Takahiro Miyao's Radio Institute of Global Communications: No. 15, January 2, 2005

Takahiro MIYAO (Professor, GLOCOM)

Partial transcript and translation from Prof. Miyao's Radio Program, posted here with permission of Radio Nikkei

Takahiro Miyao's Radio Institute of Global Communications: No. 15
Radio Nikkei daiichi hoso ; BS Radio Nikkei 300 ch.
Broadcast time:	January 2 (Sunday) 19:00-19:30
Recording place:	Recorded in Radio Nikkei's Studio
Program:	1. Introduction 2. Virtual Discussion 3. Trend Research 4. Concluding Remarks
Audio:	Radio Program  (Windows Media Player) (Mainly in Japanese but some parts in English) Asia Station Web site (in Japanese)

Introduction

A Happy New Year. I hope everyone is enjoying a new year's holiday. I guess this year will be as eventful as last year, but hopefully not in terms of natural disasters such as typhoons, flooding and earthquakes. Today, we will have a telephone interview with Ms. Akiko Kuno, who is running the America-Japan Society of Tokyo and I would like to ask her about the Society's activity in US-Japan relations as well as her opinion on Japanese abilities to express themselves in English in this globalized world. It should be quite interesting. So please stay tuned.

Virtual Discussion

Regarding earthquakes, Prof. Ippei Yamazawa, President of the International University, which is located in the Chuetsu region severely hit by the Chuetsu Earthquake about two months ago, has contributed an article on his experience of the earthquake, and it is currently posted on the GLOCOM Platform (www.glocom.org). That is entitled, "Our Experience and Lessons of the Chuestu Earthquake," where President Ippei Yamazawa reports that despite the big quake in the Chuetsu region on October 23, the International University of Japan, very close to the earthquake's epicenter, escaped major structural damage to any of the buildings and facilities on campus due to their earthquake-proof structure. But, psychological damage seems to be more difficult to repair. Many students, especially foreign students who had never experienced any earthquakes, were frightened by their thoughts that another big one might hit any moment, and could not sleep at night. So some students needed professional counseling to deal with their trauma. In conclusion, It is important to have the attitude of natural disaster readiness, in terms of both physical and psychological aspects, in our contingency planning, and as residents of the Japan Archipelago we all should be well aware of and well prepared for the danger of earthquakes and other natural disasters, according to Professor Yamazawa. I welcome your comments on this article.

Trend Research

Today, we will have a telephone interview with Ms. Akiko Kuno, who is the executive director of the America-Japan Society of Tokyo and I would like to ask her about the Society's activity in US-Japan relations as well as her opinion on Japanese abilities to express themselves in English in this globalized world.

(Interview with Ms. Kuno in Japanese)

Concluding Remarks:

If you have any comment on today's program, please contact us through our Radio Nikkei hompage (www.radionikkei.jp/joho). Actually you can hear our past broadcast program on our homepage by clicking the "on-demand" section in the upper righthand corner. I hope you enjoyed today's program. Our next program will be on the first Sunday in February, that is, February 6. In the meantime, please enjoy your new year's vacation period. See you next month.