As part of the Global ThinkNet Fellows Program, a study group consisting of young Japanese scholars and thinktank reseachers participated in a workshop and study tour in San Francisco under the auspices of the Public Policy Institute of California. The workshop discussions focused on “globalization and local government” and were based on presentations given by both the Japanese participants and the PPIC researchers. The Japanese participants visited Silicon Valley to learn about the area’s NPO activities and local government, and took part in a series of meetings with Silicon Valley Network and the San Mateo County Government, among others. The discussion results were incorporated into the project’s final report, available in both Japanese and English.
PARTICIPANTS & TOPICS
| Progress and Challenges of Decentralization in Japan | |
|---|---|
| Shun’ichi Furukawa | Professor of Policy and Planning Sciences, University of Tsukuba |
| Surge of Community Businesses and Their Impact on Local Economies | |
| Koji Kanagawa | Senior Researcher, Research Institute for Regional Policy, 21st Century Hyogo Project Association |
| The Growing Foreign Resident Population: Social Impacts and Local Government Responses | |
| Chikako Kashiwazaki | Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Sophia University |
| International Policies of Local Governments: Case Study of the Japan-California Relationship | |
| Toshihiro Menju | Senior Program Officer, Japan Center for International Exchange |
| The Role of Think Tanks in Changing Regional Environments | |
| Madoka Nakamura | Senior Researcher, Center for Policy Research Information, National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA) |
| Implications of Local Financial Crisis and Future Prospects for Self-Sustainable Local Financial System | |
| Namiko Numao | Instructor, Nihon University, College of Economics |
| Emerging Local NPOs and Their Implicatons for Local Governance | |
| Shigeru Tamura | Professor, Local Autonomy College, Ministry of Home Affairs |
