SPICE has the honor of working closely with the Yanai Tadashi Foundation. The Yanai Tadashi Foundation’s mission is twofold. The first focuses on leader development by developing “leaders who can solve issues from a global perspective and drive the growth of Japan and the world.” The Foundation works towards this goal through its International Scholarship Program and the Ryugaku Fellowship, a study abroad support program. The recipients of the International Scholarship Program have the honor of carrying the title of Yanai Scholar. Since 2015, the Yanai Tadashi Foundation has funded very generous scholarships to Japanese students who enter top colleges and universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The second mission focuses on the promotion of mutual understanding. The Foundation “strives to create a society where people with diverse backgrounds develop mutual understanding and live in harmony.” The Foundation works towards this goal through Stanford e-Japan, a distance-learning course administered through SPICE with generous support from the Yanai Tadashi Foundation. First offered in Spring 2015, Stanford e-Japan enrolls exceptional high school students in Japan to engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations. The Spring 2025 course marks the tenth year of Stanford e-Japan. The instructors of Stanford e-Japan are Waka Takahashi Brown, Manager and spring session instructor, and Meiko Kotani, fall session instructor. One of the goals of the course is to encourage Japanese students to consider applying to colleges and universities in the United States. Though many Japanese students have considered doing so, one major concern has been the cost.

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Meiko Kotani and I recently met four freshman Yanai Scholars at Stanford, and they offered to share their experiences at Stanford—as well as their gratitude to Mr. Tadashi Yanai and the Yanai Tadashi Foundation—in this article. Photo above: Gary Mukai, Mr. Tadashi Yanai, and Waka Takahashi Brown, courtesy the Yanai Tadashi Foundation.

Koichi Kimoto

I am a first-year student planning to study Aerospace Engineering/Electrical Engineering. As a Yanai Tadashi Foundation Scholar at Stanford, I feel very honored and grateful to be able to attend a university abundant of opportunities in terms of activities and network at virtually no cost. I know for a fact that my family would not have been able to support my college education costs in a university in the United States (especially a private school), so being a recipient of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation scholarship was the enabling part in realizing my goals of studying Aerospace Engineering at a school in the United States, where the field is most predominant.

Receiving the scholarship acceptance before college admissions was also a huge benefit both psychologically and admissions-wise, since it alleviated my worries about financial burden and kept me solely focused on just getting into a university. Moreover, not only does the YTF scholarship help me attend Stanford right now, but being a part of such a wonderful community of such diverse, talented people has made me a part of an amazing network full of potential collaborators in various fields ranging from engineering, computer science, and music, and I have accomplished so much with my fellow Yanai Scholars, and I hope to keep and learning and growing through this opportunity of a lifetime.

Chisa Ogaki

I am beyond grateful and honored to be able to study at Stanford as a Yanai Tadashi Foundation Scholar. Thanks to Mr. Yanai and the Foundation, I am able to immerse myself fully in my college experience and pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering without any financial burden on my family. Beyond the generous financial support, what truly differentiates the Yanai Tadashi Foundation from other scholarship foundations in Japan is the community. It has been invigorating to connect with and learn from fellow Yanai Scholars who are all incredibly skilled in their respective fields. Our alumni are always willing to offer mentorship and many of us stay connected well after graduating college.

The Foundation also actively helps us build this sense of community by hosting annual retreats and events that bring us scholars together. One of the highlights of my Stanford experience so far is the weekly dinner I have with three other first-year Yanai Scholars at Stanford. After a long and eventful week, it is always refreshing to come together on the weekend to recap and share stories. Listening to each of their experiences refuels my motivation to work harder in the following week. The connections I have made with fellow Yanai Scholars have enriched my college experience and will continue to inspire me to make the most of my education at Stanford.

Issa Sadamoto

I am a freshman studying Computer Science, with an interest in other fields such as Classics, History, and International Relations. Being able to attend Stanford through the financial assistance granted by the Yanai Tadashi Foundation, I am most grateful for the chance to attend a university that allows me to explore my breadth of interest to the fullest extent, not constrained by a narrow four-year structure. Taking classes and being able to enjoy undergraduate life having the privilege not to worry about my financial situation, the Yanai Tadashi Foundation and Stanford enable me to dive into my interests and find my future passions.

The Foundation’s support extends beyond mere financial assistance. The community it has formed has helped to push and motivate me. The environment of highly motivated peers within the community motivates me daily to excel academically and engage meaningfully with campus opportunities. The diverse perspectives I have encountered have challenged my preconceptions and enriched my worldview in ways I never anticipated. Each conversation with fellow scholars introduces new ideas that complement my technical studies with humanistic insights. This integration of knowledge domains is precisely what I hoped to achieve in my education. I hope to keep leveraging this amazing chance to further grow and develop my interests, and to keep learning from the wonderful environment offered by Stanford!

Shodai Tanaka

Firstly, I love the violin. My dream was to study the physics of musical instruments at Stanford. The dream has come true with the support of the Yanai Tadashi Foundation scholarship and the great community of Yanai Scholars. Since coming here, I have been recognizing the history of the Japanese people anew, including the history of myself. As an international student who has spent almost the entirety of my life inside Hokkaido, Japan, it is not an easy workload to study abroad and be exposed to a different culture. However, in Stanford’s environment, with freedom and therefore requiring agency, I am gaining diverse thinking perspectives from intriguing teachers and friends.

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During a recent meeting at the Yanai Tadashi Foundation in Tokyo, I had the pleasure of meeting with Chikano Shiroma, SPICE’s former main liaison at the Yanai Tadashi Foundation; photo to the left courtesy the Yanai Tadashi Foundation. She has met with many Yanai Scholars at Stanford and other colleges and universities. Waka Takahashi Brown, Meiko Kotani, and I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to her for her unwavering support of Stanford e-Japan and the chance to work with Yanai Scholars, several of whom are alumni of Stanford e-Japan. Two of Chikano Shiroma’s colleagues—Kano Sasaki, Masami Ueda—kindly joined the meeting as well, and we are looking forward to working closely with them as well as Ayako Tamura and Takatoshi Tanaka this year. 

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The following is a guest article written by Dr. Hideto Fukudome. He is a Professor of Higher Education and Chair of the Department of Integrated Educational Sciences, Graduate School of Education, and also Special Assistant to the President, the University of Tokyo.

In October 2024, the Graduate School of Education of the University of Tokyo celebrated a memorable and highly significant day. It was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for mutual academic exchange between SPICE of Stanford University and the Graduate School of Education of the University of Tokyo. The ceremony was held on a beautiful autumn day at the Hongo campus of the University of Tokyo. We invited two guests from Stanford: Dr. Gary Mukai, Director of SPICE, and Professor Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu, a lecturer at Stanford and former professor at the University of Tokyo. Eight faculty members of the School of Education and several related staff members attended the ceremony. As participants looked on, Professor Masaaki Katsuno, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, and Dr. Mukai signed the document.

The MOU document between the two organizations has an official appearance. Nevertheless, contained in its formal content is an essential friendship. Furthermore, it is not only the members who attended the ceremony that day who are in the circle of friendship. After the ceremony, faculty and students who had participated in previous SPICE collaborations gathered to renew old friendships around Dr. Mukai and Dr. Murphy-Shigematsu, and new exchanges were born there. In the evening, Professor Miho Takahashi of the Graduate School of Education hosted a research seminar and reception with Dr. Murphy-Shigematsu. Everyone had a pleasant time.

Moreover, the exchange between the two organizations is supported by many SPICE friends. The exchange between the two organizations, which began in 2019, was affected by the impact of COVID-19 along the way, but we continued to interact with each other across distances using online resources. We have continued to organize a regular Lecture Series, in which many SPICE members have participated and supported. In the process, we have learned a lot from each other about international and cross-cultural education. SPICE members offered their breadth and depth of knowledge and experience. SPICE’s willingness to engage in exchanges with Japan and Asia has deepened our friendship. Above all, all of us share a passion for education!

Here are our exchanges so far. I invited Dr. Mukai to Japan for the first time in 2019. Professor Takeo Hoshi helped me. He is currently a professor of economics and vice president of UTokyo, and he was formerly a professor at the Stanford FSI, to which SPICE belongs. In the fall of 2022, I invited Dr. Mukai to UTokyo as a foreign researcher invited by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). During his two-month stay, various exchanges were born between faculty members, students, and UTokyo’s affiliated middle school, and memories were made. Among them, I will never forget the graduate class Dr. Mukai and I offered. Enthusiastic students gathered to attend. With the help of Dr. Mukai, we also held various events, and many people participated, creating many new encounters and friendships.

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Since 2023, I have been taking graduate students from UTokyo to Stanford University every year to give intensive lectures. The photo above was taken after a presentation by SPICE’s Meiko Kotani (front row far left), Sabrina Ishimatsu (front row third from left), and Irene Bryant (front row fourth from left); photo courtesy Graduate School of Education of the University of Tokyo. Each time, 15 to 20 students join the program. I ask SPICE members and Stanford University faculty and staff to give lectures and workshops. Through these, students deepen their understanding of cross-cultural education and diversity and learn a lot about American higher education, education, and cultural history. When visiting Stanford University, we also visit nearby higher education institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, Foothill College, and San Francisco State University, which are friendly universities. We also visit related facilities, such as the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, the Immigration Museum on Angel Island, the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco, and IT companies in Silicon Valley in order to broaden the students’ experiences. Appreciating art and watching sports are important parts of learning about American culture.

The highlight of our visits is the meeting with SPICE members, which is always the most enjoyable time. We are grateful to all the lecturers and staff who welcome and warmly host our visits. This special opportunity provided by SPICE has significantly contributed to the internationalization and quality of teaching and research in the School of Education.

Many Japanese and Japanese Americans are active in Silicon Valley, centered around Stanford University, and they are putting into practice cross-cultural exchange. Every time I visit the area, I am greatly stimulated and learn a lot from them and people interested in Japan and Asia. My perspective has broadened dramatically, and I can gain new ways of thinking. I am also interacting with UTokyo’s alumni group Akamon-kai, which has two local groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. I hope to further strengthen the relationship through more visits in the future.

Our MOU will be an opportunity for more people to participate in our exchanges and have scholarly exchanges as well as a fun time, and our mutual friendship will deepen and broaden. The MOU itself may be a formal document, but what is important is the friendly exchange rooted in mutual friendship and common interests, which now will have even more opportunities to blossom thanks to the MOU.

Applications for Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ) are now open. This all-English online program aims to develop Japanese students’ creative thinking and problem-solving abilities to tackle social challenges. SeEJ is offered twice a year, in the fall and spring, through a collaboration between SPICE and the non-profit organization e-Entrepreneurship in Japan. The course is led by Irene Bryant in the fall and Makiko Hirata in the spring. It is available to Japanese-speaking high school students, in or from Japan, in their first and second years. The spring 2025 session will take place from early April to August.

The application form is now available at https://forms.gle/T2tX6hW9kXwo9xzB9. The submission deadline is March 22, 2025, at 11:59 PM Japan Time.

SeEJ provides students with the chance to interact with entrepreneurs and scholars from California and beyond who are working to solve social challenges. The program features virtual classes (VCs) held twice a month on Sundays. Throughout the course, students will complete two research projects—one individually and one as part of a group. The group project will be presented to a panel of guest judges, who will assess each team’s social innovation in addressing real-world issues. Participants who successfully finish the course will be awarded a Certificate of Completion from SPICE and NPO e-Entrepreneurship.

Applicants need to be available and committed to attending VCs held on the following Sunday mornings, Japan Time: 4/20, 5/4, 5/18, 6/1, 6/15, 7/6, 7/20, 8/10, and 8/24. Most classes will be from 10AM to 12PM, except for VC#1 and VC#7 which will be from 10AM to 12:30PM. In addition to the VCs, students will have assignments that will require about 3–5 hours per week for class preparation, individual assignments, and group work.

For more information about Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, visit the program webpage. To apply, submit the online application by March 22.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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3/13/25 EDIT: Application deadline updated from March 15 to March 22, 2025.

On November 8, 2024, a film screening of Instruments of a Beating Heart was held at Stanford University that was followed by a conversation between filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki, Professor Kiyoteru Tsutsui, and Dr. Mariko Yang-Yoshihara. The film screening was sponsored by the Japan Program, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center. Erin Tsutsui shared her reflections of the film. Erin is a student at Gunn High School, Palo Alto, California.

The award-winning documentary short Instruments of a Beating Heart by Ema Ryan Yamazaki captures a core essence of Japaneseness—discipline in the name of contributing to the greater good for a harmonious society. Set in a regular elementary school in Tokyo, the film tracks a seemingly trivial event of a first grader’s performance in her school’s end-of-year ensemble. Through its portrayal of practice sessions, the film demonstrates how the Japanese school system instills Japan’s famous collectivist mindset from a young age with an emphasis on compliance and respect for others. Protagonist Ayame is reduced to tears when her school teacher points out her lack of practice in front of her peers. However, with encouragement from her mentors and a newfound motivation to practice her music, she nails her performance, thus bolstering her work ethic and penchant for a greater community good. This mindset makes Japan function so well as a society with its clean roads, low crime rates, and timely trains, but it also exerts pressure to conform and can lead to a loss of self-respect and individuality.

I grew up in the United States, where people commend individuality and free will and celebrate being different from others. I also attended Japanese elementary schools, though only for a couple of weeks each year, and noticed the stark contrast in the way students behave. I now realize that what I observed in those schools represent different social norms that govern each country. Japanese students mop the floors and serve the food to each other, carrying the responsibility of maintaining their space and learning the importance of combined efforts. In the meantime, American schools have custodians and lunch servers to shoulder all the burden while students tend to their own interests.

Personally, I remember my elementary school years in America to be freeing and unrestrained, where I learned the value of my uniqueness from the next person and celebrated our differences. These values continue to shape me today, as I hold a strong sense of selfhood and understand the power of my voice. On the other hand, during my brief time attending a Japanese school, I was struck by how disciplined my peers were, considering the tremendous amount of homework and tasks assigned to them. I remember working with my new friends to clean our classroom floors, serve lunch, and finish massive academic tasks in the classroom. At the beginning it was overwhelming and somewhat puzzling, but over time I found it rewarding knowing I contributed to the well-kept communal space and accomplished tasks with my young friends.

It is evident to me now, having experienced the contrasting school systems, that the cultural norms and ideals are integrated into the nations’ citizens early on. Though Ayame felt dejected in the beginning, her teachers’ scolding and nurturing helped improve her discipline, and she ultimately performed well. That discipline of hers, combined with that of her classmates, made the orchestra work. The instrumental orchestra is quite symbolic of the value of working together to create a masterpiece, as a slip-up from any one ensemble member can disrupt the balance of the ensemble. Writ large, Japanese society functions well because Japanese citizens exercise their discipline to work together toward a greater good. For all its other problems, such as overbearing societal pressures and suppression of individual expressions, Japan has much to offer to other societies in how to run a well-functioning society.

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On November 8, 2024, I attended a film screening of Instruments of a Beating Heart at Stanford University that was followed by a conversation between filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki, Professor Kiyoteru Tsutsui, and Dr. Mariko Yang-Yoshihara. The film screening was sponsored by the Japan Program, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center. The following is a description of the film:

First graders in a Tokyo public elementary school are presented with a challenge for the final semester: to form an orchestra and perform “Ode to Joy” at a school ceremony. The film examines the Japanese educational system’s tenuous balance between self-sacrifice and personal growth as it teaches the next generation to become part of society.

Instruments of a Beating Heart is The New York Times Op-Docs version of Yamazaki’s longer film, The Making of a Japanese. Instruments of a Beating Heart was produced by Eric Nyari of Cineric Creative and co-produced by NHK (Japan Public Broadcasting).

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As I watched the 23-minute film, I felt emotional connections to and familiarity with many of the scenes at the elementary school in Tokyo; image above courtesy Cineric Creative / The New York Times Op-Docs. This is primarily because I used to teach in Japan for three years from 1977 to 1980—including many classes with elementary school students—and also taught first grade for many years in the 1980s at a public school in California. One of my major responsibilities in teaching first grade was helping students who were identified as dyslexic. My pedagogical training was heavily focused on engaging the students in multisensory ways.

I never taught music but could relate to the ways in which the teachers at the elementary school in the film engaged their students through multisensory ways—including kinesthetic engagement. Ayame, the featured student in the film, exhibited a range of emotions in Instruments of a Beating Heart, and this reminded me of the occasional sadness and tears from some of my first-grade students as well as their happiness and laughter.

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After the film screening, Professor Tsutsui facilitated a very engaging and emotional discussion of the film with Director Yamazaki and Dr. Yang-Yoshihara, and also facilitated a Q&A session with the members of the audience. Based on the questions and comments from the audience, it seemed obvious to me that people in the audience—like me—also related emotionally and personally to the film. Everyone, of course, had attended first grade, and many people in the audience were Japanese. Photo above courtesy Kana Igarashi Limpanukorn, Japan Program.

Stemming from the captivating discussion during which many personal school experiences were shared, I thought to myself that this film would be one that I would highly recommend for secondary school and college student audiences and teacher education programs. If I were to share this film with one or more of these audiences and were limited to perhaps a class period, I would suggest using a three-part format.

First, I think that it is important to set the context for the film by informing the audience of a summary of the film. For example, the summary of the film (above) could be read. It is also important to point out that this is a 2022 film about one elementary school in Tokyo, the most populated city in Japan, and that there is a tremendous diversity of schools in Japan. For example, I recently visited a school on an island in Japan that has fewer than 100 students. I would also recommend engaging the audience in a discussion using questions such as: What do you remember about your first grade (or elementary school) experience? What lessons or skills do you value today that date back to your first grade (or elementary school) experience?

Second, because there are many important themes and concepts depicted in the film, I would structure the viewing of the film by assigning one of the following prompts to small groups in the audience to consider while viewing the film. Hopefully, this would not only help to underscore the importance of the themes and concepts but also help to make the processing of the film—especially for young students—less overwhelming.

Prompts:

• Share your thoughts on how teamwork, discipline, and personal growth are emphasized in teaching at the elementary school. How have you personally experienced teamwork, discipline, and personal growth in or outside of classrooms?
• Share your thoughts on the emotions shown and lessons learned by students (like Ayame) following the selection of specific students to play specific instruments in “Ode to Joy.”
• What struck you about some of the comments and questions that the teachers raised in the film? Sample comments and questions: (a) “Even if you don’t get the part, don’t take it too hard. It is very kind of you to be sad for each other. What I want you to gain from the performance is first the strength not to give up. You might run into obstacles. I want you to persevere. Second, discover the joy of being useful for the next first graders.” (b) “Can someone who isn’t a good listener be a leader?” (c) “Have a strong heart and do your best.” (d) “Will crying help you improve?” (e) “You don’t have to be perfect. Just do your best.” (f) “Who thought practice was tough? Who did their best? Who thought I was strict?”
• How did the director’s decision to focus on a school performance impact the overall story or message of the film? What insights did you gain from watching the students’ experiences? Reflect on your own personal experiences with school performances—whether in music, sports, theater, or other activities. What valuable lessons did you learn from those moments, and how did they shape your perspective on education?

After viewing the film, I would suggest allowing the small groups to meet for 10 minutes to discuss their responses to their prompts and select spokespeople to share a short two-minute summary of their discussion. Additional discussions can focus on techniques that the filmmaker uses to engage the audience. How does she use B-roll footage? What other B-roll footage would you have considered using and why? Also, Dr. Yang-Yoshihara, who is originally from Japan, shared that viewing Yamazaki’s documentary “was like taking a walk down memory lane. It also touched on themes that made me deeply reflect on the current state of the country, particularly its struggle to find a balance between its cultural commitment to collective identity and the expression of individualism.” What are your thoughts on this balance?

Third, I would suggest that the following could be assigned as homework. Ask students to choose one of the following two sets of statements from the film (below) and (a) write their reflections on the statements; (b) design a visual art piece that captures the spirit of the statements; (c) develop a musical score or lyrics based on the statements; (d) design a dance movement that captures the spirit of the statements; (e) develop a poem based on the statements; (f) develop a diary-type entry based on something in your life that is reflective of the statements; or (g) propose another creative activity to share with the instructor.

Statements:

1. “Those of you practicing a lot are getting better. Your hearts are becoming one. I can hear it. But those who are not practicing are ruining that togetherness. What a shame.”
2. “We’re each a piece of a heart. If everyone is together this is our [heart] shape. If one of us is unbalanced, then the shape is broken. It’s no longer a heart. What unforgiving instruments we are.”

Importantly, I would suggest that these assignments be used for assessment purposes.

For those who would like to share this film, the link below has been provided by The New York Times: What a School Performance Shows Us About Japanese Education: A look into the delicate balance between teamwork, discipline, and personal growth. Comments on the film can be sent to Director Ema Ryan Yamazaki at ema@cinericcreative.com.

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