TRC

Sept., 2000

September Report

Mr. Yoritake Matsudaira
Mr. Kenichiro Ohara
Mr. Hiroaki Fujii
Mr. Koichi Takenaka
Mr. Masahiko Okabe

**Mr.Yoritake Matsudaira, Chairman and Principal of the Honjo Gakuen spoke on youth as seen from the educator’s standpoint – a program selected observing Rotary International’s New Generation Month:（2000.9.6）

There are 180 private middle schools and 670 public ones in Tokyo. For high schools, there are 340 private and 220 public ones. In 1987, 157,000 students graduated middle school and entered high school, whereas this number has fallen to 85,800 this year with a further decrease to 72,000 being foreseen for 2005. Therefore a major task for private schools is to search for students to enroll, and we hold weekly meetings between May and December for parents. As elementary school teachers do not voice their opinions, we must maintain good relations with the ‘jujk’ (cramming classes) as they are decisive when the students makes his choice of school. The ‘juku’ have the data and evaluate them carefully which determines the students’ choice of school.
Our school has 1,700 male students and we have maintained a balance between education and sport activities. Our rugby, track and swimming teams have registered a good record. Recently, students hesitate to join the rugby team as the game is often played in mud.
Those who engage in sport activities also do well in their studies. Furthermore, by bringing them into close contact with their seniors and juniors it enables them to foster the ability to associate with older and younger persons and cultivates their ability to socialize.
We forbid long hair, dyeing of hair and piercing for ornaments. Students ask me why, and I reply that in our society today such is not recognized as being neat and tidy. When we point out our policies to parents, they misconceive it as placing emphasis on physical education. We believe that a school is not only a place to teach the basics of schooling and cultivate physical ability, but also a place to foster a humane character and ability to socialize.
I received a letter from a person living in the neighborhood of the school telling me that the students are going to and from school walking in a manner that disrupts traffic, and that they are smoking, so what can you do about it? I discussed the matter with members of the student body, and they told me that such behavior was only of a small number of our students, and they would look after the matter by themselves.
Some teachers feel that they must lower themselves to the same level as the students in order to relate, but I tell them that teachers must always act as teachers.
We have hazing and absenteeism. By obtaining information on such matters quickly from classmates and parents we try to resolve the issue. Some students feel that they are unable to keep up with the rest of their classes, but most frequently, domestic turmoil and troubles impact the student.
The Education Ministry is laying down a 5 days week program for schools starting in 2002 which will make a great change in the contents of our educational program.
I am also involved with the Boy Scout movement. There are 26 million Boy Scouts in 154 countries with 240,000 in Japan. The basic principles are grouping, advancement and self-improvement. Much of this is done in natural surroundings.
I feel that today children are not taught to relate to each other sufficiently. It is our relations with other humans that create us. Without this, youth find themselves losing self-control and turn to violence. To relieve children of such stress, we must provide activities such as the Boy Scouts.
Finally, a 17 years old, 3rd grade high school student from our school is competing in the Sydney Olympic Games 100 and 200 meter breaststroke swimming competition. This is the first time on record for our school, and we are rooting for him.
I hope you will too, what I wanted to tell you that in Japan, there are many 17 year old youths pursuing their studies whole engaging in sporting activities.

**Mr. Kenichiro Ohara, Chairman of the Ohara Art Museum spoke on the 70 years of his museum:(2000.9.13）

This November marks the 70th Anniversary of our Ohara Museum. Our basic theme is to baring into relief the Japanese identity while being engaged with the world.
This concept is rather new. In 1996 I saw an exhibit by the Volkeslang Art Museum of Essen, Germany at Okayama, and felt that I had come in touch with the German essence.
There were works by the French Impressionists and the classicists preceding them, but I was surprised at the German feeling I received from the exhibition.
Returning to our museum, I saw an unmistakably Japanese Collection by the Japanese who had chosen the works. Although they are Western Works, they give comfort and arouse the sympathy of the Japanese, and give fresh inspiration to overseas visitors.
The base of our collection was made by the artist Torajiro Kojima who was a good friend of Magosaburo Ohara. Kojima studied in Europe and after great torment returned to Japan where he regained his Japanese identity, then returned to Europe where he collected works covering the era of the last years of the 19th century to the first of the 20th. The only old master we have is a work by El Greco. How did Kojima feel when he stood before a painting by a Greek who had come to Spain? Or when he saw a painting of a small girl by Gauguin? We feel the Japanese soul, and the Oriental eye responding.
Our bubble collapsed, and we found our country being negated. I felt that in Kurashiki, where we are located, there is a Japan speaking for itself having chosen relations with the West and that this was crucially important.
Re-thinking the significance of the Ohara Art Museum, we felt that there were three facts to the identity of our Museum after 70 years of existence.
1.It is Japan’s first Art Museum devoted to Western works of art established 70 years ago in the historic town of Kurashiki.
2.It is the fruit of the friendship between the businessman Magosaburo Ohara who developed his business with a unique esthetics and system of values, and the Japanese artist Torajiro Kojima who was the first Japanese who was able to select Western works of art from a Japanese standpoint.
3.It is a non-profit organization open locally and to the world.
Our capital denied Japanese history on two occasions – at the time of the Meiji Restoration and after the 2nd World War, while history still lives in Kurashiki.
The people of Kurashiki cherish their history, preserving their town, in which the Ohara Museum is located, where Western works of art chosen from a Japanese viewpoint are collected. Furthermore, works by leading Japanese artists and ceramic artist are also on display.
I wish to appeal to you opinion makers, and that is the point that we locals have a different outlook on the Japanese economic situation. Please lend a listening ear to what we have to say, as you will be mistaken if you look at things only from a central viewpoint.
We of the museum wish to make our appeal to the world in terms of esthetics and society, and elevate the image of Japan.
We wish to return to our basics, which does not mean that we are bringing back the past, but are making a fresh start. It is our intention to change our style of display. Immediately after the war, our displays consisted of works being hung in several rows on the wall with viewers engaged in treasure hunting. Perhaps we may be able to learn something by reviving this style of display.
Although not in the classical field, we have requested our younger musicians to compose music inspired by our works of art. By becoming engaged with other fields of art we our intensifying our contacts with them. On Nov. 6 we will be holding a symposium on this issue.
We wish to be creative, tell the story of our history and realize ourselves as a purely private museum. Museums of the world are facing a time of great change.
A 50th Anniversary Conference of the Aspen Institute took place recently. A number of eminent art scholars spoke on how museum activities are furthering world understanding and so is the concept of beauty. In the word of today, unless we keep up with the world trend we will become backward. We will continue to do our best to maintain our identity and send a Japanese message to the world, hopefully gaining your support.

**Mr. Hiroaki Fujii, Chairman of the Japan Foundation spoke on the topic “Culture is Japan’s Strength”:(2000.9.20）

I would like to voice my opinion from the standpoint of culture on Japan’s national strategy for the 21st century.
For the IT industry, I believe that its contents are mainly products of our culture. IT Technology is impacting our existing manufacturing industries and such and I believe that in the process the artistic mind is at work.
In diplomacy there is a term called soft power. Hard power implies economic and military might, but Joseph Nye of Harvard University tells us that a power of attraction is at the core of soft power which induces people to face a certain direction quite naturally, and this is similar to culture.
What I intend to say today, is that a common, global culture is being born. Many countries may feel a threat to their own cultures, and we also will find ourselves in a perilous position.
From the Meiji Restoration (1867) onwards, our greatest challenge was to find our place in the world, either East or West. After the last war, we felt that we had finally found it, but discover that we are not included amongst the advanced Western nations after the end of the clod war.
We must prove our identity in this age of global competition, and must restructure our society in terms of accountability, etc. but with fears that our strength in manufacturing is losing its edge and our social trust is weakening doubts are being raised regarding our identity. As a result, I am afraid that nationalism is again rearing its ugly head.
We must return to the basics and re-discover Japan.
During the first half of the 20th century Japan was feared for its military might, and for its economy in the latter half. We exerted ourselves towards these ends, but I think that considering our history we were a nation of culture.
At the Japan Culture House in Paris we had a most successful ‘Jomon’ Exhibition. Many guests were impressed at how modern the figures and artifacts dating back 5,600 years to the Jomon Period were. In fact, our people were making clay utensils all during the 10,000 years from 12,000 B.C., and being hunters and collectors were living in ecological harmony. They held pantheistic beliefs, lived in small villages, each being equal without strong authority, and I think that therein lies the secret of being ‘modern’.
The culture fostered during this pre-historic 10,000 year period lies at the base of our culture. I am not saying that our culture is superior to others, but saying that we have also superior traditions in Japan.
There is a growing interest in the Japanese language and culture in all countries, and also in our traditional, and modern culture. This interest derives from the lightheartedness of a pantheistic belief, where everything including earthquakes becomes divine.
Another feature is lightness. We have no Great Walls to show, but admire the beauty of a single flower. Being able to do so is important from an ecological standpoint.
An important factor is that our culture is that of the mass. Our Edo Period (1600-1867) period culture was of the masses. People enjoyed culture, and the price of an ‘ukiyoe’ block print was that of a bowl of noodles. We have misused our culture since Jomon times and negated our past. We must re-conciliate ourselves with our culture and face the globalizing cultural trends without fear.
We have tried to re-conciliate our Japanese and Western cultures since the Meiji era (1867-1911) and if we can utilize this experience we may be able to contribute something to the world.
Our international strategy would be to promote global culture, adding what we can from our traditional culture. We should affirm American democracy and the market economy and make considerations that local cultures are not lost.
It is our responsibility not to deny global culture, but take our place at its forefront. By returning to our basics and doing so we may be able to resolve our cultural difficulties and change from an isolated, lonely Japan, and I entertain bright hopes for Japan in the 21st century.

**Initiation Speeches (2000.9.27)

Mr. Koichi Takenaka, President of the Tekenaka Civil Engineering Co. Ltd.

High speed highways started in Japan with the opening of a section of the Nagoya-Kobe route in 1963, and construction has continued in a high pitch, the result being our having 6,559 kilometers of such highways by the end of last year. A further 9,300 kilometers are now being constructed or planned. Such high speed highways are serving today as essential arteries to support our daily living.
As public funds were insufficient for such construction, the government introduced toll roads in 1952 with the Japan Road Public Corporation being formed in 1956, and the Metropolitan Highway Public Corporation in 1958.
The toll rates were fixed in order that construction costs would be repaid in a 40 year period of time. However, a pooling system was introduced in 1972 whereby the costs of all such road building were totaled and income used to pay all costs.
What is the cost of such road construction? The Nagoya-Kobe highway opened in 1965 cost 600 million yen per kilometer, but today the cost has increased nine fold to 5.4 billion yen. This is due to increasing costs, the higher ratio of tunnels and bridges, and the need to make our highways earthquakes proof.
I have mentioned the steady increase of highway mileage in Japan, yet when compared with population and land area of other countries, our road system is only 55% of Germany and 65% of France. Whereas in Europe the countries are dependent on road traffic for transportation and cargo hauling, in Japan railroad transport accounts for 40% of the total.
However, Japan is only second to the U.S. in automobile manufacture, and possesses 70 million cars, or more than one per family. Thus the need for more and better highways is apparent, and well planned road construction countries to be a necessity. Although some say that public works are no longer necessary, we believe that the efficiency of our road system should be further heightened so that goods may be transported more quickly and at lower cost, resulting in an incalculable economic effect.
Application of the automatic toll gathering system (ETC) and road use support (ITS) is now being studied, and most certainly ‘smart cars’ will be playing our “smart highways”.

Mr. Masahiko Okabe, President of the Nippon Express Co. Ltd.

1. From transport to flow of goods and logistics: Hoarding and moving things are a basic function of society, but from the 1960’s this has meant not only transport but packaging and distributing coupled with information processing which has resulted in a flow of goods.
2. Characteristics of distribution and flow:
A – In spite of the introduction of machines and automatic systems, it is still a labor concentrated work, with labor’s share reaching 74%. B – Made to order industry. Distribution is conducted according to the desires of the ordered, and being an invisible service we are unable to make excess goods or to store any, nor are we able to import such services.
C – Pulsating time industry. Orders for delivery are mostly received in the morning or evening hours so that peak time moves in waves. There are also weekly and monthly peak times, also seasonal ones. For instance for people moving, there is 6 or 7 times more activity in March than in June or July.
D – On-the-road industry – Truck drivers are often 2 to 3 days on the road before returning to their bases, and it is difficult to administer time control such movements.
E – Local business. Our services are provided only where there is a need for them. There are 64,000 freight hauling companies in Japan of which 52,000 are quite small local firms.
3. The flow of information and goods: Logistics is defined for commercial purposes as covering the activities of planning, gaining materials installing and controlling production, storage, sales together with collecting returned goods and their disposal. It is the base of all management and it is said that ‘logistics are half of marketing’.
This shows that together with the flow of goods we must have a flow of information in order for corporation management to function, and the 21st century will be made by this flow of goods and information.

**Attendance & Visitors
Total attendance for 4 meetings was 201 on the average including visitors.

Mexico: Rosalia Contreras Bulnes,
Valle de Tolica R.C.
New Zealand: Wanda Anasz,
Palmerston North R.C.
Singapore: Nor Thrathasan,
Singapore R.C.
U.S.A.: M. Wisotzky,
Honolulu Sunset R.C.