Japan's Global Role: Proceedings from the Symposium (2Nd, Honolulu, Hawaii, October 25-26, 1991)
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 356 163 SO 022 776 TITLE Japan's Global Role: Proceedings from the Symposium (2nd, Honolulu, Hawaii, October 25-26, 1991). INSTITUTION Hawaii Univ., Honolulu. East-West Center.; Japan-America Society of Hawaii, Honolulu. PUB DATE 91 NOTE 157p.; Sponsored in cooperation with the Center for Japanese Students at the University of Hawaii. Wo International School of Punahou School and the Pacific and Asian Affairs Command. AVAILABLE FROM Japan-America Society of Hawaii, P.O. Box 1412, Honolulu, HI 96806 ($3). PUB TYPE Collected Works Conference Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Asian Studies; Cultural Influences; Economics; *International Relations; Political Science; Social Influences; Technological Advancement IDENTIFIERS *Japan ABSTRACT This document consists of eight presentations with responses given at the second in a series of symposia sponsored by the Japan-America Society of in a series of symposia sponsored by the Japan - America Society of Hawaii. Having emergedas an economic superpower, Japan's role on the global stage is still finding its full range and is a topic of great covcern to the international community, while Japan's political, economic, cultural, and technological impact affects the lives of individuals onevery continent. The speakers represented a mix of exports in all these areas from Japan and the United States. The presentations are grouped under four headings. They are: "Political and Strategic Decisions" (Makoto Momoi, Robert Scalapino; respondent William Wise); "Economic Directions" (Kazutami Yamazaki, Urban Lehner; respondent James Kelly); "Scientific & Technological Impacts" (Tetsuya Endo,Glen Fukushima; respondent Ronald Hays); and "Social & Cultural Influences" Hidetoshi Kato, Thomas Kasulis; respondent Fumiko Mori Halloran). Certain educational issuesare also discussed in this last section, notably ways in which Japanese practices of cooperative learning and of teaching morality in the classroom without tying it to religion might serve to temper America's extreme emphasison individualism and competetiveness as well as the fixed idea that morality and religion are inseparable. The document also includesa preface, foreword, summary, and list of participants. (LBG; *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best thatcan be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** cy: Japan's Global Role t.0 C.T4 The Japan-America Society of Hawaii in cooperation with The East-West Center The Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Hawaii The Wo International Center at Punahou School The Pacific and Asian Affairs Council U.S. DEPARTMENT Of EDUCATION -PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS Once ot Educational Research and Improvement MA 'AERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as R-r\K.cc_ received from the person or °inization originating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- TO THE EDUCATIvNAL RESOURCES ment do not necessarily represent official OERI poeitoon or POI.CY INFORMATION 02N I ER (ERIC) October 25-26, 1991. Keoni Auditorium Hawaii Imin International Center at Jefferson Hall, East-West Center Honolulu, Hawaii BEST COPY AV! IL 41 Japan's GlobalRole PROCEEDINGS FROM THE SYMPOSIUM October 25 & 26, 1991 Jefferson Hall, East-West Center Sponsored by The Japan-America Society of Hawaii in cooperation with The East-West Center The Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Hawaii The Wo International School at Punahou School The Pacific and Asian Affairs Council Generous Support for the Symposium including the proceedings was provided by: Daieil Equitable, the Owners of Ala Moana Center Honolulu, Hawaii also The Generous Support of Outrigger HotelsHawaii is Gratefully Acknowledged. CONTENTS Preface Foreword vii I. Political and Strategic Directions: Makoto Momoi 15 Robert Scalapino 27 Respondent: William Wise II. Economic Directions: Kazutami Yamazaki 52 Urban Lehner 60 Respondent: James Kelly III.Scientific & Technological Impacts: Tetsuya Endo 81 Glen Fukushima 95 Respondent: Ronald Hays IV. Social & Cultural Influences: Hidetoshi Kato 116 Thomas Kasulis 126 Respondent: Fitiniko Mori Halloran Summary 151 Participants 156 PREFACE The symposium presented in these pages on the topic of "Ja- pan's Global Role" is the second in a series sponsored by the Japan-America Society of Hawaii. Attended by a diverse group representing Honolulu's professional and academic community, the symposium was held on October 25 & 26, 1991, at the Keoni Auditorium, Jefferson Hall, East-West Center. We gratefully ac- knowledge the cooperation of the East-West Center, the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Hawaii, the Wo Inter- national Center at Punahou School, the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, and the corporate support of DaieilEquitable, the own- ers of Honolulu's Ala Moana Center and Outrigger Hotels Ha- waii. From Japan we benefitted from the encouragement and support of the Center for Global Partnership, a branch of the Japan Foundation. This topic, of great concern to the international community, holds high priority in the minds of statesmen and commentators in Japan. Having emerged as an economic superpower, Japan's voice on the global stage isstill finding its full range. In an increasingly interconnected world Japan's political, economic, cultura' and technological impact affects the lives of individuals on every continent. When events unfold in our turbulent times, when crises occur, Japan can only be passive at itsperil.If passive, Japan is seen as not shouldering its international re- sponsibilities. If its voice is strong and decisive, Japan also faces challenges. To examine Japan's role in the 1990's and beyond, we gath- ered in Honolulu experts from Japan and the United States who comment from a variety of perspectives - political, strategic, eco- nomic, scientific and cultural. The speakers represented a mix of distinguished scholars, diplomats, security experts, journalists and spokesmen for sci- ence and technology. Their charge was to present the issues from a broad perspective in terms accessible to the general par- ticipant interested in Japan and its future. While the logistics of the symposiumrequired us to limit the panel to a bilateral group, representing Japan and the United States, the scope of the comments goes beyond the two nations. This publication represents an edited transcription, preceded by a foreword by Professor Robert Sakai of the University of Hawaii, and concluded by a summary authored by Richard Hal- vi PREFACE loran, Director of Special Projects at theEast-West Center. We hope that this symposium helpsto illuminate japads present and potential role and providesa helpful basis for a continuing dialog. Siegfried Ram ler Symposium Chairman The Japan - America Society of Hawaii 7 FOREWORD The sudden unravelling of the Soviet Union and the Commu- q nist bloc in Eastern Europe have made irrelevant many of the assumptions on which nations have developed their foreign poli- cies during the past four decades. We are now released from the Cold War psychology, and we look forward to a new world order which is yet to be defined. Such a definition involves the fate of _rations and the lives of individuals, and if it is to be a world in which peace, stability, economic well-being and respect for human rights prevail, there must be multinational coordi- nated plans to make it happen. The two nations to whom global leadership must be en- trusted are the United States and Japan, for it is they which especially have the resources to make a difference as to the way the new world evolves. It was with these thoughts in mind that the symposium on "Japan's Global Role" was held in Honolulu, on October 25-26, 1991. The focus was on Japan, ,t naturally the discussion at various points touched on Japan-United States relations. While the expectations of the two nations are great, ironically Japan heretofore has been reluctant to exercise interna- tional leadership, and in fact has been constrained from doing so by external and internal factors. The United States, which has carried the major burden of leadership until now, is burdened with a huge national debt and economic problems. Moreover, the Cold War's end seems to have triggered increased tensions between the two Pacific powers. Thus the difficulties pertaining to the assumption of global leadership are indeed formidable. The format for the four panels of the symposium provided for. a Japanese viewpoint and an American viewpoint, though each presenter spoke for himself, not from an official position. A respondent followed with comments evoked by the presenta- tions. The general question and answer discussions further ex- tended the analysis of issues presented by the panelists, though time constraints foreshortened this aspect on the last day. The outstanding characteristic of the two day conference was the frank and open expressions of the participants and their willingness to illuminate their nation's shortcomings, along with strengths, and their recognition that certain institutional and atti- tudinal changes were necessary. What was made clear is that objective self-criticism must be preliminary to preparations for playing an effective global role. In the first session, "Political and (- U viii FORWARD Strategic