Saturday, December 6th, at our university Faculty of International Studies of Culture Department of Japanese CultureJunichiro Sakai A symposium was held jointly with the seminar and the Asia Business Cooperation Council (Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City) "Accepting Foreigners and Changes in Japanese Society: From the Perspectives of Business, Language, Culture, Society, and Education" was carried out.
The symposium was held with the aim of considering Japan's future through a multifaceted discussion among experts in various fields, including language and culture, on the major changes in lifestyles and systems that are occurring in an age where the country increasingly accepts foreigners.Approximately 120 people participated from Japan and overseas, and Aruna, CEO of Ceylon Soft Solutions Co., Ltd., from Sri Lanka, also participated online as a panelist.
First, Ryoichi Nakayama, Representative Director of the Asia Business Cooperation Council and former General Manager of NEC's Jakarta, Singapore, and Beijing offices, gave a keynote speech entitled "Japan's Future as Seen from the Frontlines of Asian Business: Successful Foreign Talent and Regional Revitalization." He spoke about how Japanese society should interact with people from overseas, and the importance of learning about each other's history and geopolitics.
This was followed by a panel discussion of experts and a general discussion. In response to Professor Sakai's question, "Do you think Japanese society would not function without foreign labor?", there was a lively exchange of opinions, with some participants expressing concerns that technical intern trainees who come to Japan to work from overseas are viewed as "labor" and that they may not be receiving enough individual attention.
Tsuji Kanako (2nd year student/Koryo High School), who served as the general moderator, said, "I was impressed by the lecture, which touched on the mindset we should have, that having foreigners working in Japan is not something to be taken for granted, but something we should be grateful for. I would like to use what I learned from this event in the future to play a role in connecting people with different cultures and values, and to be involved in work or activities that deepen mutual understanding through dialogue."
[Department of Japanese Culture]
