Frontiers Of International Exchange A
My International Experiences
Naozo Sakata (Graduate of 1958)
1. Introduction
If I were to say my working life was 40 years, the first half was spent in an export business at a trading company and the second half was spent on education at a school for returnee students. Since the export business dealt with customers abroad and the education for returnee students dealt with students who had an expatriate as a guardian, both jobs required an international outlook. When I worked at the trading company, I traveled to numerous countries and experienced many things as a trading company officer. Though I was surprised by the different cultures when dealing with foreign countries for the first time, I felt that gall people are the same, yet differenth as I cemented relations with foreigners. To me, those years were the youthful days in my working career because all the experiences were new to me.
The second half of my working life was spent on education at a school for returnee students for 19 years. The transition from a trading company to a school was a big change but commerce and education both required an international outlook, open mind to welcome different people, and to fully understand them. The two didnft seem too different to me because they were connected by the roots. I can say the latter half of my life was satisfactory with the 21 years of experience in my youthful days being useful.
2. Education for returnee students
I would like to discuss a summary of the education of returnee students I engaged in as a supervisor of the international activity and rethink about the educational problems in our country.
I participated in the establishment of Doshisha International High School in April 1980 and was involved in the education for returnee students till I retired in March 1999. The details of the education for returnee students and the duty it holds for globalization in Japanfs education are stated below.
1) The origin of education for returnee students
The education for returnee students is the product of globalization in our countryfs economy. Due to the Nixon Shock in 1971, our economy, which was protected by the fixed exchange rate system, was forced to appear on the open competition scene. There was no longer the advantageous export terms of low yen rate, hence, if it doesnft defeat the price competition within the floating exchange rate, it was impossible to continue to reserve the export market. Moreover, the oil shock in 1973 and 1979 hit Japanfs manufacturing industry hard, which bought large quantities of oil for a cheap price and produced merchandize. Due to the steep rise of yen rate, crude oil price, and labor costs, it weakened export competition in our countryfs industrial products. As a countermeasure, most of the manufacturing industries have accelerated multinational for low labor cost and to avoid exchange risk and trade friction by moving the hub production to the export market. This became the factor for the increasing number of Japanese workers abroad, which also led to an increase of returnee students.
Based on the oversea shift of the manufacturing industryfs production base, the number of Japanese residents abroad and children companions increased. Also, in the latter half of 1970, it began to show a trend of increase in the number of returnee students. Looking at the transition of the number of returnee students, there were 1,544 people in 1971, 5,774 people in 1977, and 7,504 people in 1980 (the year Doshisha International High School was established). The necessity of correspondence for the amplifying number of returnee students has risen in educational grounds. Japanese education was brought up in a different culture and is too conservative and exclusive for a returnee student. Not only is reformation in the field of studies (the content of education, teaching method) and school life (schoolfs history) imperative but globalization in the hearts of teachers, children, students are also vital.
2) Whatfs an education for returnee students like?
Being raised in a different culture, returnee students have undergone diverse experiences. The purpose of education for returnee students is to utilize onefs experience (linguistic ability, cross culture) and to strive for adaptability in Japanese education.
Since the classes shall pay careful attention to the returnee studentfs personalities, the Japanese education in the past, the standardized classes, the one way teaching classes, the knowledge cramming classes, and the relative evaluation system are considered unsuitable which demands improvement and reformation.
On the learning side, returnee students acceptance school introduces following types of classes that are important for teaching returnee students. Classes that are divided into levels to pay more attention to studentfs experiences, a cooperative learning class to exchange mutual opinion to share each others experiences and good qualities, a problem-solving class, a class which makes use of a returnee studentfs point of view and actions and the absolute evaluation system. As mentioned above ,the education method for returnee students is different from the conventional education of Japan.
In the school life, it is important to accept a person with the sense of value that is different from oneself and to change assimilation guidance of forcing own sense of values. Itfs becoming obligatory to teach to venerate the culture and customs returnee students acquired abroad. The most important thing is for the teaching staff and students to become internationally minded and to be able to accept different values. An alteration of studies and school life and globalization among the teaching staff and students is an indispensable term for promoting education for returnee students. In this sense, the education for returnee students is like a priming to internationalize the education in our conservative and exclusive country.
3. In conclusion
Looking back at my working career of 40 years, I met numerous foreign people through trading and was able to distinguish their behavioral patterns and way of thinking. I also discovered the education of people are different in Japan and foreign countries through the education of returnee students. I feel very fortunate to have spent my working life among the connection with the international society. But if I were to evaluate myself, I think I should have worked harder on my communication skills because then I would have been able to settle business negotiations more smoothly and made more foreign friends. I am aware that I lacked those skills and didnft try hard enough. But as I researched the education records of returnee students who possessed communication skills, I realized they were influenced by the education they experienced abroad and it showed me how important education was when building character.
To acquire communication skills, one must have presentation skills and understand different cultures. Above all, Japanese are insufficient of presentation skills because they lack linguistic skills and the establishment as an individual.
As my working career is coming to an end, I would like to say that I am looking forward to the education of Doshisha University, which strives for individuals to stand on its own, build own character, and to strengthen linguistic skills.
