Yoko Ishikura’s Blog (English)

　Several hours after I wrote about the possibility of having uninvited guest of wild life, I saw a black bear walking right under my unit. I was at the terrace in between writing, enjoying the sun and the beautiful scenery. That was when I saw the bear walking toward the garbage bin. 　

　　I could not believe that he (or she) was walking on the street like us and dashed back to get my camera. (That is why the photo is the bear from behind.) 　 I was even more surprised as I was going to the garbage place in a short while, in order to dispose of tons of my garbage I had collected over the past five days. I think he knew where the garbage bin was.(I did not think he knew I was coming!)

  I feel relived that I did not run into the bear when I brought my garbage bags to the bin.   As I read the instructions at the garbage bin later(you can tell how nervous I must have been when I went there with garbage bags),  it said that “There are bears in our neighborhood, so make sure you close the bin.” Now  I realize that instructions really meant it.  

  The garage door story which made my day had not had a happy ending yet. Two days later, the same thing happened, fortunately again, when I came back and put my car inside. Naturally I was discouraged, as the same thing that happens twice does not help. 

   It took a day before the service company people came. They found nothing wrong with the garage door!  They fixed it, and the door works now, but they said that it may happen again!  Their tentative conclusion was that the motor may have come closer to the end of its life.  It leaves me with some uneasy feeling, as I am not as certain as before that the garage door works. The same thing may happen again soon or may not, and what makes matters worse, it may happen when my car is inside and I get stuck. (It is quite amazing how much we depend on our expectation that things will function as they should or the cause is identified and resolved.)

  I believe there are at least two reasons behind my uneasiness; 1) the cause is not known, thus we cannot work on it until it happens again. 2) Whether and when it will happen again is not known, leaving a lot of uncertainty.Another reason that makes me even more nervous is what I heard from the staff when I called about the garage door. The young staff there said “Be sure not to leave any garbage bin in the garage, because we do not want to draw attention of wild life!”  It means a BEAR!  I am not too eager to have uninvited guests at my unit.(Last year, I hear the black bear came into the first floor unit near the one I rented and I even saw the black bear right under my unit.) See my blog in Japanese with the photo->

  Well, the garage door and the bear story continues….

  When I came back from Tokyo to Whistler, British Columbia, and arrived at the unit I rented（photo on the left shows the type of chalet I rent) with several bags of groceries, and my small suitcase which contained two PCs and other documents and weighed tons, I came across a bit of difficulty.
   After I parked my car inside, the garage door of my unit did not close! (Photo on the right shows the garage)  It is one of those two-car garage connected to the unit through the door. It worked when I opened the door, but refused to close when I parked my car inside. It was Thursday evening. I called the service people to ask what I should do. They gave me some suggestions which I tried but in vain. As it was in the evening, and the maintenance people had gone home, I had to wait for the next morning for them to fix.
   I  was not too happy leaving the garage door open, and thought how “out of luck” I was!  After I gave a second thought to it, however, I thought probably I was very lucky. If it happened on the morning I left for Tokyo AND when it happened when my car was still inside the garage, I would have panicked as I had no way of getting to the Vancouver airport to make my flight. I had three full days of activities scheduled in Tokyo and I could not afford to miss the flight. I also thought if it happened even when I came back, but before I opened to park the car inside, it would have been worse. I was forced to leave my car outside, carry my heavy small suitcase with bags of groceries!

   So my “out of luck” day turned out to be my “lucky” day after all! I felt much better after I figured it out. It made me smile and made my day. 

　I came back to Tokyo on Monday for three days. It was three days packed with important meetings, dinners and receptions to celebrate and for fun. On Tuesday, July 8, I had an advisory board meeting, and a routine visit to the hospital (my doctor was out sick for a week, which made me realize that medical doctors do get sick as well as we do!) I also taped the show(I do this every other month), introducing St. Gallen Symposium, and ended the day with the party of celebration.  

 The next day began with the faculty meeting at ICS, followed with the missed opportunity to attend another party of celebration. It ended with dinner with a group of very interesting people (I had to leave early to pack etc., while the discussion was getting interesting.) Today I had a weekly meeting of CSTP (Council for Science & Technology Policy), followed by the interactive/informal meeting with the top executive of the global company. Here I am now at the airport lounge, leaving for Vancouver.

 Despite a bit of jet lag and crazy things which happened in the past two days (such as the missing copies of the interview I had for Nikkei Business), it was nice to be back in Tokyo for a few days.  I now realize good and bad of having high humidity.  Humidity makes you feel tired but it makes draft beer taste so GOOD!  

  I happened to arrive in British Columbia on July 1, Canada Day and stayed through July 4, Independence Day of the United States. (I believe British Columbia Day is coming up in early August!)     
Compared with Canada Day which seems to be a good day to relax and enjoy BBQ outside, 4th of July seems to be quite a big event. 

  Partly due to the fact I lived in the U. S. and have many friends there, I am aware of the special events and things to do on July 4 more so than Canada or BC Day.

   This year, it fell on Friday and thus, it was a long weekend. Many people seemed to have taken even Thursday (July 3) off and went away to spend time with families and friends.  It is in the summer and great day to enjoy good weather, BBQ outside and above all, Fireworks.  There are many outdoor concerts etc. which usually start with the National Anthem and finish with spectacular Fireworks.  

  I personally think Japanese fireworks are the best in the world, but the one on Independence Day is also quite remarkable. Watching fireworks and spending time outdoor is such a great way to spend the Independence Day of the country. 

  Summer seems to have a special meaning,  outside of Japan, whether you are in the North America or in Scandinavia. (I came across with a lot of fun things to do while they have White Nights!)

　I came to Whistler, British Columbia on Tuesday, July 1. This is a long-awaited vacation (half work and half fun) to get away from busy days in Tokyo.

   I have made it a rule in the past decade to stay away from Tokyo during the steamy and humid month of August (Actually, it was while I was in Whistler that I began this blog last year, which indicates that this is a good way to start something new!) 

  The drive from Vancouver Airport (which takes some 2.5 hours) was a bit of a struggle this time as I was quite exhausted from so many trips, seminars, meetings right before I left Tokyo. But I made it here in one piece.

  It is nice and quiet（photo on left showing me and mountains in the background and the photo on right rows of chalets for rent), and yet to my surprise, it was hot in Whistler!  It was 30 degrees Celsius. Without air conditioning, it was quite hot (they call it “warm” here), but the heat wave left after one day and it is now down to 15 degrees! (Typical of this place.-Photo showing me with sweat shirts and jeans in 15 degree weather, and not 30!)
  The first thing I did was to get the monthly pass at the Sports Center nearby where you have gym, studio, swimming pool and ice skating rink (open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.). I alternate “run around the lake” and ”exercise class” held at the SportsCenter.     

  Now that my morning exercise routine is all set, the next task is to set up routine for writing.  (This is the main objective of this vacation.). Let me see how my writing routine will shape up.

 I visited Akita International University on Friday, June 27. President Nakajima and Professor Taida whom I know invited me to speak to the students. I also heard about the new initiatives of the AIU and wanted to visit myself. It was such a wonderful experience for me.

 I flew to Akita in the morning to find that the university is located in such a beautiful environment. The campus was just 5- minute- ride from the airport and it reminded me of many liberal arts colleges in the U.S. which I love. I felt that I saw this campus before in my life and felt so familiar. They took me to the tour of the campus. I was impressed with their facilities and the design—dormitory for the freshmen, apartment for those who came back from overseas exchange programs, etc. I was particularly overwhelmed by the library. It is made of Akita cedar and beautiful architecture. When you go inside, you feel that you are in a totally different world! 

  I gave a talk entitled “How to build a world class career in the age of Web2.0 and Global 3.0?” As all the classes are conducted in English at the AIU, I gave my talk in English as well. I started, as always, with questions to the students and continued on. (Photo on the right)　There were several questions at the end of two-hour session and we continued our dialogue for a while even after the seminar.(Photo on the left with students)

   It was so much fun to interact with young students.   The AIU has done quite a few initiatives such as making every freshman stay at the dorm on campus, making every student spend sometime overseas.  I am so glad that something like this new attempt has begun, as I believe they will trigger the transformation of the educational system in Japan. (ICS, our graduate school, is one of the new initiatives for the new educational system as well.)   The weather was beautiful, the campus was great and students and the faculty/staff were so hospitable. It definitely made my day. How lucky I am to spend such a great Friday with great people in the lovely environment.

  I visited the Ehime carbon fiber plant of Toray Co., Ltd. last Friday, June 20. I love visiting factories of almost any kind and try to make best use of the opportunity to visit the factory, stores or anything that are in the field when I see one. 

  I wanted to visit this factory in particular, as I understand Japanese companies lead the world in carbon fiber, material with great potential, particularly in the age of resource constraint. I am also interested in carbon fiber, as it is now being extensively used for aircraft such as Boeing 787. I had no idea how carbon fiber is processed, and thus I wanted to see it myself.

  I heard about carbon fiber over two decades ago as high potential material, mainly in use for golf clubs and fishing rods. I have not heard about it much until recently when I came across the mass collaboration of developing Boeing 787 on the global scale. Carbon fiber makes aircraft lighter and thus, improves fuel economy.  It also does not corrode, and thus can make the aircraft cabin more comfortable, by keeping the humidity.

    I felt “Seeing is believing” is true. I realized the complexity of the process and the need for huge tanks etc. when we took a tour to see how the process works. I also learned a lot about how the development process has advanced so far, and how much more potential the materials has. If we are able to do something about it cost (and probably the process), it may transform the auto industry.    

   After the factory visit and very interesting and informative discussion with the plant manger and the staff, I went to Tokushima to give a seminar at the Tokushima Bunri University. (I did not realize the distance between Matsuyama and Tokushima until the night before!—indicating how little I know about the geography of Japan!and I was quite embarrassed.) 
  After 3.5 hour drive in the fog (unfortunately, I could not see much despite the drive along the coast), I arrived at Tokushima. Though the magnificent hall in Tokushima was too big for my kind of audience (and it was pouring by then!), I enjoyed giving a talk. The title of my talk was “What should the city, firm and we do when the world is becoming flat?” 
  My main audience was the students, but there were some general public. The seminar was reported in the Tokushima Shimbun the next day and this past Friday. It was another day of activities and meeting with various people. I feel very fortunate to be given the opportunity to visit various places in Japan. (My knowledge of geography is improving!)  

 Last Thursday, June 19^th, was an exciting day full of issues. The day began with breakfast meeting with Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic forum. This was the third time in two weeks to have a chance to interact with Professor Schwab—starting from International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, World Economic Forum on East Asia in Kuala Lumpur and breakfast in Tokyo. There were some 10 members present at the meeting and we discussed the latest climate change report of the WEF which was presented to the Prime Minister Fukuda the next day. We also discussed various other initiatives taken by the World Economic Forum. 

    I am very impressed with their recent initiatives to expand their area of activities to cover younger generation (Young Global Leaders), new and upcoming companies (Global Growth Companies as New Champions) and cities as Center of Geography of Innovation. Their accelerating use of new technologies is also fascinating to me. 

  In the afternoon, I had an opportunity to address a group of career women representing various companies, majority of which are big corporations. The title of my talk was “How to build a career in the era of Web2.0”.  I talked about my experiences, tried to respond to the questions from the floor, and ended the seminar with JANKEN to give 10 copies of the book (in Japanese) entitled “World Class Career” I wrote with Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa two years ago.

  Then I moved to the Prime Minister’s office for the monthly CSTP meeting with the Prime Minister and some cabinet members. The major agenda was resource allocation for ensuring that Japan remains as one of the leaders in the world for Science & Technology.  I briefly talked about my impression of the Japan lunch and of the taped speech by the Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur. It was full day with many interesting and stimulating discussion, ranging from global issues to career building, and on to the competitiveness of the country.  

 On the second day of the WEF East Asia in Kuala Lumpur, we had Japan Lunch session which (I believe) was organized by the Japanese delegation. Professor Klaus Schwab made an opening remark, followed by Mr. Motohisa Furukawa, Member of the House of Representatives, who introduced the taped speech by the Prime Minister Fukuda. The Prime Minister Fukuda talked about the significance of the current issues such as food and fuel price hikes, introduced what he planned to do at the G8 summit in July in Toyako, Hokkaido and called for the collaboration of the leaders of Asia, in particular. Mr. Furukawa also explained that the lunch served is in philosophy of the Table for Two. Table for Two is one of the very significant initiatives by the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum.  

   When the desert course was served, I began the session featuring a key note lunch speaker, Mrs. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Member of the House of Councillors and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Environment. She made a speech, following the spirit of Prime Minister Fukuda’s speech and made it very relevant to those attending the WEF East Asia. 

  After her speech was the Question & Answer session which I was to facilitate. (Photo on the left) I asked those present for reactions both to Prime Minister Fukuda’s and Mrs. Kawaguchi’s speech. Mrs. Kawaguchi was willing to take any questions. We also asked for the expectations the audience had from the G8 summit.  

  This type of interactive session is quite nerve-wrecking for the facilitator (me in this case!) as it requires lively exchange, sometimes with some sense of humor and also with relevance.  Mrs. Kawaguchi handled the questions very well and I felt relaxed enough to make some comments relating her responses to the remarks made during the morning session. (I was nervous, but wanted to keep it lively and smooth.)  At the end was the comment “Japan is changing as two women are handling the Japan Session”.(I think it meant that you usually do not see women do this at these events on Japan.) When everybody laughed at the comment, all I had to do was thanking the audience and close the session. 

  It was quite an experience for me, as it was the first time for me to facilitate such a major event (i.e. the event meant for every participant of the Forum, rather than the parallel sessions). I managed to do, though I must have been very nervous. I felt so exhausted about 20 minutes after it ended. (You have so much Adrenalin going when are actually doing and do not feel tired, but you feel the effect afterwards!)  I was extremely fortunate to be given that type of opportunity.  As Mrs. Kawaguchi is one of my heroes (I suppose it must heroines, and role models) I respect tremendously, I felt even more privileged and honored to be given the role. 

   The Forum ended with another happy note. Right before I left Tokyo, I contacted ICS alumni in Kuala Lumpur. After several e-mail exchanges, four of them came to have dinner with me after the Forum at the hotel. (Photo on the right) As I was scheduled to take a flight around midnight from Kuala Lumpur that night, we met for 1.5 hours or so(a little too short!).

  As I have done in the past, I make it a rule to contact alumni beforehand and try to meet them.  It was great to see four of them(see photo above)—some in the process of changing their job, their private life (one is getting married!).  We talked about their life, the Forum, and ICS and Japan. It was such a nice occasion. I greatly appreciated that they came to see me at the hotel on Monday (i.e. workday). It is always so nice to see our alumni full of life, happy and are doing great for their country, for Asia and for the world.