Fostering empathy to build intercultural communities
KUROSAWA Shinya / President, The Japan Foundation
July 11, 2024
Recent international situations indicate that intercultural cohesion is in a state of transition. We seem to live in an age of grand transformation in international exchange.
Diplomatic relations between nation-states change over time. To build friendly relations, we strive to see that the pieces of our respective jigsaws fit together. At times, however, spaces remain unfilled, or the curves that seem to fit together actually do not. To surmount these problems and create sustainable friendly relations, we need constant and steady grassroots human exchange and dialogue. It seems that we are now thrust into an era where public diplomacy can prove its worth by filling in the gaps and sustaining the bonds with our partners without being swayed by government-to-government diplomacy. We try to make ourselves known and understood and, at the same time, try to respect and understand the party with whom we are engaged. Durable peace resides in such a spirit to “foster empathy”.
Where does Japan stand in this context? As is shown by the recent boom in inbound tourism, the interest of people around the world in Japan is becoming more wide-ranging, with the growing popularity of its cuisine as well as its traditional and pop culture. Foreigners are interested in exploring these things in greater depth. When foreign visitors are exposed to the habits, customs, and events that are commonplace to us Japanese, they find novelty, rarity, or something valuable to learn. This in turn reminds us of the depth of Japanese culture. But let me sound a note of caution not to be too boastful about it.
Before the 2000s, the United States mainland was the dream destination for Japanese tourists. They traveled there always for the experience of learning and absorbing the new culture there. But the 9/11 attacks triggered a shift in the mood. The enthusiasm tapered off and the number of Japanese tourists travelling there grew only sluggishly. Presumably, this was because “empathy” weakened on the part of the Japanese who had absorbed what they wanted to learn from the United States and had assimilated it deftly into Japanese culture.
As the inbound visitors from Asian countries increase in leaps and bounds, the absorption of Japanese culture has started throughout Asia. As seen in the typical examples of Japanese cuisine and anime, Japanese culture is filtering through to Asia at an unprecedented pace and is being integrated with the recipient’s indigenous culture. I fear that this may lead to something similar to what happened to the United States and Japan.
In order not to repeat the same mistake, it is important to take the approach of building empathy in multiple ways through meticulously filling out the “gaps”, while not forgetting to respect the cultural zone with which you are interacting. The basis of such efforts is the Japanese language education that has been promoted from the outset as a part of the steps to further the understanding of Japanese culture. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of people who have been stimulated by anime and manga to study Japanese and take the proficiency tests. The Japanese language is not easy to understand when approached only as another language to learn. It is only when you understand the culture behind it that your understanding of the language advances.
That being said, the demand of changing times has brought us to a point in time when
we have to reconsider and expand the role of Japanese language education. With the planned introduction in 2027 of the tentatively named “Training and Employment System”, which aims to secure and develop vital foreign human resources, there will be an increase in the number of people from ASEAN and other countries who seek to pass the Japanese language proficiency tests and find employment in Japan. This will make it necessary to expand the education on Japanese culture in tandem with Japanese language education before those aspiring workers come to Japan, so as to deepen the understanding of intercultural community building on the part of both the potential employees and employers.
Unlike the European countries and the United States which are vacillating between intercultural cohesion and protectionism, Japan is still in the initial phase of transforming itself into an interculturally cohesive society. It is to be desired that, while heeding previous examples, we go on to build a Japanese model that we can show proudly to the world.
Let us begin by building “empathy” overseas through international exchange. The magnetism thus created will encourage those who seek employment in Japan, help develop a mutual understanding of cultures and build new “empathies”. I see The Japan Foundation as a test case to achieve all these from start to finish.
We no longer allow human exchanges to be branded as “non-essential, non-urgent” work in times of emergency. The quiet, steady work of fitting the jigsaw pieces together in fact constitutes the motor of creating a sustainable, interculturally cohesive community.
Kurosawa Shinya is the president of The Japan Foundation.
Diplomatic relations between nation-states change over time. To build friendly relations, we strive to see that the pieces of our respective jigsaws fit together. At times, however, spaces remain unfilled, or the curves that seem to fit together actually do not. To surmount these problems and create sustainable friendly relations, we need constant and steady grassroots human exchange and dialogue. It seems that we are now thrust into an era where public diplomacy can prove its worth by filling in the gaps and sustaining the bonds with our partners without being swayed by government-to-government diplomacy. We try to make ourselves known and understood and, at the same time, try to respect and understand the party with whom we are engaged. Durable peace resides in such a spirit to “foster empathy”.
Where does Japan stand in this context? As is shown by the recent boom in inbound tourism, the interest of people around the world in Japan is becoming more wide-ranging, with the growing popularity of its cuisine as well as its traditional and pop culture. Foreigners are interested in exploring these things in greater depth. When foreign visitors are exposed to the habits, customs, and events that are commonplace to us Japanese, they find novelty, rarity, or something valuable to learn. This in turn reminds us of the depth of Japanese culture. But let me sound a note of caution not to be too boastful about it.
Before the 2000s, the United States mainland was the dream destination for Japanese tourists. They traveled there always for the experience of learning and absorbing the new culture there. But the 9/11 attacks triggered a shift in the mood. The enthusiasm tapered off and the number of Japanese tourists travelling there grew only sluggishly. Presumably, this was because “empathy” weakened on the part of the Japanese who had absorbed what they wanted to learn from the United States and had assimilated it deftly into Japanese culture.
As the inbound visitors from Asian countries increase in leaps and bounds, the absorption of Japanese culture has started throughout Asia. As seen in the typical examples of Japanese cuisine and anime, Japanese culture is filtering through to Asia at an unprecedented pace and is being integrated with the recipient’s indigenous culture. I fear that this may lead to something similar to what happened to the United States and Japan.
In order not to repeat the same mistake, it is important to take the approach of building empathy in multiple ways through meticulously filling out the “gaps”, while not forgetting to respect the cultural zone with which you are interacting. The basis of such efforts is the Japanese language education that has been promoted from the outset as a part of the steps to further the understanding of Japanese culture. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of people who have been stimulated by anime and manga to study Japanese and take the proficiency tests. The Japanese language is not easy to understand when approached only as another language to learn. It is only when you understand the culture behind it that your understanding of the language advances.
That being said, the demand of changing times has brought us to a point in time when
we have to reconsider and expand the role of Japanese language education. With the planned introduction in 2027 of the tentatively named “Training and Employment System”, which aims to secure and develop vital foreign human resources, there will be an increase in the number of people from ASEAN and other countries who seek to pass the Japanese language proficiency tests and find employment in Japan. This will make it necessary to expand the education on Japanese culture in tandem with Japanese language education before those aspiring workers come to Japan, so as to deepen the understanding of intercultural community building on the part of both the potential employees and employers.
Unlike the European countries and the United States which are vacillating between intercultural cohesion and protectionism, Japan is still in the initial phase of transforming itself into an interculturally cohesive society. It is to be desired that, while heeding previous examples, we go on to build a Japanese model that we can show proudly to the world.
Let us begin by building “empathy” overseas through international exchange. The magnetism thus created will encourage those who seek employment in Japan, help develop a mutual understanding of cultures and build new “empathies”. I see The Japan Foundation as a test case to achieve all these from start to finish.
We no longer allow human exchanges to be branded as “non-essential, non-urgent” work in times of emergency. The quiet, steady work of fitting the jigsaw pieces together in fact constitutes the motor of creating a sustainable, interculturally cohesive community.
Kurosawa Shinya is the president of The Japan Foundation.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
多文化共生を育む共感づくりを目指して
黒澤 信也 / 独立行政法人 国際交流基金理事長
2024年 7月 11日
昨今の国際情勢からして、多文化共生の理念は過渡期にあるのではないかと感じる。我々は今正に国際交流の大きな転換期にいるのではないだろうか。
国家間の外交関係は時代とともに変化する。友好関係を築き上げるために、互いのジグゾーパズルのピースが嚙合うように努力するも、時として隙間が出来たり、噛合っていたはずの凹凸関係が同床異夢と化したりする。こうしたことを超えて、持続可能な友好関係を創り出すには、日頃からの地道な草の根レベルの人的交流と対話が必要だ。政府間外交に左右されず、隙間を埋め、絆を維持し続けるパブリックディプロマシーが本領を発揮する時代に突入したと感じる。自らを知らしめて理解してもらう努力と同時に、リスペクトをもって相手の理解に努める。恒久的平和はこのような「共感づくり」を目指す精神の下に宿る。
こうした環境の中、日本の立ち位置はどうだろうか。昨今の訪日ブームが証明するとおり、今日、世界中からの日本に対する関心は、食や伝統文化からポップカルチャーまで、より一層幅広く、奥深く人気の的となっている。日本人にとっては当たり前の習慣、風習、行事でも、異国の人々は、そこに斬新さ、珍しさ、学ぶべき価値を見出しており、改めて日本文化の奥深さを思い知らされる。但し、この状況に驕ってはいけないとあえて警鐘を鳴らしたい。
2000年代に入る前、かつて米国本土は日本人観光客の憧れの地であった。米国に学び、常に新しい文化を取り入れようとしてきた。ところが911事件を皮切りに、そのムードは逓減し、観光客も伸び悩んだ。一通りの学ぶものを取り入れ、日本文化に上手に同化させてしまったため、「共感」が薄れたからだと推察する。
アジア諸国からの訪日が躍進を遂げる中、今アジア中で日本文化の取り入れが始まっている。日本食やアニメ文化が典型例で、かつてないほどの勢いで日本の文化が浸透し、独自の文化と融合しだしているだけに、同様なことが起きないかと危惧する。
同じ轍を踏まないためにも、対峙する文化圏へのリスペクトを忘れずに、各国毎に丁寧に「隙間」を埋め、多角的に共感を創り上げる様々な取り組みが重要となる。その基礎をなすのが、当初から日本文化への理解促進の一環として普及させてきた日本語教育だ。近年アニメや漫画から刺激を受け、日本語を学び、検定試験を受ける人が急増している。日本語は単に語学として学んでも理解し難い。その背景にある文化を理解して、初めて日本語に対する理解が及ぶ。
但し、日本語教育も時代の要請から、その役割を更に拡充して考えねばならないタイミングに来ている。外国人材の育成と確保を目的とする育成就労制度(仮称)の２０２７年導入に伴い、ASEAN諸国を中心に、今後は日本語検定試験に合格し、日本での就労を目指す人が増えると予測する。このため、来日前に日本語教育とセットで日本文化教育を充実させ、就労者・受け入れ側双方にて、多文化共生への理解を一層深めていくことが求められる。
多文化共生と保護主義の間に揺れ動きだした欧米諸国と違い、日本における多文化共生社会の実現はまだ序盤。先行事例を横目に、世界に誇れる日本流モデルを是非とも実現したいところだ。
国際交流を通じて海外で「共感」を創り上げることに始まり、そのことに魅せられて日本に来る就労者を支援し、お互いの文化に対する理解形成と新なる「共感」を創り上げる。国際交流基金の活動はこのことを一気通貫で実現する試金石。
人と人との交流は、有事の際の「不要不急」とはもう言わせない。ジグゾーパズルを嚙合わせる地道な努力は、持続可能な多文化共生社会を創り上げるための原動力なのだから。
筆者は国際交流基金理事長
国家間の外交関係は時代とともに変化する。友好関係を築き上げるために、互いのジグゾーパズルのピースが嚙合うように努力するも、時として隙間が出来たり、噛合っていたはずの凹凸関係が同床異夢と化したりする。こうしたことを超えて、持続可能な友好関係を創り出すには、日頃からの地道な草の根レベルの人的交流と対話が必要だ。政府間外交に左右されず、隙間を埋め、絆を維持し続けるパブリックディプロマシーが本領を発揮する時代に突入したと感じる。自らを知らしめて理解してもらう努力と同時に、リスペクトをもって相手の理解に努める。恒久的平和はこのような「共感づくり」を目指す精神の下に宿る。
こうした環境の中、日本の立ち位置はどうだろうか。昨今の訪日ブームが証明するとおり、今日、世界中からの日本に対する関心は、食や伝統文化からポップカルチャーまで、より一層幅広く、奥深く人気の的となっている。日本人にとっては当たり前の習慣、風習、行事でも、異国の人々は、そこに斬新さ、珍しさ、学ぶべき価値を見出しており、改めて日本文化の奥深さを思い知らされる。但し、この状況に驕ってはいけないとあえて警鐘を鳴らしたい。
2000年代に入る前、かつて米国本土は日本人観光客の憧れの地であった。米国に学び、常に新しい文化を取り入れようとしてきた。ところが911事件を皮切りに、そのムードは逓減し、観光客も伸び悩んだ。一通りの学ぶものを取り入れ、日本文化に上手に同化させてしまったため、「共感」が薄れたからだと推察する。
アジア諸国からの訪日が躍進を遂げる中、今アジア中で日本文化の取り入れが始まっている。日本食やアニメ文化が典型例で、かつてないほどの勢いで日本の文化が浸透し、独自の文化と融合しだしているだけに、同様なことが起きないかと危惧する。
同じ轍を踏まないためにも、対峙する文化圏へのリスペクトを忘れずに、各国毎に丁寧に「隙間」を埋め、多角的に共感を創り上げる様々な取り組みが重要となる。その基礎をなすのが、当初から日本文化への理解促進の一環として普及させてきた日本語教育だ。近年アニメや漫画から刺激を受け、日本語を学び、検定試験を受ける人が急増している。日本語は単に語学として学んでも理解し難い。その背景にある文化を理解して、初めて日本語に対する理解が及ぶ。
但し、日本語教育も時代の要請から、その役割を更に拡充して考えねばならないタイミングに来ている。外国人材の育成と確保を目的とする育成就労制度(仮称)の２０２７年導入に伴い、ASEAN諸国を中心に、今後は日本語検定試験に合格し、日本での就労を目指す人が増えると予測する。このため、来日前に日本語教育とセットで日本文化教育を充実させ、就労者・受け入れ側双方にて、多文化共生への理解を一層深めていくことが求められる。
多文化共生と保護主義の間に揺れ動きだした欧米諸国と違い、日本における多文化共生社会の実現はまだ序盤。先行事例を横目に、世界に誇れる日本流モデルを是非とも実現したいところだ。
国際交流を通じて海外で「共感」を創り上げることに始まり、そのことに魅せられて日本に来る就労者を支援し、お互いの文化に対する理解形成と新なる「共感」を創り上げる。国際交流基金の活動はこのことを一気通貫で実現する試金石。
人と人との交流は、有事の際の「不要不急」とはもう言わせない。ジグゾーパズルを嚙合わせる地道な努力は、持続可能な多文化共生社会を創り上げるための原動力なのだから。
筆者は国際交流基金理事長
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟