photo album 5
September Regular Meeting
Date: September 27 (Sat.), 2003
Speaker: Mr. Takeshi Suzuki
Topic: Discussion: Will Japan change?
Place: Yugakusha Room 1
Discussion: Will Japan change?
Prime Minister Koizumi has kept saying that there would be no future for Japan without structural reform. Majority of Japanese voters seem to support the idea in general. He also says that he would dare break up LDP if it should remain opposed to his reform. Does he really mean what he says? Do Japanese people really want such a big change to take place? What should change and what shouldn't according to you?
Japan has a huge debt of 700 trillion yen. The total debt amount seems to be as much as 1,200 trillion yen if everything is combined. It means a debt of 10 million yen for each Japanese citizen. A reminder is that two thirds of the debt has occurred in the last decade. And still we keep borrowing more money every year without discussing what to do about it in the future. What do you think about it?
My main concern has been to see better English education in Japan. I want to see that learners enjoy practicing and learning better skill of expressing themselves in English. For that teachers themselves have to change. They will have to learn to speak more and write more. I am against "juken eigo" - too much emphasis on traditional grammar translation method or written exams. Will English education change from "juken eigo" to more communicative one? Will English teachers change? What is your ideal English education?
How would you describe Today Japan? "A land of self indulgent pessimism" that I read a year ago in a foreign paper is my favorite. Or "Japan has no will and no ability to change" sounds relevant to me, too. What do you think about these? Do you have any favorite descriptions?
Do you think that Japan will or should change? If yes, why? If not, why not? I hope that we will have a lively discussion on the issue. More importantly let's enjoy it.
Takeshi Suzuki (Thursday, September 18th, 2003)
11 people attended.
July Regular Meeting
Date: July 19
Speaker: Mr. Masaru Komura
Topic: -Dynamics of Selection and Promotion in Japan-
The speaker says on his presentation as follows:
As is said frequently, Japanese organizations such as companies, governments and political parties have quite a different tradition of management. At July presentation, I will try to explain for leader-selection and human-resource management in this country. In doing so, I would like to answer the question, "Why can't Japan change anything in practice?"
"In the recent ten years, the word "reformation" is always popular among most of the people and organizations in Japan....This thirst for reformation seems to be even a kind of fear, for example, such feeling as "If we fail to change ourselves and our tradition, we are fatal and the gloomy future is soon coming..."
11 people attended.
June Regular Meeting
Date: June 21
Speaker: Kinuyo Kurokawa
Topic: -Sazae-san- : Why has the story been so popular to Japanese people for decades?
Ben sitting in the middle of the picture above comes from Australia. He is studying at Akita University for 8 months. He has been learning Japanese for two years and two months. Ben has already learned to speak Japanese so well with little accent. His listening ability is incredible. He reads newspaper daily and is good at writing, too. It is amazing.
14 people attended.
May Regular Meeting
Date: May 17 (Sat.), 2003
Speaker: Mr. Yoshiharu Ikeda
Topic: -Fictitious truth reported by Asahi Shinbun behind freedom of press-
12 people attended.
See more pictures of past TIE meetings
"GENKI" English education homepage by Takeshi Suzuki
Read My Diary 4(from January 1, 2003)
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