabuse, AIDS, domesticviolence, the inetlectivenessof publicschools, homelessness, problems with the welfaresystem, damage to localenvironments, economic recession and unemployment,human and genderights problems-as are governmentor civic solutionsto lheseproblems and citizen involvemeni in the politicalorocess. Former PresidentGeorge Bush spoke in hisinaugural address of the..community organiza- 54 HIDEKOKATSUMATA tionsthat are spreadlike stars throughout the nation"supporting the fabricof US society,and indeedthere arejust as manyprivately organized, NPOs in the LJnited Statesas there are issuesto be deall with. This seems to be one of the mosl distinctivefeatures, and slrengths,of US society. The study tour providedus with a chanceto glimpsethese complexitiesof US societyover a periodof tlvo weeks.The densityof the experiencewas far beyond our capacitylo tully digest.lt did, however,irilpart us with a renewedenergy and many ideasto incorporaleinto our own work back in Japan.

Diversity in the United States: From "Melting Pot" to "Tossed Salad" The UnitedStates is well knownas a countrythat is open to and acceptingof peoplesol all races.But an immenseamount of consciousetlort is required,both by the peoplelhemseives and in their legal and governmenlinstitutions, before all thesepeople of disparateethnic backgrounds can livetogether as Americans. The amoufit of etfort that has been poured into this processup until now is incalculable.Focusing on diversityissues in Los Angelesand Chicago,we visited a numberof organizalionsand observedtheir activities. Los Angelesis made up of a large numberof elhnic groupsand the managing this culturaldiversity is a majorissue of publicconcern. Our visit coincidedwith the mayoralelections to replaceMayor Bradley, an African-American.A Chinese- Americancandidate had receivedwidespread support from the city's minorities, but ultimatelylosl to the whitecandidate. During our tour ol lhe city on a Sunday afternoon,a demonstrationwas being held in a park demandingthat Chicano sludiesbe incorporatedinto the university'scurriculum. Through visits to private groupsworking with issuesof race or interethnicproblems and discussionwith the womenleaders at theseorganizations, we obtaineda vivid impressionof the ditficultiesUS societyfaces: the breakdownol the Americanfamily, lhe urgenl need lor beftercommunication skills in order to relievethe tensionswithin and amongethnic groups, drug and alcohol abuse, and unemployment. The peoplewe met who were wo*ing with minorityissues told us that their aim was to builda societyin whichpeople of all minoritygroups could coexist wilhout havingto give up their ethnicidentity; to create,as it were, a "salad society"in which the dressingwas appliedlightly enough that the flavorof each ingredient would stillstand out. ProjectInlo CommunityServices (PICS) is a privategroup establishedin 1972 that providesa broada(ay ol socialservices for Los Angelescitizens of Latino descent.Drug and alcoholabuse, educational disadvantages, and other factors have long been the sourceof family break-upand other social ills affectingthe qualityot lifeol Latinocitizens. Project Info oflers many programs in Spanishand Englishaimed at helpingindividuals establish their own independence:how to resistthe lure of drugsand liquorby knowingaboul their harmfulettects, how to maintaingood mentaland physicalhealth, and how to improvecommunication 55

IAPAN U-S.WOMEN IEADERS DIALOGUE withintheir families.Under the leadershipof executivedireclor lrene Redondo- Churchward,herself a third-generationLatina, the staft at plCS is like one big family,working togetherin an friendty,open, and warm atmosphere_ As its activities are mainlydirected at the Latinocommunity, most of its volunteersare Latino, althoughwe mel one African-American,one Japanese-American.and several whitepersons as well.All showeda visjblesense of prideand enthusiasmin what theyare doing.

Chicagois anothercity into whichmany jmmigrant peoples have pouredover lhe past century.The ChineseAmerican Service League (CASL), founded in 1978, is a dynamicorganization providing socialservices forthe 70,OOO-strongpopulation of Chinese-Americansand Chinese immigrants in the city.lts activitiesare diversel programsfor elderlycitizens who have livedtheir entiretives within the confines of Chicago'sChinatown; legal servicesand counsellingfor personswho have enteredthe UnitedStates without proper visas; training in English-languageand otherskills; and a shelterlor youngpeople, among them. CASL offices,located in a huge renovatedwarehouse, make do with an odd assortmentof furnitureand equipmenl.The atmosphere,however, remains kuly dynamic-A youngcouple who had arrivedthe day belorewere gettingadvice on howto get alongin the city. In one sma room,a groupincluding both elementary schoolchildren and older people were studyingcalligraphy. In anotherroom a volunteerwho was an intern at a universitymedical school was taking blood pressurereadings and givingadvice on healthmatters. The CASLdaycare center looksafter more than 60 children;half ofthem had gone on a walkwhen we arrived, but those remainingentertained us with charmingsongs in Englishand Chinese. One of the League'sjob-training programs is designedto giveyoung Chinese the skillsto becomeEnglish-speaking chefs in non-Chinesehotels and restaurants. Whilewe werethere, a chefwas givinginstructions on howto makechicken soup and some sorl of meat dish. Later,while diningat a restaurantin the city, our hostessBernarda Wong pointedout one chef who had graduatedfrom CASL,S trainingclass- Apparently the programhas launchedmany young Chineseinto very successlulcareers in the reslaurantbusiness outside of Chinatown. Effortsare also beingmade to improvecommunication among members ol one ethnicgroup or betweenditlerent groups through community newspapers. Most of lhe problemsa communitystruggles with are sharedby morethan one ethnic group.Tensions among ethnic groups have recentlyrisen, however, and solidaritv withineach ethnic group has weakened.In orderto combatthis siluation.Eastern GroupPublications in Los Angelespublishes a numberof newspapersin English andSpanish torthe Latinoand forAsian (Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.) communities. Thesepublications furnish information on programsforlheelderly, education, small businessaffairs, cultural evenls. and the like.These newspapersplay the roleof advocateon behalfof their readers,ca ing on the city to give the problemsof minoritiesdue considerationin urbanpoticy. The circutationof thesepapers in Los HIDEKOKATSUMATA

Angelesalone slands at around68,000, and they have earned a favorablereputa- tion as publicationsthat reflectthe opinionsot the once-sitentminority community. Peopleof whateverracial background have many obstactes to surmountin setfling into a new environment,as we saw vividlyin Los Angelesand Chicago.Without a fair measureof independence,a certajnamount of supportivehuman contact, a degreeol wisdomand ingenuityin coping watha new environment,and the capacityto earn a living.a newcomeris easyprey to the temptalronsol drugsand alcohol.These problemsobviously do nol have any one, simptesolution, but requiremultidimensional remedies involving all aspectsot life. Herewe foundan organizationlaking on allthese tasksthat jn Japanwould be consideredthe job of the governmenl-lt is an impressiveexample of the strenglhand commilment of NPO s in the UnitedStates.

Sheltering Human Oignity: The Battle Against Drug Addiction, Alcohol Abuse, and Domestic Violen(e Of all the ills of US society,those thal concernwomen communityleaders the most are drug and alcoholabuse and violencein the home. Duringour visitsto sheltersin Los Angelesand Spokane,we had opportunitiesto tatk not only wjth the staffbut to speakdirectly with one youngwoman in particutarand with others who had overcometheir dependence on drugsor alcoholand had startedworkjng as volunleersthemselves. The gravityof lhe problems,the lragedyof the circum- stanceslhat resull,and the dedicationof the peopleworkjng with theseproblems were exkemelymoving. In manycases, a malesubslance abuser reaches a pointwhere his dependence impairshis daily activities,and often this causes him to lose his job. The first personto bear the brunl of his frustrationand the financialburdens he bearsis his wife.According to someslalistics, violence breaks out in the homeof one oul of three couplesin the UnitedSlates, and violenceby the husbandis the most commoncause of deathamong marded women. lt is said thal 10 womenin the tjnited States die each day from physicalabuse. Two or three decadesago. domesticviolence was largelya phenomenonin poorimmigrant families, but today it occursnot onlv in low-incomefamilies but even in the wealthiesthouseholds. lJntilvery recenlly,wile-beating and child abuse were mattersof close secrecy and were very ditficultto bringout into the open. The crueltvmen tum on theirwives often extendsto childrenafter these battered womenturn to drugsor alcohol.Furlhermore, there is a markedtendency among childrenwhose parents beat them to laterabuse their own children.The results of one surveystate that B0 percentof the menserving lime in prisonwere broughl up in householdswhere violence was a dailyatfair. JoselynYap of the politicaladvocacy group, National Women's Political Caucus of California,explained that nothingchanges by just sittingand waiting.Having devotedthe past20 yearsto socialservices and workingfor the ChildProtection 57 JAPAN U,5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

Servicein Los Angeles,she and her colleaguesknow well that violenceagainst family memberscan atlect all kinds of people,and they work persisteniyand aggressivelyto combatit in any way they can. "Changewon't come voluntarily ... insislenladyocacy is needed,"she declared,and toldus that,,privacyends whena reportis made." Whenwomen see their husbands'violence turned on theirchildren, or whenthey becomeaware thal lhey are abLrsrngtheir own childrenand feel incdpableot lurning the siluationaround, they otlen leave home, taking their childrenand nothingbut the clotheson their backs.Many become homeless. It they are tucky enoughto learnaboul the existenceof a shelter,they often turn up therein search of help.On the day we visiteda shelterin Spokane,we foundone womansleeping withher children. They had a(ived there in themiddle of the night,and their faces stillshowed lhe vivid bruisesof the violencethey had suttered. Generally,policy on childabuse has made moreprogress than that on abuseof wives and the elderly.According to JoselynYap, there are 2,OOOsocial workers involvedwith this problemin Los AngelesCounty who deal with casesthrough a citizen'shot line. In incidentsofinfantabuse. socialworkers have "risk assessment" powersto enterhomes and determinewhelher a childis in danger,even without specilicevidence ol violence-Child ProtectionServices operates on an annual budgetof $690 millionand eachyear placesaboui 33,000 children in fostercare. "whai Still,says Yap, is best for childrenis to live in a familysening . . . . This is ourguiding hope." To makethal possjble, the problemsof childabuse have to be confrontedby the communityas a whole.About 100 organizalionsin the Counly, she says, hold monthlymeetings 1o discuss and considerwhat can be done. In dealingwith ind ividual cases, Child Protection Services works with service agencies in the communitywhere the family lives and with the lamily in questionin order to imorovethe situation. Foley House is one ot the sheltersowned bV SouthernCalifornia Alcohol and Drug Programs,Inc., which providesCalifornia's only refugeprogram for lemate alcoholicsand their children.A separatehouse sheltersvictims of drug abuse. Accordingto SCADP ExecutiveDirector Lynne Appel, statistics show that 1 out of every 10 personsin the UnitedStates is subjectto violentabuse of a fairly seriousdegree. She also says that among the 10 millionwomen who are single mothers,the incidenceof physicalabuse is probablyvery high.Unfortunately, lhe urgencyof programsaimed at both mothersand childrenis still not widelyrecog- nized,and mosi single mothers refuselo be separatedlrom theirchildren no matter howserious their plight, often throwing themselves into circumstances even worse than before. Localedin lhe suburbsof Los Angeles,Foley House is not a secludedinstitution cut otf from lhe real world,bul a cheertuldwelling in which a numberof people livetogether. They live like members ot one big,warm family, while each individual is searchingfor waysto returnto an independenllife. At the timewe visited,there 58 HIDEKOKATSUMATA were about 40 residents,including children. Having escaped from the threat of violencein their lives, they gathered in the livingroom totalk abouttheir experiences, helpingeach othertry to overcomedependence on drugsor alcohol,and encourag- ing and supportingeach olher.With pro{essionalcounselling, they try to put their livesback together. I\realsare preparedin groupsthal plan their own menus and whose members taketurns cooking,making free use of FoleiHouse'ssupplies. We were told that many of the women who escapeto these sheltershave given up makingeven minordecisions for themselvesatter yearsof abuse.The childrenspend most of theirtlmein lhe FoleyHouse's daycare center, butlhose who havesutfered severe psychologicaldamage as a resull of abuse stay in a separateplayroom where counselorswork with them and help them to expresstheir fears and insecurilies and 1ocommunicate with olhers.When they are ready,they are invitedto join the otherchildren. Withouta solidtollow-up support system, even those who benelitlrom the kind o{ carethis shelterprovides can end up righlwhere they began- Recognizing this, FoleyHouse owns 25 separatedwellings in the vicinilylhat are availableai very low cost to the womenin order1o help residenisget startedon their own. lf they run into difficullies,they can come back to FoleyHouse for advrce. The SpokaneYWCA is knowntor operatingthe mostcomprehensive program for the preventionof domesticviolence in the NorthwestPacific Coast region. Through coordinationwith the policeand the courls,the YWCA is able to guaranteethe legal safety ot victimsand operateprograms for both victimsand victimazers. Althoughits locationis keptsecret, a husbandor otherviclimizerwho comes within a certaindislance of the YWCA Safe Sheltercan be reportedto the policeand arrested.Safe Shelterprovides the same level of care to its residenlslhat we observedal Foley Houseby encouragingand helpingthem to resumenormal, independentlivesthrough individualand family counselling. Residents ol theYWCA programreceive care and supportfor 6 to 1B monthsto help them get back on lheir feet. The shelteralso helps victimizers lhrough "angef management therapy" sessions, whichare designedto helplhem learnlo controltheir emotions while at lhe same "volunteer timerespecling their privacy. Another important area of activityfeatures advocales"who work on the 24-hourSOS teleDhone seryice. rescue viclims, serve as liaisonswilh the courts,and help educatethe generalpublic about domestic violenceproblems. One womanwe metlold us her boyfriendhad tried10 shoot her and saidshe was luckyto escapewith her life.She commentedcandidly lhat she had been abused bv eitherher faiheror somebo!4riend ever sinceshe was a child.Each iime she founda new boyfriend,she hopedthat he would be different,but the resultwas alwaysthe same. She said ruefullylhal she jusl didn'l know how to judge men. She had managedlo recoverto a certainextent from her experiencesand was 59

JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE commutingto a skillstraining program that would hetp her estabtisha careerof "l her own. The womandeclared don,twanl to dependon a man anv more.,, The SpokaneYWCA has a roomfully stocked wilh clothingand dailynecessities, whichanyone can borrowat any time. When womenwho are homelessor livina In a shelteratlend lob inlerviews.they need to look presentableand dre.s ai smaftlyas possible.The supplyroom has no supervisor,no sign-outchart, and no one lo (eep kack ot who takeswhat. In spiteot this.a slafi persontold us that no one abusesthe privilegeof accessto the supplyroom. This systemis based on the convictionthat humanbeings have a certainpride that mustbe respected, no matterhow dire the straitsin whichthey may find themselves. Anotherunique program at the YWCA is a schoolthat accommodateshomeless childrenfrom preschoolage to the eighthgrade. The programoriginated with the purposeof providingcare and supetuisionfor the childrenwhile their homeless motherswere searchinglor work or attendingskills trainingclasses. Aboui 30 childrenwere enrolledat the school.We spentaboul an hour with the children_ teachingthem onjJamlandhow to hotdchopsticks, letting them samptethe snacks Japanesechildren enjoy, and showingthem howto writelheir namesin Japanese characters.The childrenwere all cheerfuland fun, bul therewere a few who did seem very inhibitedand uncommunicative.When we left, most of the children askedfor a partinghug. Some of the children,however, still fett threatenedby anyonewho came too close, and the teachersasked us simplyto give them a gentlehandshake. The encounterwilh thosechildren was unforgettable. Both at FoleyHouse and the SpokaneYWCA, human dignity takes precedence; whetherchild or adult,an individual'sright to happinessis respected,and both organizationsare committedto doinga they can to achievethat goal.This idea is one we hopeto help implantmore firmly on Japanesesoil, where the dignityof the individualis generallysubordinated to the welfareof the group.

NPO5as CommunityCoordinators

The studytour provided us the opportunityto observethe activitiesof an extremely broadrange of private-sectorgroups, as mentionedabove. We were also deeDlv impressedto tind NPOsworking not onlyto tacklespecilic community issues, but alsoplaying a significantrole as coordinatorsbelween citizens and the government and big businessesor amongprivate organizations themselves. KaiserPermanente, its headquarterslocaled in Calilornia,is a healthinsurance and medicalserviceorganization that operates'j78 clinacs in 16 staies The largesl of its kind in lhe United States, Kaiser permanenteprovides general medical servrcesto 6.6 millioncitizens paying low-level insurance premiums. lt not onlv provideshealth facilities, basic medicalservices, and AIDS educalion,but offers specialprograms of its own,funding to NPOs,and cooperationon variouspOects and governmentprograms that help buildhealthy communities. 60 HIDEKOKATSUMAIA l\4anyof its activitiesare unique:programs lo helpteenage mothers complete their diplomas;funding to promoteand rewardvolunteer etforts to improvecommunities "Adopl throughprograms such as a Elock;"conducting a recyclingdrive forsecond, handeyeglasses and dispatching of ophthalmologiststo lownswhere the eyesight of most of lhe childrenhas been so impairedby malnutritionthat they cannot attendschool; building streel-corner police boxes as a crime-preventionmeasure; wildlileprotection and reforestation drives, and so on.Whilewewere in LosAngeles we heardnews reportsabout Kaiser Permanente activities almost daily, suggesting that it is one ol the mostwell-eslablished, proactive organizations of its kind.

Spokane'sNorlhwest Regional Facilitalors (NRF) was foundedin 1974by Susan Virnigand hvo colleaguesand has sincegrown steadily to supporta staflof about 50, occupytwo buildings,and operateon a $1 millionannual budget. lt organizes forumsfor discussionamong citizens, government authorities, and corporations as neededto resolvedisputes involving water pollution,air poll]tion,congested tratfic,and other local issues.The NRF offers recommendationstor alternalive planning;housing improvement programs designed to provjdemore liveable envi- ronmentsbeneficialto both tenants, especially low-income families, and landlords; acquisitionof federalhousing assistance (their housing rehabilitation record totals 3,000 dwellingsin the past 15 years);childcare programs; seminars designed to promoteunderstanding and cooperationamong citizens regarding community problems;and much more.

One of the moredistinctive NRF programs,and one thatJapan has muchto learn from,is the NRF'sLindaman Nonprofit Center. NRF has madeone o, its buildings availableto 26 smallnonprofit groups in Spokanefor a very modestmonthly rent. The smallestroom, only 90 squareteet in size, renlsfor $100.The largestrogm is 1000squarefeel.Members share common facilities and equipment, includingthe conlerencerooms, a filnesskaining room, office equipment, telephones, kilchen, storefooms,and parkinglot, all free of charge.The Centeralso operatesa used otficeturniture and equipmentbank. We were told thai computer,tax, secretarial services,accounting consulting, management consulting, training programs, and workshopswere also availableat low cost. lf an organizaliondoes not have the lundsto openan officeof its own,it can rentspace in thiscenter and obtain access lo its services.The LindamanNonprofit Cenler also operates a membershipsystem lhroughwhich members are eligible to receivesetuices even ifthey are not renting otficesin the building.Localion there, however, promotes lhe exchangeof intorma- tion and spontaneouscooperation among ditferent groups. At the Centerwe met with representalivesof a numberof tenanl organizationsconcerned with forest protection,fair govefimentappropriations, and housingproblems for low-income individuals.This kindof centermay be teasiblein the UnitedStates and is possible becauseof low consumerprices and plentifulland, bul we were struckwith the fact that it is exactlythe kindof facilityneeded in Japan.where the nonprofitsector is still not firmlyestablished or adequatelyfunded. 61 JAPAN-U.S.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

NRFobtains most of its financialresources in lhe form ot conkactedmoney lrom the lederal,state, and municipalgovernments, but it rernainsan independent institutionwith a reputationfor its pioneering,experimental programs. lts housing rehabilitationprogram has receivedan officialcommendation from the lederal government.In the UnitedStates. an organizationlhat entersinto a coniractwith the governmeniconsiders the arrangementan agreemenlbehr'r'een equals: the exchangeof its professionalexpertise for a certain,amounlof money.Susan Virnig calledto ouf attentionthe lact that governmentmoney is the laxpayefs money. Citizenshave the rjghtand the responsibililyto use thal money effectively.she said,and if cfeativeprojects afe launchedthrough private initiative and expanded, the governmentcan carry lhem on or developthem as cooperaliveproiects so thatthey will benefit lhe largesinumbef of peoplepossible. The importantthing, she emphasized,is that the independenceof the privale organizationnot be inlringedupon, bul that it be strengthenedand allo\/ed to grow.This is extremely valuableadvice for Japan,where in governmenfcommissionedprojects private organizationsusually hold inferiorstatus as subcontractors.

Diveisity in the Arts and EduGtion

Our Chicagohost, Ronne Hartfield.Director ol \,,luseumEducation at The Art InsliluleolChicago, provided uswith an opportunityto observecomrnuniiy activiies of a very ditferentkind than those described above. Aboafd the tour boatChicago First Lady, we enjoyed90 minutesof cruisingon the ChicagoBiver in the sun and breezewhile a volunteerguide and specialislfrom the ChicagoArchitecture Foundationgave us a runningcommentaryon theJorestof poslmodern architecture visibleon bothbanks of the river.Japanese and third-generation Japanese-Ameri- can volunteersfrom the Art Instituteof Chicagointerpreted lhe commentaryinto Japaneseand latergave us a guidedtour of the Art Instituteltself. An lmportantpart of the activitiesof Americanart museumsconsisi of programs designed1o lamiliarize citizens with culture and the arts. The Art Instituteof Chicago, which housesa museumas \rell as educalionalfacilities, is knownnol only for oneof the finestart collectionsin lhe world.bul alsofor its stresson artseducation. The Institute'sDepartment of MuseumEducaiion provides a wide array oi pro- grams:guided tours for K-'12sludents; family programsaimed at childrenand therrparenls and grandparents;leachertraining programs; a folk tale storyteller program,and sketchingsessions among others. The museumbelieves thal by becominglamiliar with the arts, peoplelearn how to expressthemselves keely and creativelV.

Duringa paneldiscussion arranged by the Art Inslituleof Chicago,the members ot our Japanesedelegation had a chance to presentan overall report on the Dialogueand the experiencesof the previousnine days in Los Angeles and Spokane.lt was quitea challengeto communicateall we had tett and learnedto the audienceof about70 peoplewho had gatheredto hear our slories.Ronne, a HIDEKOKATSUMATA poetin her own right,told us thatart playsa very importantrole in helpingwomen lo expressthemselves once they are treedkom the conslraintsthat have bound them. Indeed,the Art Instituteoffered us kemendousinspiration as we skolled throughits hells,trying to decidehow lo presentour obsetuationson the tour.

Women and Leadershio Women's lssuesand Commissionson the Statusof Women A wide vaiety of Inilialiveshave been taken to enhancethe statusof American women.June Farnum Dunbar ol the LosAngeles County Commission on Women (establishedunder a Los AngelesCounty Assembly ordinance drafted in 1975) explainedmeasures being laken by the federaland stategovernments and whai specificactivities were going on in Los AngelesCounty, giving many specific examples. Currenlly,some 270 such governmentcommissions have been set up at the federal,slate, county, and municipallevel. The Los AngelesCounty Commission consistsof 15 members,with lhree membersappointed by each ot Jivecounly supervisors.lts main functions are: (1)to advise county departments and agencies on lhe needs of women and mattersrelating to discriminationon the basis ol gender;(2) to makerecommendations on programsand legislationaimed at pro- motingequal rights and opportunitiesfor women:(3) to initiateprograms, surveys, and studiesof allegeddiscrimination against women or lhe infringementot lheir humanrights; and (4)to act as coordinatorfor the County,community groups, and otherorganizations concerned with women's rights. Some of its recommendations touch on very immediateissues. For example,recommendations have included ihat at least hall of the membersappointed 1o countycommissions be women: lhat studiesbe conouctedon wage discriminatronand womens advancementlo managerialpositions in business;that changes be madeto ensureequal opportu- nity;and thatwomen be accordedthe rightto choosewhether or not lhey will bear children.Other activities range farther afield, such as protestsaimed at the united Nationstobring attention lo the crueltytowomen that exists in developingcountries. However,since lhe Commissionholds no power to enforcethe adoplionof its recommendalions,it must constantlymonilor the status quo and resubmitits recommendationsand adviceagain and again.Sometimes rl turnsto televisionor the newspapersin the endeavorto raisepublic awareness or to appeallo popular opinion.There is alsoan organizationcalled Women's Appointment Collaboration, made up of some 40 femalegovernment commissioners, of whichJune Dunbar is a member.This body works aggressivelyfor the advancementof women to higherposts in governmentas well as corporalemanagement. The Study of Men and Women: Towad a New Society In academiaas well, effortsare being rnadelo move away lrom the traditional approachto the study of women'sissues toward a new perspectivetaking inlo accountboth men and women.The Programfor lhe Studyof Womenand Men jn JAPAN U.S.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

Society(SWMS) tounded at the Universityof SouthernCalifornia in 19g6 is one example.The concept behind this programis that women,sissues inherenfly involvemen's issues as well,and that problemsshould be addressedby bothmen and womentogether. Both men and women,graduates and undergraduates,may elecl this subjectas their academicmajor or minor. The programconsists of 10 core classes,including: Sex Similaritiesand DiI{erences:A Multi_disciolinarv Approach;Sex/Gender/Sexuality as an lssue jn,qmericanpubtic Lifei Feminisl Theory,and about 15 other relatedcourses. In 1993 most of the classesoffered followedthe traditionalwomen's-sludies approach, '1994 but the overalltheme for the academicyear wittbe "L4enand Masculinity.,,

The numberof foundationsspeciatizing in women'sissues is rapidlygrowing. The L. A. Women's Foundation,founded seven years ago, works to help women, especiallymrnority and low-incomewomen. to aflain greaterindependence. The Foundation'sprogram manager, Savi Bismath,told us that some 60 women,s foundationslike this existthroughout Nodh America. CrystalHayling of lhe CalilorniaWe ness Foundation,whose activilies are dedi- caled to the improvementof communityhealth and medicalcare, sharedwith us the resultsof surveyson femalehealth. Among the data she mentioned:African_ Americanwomen are prone to developuterine myoma and often give birth to childrenpremalurely; Latino women are retativelyuntikely to get cancerbut the deathrate after diagnosis as very high;and Asian women are slowto recoverfrom childbirth.The Foundationusesthis kind ofbasic researchto plan proactive policies. Shared Strength of Women and "Advocacy" The peoplewe metworking in NPOsallemphasized that one of the mostimportant "advocacy." partsof theirwork was or the endeavorto increasethe influenceand impactof NGOSon public policy.There are many ways to exerl pressureon municipaland stale governments,but the most common is to build a regional networkot organizationsof similarconcerns and activities.In orderto starta really large-scalemovement, a nalionalorganization musl be createdto lobbvConoress andthe federalgovernment. Conlacts are thus cultivaled with policy.auk"|." e-u"ry- wherepossible. ,.lhough All theseorganizations seem to havebegun with the convictionthat alone we may be weak,together we are strong.,,Concerned people gather together lo talk and exchangeopinions and information_Linda Crabtree of the Holv Familv HospitalWomen s Center.who attended our meetingal NorthweslRegionat faciti- talors,told us therewould be a breakfastmeeting of Spokanewomen leaders at 6:45 am the nexl morningand invitedus to aftend.We determinedlywiped the sleepout of our eyes earlythe next day to attendthe ActionWomen,s Exchanae BreaklastMeetrng held ai the SpokaneCtub. The aflendancefee was ontv$5 a;d about1OO women had assembted. Over breakfast. they busily used the opportunity to meet a wide varietyof people,to communicatewith other members.recruil participantsfor projects,search for jobs, make siatements,distrabute pamphlets 64 HIDEKOKATSUMATA and informationon the issuesof their concern,and so on. lt happenedlo be just afterformer diplomat Masako Owada had given up hercareer in theforeignsetuice to marryPrince Naruhito, so asvisitorsfromJapan, we wereasked many questions aboullhat and otherissues. lnformal and inexpensivebreaKast meetings like this areby no meansunusualin the UnitedStates, and many women actively participate in them.The womenwho hosledour studytour in the threecities we visitedacross the UnitedStates have the samekind of broadnetworks based on mutualrespect and trustwhich help makepossible the diverseprograms we viewedon our tour.

Ordinary Women in Politics Startingout in this way,with exchangeof ideasand intormation,forming ties wjth other personsof sharedconcern, becoming involved in lobbiesseeking lo have thoseconcerns reflected in publicpolicy or otheractivities, more and morewomen are aclivelyseeking careers in politics.In the US Senatethere are six women amongthe one hundredmembers; in the Houseol Representatives47 ot lhe 440 membersare women.Among state assemblies,that of Washingtonstale has a relativelylarge proportion of temalelegislators; 40 perceniare women.Under the Clintonadministration, a numberof womenhave been appointedto cabinel-level and undersecretarial posts, and thus their role in Americanpolitics has taken a largestride foMard.

At a meetingwith womenpoliticians in the officeof Spokanel\rayor Sheri Bernard, we were impressedby the extentto which women have moved into politics.A formerstatf memberof NorthwestRegional Facilitalors, Bemard served for six years as municipalcouncil member, has servedas mayorfor four years,and is seekingre-election in the fall of 1993.Lois Strattonhad servedfor five years in lhe Washingtonstate Houseof Representatives,eight years in the state Senale, and was currenllya Spokanecity councilmember. She also intendedto run for mayor in the aulumnelections. Pat Mummeywas head of the SpokaneCounty Boardof Commissioners.Former universitv Drolessor Lisa Brown was a first-time memberol the slateHouse of Representatives.Jean Silverwas aveteran legislator whohad served 11 years in lhe statelower house. Janet Gilpatrickwas the assistant to HouseSpeaker Thomas Foley. Judith Gilmore was directorof GovernorMike Lowry'sEastern Washington office. Jennifer Polek was lhe EasternWashington regionalrepresentative in SenatorPatty l\4urray's ottice. Ranging in agefrom their 20s to 60s,they were responsibletor politicalactivity at ditferentlevels for lhis city of about 180,000.They struckus not as belongingto somespecial breed, but as very ordinary,personable women.

Mosl of the women who have moved into the world of politicsare those who realizedthe importanceof politicalaction in solvingthe problemsfaced by the communityand societyas a whole in lhe course of their work at NPOSor as volunteeraclivists. We saw thal the eight women gatheredthat day in ftIayor Barnard'sotfice shared a strongmutual bond and cooperatewith each olher on a day-to-daybasis. lt was especiallyamazing to see two people,who were to be JAPANU.S. WOMEN LEAOERS DIATOGUE rivalsin the upcomingmayorat election, sitting there togetherwithout lhe least sense of antagonism,offering their opinjonsquite naturallyand enthusiasticallv on the subjeclof womenand politics. ln responseto our questionas to what they consideredthe differencesbetween men anc,women in politics,the womenpretty much agreed with one another.In terrnsof skongpoints, lhey pointedout thatwomen respond immediatelv to thinos thatarehappening in societyrightnow, work aggr.-ssiveiy for peace,re;ectuiotenie and war, strivefor balancein whateverthey do, and know clearlywhat citizens wanl, becausethey have enteredpolitics from the lront linesol activismin ihe cornmunity.lt was pointedout that currentlythe powerol women is limiledand thai they haveto do muchmore in orderto establishpolitical acumen and strenoth. The impo.lantthrng. they emphdsized. is not to be tieodown by theestablis;ed patternsof polilicalactivity, but to be committedto politics,to deepenawareness of and knowledgeabout politicat problerns, and etfectivelysway the electorate. At lhe Chicagootfice of ihe Governorof lllinois,we met AfabelRosales. Christine Iakada, andthe otherable women who, as executjveassistants to the Governor. are in chargeof urban and communityaffairs, education, and Asian American atfairs.The slate governmentottices are locatedin an innovalivedonut-shaped building,wilh open-styleoftices surrounding a cenkalatrium. The lowerfour floors are a shoppingmall, wilh the fifth floor and above housingthe open_hallstyle officesof the stale governmenl.Shoppers standing in the courtyardbelow can see the staff and officialsbusfling about their work high above.lt is intendedas a symbolof the opennessbetween the slate governmentand citizens.The air- condilioningand heatingbills are apparenflyaslronomical, but the messageof the struclurehas apparentlybeen worth the cost. This open environmenthelps to combalthe tendencyfor verticaladminislration and encouragesmoolh horizontal communrcationamongthe different administrative sectjons. problems in education, for example,are dealt with afler researchingrace discriminalionproblems and other relatedissues through consultation with othersections of the qovernment. We toundlhese young women stafl members put a qreatdeal ot eneigyrnto very responsiblepositions and learned lhatthey have benefited from the encouragement and understandingof theirsuperiors. Later that day, when we visiiedthe otficeof ChicagoMayor RichardDaley, City Staff DirectorBarton l\,4oyand Community Oukeach CoordinatorGene Lee totd us that they are in daity conlact with the Governolsotfice regarding minority and otherproblems. The problemsfacing the thirdlargestcity in the UnitedSiates are kemendous, and manyof themseemingly impossibleto resolve.However, when we observedthe closeand iriendly relation- shjps amongotficials and poliiiciansat a receptionheld in oLrrhonor or at olher occasions,we clearlysaw the imporlantrole thai humanrelalionships and network- ing play in the worldol polatics. Jane Addams: Mentor of Women Leade\ HullHouse, a museumcommemorating lhe lifeof JaneAddams (1860-1935), the firstwoman to be awardedthe Nobelpeace prize,is locatedon the Universilv HlDEKOKATSUMATA of lllinoisChicago campus. Our visit to Hull Housewas proposedby delegation memberMilsuko Yamaguchi, who is ExeculiveDireclor ot the Fusae lchikawa l\,4emorialAssociation. The pioneerwomen's suffrage leader lchikawa Fusae (1893 1981)had visitedHull House as a youngwoman, and her experience seeingdemocracy based on the principlesoi freedomand equalityat work there, had beenone ofthe {aclorsthal led herto launchthe women'ssulkage movement in Japan.In that sense,therefore, Hull House,holds special meaning for Japanese women.The building,a settlementAddams built in 18Bgat the age of 29 for immigrantsfrom Europe, is nowa memorialopen to the public.

Addamsdedicated her life to comrnL.initydevelopment, human righls. and social justice.She campaignedfor the rightsof immigrants,juvenile justice, safe working condilionsin industry,legalprolection ofwomen and children's rights, labor issues, publicsanilation, socialwelfare legislation, politicalreform, better housing, educa- tion, publicrecreation facilities, cross-cullural underslanding, community cultural activilies.and internationaloeace. She oouredall her resourcesinto her activities basedai Hull Houseand t3 otherfacililies.

Brandedas a communisttor a time becauseof her battleto defendthe rightsof workers,she hadto endurea periodof exilefrom the UnitedSiates. She nonethe- less overcameall obstaclesconfronting her and contribuledto US societyas a kue communityleader. Her achievementsin socialreform were truly remarkable, given that she was active at a time when the statusof women was still greatly inferiorto that of men. With inspiringexamples like Jane Addams,US societyis sure lo keepon producingmany distinguished and stalwartwomen leaders. The Fusaelchikawa Memorial Association is currentlypreparing a biographyof Addams,and it was a memorableexperience for us lo be there ai Hull House some70 years later, reiracing the footstepsofthe pioneerotthe Japanesewomeh's movement.

Challengesfor Women and the Role of Nonprofit, Nongovernmental Groups: Leadership TGining The speechgiven betore US-Japan Wornen Leaders Dialogue participanis al the concludingseminar in New Yorkby SusanBerreslord, Vice Presidenlof the Ford Foundation,one of the UnitedStales' most importanl NPOs (and the largestgrant- giving{oundation in the world),was full of valuableadvice and encouragement. ln US sociely,she said, nonprofit NGOs are viewed as: (1)groupswhere innovalive, pioneeringpeople galher; (2) a politicaltesting ground for new ideas; and (3) manifestationsof lhe pluralismand individualismolthe UnitedStates. NPOs sland relativelyclose to the ordinarypeople and theretorerepresent a more human approachthan that ot government;they "are the socialpart of business."These organizalionsare an integralpart of Americanlife, and at a time ot increasing distrustin governmentthey have an even moreimportant role to playlhan in the past. Ms. Berresfordobserved thai manywomen previouslyactive in NPOSand NGOShave been recruited bv the Clintonadministration, and it is certainthat their JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE past experienceswill be reflectedin governmentpolicv and that their work in the tederalgovernment will help them lo accomplisheven morewhen they returnto careersin the privatesector. [See pages 11|5-121lor full text of l\,4s.Berres_ tord'sspeechl.

The facts behindl\,4s. Berresford,s observations can be ou ined as follows.The total amountof grantsand donationsto the privatesector in the ljnited Stalesin 1991was $124.8billion, an increaseof 6.2 percehlover the previousyear despite the prolongedrecession. This accounts for2.2 percentofthe GDp. Oflhat amount. 82.7percent consists ot individualdonations. 6.2 percentbequests, 6.2 percent foundaliongrants. and 4.9 percentcorporate donations. Ol thts,54.2 percent goes for religious-relatedpurposes, 10.6 percent for education,8_5 percent for human services,7.8 percentlor medicaland healthcare, and 7.1 percentfor cultural activitiesand the arts. The recipientsof these donationsand grants include,of course,the privateorganizations involved in communityaction. About g5 billion goes to cilizen activismlor communitydevelopment and human rightscauses, about$3.1 billiongoes to environmentalprolection groups, and aboutgt.7 billion to internationalrelations.

Accordingto the IRS(lnternal Revenue Service) figures, Npos,operations account lor $133.0billion, or 3.5percent of theGDp. They employ 7.4 million peopte (5.7 percentof the worKorce),and benelitfrom the volunteeredservices is estjmated to be the equivalentof 5 millionfull-time employees. Other statjslics show that 54 percentot personsaged 18 and over are engagedin volunteerwork of some kind,contributing an averageof four hoursper week.These ligures tes fy to the considerablesize of the nonprofitsector in the UnitedStates and the hiqhstatus it holds.

One of the highestpriorities oI the nonprofitsector is in humanresource lrainjna. Accordrng1o Susan Berreslord.12.4 petcenlol lhe worktorceot New york is in the nongovernmentalsector and 67 percentol the NGO workforceis female.All the peoplewe met sharedthe view that the advancementof the nonprofitsector dependsheavily on the cultivationof fematetalent, as testifiedby the wordswe "empowerment" heardconstanlly, and..mentoring_,. Taking up the challengesol the demandfor humanresources is the Women,s InternationalLeadership Program based at lnternationalHouse jn New york. A carefullyscreened group of womenfrom aroundthe world betweenthe aqes of 20 and 60 laKea nine-monlhregimen of coursesdesiqned lo helpthem e;rcise etfectiveleadership. They learnabout organizationat planning, conflict resotution, skategiesto increasefemale participation in decision-making,cross_communica_ tions,and manyolher topics in seminarsand workshops. They also sludythe work ot mentorsin their fields, engage in fietd work in communiliesstruggling with problemsin theirfieldof interest,and experimentwilh development of newproiects in small groups.lrene Bedondo-Churchward,our host in Los Angeles,who had gone backto collegeafter her childrenwere grownand lhen movedinto nonprofil 68 HIDEKOKATSUMATA sectorwork, told us that she had receivedher real trainingas a prolessionalal the NationalHispana Leadership Institute. In Japan, too, older women leaders "empower" must nol only help their ]uniorsusing their own experience,but also work to creaiestrategic mechanisms to cultivateeffective women leaders.

LessonsFrom US Society Vol untatism and Prcf essionaI ism As outlinedabove, a greatnumberof private NPOs in the UnitedStates aretackling the issuesfaced by society,each from their particular standpoint. Women play the centralrole in the managementand activitiesof a very large proportionof these organizations.These women take pridein lheir roleas the drivingforces of social change,and at the same time skive constanllyto enhanceand improvetheir professionalexpenise. The magnitudeof the problemsfacing the UnitedStates is perhapsfar greaterthan thoseconfronling Japan. l\4ost of theseprobtems are rootedin socialinequilies and are reflectedin humanrights and women'sissues as well as racialand genderdiscrimination. This explainswhy many American womenare so serlouslycommitted. Voluntary spirit alone is insutficientto cope with the gravityof the problems.Professional expertise is a prerequisitein the privatevolunlary sector, iusl as it is in polilicsor business. l\4embersof the US delegationwho participatedin the Japanstudy tour and other Americanswho haveobserved privale volunlary activities in Japanhave said that while US nonprofit-sectoractivities are now highiyprofessionalized, partly out of necessity,a prototypeof the Americanspiril of voluntarismcan be loundin Japan in the uncompensatedwork of volunleers.An importantchallenge lor Japan in particularis to achievea balancebetween this spiritof uncompensatedendeavor and the promotionand advancemenlof the nonprofit-sector. The voluntaryspirit is stillverymuch alive and well in the UnitedStates, as shown by the statislicsquoted above. Indeed,volunleer work is an integralpart of the educationaland institutionalsyslems, a fact to which many statislicsattest. ll is to be hopedthal in Japan,too, where the word "volunteel'hasonly recenlly becomewidely recognized, efforls will be madeto learnlrom Americanexperience in promotinga nonprofitsector and a spirilol volunlarismadapted to the Japanese envkonment- We visitedthe UnitedStates in June,which is the last monthof the liscalyear for manyorganizalions, so our hostswere in the franticprocess of preparingapplica- tionsand documentationfor projectsto be submittedlo foundations,coeorations, and governmentagencies. NPOS draw their funds in the form of contributions from individualsand corporationsthrough the UnitedWay, as well as grantslrom foundalionsand governmenlcontracts. Roughly 30 percentof their funds are derivedfrom membership lees andearnings from prolit-making activity, 22 percent from donalionsand private-sectorgrants, 21 percentfrom governmenlsubsidies, 21 percentfrom volunteersupport, and 6 percentkom olher sources.Unlike in 69 JAPANU,S, WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

Japan, lhe nonprofilsector is firmly establishedin the UnitedStates. and fund raisingmechanisms receive far bettertreatment under the legaland tax systems. ..grantsmanship,, There is a very respectableprofession known as in lhe United States.Grani wrilers and devetopmentstaft try to acquirefunds by formulating convincingproject plans and bywinning approvalfrom foundations and other grant- giv,ngagencies for the aims of the projects,the means of achievingthem, and the competenceand capabilityof thosewho are to'carrythem out. The mosthighly reputedprivate organizations in the Unjled Statesare led by peoplewith well_ honedskjlls in grantsmanship.For this reason,the competition10 obtain funds is intense(although the overallpie is far largerthan it is in Japan),and, with the recession,all organizationsare sutferingsevere ditficulties.In additionto their roulrnemoney raisingactivities, they launchlarge-scale fund_raising campaigns annuallyor onceevery few years.Demonstraling the indefatigableAmerican fron_ trerspiril, lhey throwthemselves heart-and-soul inlo theiraclivities. iheir siohts set conslructivelyand optrmisticallV on lhe tuture. Citizens'andwomen's groups in Japancan hardlvhope for the samelevel of successin theirendeavors as that enjoyedby privateNpOs in the UnitedStates. The natureol oursociety,the struclureof ourtax svslemand other institutions. and the levelofpublic awareness vis-a-vis nonprofit activities differfrom the situationin the US.Today, however, wecan see lhal socialproblems of unprecedentedseveritv andcomplexity are ready to ot emergein Japan.given the rapidly aging c.tizenry. the deadlockededucalional system, the increasingnumber oj women working oulsidethe home,and the risingnumbers ol illegalforeign laborers, etc. Because these problemscome very close to home for Japanesewomen, it is extremely likelythat they will increasingly seek toconfront them using the flexible,horizontally organizedgroups they instinctivelyknow how to form. A very important,if long_ ,'empower" term challenge,lies in helpingthese groups to further themselvesin ,,hobbies.,, orderthat they do nol end up as mere but ratherare enabledto show their full polentjaland play a significantsociat role. Strengthe n ing of Orga n izations Americanwomen are workingto strengthenand expandtheir organizationsin variousways, and their endeavorsotfer muchfrom whichwe in Japancan learn. Specilicareas of effortare: '1 . Discerningwhal problemssociety and the communityis facingand objectively analyzingwhat needsto be done io solvethese problems; 2. Judglngwhat activities will be the bestand mostappropfiate, given the capacity of the group; 3. Workingoul medium-and long{ermslrategies to: hirepersonnel; secure sourcesof funding(i.e.. increasing fund-raising capacity, which implies a requiredability to presentproject plans in such a wav as to convinceolhers of their necessity);explore the possibititiesof cooperationwith other groups, includingpublic entities (this cooperation is necessaryin ordertoboth minimjze 70 HIDEKOKATSU I\4ATA

the overlapof activitiesand mergesmall strengths lo form a powerfullorce); and cullivateinformation exchange and publicimpact (including preparation of summaryreports of groupactivities for promotionaluse); 4. Mobilizingindividuals and organizationsthrough networks to unitythem and empowerthem to carry out more etfectiveactivilies and, when necessary, exeninqoolitical pressure: and 5. Sysiemizingthe trainingof youngerpersons to carry on nonprofitactivities. In Japan,where institutionsdo not existthat facilitatesuch social-orientedwofk and where the infrastruclurefor volunteeractivity is nol well developed,these fields of endeavorrnvolve enormous etlort. Furthermore,they are all so closely interrelatedthat it would be ineffective1o implementthem only one or two at a lime.But the problemsalready confronting Japanese society and local communities in Japanwill not wait.Efforts by individualscommitled 1o nonprofit,sector work are much needed,it is true, bul even morecrucial is that a broaderawareness grow throughoutJapanese society Japaneseleaders and citizens alike-of the impor- tanceol the nonprofitsector and an environmentthat supportsits activities. con(lusion

Fromthe US studylour, the Japanesedelegation brought back with il a bountilul harvesiof experienceand a much refreshedawareness of challengeslo be pur- sued. Althoughonly six womentook part in the study lour, lheir experiencesin {he UnitedStates are 1oovaluable lo keep to thernselves.They have already begun1o lellothers in Japan aboutihe tourwhenever and whereverthe opportunity arises.With the publication o{ thesereporls, JCIE and llE, sponsors of theJapan and US study tours, hope that readerswill be encouraged1o discussissues of commonconcern and launchactivities in the nonorofitseclor. lt is alsohooed that this Dialogueprogram can be continuedlhrough the cooperationot foundations in the UnitedStates and Japan.

It would be impossiblein this brief reportlo describein adequaledetail all the extremelyvaluable experiences lhe delegationmembers enioyed in the United States.In Spokane,a homestayprogfam was providedin accofdancewith each delegationmembels personalinteresls. The host familieswere all exceedingly warm and hospitable,giving us a preciousopportuniiy 1o experienceAmerican lamily life firsf hand.For half ot one day we engagedin "shadowing,"following one particularwoman around as she pursuedher daily routine, in orderto observe her lifeclose at hand.In New York,one membervisiled lhe BoVsChoir of Harlem; anothermet with womenof the Workers'Collective; others exchanged opinions witheditors ol a communitynewspaper and visited UNIFEM and olher women's affairsdeparlments at the UnitedNations. Each of us reapeda harvestol our very own from the tour. We would like to expressour sinceregratitude to our hostsat llE and everyonewe mel in the UnitedStales. 71 JAPAN-U.S.WOMEN LEADTRS OIALOGUE

Thebest waywe can think ofto return the kindness as wellas materialand spiritual supportwe receivedforthis projectis lo commitourselves wholeheartedlv lo firmlv eslablshingthe nonprofilsector in Japan.lf thalcan be accomOlished.our hooe thal privaieorganizations in the UniledStates and Japan can worhtogelher ettec- tivelyfor lhe benelitof the Earthand the internationatcommunily miy someday be realized. Yoriko lmasato Editor-in-Chief,Living Fukuoka, NisseiShimbun, Inc. Fukuoka

I departedJapan on June6lor the Japan-USWomen Leaders Dialogue study tour of the UnitedStates. This tour was plannedwith considerationgiven to the importanceof face-to-tacecommunication. The programwas madepossible wilh the help of the Us-basedInstitute of InternationalEducation (llE) and the Japan Cente.lor InternationalExchange (JCIE). In the first phaseof the program,six womenkom variousparts of the UnitedStates visited Japan and met withwomen trom around the country.Six women from Tokyo, Yokohama,Kanazawa and Fukuokaparticipated in the secondphase of the program.Over a two-weekperiod, we visited Los Angeles,Spokane, Chicago, and New York and were hostedin each locationby the tJSwomen leaderswho had visitedJapan.

The lmportan(e of Communication In Californiaour host was lrene,who welcomedus with a big heartand a warm hug. She is the ExecutiveDirector of ProjectInfo Community Services (PICS), a social serviceorganization. Since 1976, PICS has workedlo eradicatealcdhol and drug abuse. In order to help peopleovercome alcohol and drug addiction, il is esseniialto strengthenfamily bonds, and PICS has various programsto achievethis. We visited PICS, where one of the stattmembers,Dolores, was in chargeof a programlo enhancefamily communication. She stageda skit for us depictingthe relationshipbetween a motherand her child."Hurryl Hurryl Whal are you doingl Why are you so slowl" Ratherthan scoldingchildren in this manner,Dolores explainedit was betterto praisethem. Another statlmember spoke ot the etfective- nessofhugging children. explainingthatexpressing one'sfeelingsthrough physical actionwas a bettermeans of communicatingthan by wordsalone. Dolores explainedthat she presentedtheskits in orderto makethe lessonsmore interesting lor the parentsand childrenwho come to PICS atter work and schooland who may otherwisefall asleep.These skits are aimedat Latinosand are conductedin Spanishfor first generationimmigrants, and in Englishlor theirchildren who learn Englishat schooland trom friends.The programwas establishedto copewith the barriersthat arise betweenthe two languages. JAPANU 5. WOMENLEADERS DIALOGUE

The Strength of Lynn Appel Whatdoes one do whenshe becomesan alcoholic?We visiteda shelterlor female alcoholicscalled Foley House. The appearanceof the shelterwas a pleasant surprise-the lawl, the littlefountain, the antiquesofa with the floralpatiern, the whrletable cloth.The tastefuldecor made us feel as if we had been invitedinto the home of a family.We were told that this was the only sheiler in California whereresidents could bring their children. They.showed us one of the rooms. whichwas full ol dollsand toys.The nail potishbollles lined up on the television drew my eye. Seeingthis, I realizedthat FolevHouse was diflerentfrorn similar facilitiesin Japan. Beautifuland enjoyableitems were not taken away lrom the womenat FoleyHouse. The ExecutiveDirector of the sheller,Lynne Appel, explainedto us that makingpeople teel as if they were patt of the family was what made the programeffective. By no meanswould the walls and floo|s be parntedwhite. Lynnewas tall and slim and looked young. Though she smiled when she talked, we could sensekom listeningto her that she was a very skong woman.I asked her whetherthese people would not returnto theirformer environment soon after leavingthe shelter.She answeredthal she had boughi25 housesnear the shetter, usjnghousing loans from the Californiastale government.From her reolv I saw her greatstrengih and her determinationto do whateverit takes.Afler leavinothe sheller.rl lhe womenwFre abte to live in nearbyhouses for a Vearwithiheir children,then they would truly be on the roadto independence.

The Role of the Nonprofit Sedor The placeswe visitedon thistripwere mostly organizations in the private,nonproiit sector.When lvisited Lynne Appel's project, lthought that, ii theJapanese were to builda shelter,it would probably be a muchlarger, uninteresting, white building. As longas the governmentwas buildingthe facility,and as longas decisionswere made solelyby men, etficiencywould be given priorlly.There would be no soft carpets,comforting pictures, or nail polishbotfles on the TV, iholrghthese things are indispensablein helpingto soothethe soul. The roleof womenin lhe private,nonprofit sector rs vital.Although this is true in Japanas well, ihe biggestdifference between the UnitedSlales and Japanwith respecttothe nonprofllsector is the scale of theirrespective budgets. The combined budgetof US nonprofitorganizations (Npos) is some3OO bi ion yen.The sector employsfive lo sevenpercent of the US workforce_The scaleof ihe US nonprofit seclor rs truly greaterthan that oJ Japan. This scale makes it possiblefof an organization10 build a shelteron an acre of land and to purchasenurseries and 25 houses. Onereason whythesefunds areavailable isthetax-exempl slalus ofsome 5OO.OOO organizaiions.(Donations to theseorganizalions are tax-exempi.)11 is surprjsing that there are only 700 equivalentorganizations in Japan. I would like to see 74 YORIKOIMASATO changesin the tax lawsin Japan.Atthe sametime,greaterefforts are also required from ihe privatevoluntary sector itsell. I visiteda numberof organizationsin the UnitedStates and tound that iheir linancial figures were clearly and openly pre- sentedalong with a varietyof pamphletsand videos which describe organizataonal activities.Tfiis allowsdonors to see how their monev has been spent. I believe thal, logetherwith governmentand for-profitorganizations, these active private volunlaryorganlzalions have becomea pillarof Americansociety.

Politicsand Women Forty Percent of State LegislatorsAre Women I wouldlike to mentionhere what I lhoughtabout politics in Spokane,Washington, our nexl stop after Los Angeles.Until very recently,the buildinghousing the caty hall in Spokanehad been a departmentstore. City Hall was movedto its currenl locationwhen the old buildinghad grown too srnall.The lirsl lhing I nolicedai City Hall was a btighl rcd uchikake(Japanese wedding garment) which had been donatedby Spokane'ssister city of Nishinorniya.Perhaps this relationshipwas the reasonwhy so manypeople in Spokaneseemed knowledgeable about Japan. Whenwe steppedinto the conferenceroom. a smiling,amiable woman welcomed us with opened arms. She was the Nlayorof Spokane,Sheri Barnard.State legislators.city councilmembers, and the CountyCommissioner were waitingto meetus in heroffice. I was astonishedto hearthat 40 percentot Washinglonstate legislalorsare women.We realizedhow ditferenllhe siluationis in Japanwhen we consideredlhat the percentageof women in localgovernment assemblies in Japan is 3.6 percent.Incidentally, I\,4s. Barnard is the secondof two consecutive women mayorsin Spokane. To the State Astembly With Children Lisa Brown'sstory as a new memberol the slate assemblywas interesting.A prolessorof economics,Ivls. Brown had lecturedon the iniusticesof society.As she leclured,others began encouraging her to enier politics.She was elecledto the statelegislature this year.On one occasion,the assemblycontinued until late at night,and becauseshe had not been ableto get a babysitler,she broughther 1s-monthold boy lo the assemblyroom. The male legislatorscomplained despite the lacl thal the childneithercried nor caused any lrouble. The incidentwas wntten up in the newspaperslhe next day, makingLisa the mostlamous slale legislator in Washington.In any case, thanksto Lisa,the need for daycarehas become morewidely recognized. lasked herwhatshe thought about women becoming mayors and state legislalors. She answeredthat becausewomen dislike violence and war, womenshould be ableto practicemore peacelul politics, and henceshould have the powerto make decisionsconcerning education, chitdren, living, housing, and everylhing.I agreed with her. lwas very impressedby the meanswhich candidalesraise funds tor their electioncampaigns. For inslance,anyone who wantedto see Lisa elected 75 IAPAN U.S.WOMEN TEADERS DIALOGUE tothe stateassemblywould send herone hundred dollars. In Japan, thecandidates wouldsend money to lhe voters.Of coursethis is i egal,but it is the exactopposite of what happensin Spokane.lthink it is obviouswhat a ditferencethis makes.I feelthatJapanese women should try muchharder. justcomplain _system lt is notenough to lhat the polilical is corrupt.Women in Japan must becomemore aclive, like lhe women on the other side ot the pacific,in Spokane.There they have alreadygained decision-making authority. The Joy of Being Able to Staft Over lwas very pleasedlo see Susanagain in Spokane.When Susanvisiled Japan, she had beenanxious about leaving behind her six-year-old daughter in the same way lwasconcernedabout leaving my seven-year-olddaughter. Susan,s daughter, Annie, was a lovelychild and soon becameeveryone,s favorite. Her husband. Bob, raisesfunds for NorthwestBegional Facilitators (NBF), white Susan makes sure thosefunds are put to good use. They appearedto be good partnersboth in publicand private.During the briefingby NRF slatf, I was surprisedlo tearn that thereare hungrychildren in a countryas weatthyas the UnitedStates. On our secondday in Spokane,we visitedthe YWCA.On the secondfloor there was an open roomfilled with clothesand necessitiesfor needypeople. Though they were secondhand,the whitepumps had been potished,and the clotheshad beennewly washed. There were clothes that could be wornfor iob interviews.The personin chargewas pleasedthat recenflya personhad worn one ol the suits and succeededin gettinga job. What impressedme mostwas thal the door was alwayskept open so that borrowerswould not leel embarrassed;I think this is done out of respectfor their dignityas humanbeings. We also joined a class held for homelesschildren. Although the childrenwere very cheerluland I enjoyedbeing with them,by the tjme I hadto teave,I became sadand hoped thatthese children would find a hometo setflein assoon as possibte. Thisday was alsothe day we stayedin the homesof Americanfamities. Although lwas worriedabout my abilityto communicale,Theresa and Chris spokeio me in simpleEnglish. Theresa obtained her universitydegree after turning 30, which is apparentlycommon in the UnitedStates. ll seemedto have been quitedifficu[ for her becauseshe enteredschool immediately after her secondchild was born. The UnitedStates seems to be a very progressivesociety because one is able lo give birthto a childand then get anotherstart in lile_| was impressedthat Chris helpedmake dinnerlor us. We got alongso well that I was sad when the time cameto leaveSpokane- Women Should Help Other Women Chicagowas muchmore beautifulthan I anticipated.I was surprisedby the open- ness ol the lllinoisState Building.Ihe first floor was a shoppingarea whitethe tJasemenlhoused numerous restaurants. The middleof the buildingwas open and therewere no partitionson any of the floors. And that wasn'tthe onlything remarkableabout ourvisil to the Slate Building. Christine, ourguide in the buitding, YORIKOIMASATO wasonly 29 yearsold but was alreadyan execulivein lhe stalegovernmenl. When asked how she had reachedher presentrank. she repliedthat her lemale boss had supportedher- | have learnedfrom numerousexamples that lhose who have led the way-shouldsupport those who are followingin their footsteps-a dol becomesa line and a line becomesa surface.At Citv Hall we met with Mavor RichardDaley.

We visitedone ol ourChicago hosls. Bernie. who is the EvecutrveDrrector ot lhe ChineseAmerican Setuice League (CASL).One lhing I found interestingwas CASL'schef trainingprogram. A vital programfor Chineseimmigrants, it teaches them necessaryEnglish terms and cookingskills so that theywill be ableto make a living.We alsovisited Jane Addams'Hull House.My colleagueMs. Yamaguchi reporlson this in greatdetail.

The next day we linally visiledthe Art Instituteol Chicago.I had been looking forwardto the day even beforelcame to the LJnitedStates because Ronne, one of our hosts,worked at the museum.As we were short of time, we were unable to see the mainattraclion, the Asianart exhibits,but iwas completelyfascinated by the paintingsof van de Weigen,Botticelli, and Pablo Picasso'sMother and Chlld I enioyedspeaking before an audienceof 50 of Chicago'sleaders including the Presidenlof the Art Instituteand lvlarshallField V. the Director.

I must add that the earlymorning briefing by the membersof the mediawas also interesting.I was able 1osympathize with lhe editorof the women'snewspaper al lhe Chicago lrlbune, becausewe shared many common experiencesand situations.

SusanWas as Reheshing as LheWino And finallyto our last destination New York. Here we saw our host, Peggy,for the firsttime sinceLos Angeles. With Peggyand Mr. Yamamotopresiding, the llE workshopproceeded smoothly. At lunch,we listenedlo a presentaliongiven by the Vice Presidentof the FordFoundation, Susan Befiesford. I was first struckby herteatures.She is slenderand of smallbuild and her lucideyes seemed to reflect her intelligence.She seemedas refreshingas the wind. I was impressedwhen she told us that under the presentClinlon adminiskation, many of the women who currentlyhold positionsof authorilyhad been involvedwith NGOs.This was becauseNGOs allow one to gainexperience in variousactivilies finances,leading people,etc. This kindof experiencecan be pul to immediateuse in government. Listeninglo Susan,I realizedthat only womencan blow a kesh windthough the confusedJapan of today.However, only womenwith experiencehave the ability to do so. Therefore,il JapaneseNGOS were able to educatepeople, then capable peoplewould be easy lo find. I believelhal NGOSshould form a netlvorkand collaborateto gain the powerwith which to intluencegovernment policies. The discussionsat the workshopcontinued in the atternoon,and we hadthe opportunity to talk with Buthfrom New York and Belh from Vermont. 77 JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIAIOGUE

The next day I visitedPhyllis of the weeklynewspaper The New yotk press.We discussedcommon women's problems such as thoserelated to menopauseand childbirthand were surprised by howdifferenfly each country tackled these issues. We agreedthat each country should refrain kom extremesand that women should be given morefreedom of choice.

Thank You Fol All the EnjoyableExperien

Firstof all, l\,4s.Katsumata. Her perfectionand kindhearl were impressive.I also expressmy gratitudeto Ms lijima,Mr. Yamamoto.presideni of JCIE, peggy and Shaunof llE,and also Mr. Wada of CGp. On my tableis a merry-go-roundhorse I boughlin Spokane.lt is as if I rodearound and aroundon a merry-go-roundfor thosetwo weeks.Now lhe musichas ended and I have returned1o my everydaylile. I am now quieflyconiemplating how to put 1ouse what I saw and experiencedduring those two weeks.

7a YaekoSuzuki Chair,We LoveAsia 21 Yokohama

N,4ytwo-week study tour of the UnitedStales gave me much hope and courage. lwould liketo againthank the Instituteof InternalionalEducation and the Japan Centerfor InternalionalExchange for offeringme this opportunity,and our hosts in Los Angeles,Spokane, Chicago and New Yorkfor theirheartwarming welcome and for allowingus to see their magnilicentprojects. We landedsafely in Los Angelesnine and a half hours out of NaritaAirport. lt was a longflight fraught with anxielyand apprehensionfor me. This was my first visit to the UnitedStates. The momentI sel foot on foreignsoil, I briellyfelt the bewildermentpeople musl experiencewhen they travelfrorn olher partsol Asia to Japanfor the lirsttime. I was bothoveMhelmed and refreshedby the vast land strelchingas far as the eyecan see,lheclear blue skies and the ioweringskyscrap- ers of Los Angeles. Representativesfrom a numberof privateorganizations in ditlerentJields partici pated in this visit to the UnitedStates. I representedthe field of international exchange.On this trip I was ableto observefacililies and programsrelated 1o my currenlactivities. I woLrldlike to presenlmy viewpointson whal I experienced.

My Organization, We Love Asia 21, and My Obiectives on the Study Tour We LoveAsia 21 is a volunteerorganization established six yearsago- Currently, thereare 100members and 25 executivecommittee members. mosl ol whomare housewives.Through annual pertormances of ethnicmusic and dance,we have deepenedour relationshipswith foreign residenis in Japanfrom 10Asian countries {lndia,Indonesia, Norlh and SouthKorea, Cambodia, China, Bangladesh, the Philippines,Vietnam, and Laos).In addition,we haveheld discussions with other Asianslaving in Japanon a widevariety ottopics including human righis, education, and welfare and have been active in workinoto solve some of the oroblems controntingthese groups. On this visil to the UnitedStates. I wantedto learnaboul issuescurrently facing the Uniled States and its diverseooDulation and to see the kinds of activities 79

JAPAN U.S.WOI\,4€N LEADERS DIALOGUE

women leadersare underlakingto cope with variousproblems and the impact theseaclivities had on communitydevelopment.

In additionto We LoveAsia 21, I am also involvedin a communityefforl to create a betterlife lor retiredpeople. Currently our group of twenty personspool their resourcesto lease1300 tsubo of tarmlandto groworganic vegetables. I hopethat mv visit1o the organicfarn in Spokanewill becomea loundationfor openingup the futureof our MahorobaFarm.

My lmpression5of the CommunitiesWe Visited Our first stop was Los Angeles,a diversecity ot 3.5 millionpeople of African. Asian.Lalrno. and Europeandescent. Here we vtsitedlrene Redondo-Church- ward's ProjeclInlo CommunityServices (plCS) and observedhow people are taughtfamily communication skills in orderto preventdomestic violence. Most of the educationalmaterials are madeby the statf,with greatattention given to small details.lwas movedby the warm guidancethe stafi gave to their clients. Our nextvisit was to FoleyHouse, a shelterfor womenoperated by LynnAppel. Here we saw young women strugglingto overcomeproblems with drugs and alcohol.I talkedto somehventy women of variousages. When I askedthem when the most difficultperiod was, they told me the most painfuttime was aboutthirtv days atter they sloppedusing drugs and atcohot.White I was not able lo took deeply ,nto the troubledsouls of these people, I could sense the unbearable sufferingthey musl havegone through before coming to lhis facility.I was deeply movedby the devotedstaff who helpedthese women and sharedin theirsuffering. I was shockedby the dismalconditionofthe childrenborn to thesepatients. When I saw the expressionlessfaces o{ thesechildren, a chill ran down mv soineat the thoughtof the lerrorof drugs.The staffp.ovided the childrenwith kind.individual instruction.The ignoranceof the parentshas deprivedthe titflechildren of their future.How does one atonefor this crime?| felt angergrow insideme and tears cameto my eyes.

Spokaneis a beautiful,scenic city of about 18O,OO0people, surrounded by.j2 nalronalparks, 15 nationalforests, and some70 lakes.Our host in Spokanewas SusanVirnig of NodhwestRegional Facilitators. ln Spokane,we visitedthe YWCA and its schoolfor homelesschildren. We spentthe aflernoonwith the childrenin a lriendlyatmosphere, using our brokenEnglish. We sptit up into sma groups, showingthe childrenhow to makeo gamipaper helmets, how to use chopstjcks. and how to write their names in Japanese.The expressionsol longingon the faces of the childrenas we said goodbyeis sti vividlyetched in mv mind. We also visiledthe YWCA'SSafe Shelter.This facilityjs similarto the Buddhist templesof leudalJapanthat took in runawayhousewives. The shetteris open24 hoursa day. Legalmeasures have been takento prolectresidents by preventing abusivepartners from approachingwilhin a certaindistance. At SafeSheller I saw 80 YAEKO5UZUKI lwo mothersseeking refuge late al nightwith their children and nolhingmore than the clotheson their backs.The womencradled their childrenand slept in a bed in lhe comerofa dimlylit room.lcould feelthetaligue and dismay of thesewomen aftera desperateescape trom theirviolent husbands. As a motherI can empalhize withtheir plight. I alsomet a youngwoman who soughtrefuge from her loverwho had threatenedher with a gun. These kindsof problemsalso occur in Japdn everyday. There are tragiccases of women who marryto obtainvisas. There are women who are deceivedinto cominglo Japanwith oflersol work, onlyto havetheir hopesdashed when they are forcedto live in deplorablecondilions and eventuallyare led into proslitLttion. lhave seenmany very tragic cases ol bridesbroughtto Japan from Asian countries to marryfarmers in ruralareas.

A Briel Moment of Joy Therewas a briefmoment of respilein our otherwisehard schedule. A barbecue party was held at the home of Julie Goltz, l\,4s.Yokoyama's hosl family.Since leavingJapan on June6, I had beenfeeling very lonely. sitting alone in the window seatol the planeand stayingin singlehotel rooms. Moreover, il had beena while sinceI had hadJapanese rice. Thus, this partywith our hostlamilies was a happy occasion.I was relievedwhen Ms. Yokovamatold me that we would have sushi and yakiniku.Ms. Yokoyamais from the SeikatsuClub Cooperative,and using the resourcefulnesslypical of her organization,she had managedto lind a super- marketthat soldCalilornia rice. lt was an emotionalmoment, like finding an oasis in the deserl.I will neverlorget the taste ol the sushiwe madethat day.

The Long-AwaitedFarm Visit At this party I was introducedto my hostfamily, Jane and DaveSwetl, owners of the Yesterday'sFarm. One of the main objectivesol my trip was to lean about organicfarming and the stateot tarmingcommunities in the UnitedStales. I was lookingfoMard to this visit, hopingthat it would give me an opportunilyto review and reconsiderour activitiesat lhe l\,4ahorobaFarm. My host tamily'shome was aboul an houls ridefrom wherethe partywas held. We droveacross a seeminglyendless prairie lo gei lhere.Ms. lijimaof JCIE was also in the car. The onlysaving grace amidst the anxietyot travelingin a skange loreign land was that I was with a personwho understoodboth Japaneseand English.lfelt calmeven as we spedthrough the darkness. lt wasJune but it lelt as cold as winter.The clock had alreadypassed 10:30 pm. We got up at 5:30am. Mr. Swetthad beenawake since 4:30 am, and was already doing the larm chores.The morningwork began with pickingvegetables to be shippedtomarket. There were many vegetables, including beets, spinach, aspara- gus. and otherswhich I had neverseen before.Mr. Swett expertlywashed and stackedlhe fresh vegetablesbetore taking them to the market. 81 JAPANU.S, WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

Fromnine in the morningto five in the evening,I sold vegetablesat the market. I was fatiguedtrom the cold and trom doingsomething I was unaccustomedto. However,I was able to see the trustingrelationship between the producerand consumer.The v€getableswere sold out belore5:OO pm. To lill one hectareof soil alone is no easy task. yet, Mr. Swettwould neverdo shoddywork.lwas trulyimpressed byihe workethic at yesterday,sFarm. Through my directobservation of thislarm and the methodsused in a countrywith customs and a historycompletely different from my own country,I gainedsomething useful in developingnew direclionsfor the N,,lahorobaFarm.

Chicagoand New York Chicago,with a populationof 2.8 millionpeople, is the third largestcity in lhe "The UnitedStates. Windy Cily" is notedfor its modernarchitecture, and there are riverboatiours that allowvisitors to see ihe famousarchitectural landmarks. Theworld's lallest building, the Sears Tower (110 floors, 449 meiers), is iustone suchfamous landmark. In Chicagowe visitedthe ChineseAmerican Service League (CASL). Our host was BernardaWong. Vocationaltraining, language educalion for children,and seniorcitizen daycare were some of the programsoperated by CASL.With so manyChinese immigrants there, it was ljke seeing a Chinawithin America. English languageeducatjon is one of the most importantactivities, as more than hall of the peopleliving in Chinatowndo noi haveadequate English abilities. The lacility was energeticallytackling a wide rangeof problemsassociated with emplovmenl, livelihood,and relired citizens.In particular, Bernarda Wong's eflorts were outstand- jng. Throughher manyyears of experience,she has numerousprolessional con- tacts,and lhrough thetrust she enjoys from within the community,support continues to grow. The activitiesin this communitywere in contrastto the rather sedate lifestyleof the Japanesein LitfleTokyo in Los Angeles.One can see the sharp ditferencein the characteristicsof the Japaneseand Chinese. Our last stop in the UnitedSlates was New York,a diversecity with a population of overseven million. Each year some 17 millionpeople visit America's largest c,ty,which boasts150 museums,400 galleries,and 38 Broadwaytheaiers. tt is alsothe cenlerfor global business,lhe arts, and fashion. Our host here was peggy Blumenthal,Vice President of EducationalServices at llE. Aflerhaving visited Los Angeles,Spokane, and Chicago,what surprisedme most about New york was the continuoussound of sirenstrom morningto night. I felt threatenedby the cnme{illedcitv. I expresseda desireto visilHarlem during ourfree afternoon in Newyork. Unfortu- nately,we hadto cancelthis kip as we were unableio contactthe districtmanager ol the organizationlwanted to visit. lnstead,we were givenan unexpectedkeat throughetforts ol Shaun L{artin,l\,,lanager of Asia/pacificprograms at llE, who arrangedfor us to attenda practicesession of the BoVsChoir of Harlem.ll was 82 YAEKO5UZUK] an emolionalexperience to meet Dr.Walter J Turnbull,lhe founderand execulive directorof the choir.

A litlle about-Dr. Turnbull'sbackground and profileof the HarlemBoys Choiri Dr. Turnbullearned his l\,4.A.in musicand Ph.D.in musicalarts from the Manhattan Schoolol Music.He alsograduated lrom lhe ColumbiaUniversity School of Busi- ness Institutefor NonprofitManagement and has receivednumerous honorary doctorales.He is activeas a tenorsoloist for the NewYork Philharmonic Orcheska and the PhiladelphiaOrcheslra. The HarlemBoys Choir,begun in '1968,oflers a positiveand creativealternative lor childrenresiding in inner-cityNew York. ll is an artisticas well as a humanitarianorganization. lfound Dr.Turnbull, with his charming smile, to be verygentle. He is verystrict in his daily lessons.On the day ot our visit, he sternlyreprimanded a studentfor beingtardy. Although the choir sings only parts of songsduring regularpractice sessions,on this day,through lhe courtesyof Dr.Turnbull, lhe choirsang an entire seleclionfor us. Becausethe lyricswere in EnglishI did not understandwhat they were singing,but I fell the enthusiasmof lhe boysthrough their voices. The song was a hymnalol peace;a harmonyof the heartsof the boyswho proudlylive their livesearnestly through song.

What I Learned From My Visit

My two-weekstudy tour ol the UnitedStates was indeeda fruitfulone. In this multi-racialsociety, each personis constantlyaware ot the problemsthat exist anddefends his own way of life.ltwas on thispointlhat I sawthe wisdom,the unity, and the resilieninetworking among women leaders.The statusol the nonprofit organization(NPO) was not securedin a day.To me, lhis was a monumentbuih on the effortsand activitiesol organizalionsthat looked at communilyissues and underwentlremendous hardships to ensurethat everyoneis able to live a decentlile.

I believepersonal donations to NGOSlike the UnitedWay are made in gratitude and encouragement,as a way of sayingthal theseorganizations are necessary for people'slivelihoods. We have still not reachedthis stage in Japan.Buried in atfluenceand contentwith livinghappily for the moment,it is no wonderlhat there is no developingawareness of the problemsthat exist.Foundations in Japantend 1owork independently with very littlelinkage between lhem. Therelore, it is difiicult lor the private,independent sector lo expandits activilieswithorJt this financial base.These are the cold lacls of Japan,the economicsL]perpower.

During my trip lo lhe United States I was often asked aboui lhe directionof jndependentsector activities and howlo gain accessto foundations.Through the valuableexperience gained in the UnitedStates, each oJus who participaledin this trio shallwork hard to solvethe oroblemsbefore us. 83 JAPAN_U.5.WOI,iEN LEAOERS DIALOGUE

In Conclusion

This sludytour was my first trip to the UnitedStates. At first I was nervoLisal the "study," word but the womenleaders we met provedlo be kindand gente. The Americansdid not understandmy Japaneseand, naturally,I did not understand English.lt neveroccurred to me beforethal the languagebarriers and the ditfer- encesbetween countries could be so great.But in a span of only 15 days, I felt a connectionbetween our hearts.I belteveihat lhrs was made oossiblebv lhe lhoughttulnesscommon lo all peoplethroughoul lhe world. Internalionalexchange means interaclion between nations.lt meansthatwe should work together,while recognizingnational differences, and believingthat we can all live the one life we are given as humansbejngs. This is what I had learned trom the heartsand the actionsof the womenleaders in the UnitedStates. "The Next year is Year of the InternationalFamitv.,' So that all of us can be membersot this globalcommunity, We LoveAsia 21 inlendsto link our 1O-nation ethnicmusic and danceprogram in Japanto lhe restof the world,so that we mav realizea broaderdream of peaceand triendshjp.

84 Haruko Numata Coordinator,Suginami Association for BetterLives in an Aging Society, Associationto.Provide Friendship Lights Tokyo

lwas unexpectedlygiven the valuableopportunityto be a memberoftheJapanese delegationto the UnitedStates on the Japan-US WomenLeaders Dialogue pro- gram.I learneda greal dealduring the very busytwo weeksin the UnitedStates. Thefulfilling experiences I hadwere made possible by the Instituteof International Educationand the JapanCenter lor InternationalExchange. which carefully arrangedthe studytour. I would also like to expressmy sinceregratitude to the JapanFoundation Center for GlobalPartnership for its considerationand support. I cannotfind wordsto properlyexpress my appreciationfor the warm hospitality we receivedfrom each of our hosls in the UnitedStates, including N,ls. Peggy Blumenthal,Vice Presidentof EducationalServices at the InslituteoJ International Education. Our learningprocess began in the brightsunshine of Los Angeles,our first stop ot the tour.The streetswere linedwith palmtrees and jacaranda trees wilh pulple llowers.With ils favorableclimate, it is no wondertheaerospace and lilm industries choseto locatehere earlierthis century. In peacefulSpokane, a city dottedwith forestsand lakes,our mindsand bodies were refreshedby the embracingclean air we felt immediatelyupon landingat the airport.Gulls that came by the ColumbiaRiver rested their wings in the park. The ducksswimming in the riverbeneath the Expopavilions composed a tranquil scene.ln the beautifulbreezes and sunshineof Spokane,the peoplehad expres- sionsof relaxationon theirfaces.Like the birds,we too enjoyedour shortrest here. Chicago,with Lake Michiganto one side and a vast plainextending on the other, is the world'slargest lakeside city. lt is a beautiful,modern city surrounded by only the horizonand the skyline.The city blocksas seen from the top oI the Sears Towerwere clearlymarked by blinkinglights below. The bandsof lighl radiating across the city were breathtaking.Picasso and Calder sculpturesand Chagall painlingswere placed,as if casually,here and there,giving the illusionthat the wholecitv was a modernart museum. In New York, America'seconomic and culturalcenter. tall skyscrapersslood as monumentsto civilization,and the rapidlywalkingpedestrians produced avibrating 85 JAPAN_U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE rhythmihat causedthis immensecily to seemas if it were breathing.Everything was vibrantand stimulatingin this cosmopotitancity. The streetswere filledwith peoplerepresenting a diversemultitude of racesand ethnicgroups.

The Community Activities of Women Leaders Eachcity had a differentatmosphere and appearance,and each greetedus with its own unrquecharacter. What these cites nad in corrmon,however, were the enthusiaslicactivities of the influentialwomen leaderswho were devotedto ihe bettermentof their cornmunities. Whilethe Japaneselend io lookto the governmentfor solutions10 social issues, Americanstake the initiaiivein socialimprovements and reformwithout relying on others.This attitude,and the expectationsAmericans have of lheir government, differtrom the situationin Japan.This is appareny due to the autonomouslife Americanshad beforethe formationof lhe federalgovernmenl. The activitvof the womenwe met givestestament to this. The staff engagedin the daily adminislrationand operationof the organizations we visited-Project Inlo CommunityService in Los Angetes,Northwest Regional Facilitiesin Spokane,the ChineseAmerican Service League of Chicago,and the Art Instituleof Chicago-were mostlywomen. The majorityoJ the womenleaders we metdefined problems for themselvesand took the initiativein workingto solve thoseproblems and to bettersociety. We were deeptyimpressed by the energy and activitvol thesewomen leaders. A well-organized,broad-based information exchange network that both satisfies the needsof the communityand that lunctions effectivelV in a coordinaledfashion. is of extremeimporlance, not onlyfor lhe bettermentof a singleorganization and the improvementol ils statf,but alsofor the developmentoJ an enlirecommunity. When such a net\r'r'orkis available,all involvedreceive manv benefits.

The Role of the Gove/nment, Corporations, and the public in the Community I am currentlyengaged in communitywellare activities for seniorcitizens. I work "to withthe slogan, leadadecent tife in a famitiarcommunity.', One ol myobjectives on this trip was to discoverthe rolesthat the government,corporations, and the public play in welfare activities.I soon realizedthat privateorganizatjons and individualsplay a largerole in US society,with nonprofitprivate organizalions. not the government,often laking a leadingrote in dealingwith various sociat problems. Whilenonprofit organizations (NPOs) are still limitedin numberand are oftennot officiallyrecognized inJapan,the reverse is true in the UnitedStates, with nonprofits makingvaluable contributions to Americansocietv. The successof an organizationdepends on a combinationof humanand financial resources.ForJapanese NPOs, beset by linanciald itficu lties, American NpO s are ItD HARUKONUMATA

n the enviablesitualion of receivingcontributionsfrom individuals and coeoralions. AlthoughJapanese private NPOs make various lundraising efforts, such as bazaars and demonstralionsby group members,these effortsalone are not sutficientlo raiseadequale lunds.

I was surprisedto learnthat in lhe UnitedStales $124.7 billlon (approximately 15 trillionyen) is donatedto nonprotitseach year-a figure largerthan the entire welfarebudget ot Japan. I was furthersurprised by the fact that. in 1991,88.9 percentof the lotalwas from privatedonations, 6.2 percentfrom foundations,and lhe remaining4.9 percentwere corporatecontributions. On learningthat more than 70 percenlof all householdsmade an averageyearly charitable contribution of $978.I becameaware ofthe ditferencein attitudesloward donation to charitable causesin the UnitedStales and Japan.

The importanlfactor in the UnitedStates is the lax deductionreceived fordonations to NPOs.Tax deduciionsare allowedwhen a corporateor indtvidualconkibulion is made to a government-recognizedNPO. However,similar benefitsare not availablefor donationsin Japan,and regrettablyas a resull,there is no incentive for people10 make donations.While there are more than 900,000tax-exempt organizationsin the UnitedStates, there are only 15.000in Japan.Moreover, in Japan it is diflicultto qualifyas a NPO. On severaloccasions during the lrip I heardabout the united Way, a prominent nationwidejoint fund-raising organization which inilialed a matchingfund scheme wherebya company'semployee contributions are matchedby a donalionfrom the companyitself. This moneyis then usedlowards solving a communrlyproblem of concernto the donor. I believethal this is an etfeclivesystem. A similarsystern called "lvlatchingGift" was startedby lhe Keidanren(Federalion of Economic Organizalions)inJapan, but as of 1991only ten companies had joined the scheme. This numberneeds to be increasedin the luture.

The ideathat companieshave a socialresponsibilily lo the communityor should makephilanthropic contribulions as a memberofthecommunily is almost unknown in Japan.This may be becauseit is generallyunderstood that Japanese corpora- tions conlributelo societyby laking care of the wellareof their employeesand their families,by providingquality pfoducts and servicesat low prices,and by payinglaxes.

Inthe UnitedStates, companies are strongly expected to makesocial contribulions. and accordingly,Japanese companies in lhe UnitedStates are also expectedto makesimilar contributions to lhe localcommunitv. which in turnhas led lo ohilan- thropybecoming "tashionable" among Japanese companies. As a result,compa- nies in Japanhave recenllybegun to makesocial conlributions by supportingthe artsand cultural events. ln theprocessofinternationalization. Japanesecompanies arethe subjectof worldwideattention which lbelieve is beneficialforbothJapanese comoaniesand socielv. a7 JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADER5 DTALOGUE

The Activities of Nonprolit private Organizations

ln eachcity we visitedI observedexamples of Npos workingto lurtherthe public interest.Described below are someof the organizationswe visitedand their activi- ties.

Los Angeles ProjectInlo CommunityServices {PlCSl in LosAngetes showed us lhe tmportance ol smoolh communicationbetween family members.The ExecutjveDirector of PICS,Ms. lrene Redondo-Churchward,and the femalestafl membersand volun- teersofthe organizationexplained that serious problems such as drugand alcohol abuse,child abuse, teenage pregnancy, and familyviolence can be effectivelVdealt with by establishingslrong family ties, by treatingeach person as an jrreplaceabte individual,and by communicatingwith words and bodytanguage (such as encour_ agementthrough hugging). I could see their enthusiasmin the way they spoke about their daily activitiesand the ways in which they were making valuable contributionsto the organization.With drug abuseon the rise,child abuse is also increasing.l\ry heart sank when I thoughtof child abuse victimsabusing their childrenwhen they themselvesbecome parents and thal the cycle will continue in successivegenerations. The respectin lhe UniledStales for one,sfreedom to do as one pleasesmay be a causeol the spreadof lhese Droblems.

At FoleyHouse, a shellerlor femalesubstance abusers, I met manv women- juvenilegirls. young mothers. pregnant women-tighiing lo overcomelheir addic- tion to drugs and alcohol.The women are allowedlo live there with up to two children,and when they leavethey are providedwith housingfor a year to help makethem self-reliant.Similarly, to help recoveringsubstance abusers readjust 1osociety, Foley House hires womenwho have lefl these shellers.These plans were conceivedand implementedby Ms. LynneAppel, the activistrunning Foley House.I was impressedby her outstandingperformance and her leadershipand equallyimpressed by the attentiongiven lo small detailswhich coutdonlv have been done by a woman.

Spokane NorthwestRegional Facilitalors (NRF) in Spokanemobilizes the pubticto get involvedin the publicpolicy process and operatesmany programsfor improving the qualityofpeople's lives, including housing projects to improvetheliving environ- menttprograms which help aelieve serious lood shortaqes when food stamps alone are insufficient;and programswhere employers bear a portionot an employee,s child rearingcosts.

Ms. SusanPaula Virnig, a seniorconsultanl at NRF,and the staff,lhe majorityof whom are women,were activelyinvolved in many of thesecommunity activities. The operationof the LindamanNonprolit Centertaught me muchabout the impor- tanceof networkangbetween NPOs to strengthenthe structureof indjvidualorgani- 88 HARUKONUMATA

zations.I identifiedwith lheir relentlesspursuit of changeand reformthrough their activitiesto improvethe community,as I have alwaysbetieved that maintaining the stalus quo leadsto backwardprogress.

Whenwe visitedthe SpokaneYWCA, I witnessedfirsthand the resultsof poverty, homelessness,child abuse, and family violence.I was very concernedfor the homelesschildren we met. In desperaleneed of a lamily, these childrenwere overwhelmedby a senseof denial,tilled with worries attout life, suffering from low self-esteem,and in dangerof self-destruction.Seeing the mentalsuffering ol these homelesschildren, I realizedthe importanceof a safe environmentfor children, and the responsibilitiesof parentswith smallchildren.

At Safe Shelter,tears cameto my eyeswhen I saw a motherwho had run away from her abusivehusband with her baby thal morning.They were asleepon the bed, bothexhausled and relieved.Another young women lold me she was almost shot and killed by her lover. lt was painfulto see the vivid reatityof a country wnerepeopre carry guns.

The Shelteris open24 hoursa day,and to protectthe women,men are prohibited by law from enteringcerlain areas. lt is difficullto Iu V understandthe pain of those who seek refuge in the shelter.The women are providedwith donated clolhes,shoes, and handbagsavailable in a varietyof sizes and colors,which they are free to wear when lookingfor a job or attendinga job interview.As a motherwith a daughterol the sameage as thesewomen, this was a ratherditticult visit tor me.

Chicago There was muchto learnfrom the ChineseAmerican Setuice League (CASL) jn Chicago,which operates large-scale activities for the 7O,OOOChinese-Americans of the communily.I was impressedby the energyof both N4s.Bernarda Wong, ExecutiveDireclor of the organizalion,and the morelhan 70 professionalmulti- lingualstatf members.The staff have experienceoperating in ditferentcultures and in administeringa wide varietyof programsthat help others becomeself- sutficient.Programs include care setuices forchildren and senior citizens, counsel ing, vocationaltraining and job placement,and youth programs.

ll is noteworthythat lhis groupwas ableto identifythe problemsof unemptoyment and povertytaced by immigrantsand refugees,and set up programswhich offer a diversevariety ot servicesin just 14 years. ll also showedme the imporlance ot overcomingtheproblems of livingin a differentcutture.The chefkaining program in parlicularwas an innovativeand effectiveexample of a programfor thosewho do not havethe opportunity10 receive proper job training,and thus do not possess the skills necessarylo lead productiveand independentlives. tt is no wonder "Chicago why CASL receivedthe SpiritAward," which is given to outstanding oroanizations. 89 IAPAN U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

FemaleParticipation in Politicsand Government I learnedfrom brielingsby governmentofficials in Washingtonslate and l inois that women in the UnitedStates play an active role in politicsand government. Theystressed ttie pointthal the balanceof maleand female members of Conqress affeclspolicy-makrng. lt was refreshingto learnlhat the mayorol SpokanJano 40 percentofthe membersof the statelegislature in Washingtonare women.Atter allendingbreaktast meeltngs dnd civicgatherings. I saw thatwomen consider politicsa personalissue, an attitudereflected in their livelv discussions.Jaoan couldlearn much trom their examp e. Ereaklaslmeeltngs ol the SpolaneClLlb are open to anyonefor tive dollars,and are used by womenengaged in political and businessaciivities as a meansof exchanginginlormation. Womenoffer constructive criticism in the lllinoisgovernment, which has produced programsfocusing on the family,women, and children. ln lllinois,female execuiive slaff are responsiblefor investigatingprobtems in the state to be addressedby the Governor.When I saw these youngwomen holdingmanagerial positions in governmenl,hired on the basis ot theirabilityand working with men as their equals, I saw a societyllhich has achievedsexual equality. Unfortunately, due to the lack o{time,I wasunable lo askthese women aboul problems the governmen aceswith welfareand housingforthe elderly,or abouthow Npos influencethe government.

Volunteer Activities I saw manyexamples in the UnitedSlates where the communitywas supported by the activitiesof volunteers,and whereeven childrenlearned about the social structureand communication with the communitythrough volunteerwork_ Through educationalvolunteer groups such as Big Brotherand Big Sister,students teach and play with youngchildren every day. I met volunteergardeners, beaulicians. and cooksat the seniorcitizen's home. The driverfor the physicallyhandicapped, the medicalstudent at the daycarecenter monitoring blood pressure,the guide at the museum,and the attendantsat the votingbooth were all volunleers. Whilemost volunteer work in Japanis done by middle-agedwomen, in the United StatesI saw seniorcitizens and mendoing volunteer work as well.I was especially "peer interestedin counseling,"where seniorcilizens assist olhers of the same age. lt was explainedto me that this benefilsboth partiestBy talkinglo someone ot the same generalionwjth the same life experiences,the emotionalneeds of the care receiversare saiislied,and at the sameiime elderlyvolunteers are given an opportunityto be involvedin the community. In lhe UnitedSlates, over20 percenlof the totalpopulalion is involvedin volunteer activities.Japan, on lhe other hand, is still a developingcountry in lhis respect, with only3.2 percenlof the Japanesesimilarly involved_ The concepiand practice of volunteerwork has yet to take root in the generalpopolation in Japan,making it ditficultto engagein volunteeraciivities. However, according to l\4s.Ruth J. Hinerfeld,former president of the Leagueof WomenVoters of the UnitedStates, 90 HARUKONUMATA volunteeractivity among women is on the declineas theyenter the worKorceand insjston compensation-Ms. RonneHartfield, Director of MuseumEducation at the ChicagoArt Institute,insisted lhat volunteeractivities in lhe UnitedStates are nol as vigorousas the Japanesethink, but are probablyslill much greaterthan InJapan.

Activitiesof the Elderly BecauseI am concernedwilh communitywelfare activities for seniorcitizens, it was inskuctiveto talk lo Charlieand Ann Wood,a retiredAnglican priesl and his wife with whom I spentthe weekendin Spokane.They introducedme to other elderlyAmericans as well, enablingme to learnabout their differenllifestyles. By sleepingand eatingat the homeof the Woods,I was ableto see firsthandhow Americansenior citizens live their daily lives.I will neverforgel theif smilesand warm personalities.I was greetedby a welcomesign in the entrancehall of the retirementcommunity, and Japanese hanging scrolls, dolls and papercranes inside their home. I was touchedby their hospitality. Fatherand l\,4rs.Wood, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary a few years ago, live in a comfortableretirement community complete with swimmingpool, gym,24-hour medicallacilities, and a restaurant.The couple introducedme to olher membersof the relirementhome with whom they meet frequently.As is often the case in Japan,the men of this communityrepresent only 8 out of '100 occupants.A good friend of the Woods'said that, since he is able to enjoy the companyof and share experienceswith others his own age, his happinessis doubledand his sorrowis halved.I sensedthal relationsamong members of this retirementcommunity are very inlimale. There are over 2,000adult daycarecenters in the UniledStates, visited by over 50,000seniorcitizens in any givenweek. The HolyFamily Adult Day HealthCenter is one such daycarecenter. The Directorof the center,Ms. l\,4arieE. Raschko, describedtome the programs including bus setuices, health checks,lunch services, recreationalactivities, counseling for familieswith seniorsat home, educatjonal seminars,and other programs. The programsshe describedresemble those found in Japan.The Centerplans to expandthe programsto allow seniorslo receive assistanceat home. I was impressedby the systemcalled "Gatekeeper," proposed by Ms. Raschko's husband.So-called "gatekeepers"-postmen, electric company meter checkers, supermarketclerks, elc--receive speciallraining, make regular rounds, and reporl cases of illnessto lhe appropriateauthorities. The successof this programhas been recognized,and the programhas receiveda $100,000grant from the Ford Foundation.There is alsoa systemin variousJapanese communities where "kiend- ship helpers"check on seniorswhen they deliverfood to their homes,but most ol these helpersare untrainedhousewife volunteers. 91 IAPAN U.5.WOMEN LEADER5 DIALOGUE l\,4r.Hugh L. Burleson,our interpreter,and l\,4s.Noriko Takada, a professorat NorthwesternUniversity, kindly provided me with the oppodunityto see how the elderlylive in variousenvironments such as housingcommunities lor seniorciti- zens,life-care and continuous nursing-care retirement communitjes, assisled-care facililies,and nursinghomes. These facilities also reveateda diflerencein living standardsaccording to economicand heallhstatus. ln spiteof my unannounced visit.most olthe elderly people kindly invited me intotheir roomswhen they learned of my work with seniorcitizens. Each of lhe eight homesI visitedwas very neat and decoratedwith lamily photos. Even thoughI was able to see only very limitedaspects of the lifestylesof US seniorcitizens,Iwould nonetheless liketo give the impressions lhad. After meeting withsenior citizens in the UniiedStates. what was clearto me was thal all of them naturallyaccepted life as their own responsibility.tt appearedthat the .'spiritof rndependence"was an importantfactor in determiningtheirplans and living environ- ment atter retirement.I also saw a large gap betweenthe rich and poor afier viewingthe variousfacilities I visited.There was the old ladywilh wrinklesetched in herface, living alone and dependent on the food providedat the daycarecenter for her only meal,and then lhere were those livingcorntortably and worryJreein deluxeapartments like The Waterlordwhich couldeasilV be mistakenfor a five- slar hotel. When I asked a numberof seniorcitizens about their presentliving conditions, most repliedthat theyare satisfied,but theyvoiced their concern about increases in livingexpenses, declining health, rising medical costs, anxiety over long-ierm care, privatemedical insurance, and swindlers.Medical fees underthe national insurancesystem in Japanare minimal.This systemis one the Japanesecan be proudof. However, lfeelthal the American situation is a seriousproblem because medicalinsurance is handledby privaleinsurance companres wilh no government guaranteesof universalcoverage or pricecontrols. I learnedabout Medicare (medical insurancefor the elderly)and Medicaid(medical assistancetor low-incomefamilies) bui teel thatthese programs are not adequate as medicalinsurance, since there are restrictionson lhe conditionsand areas coveredby the insurance.Medicare covers medical expenses only for lhosebeing lreatedat home, while Medicaidmostly covers expenses for nursinghomes. A large-scalereform is expectedunder the Clintonadministraiion. I spoketo a womanwho had cometo visither elderlymother at a nursinghome. Aftertaking a year of unpaidleave frorn work lo lookatler her mother,she hadto returnlo work tor financialreasons, and was feelingguilty for leavingher mother atlhenursing homewhile the motherwished to betaken home. Seeing this woman worryabout wolk and the care of her mother,I realizedthat in the LJnitedStates, as in Japan,the burdenof laking care of the eldedyrests with women. A nurse at the ExtendedCare Centerspoke of her experienceswith seniorsat anotherhome for the aged.She told me of a lonelyetderty women whose family 92 HARU|\ONUMATA nevercame to visil, and of anotherwho pleaded10 be taken back to her house some 50 milesaway. I realizedthat there are many elderlypeople who wanl to receivecare in their own homes. Thereare manytypes ol nursinghomes in the UniledStales similar to lhe special nursinghomes found in Japan.Although these facilities are designatedas medical institutionsand not welfareinstitutions, the inadequaciesof the medicalservice are ol concernto the siaff. I realizedlhat the elderlyin bothJapan and the UnitedStates wish to live in well equippedfacilities and in a familiarenvironment. My group in Japan has been workinghard to createa specialnursing home and I am convincedthai we are headingin the rightdireclion.

Epilogue As a participantin this program.I met activewomen leaders in the variouscities we visited.I was greatlystimulated and encouragedafter witnessingtheir activi- tiesfirsthand. I learnedof the similaritiesand differencesbetween Japanese and US societies throughvarious brielings, visits, and conversations,and as a resull I was ableto developspecific ideas lo exlendand develop future activities of my groupin Japan. From lhe broad perspectiveI gainedon this trip, I have rene$/edmy resolveto do my utmoslfor the developmenlof the community.

93 Yoshiko Hayakawa Editor-inChief, lshikawa no Tamago (Eggsin lshikawa) Fukuoka

Prologue-The Faceof a Nation I am filledwith memoriesof lhe warmLos Angeles sunshine, of lrene'sshiny blond hair,and the warmhug she gaveeach ot us. I also rememberthe nightswe drank margaritasand listenedto mariachiand country-westernmusic. l'll neverlorget the peaceand quietof Spokane,the cleanair, and the SpokaneRiver. I enjoyed the activitiesthere in part becauseSpokane is such a smallcity but alsobecause Susanand her familywere such wonderlulhosts, carefully preparing each of our activities.After a homestayand surprisebreakfast party, it was ditlicultlor me lo leave. Chicagowas totallydifferenl from lhe "gangstei' image I once had of the city. I recallthewind blowing in from LakeMichigan; the skyscrapersalong lhe Chicago Rivel the dynamicnight view; the jazz bluesclubs; the activityof Chinalownwhere our host Bernietook us; and the solitudeof the Art Instiluleol Chicagowhere our hostRonne took us. In NewYork, "the citythat never sleeps," we exchangedideas withtwo olherleaders from the Dialogue,Ruth and Beth.From these exchanges, I got someideas about the directionthis Dialogueshould take in the future.ln New York we were reunitedwith all six of the womenleaders from lhe UnitedStates. It was difficullto partthat night. Some of theseplaces I had visitedbefore, while it was my first to visit others.In each of the cities,however, I was left with a slrong impressionthanks to all the wonderfulpeople I mel. Each of our hosts was very resourcefulin arranginga wide varietyof activities.I am very gratefultor thal. The bestthing about this trip was getting10 talk with suchwonderful women active in ditferentfields. Rather than just visitingscenic spols, we were ableto converse wjth realpeople. This is the lrue meaningof a "dialogue."My imageof the United Statestook on a humanaspecl. For this report,I have dividedmy thoughtsand leelingsinto five sections.

Gendel Balanceand the Glassceiling Throughmy work I have friendsof many nationalities.My American,Canadian and Britishlriends have otten said, "The help-wanledads in TheJapan Times are 95 JAPAN-U.5.WON,lEN LEADTRS DIALOGUE

'iemale ,male strange.The ads say secretarywanted, or managerwanted.' In my country,it is againstthe lawto recruiton the basisof sex.,'These complaints have been aroundfor more than ten years.Yet help-wantedads in Japan have not changed.This is obviously sexual discrimination. I had believed that working women in the UnitedSlales were blessedwith morefavorable conditions and were pro- motedon the job on an equalbasjs with their male colleagues.But in lalkingto workingwomen on this trip to the lJnitedStales, l.discovered that condilions were notthatwonderful. lieelthat problemsare alsodeeptv-rooted in the UnitedStates. I spentseveral hours in Spokanewith SergeantJudy Carl, a policesergeant in chargeof len policeofficers. lt had been her dreamsince childhood to becomea policeofficer. Bul when she graduatedfromuniversity, the WashingtonState police Academywas not open 1owomen. Reluctanfly, she returnedto universilystudies and receiveda master'sdegree in psychology.She then becamethe Iirstwomen to enterthe policeacademy, which in the interimhad tinallyopened its doorsio women.lt is rareto finda policesergeantwith an M.A.degree. l\4s. Carlis remarried and livingwith her son and her husband'sdaughter from a previousmarriage. "lt's all routine."Judy told me. I told her aboutJapanese policewoment that their work is mainlylimited to directingtratfic in tight baby-blueskirts. ,,We only have one uniform.There is no male or female in policework. I wouldn'twant to be a policeoflicerin such acounlry," Judy said. Even in the UnitedStateswith its grealer sexualequality,the policeforce conlinues to be a male-dominatedinstitution. When I askedwhether there was discriminationin promotions,she saidthat promotions were decidedon the basis of written tests and interviews.Judv is resoected by her male colleagues.Judy was quite attractive;a gallantfigure in hef dark blueuniform.

LisaBrown is a youngrepresentative of Spokanein the Washingtonstate legisla- ture. She has a 1s-month-oldson. Ms. Sheri Barnard,the l\,,layorof Spokane, "lhe introducedher as politicianwho becamea nationalfigure overnighl.', One day. the state legislaturecontinued untit tate at nightand Lisa,sbaby-sitter, who had to go home, broughtLisa's baby to her in the state chambers.The male representativesshouted at Lisa even thoughher baby had not been cryingand asked her to leave.The newspapersreported widely on this the next day. Why are women torced to bear lhe burdenof childcare?perhaps lhinas are not so differenlin the UnitedSlates after all. Judithgave mean electioncampaign card. Theelection appeared to be an inexpen- sive one. Volerschoose from the policymeasures printed on lhe card and mark lheirchoices. Then they submit the cardsto candidatestogether with conkibutions to their electioncampaign lund. Moneyflows from individualvoiers to the candi- dates.The flow fundsis in the oppositedirection in lshikawapfefecture. This way the voters in Japan are sure to vole. We observeda publicdebate held bv the Covernorot Washingtonto directlyanswer vanous queslions hom Spo(an; citi- zens.This would be unthinkablein Japan 95 YOSHIKOHAYAKAWA

I hadseveral interesting conversations with female journalists at a breakfastmeef ing heldal NBCin Chicago.lt was onlyrecently that lemale journalists have begun to be hired in Japan.They complain,"We lhink men and womenare the same, but our bossesare the traditionaltypes. They approachthings from an outdated perspective,telling us whatwe can and can'l reportfrom the femaleperspective. That makes us angry." When I asked Americanfemale iournalistsabout their situationI was surprisedby theiranswer. "What's wrong with the lemaleperspec- tive?We becamejoumalists because we wantedto writearticles from the woman's pointol view. For example,during the invasionof Panama,newspapers reported solely about the soldiersdaily. Women would perhapswrite aboul the family membersletl behind."So insteadof beingso unyielding,I wantJapanese lemale journaliststo take prideopenly n writingarlicles lrom a femaleperspective. The followingday Womanewswasdelivered to the hotelin the Sundayedition of The ChicagoTribune. Therc wete articleson Japanesewomen. One slory went, "The weddingol the CrownPrince and [,4issMasako was conductedin lhe tradi- tionalJapanese style. However, lhese days young ladies follow Western customs, holdingtheir weddings in Chrislianchurches." At the lllinoisState Government Building in Chicago,I lalked with lhe assistants to the Governorwho were in charge of educationand Asian-Americanaffairs. They were the eyes and ears ol the Governorin determininglhe wishes and concernsof slateresidents. I was enviousthat such an occupationexists and that youngwomen hold these positions. The designof the StateGovernment Building "open itseltsymbolizes governmenl."One of the objectivesofthe stategovernmenl is genderbalance. The ratio of men to women is still tar from reachingparity. lt presentsa big challengelor me, comingfrom lshikawaPrelecture where there is genderimbalance.

Anothersurprise werethe stringent measures laken to preventsexual harassment. A new bill was passedby the Governorthal punishescompanies found guiltyof sexualharassment. l\,4y eyes were openedto manythings such as basichuman righlsand dignity. When I askedone o{ the Governols assistantsif it was slill easy to work while marriedwith children,she repliedlhat she was nol yet married.Apparently local governmentsin the UnitedStates do notprovide daycare facilities. lf publicfacilities are not available,the peoplecreate their own daycarecenlers. Where does this effortfor selt-helpin the UnitedStates come from? The differencebetween Japan, long governedby a centralizedauthority, and the UnitedStates, created by the combinedetforts ol pioneers,may explainthe ditferencein attitudestoward self- helpamong groups of citizens.Indeed, when Japaneseare inconveniencedthey complain,"The government doesn'tdothis. The government should be doing thal." The women tirsl make an etfortthemselves without relying on lhe government. They do not give up their dreamsand hopes.They have practicedspeaking in IAPAN U.5.WOMEN TEADERS DIATOGUE

public,and they can state logicallywhat they want to say in a given amountof time. And they were all beautifulpeople! "glass In the UnitedStates the term ceiling"is usedto describethe situationwhere women are preventedtrom reachingtop positionsof authority.In Japan, the "frosted situationmay perhapsbe properlytermed the glasssyndrome." Female graduatesin Japan of four-yearuniversities are the foremostviclims of the tight employmenlmarket this yedr. The Japanese Equat Emptoymenl Opportunity Law seems to be little more lhan decoration.According to the Septemberissue of Marco Polo,a monlhlymagazine published by BungeiShunju, women in senior positionsare alsofacing hardships. I hopeone day thatthisfrosted glass becomes transparentglass.

In Japanthere are sitesthal are stilloff-limits to women:tunnel construction siles, the sumo dohyo ring, baseballdugouls, Okinoshima tsland, the inner court of NigatsudoTemple, elc. I would like to furtherpursue the queslionof why, and whal the presentsituation is.

JapaneseAmericans and EthnicGroups

I metAnne Akiko Kusumoto at ProjectInfo in Los Angeles.She was bornjn 1947, the sameyear as me. She is a second-generationJapanese American but cannot speakJapanese at all. Usuallythe secondgeneration is bilingual,using the lan- guage of their parentsand ot the countrythey immigratedto. Why wasn't she "As bilingual?She said, a JapaneseAmerican I havehad very interestingexperi encesthat differed as the situationchanged in Japanoverthe past45 yearsorso.,' Akikowas born rightafter Japan's defeat in WorldWar . Her parentswanted to hide the tact that they were Japanese_Since they coutd not do an)ihing aboul lheirAsian appearance, they hopedlo be seenas Chineseor Korean.As a result. they spokeonly English,even at home.When Akikowas in elementaryschool, the schoolused to conductair raiddrills, and the teachertold the studentsto crawl under the desks.Some studentsthrew crumptedpaper at Akiko,saying, ,,Jap! Here'sa bomblor you." Intime the teasingbecame, ,.toys from your counlry break so easily."That was whencheap and poorquality Japanese producls were being sold in lhe UnitedStates.

Today Akiko is a managementconsultant. In no time at all, Japan has become the richeslcountry in the worldand a countryof hightechnotogy. Thjs fact again seryesas a sourceof resentmenl.There are hardshipsfaced by JapaneseAmeri- cansthat cannotbe seen in Japan.

Therewas an internationaldiving contest held in lshikawaprefecture this summer. The coachof the Taiwanteam greetedeveryone in Chinese,English, and Japa- "You nese. speaksuch fine Japanese," he wastold. "yes, I was obligedto receive Japaneselanguage educalion from lhe secondgrade through the sixthgrade.,, l 98 YOSHIKOHAYAIAWA discoveredthal a person'sability to speakforeign languages is often relatedlo previouswars and invasions.

LiftleTokyo in Los Angeleswas {illedwith mostlyolder people.lwondered if the youngergerierations had been completelyassimilated into Americansociety. In contrast,Chicago's Chinatown was filledwith vitality.Young people are continu- ously immigratingto the UnitedStates from.Hong Kong, Singapore, and China. Bernie,our host, is the ExecutiveDireclor of an NPOthatprovides English language education,vocational training, daycare centers, health management centers, etc. lor the Chinesecommunity ol Chicago.I was impressedwith her abilitylo collect both in-kinddonations and securefinancial suooort. I wonderedif culturalditler- encesbetween the Japaneseand Chineseare rellectedin theirAmerican descen- dants.

Ethnicdiversity varies lrom regionto fegionin the UnitedSlates. In Los Angeles, I spokewith the leaderot a groupthat is workingto end discriminationagainst African-Americanwomen in the workplace.I wonderedhow the secondand third generationsofethnic groups maintain the cultureof theirparents and grandparents, and howtheydealwith discriminalion. At a breakfastmeeting in Chicago,a female Chinese-Americanjournalist, said, "White people dominate the worldofjournalism. There are very few minorityjournalisls. I am one of the very fortunateones."

Problems in the United States and NPO5

Homelessness,hungerrelated to homelessness,domestic violence (husband-wife, father-children,and/or mother-children), alcoholism, and drugs are allproblemsthat can occur independentlyor combinedwith otherproblems, and have resulledin social upheavalin the UnitedStates. These problemsare like chains,with links being added by each successivegeneration. lt is said that violentfathers and motherswere eithervictims or witnesseslo violencein their childhood.I had the opportunilyto see some NPO activitiesthal help to break this cycle of violent behavior.lrene's Proiect Inlo in Los Angelesteach the dangersol alcoholand the imporlanceof communicationat home.

In Los AngelesI visiteda shelterlor alcoholicsand substanceabusers managed by LynnAppel. When I heardthe word "sheller,"lexpected a square,concrete, hospitallikebuilding. lwas surprisedwhen I entereda comfortable,English-style house.Everything was cleanand shinyand well-organized.The livingroom con- tainedelegant pieces of furniture,cushions, and cuptoards.We even had a cup of tea and relaxedthere. The addressand telephonenumber of the shelteris kept secret.The same is true o{ the YWCA Safe Shelterfor domesticviolence in Spokane.I mel wilh somepeople and their children staying in theseshelters. Both sheltershave seen manysuccessfulcases of womenintegrating back into society aftertheir stay. Still,some go back to lheir previouslife with abusivehusbands, alcohoi,or drugs. 99 ]APAN U.5-WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

Somewomen were working as volunteersafter leaving the wonderfulLos Angeles shelter.Many women are on lhe waitingtisi to get into the shelter.Thinkinq of lhesewomen. I dectdedto studythe situation in Japanand plan to continueihts researchin the luture.

Edu(ation and Art A stonewith the engravedname of RonneHarttiijd was placed,as if casuallv.in tronl of the Art Insliluleof Chicago.At the rnuseum,lsaw volunteerspreparing "World for the Art Exhibitionfor Children..There were disptaysfor each country you pressing which couldtouch, watk through, and be a part of. an Egyptianiug spinsit aroundlo displayan historicexplanation on the back.The image of volunteer activitiesin Japan seemsto consislsoleiy of activitieslike visitsto old peoole,s homes.I wonderedhow to communicaieto the Japanesepeoole that there are otherways of helpingout. Peoplefrom manycountries told me lhat Japan,seducational svstem needs to be changed.After seeing Ronne's activities and aftervisiling ihe La Sa e Language School,I stronglybelieve thal the Japaneseaverage ol 40 studentsper classroom is not desirable.Even thoughthe numberof childrenhas decreasedand lhere are many extra ctassrooms,the situationstill persists.What is the N,,linistrvof Educationdoing? Ronnemade a suggeslionconcerning education ln lshikawaprefecture. Her idea was to not limittraditional arts and performancesto art classes,but lo incorporate them into otherclasses, so that regionaltraditions will becomepart of the overall educationof the students.I have thoughtabout what can be done in Kanazawa concerninqthis: English Preparesimple Englishexplanations for Kenrokuenpark, and memorizelhem. l\4ath Howmany layers of gotdteaf can be createdfrom one goldingot? Science A fieldtrip to TatsumiCanal to see the principteof siphoning. Socialstudies Why are roadswinding? Why is the KanaishiHighway skaighi? TheChicago program included a five-minutepresentation byeach Japanese parlici- pant at the Arl Instituteol Chicago.The audiencelistened aflentively and was quite responsive.I will always rememberthat the audiencewas delightedwith the red jacket I was wearing,saying that it was the color ot the ChicagoBulls. Understandingthe ditferencebetween Japan and the UnitedStales in the wav we respondand laugh at things is anothersubjeci ior education.The time I spent meditatingin the Japaneseart exhibitionroom desjqnedbv Tadao Ando was most precious.

Donationsand Fund-Raising,NGOs and Npos It is common practicein the United States for individualsto make charitable donations.Companiesotten match individuat donations and conkibute iitocharilies 100 YOSHIKOHAYAKAWA likethe UnitedWay. These donations are iax-deductible.In Japan,people do not makeconkibutrons unless ihey feel sympatheticfor a cause.The triggerfor these activitiesare different,which may be related1o the waythe counlrieswere formed- The horizontalties betweenNGOS and NPOSin the UnitedStates are strong.In Susan'soffiie in Spokane,NPOs from differentlields share the samespace, not competing,but coexisling.Witl we be able to learntrom what is beingpracticed in the UnitedStates? | hopeto not onlylink NPOSin lshikawaPrefecture, but also with groupsin other regionsand wilh the Japaneseleaders on this trip. I would also like 1oestablish greater bonds between US and Japaneseorganizations.

Epilogue In Los Angeles,Spokane, Chicago, and New York,I experienceddialogue with a humanaspect. We understoodeach other,experienced goodwill and meaningtul exchange-somethingthatgoes beyond thelrade frictionsand economic problems that oolilicianssoeak of. When I close my eyes I can see a particularlown, a particularperson. They are living,moving images. We communicatedeach other's breathing, sighs, sparkling eyes;we felt the warmthof eachother's hands. These experiences will be a long- lastingmemory, one of subslanceand significance.I believein the importanceof maintaininga bilateraldialogue like this betlveenJapan and the UnitedStates. Somethingprecious and lastingwas engravedin my heart.I wouldlike to express my heartfeltgratitude to JCIE and llE for givingme an opportunity1o iake such a wonderfultrip. Thankyou very much.

101 MitsukoYamaguchi ExecutiveDirector, Fusae lchikawa MemoriaI Associationruy'omen's SuffrageIns.titute Tokyo

My Second Visit to the United States I visitedthe UnitedStates forthe firstlime in 1988.The purposeof lhat one-monlh trip, duringwhich I lraveledalone, was to observelhe presidentialelections and to leam about the activitiesot variouswomen's groups. Now, five years later, I foundmyself granted the unexpectedopportunity of participalingin a dialogueon women'sissues between Japan and the UnitedStates. I hadinitially recommended othercommunity activists in Japanparticipate in the programbui was then asked to attendto representmy organization. Lookingback overthe pastfive years, I see lhat the UnitedSlates has laced major problemsin lhe midst of a dramaticallychanging international sociely, and the countryhas undergone significant changes. I\/yfirsttrip involved gathering inlorma- tion to providea rough sketchot women'sactivities in the UnitedStates. This sludy tour may be considereda conlinuationof that frrsttrip. l\4ysecond visit to the UnitedStates increased my desireto learnmore about American communities. This is becauseof my relativelywide involvementin lhe women'smovement in Japan. I believethat the varioussocietal changes taking place in Japan can be helpedby increasingcommunity activities, which in turn dependsupon the state of women'sactivities- In additionto myself,there were five olher membersof the delegalionwho visited the UnitedStates, all strong and energeticindividuals, deeply committedto a varietyof activitiesin their respectivecommunities. We met for the first time on June 6, 1993,and in spite of the differencesin our activiliesand interests,we were ableto createa synergy,working together to deepenour knowledgeduring our two weeks in the UnitedStales. Thisis the fruitof oLlrjourney,the sourceof whichwere the Americanand Japanese organizers,and all the friendswe made alongthe way who workedso hard to prepareus for the ideas they plantedand nurtured.I wish I could expressmy gratitudeby listingall their names in this report.I am temptedto recordall my impressionsof the thingswe heardand were shownby the peoplewe met, but it willsuffice to simplydescribe ourtrip from the perspectiveof my owndaily activities. 103 JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

NGO5and NPOS "NPO" While the lerm (nonprofitorganization) has yet to becomecommon in "NGO" Japan,the term {nongovernmentatorganization) has becomewidespread a resultof Japans rapidinternationalizalion, and from the variousUniled Nations social,humanilarian, cultural, and human rights campaigns. Whilesome 500,000 groups are recognazedby the US governmenias tax-exempt organizalions,there are a mere 700 such organizationsin Japan,and thus the impactol NPOSon Japanesesocieiy is accordinglysma . This is due to the hrsloricallystrong bureaucracy in Japan.This does not meanthat NGOSdo noi existin Japan.There exists a widerange of groupswhich undertake activities such as hobbymeetings, socialwelfare initiatives, educational inskuction. environmenlal protectjon,assistance to foreigners,and electioncampaigns. These NGOs, how_ ever,do nol haveindependent offices orfull-time employees, and manyarelunded by membershipdues and donationsfrom individuals.In the pastthere was almost no exchangeof intormationor othernelworking activities among NGOs. However, informalionexchanges have grown in the pasttewyears due to increasedattention beinggiven to problemsol developmenl.l\,,lost women lnvolvedin NGOSrather lhan NPOs,but thosewho are workingseriously in this field,are reviewingtheir activities.They share a dissatisfactionwith the tit e recognitionthey receivefor their contributionsto societyin spite of the time, etfort,and moneythey expend in their activilies.

Amidstthese circumslances, the focusof our recentvrsit to the UniledStates was on NPOactivities, providing us with importantideas for waysto improveJapanese NGOactivilies. To explainthe activitiesof projectInfo Community Services, which providesprograms for the Latinocommunity in Los Angeles,Ms. lrene Redondo- Churchwardassembled a group of activistsinvolved in drug and alcoholabuse programs,family shellers, community newspapers, and UnitedWay fund-raising activities.We learnedabout the activitiesof these gfoupsthrough panet discus- sions,short skits,and the abundantresearch materials they providedus. On the panelwas a representativeof the Los AngelesWomen,s Foundation, which was toundedseven years ago throughthe initiativeof women'sgroups, and which givespriority to the protectionof womenfrom violencein the home,improving the economicstatus ot women,and healthcare and insurancecoverage tor women. lfound it interestingthat this groupworked independen y of otherexisting male- dominatedloundations, focusing on problemsof sexualdiscrimination from lhe perspectiveot low-incomewomen. I was parlicularlyinterested in this organizalion sinceI havebeen closely following the activitiesof h,vosuch women,s foundations recentlyestablished in Japanwith fundsallocated from localmunicipal organiza- lrons.

NorthwestRegional Facilitators (NRF), founded by Susanand her co eaguesin 1974,is active in areasthat are essentiatfor community-building, inctuding housing, transportation,environment, educalion, and the oroblemsof the elderlv.Executive 104 MIT5UKOYAMAGUCHI

DirectorBob Stilgertold us that NRF strivesto allow lhe communityto become activelyrnvolved in the projects.lwas amazedby their ability10 draw upon the limitlesspotential and ideasol the communityand then put them to use.

Susan and Bob lold us that Spokane,with a populationof 1BO.OOO,is a city ot manageablesize in which NPOScan be effective.As a residentof metropolitan Tokyo, I arn convincedthis is true. Also, th.efact that there were fewer social problemsin Spokanelhan in largecities such as Chicagoand Los Angeleshas also helpedNRF achievetheir goals more readily.Nevertheless. even NPOSin Spokaneface difficulties.As we were later told by i,4s.Susan Berresford,Vice Presidentof the Ford Foundalion,American society is composedof the govern menl, corporateand the independenisectors, and il is not easy to achievean oplimumbalance of the three. We were told how some of NRF'Stalented statf workingon housingproblems had beenlaid otf due lo the rnunicipalgovernment's lakingover of the programs NRF had been administering, and how the governmenl andcorporations are muchslrongerthan NPOs when it comeslo money,authority, andother aspects ot power.In the independentsector, successful activilies require a fairlystrong civic consciousness and solidarity,and lsensed lhat NRF had the stronggrassroots support as wellasthevitality necessary to overcomeits ditticulties and realizeits dreamof buildinga bettercommunity.

We saw the samesort of vilalityin lvls.Bernarda Wong of the ChineseAmerican ServiceLeague (CASL). CASL is based in Chicago'sChinatown, and works io providejob trainingand placement,medical consultation, nursery schools, and care for the elderlyto the Chinese-Americancommunity. Bernie is very adepl at organizingevenls to raise moneyfor theseactivities. NPOS play a malor role in easingtensions caused by ditferencesin languageand customsthat existin the ethnicand racialcommunities in the UnitedStates. ln LosAngeles when we visited the JapanesePioneer Center in Little Tokyo and ProjectInfo, which provides servicesto the Latinocommunity, we realizedthat settling in and becomingaccus- lomed to lile in a new countryis no easy task- Even thoughthere are Korean communitiesin Japan,ldid not realizeuntil lcame to the UnitedStates lhe djfficultiesthat arisewhen manydifterent ethnic groups live together.

Mrs. Emi Yamaki,director of the JapanesePioneer Center. is also engagedin NPO aclivities.The fact thal secondand third generationJapanese-Americans have been able to assimilateinto Americansociety to the degreethey have is in part due to the ef{ortsher predecessors,for which she has shownher gralitude by becominginvolved in welfareaclivities aimed al elderlyJapanese-Americans- There is a Japanese-stylegarden at the Cenlerand a housingcornplex for senior citizensknown as "TokyoTower." The Centerprovides meals, nutritional advice, anddaycare lorthe elderly.Here, healthy seniors help those who are in poorhealth.

A votingstation was set up on the first floor of a housingcomplex for the Los Angelesmayoral elections on June B. Seniorcjtizen volunteers supervrsed the 105 ]APAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE voting.Sample ballots were available in Japanese,English, Chinese, Korean and Spanish,otfering a reminderot the diversityin the UnitedStates. I musl also mentionour visit to the Art Instatuteof Chicago,which was arranged by Ms. RonneHartfield. We were overwhelmedwith the rich varietyof paintings, potieryand othervaluable art objectscreated by artistsof variousethnic groups. The Instituteincludes not only gallerieslor the disptayof these works,but atso auditoriumsand childrens rooms.The Instiluiewas open to lhe oublicfree ol chargeon lhe day we visited.Throngs ol people$/ere gathered before the famous paantingsin eachgallery, and withoutthe strictsurveillance one often sees in such places.I was remindedof a scene I had witnessedin an art museumin Boston whereelementary school children drew dragonswhile lyingstretched out on the floor in front of a Japanesepainted screen. This would have been criticizedas bac,manners in Japan, bul I have come to believeit is importantfor childrento becone familiarwith real art and to bring them in contactwith valuableobjects while they are still young, so as lo raise their apprecialionfor culturalthinqs. Standingin froniof the Japaneseco ectional the Arl Instilute,it crossedmv mind lhat the affluenceol Japan may be nothingmore than a tacade.

Moving Toward Equality Between the Sexes Equalitybetween men and women in Japanis guaranteedby taw,but the question ot how to eliminatethe disparitywhich exisls in realityhas becomea majorissue ofthewomen'smovement. ln concreteterms, lhis meansgoingfrom simple political participationto actualinvolvement in planningand to the establishmentof govern_ mentalmechanisms which tosler solutions to women'sissues. lvls.June Farnum Dunbartold us about the functionsand activitiesof the Los AngelesCounty Commission on the Statusol Women,which she chairs.Similar committeeshave been establishedwithin the Japanesenational government and in virtuallyall municipalgovernments and are active in submittingopinions and summaries.Ms. ArabelRosales, Special Assistant to lhe Governorol lllinolson Hispanicand Women'sAffairs, works in conjunctionwith 46 state government depadmentsin lllinois,and advisesthe Governoron legislation.She believesthat the ratiool men and womenwho take part in policymakingis important,and she has beeninskumenlal in the establishmentof legislationloward lhis end. I learned lhal provisionshave been madewhereby lhe Governorof lllinoishas the power to cancelallstatecontractswith companies where sexual harassment has occufied. Uponlislening tothe recommendationsmade bythe Los AngetesCounty Commis- sion on the Statusol Women,one could sensethe competenceof the members of thatcommitlee. Bul, as is the casein Japan,the factthat their recommendations carry littlelegal authority is a sourceof dissatisfactionshared by the membersof suchcommittees. Thejob ol supetuisinggovernmenl agencies, such as performed by Ms. Fosalesin lllinois,is important.lt requiresthe lormulationof variousmea- sures,including the enactmentol legislation,which in turn mustinclude a compre- 106 MITSUKOYAMAGUCHI hensiveperspective on women'sproblems. In Japan,discussions are now being held betweenthe governmentand women'sgroups on strengtheningthe national mechanismstor dealingwith women'sissues. I believethe importantthing is to continueto createorganizationsthrough legislation which have both sound financial backingand strong authority.lllinois is doing good work in this direction,bul I questionwhy the EqualRights Amendment was not passedin the UnitedStates-

Women and Particioation in Politics Whilethere are onlytwo femalemayors in Japan,there are a fairlylarge number in the United States.Ms. Sheri Barnardis the currentmayor of Spokane-We visitedher at her otficealong with Washingtonstate representatives,city council members,and slate governmenlotficials. All were from Spokaneand had come lo discusswith us theirrespective activities. Thal samenighl, we sat in on a town meetingled by WashingtonGovernor Lowry and were impressedby the lact that therewere morewomen than men waitingin line to voicetheir opinionsand ask questionsol the Governor. Incidentally,I read in a newspaperthat the numberof Congresswomenincreased aftertheUS Congressionalelections last aulumn. Jennjfer Polleck, a representative ot the Spokaneoffice ol SenatorPatty l\4urraywho was electedlast year, was also presentin the lvlayolsotfice when we visited.We calledon her againlater at her officein the FarmCredit Building. Ms. Polleck'smother, who playeda vital role in SenatorMurray's campaign, was at the officewhen we visited,and also took the time to speak with us. When I visitedWashington, D.C. in 1988,there were onlytwo womenamong the hundred membersot the Senale.This number has nowgrown to six.Ms. Polleckexplained that the United States is lookingfor change and has placed its hopes in new people.The Cold War has ended, and the politicallocushasshiftedtothe problems tacingwomen and childrenand the issuesof healthcare. These factorshelped make1992 the "Yearofthe Woman."l\,4urray's rivalcandidate was a bornpolitician with the supportof manylobbyists. l\,4s. l\,lurray had been a memberof the Board of Education,but had no specialqualifications for politicalotfice. This led lo her rivallabeling her as an "amateur."She madethe issueof the federaldeficit easier for the generalpublic to understandby comparingit to householdfinances. She told us that the AFL-CIOcontributed to her campaign.The trend for so-called "amateurs"lo take on and defeal professionalpoliticians rnay be a worldwide phenomenon.In any case,campaigns require huge amountsof funds. As a resultof the experiencesof womenin a varietyol fields,politics has come be a naturalsphere of aclivityfor women.lt seemsthe experiencesthat members ol Congressand publicofficials gained through their activitieswith NPOs have becomean imporlanlparl of lhis process. In Japan.the proportionof femalemembers in the Dietis relativelyhigh, while the percentageot womenin localassemblies nalionwide is a mere3.2 percent. 't07 JAPAN-U.S.WOMEN LEADERS OIALOGUE

Becauselwas inlerestedin learningabout localassemblies in the UnitedStates. I was giventhe opportunityto stayat the homeSpokane City Council member Lois Stratton.The cozyjnterior was filled with photographs that showed the closenessof her family.On Saturdaymorning Lois' daughterand husbandand Ms_Hideko Kalsumatajoined us for breaKast.In May Ms_Stratton had announcedher candi- dacy in the Spokanemayoral elections to be held in the tall. Lois had been a Democraticmember of the Washingtonstate Senatefor eight years,a member oflhe WashingtonHouse of Representativesfor tiveyears, and became a member ol the SpokaneCity Councilthis past February.Before embarking on her potitical careershe had been an ordinarycitizen, a housewife.and an officeworker_ In her polilicalcareer, she has beenaclive in suchareas as lamilyproblems, drug abuse, child abuse, recycling,and the probtemsof the etderly.She regularly attendsmeelings ol an exchangegroup composed ofwomen politicians with Mavor Barnard.The two will be competingin the mayoralelections this autumn.Ms. Strattonsays she hopesto use her experiencein the legislalurelo supplemenl whatthe currentadministraiion is lacking,to addressproblems involving the police and city employees,and to becomea bridgebetween the governmentand the peopleof the city.

HerdaughterKaren is hercampaignmanager. Karen knows her motheis strenOths betlerlhan anyoneelse. They expeclto have about2OO volunteers and lo ;old campaignexpenses to about$100,000. They saidthe cilizensmust put a stoplo politiciansspending money on expensivecampaigns. In talkinglo Lois,I learned thatcandidates in regionalelections are not requiredto supportthe entireplatform of their respectivepolitical parties. Through the mediaStratton plans to appealto lhe publicto choosewhether they want candidates who are indistingujshablefrom each olher or one with strongleadership abilities. I was impressedby her press releasestating that, il elected,she willname women to the Oositionsof CitvCouncil Chair.City Treasurer, and Council Treasurer. After breaKaslal the Strattons,we touredthe SpokaneMarket which had been builtupon a suggestionfrom Bob Stligerat NRF.Lois then took us on a so-minute driveto her summerhouse on LakeLoon. There, wiih Ms. Katsumataintepreting, we had a trankdiscussion on the organizationol the City Councit.She told us thal councilmembers receive 912,000 per year. and in order to preventcorruption membersmusl disclosetheir linancesto a specialcommittee. Lois laughedas she cookedsome fried chickenand beans,explaining that she hadskipped breakfast. A lightlychifled bonle of Catiforniawine was a heartwarming touch.With the mayoralelection only five monthsaway, I was extremelygrateful that she had set asidesome of her precioustime to entertainme, a foreigner.But she lold me that she alwaysgoes away on weekendsio waterthe plantsand to refreshherself. I thoughiof the way Japanesecouncil members rush about all the time as thoughtaking time off were a sin, leavingthemselves with litfletime to study issuesin depth or to refinetheir ideas.I realizedthat this was somethinq 108 MITSUKOYAMAGUCHI which both the councilmembers and the public should strive to change.I am eagerlyawaiting the resultsof the Spokanemayoral election.

JaneAddams' Hull House I have been interesledin ihe activitiesof CouncilorFusae lchikawa foa more than 20 years, so when we visitedChicago I wantedlo visit Hull House,where Ms. lchikawahad spenttime in her youth.Hull Housewas establishedas a residence lor immigrantsin 1889by Jane Addams,who devotedher entirelife to promoting peace and welfare-There were once tacilitieslike this throughoutChicago, but nowthe onlyremaining example has beenrelocated as a memorialonthe grounds of the Chicagocampus of the Universityol lllinois.Hull Housewas the firstfacility establishedin the UnitedStatesto provide welfare for immigrants.The linkbetween Hull Houseand the ideafor the Women'sSutfraoe Institute where I work mav be lound in Ms. lchikawa'sautobiography. In '1921,when l\,|s.lchikawa was 28 years old, she went to the UnitedStates. travelingtor lhree dayson lhe Greal NorthernRailroad from Seattlebefore finally arrivingin Chicago.Having little money,she placed an advertisementin lhe Chicago Ttibune:"Situation Wanted/Young Japanese School Girl." She otten visitedHullHouseto usethe cafeteria and to attendlectures. She attended lectures by JeannetteRankin, the first lemale memberof lhe Houseof Representatives, andthis mayhave had an influenceon the Japanesewomen's sutfrage movement after 1924when lchikawareturned to Japan.I was pleasedlo see w,th my own eyes this placeonce frequentedby Fusaelchikawa, who devotedher whole lite to the suffragemovement. When I lefl the Hull House N4emorial,I presented to the director,Mary Anne Johnson,a souvenirbook entitledA PictorialBecod of Fusae lchikawa and the Women's Suffaae Movement.

Epilogue As we drovethroughLosAngelesand Chicago, we sawgroupsol homeless people everywhere.At FoleyHouse in Los Angelesand al the YWCA'SSale Shelter,we met womenwho had sufferedthe from etfectsof drugsand violence.Homeless- ness, drugs.and violenceare viewedby the Japaneseas evidenceof an ailing America.lf one wereto speakof the lightand darknessof lhe UnitedStates, the landof freedom,then theseaspects would naturallyconstitute lhe darkness. The NPOand NGOactivities which lor manyyears have extended a helpinghand to lhose less fortunatehave providednot onlycomlort and the meansto achieve greaterindependence but also a valuableexperience for all. Franklyspeaking, manyof lhe NGO activiliesjn Japanare mostly"cosmetic." NGO aclivitiesin the UnitedStales, where kind and compassionalepeople are dealingwith mattersol life and death are probablycloser to what NGOSshould be. This is a matterot nationalcharacter, according to Ms. Berresford.With internalionalization,an aging population,and the progressiontowards an information-orientedsociety cited as 109 JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERs DIALOGUE

the threemain challengescurren y facingJapan, I feelthat we who are planning NGOactivities musl makesure that we are doingsomething which makes a viable socialcontribulion, and that we must slrive lo introducethe manaoemenllhat is apl to be lackingin womens associations.An improvementin the g;neral publics perceptionsof NGOSwould lorce the governmentto extendthe quidelinesfor tax exemption.Furthermore. I believe the UnitedStales and Japan s;ould aim for the equalparticipation by womenand men in ptanningand implementingthe activities of NGOs.

Finally,I would liketo expressmy deepestgralitude and appreciationto llE Vice PresidentPeggy Blumenthal, Mr_ Shaun Martin, and eachand everyone of those involvedin the programwho welcomedus so warmlyduring our lwo-week studytour.

110 KimieYokoyama Director,Des Femmes Workers Collective Yokohama

When I was askedto participatein this program,I was immediatelyexcited by the "real prospectsof seeingthe America,"seeing more than I wouldhave as a mere tourist,and observingthe sourceot America'simmeasurable power. And during the trip,I believeI was ableto see Americandemocracy at work.I was bothmoved and surprisedby the extent to which nonprofitorganizalions (NPOS) play an importantrole in that countryand by their powerto influencegovernmenl. What we call democracyin Japan seemsso shallowcompared to what lwitnessed in the UnitedStales. An encouragingfact is that,as it is Japan,lhe maiorityof NPOS in the UniledStates are run by women.These women have had a long historyof addressingthe problemsof discriminationand other issuesfacing women since they beganentering professional careers. (l was told that the statusol womenin Japantoday is comparableto Americanwomen 50 yearsago.) The fact lhatwomen in lhe UnitedStates now enjoy many rightsbecause they fought long and hard Ior them is encouraging.I believethe same scenariois possiblefor Japaneqe womenif we continuein our efforts.

Los Angeles

Prcject lnfo Community Services ProjectInfo Community Services (PICS) has been aclivein addressingproblems in the Latino-Ame.icancommunity for over 20 years. They believethat strong family relationshipsare the best way to combatthe recentproblems facing this group such as drug abuse, alcoholism,and child abuse. In responselo these issues.PICS has designedspecific programs aimed at improvingcommunication amongfamily members.One such program,using a smallstuffed bear, seemed appropriatefor solvingthe type ot communicationproblems which are now begin- ningio threatenJapanese families as well. lt will be a longtime, however,betore peoplein Japancan open up to new ideasand solutionshelping to solvetamity problems.The programswhich PICS operatesare all quite entertainingand do not imposeideas on the participantsas similarprograms might in Japan.In this regard,lwas ableto see a good exampleof an ettectiveeducational program. 11'l JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADER5 DIALOGUE

Foley House Shelter for Women FoleyHouse is designedto helpwomen who are fightingatcohol and drug abuse and/orwho have been abusedby their husbandsor other men (shockingly,half the womenin Americaclajm to haveexpedenced such abuse). Belore visiting the facility,I hadexpected Foley House to be quitedismal, but what I saw was nolhino likewhat I hadimagined. A bigmodern building provides facitities to accommodati womenand lheir children. Coming from Japan where lhe housingsitualion is far trom ideal, I enviedthe size of the accommodations.The women live at Foley Housein a very home-likeatmosphere, while trying to recoverto the pointwhere they are able lo live in the outsidewortd again. I met a girt who, althoughshe appearedto be only in her teens.already had severalchildren and was tryingio overcomeher problemswilh alcoholabuse. I sincerelywish her the best. Althoughthere musl be similarstories in Japan,they are nol alwavsheard. ln conlrast,people in the United States recognizetheir problemsand try to find solutions.I believethere is a strong need to do the same in Japan. I was also remindedofthe few shelters which were built in Japan recen y, andtheir inadequate facililiesmade me reali?ethat for Npos to operateeflective programs sufficienl fundsare requiredin additionto the spiritof voluntee sm.

NPOSare involvedin addressingall kindsot problemsin the UnitedStates. In a countrywhere women's rights appearto be wellestabljshed, many groups continue to work on improvinglhe statusof women in business,government, and society in general.lwas overwhelmedby the strongmotivation shown by thesewomen who are many steps ahead of Japanesewomen. In lalkingio professorsat the Universityof SouthernCalifornia, I learnedabout problemswhich result from American-styleindividualism, where the government does not interferein the affairs of an individual.One exampleis thatlhere are hardlyany publicday-care centers, and whatlew thal do existare mostlyrun by NpOs. On the olher hand,this same individualismand lack ofgovernment inlerference has alsocreated a societywhere 40 percentof Americansspend more than tive hours a week in the volunleer activitiesof some sevenmillion NPOS. The role of NpOs in the UnitedStates is muchgreater than we expecled.

Sookane

Northwest Regiona I FaciI itators For me, visilingNorthwest Regionat Facilitators (NRF) in Spokanewas the most interestingparl of our lrip. Spokaneis a beaulitut,small city of 1BO,O0Opeople. I was encouragedby, and enviousof, the fact thatthe mayorof lhe city is a woman who once was affiliatedwith an NpO, and that 40 perceniof the state assembly rs comprasedof women_One reasonlfound NFIFto be so wonderfulwas that it |s a people-orientedorganization, and jt setuesas a mechanjsmfor citizenslo become involvedin the community.Because we citizensdo not have a well_ establishedrelationship with the governmentin Japan, I found it wonderfulthat 't12 KIMIEYOKOYAMA there is a greatdeal of collaborationbelween NPOS and the state and municipal governmentsin the UnitedStates. Moreover, I was surprisedto hearthat mostof the NPOs'operational funds come from publicsources. something which is almost unheardol in Japan. I also visited the LindamanNonprofit Center, a building operatedby NRF where various NPOSmaintain small officesand share olher tacilitiesin the building,cooperating and collaboratingwith each other. In Spokane,I also experienceda homeslayand fulfilledanother objective ot my trip:tolearn aboutthe litestyle ofworkingwomen in the UnitedStates. Bywitnessing the role thal men play in the home, I understoodhow womenare able continue workingafter marriageand childbirth.The husbandshelp in the kitchenand look afterthechildren, seemingly spending more lime thanthe wives in doinghousehold chores.I jokinglysaid that I wantedto lake an Americanhusband home as a souvenir.Japanese men, by comparison,seem incapable of performinghousehold duties,perhaps because they are laught a gender-baseddivision of labor al an earlyage, and becausethey tend to work very long hourson the job. Recently, however,male and female roles are beginningto changeamong the younger generationin Japan.I am awailingthe day when,as in the UnitedStates, husband and wife will both be able to enjoyfamily lile.

Chicago Chi nese-America n servi ce League I saw the poientialot lhe Chinese-Americancommunity at work when I observed variousprograms at the Chinese-AmericanService League, which helps Chinese immigrantsadjust to litein the UniledStates. Job trainingand placement,counsel- ing. care centersfor childrenand seniorcitizens, English language lraining, and regularhealth check-ups are only a few of the manyservices they providelo the community.This is madepossible by iheir manyvolunteers, capable professional staft,and sufficienl lunding. I learnedhere, as I did from ProjectInfo in LosAngeles and NRF in Spokane,that NPOSare not able to grow unlessthey are staffedby professionals,nor are they operate etfectively without adequate funding. Japanese NPOsdo nol havethe experiencenecessary to raisefunds, and lhus theiractivities arelimited. With more funds it wouldbe possibleto do more,andtherelore Japanese NPOsneed to experimentwith differentfund-raising techniques. Al the Art Instituteof Chicago,lspent an amazinglyrelaxing time lookingat wonderfulworks ot art.These works made me realizehow short life is but alsohow importantit is 1olive it one stepat a time,and at lhe samelime, without hesitation. I have mentionedonly a few of the placeswe visited.Beturning from the lrip, I have been relatingto olherswhai I experienced.In July, three colleaguesfrom the KanagawaNetwork Movement unsuccessfully ran for electionto the House of Representatives.I had spokenon the relationshipbetween the governmentand NPOSin supportol lhese candidates.I was disappointedby the oulcomeot the electionand this mademe realizethe lack of intluenceheld bv our oroanizalions. 113 JAPAN.U,S.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

However,this is onlythe beginning.We will continuewith our etfortsand work lo builda strongerNPO networkand contribulein any way possibleto the creation of a bettersociety in Japan.

Finally,I wouldlike to expressmy deepgratitude to the AmericanNpos, E. JCIE. and the Centerfor GlobalPartnership tor tet ng me take part in this wonderful program.

114 SusanBerresford VicePresident, Program Division FordFoundation New York City

The Roleof NGOSand Women in Meetingthe Challengesof a New Era Speechgiven at the ConcludingWotkshop of the Japan-USWomen LeadersDialogue in New York on June 17,1993 lntroduction I was asked to speak about "The Role of NGOSand Women in l\4eetingthe Challengesol a New Era." You have been visitingAmerican NGOS, including visits lo women'sorganizalions, and so I imagineyou alreadyknow a lot about thesetopics. I wouldlike to add to that knowledge,if I can.As I knowthe US NGO worldbetterthan Japanese NGOS, lwillfocus on that.I hopein informaldiscussions later,we will exploreparallels and differencesbetween NGOs in the UnitedSiates and in Japan. My commentstoday will elaborateon three basicthemes. They are: '1. NGOshave deep hislorical rools in Ihe UnitedStates. They are part ot American cultureand characler.lwill try to explainwhy lhey are so keasured. 2. NGOSface challengesof two sorts: . challengesof socialproblem-solving such as addressingthe problemsin the economy,problems ot crime,and problemsin education,elc. . challengesto NGOS'status and way of operatingfreely. 3. Women in the UnitedStates have otten begun their prolessionalproblem- solvingexperience in NGOS,and as theymove in greaternumbers kom NGOs to politicallife, they will bringto governmentsome valuable perspectives and valuesthey developedin NGOs. So let me beginwith the tirst pan-why we have so many NGOSand why we keasurethem. NGOssprang from earlyAmericans' convrclion that the societycould and should rely on citizen initiativeas the first force lor communityproblem-solving. These earlyAmericans had experienced oppression from a monarchicalgovernmenl and distrustedconcenkations of governmentalpower. Also, lhe coloniesand then the 115 JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE early new stales of Americahad few resourcesto createpowerful governmental bodies.We sometimestorget that the UnitedStates was at first a poor country. Thrrsa habitof formingassociations ol volunteersand informalgrorp" ua"rg"d in the earlycolonial and post-colonialdays. These groups were created for a range of purposes-civic, cultural,and social. This habitof formingNGOS, as they are now calted,became part of our national culture and character.That in itsell is intereslingbecause a numberof,,earlv habits died out over time and this one did nol. tt is inlerestingto specutateas io why this is so. I believeit is becauseover time Americans began to recognizeand like lhe role NGOSwere playing.For example: . NGOSwere and are the placewhere innovative people whose primary interest is otherthan profittest new ideasthal coutdserve the oublic. . NGOsdeveloped and garnedpublic support tor ideasthal woutdultimalety be subjectedlo politicaldecisions but were not yet ready. . US NGOSrepresented the manycultures that made up the UniledStates and they helped people maintainand promotetheir own cutturaltradilions. They were a part of the pluralismwe value so highlyhere. . We are a countryof immigrants,and NGOS,supportto immigrantswas very imoortant. . NGOSwere and are major employers.They help keep our economyvibrant. They are often organizationsof opportunity. "the . NGOSare oftencloser to people"than government,as they are distributed block by block, neighborhoodby neighborhood.As a result,the Oovernment asks lhem to do a lot of its servicework and pays them to do it. . NGOSare a productol our kindol capitalismin a mixedeconomv. Thev are in the socialourpose business. Our societywould have greal ditficultyfunctioning and meetingnew challenges withoutNGOS. Since you are in New york City,it is worthmaking this pointin the New York City context.A recentstudy of NGOSin New york City foundlhat: . There are 61 nonprofitsper squaremile in New york City. . They accountfor 12.5percent of total employmentin New york CiW. . Some are very large-60 NGOSaccount tor 43 percentof NGO emptoyment in the city. Over 20 percenlof thesehave budgetsover 91.Omi ion. . Some are very small-37 percentof New york City NGOShave no fult-time staff. Fortypercent have budgetsunder g125,OOO. . Operatingexpenses for New York City NGOSin 1989were g32 billion. . Someare heavily relianl on govenmentfortheir budgets-health, socialservices andhousing NGOs derive close to 70 percentoftheirincomekom government- doingthe health,hoosing and socialbusiness of government. . Over three quartersof all New york City NGOSuse volunteers_ . Two-thirdsof employeesare women. . New YorkCity nonprolitsare a mix of old and new. Somedale from New york City's earliestdays and others (a large number)were built in the 196Osand 1970swhen therewas a surgeof NGO creation. 116 5U5ANBERRESFORD

NGOSare a crucialpart of New York'seconomy, community-level support system, and part of life lor large numbersof paid and volunteerparticipants. They are importantto both well-offand poor people-lt is importantto remember thal low-incomepeople volunteer in and give moneyto NGOSas oftenas those who are befterotl. So voluntaryNGO participation is not a lunctionof leisuretime or surplusmoney. Iei me nowshitt lo the challengesnonprofits or NGOSface. One of lhe topicslhe US publicseems to be most concernedabout is jobs and employment.Let me desc be how I see nonprofilscontributing to the ettortsto addressthese prob- lem area:

Jobsand Employment Nationaleconomic policy is one factorinfluencing the UnitedStates's capacity to generatejobs. . The Presidentand his advisorscontinually frame and reframeeconomic policy initiatives.Their ideas are shaped, in part, by analyticwork done in policy institutesthat are NGOS,universilies that are NGOS,and by governmental otlicers and advisorswho move betlveenjobs in the governmentand jobs in NGOS. . Nationaleconomic policy is also shapedby actionsof CEOSand directorsof maior US companies.They also make decisionsbased in pad on work done by policyresearch NGOs, universities that are NGOs,and othernonprotit basedadvisors. Job trainingand educationalpolicy are anotherintluence on the UnitedStates's abilityto competeeconomically and generatejobs. Here again the NGO world askeyl . Someof the bestpathbreaking work testing new training and educationalmeth- ods is done by NGOS(often with partialfinancing by the government.) . CEOSconcerned about federalpolicy and federalspending for trainingand educationoften expresstheirviews clearlythrough a varietyofchannelsincluding NGOSlike the Business-EducationForum. the Councilfor EconomicDeveloo- ment,and the BusinessRoundtable. lcould easilymake a similarset ol commentsabout our next crucialissue in lhe publicmind-personal safety-where NGOSwill also have a majorrole. In other societiessuch as in Japan, public safety is consideredsolely a governmental responsibility.ln ourcountry,government is responsiblefor publicsafety, but NGOS are importantpartners in crime preventionand publicsafety. We can talk about NGOSin this field later,if you wanl.

Hospitable Environment for NGO5 As Inotedat the start,the secondcategory of challengesforNGOS involvesthreals lo theiroperalion as tax-exempl,free organizations.Six worrisomedevelopmenls suggestto me that NGOSmay be in to. a roughtime in the nextfew yea6. 117 IAPAN.U.S.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

First,we live in a periodwhen confidencein governmentis low.And manyof our key institutions,some of them NGOS,seem to be simitadyunpopular. Whether it is schools,universities, or hospitals,the publictoo oftenbelieves it seeslacklusler performance,rising costs and oflen undesetuedprivilege. This may be an unfair judgementof NGOSbut it is widelyexpressed.

Second,we knowthat lhe gap belweenthe welfoff and othersin the UnitedStales is widening.For example,an increasingpercent of the net worth of American familiesis beingheld be a smallnumber of wealthypeopte. At the sametime, the purchasingpower of low-incomegroups has erodedand essentialbudget items such as housingare increasinglyexpensive. These developmentscan inlensity the anger that less well-offpeople feel and expresswhen they see whal they belreveare abusesof publictrust in the NGOtield. In general,people may be less forgivingor generous-spiritedwhen their own circumstancesare uncomfortable.

Third,we seemlo be only midstreamin rethinkingthe organizationof American governmenl.From 1930s to the 1970s,we saw an increasingfederal goveanment rolein activeproblem-solving. First, new federal programs ol socialsecuritv,unem- ploymentand cash assistancewere created.Later, cost-of-living adjustments on socialsecurity, Medicare, l\redicaid, communitV action, Headstarl. broadened employmentand training,and low-incomehousing were also provided. Then around1980, the emphasisshifled to leadershipat the siate and locallevet. The federalrole declined.We saw cut-backsin many federalinitiatives, particularly thosefocused on non-agedlow'income people. This shifl was accompaniedbV "taking talk aboul the privatesector including NGOS up ihe slack.,,Sowe have been in periodof shiftinggovernment responsibility.

But in truth, as a nationwe have had very littlecareful analysis and persuasive argumentfrom any side aboul what socialresponsibitities should be takenup by the variousgovernmental or nongovernmentalsectors and by individuals.No one has madea powerfulcomprehensive case for assigningparticular sectors to the federallevel, others to stateand still othersto localgovernmenl. In addition,few peopleinvolved in lhe debatesabout governance have clearly defined where the nonprofilsector fits andwhat ittakes to makeit work.Little comprehensive discus- sion of this kind in a publicforum has occurred.This leavesus with a fair degree of confusionabout what we shouldexpect from government,from business,from NGOsand from individualinitiative.

The fourthconcern is thal manygovernment employees believe they are signili- cantlyunderpaid. Federal workers' pay has laggedbehind inflation over the last 20 yearsand at the state levelmany governments have ended annual increases and havetrozen or reducedbenetits. In 1991.six statesdid not have across-the- boardpay Increases; in 1992it was 22 andin 1993,24.lt is possiblethat govenment workerswill lookcritically and perhapsresentfully at whatthey believe is the better pay of someparts of the NGO sector,and the apparentprivilege this represents. 118 SUSANBERRESFORD

In the lastyear,press coverage of alew highNGO salaries may have exacerbated thisproblem. Fitlh,we havea clearneed fora strongtax baseand legislatorsare looking hungrily aroundfor newsources of governmentairevenue-some see the nonprofitsector as promrsrng. Sixth,and finally,many of the problemswe now must addressseem particularly difficulttosolve. Eitherthey are exceedingly complex, such as reducingthe federal delicit; or they are driven in part by forces beyondour bordersand difficullto conkol-such as immigrationto the UnitedStates or environmenlalproblems like acid rain or ozonedepletion, or the loss of low-skilledhigh-wage manufacturing iobs in our economy.Such problemsdo not lend themselvesto easy solulions and this recognitionsometimes pushes people away from personalengagement in problem-solving,toward a more intensefocus on the shortcomingsof their own situations. What can all of this add uo 1o?lt can oroduce: . an increasinganger and fiushationdirected toward some of the institulions designedfor the commongood-such as NGOS; . intoleranceof what are perceivedas specialprivileges in NGOSand abuses; . an unrealisticexpectation aboul the capacityof NGOs; . an increasedlikelihood that peoplewill acceptsimplistic and sometimesfaulty answersto difficultproblems. As a result,NGOS are somewhatat risk. Giventhese possibilities, nonprolit organizalions (NPOs) cannot atford to leaveit entirelylo otherslo explainthe rolesthey see lor themselvesin the 90s and early decadesof the 21st century.The challengeto NGOSis lo play a major role in explainingwhere lhey think they fil, why they desetuethe specialsupports and accommodationsthey enjoy, and what they believe is essentialforlherr sustenance and success, Our field has preciousfew well-inlormedanalysts. Political scientists will write about governmentalchange and reform.Historians will focus on leadershipand redirectionof government.Sociologists will focuson publicattitudes and behavior- Journalistswill record and commenton public events. Few such people really know or understandthe NGO sector.So for a whileat leasi, nonprofitswill have to do mucho{ the job of educatingthe publicabout nonprofrts. NGOSneed a publicrelations campaign. NGOs themselves could develop it first within their organizationto make sure their staffs really understandwhy NGOS developed,why they are key now, and what the luture issuesare. We take this knowledgetor granted.We believeeveryone in the United States shares our understandingand appreciationof NGOS.We shouldnot do so. The challengeis to makethis knowledgeexplicit and to therebyhelp protectour NGO sector. '|19 JAPANU.S. WOMEN LEADERs DIALOGUE

I believewe cando this.We knowthatmuch of the hardwork addressing chaltenges to NGOSwill be done by women,who are a disproportionateshare of NGOstaffs and boards.

This bringsme tofly finalpoint. NGOS are the placeswhere manv women in the UnitedSlales tirst gain experiencein socialand communityproblem-solving. Womenbegin such communityinvolvement: . by workingin religiousorganizations, daycare systems and elderly care services; . in schoolvolunteer networks, homework help systems,and tutoringor school safetywork; . by helpinghospital patients cope with slress and depressioni . by patrollingstreets to reducecrime after schoolhours. This is far more commonlythe experienceof women than of men. lt is direct, "hands personaland on." Now, as larger numbersof women are movinointo elecledand appointedgovernment iobs. they are bringingthese same intJrests and anitudestoward problem-solving with them. This is a good development.One of the primarycha engesfor governmenttoday (inthe LJniledStates and elsewhere)isto avoidbeing bu@aucratic, remote, inflexi_ ble,and out ol date.Citizens and residentsof eachcountry want govemmenl lo be: . responsive,,ot remoleand passive . caring,l.,ol bureaucratic . flexible,,ot tradition-bound

But our governmentsare not alwayswhat we want. However,women seem to be bringingsome of these qualitiesto governmentand displayingthem more lhan men. This can be refreshing,catatytic and inspiring.

Sofar,not too manystudies have been done thatexamine the jmpactthat women,s increasingpresence in high-tevelgovernment is bringing.But there are interesting cluesfrom the few studieswe have.Let me notejust a few thatwere summarized recentlyin publicationfrom RutgersUniversity,s Center for the Study of Women in Politics.Studies of womenwho haverecendy entered federal, state and munici_ pal-levelgovernment point out thal: . Womenoffice-holders who have close ties lo NGOSand women's organizations are moreactive in reshapingthe policyagenda than thosewho have no NGO links. . Womenin otficeare more likelythan men lo give high priorityto govemment programslor children,women and lamilies,health, welfare, human services. . Womenin officeseem to givemore attenlion and supportfor spendingon direct servicesthan men do.

These and other findingsare very new, based on small researchsamples. But they ring true to me. I believethey have parallelsin my own experienceat the FordFoundation. Changes like those noted abovewhich women brought to govern_ 120 SUSANBERRE5FORD mentare similartothe changeswomen have brought to lhe FordFoundation over the last 20 years. When I startedat the Foundationin the early 1970s,there were few women in the prolessionalranks. As lhe numbersrose, new questions emerged,otten on the urgingof women staff members.They includedconcerns about: . how relationshipsbetween women and granteeswolk . how the Foundation'sown behavioras an€mployerneeded to be rethoughtin termsof familysupport . how our agendaneeded to addressboth setuice innovation and policyanalysis So my final point is that I believethe NGO experiencethat many women have has a proloundinfluence on their approachto work-in the privale seclor and the publicsector, such as government.The increasingparticipation of womenan governmenlwill help correctsome of the bad characleristicsof govefimenl thal all societiesstruggle with. You know this yourselvesas manyol you are seeing thesesame develoomentsin Jaoan. So I see a very importantprofessional and value-orientedrole for womenand for NGOSas we move to the 21st century.I am pleasedI have been pan of that processin the lasl few yearsand hopewe can continueto discussits implications in our hvo countries.

121 Profilesof DelegationMembers

US Delegation

Peggy Blumenthal Vice Presidenttor EducationalServices Instituteof InternationalEducation, New York PeggyBlumenthal has degrees in modernChinese history (Harvard)and American studies(University ol Hawaii).Her earlywork was on employmentand community developmentissues at the US EqualEmploymentOpportunity Commission, VISTA (Volunteersin Serviceto America),the NewYork City Mayor'sUrban Action Task Force,and the John D. Rockefeller3rd YouthTask Force.In 1973she ioinedthe NationalCommittee on US-ChinaRelations, developing educational programs on Chinafor US schoolsand communilygroups. Since then, she has continuedto workon internationaleducation exchange issues for variousNGOS and academic institutions:the AsiaSociety, Stanlord University's Overseas Studies Program, the Universityof Hawaii'sCenter for Asian and PacificStudies, and the InstitLltdol InternationalEducation (llE), where she currentlyserves as Vice Presidentfor EducationalServices.

Ronne Harttield ExecutiveDirector lor lvluseumEducation Arl Instituteol Chicago,Chicago RonneHardield holds degrees from the Universityof Chicagoin history,theology, and literature,and has beena leaderin educationthrough the arls in her zo-yeal career.She has been a Dean and Professorof ComparativeLiteralure at the Schoolof The Art Instituteof Chicago,and setuedas the ExecutiveDirector ot UrbanGateways, the iargestprivate arts and educationorganization in the United States,which designsmodel programs to integratethe arts into basiceducation. Currentlyshe is ExecutiveDirector for lvluseumEducation at the Art Instituteof Chicago,where she has initiatedprojects involving inner-city education, programs for the elderly,and programsfocussed on mulliculturaleducation using lhe museum's collectiono{ Asian,Latin American, and Akican art. 't23 JAPAN-U,5.WOMEN LEADER5 DTALOGUE

Ruth Hinerteld FormerPresident Leagueof WomenVoters of the UnitedStates, Larchmont, Ny RuthHinerfeld was presidentof the Leagueof WomenVoters of the UnitedStates trom 1978to 1982.Prior to thattime, she was the League'sNationalAction Chair. its InternationalRelations Chair, and its UnitedNations Observer. She was elected to the League'snational Board of Directorsaftel+taving served in a numberof positionson lhe Los Angelesand CaliforniaLeague boards. She is currentlya ViceChair of the LJnitedNations Association of the USA,and is alsoa ViceChair otthe OverseasDevelopment Council. She has servedon lhe boardsof a number ol other NGOs,including the US Committeefor UNICEF.Ms. Hinerfeldreceived Presidentialappoinlments to theWhite House Advisory Committee forTrade Nego_ tiationsand to the US delegationto the 1980 World Conferenceon the Decade forWomen.She is a graduateofVassar College and the Harvard-Radcliffeproaram in BusinessAdminiskation.

ElizabethHumstone Direclorfor CommunityStewardship The CountrysideInstitute, Burlington, VT ElizabethHumstone has been involvedin town, city, and regionatplanning for over 20 years.She is a graduateof WheatonCollege in Norton,Massachusetts and has a mastedsdegree in city planningfrom the HarvardGraduate School of Design.She hasserved as aconsultantforruralVermont and Newyork communi_ ties,regional planning commissions, slate agencies, and Npos on landuse, com_ munitydevelopment, and landconservation. She is the formerdirector of the Mad River Growth l\,4anagementProgram and the ChamplainValley project,a joinl programof the VermontLand Trust and the LakeChamplain lslands Trust. As the Directorof the Countrysidelnstitute's Community Stewardship and Integrated Rural DevelopmentFund Programs,Ms. Humstoneis involvedwith innovative approachesto conservingthe ruralcountryside. lrene Redondo-Churchward ExecutiveDkector ProjectInto CommunityServices, Los Angetes lrene Redondo-Churchwardholds a degree in human servicestrom Calitornia State University,Fullerton_ N4s. Redondo Churchward has been atfitiatedwith ProjectInfo Community Services (PtCS) since 1976, where she is currenflyExecu- tiveDirector. Through herwork at PICS,she has overseen many programs including those for family communicationskills, alcohol and drug abuse prevention,child abuse prevention,job training,and a seniorcilizens nutrition program. She has alsooverseen a mediacampaign to educateLatinas about alcohol related issues. She has servedas a sitevisitor for the US Departmentof Education,s,,Excellence 't24 PROFILESOF DELEGATIONMEMBERS in SchoolsProgram" for schoolsin Arizona,ldaho, and Utah. In 1991 she was oneof26 Latinaschosentoparticipate inthe NationalHispanaLeadership Instjtute.

SusanVirnig Founderand SeniorConsullant NorthwestRegional Facilitators, Spokane, WA SusanVirnig holds a degreein Japaneselanguage and culturefrom Macalester College,and spenl one year al WasedaUniversity in the early 1970s.In 1974, Susanand threeof her colleaguescreated Northwest Regional Facilitators (NRF), a NPOwhich assists citizens in workingcooperativelyon awide rangeof community developmentissues. Susan served as Directorof the organizationuntil 1990, and cu(entlyservesas SeniorConsultant. Through herworkal NBF, she hasfacilitated over 800 meetingsranging from ten-memberplanning committees to regional conferencesot severalhundred participants. In 1989,as Presidentol the local YWCA,she helpedestablish a schoolfor homelesschildren in Spokane,and still volunteersas a swimminginstructor for homelesschildren.

BernaidaWong ExecutiveDkector ChineseAmerican Service League, Chicago BernardaWong receivedher masler'sdegree in socialwork lrom Washington Universityin St. Louis. She is founder and ExecutiveDirector of the Chinese AmericanService League, a nonprofitagency which providessocial services, employmentandvocalionaltraining, day care,and awide rangeof support services to Chicago'snearly 70,000 Chinese Americans. She is alsothelirst Asian American to be appointedto the ChicagoPublic LibraryBoard, and was the first Asian Americanboard member ol the UnitedWay of Chrcago.She was also prevrously Presidentof the NationalPacilic Asian Center on Aging.

JapaneseDelegation

Hideko Katsumata ExecutiveSecretary JapanCenter for InlernationalExchange, Tokyo Atter graduatinglrom the Universityof the SacredHeart in Tokyo,Hideko Katsu- matatrained at the InterprelerTraining Center and worked lor severalinternational conferencesincluding the US-Japan Kyolo Conference,the Lions CIub World Convention,the WorldConference ot Genetics,etc. In 1969she joinedlhe Japan Cenlerfor InternalionalExchange (JCIE) where she beganher careeras a profes- sional for lhe NPO. In 1985 she became ExeculiveSecretary and coordinates overallprogram activities. In additionto her dutiesas ExecutiveSecretary, Ms. Kalsumatais responsiblefor administeringmaior conferences which JCIE orga- nizes,including the TrilateralCommission, the ShimodaConferences, etc. She is 125 JAPAN-U.S.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE also in chargeof promotionof corporatephilanthropy in Japanand has conducted researchon corporalephilanthropy in the UnitedStates. She is a membe.of the ScreeningCommittee ofthe TokyoWomen's Foundation for its granlmakingactivi- ties.

Yoshiko Hayakawa Editor-in-Chief lshikawa no Tamago (Eggs in lshikawa), Kanazawa ln 1988,Yoshiko Hayakawa started publishing Ishikawa no Tamago,a locatcom_ munitynewspaper for foreignresidents_ This locatnewspaoer is publishedwilh the helpot Chinese,Malaysian, cerman, andAmerican friends. To bridgethe gap betweenthe people of lshikawaand foreign residentsand to promotemutual understanding,the newspaperis bilingualand includesvarious topics and ques_ tions which are of interestlo both foreignersand Japanese.Topics rangefrom basicquestions concerning the daily lives of Japaneseto environmenlalissues. The circulationis 2,250.This numberis far too smallto form a viablecommercial base,yet the paperis sustainedby her and her colleagues,voluntary eflorts. Mrs. Hayakawais a graduateof Keio lJniversityand worksas an interpreter/kanslatoa. She is also activeas chairof the HokurikuUS-Japan CulturatSociety, essayist, and commentatorat a localtelevision slation.

Yoriko lmasato Editor"in-Chief LivingFukuoka, Nishi NihonShimbun, Fur

HarukoNumata Coordinalor,Suginami Associalion for BetterLives in an Aging Socjety Associationto ProvideFriendship Light, Tokyo The SuginamiAssociation for BetterLives in an AgingSociety was establishedin 1972by housewiveswho foundthemselves overwhetmed by the responsibilityof takingcare ol their bed-riddenparenis. These housewivesmade a collectivecall for actionby both the publicand privatesectors. This movementhas succeeded in establishingmealsetuices, shorl-hour day care, consciousness raising on volun- teerism,and even raisingan endowment.The orqanizationhas contanuedits 't26 PROFILESOF DEIEGATION MEMSERs developmentby expandingits activitiesto establishother organizations. Yu-Ai no Kyokai(Association to ProvideFriendship Light)was established in 1977and aims to exlend servicesto senior citizens.In 1984 thev foundedthe Associationto EstablishNew Homes,which providesshelter, telephone services, apartments, andcounseling services for seniorcitizens. lv1s. Numata devotes herlime to improv- ing her communitythrough her effortsas a coordinatorof theseorganizations.

YaekoSuzuki unatr We LoveAsia 21. Yokohama "To createa better communityfor social welfarethrough music" has been the guidingprinciple tor YaekoSuzLrki's efforts as a volunteersince 1965. She started a charityconcert in 1979 as a means to bring people togetherto think about improvementsto the communily.such as establishingday carecenters and work- shopsfor the disabled,eic. Her activitieshave expandedto involveVietnamese refugeesand olher Asiansto encourageresidenls to be more sensitiveto and understandingof othercultures. The grouphas donatedlibraries and scholarships toself-helpefforts in Asiancountries. Another major accomplishmenl was aconcert to uniteihe heartsot mothersand children of Northand SouthKorea on onestage. "We Love Asia 21" in additionto promotingsuch activities,is currentlymaking etfortsto encouragesenior citizens to take up organicfarming.

MitsukoYamaguchi ExeculiveDirector, Political Education Deparlment The Fusaelchikawa Memorial AssociationMomen's Sutfrage Institute, Tokyo lvlitsukoYamaguchiis currently Executive Directorot the PolilicalEducation Depart' ment ot the Fusae lchikawalvlemorial Associatron Women s SuffrageInstitu:te. From 1959-68she was ExeculiveAssistant to the late Fusaelchikawa, member of the Houseof Councilorswho dedicaledhalf a centuryol her life10 the advance- mentofwomen's rights and participationin polilics.N,4s. Yamaguchi is alsoDirector of the LiaisonGroup for the lmplementationol Resolutionlor the lnternational Women'sCommittee ofthe NongovernmentalOrganizations oflhe UnitedNations, and a permanentmember ot the JapanWomen's Voters Association. Her publica- tions includedPolttlcs a nd Women11984) and Women'sPafticipation inthe Political Process and Political Education \1987).

l(imieYokoyama Presidenl.Restaurant De Femme Representalive,Association of WorkersCollectives, Yokohama "workers The Associationof WorkersCollectives is a networkol 60 collectives" in the Kanagawaarea engagedin a wide varietyof activiliesincluding restaurant managemenl,careforthe elderly, the manulacluringof soaptrom recycled cooking oil, and publishingnewsletters, etc. Membersof the collectivesare volunteers, 't27 IAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE and KimieYokoyama, while serving as a representativeof the Association.started "Des the restaurant Femmes"with eight of her friends.The restauranlserves homemadefood using fresh and natural ingredients produced by the cooperalives. I\,,|s.Yokoyama lravels throughout Japan, speaking to groupswho wish to establish their own collectiies.

128 Japan-UsWomen Leaders Dialogue JapanStudy Tour ltineraryfor US Delegation January23-February 5, 1993

TOKYO

Saturday,January 23 Depadurelrom the UnitedStales

Sunday,January 24 Arrivalin Tokyo

Monday,January 25 8:00 am ChangingDynamics of JapaneseSocietyt In Searchot a New ldentity Tadashi Yamamoto, President, Japan Centet tot lnterna- tional Exchange 10:00am Challengesof Globallssues-Role ol Women Minoru Kusuda, Dircctot, Japan Foundation Centet for Global Paftnerchip Yotiko Meguro, Protessor of Sociology, Sophia University Akha Kojima, Senior Editot and lnternational Editor, Japan Economic Joumal 12:30pm Futureof JapanesePolitics and the Bole of Women AkikoDomoto, Membef House ol Councillors,SocialDemo- crctic Pafty of Japan Wakako Hironaka, Member, House ol Counci ors, Clean Governmenl Pafty Mitusko Yamaguchi,Executive Assistant and Dircctot, Politi- cal EducationDepattment, Fusae lchikawa Memo al AssociationMomen's Suffrage lnstitute 2:30pm JapaneseWomenr Traditional lmage and ChangingReality Sumiko lwao, Protessor of Sociology, lnstitute of CommunL cations Research, Kejo Unjversjty 4:30pm Womenin the IndependenlSector Annette Clear, Senior Prognm OfficeL The Asia Foundation 129 JAPAN-U.5.WOMEN LEADER5 DIALOGUE

Mariko Fujiwara, Diectot, English pubtications and Over seasResearch, Hakuhodo lnstitute of Life and Livina NagayoSawa, lnfomauon Ofhcer,LJNICE| JaDan Yoshi|o Wahavama,Chief progam Oflicer, jnternauonat Ptogram, Toyota Foundation

Tuesday,January26

8:00am GovernmentPolicies on Women,slssues Mitsuko Hotiuchi, Cabinet Councillot and Directot, Officel for Women's Affairs, Office ol the tuime Ministel 10:00am Visit to HELP sheller (the House in Emergencyof Love and Peace) Mizuho Matsuda, Director 12:30pm Evolutionof JapaneseSociety: the placeand Roleof Japa- nese ProfessionalWomen TakakoAoki,Ptogram Managet, OpjnionLeaderc and Sociat Relations Program, IBM Japan, Ltd. Yotiko Kawaguchi,Deputy Directorfor GtobatEnvjrcnmental Aflairc, Minister'sSecrctariat, Minjstty of tnternatjonal Tede and Industry

Evening Receptionat JapanFoundation Center for Globalpartnership YOKOHAMA

HostOrganization YokohamaWomen's Forumfor Communicationand Net_ worktng Tomoko Ohtuska, Coordinato I Yoko Sakura i, Coordi nator Emiko Nohmai, Assistant

Wednesday,Janua.y 27 10:30 am Developmentol LocalCommunilies and the Roleot Wom_ en's Centersin Japan Makako Arima, Director, yokohama Women,s Fotum for Comfi un icati on and Netwo tk ing 1:30pm prospects Challengesand of CommunityDevelopment and the Boleol WomentCase Studies in lhe yokohamaArea Yoshiko Kumamatu, Women's ptace Masako Shimada, Naka Ward Women's Fotum Junko Fukazawa, Annet Teruko Maeda, Michaera House 130 JAPANU5 WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

6:30 pm Dinnerwith YokohamaWomen's Forum statl Tomo ko Ohtuska, Coordin ato r Yoko Sakurai, Coordinatol Emiko Nohmai, Assistanl

Thursday, January 28 10:30am Visitto AlternativeLives Opportunity Center Byoko Onitsuka, Diectol 11:00 am Discussionwith communilyleaders Kmie Yokoyama,Association of Workerc' Collectives Sumiko Yokoyama,Kanagawa Network Movement, Sei' katsu Club Consumers Cooqerative Aya Kawasaki, Alice Center

FUKUOKA

Host Organization FukuokaWomen's Center (Al\,4lKAS) Hiomi Haruguchi, Genetal Manager, Administntive Office Noiko Shiakawa, AssistantChief, Programsand Activities' Administfttive Office

Friday,Jenuary 29 10:00am Sighlseeingin the cityol Fukuoka 2:00 pm Challengesand Prospectsof CommunityDeveiopment and lhe Roleof Women-CaseStudies in Fukuoka Yasuko Fukui, Seniot Researcner.Besearch lnstitule for CitY Economv Yuriko Hisadome,Advisory Specialistfor ConsumerAffais' Nishi-NipponBank, Ltd. Miyo lmamura, Film Citic Yoiko lmasato, Editor'in-Chief,Living Fukuoka' WestJapan Living Newspaqel Keiko Kano, fuofessor of Moden Japanese Litercture, Kut- rme University Junko Katayama, Beprcsentative, Wotkefs Study Group on Garbage Kazuko Kawaguchi, Deputy Dtrcctot, Hakata Yume Matsu' baa no Kai Naoko Takahashi, Member, Executive Comminee' lsland Summit tkuko Tsuiimoto,LawyeL Fukuoka Grcup on Childrcn's Bights and Education 131 JAPANU.S. WOMEN LEADER5 DIALOGUE

4:30 pm Reception Atsuko Kato, Deputy MayoL Cly of Fukuoka

Saturday,January 30 10:OOam Roundlablediscusston Hioko Hayashi, protessor of Law, Fukuoka lJnivercity Mieko Ishibashi,ptofessot, AhjkushiWomenbJunior Co ege Atsuko Kato, Deputy Mayor, City of Fukuoka Masako, Commentator,RKB Mainichi Brcadcasting Cotpo_ tation Sekiko Ogata, CounseloL Nishi_NihonBank lnternational Foundation Sadako Tokumoto, Lawyer and Directot, Fukuoka lntema- tionat Ms. Association Tomiko Ueki, Diectot, Women's Affais Depaftment of the City of Fukuoka Margaret yamamoto, IJS Consulate in Fukuoka Michiko yanai, Head Administrator,Fukuoka Women,s Center

KANAZAWA

Host O.ganization City of Kanazawa Tamotsu yamade, Mayol Kiyoshi Oku, Deputy Mayor Takako lshihara, Supe ntendent, Boad of Education Mamoru Tada, Dircctor, City policy Depaftment yoshikazu Kakuta, Chief, planning and Cootdination Sec- tion, City policy Deparlment Kazuyukj Jinda, planning and Coordination Section, Cjty Policy Depannent (cootdinator for delegation's visit)

Sunday, Janua.y 31 10100am Sightseeingin KenrokuenGarden 10:40am Visitto Prefecturallvluseum of Art 1:00 pm Visitto KanazawaUtatsuyama Crafts Workshop Center HiroshiNakamura, Director

Monday, February 1

8:45 am Briefingby City of KanazawaOtficials Tarnotsu yamade, Mayor, City ot Kanazawa 't32 IAPAN U5WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

TakakoIshihae, Superintendent,Boad of Education,Kana- zawa City

10:25am visit to ShijimaElementary School - Yasuko Shinbo, Principal 1:10 pm Discussionwith womenactivists in KanazawaCity Ms. Yoshiko Hayakawa, Editor-in-Chief, lshikawa on Tamago Ms. Su Mizuno, Essayist Ms. Shigeko Mikuni, lshikawa EnvironmentalNetwotk Ms. Tetuyo Nagae, Director, lzumi Kyoka Translation Asso- ciation

3:30 pm Visitto Ohi potteryworkshop Chozaemon Ohi, National Living Treasurc of Japan Toshio Ohi

5:00 pm Dinnerhosted by Mr.Tamotsu Yamade, [,'layor, CityofKana- zawa

Tuesday, February 2

10:00am Visil to ZeminkanSenior Citizens Daycare Center Shunryo Shimada,secretary General, The Thid zeninkan, SociaI Wella rc Corpontio n Minoru Kanoh, Prcsident, Misogura District Social Welfarc Council Koiun Sunahase,Kanazawa Mbogurc-machi District Social Welta rc Volu nteer Cou ncil

1:30 pm Visitto Ohi l\ruseumof Art

TOKYO

Wednesday,February 3

10100am ConcludingWorkshop: Challenges of Our Society,US- JapanShared Inlerests and Prospectsof Cooperation 1. Roleof women Participationin Politics Family-relatedconcernsr education, aging society, etc. lnlemationalizationof communities Responsesto globaland environmentalissues Others 133 IAPAN U-5.WOIVEN LEADERS DIATOGUE

2. US JapanCooperation Networkbuilding Futureprogram planning

Thursday,February 4 Morning Individuatappointments Evening FarewellDinner

Friday,Feb.uary 5 Departurefrom Japan

134 Japan-USWomen Leaders Dialogue USStudy Tour ltineraryfor the JapaneseDelegation June6-20. 1993

LOSANGELES

Sunday,June 6 11:00 am Groupmeeting and lunchat l\,4iyakoHotel Tokyo 5:20pm DepartNarita Airport aboard ANA flight#006 11:05 am Afiive Los Angeles Host organization ProjectInfo CommunjtyServices lreneRedondo-Churchward, Executive Director 2:00pm Lunchand ProgramOrientation ShaunMaftin, Asia/Pacific Prognm ManageLIIE 3:00pm Bustour of LosAngeles or freeafternoon. 7:00pm WelcomeDinner

Monday,June 7 8:00 am BreaKastbriefing Peggy Blumenthal,Vice Prcsidentfor EducationalSer vices, llE June Farnum Dunbar, Los Angeles County Commbsion on the Stalus of Women 10:30am Universityof SouthernCalifornia Tour of campusand visit to the otlice ol lhe Programlor the Studyof Womenand N4enin Society 11:00am Stalus of Women in the United Stales and the Role of NongovernmentalOrganizations 12:00noon Lunchon campuswith USC faculty 2:00pm BuildingBridges among the EthnicCommunities in Los Angeles 135 JAPANU.S. WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

Joycelyn Geaga Yap, Delegate, Nationat Women's potiti- cal Caucus Crysta I Hayl i n g, Ptog ram Oflice r, Californ i a WeI lnessFou n - oauon Dolores Sanchez, Publisher and Editorin-Chief, Eastern Group Publications

Tuesday,June 8

10100am ProjectInto CommunitySeNices (plCS) | rcne Redondo-Chutchwad, Executive Dircctor Gloria Moreno-Wycoff, Diectot, AASIJL (atcohot prcven- tion media campaign) Betty Felton, Prcgram Manager, WTNDOWSNENTANAS (family communication skills prcgram) Dolores Ruiz, Ptogam Managet, WINDOWSNENTANAS Jan Bouris, Progtam Managet, WTNDOWSNENTANAS Maria Chaves,Progrum Managet, WtNDOWSNENTANAS Reiko Gothard, Counselot, CARINO Ghild abuseprcven- tion prcgram) Ruby Beft, community volunteer and member, Boarct of Dircctots Ruby Valestercs, member, Board of Dircctors 11r00am Meetingwith community leaders, NGO represenlatives, and volunteers Connie Aguilat Senior Campaigner, t)nited Way Anne Kusumoto, Global Consor'tium Terry Muse, Arca Dircctor of Pubtic Affairc, Kaiset perma- nente Savi Bismath,Progtam Diector, L.A. Women'sFoundation 12:00noon Lunchwilh PICSstaff and NGO leaders 1:30pm FoleyHouse Shelter for Women LynneAppel, ExecutiveDircctot, Southen Califonia Coun- cil on Alcohol and Drugs

Wednesday,June 9

9:30 am Tour of LittleTokyo

10:00am JapaneseCommunity Pioneer Social Setuices Center Emi Yamaki, Nutrition Directol

11:30am Lunchwith seniorsand volunteers '|36 IAPAN_USWOMEN LEADERSDIALOGUE

2130pm DepartLos Angeles 8r30pm Arrivein Spokane,Washington

SPOKANE

Hostorganization NorthwestRegionalFacilitators I Susan Vinig, Founder and Seniot Consultant Thursday,June l0 11:00am Meetingwith stateand localgovemment officials Shei Banard, Mayot ol Spokane Lisa Brcwn, State Bepresentative Judith Gilmore, Coordinator, Spokane Otlice, Office ot the Governor, Janet Gilpatick, Disttict Assistant,Office of Representative Thomas Foley Pat Mummey, Spokane County Boald ol Commissionerc Jennilet Polleck, Regional Representative,Olfice of Sena- tot Paticia Mutay Jean Silvet State Beprcsentative Lois Stntton, Council Member 12:00noon Lunchwith stateand localgovernment officials 2:00 pm No.thwestRegional Facilitators (NRF) Susan Vinig, Co-founder and Senior Consultant Sandy Gi , Adninistrator of Spokane Programs Linda Hugo, Administrctor, Housing Progams Bob StilgeL Executive Dircctol Linda Stone,AdministatoL WashingtonFood Action Policy Commiftee 3:00 pm Meetingwith localNGO representatives Liz Buftoughs, community volunteel Linda Cnbttee, Holy Family Hospital Women's Center Joyce Hatuison, ChaiL Hilliard NeighborhoodStee ng Commiftee Sister Judith Niles, O.P., Prioress, Dominican Sisterc of Spokane Vivian Winston, community volunteel 6100pm Picnicin RiversideSlate Park 7:30 pm Town l\4eetingwith GovernorMike Lowry 137 JAPANU.S. WOMEN LEADERS DIALOGUE

Fliday,June 11

9:00 am SpokaneYWCA Joanne Shiosaki, Community RetationsDircctor Maie Valez-Hendricks,Mufticultura! Coordinator '12:00 noon Potlucklunch with YWCA Commifleeon RacialJustice Vicky Countryman,Executive Dircctor, Spokane YWCA 1:30pm LindamanNonprofit Center (LNpC) Sandy Gill, Administrator of Spokane progtums, NRF Mofton Alexander, Project Coordinator,Fai Action Budget Committee Karen Boone, 6taff membeL Fair Action Budget Commjttee Sarah FolgeL Administrative Assistant,lntand Empirc pub- Iic Lands Council Andy Reid, ExecutiveDiector, SpokaneLow IncomeHous- ing Consoftium Tammy Waritz, PAVE

2:30pm At work with womenleaders Ms. lmasato hosted by Marianne Mishima, TV anchor- womanat KXLY Ms. Suzuki hosted by Linda Wade , staftmember at the Express Program, and Molly Bozo, Garden kindetgar- ten teachel Ms. Numata hosted by Maie Raschko ol the Holy Famity Adult Day Health, a seniot citjzen daycare center Ms. Hayakawa hosted by police Seeeant Judy Ca , and Dianne Dennis, Acting Vice prcsiclent of COqS West Ms. Yamaguchihosted by Jenny polleck who directs the Eastem Washingtonotfice ol Senator Patty Muffay Ms. Yokoyamahosted byJeanie Car\er of the Cedat Stteet Ma*et, a cooperative store

6:30pm BackyardBarbecue and lceCreamSocialwith hostfamilies at the homeof Julie Goltz

8:30pm Returnhome with host tamilies Ms. lmasato hosted byTeresa Venn,a personnel manager ata localcomputetlirm, and ChirsVenn,avideojournal- ist and entrepreneur Ms. Suzuki hosted by Jane and Dace Sweat, opehtors of Yesterday'sFarm Ms. Numata hosted by Ann Wood, a retired libetian, and Charlie Wood, an Episcopal p est 138 JAPAN-USWOMEN LEADERS DIATOGUE

Ms. Hayakawa hosted by Susan Virnig and Bob Stilger of Notihwest Regional Facilitatorc Ms. Yamaguchihostedby Lois Sttatton, CityCouncil mem- - ber and mayoral candidate Ms. Yokoyama wi be hosted by Julie Goltz, an active memberof parcnt cooperctive,and Kent Larcon

Saturday,June 12 I\rorning Activitieswith hostlamilies Afternoon Visitio the Spokanemarket 7:00 pm Debriefingwith womenof host families

CHICAGO

Host organizations Art Instituteof Chicago Ronne Haftfield, Director, Museum Education Bernarda Wong,Executive Dircctor, Chinese American Se.ice League

Sunday,June 13 7:35am DepartSpokane 12:50pm AfiiveChicago 2:30pm Sightseeingin Chicago 7:00pm Dinnerat a micro-breweryin LincolnPark to watchihe ChicagoBulls game 8:30pm SearsTower 9:00pm BluesChicago iazz club

Monday,June 14 9:00 am Meetingwith state governmentofficials Ahbel Rosales, Assistantto the Governorfot Hispanic and Womens Allairs Christine Takada, Assistantto the Govenor for Asian- AmencanAffais 10:00am N.leetingwith Mayorand City of ChicagoStaff Mayot Richard Daley '10:45am Visitto ChjneseAmerican Service League (CASL) Bemarda Wong, Executive Director 139 .IAPAN_U.5.WOMEN TEADERS DIATOGUE

1:00pm VisitJane Addams,s Hull House l\,4useum MaryAnn Johnson, Dircctot 2130pm VisitMuseum of Scienceand lndustry 5:30pm Receptionat AT&T

Tuesday,June 15 B:15am Breakfastmeeting with media representatives Delois MeBain,Manager, Community Affairs, WMA1-TV (NBc) ElizabethRitchea Vice president, WT|W Chicago Ma4odeDavid, Editor, Womanews, Chicago Tibune Mei Mei Chan,Assistant Metropolitan Editor, Chicago Sun Times 9:45am VisitLasalle Language Academy Dt. Amy Narea,pincipal 1'1:30am Architecturaltour of Chicagoaboard the steamship, ,,FirstLady,, 2:00pm VisitArt Instituteof Chicago RonneHaftfield, Director of MuseumEducation 4:30pm Presentationby delegationto localleaders in the ads andeducation 5:30pm Reception-ArtInstitute of Chicago MarchallField V, Chaiman, Boatd of Ttustees,The Aft lnstituteof Chicago

NEWYORK

Wednesday,June 16 9:00am DepartChicago 12:00noon Arrivein NewYorl, 3:00pm Walkingtour ol NewYork 6:00pm Receptionat theJapan Foundation Center for Global Padnership Mr.Jun Wada,Dircctor

Thursday,June 17 9:30am ConcludingWorkshop with members of the USand Japa- nesedelegations 140 JAPAN-U5WOMEN TEADERS DIAIOGUE

12:15pm Lunchwith delegation members Keynote speaken Susan Beftesford, Vice Prcsident, Fotd Foundation 2:15 pm ConcludingWorkshop (continued) 5:00 pm Receptional the InstituteoI InlernationalEducation Richard Krasno, President and Chiel Executive Officer

Friday,June 18 '10:00 am Women'sInternalional Leadership (WlL) Program at Inter- nationalHouse Barban Johnson, Coordinator, WIL Program Barbara Evans, lnternational House of New Yotk Doris Erdman, architect Caroline Haddad, Administrctive Assistant, WIL Progtam Mary RelineL Director of Voluntees, Rogosin lnstitute Mary Anne Schwalbe,Staff Dircctot, Women'sCommission for Relugee Women and Children 12:00noon Lunchwith WIL Programrepresentatives 1:30 pm Individualappointments Ms.lmasato hosted by Ms. Phy is Offick, Associate Editor, New York Press Ms. Suzukihosted by Hilda Cabrctu, Boys Choi of Harlem Ms. Numata and Ms. Yokoyamahosted by Ms. Diana Mccoutl of Womansharc Ms. Hayakawa hosted by Ms. Ruri Kawashima,Dircctoi ol US-Japan Prcgtams, and Ms. Donna KeyseL A'sistant I Dhectot ol US-Japan Programs, at the Japan Society Ms. Yamaguchihosted by rcprcsentatives at UNIFEM 7:00 pm Farewelldinner at the HudsonRiver Club

Saturday,June '19 12'.20ptn DepartNew York for Tokyoaboard ANA flight#009

Sunday,June 20 2:55 pm ArriveNarita Inlernational Airport

141 The lnstituteof lnternationalEducation

The Instituteol InternationalEducalion (llE) was founded75 yearsago to build internationalunderstanding and to promotecooperative eflorts to resolveinlerna- tionalproblems through the exchangeof peopleand ideas.lt is currentlythe oldest andlargest US nongovernmentalorganization in the fieldof educationalexchange. Headquarteredin NewYork, llE has375 employees around the worldand oflices in Washington,DC, San Francisco,Denver, Chicago, Houslon, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Jakarta,Budapesl, l,4oscow, and L4exicoCity. llE administers250 programsannL]- '!50 ally in whichalmost 10,000 participants from over nationslake part. llE is an independent,nonprofit agency. The Instiluteorganizes international prol ecls under contractto numeroussponsors and provideseducational advising servicesand publicationsreaching hundreds oi thousandsof individualsin the uniiedSlates and the internationalhigher education community. llE receivesfund ing kom governments,iniernational organizations, coeoralions, foundations, and individuals. llE hasa longhisiory of cooperationwith Japan, beginning in 1946wilh the Ryukyu lslandsScholarship Program, administered by llEuntil 1972 for the US Army. This programwas succeeded in 1982by a US-basedtraining program llE administerslor the OkinawaPrelectural Government Human Resource Development Foundation. Sincethe beginningof the FulbrighiProgram in Japanin 1952,llE hasassisled over 4,000Japanese Flrlbright Graduate Sludents with their US sludy programs and sent more than 800 US sludentsto Japan-working in close cooperalion with lhe Japan-UnitedStates Educational Commission and USIA,the program's sponsor.llE alsoarranges shorl-term US studytoursfor about 25 Japaneseleaders and specialistsannually, nominated by the US Embassyand broughlto the Uniled Stateslhrough USIA'S International Visitor Program. More .ecently, llE has begun workingwith Japan's Ministry of HomeAffairs Local Autonomy College and Japan MunicipalDevelopment Colporalion's Japan InterculturalAcademy of Municipali- tiesto provideUS studytours for prefecturaland municipal governmenl personnel. Incollaboration with JCIE and supportfrom theJapan Foundation CenlerforGlobal Partne.ship,llE developedand implemenledthe Japan US Women Leaders' Dialogue,which will be extendedin a secondphase to the WomenLeaders' Net-

143 JapanCenter for InternationalExchange f'

Foundedin 1970,the Japan Cenlertor International Exchange (JCIE) is an indepen- dent, nonprolit,and nopartisanorganization dedicated to strengtheningJapan's role in internationalaffairs. JCIE believesthat Japan faces a majorchallenge in augmentingits positivecontributions to the internationalcommunity, in keeping with its positionas one of the world'slargest industrial democracies. Operating in a countrywhere policy-making has traditionally been dominated bythe government bureaucracy,JCIE has playedan importantrole in broadeningdebale on Japans internalionalresponsibilities by conductinginternalional and cross-sectionalpro_ gramsol exchange.research. and discussion. JCIE createsopportunities for informedpolicy discussion; it does not take policy positions.JCIE programs are carriedout withthe collaborationand cosponsorship of manyorganizations.The contacts developed through these working relationships are crucialto JCIE'Setlods to increaselhe numberof Japanesehom the private sectorengaged in meaningfulpolicy research and dialogue with overseas counter- parts.JCIE receivesno governmentsubsidies; rather, funding comes from privale foundationgrants, corporate contributions, and contracts. JCIE'sprograms consist of: . policy researchand dialogueprograms that providea substantivebasis for informedpolicy discussion; . exchangeprograms to facilitatemutual understanding among policymakers and studyprograms for foreigninstitutions seeking to promotegreater underslanding of Japanesepolicy-making processes; . supportservices lor public affairsgroups such as lhe TrilateralCommission, includingserving as the Japanesesecretarial for privatebilateral forums estab- lishedby agreementof bilateralsummit meetings between heads of state;and . encouragementof privatephilanthropy in Japan and the developingcountries of Asia.

145