Charlotte Sens<\/b><\/p>\n
Layout Editor<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n On the bottom floor of Seton Hall University\u2019s Walsh Library on April 11, Japanese diplomat Kazuya Mori addressed students, discussing the topic: \u201cJapan around you and why it matters to the world.\u201d Many Japanese language students were in attendance, looking over a table of Japanese tourism brochures and practicing their language skills in conversation with their classmates. Mori began his talk with a resounding \u201cOhay\u014dgozaimasu.\u201d He shared that now is the perfect time to study US-Japan relations, amidst Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida\u2019s visit with United States President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C in early April.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The career diplomat went on to discuss his experience growing up in the U.S. Mori grew up in Santa Monica, California in the 1980s during the rise of the Japanese economy. He compared Japan\u2019s rise to that of China\u2019s currently, and noted that, paralleling today, many feared that Japan\u2019s rising economic power may challenge that of the U.S., seeing the nation as not only an economic, but also a cultural threat. This fear was aided by the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union as Americans began questioning the foreign nation\u2019s rise to power and what that might mean for their own security. He describes a period of \u201cJapan bashing\u201d where Japan-made products were looked down upon and seen as cheaper and of lower quality. He also noted that many thought that since Japanese companies were turning such a large profit in America, the nation should make a concerted effort to give back to the U.S. in investments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While Mori noted that while there was not a great cross-cultural exchange taking place at that time in the U.S., the tide started to shift in the turn of the century. The diplomat describes this time as \u201cJapan passing,\u201d where Japan\u2019s economy began to stagnate just as China began to open and develop substantially. Throughout the past two decades, Japan\u2019s economy has been taken over by China, and then by Germany, making Japan the 4<\/span>th<\/span> strongest economy globally. Mori notes that a decline in media coverage occurred in tandem with the nation\u2019s decline, as well as a fall in students of Japan studies in high schools and universities. However, Mori stated that \u201cno news is good news\u201d and that Japan does not make the news \u201cbecause there is no bad news.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He marks a steady bilateral partnership between the U.S. and Japan, intending to highlight that \u201cthere are good things to share\u201d about Japan. First, Japan has made the largest foreign direct investment for four consecutive years in a row. Japanese companies have also built relationships with local American communities. Mori mentioned that there are 250 Japanese companies operating just in New Jersey alone, a number that has increased in recent years. Finally, he notes a rise in interest in Japanese culture among America\u2019s younger generations, stemming from the popularity of such things as anime, manga, and video games. Mori encouraged continued appreciation for Japanese culture, as it is all around us, encouraging cross-cultural dialogue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Kazuya Mori did not just visit Seton Hall to discuss Japan\u2019s growing soft power, also taking a moment to discuss the state of Japan-U.S. bilateral relations. Mori notes that the two powers have played a critical role within East Asia and globally. He highlighted the growing and pervasive threat of North Korea to the people of Japan, highlighting the proximity of the two powers, comparing their distance to that of South Orange and Chicago. Mori addressed unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Sea, hinting at China\u2019s aggression in these areas and its continued violation of nations\u2019 exclusive economic zones. He stated that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is important for the region\u2019s stability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond these physical security concerns, Mori highlighted Japan\u2019s goals in addressing climate change and economic security, aiming to maintain vital supply chains and orchestrate close bilateral coordination. This bilateral coordination is the reason for Kishida\u2019s current visit to the U.S. Apart from developing U.S.-Japanese ties, the nations have announced a new trilateral framework with the Republic of Korea, which they are calling a new partnership and a \u201cnew era\u201d in East Asia. The three powers have been brought together over shared concerns within the region. Mori commented that although Japan\u2019s relationship with Korea has often been strained and the two states have had their differences, the diplomat believes that relations have rapidly improved in past years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Deputy Consulate General ended his talk by sharing hope for future cooperation between the U.S. and Japan, saying that \u201cat the end of the day, everything comes down to people-to-people relations.\u201d Mori emphasized Japan\u2019s longstanding good will towards the U.S., explaining that \u201cJapan and its people are very good friends\u201d to the U.S. and its allies. Kazuya Mori left an impact in the Beck Rooms, charismatically encouraging cross-cultural appreciation and understanding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On the bottom floor of Seton Hall University\u2019s Walsh Library on April 11, Japanese diplomat Kazuya Mori addressed students, discussing the topic: \u201cJapan around you and why it matters to the world.\u201d Many Japanese language students were in attendance, looking over a table of Japanese tourism brochures and practicing their language skills in conversation with their classmates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5318,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2705,389],"tags":[704,2802,2803],"class_list":["post-13201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2705","category-diplo-news","tag-school-of-diplomacy","tag-guest-speakers","tag-japanese-studies"],"yoast_head":"\n