Profile

Koichio Matsuura

•  UNESCO Director General

• Professional:
  1999	UNESCO Director-General (elected to a 6-year term as of 15 November 1999)
  1998-1999	Chairperson, World Heritage Committee of UNESCO
  1994-1999	Ambassador of Japan to France
  1994-1999	Ambassador of Japan to Djibouti
  1996-1999	Ambassador of Japan to Andorra
  1992-1994	Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sherpa for Japan at the G-7 Summit)
  1990	Director-General, North American Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  1988	Director-General, Economic Co-operation Bureau , Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  1985	Consul General in Hong Kong
  1977-1980	Counsellor of the Embassy of Japan in the United States
  1968-1972	Second Secretary, then First Secretary of the Japanese Delegation to the OECD
  1963-1968	Assumed various posts at the central administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  1961-1963	Third Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Accra (Ghana); also accredited to other countries in West Africa
  1959	Entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  Academic:
  1997	Doctor Honoris Causa, Université Jean Moulin, France
  1959-1961	Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo (Japan)
  1956-1959	Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo (Japan)
  Publications:
  1998	Japanese Diplomacy at the Dawn of the 21st Century (in French)
  1995	Development and Perspectives of the Relations between Japan and France (in French)
  1994	The G-7 Summit: Its History and Perspectives (in Japanese)
  1993	Focusing on the Future ・Japan's Global Role in a Changing World (in English)
  1992	History of Japan-United States Relations (in Japanese)
  1990	In the Forefront of Economic Cooperation Diplomacy (in Japanese)
  Decorations and Associations:
  1997	Commander of the National Order of 27 June (Djibouti)
  1994	Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit (France)
  1993	Bintang Jasa Utama (Indonesia)
  1961	Phi Beta Kappa (Haverford College)

Panel Discussion

Makoto Iokibe (Coordinator)

•  Professor, Graduate School of Law, Kobe University
• Graduated from Kyoto University (Faculty of Law) in 1967, and completed the master's course (Political Science) at the Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University in 1969. After experience in the posts of Associate Professor at Hiroshima University (1976) and Visiting Scholar at Harvard University (1977 to August 1979), he became Professor at Kobe University in 1981. Mr. Iokibe obtained his Ph.D. at Kyoto University in 1987. He also was a Visiting Scholar at London University from 1990 to 1991. Since April 2000, he has also served as Professor of the Graduate School of Law, Kobe University.His main publications include "U.S. Occupation Policy Towards Japan (two vols)"(awarded the Suntory Academic Prize), "The U.S-Japan War and the Emergence of Postwar Japan"(awarded the Yoshida Shigeru Prize), and "The Occupation Era: The Prime Ministers and Rebuilding of Postwar Japan" (awarded the Yoshino Sakuzo Prize). Dr. Iokibe served as Chairman of the Council for the Japan-US Center for International Exchange Fund and Chairman of Subcommittee of the Prime Minister's Commission on Japan's Goals in the 21st Century. He is also President of the Japanese Political Science Association, a member of the Board of Directors of the Japanese International Political Science Association, Board of Directors of the Japanese Association for International Law, and Board of Directors of the Japanese Association for American Studies.

Kuniko Inoguchi (Panelist)

•  Professor, Faculty of Law, Sophia University
• Graduated from Sophia University (Faculty of Foreign Studies) in 1975. She received her M.A. (in 1977) and Ph.D. (in 1982) in political science from Yale University. She was appointed as an Associate Professor at Sophia University in 1981. After holding several research positions including visiting fellowships at the Center for International Relations, Harvard University (1983 - 1989), she has served in her present position since 1990.Her main publications include"An Emerging Post-Hegemonic System: Choices for Japan," "Recommendation of Political Science," and "War and Peace," which was awarded the Yoshino Sakuzo Prize. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Japanese International Political Science Association, Board of Directors of the Japanese Association for Peace Study, the Japanese Political Science Association, the University Council, the Transportation Policy Council, the Investigative Committee for Local Systems, and others.

Francisco Sionil José (Panelist)

•  Writer- Publisher (the Philippines)
• Born in a small town located in the central plain on Luzon Island, Francisco Sionil José began to write novels when he was a student at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila (1946 - 1948). After serving as Managing Editor of The Asia Manila Times Sunday Magazine (1949 - 1960), Managing Editor of The Asia Magazine (Weekly), Hong Kong (1961 - 1962) and other posts, he founded his own publishing house Solidaridad (solidarity) in 1965, and a year later he began to edit and publish the journal "Solidarity." He also played a pivotal role in founding the Philippine branch of the International Association of Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, and Novelists (P.E.N.) in 1958.His masterpiece is "Land of the Morning: The Rosales Saga" which consists of five volumes: "PO-ON," "TREE," "MY BROTHER, MY EXECUTIONER," "THE PRETENDERS," and "MASS" (in chronological order). These novels are believed to depict the Filipino spiritual culture over the 90-year-period from the 1880s. Of Filipino novelists, Mr. José has the greatest number of works translated into foreign languages. Also in Japan, translated versions of "MASS" (in two volumes) and "THE PRETENDERS" have been published. "MASS" received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.

Toshitami Kaihara (Panelist)

•  Governor of Hyogo Prefecture
• Graduated from University of Tokyo (Faculty of Law) in 1956, and joined the Ministry of Home Affairs. He was appointed Director of the District Affairs Division, Hyogo Prefectural Government in 1970. Thereafter, he served as Director of the Finance Division, Director General of the Agriculture and Forestry Department, Director-General of the General Affairs Department, and Vice Governor of the same prefectural government. Since he was elected Governor of Hyogo Prefecture in 1986, Mr. Toshitami Kaihara has promoted the decentralization of power, and proposed laws for restricting centralization of administrative power, from the viewpoint of a local government. He is a member of the Council for Housing and Housing Lot, the Council for Promoting the Protection of Fundamental Human Rights, the Investigative Committee for Local Systems, Chairman of the Investigative Committee for Local Systems of the National Committee of Governors, and Chairman of the National Committee of Governors and Mayors for Environmental Protection of Seto Inland Sea.His publications include "Local Administration Course," "Hyogo 2001," "New Hyogo Story," "100 Days after the Great Earthquake: Memories of the Governor of Hyogo Prefecture," and "Decentralization of Power Based on Daily Living." He was awarded the Commandeur Order of Culture and Art from the French Government in 1997.

Takashi Shiraishi (Panelist)

•  Professor, the Southeast Asia Research Center, Kyoto University
• Graduated from University of Tokyo (International Relations, College of Arts and Sciences) in 1972, and obtained his M.A. in International Relations at Graduate School of Sociology, University of Tokyo in 1974. Completed the doctor's course at the Graduate School of Cornell University in 1977. He was appointed as Associate Professor at the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo in 1979, and earned his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1986. After serving as Assistant Professor at Cornell University (1987), Associate Professor (1990), and Professor (1996 - 1998) in the same university, he has held his present position since 1996. His publications include "An Age in Motion, Popular Radicalism in Java 1912 - 1026," "Sukarno and Suharto," "Network Power: Japan and Asia," "Collapse," "Indonesia: Government and Politics" (awarded the Suntory Academic Prize), and many others.

Tadashi Yamamoto (Panelist)

•  President, the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE)
• He founded the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) in 1970. Under Yamamoto's leadership, JCIE has been promoting the strengthening of Japan's role in the international network of policy dialogue and cooperation, including the Japan-US Shimoda Conference, Asian Dialogue, and Japan-Europe Conference. He is currently a member as well as the Japanese Director of the Trilateral Commission, the Japanese-German Dialogue Forum, and the Korea-Japan Forum. He was a member and executive director of the Prime Minister's Commission on "Japan's Goals in the 21st Century" in 1999. Mr. Yamamoto is a graduate of St. Norbert College, and received his M.B.A. from Marquette University, Wisconsin. He served as Japanese Executive Director of the Japan-US Economic Relations Group (1979 - 81), US-Japan Advisory Commission (1988 - 91), and also was a member of the First and Second Prime Minister's Private Council on International Cultural Exchange (1988 - 89, 1993 - 94).Mr. Yamamoto received the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit from the German government (1990) and the Honorable Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (1998).