From The America-Japan Society of Tokyo:
Program Overview
INTRODUCTION:
The US-Japan Virtual Discussion Group (VDG) is a student-led online exchange program initiated by the America-Japan Society of Tokyo in partnership with various Japan-America Societies in the United States.
It is designed for high school and college students under the age of 30. Students from both the United States and Japan gather virtually to discuss in English. Over three discussion sessions in the course of three months, participants in this program shall be given the opportunity to look beyond their own lives and gather new perspectives on American and Japanese culture. By exploring the relationship between the United States and Japan on multiple levels (e.g. politics, trade, culture, news media), students will also gain knowledge and confidence to discuss, debate, and co-create bilateral and international relations.
This is the fifth term virtual exchange program for us. We hope that this program will develop into a new way of interaction between the United States and Japan for the next generations to come. Please join us!
OBJECTIVES/ OUTCOMES:
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
1. Have a better understanding about American/Japanese culture and society.
2. Connect popular cultural themes and social issues related to American/Japanese ideals, history, behavior, ways of thinking and perception.
3. Develop critical analysis and presentation skills through discussions and pre or post assignments.
4. Build connections with Japanese and American members who will lead the next generations of the US-Japan relationship.
PARTICIPANTS:
This program is for high school and college students. The age is ideally under the age of 30, but not limited to.
Members are expected to participate in all three meetings.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
Frequency, date and time:
Program period: October to December 2024
A meeting will be held once a month.
First discussion: October
Second discussion: November
Final meeting (discussion + fun activity): December
One meeting is approximately 90 minutes.
Final meeting:
Purpose:
To check on how much each of us learned about each other.
To sum up the entire program with a fun activity.
The questions can differ from local topics to US-Japan relations.
Method:
For monthly meetings, participants will use Zoom. (The links will be shared before each of the sessions, along with the topic that will be discussed.)
Discord will be the main communication platform. Participants will be invited to the Discord workspace to communicate with other members.
Language
English (Japanese)
Discussion
The discussion topics and questions will be decided before the meeting. There may be pre-reading materials to help participants to understand the topic.
The informative presentation session will be about 30 minutes, and the discussion session will be about 60 minutes.
Committee members
Committee members gather once a month to coordinate the meetings, decide discussion topics, choose pre-reading materials, and share information.
APPLICATION AND DEADLINE:
Students who are interested should submit an online application form via the URL below by Monday, October 7th (JST). After their application is admitted, they will be invited to the Discord workspace to communicate with their team members.
Please register from the following URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVV6kBGK1e1h_oKk9K4c8KPXgeZ2_alm3f6j8XVOXnMfUrbw/viewform
CONTACT:
If you have any questions, please let us know!
The America-Japan Society of Tokyo
Hikari Tomizawa, committee leader
Miharu Kojima, committee leader
Header graphic credit: The America-Japan Society of Tokyo