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The following is Part 1 of a two-article series. For Part 2, please go here.


Stanford e-Oita is an online course for high school students throughout Oita Prefecture in the southwestern island of Kyushu, Japan, that is sponsored by the Oita Prefectural Government. Launched in fall 2019, it is offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91勛圖) in collaboration with the Oita Prefectural Board of Education. 91勛圖 is grateful to Oita Prefectural Governor Katsusada Hirose whose vision made this course possible. 


Social media posts, video-conference invites, and webinar notifications flood our inboxes ever since COVID-19 drove traditional classroom instruction online. Distance learning has gone mainstream.

While distance learning may never replace traditional classroom instruction, it*s certainly transforming how we teach, learn, and behave. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, 30 Stanford e-Oita students in Japan〞on the other end of my virtual classroom〞showed me what distance learning can offer: a greater appreciation of where we live, renewed cross-cultural perspectives, and a chance to enhance one*s communication skills in a foreign language without a textbook, classroom, or a trip overseas.

Students from 15 high schools throughout Oita Prefecture〞from the capital city of Oita to the tiny island of Hotojima〞logged onto their laptops, tablets, and smart phones on Saturday mornings for my bi-weekly distance learning class. It*s a course offered to highly motivated students with a certain proficiency in English. They could attend a class as if they were in Palo Alto without ever having to leave their tatami-mat living rooms.

Stanford e-Oita focuses on three areas: U.S.每Japan relations, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), and entrepreneurship. These are the collective objectives of 91勛圖, the Oita Prefectural Board of Education, and Oita*s Governor Hirose. For six months, I explored their intersections with my students.

I designed a course curriculum that engages students to think critically about global issues, empowers them to take pride in their hometowns, and encourages them to give back to their communities. We took what*s happening in the world and made it relevant to their daily lives in Oita. Students took this a step further by exploring issues that were personally meaningful.

Students worked individually and collaboratively through guided group discussions, submitted written assignments, developed research projects, watched documentary films, and prepared multi-media slideshows as part of their final presentations〞all in English. I also created virtual experiential learning opportunities for students by introducing them to guest speakers via Zoom. In the pre-COVID-19 days, I took students along with me on fieldtrips to National Historic Sites in Seattle*s International District and visited social activists on Vashon Island, Washington.

Stanford e-Oita is taught in English, but it is not an English language course. I offer my students a chance to become confident in English, competent in critical thinking, and fluent in accessing the technologies of a digital classroom. We use online platforms like Zoom and Canvas and take advantage of discussion boards, breakout sessions, and other digital tools which are not often used in Japanese schools.

In order to ensure access and equity, students who did not have access to a computer or Wifi were able to return to their schools on Saturday mornings to take the class in the computer labs. Most students worked on tablets (some used smartphones) and grew accustomed to the online format within a few weeks. For the most part, e-Oita students were excited and open to technology enabled learning. One student noted, ※For me, using Zoom in this new style of class is really refreshing. Students are scattered all over Oita and you*re in America but we*re all communicating through my tablet. It*s so cool!§

Getting Japanese students on board Stanford*s rigorous distance learning program, in a foreign language, was a challenge at first. In fact, the learning curve was steep for all of us. I taught my students the word ※troubleshoot§ early on and walked them through online setting changes to video presentation uploads.
 

Here are some lessons learned:

Distance learning provides learning opportunities for students in less accessible communities〞in rural towns or islands〞where traditional classrooms are unable to serve.

Distance learning allows students to re-invent themselves with a new audience, with people you have never met.

Distance learning can create an informality that breaks down the wall between teachers and students and makes their relationship less hierarchical. This is a new experience for students from Japan.

Distance learning allows instructors to invite speakers whose participation is not limited by geography, departmental budgets, disabilities, or availability of a considerable amount of time. All they need is a quiet corner, a laptop with Wifi, and a time commitment of 30 minutes to an hour.   


Section Manager Hironori Sano and Teachers* Consultant Keisuke Toyoda of the Global Education Acceleration Project Team (High School Education Division) of the Oita Prefectural Board of Education, reflected, ※The most amazing thing is seeing how our students developed through the program. They have acquired five important skills: (1) the ability to cooperate with people around them; (2) the ability to state their ideas; (3) knowledge of Japan and Oita; (4) the confidence to communicate in English; and (5) the confidence to make a contribution in the world.§

Kasumi Yamashita Kasumi Yamashita
※Teach-from-Home§ mandates have altered not only where and what we teach but how we learn: it has reset our mindset. As I reflect on the past six months as the instructor of 91勛圖*s e-Oita program, I recognize the lessons in patience, resilience, and empathy that my students have taught me. My students were neophytes to distance learning but were digital natives from halfway around the world.

In part two of this series, I will focus on Stanford e-Oita*s priorities (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals), guest speakers, final student presentations, and assessment.

 


91勛圖 also offers online courses to U.S. high school students on Japan (Reischauer Scholars Program), China (), and Korea (), and online courses to Chinese high school students on the United States () and to Japanese high school students on the United States and U.S.每Japan relations (Stanford e-Japan). 

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is an online course that teaches Japanese high school students about U.S. society and culture and U.S.每Japan relations. The course introduces students to both U.S. and Japanese perspectives on many historical and contemporary issues. It is offered biannually by the . Stanford e-Japan is currently supported by the . The Fall 2019 cohort was the ninth group of students to complete Stanford e-Japan.


In Summer 2020, three of the top students of the Fall 2019 Stanford e-Japan distance-learning course will be honored at an event at 91勛圖. The three Stanford e-Japan Day honorees〞Ayano Hirose (Okayama Sozan High School), Chisaki Sano (Gunma Kokusai Academy), and Natsumi Shindo (Keio Girls Senior High School)〞will be recognized by Stanford e-Japan Instructor Meiko Kotani for their coursework and exceptional research essays that focused respectively on ※Three Basic Ways to Promote Cross-Cultural Understanding in Japanese Education,§ ※U.S.每Japan Relations: Economic Interdependence Seen in 7-Eleven Operations,§ and ※The U.S.每Japan Security Alliance: Its Preservation and the Responsibilities of Both Countries.§

Yuta Myojo (Rikkyo Ikebukuro High School) received an Honorable Mention for his coursework and research paper on ※How Could Japanese Society Achieve Increased Biculturalism: From the Aspects of Education Reform and Self-Awareness.§

In the Fall 2019 session of Stanford e-Japan, students from the following schools successfully completed the course: Aiko Gakuen (Ehime), Gunma Kokusai Academy (Gunma), Hiroshima High School (Hiroshima), Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima Junior/Senior High School (Hiroshima), Hitachi First Senior High School (Ibaraki), Ichikawa Junior and Senior High School (Chiba), Keio Girls Senior High School (Tokyo), Keio Senior High School (Kanagawa), Mita International High School (Tokyo), Nishiyamato Gakuen High School (Nara), Okayama Prefecture Asahi Senior High School (Okayama), Okayama Sozan High School (Okayama), Rikkyo Ikebukuro High School (Tokyo), Ritsumeikan Uji High School (Kyoto), Sendai Shirayuri Gakuen (Miyagi), Senior High School at Otsuka, University of Tsukuba (Tokyo), Senior High School at Kyoto University (Kyoto), Shibuya Kyouiku Gakuen Shibuya Senior High School (Tokyo), Shibuya Makuhari Senior High School (Chiba), Shirayuri Gakuen Senior High School (Tokyo), Takada High School (Mie), Takatsuki Senior High School (Osaka), Tokyo City University Senior High School (Tokyo), Waseda University Senior High School (Tokyo), Yokohama Science Frontier High School (Kanagawa), and Zushi Kaisei High School (Kanagawa).

For more information about the Stanford e-Japan Program, please visit .

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


91勛圖 offers separate online courses for U.S. high school students. For more information, please see the , , and .


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Following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, I recall being astounded that the iconic arches and pillars of 91勛圖〞though damaged〞didn*t collapse or fall during the powerful earthquake. Wooden supports were inserted below the arches and remained for years while retrofitting took place. Since then, the arches and pillars have symbolized for me the stability and the security of the foundation of 91勛圖. During yet another unstable time in 2020, this symbolism has once again taken on critical significance here and abroad.

In 1989, the World Wide Web was yet to be born, so obviously 91勛圖 did not offer online classes to students in the United States, let alone to students abroad. 91勛圖*s first online course, the Reischauer Scholars Program, was launched in 2004. RSP Instructor Naomi Funahashi introduces topics related to Japan and U.S.每Japan relations to high school students in the United States. In 2015, 91勛圖 launched Stanford e-Japan, an online course on U.S. society and culture and U.S.每Japan relations that Waka Takahashi Brown and Meiko Kotani offer to high school students in Japan. Since then, several other regional classes have been launched, including in 2019.

 

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Stanford e-Kawasaki is an online course for high school students in Kawasaki City that is jointly offered by Kawasaki City and 91勛圖. Stanford e-Kawasaki Instructor provides students with an introduction to diversity and entrepreneurship in the United States and equips students with substantive knowledge about U.S. culture and society that may have a significant impact on their future choice of study and career.

 

The inaugural Stanford e-Kawasaki course began in October 2019 and culminated this month with presentations of final research projects by students from Tachibana High School and Kawasaki High School, the two participating schools in the inaugural course. Leading scholars from 91勛圖 and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs〞including from Stanford and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs , CEO and Co-Founder of Uplift, and , VP Strategy and Business Development at Atheer〞led online class discussions and not only encouraged students to critically think about diversity and entrepreneurship in the United States but also in Japan. These discussions helped students to conceptualize topics for their final research projects.

The research projects were varied and included a comparative analysis of college admissions in the United States and Japan, an examination of psychological issues affecting youth in the United States and Japan, and a discussion about whether a Silicon Valley-type ecosystem can be created in Japan. The students* presentations were not only content rich and creative but also effectively engaged the audience, which included Vice Principal Akihiro Igarashi of Tachibana High School, Miyuki Kitamura of Kawasaki City, 91勛圖 Instructors , Rylan Sekiguchi, and , Bacha, teachers from both high schools, and me. Bacha reflected, ※Though my students were not able to make their presentations physically in front of audiences [as originally planned] due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, I was grateful to have had the chance to virtually observe all of the presentations from Colorado along with my colleagues in California, Hawai&i, and Washington. I was especially impressed with my students* demonstrated growth in their English-speaking abilities and confidence. Especially gratifying was to witness students asking each other questions.§

Vice Principal Igarashi noted, ※I am deeply grateful for the opportunity given to the Tachibana High School students to join online class discussions led by leading scholars in the United States# As I watched them passionately delivering their final research presentations that they worked hard on, I could tell that they gained unique experiences which they cannot experience in regular school classes. By comparing Japan and the United States in their research projects, I am sure that they discovered new things about their own country, Japan# I believe from the bottom of my heart that the online classes and assignments given by this course will empower the youth of the future.§

While listening to the presentations, I was struck by how well the students engaged the audience. In my final comments, I commended their use of several effective presentation techniques, such as the following.

  • Emphasis on interdisciplinarity in their research
  • Incorporation of multiple perspectives
  • Voice projection
  • Use of images, including photos, drawings, statistics, and graphs
  • Signposting
  • Embedding questions for the audience in the presentation, e.g., Can we create a Silicon Valley in Japan?
  • Providing historical context
  • Definition of complex terms

In addition, for the first time since 91勛圖 launched online courses, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction from knowing that we could bring some stability and security to the lives of students who could no longer physically go to school. The students gushed with enthusiasm despite their nervousness.

Mizuho Toyama, a Teacher of the English Department at Kawasaki High School noted, ※We were so excited about our students* online presentations this morning. What they did was tremendous and the experience they went through〞I am sure〞has become their priceless treasure# They learned not only English as a foreign language but also, more importantly, stepping out of their &comfort zone* to seek advanced levels of learning. Raising cultural awareness with peers and also sharing thoughts without racial biases is an excellent source of learning. I am thankful for this program for encouraging students to be more openminded.§

Erica Oh, an American Assistant Language Teacher of English at Kawasaki High School, also commented on Bacha*s course. ※Again, thank you and your staff, especially Maiko Tamagawa Bacha, for the awesome opportunity you have given our students to learn more and think outside their cultural box. It was an absolute delight for me to be able to witness their growth. I hope Stanford and Kawasaki stay in partnership and that this program continues.§ For one of the online classrooms that focused on diversity, Bacha invited former Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program Assistant Language Teachers〞John Branderhorst, Jeffrey Fleischman, Ryan Moore, and Cerell Rivera〞to share their perspectives. ※Bringing Americans and Japanese together〞albeit virtually〞at a time like this is invaluable,§ commented Bacha.  

Students who successfully completed the course will earn a Certificate of Completion from 91勛圖/91勛圖 on March 26, 2020 during a virtual closing ceremony. Mayor Norihiko Fukuda will make opening comments. In addition to 91勛圖 staff, others who will be in attendance are Hisashi Katsurayama from the Kawasaki Board of Education and Katsuyoshi Abe, Yoshitaka Tsuchihama, and Miyuki Kitamura of Kawasaki City, all of whom have been unwavering in their support of Stanford e-Kawasaki.

When 91勛圖 launched its online courses, I never imagined that the 91勛圖 instructors would be reaching many students whose school lives were disrupted by a pandemic. I feel indebted to FSI Director and FSI Deputy Director for their support during this unstable time and enabling 91勛圖 to help add some stability and security to students* lives.


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With the start of baseball season, a fun fact to note is that on April 16, 1905, the Tokyo-based in California. Stanford beat Waseda 9-1. This game may have been the first formal event between Stanford and Waseda. Since then, Waseda and Stanford have engaged in numerous academic and research collaborations, student exchanges, and sporting events, and each has enrolled the other*s alumni in graduate and professional programs.

Nearly 115 years later, on March 3, 2020, 91勛圖 offered a one-day seminar for Waseda students, all of whom are aspiring teachers. The visit to Stanford was initiated by Professor Hiroyuki Tanaka of Waseda University*s Graduate School of Teacher Education. The seminar underscored the importance of , Waseda*s strategic plan that includes the goal of cultivating future leaders with global perspectives.

I began the seminar with a lecture on curriculum that introduced diversity in the United States and encouraged the future teachers to think about addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse student population in Japanese classrooms. The afternoon featured a panel of educators from 91勛圖 that included Jonas Edman, Meiko Kotani, and Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang who spoke about teacher professional development, student-centered learning in Stanford e-Japan, and girls* empowerment and , respectively; and a lecture on STEAM education by Yang that underscored the significance of the arts and its intersection with the STEM fields.

The seminar was highlighted by two student-led presentations. The first focused on Japanese school lunches by Graduate School of Teacher Education students Akihiro Baba, Yurina Kano, Hideki Nakamura, and Karen Tashiro, who aspire to be Japanese language, music, mathematics, and elementary school teachers, respectively. Their presentation stimulated a broader discussion of comparisons between Japanese and U.S. elementary schools as well as U.S. efforts〞through the Licensed Agencies for Relief in Asia〞that provided large amounts of food and clothing to Japan from 1946 to 1952. The second featured Waseda student Kuma Shibata, who spoke about bukatsudo (extracurricular school clubs), a feature of Japanese secondary education. Shibata, who aspires to become a physical education teacher, described the advantages and challenges of bukatsudo that included advantages such as the physical benefits of sports clubs and challenges such as the sometimes-extensive time commitments on the part of not only students but also teacher supervisors. Following the presentation by Shibata, who studies the sociology of sport, U.S. and Japanese perspectives on his academic area of interest were shared by the audience and Shibata.

91勛圖 staff with Waseda University students and Professor Hiroyuki Tanaka
91勛圖 staff with Waseda University students and Professor Hiroyuki Tanaka (top right); photo courtesy Gary Mukai

Since the 2012 establishment of the San Francisco Office of , an initiative to promote the interests of Waseda University abroad, 91勛圖 has had the pleasure of meeting and working with many scholars affiliated with Waseda. In addition to having had the experience of working with students of Tanaka for many years, 91勛圖 has also had the pleasure of consulting and/or working with the following scholars at Waseda: Dr. Yoichi Aizawa, Professor Tetsuo Harada, Mr. Satoshi Hattori, MBA, Professor Kanetaka Maki, Professor Takao Mimura, Professor Atsuko Shimbo, and Professor Aya Yoshida. I have had the chance to consult with many of them about Stanford e-Japan, which Kotani described during the panel discussion. Since 2015, 91勛圖 has offered Stanford e-Japan, an intensive online course taught in English that introduces Japanese high school students to U.S. society and culture and U.S.每Japan relations. Waseda alumnus Tadashi Yanai is the current supporter〞through the 〞of Stanford e-Japan. Admission to its fall and spring courses is very competitive with students from throughout Japan vying for only up to 30 slots per course.

Several high school students from Waseda*s fuzoku (affiliated high schools)〞Waseda Jitsugyo High School, Waseda University Honjo High School, and Waseda University Senior High School〞have been accepted into Stanford e-Japan. On August 6, 2020, 91勛圖 will honor three of the top students of both the Spring 2019 and Fall 2019 Stanford e-Japan courses at a Japan Day event at 91勛圖. One of the honorees will be Kota Watanabe (Waseda University Senior High School, Tokyo), who will be recognized for his coursework and exceptional research essay ※A More Sufficient Language Learning Environment for Foreign Students in Japan: A Comparison with the American ESL Education System.§ During the 2017 and 2018 Japan Day events, Waseda University Senior High School students Reon Hiruma and Naoya Chonan, respectively, were recognized for their coursework and exceptional research essays.

91勛圖 is proud to continue Stanford*s 115-year history of collaboration with Waseda University by helping to cultivate future teachers with global perspectives. To mark the quasquicentennial anniversary of the 1905 baseball game, I hope that Waseda will play Stanford again in 2030, and that students like Baba, Chonan, Hiruma, Kano, Nakamura, Shibata, Tashiro, and Watanabe will be in the audience cheering for Waseda, of course, but feeling at least some nostalgia for their experiences with Stanford.


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With the start of baseball season, a fun fact to note is that on April 16, 1905, the Tokyo-based Waseda University baseball team played the Stanford baseball team in California.

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The or ※Stanford e-Japan§ is an online course sponsored by the and the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91勛圖), 91勛圖. This online course teaches Japanese high school students about U.S. society and underscores the importance of U.S.每Japan relations. Through Stanford e-Japan, ambassadors, top scholars, and experts throughout the United States provide web-based lectures and engage Japanese high school students in live discussion sessions called ※virtual classes.§ Stanford e-Japan is now in its 6th year and 10th session overall.


On January 24, 2020, 29 high school students across Japan were notified of their acceptance to the Spring 2020 Stanford e-Japan Program. The 10th session of the online course kicks off today and runs until June 30, and will include students representing the following prefectures: Chiba, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Okayama, Osaka, Saitama, Shizuoka, Tokyo, and Yamagata. In addition to a diverse geographical representation within Japan, the students themselves bring a diverse set of experiences to the program, many having lived overseas in places such as Myanmar, Thailand, Mexico, and the United States.

The selected Stanford e-Japan high school students will listen to lectures by renowned experts in the field including Professor Emeritus Peter Duus, Professor Kathryn Gin Lum, and Dr. Kenji Kushida (all at 91勛圖) on topics such as, ※The Atomic Bombings of Japan,§ ※The Attack on Pearl Harbor,§ ※Religion in the U.S.,§ and ※Silicon Valley and Entrepreneurship.§ Live virtual classes include guest speakers such as Ms. Suzanne Basalla (Toyota Research Institute), Ms. Maiko Cagno (U.S. Consulate, Fukuoka), and Dr. Makiko Oku (Co-Founder, KiKO Japan).

Many Stanford e-Japan students in the current cohort (as well as past ones) have mentioned their desire to study in the United States. The Stanford e-Japan Program equips many students with the motivation and confidence to do so, in addition to many of the skills they will need to study at U.S. universities and colleges. In addition to weekly lectures, assignments, discussion board posts, and virtual classes, the program participants will complete a final research paper on a topic concerning U.S. society or the U.S.每Japan relationship.

※I*ve encouraged my students to seriously consider undergraduate studies in the United States and to look into opportunities like the Yanai Tadashi Foundation Scholarships,§ commented Stanford e-Japan Instructor Waka Brown. ※Many e-Japan alumni have gone on to study in the United States, either for their entire college experience or for shorter overseas study opportunities. A couple of them received full scholarships, thanks to The Yanai Tadashi Foundation.§

Stanford e-Japan is one of several online courses for high school students offered by 91勛圖, 91勛圖, including the , the , the , and . For more information about Stanford e-Japan, please visit .

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In 2019, 91勛圖 established two new online courses for students in Hiroshima〞one for MBA students and one for high school students. These courses have a special significance to me because my ancestral home is Hiroshima. My paternal grandfather left Hiroshima for Hawaii to work as a sugar cane field laborer in 1903. After three years, he departed for California. My paternal grandmother departed Hiroshima in 1909 to join him as a ※.§ My maternal grandfather left Hiroshima for California to work as a strawberry field laborer in 1919, and my maternal grandmother, who was born in Hawaii and raised in Hiroshima, joined him also as a picture bride in 1931.

One of the biggest regrets in my life is that I never had the chance to meet my maternal grandfather, who returned to Japan from California in 1954 just before I was born. I wish that I could tell him that 91勛圖*s two new online courses for students in his birthplace were established 100 years after his arrival in California in 1919 and that this article was posted on 91勛圖*s website 78 years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt*s signing of Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. This order led to my family*s internment〞including my grandparents and parents〞during World War II.

The two online courses are called the Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship (SHCPE), an online course for MBA students that was conceptualized in consultation with the Hiroshima Business and Management School at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima (PUH), and Stanford e-Japan, an online course for high school students.

 

SHCPE gathering at Arrillaga Family Dining Commons
SHCPE gathering at Arrillaga Family Dining Commons, February 13, 2020

SHCPE Instructor Dr. Mariko Yoshihara Yang recently shared her reflections on the inaugural course that was offered in fall 2019. On February 13, 2020, Yang welcomed PUH faculty and staff members Professor Katsue Edo, Professor Yasuo Tsuchimoto, Professor Narumi Yoshikawa, and Kazue Hiura to Stanford to debrief the 2019 course and to prepare for the 2020 course. Joining the meeting were three guest speakers for SHCPE. The guest speakers were Tasha Yorozu, a legal counsel who has worked extensively with Japanese companies in Silicon Valley; Seiji Miyasaka, an active venture capitalist on both sides of Pacific; and Tatsuki Tomita, who has established multiple startups. During the meeting, I had the chance to share the Japanese passports of my paternal grandfather and grandmother, who were born in 1882 and 1892, respectively. I have shared the passports with many Japanese visitors as a way to note their contributions〞through agriculture〞to early U.S.每Japan relations.

As I listened to the discussion, I came to realize the significance of the word, ※Collaborative,§ in the title of Yang*s course. Course feedback from the MBA students who were enrolled in SHCPE was also carefully considered as modifications for the 2020 course were mapped out. Preliminary plans were also made for a visitation to Stanford by SHCPE students following the 2020 course.

In addition to SHCPE, 91勛圖 offers an online course for high school students in Hiroshima that is called Stanford e-Hiroshima. Stanford e-Hiroshima Instructor Rylan Sekiguchi is working with students who attend the following high schools in Hiroshima Prefecture.

  • Miyoshi High School
  • Sera High School
  • Kuremitsuta High School
  • Yasufuruichi High School
  • Onomichi Kita High School
  • Onomichi Higashi High School
  • Hiro High School
  • Hiroshima High School
  • Hiroshima Kokutaiji High School
  • Hiroshima University High School
  • Fukuyama Junior and Senior High School
  • Hatsukaichi High School
  • Gion Kita High School
  • Fukuyama Seishikan High School
  • Saijyou Agricultural High School

 

I had the pleasure of sharing the stories of early Japanese immigration to the United States〞including those of my grandparents〞during a Stanford e-Hiroshima online class. Sekiguchi*s students were not only attentive but also asked excellent questions. They are currently in the midst of preparing and delivering their final presentations for Stanford e-Hiroshima. At the end of the course, the top two highest performing students will be invited to Stanford for a ceremony on August 17, 2020, just a few days after the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, August 6, 1945. I believe that my grandparents would be pleased to hear about educational efforts〞such as Stanford e-Japan and SHCPE〞that promote a better understanding between Americans and Japanese so that the current friendship will remain forever.

 

Stanford e-Hiroshima is an online course for high school students created by 91勛圖 and Hiroshima Prefecture
From left to right: Superintendent Rie Hirakawa, Stanford e-Hiroshima Instructor Rylan Sekiguchi, and Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki

I would like to express my appreciation to Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki (Stanford MBA, 1995). Without his vision, SHCPE and Stanford e-Japan would not have been realized. I am grateful to those from Hiroshima〞Edo, Tsuchimoto, Yoshikawa, and Hiura〞and those based in the United States〞Yorozu, Miyasaka, and Tomita〞for having taken the time in their busy schedules to meet with Yang on February 13, 2020. In addition, I would like to express my appreciation to Superintendent Rie Hirakawa of the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education and Teacher Consultants, Rika Ryuoh and Nobuo Kawahara, who have been unwavering of their support of Sekiguchi and Stanford e-Hiroshima. Last but not least, I am thankful to Sekiguchi and Yang for their course leadership and for allowing me the chance to keep my grandparents* legacies alive through their courses.


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Collaboration between 91勛圖 and Hiroshima continues to grow.

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Last fall, 91勛圖 provided me an opportunity to design and organize its first post-collegiate online course. The Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship (SHCPE*s Japanese-friendly pronunciation, ※shu-ppe§) was conducted in collaboration with the Hiroshima Business and Management School (HBMS) at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima (PUH). HBMS offers the only Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in Japan*s western region of Chugoku and Shikoku. Interacting with amazing individuals on both sides of the Pacific, this unique experience brought me priceless moments.

Innovation in Itself

SHCPE, a course to help nurture entrepreneurial thinking, was an innovation in itself. The program was born out of Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki*s vision to design and implement a social challenge to help accelerate Hiroshima*s regional growth. Harnessing the resources of Stanford and Silicon Valley, the new online class was launched to empower the students and to revitalize the business sector in Hiroshima. 91勛圖 created the curricular content and HBMS provided the learning environment designed to maximize the academic experience for the students. As the course*s curriculum designer, I leveraged the expertise of my fellow 91勛圖 online instructors and applied design thinking, a method developed by Stanford faculty, practiced widely in Silicon Valley, and popularized globally to understand the end-user, challenge our assumptions, and reconstruct alternative perspectives to generate innovative ideas.

Bridging Silicon Valley and Hiroshima

SHCPE*s 18 MBA students in Hiroshima met every Saturday morning for three hours from September 28 to November 16, 2019 to connect online with Japanese entrepreneurs, professionals, and scholars in Silicon Valley. The first virtual class focused on discussing the mindset expected for the course as well as the conceptual framework. In the following six weeks, we welcomed guest speakers who shared their diverse experiences. What were their prior experiences, expertise, and insights? What resources did they have to achieve their goals? What were the major promoters and impediments to their journeys? Through active exploration of these questions, the students were exposed to real-life case studies to analyze Silicon Valley*s ecosystem and think critically about entrepreneurial competence and qualification. The course was conducted entirely in Japanese.

The guest speakers engaged and energized the HBMS students. Akira Onozato spoke about the evolution of Silicon Valley over the past three decades. His diverse experiences as a serial entrepreneur painted a rich picture of the San Francisco Bay Area*s growth cycle. Akira*s story provided a great segue to Rika Nakazawa*s lecture on the mindset and culture surrounding startups. Rika highlighted grit, tolerance of failure, and branding as important assets of successful entrepreneurs. Dr. Fumiaki Ikeno spoke on the landscape and trends in the medical device industry. He pointed to Japan*s declining productivity and economic competitiveness and discussed the persistent fear of failure as a major impediment to promoting entrepreneurship. As an active venture capitalist on both sides of Pacific, Seiji Miyasaka explained the funding schemes and financial cycles surrounding the investment climate of startups. Using case studies, he highlighted the role of investors who act as coaches to aspiring entrepreneurs. Tatsuki Tomita*s definition of a startup was shaped by his own experiences of starting multiple companies. His discussion of the pivot pyramid provided a visual guideline for how startups can experiment with ideas and find their product-market fit. Tasha Yorozu shared her expertise as a legal counsel, walking through the steps of starting a business in Silicon Valley. Along with Jumpei Ishii, a visiting legal counsel from Japan, Tasha further discussed their observations of successful startup practices and common pitfalls. The diversity of SHCPE guests represented the vibrant Silicon Valley community. 

Active Learning and Knowledge Construction

While these professionals provided informative accounts of their expertise, SHCPE*s ultimate goal was to help each HBMS student to develop a mindset of an active learner. The MBA students were constantly challenged to think critically about the weekly theme, and work in pairs or teams to discuss assigned topics. The experience offered a dynamic and interactive learning environment for the Japanese students in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who had been accustomed to traditional lecture-style formats. SHCPE*s curriculum based on design thinking adopted an inquiry-based learning pedagogy, which engaged every student through weekly assignments and in-class discussions. During the first class, the students were informed that SHCPE would not teach them entrepreneurship. Instead, this course would provide them with the opportunity to reconstruct their knowledge of entrepreneurship and innovation based on what they observe, hear, and feel during the class. In addition, the students were required to provide feedback after each class, which was utilized to redesign the lesson plans for the following week.

This active and experiential mindset was envisioned by Dr. Gary Mukai, Director of 91勛圖 and a renowned Japan每U.S. educator. ※At 91勛圖, we provide students an opportunity to own their learning experience. Education is about empowering the students,§ Dr. Mukai asserts. This tradition comes from the American philosopher and education reformist John Dewey, who said, ※I believe finally, that education must be conceived as a continuing reconstruction of experience; that the process and the goal of education are one and the same thing.§ SHCPE*s inaugural curriculum aimed to implement this philosophy through direct, real-life interaction with founders and movers in Silicon Valley, and through the iterative process to deconstruct and reconstruct their knowledge on entrepreneurship.

Innovation Through Education

What SHCPE aimed to achieve was innovation through education. The weekly three-hour online class was roughly divided into three parts: guest lecture, class discussion, and interview. Prior to the interview session, a pre-assigned team of three students met with me in a separate online room and brainstormed their interview questions. For the majority of the students, it was their very first time to formally interview a person, and the experience brought a novel learning opportunity to think critically about entrepreneurial competence. Many commented on the challenge and the excitement of getting to know strangers by engaging them in a thoughtful conversation. The weekly interview highlighted the philosophy, aspiration, and raw sentiments of the guest speakers, evoking passion, energy, and empathy among the students.

Stanford-Hiroshima Collaborative Program on Entrepreneurship (SHCPE) staff with Ken-ichi Nakamura, President of the Prefectural University of Hiroshima SHCPE 2019 team with Ken-ichi Nakamura, President of the Prefectural University of Hiroshima
Through observations and discussions, the SHCPE participants built their own knowledge and understanding of what constitutes entrepreneurship. To conclude the eight-week course, I had the chance to visit Hiroshima to offer the last SHCPE class in person, and to observe first-hand their reaction to the curriculum design. Meeting the students as well as the HBMS faculty and staff who supported SHCPE, was an incredibly rewarding experience. My class focused on education and empowerment. The students discussed in teams how they might develop a curriculum to promote entrepreneurship in Hiroshima. Much to everyone*s delight, one of the students expressed his hope to apply what he learned in this course and serve as an angel investor to support local startups. The class culminated with a closing ceremony during which each student was presented an official Certificate of Completion. My trip to Hiroshima also provided a valuable opportunity to visit Governor Yuzaki as well as PUH President Ken-ichi Nakamura, who emphasized the importance of adding a real-life, global perspective to the HBMS curriculum. Programs such as SCHPE were made possible through these leaders* foresight and support.

SHCPE strived to adopt the pedagogy of active learning and the toolsets of design thinking to implement Governor Yuzaki*s vision of ※learning innovation.§ The course appears to have succeeded in helping to realize his vision as one student reflected upon his experience:

This class does not intend to offer answers [to the question what entrepreneurship is]. Instead, it urges the students to constantly think on their own and engage themselves in learning. This is very different from the Japanese traditional pedagogy, which relies on rote memorization and mechanical process of practice problems. This class highlighted the fundamental difference in the philosophy of how we look at education, and I enjoyed this eye-opening experience.

SHCPE *19 concluded with much enthusiasm. 91勛圖 looks forward to continuing its partnership with HBMS to build upon the invaluable lessons learned from the inaugural program. With Stanford e-Hiroshima, an online course for high school students managed and taught by my colleague Rylan Sekiguchi, 91勛圖 will continue its efforts to empower the people in Hiroshima.

Acknowledgement

I am greatly indebted to Dr. Gary Mukai for providing me this invaluable opportunity. Special thanks go to Carey Moncaster, Dr. HyoJung Jang, Jonas Edman, Meiko Kotani, Naomi Funahashi, Rylan Sekiguchi, Sabrina Ishimaru, Dr. Tanya Lee, and Waka Takahashi Brown for their valuable comments on the preliminary curriculum. I thank all of my colleagues at 91勛圖 for their support and encouragement throughout the process.

My special gratitude goes to Akira Onozato, Dr. Fumiaki Ikeno, Jumpei Ishii, Rika Nakazawa, Seiji Miyasaka, Tatsuki Tomita, and Tasha Yorozu who took the time out of their busy Friday evening to participate in the virtual classroom. Their contagious enthusiasm energized the students.

Last but not least, I would like to express my deep appreciation to my collaborators at HBMS. I thank Professor Katsue Edo for his hard work and commitment to implement the program, Professor Yasuo Tsuchimoto for his technical expertise and dedication to administer the distance-learning, Professor Narumi Yoshikawa for supporting in-class discussions, and Kazue Hiura, Yoshihiko Oishi, and Kenji Okano for their capable assistance and thoughtful arrangements. Last but not least, my heartfelt congratulation goes to the 18 MBA students who successfully completed SHCPE *19. The inaugural class will always have a special place in my heart.


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When I first visited Kawasaki City, I was immediately struck by the multicolored character for 捶or ※kawa§ (river) in the Chinese characters for捶ゅ (Kawasaki) that appears on signs, buildings, posters, and even storm drain covers. I learned from Kawasaki Mayor Norihiko Fukuda that the multicolored 捶 symbolizes the importance that Kawasaki City places upon diversity.

 

Kawasaki City is a large industrial city in the greater Tokyo area with a population of approximately 1.5 million, making it Japan*s sixth most populous city after Tokyo. It is one of Japan*s most ethnically diverse cities. Many Japanese multinational companies are based in Kawasaki. In 2014, the U.S. multinational company Johnson & Johnson opened the Tokyo Science Center in Kawasaki.

With the vision of Mayor Fukuda and support from Kawasaki City, 91勛圖 has launched Stanford e-Kawasaki, an online course that is offered to high school students in Kawasaki. Stanford e-Kawasaki*s main course topics are diversity and entrepreneurship. Stanford e-Kawasaki Instructor recently noted, ※The Kawasaki students have shown strong interest in these timely and relevant topics and are always actively engaged in discussions. One of the great things about Stanford e-Kawasaki is that it provides a place where students feel free and encouraged to express themselves. It also provides an important opportunity for students to reflect on their own society by learning about the United States. I look forward to our continued learning together for the rest of the course.§ The course began in fall 2019 and a closing ceremony will be held in March 2020.

Maiko Tamagawa Bacha Maiko Tamagawa Bacha
Bacha is a graduate of the University of Tokyo and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Prior to joining 91勛圖, she worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for 14 years. In her most recent role as Advisor for Educational Affairs at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, she had the opportunity to work closely with 91勛圖 to support the Reischauer Scholars Program and Stanford e-Japan.

Like Bacha, Mayor Fukuda has also done formal studies in the United States. As a graduate of Furman University in South Carolina, Mayor Fukuda experienced life in the United States firsthand. Mayor Fukuda reflected, ※I am grateful to 91勛圖 at 91勛圖# for starting this program for high school students in Kawasaki City. I am encouraged to learn that the students are actively learning and engaged in discussions on topics related to diversity and entrepreneurship. I strongly hope that they will grow to be men and women of high caliber, who are keen to experience their lives with broad perspectives.§ With the presence of many multinational corporations in Kawasaki, Mayor Fukuda witnesses the interdependence of Japan and the world every day and fully appreciates the significance of topics like diversity and entrepreneurship to the U.S.每Japan relationship.


The 91勛圖 staff would like to express its appreciation also to Hisashi Katsurayama from the Kawasaki Board of Education and Yoshitaka Tsuchihama and Miyuki Kitamura of Kawasaki City and for their unwavering support of Stanford e-Kawasaki.

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On a recent Friday afternoon at Stanford, the weather reminded me of some crisp yet clear winter days in Japan. The sun brightly lit the Falcon Lounge on the 5th floor of Encina Hall as six alumni from the 2014 to 2018 Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) and Sejong Korean Scholars Program (SKSP) cohorts gathered to celebrate the new year. This annual shinnenkai (literally, ※new year gathering,§ in Japanese) luncheon offers alumni of 91勛圖*s pre-collegiate online courses to meet or reconnect over lively conversation and delicious food. For the 91勛圖 instructors, the shinnenkai is often the first time to meet alumni in person.

The RSP is an online course on Japan and U.S.每Japan relations that is offered to U.S. high school students each spring, and will welcome its seventeenth cohort in a few weeks. The SKSP is preparing for its eighth cohort, and offers an intensive online study of Korea and U.S.每Korea relations to U.S. high school students. 91勛圖 also offers a third online course to U.S. high school students on China and U.S.每China relations, the China Scholars Program. The CSP is preparing for its sixth cohort.

One of the attendees, James Noh (RSP &16, 91勛圖 &22), reflected on his RSP experience following the shinnenkai: ※My RSP experience not only nurtured my interest in East Asia, but also made me realize that I wanted to incorporate my interest in East Asia into both my academic and professional careers. Looking back, I think participating in RSP played an important role in influencing my decision to take a gap year to study Mandarin in China after high school and major in international relations with a focus on East Asia.§ During the shinnenkai, it was interesting to hear other alumni share thoughts on how their experiences in the RSP and SKSP helped to prepare them for and also shape their college life. Comments ranged from ※informing choices§ like class or major selection to ※honing skills§ like writing research papers.

Through the many years in which 91勛圖 has engaged U.S. high school students in these intensive online courses, we have been fortunate to work with many exceptional students such as James. As the instructor of the RSP, I especially treasure the face-to-face opportunities to meet with alumni of these courses. These opportunities are rare treats given that our courses take place entirely online. The annual shinnenkai is truly a highlight of my year.


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Maiko Tamagawa Bacha is the instructor for the Stanford e-Kawasaki Program and Stanford e-KyuSan U (Kyushu Sangyo University, Fukuoka Prefecture) for the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91勛圖).

Prior to joining 91勛圖, she worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for 14 years and served in Tokyo, Japan; Bangkok, Thailand; Vientiane, Laos; and San Francisco, United States. She has experience working in different areas of international relations, including disarmament of conventional weapons, United Nations affairs, Japan每Laos bilateral relations, and public diplomacy. In her most recent role as Advisor for Educational Affairs at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, she had an opportunity to work closely with 91勛圖 to support its Reischauer Scholars Program, an online course on Japan and U.S.每Japan relations for U.S. high school students.

Maiko received a BA in American Area Studies from University of Tokyo, and an MA in International Policy Studies from Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. She was born in Fukuoka, Japan, and grew up in Chiba, Japan.

 

Instructor, Stanford e-Kawasaki
Instructor, Stanford e-KyuSan U
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