This summer, I had the pleasure of collaborating with the University of Washington Honors Program to pilot a new study abroad course in Tokyo. Being a proud UW Honors alum (and former program staff member), I was honored when Associate Director Julie Villegas asked me to help send the first-ever group of 12 Honors students to Tokyo, Japan. We created a three-week interdisciplinary curriculum on the topic of “Constructing Japanese Identity: Comparing National Narratives in Japan and the US,” exploring the complex and shifting web of narratives surrounding Japanese national identity in a comparative perspective. We drew on materials from both the social sciences and the humanities to discuss identity from a variety of perspectives, including history, politics, race, gender, age, religion, art, culture, and food. In addition to attending lectures by faculty from Waseda University, Toyo University, Sophia University, the Fulbright Foundation, and other Tokyo-based organizations, students also had the opportunity to visit key sites in Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Kyoto.
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Recent News
- New Publication: Avoiding and Exploiting the Tragedy of the Commons: Fishing, Crime, and Conflict in the South China Sea
- Talk: South Korea’s Engagement in Regional Space Institutions
- New Publication: The Role of the United Nations in Japanese Foreign Policy and Security Architecture
- New Publication: From Trade Laggard to Trade Leader: Japan’s Role in Countering the Backlash Against Globalization
- New Publication: Governing the Global Commons: Challenges and Opportunities for US-Japan Cooperation
- Talk: Promoting Good Governance in the Global Commons: The US, Japan, and Beyond
- Podcast Interview: How is the Quad Progressing?
- Talk: Trust Building in Asia in an Era of Great Power Competition
- New Publication: Building a Quad-South Korea Partnership for Climate Action
- New Publication: Japan’s Defense Policy Faces a Critical Juncture
- New Publication: Economic Rivals, Security Allies: The US-Japan Trade War
- New Publication: The Future of the Quad and the Emerging Architecture in the Indo-Pacific