"The World and Japan" Database (Project Leader: TANAKA Akihiko)
Database of Japanese Politics and International Relations
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (IASA), The University of Tokyo

[Title] FACT SHEET: Strengthening the exchange between Japan and U.S. for further deepening the Japan-U.S. Alliance

[Place]
[Date] November 13, 2010
[Source] Ministry of Foreign Affaires of Japan
[Notes]
[Full text]

Prime Minister Naoto Kan and President Barack Obama met on November 13, 2010 in Yokohama. Prime Minister Kan, with the view that further enhancement of mutual understanding among wide range of people between Japan and the U.S. is necessary for mid and long term deepening and development of the Japan-U.S. Alliance,

1. announced his new initiatives as follows to further strengthen the exchange between Japan and the U.S. aiming at several thousand exchanges in 5 years and stated that he would continue his efforts to explore other possible effective measures;

(1) Sending Japanese young teachers and interns to the U.S.

-Sending young English teachers to the U.S.

-Sending young Japanese language teachers to the U.S.

-Sending Japanese students to the U.S. as interns at Japanese language

courses in the U.S.

(2) Other programs

＜Collaborative Education＞

-Promoting collaborative education and two-way exchanges among universities in Japan and the U.S.

＜Japanese Study and Japanese Language Education＞

-Supporting immersion Japanese language courses in the U.S.

-Opening and expanding Japanese language courses and promoting

Japan Studies in U.S. higher education institutions

＜Intellectual Exchange＞

-Strategic promotion of international cooperation in the field of advanced science & technology and sending young Japanese researchers to U.S.

-Strengthening relationships with U.S. think-tanks

-Inviting Asian study experts from U.S. to Japan

＜Grass-roots Exchange＞

-Promoting short-visit program for U.S. students

-Celebrating 2012 Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial Anniversary

＜Cultural Exchange＞

-Delivering Japanese values such as peace and environment through Japanese art

-Holding modern art exhibits at major art museums in the U.S.

2. expressed his concern over the decline of Japanese students who study in the U.S. and stated his intention to further concentrate and work on this issue; and

3. reaffirmed the importance of the several efforts addressed so far between Japan and the U.S, especially JET(The Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme, CULCON (US-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Exchange) and Fulbright Program, expressed his intention that he would positively continue to utilize these efforts, concluded that he would continue to explore measures which contribute to the strengthening the Japan-U.S. exchange.