
Why Japan will lose 20 million people by 2050
February 7, 2017Author: Sasakawa USA x Tofugu.com
Categories: Sasakawa USA Blog
When a country’s birth rate shrinks, it can face major challenges. When a country’s population gets older (meaning the percentage of elderly people gets bigger), that causes problems too. But what if both happen at the same time? Japan knows, because it is facing this exact crisis right now. To promote better public understanding of this twin phenomena, Sasakawa USA teamed up with Tofugu.com, a Japanese language and culture blog.
Tags: aging population, birth rate, culture, demographic challenge, education, Japan, population, population decline, research, tofugu, tofugu.com, twin phenomena

True Stories from Japan: First impressions with host family endangered by sushi
October 25, 2016Author: Christa Desrets
Categories: Sasakawa USA Blog, True Stories from Japan
On the surface, dining out in Japan is not an inherently stressful experience. But on this particular night, a vocabulary mishap paired with the anxiety of meeting my new host family for the first time made for a memorable evening.
Tags: alumni, christa desrets, Congressional Study Group, congressional study group on japan, csgj, culture, eel, first impressions, foreign living, host family, Japanese, kansai gaidai, osaka, sea urchin, studying abroad, sushi, true stories from japan, unagi, uni

True Stories from Japan: Life in Yokosuka punctuated by acts of kindness
March 1, 2016Author: Admiral Dennis Blair
Categories: Sasakawa USA Blog, True Stories from Japan
We used our free time to drive ourselves around the country, driving north to the spectacular groves of sugi — Japanese cedar trees — in Nikko; west to the entrancing gardens and ancient temples in Nara and Kyoto; and to many other fascinating destinations all around the country. Each of the many times we were lost was an adventure that ended happily.
Tags: admiral dennis blair, culture, hatsumode, Japan, kawasaki daishi, nikko, sugi, true stories from japan, Yokosuka

True Stories from Japan: Beauty and heritage among worldwide competition
May 14, 2015Categories: Sasakawa USA Alumni, Sasakawa USA Blog, True Stories from Japan
Hubert Vo is the Texas State Representative for District 149. He wrote this blog reflecting on his trip to Japan with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA from Nov. 14-21, 2014. First impressions When I arrived in Japan, I was amazed by how polite and respectful people are, even the bus drivers and luggage handlers. They
Tags: Collective Self-Defense, culture, Economy, hubert vo, Japan, true stories from japan

True Stories from Japan: Adapting to cultural changes
April 30, 2015Categories: Sasakawa USA Alumni, Sasakawa USA Blog, True Stories from Japan
Sylvia Luke is the Hawaii State Representative for District 25. She wrote this blog reflecting on her experiences traveling to Japan as part of Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA’s Asian American Leadership Delegation. When I first found out that I will be part of the Asian American Leadership Delegation to Japan, I, of course, had a
Tags: culture, Japan, nationalism, sylvia luke, true stories from japan