Conference on Contemporary Japanese Studies in the Nordic Countries “Japan and Japanese Studies in the 21st Century”

Online

Dr. Elisabeth Nilsson, Chairperson of the Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation, Professor Soren Hvidkjrar, Dean of Copenhagen Business School, active Board members, and Japanese Studies lecturers and fellows in the Nordic countries. Particularly, I would like to express my appreciation to Your Excellency Manabu Miyagawa, Japanese Ambassador to Denmark, for your attendance.

Thank you for giving me the privilege to address this conference, which brings together colleagues in Japanese studies in the Nordic countries. I also would like to thank Copenhagen Business School, in particular Professor Kjeld Erik Brodsgaad for kindly offering to host this conference in Denmark.

Denmark has the oldest monarchy in Europe that has cultivated friendly ties with Japan’s imperial household more than 150 years ago. Early records show that a Japanese delegation was received in audience with King Christian IX. Yet this long-lasting friendship between Denmark and Japan is not limited to ties between the monarchy and the imperial family. It extends to the private sector in trade and economy as well as cultural exchanges.

Experts in Japan studies like yourselves are essential in bringing about further development of good relations between Japan and Denmark and other Nordic countries as Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. For my part, it is my great pleasure to offer support to you who have a strong desire to engage in research on Japan. However, The Nippon Foundation’s scholarship as well as our human resource development programs are not simply limited to funding but provide opportunities for life-long exchange. For this, we already have a network linking more than 30,000 fellows all over the world. I hope you too will make good use of this network.

Samuel Huntington, in his classic “The Clash of Civilizations,” refers to Japan as one of the eight great civilizations of the world. With a history of more than 2,000 years, Japan is a country that is enigmatic and profound. Based on such solid historical foundation, Japan took its first steps toward modernization, at the time exchanges with Denmark begun, to become a mature state both politically and economically. Today, Japan is, without an exception, a country that is also addressing challenges such as aging, demography, environment and energy that modern society faces. I am confident that how Japan deals with these may provide answers for other nations and that you will be able to fully satisfy your intellectual curiosity to no end. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy your fascinating research and, at the same time, take interest in Japan’s culture and tradition, and be a bridge in further strengthening ties between the Nordic countries and Japan. Thank you very much.