Washington DC: A Solid 30 Hours Visit and Sense of Fulfillment

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I left for Washington DC on May 9th (Mon), right after the ‘Golden Week’ holidays.  Arrived at 2pm on the same date, checked in to the hotel, took a brief rest, and headed to the Carnegie Institution of Science to see Dr Richard Meserve (Ref.1), a long time friend. Dr. Meserve is also one of the key persons of the nuclear power plant policies of the United States, so I came to see him to discuss issues related to the Fukushima nuclear plant.  I understand that Mr Fujita (in Japanese), member of the House of Councillors, visited him just recently, too.

After the visit which was for about 40minutes, I went on to CSIS.  Here, my purpose was to discuss with them the progress of the project with our HGPI  (Ref.1),  which I have reported to you earlier, (click here for the video), as well as to discuss how we could collaborate on the “Japan’s Recovery Plan After ‘3.11’”  by CSIS announced on April 20th.

After having a discussion for about an hour, I went to the National Academies of Sciences. Here, my focus was to exchange views with experts of the Science Academies on nuclear power/radiation and international relations; Drs Michael Clegg (Foreign Secretary), John Boright (Executive Director, International Affairs), Kevin Crowley (Senior Board Director, Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board), Richard Bissell (Executive Director, Policy and Global Affairs Division) joined.  I have been in touch with both Michael Clegg and John Boright for about a decade or so, from the time when the scientists started to be active in presenting policy recommendation for the global age, when I was serving as the vice president and later the president of the Science Council of Japan; and of couｒse in the last two months on Fukushima.

They had understood well about the purpose of my visit, and it helped much in having a very constructive discussion.  It is very important, especially at time of crises, that you have such good personal relationship with mutual trust with experts of the world.

I do understand that there are many hurdles, but we must be aware that the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant issue is not only in itself a great issue to the world, but how Japan handles this and all of the other problems that stem from it – such as risk management policies and their deployments, the effects of radiation on health, environment, agricultural or industrial products, or emission of radiology to the ocean – the entire response of Japan as a whole is being watched by the world.  When unpredictable crisis issues arise, the way the nation reacts and handles is a test and determines, like it or not, the most fundamental credibility of that nation.

In such circumstance, setting an independent commission consisting of international experts is a crucial, very important political process in securing the credibility of a nation today.

Look, for instance, at the BSE problem in Great Britain that started in the 1980s.  It took nearly 20 years for them to regain trust, even after they referred and acted to the independent EU committee and waited for their conclusions.

As the world goes global, international credibility/mutual trusts of nations is becoming increasingly important, and in this context how Japanese government reacts to the nuclear power plant issues, how it keeps the process of treatments/decision makings open, transparent, subjective is evermore crucial.  However, I regret to say that the government, companies, media, and the scientific community of Japan failed to recognize this at all. Therefore, it seems to me that they are unable to make any trustworthy, speedy actions or decisions and focusing instead on domestic circumstance, making policies that are too nearsighted.  The world at large recognizes somehow not-so-appropriate responses of Japanese leadership, which underlies, in my view, a quick decline of the reputation of Japan and spreading of unfavorable rumors or misinformation that harm the Japanese products and industries.

Next morning from 7am, I had a breakfast with Ambassador Fujisaki, and then spent the rest of the day having discussion with 10 or so of experts of an Aging Society Think Tank.  At lunch time I enjoyed a short but nice conversation with Dr John Howe, President of Project Hope, who just arrived at Dulles Airport from Johannesburg, and Drs Darrel Porr and Frederic Gerber (Dr. Gerber also came directly from Johannesburg) who was with us in Japan just last week, thanks to the thoughtful arrangement of HE Fujisaki.

After the lunch, I returned to continue discussion and made my presentation, then at 5pm, just before the closing, left for the Dulles Airport to fly to Zurich via London where I will head for St Gallen.

My visit to Washington DC was only for about 30 hours, tightly packed schedule, but it turned out to be an extraordinarily fulfilling stay.  I thank Ambassador Fujisaki and his staff at the Japan Embassy in Washington DC, and many others for their kind and wonderful support.

I hope this trip will be of some help to the current situation of Japan…..

 

The Fragiligy of Japanese Elites, How to Make Leaders

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The whole world was watching Japan, holding breath, ever since after the 3.11.  I have been sending out series of hard comments in my blog (Ref.1,2), too.

Although what I have been saying was nothing new,  I have been saying the same things (in Japanese)for a long time, it seems that the management of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster by Japanese authorities made my points – the weakness of Japan ? becoming clear to the world.

The world media do not seem to report anything about Japan recently except for the nuclear power plant issue, though..…

The conduct of Japanese scientists also ruined the credibility of this nation.  Speaking in Japanese (not English) did not prevent the audience of the world to understand what are said and written.  My overall impression however, is that the comments by the Japanese scientists, especially on the nuclear power plants, were too vague and incomprehensible.  I know there are tons of reasons for this, but still, I have to say..….

In the morning edition of Nikkei Newspaper of May 9th, my comments (in Japanese) appear.  I would appreciate it if you could read this and think a little about it.  People are sending me many e-mails and messages on this article.

Here is another article (in Japanese) on Nikkei Newspaper quoting my comments, which was published a bit earlier.

Golden Week is Over, Now to Washington DC and St Gallen

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My Golden Week, I must say, was no holidays at all, packed with meetings with people even on Sunday, the 8th.

Next morning on Monday, the 9th, I left home early in the morning to take a flight from Narita to Washington DC, had meetings with various people in the afternoon right after the arrival, and then went on to the reception in the evening.  Quite busy, at least I wish I had a bit more of free time.  What keeps me going on is the notion that it is important to do such activities for Japan, especially in this circumstance.  I am, in a way, working as a sort of ‘Permanent Global Part Timer (permanent part timer’ (‘freeter’ in Japanese) is a popular word in Japan which refers to a person who takes a succession of casual jobs in preference to steady full).

On 10th, the 2nd day at Washington DC, I was at the Brain-storming of a think tank on Ageing and Health, where I also gave a presentation of 30 minutes or so.  Right after the meeting, I rushed to the airport to fly to Zurich via London.  My visit to Zurich is for the St Gallen Symposium (in Japanese)　(Ref 1).

To see the forecast of good weather seems to be the only pleasure I have at hand.  My trip this time is so packed with schedule.

Project Hope: New Team Arrives from US

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I have been reporting to you on Project Hope several times in this site.

A new team consisting of 5 members arrived from US in the afternoon of May 6th (Fri), the last day of the consecutive holidays we have in Japan as “Golden Week’.  We started the next day with a briefing.  George, who had also participated in the relief activities in Iraq with Fred, his predecessor, took initiative at this briefing.

I decided to join in the party in Saturday evening. All guests were Japanese, but two of them were doctors currently working in Missouri and NYC, and 3 (1 of them was male) were nurses at UCLA.  They all have medical license of the US. Dr. Shimabukuro, whom have I introduced to you earlier, advised them to participate in our project.  Dr. Kaku of PCAT who was with us last time, and a medical student of Todai who just returned from Iwate were present, too.  Dr. Hayashi is working in Iwate now.  This time, as was the last time, PCAT is supervising and advising the Japanese side.　

This new team plans to be in Japan for 2 weeks to visit several areas in the Iwate Prefecture.  There activities are truely encouraging.

These activities, as they expand, will support the recovery of the disaster stricken places, people’s health, and eventually the creation of new Japan.

I firmly believe that such activities in an open, international team will eventually, though slowly, change the mind-set of our youths to be a global citizen.

Two Lessons from the Visit of Dr Basri: Taking Children to the Disaster Hit Area, Mr Kazuhiko Toyama’s Company

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I have explained to you about how Dr Basri arrived with a very short notice to Japan  on Saturday, April 23rd.

Dr Basri arrived at Haneda airport from NYC via Narita airport.  We had a briefing for 30 min. from around 4:30pm, and I saw the 3 Basris off for Akita airport.  From Akita airport, a car picked them up and took them across the Tohoku district to Miyako city at midnight and I received an e-mail report of their arrival right after they safely checked in to the Jodogahama Park Hotel (Ref 1).  (Both links are in Japanese).

The next day, they visited several disaster stricken areas, handed the aid goods they brought from US, and spent the last night at Morioka city.  Early in the next Morning (Monday), they left Morioka for a flight to Haneda Airport via Akita Airport.  I invited them to our office of HGPI, and had a de-briefing for about 30 min.  I heard that the cherry blossoms were beautiful at Tohoku.  Dr Basri and I busily continued discussion near the Tokyo Station and then hurried to the station to catch the Narita Express for 13:33, which they intended to board.  However, the train did not run because of the schedule change due to electricity saving, so they had to buy tickets for a different train, and I finally succeeded in seeing them off to Narita.  I am glad that I was able to attend them all the way to the platform of the station.

Dr. Basri took his two children to the stricken area of Japan because he believes that being at the site in person; to see, walk, and feel the place first handedly, is very important and practiced his belief.  This is the basics of education, and I was very impressed by his action.  Their trip was for 3 days and 2 nights in Japan, a hard packed schedule, but the children were very tough and high spirited.

The request by Dr Basri was challenging in that it was such a short notice, and the place was hit by the great disaster  which made everything quite difficult.  I was able to satisfy his request in only 2 days somehow, because I remembered Mr Kazuhiko Toyama (please search by the key word ‘Kazuhiko Toyama’ in this site), a person whom I have introduced to you so many times here in my blog.
　
Immediately after the quake and Tsunami, Mr Toyama called me on phone.  He said that one of his companies, Fukushima-Kotsu (in Japanese) ‘need many radiation detectors to ensure the safety of the bus drivers (from the nuclear plant radiation)’ and he asked for my advice.  From our conversation, I was told then that he also manages the Iwate Prefecture North Bus Company, Ibaragi Transportations, and Jodogahama Park Hotel  so I called him for his help.  Mr Toyama kindly arranged entire itinerary in two days and sent instructions to make the trip of Dr Basri and his children possible.  Dr Basri was very happy about it.

I was impressed with the speed of Mr. Toyama’s arrangement, the courteousness and attentiveness of the local staff such as sending us confirmation of the arrival of the guests.  Mr. Toyama cared much about his bus drivers from the beginning of the nuclear breakdown, and I heard that the effect of the disaster to the bus operation was kept to minimum.

My point is that this is how business leaders should be, the basic focus required of good executives.  Mr. Toyama put into action his ‘the driver comes first’ philosophy even in this crisis, and I was impressed by his conduct.

There are many who speak or write such ideals, but I learned from this event that the true value/quality of leaders  (Ref 1) is unveiled at time of such unexpected crises depending on what actions they take.

This value/quality of a leader has to do with the ‘ability to fail’, a character that must be earned through overcoming of many failures in their young age.

‘SSR’ and the Responses of the Scientists/Engineers to the Great Disasters of Japan

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After the great disaster in Northern Japan, we – scientists and engineers – had to face numerous problems of all sorts, just like others.  Various experts made comments on the TV and other media.  What did their peer experts think of those comments?  Did they think that those comments made sense and science-based?

I think most people would agree that the press briefings of the government, TEPCO or Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency (NISA) were so clumsy and incomprehensible　detached from the public. It could be that the situation was too complicated that it was difficult even for the scientists or experts to make comments  in depths.

General impression was that, since the authorities presented only their own conclusions/results of their own interpretations without any data, analysis, nor basis of judgments, we felt or became suspicious there had to be some reasons for such conducts.  I believe this is true.  Many people responsible appeared to be simply trying to get away with excuses such as ‘not sure’ or ‘have not been confirmed yet’…

In this connected information age, however, if actual data releaved later, credibility of the authority and/or any organization will rapidly deteriorate.

I notice recently that major Japanese media, seemingly repenting on their poor initial behavior, started to publish special issues focusing on the future. (They were all the same and looked terrible in the beginning, though).  The Nikkei Newspaper launched this week a series; ‘A New Start from The Crises’ Part 1 ‘Towards the New Japan’.  It looks pretty good.

In Part two, “A Technology Nation ‘In the Well’” (in Japanese), they quote my comments.  The concept of ‘Intellectually Closed Nation’ (Ref.1)(2005, in Japanese), (Ref.2)(2005, in Japanese), (Ref.3)(2006),  (Ref.4)(2006, in Japanese), (Ref.5)(2009), (Ref.6)(2009),(Ref.7)(2010) which I repeatedly touch upon in this blog and elsewhere, is introduced, also.

I expect all Japanese scientists and engineers to understand that their value (their responsibility is not limited to research only) is evaluated by the peers and the public of the wide world not only by how they behave in Japan but in the world.

I don’t want to sound self-seeking, but ‘Japan Perspective’, a report by the Science Counsel of Japan in 2005, under the supervision of President Yoshikawa and I served as Chair of the committee, points out clearly the basics of the issues on how Japanese scientists should connect with the society, not from vertical ‘silo’ points of views, but from a horizontal perspective.

It is crucial for all scientists and engineers to recognize their strength and weakness, to see the changes and needs of the society of our age, and to have a strong vision on how to address the issues of the society and put those visions into actions.

This, in short, is the SSR ‘Scientists’ -as a community- Social Responsibility’ in this global world, I strongly believe.

 

Our Collaboration with Project Hope Continues

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Click here for the photos of the disaster stricken area the doctors visited

I reported to you in my recent posting that our HGPI (Health and Global Policy Institute) and Impact Japan have been collaborating in a project with Project Hope since ‘3.11’.

 

Two teams joined us already and had been to the stricken zones of Sanriku several times.  Dr. Shimabukuro returned to Japan again (but then went back to UCLA right after…) to join for the second visit.  Several other Japanese doctors working in the U.S. are also participating in our Project Hope team.  They all are a great help.

 

At the breakfast meeting of HGPI, consisting mainly of the member companies, I  quickly reported how this project is going on.  Then, Drs Frederic Gerber and Darrel Porr introduced the background of the Project Hope, followed by an explanation of some of their activities of this joint project.

I closed the meeting with a brief comment on the basic ideas  on how to make plans for the health care in future.
 
The meeting was very well received by the participants.  Given the situation of the disaster hit area, we think this project will continue for quite a long period of time and therefore are planning another breakfast meeting for larger audience, and ask the members of this Project to give briefing sessions in the future..

 

Drs Garber and Porr left Tokyo off to Iwate Prefecture immediately after our breakfast meeting.

 

Then, 4 days after their return to Tokyo, we had another De-briefing.  This time, they met the governor of Iwate Prefecture, with an extensive discussions sessionwith the administration of Iwate Prefecture. Drs Hayashi (in Japanese), Kaku (in Japanese), and Yoshida also participated in this De-briefing.  I became acquainted with these three doctors at the PCAT who joined our re-briefing session, and George who just arrived Tokyo from Project Hope to join us.

Dr. Gerber told me that he was leaving for South Africa the next day to participate in the inauguration of planning of Nelson Mandela Children Hospital  (Project Hope is playing a leading role here, too).
Dr Hayashi is working in international settings (in Japanese) including MSF (in Japanese), Dr Kaku (in Japanese) is working in Haiti and other places, Dr Yoshida is currently working at Harvard School of Public Health and also is a mother to 4 children.

 

They are all working, thus thinking, globally, so their conversation resonated very well. Good Thing.

 

 

TED -5: Who Decides the Sites that Appear On the List After the Search? The Potentials of iPad Books

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Aren’t the titles attractive?  Both are very TED.  They are from the presentations I enjoyed this year.

One is about the sites that are displayed on the list when you make a search on Google.  What sites will be displayed?  What problems exist there?

This question is relevant to the ongoing media coverage or public relations of Japan on the great Tsunami disaster and Fukushima nuclear power plant problems.  It is a 9 minutes presentation by Eli Pariser

Another is about a book.  What sort of books could be created by using iPad?  It is a 4 minutes presentation by Mike Mata.

Enjoy!

 

Joi Ito Appointed to the Director of the MIT Media Lab: Change Japan!

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MIT is one of the top universities of the world, internationally known, a dream for youths.  In this prestigious university, there is a well known lab called the Media Lab, and it happens that they selected as their next director Joichi Ito (44 years old, more popular as ‘Joi’) (Ref.1,2) (Ref.2 is in Japanese), a Japanese more famous in the world rather than in Japan.

He had been sending out tremendous volume of information, views, opinion for these two decades.  Please visit his blog (the link is in my Blogroll, too) and you will see his high ambitions and determinations in assuming the directorship.

Joi and I have been in touch with each other for about a decade or so.  I have been introducing him to you from the early stage of my web site.  We share the idea of ‘Ozumo-nization of universities’, and I think it was around the time of Koizumi administration in 2006; this idea was printed in a major media in Japan for the first time in the Nikkei newspaper (in Japanese), and Joi Ito introduced it for the first time in the English media, if I remember correctly.

Joi, myself, and many of my friends, have built careers which are rather ‘outside’ of the Japanese society.  I am happy that I was able to support him a bit this time.

I think that after the ‘3.11’, the strength and weakness of Japan (Ref.1,2) unveiled itself clearly to the public.  To put it shortly, they are the weakness of ‘vertical society’, the weakness of ‘life long employment, hierarchy of the seniority based and men centered society”.  I have been pointing out this theme again and again in this site and elsewhere.

However, I am pleased to witness a series of events that break many of such ‘Japanese common sense’ happening recently.  Actually, what is happening are nothing impressive in other parts of the world.  Good Things.  It seems that after all we need a push from ‘outside’ to change.

Joi, in his youth, used to be a ‘very curious’ student who loved to ask questions to his teachers.  He left Chicago university when he was a sophomore, did not earn any degrees, Bachelor, Master, nor Doctor ? a complete ‘out of a box’ type if judged by average Japanese (or even US) standard.  However, the whole world recognizes his outstanding talent.  The decision of MIT to welcome him as the Director is also extraordinary.

By the way, has any of the Japanese major media covered this news?  For what purpose, I wonder?

Come to think of it, neither Bill Gates of Microsoft nor Mark Zuckerberg of FaceBook finished Harvard University.  Steve Jobs of Apple left University because he was unable to afford the tuition.  They are exceptional examples, though.

Students are expected to study hard at university.  However, it is not good to say ‘if you do not succeed in job hunting by your senior year, you are a drop out…’ because such idea is a sheer nonsense outside of Japan.