On June 13, 2015, Josai University Educational Corporation (Chancellor Noriko Mizuta) invited Dr. Ezra F. Vogel, who is an honorary professor of Harvard University (U.S.) to give a keynote lecture entitled “East Asia in the Next Fifty Years” at the Sakado Campus in Sakado City, Saitama Prefecture, as part of Josai’s 50th anniversary. To commemorate the lecture, Josai presented Dr. Vogel with the honorary doctorate.

As part of their 50th anniversary festivities, Josai promotes the Mizuta Mikio Memorial “Global Lecture” Series that invites globally influential people and exceptional scholars from both Japan and abroad to speak on the cultivation of global human resources. Dr. Vogel was the second guest after the Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad, who gave a lecture on May 21.

After acquiring the doctorate (sociology) from Harvard University in 1958, Dr. Vogel came to Japan to research the Japanese language and family relationships in Japan and stayed for 2 years. In 1972, he was appointed the director of the East Asian Research Center in the University. He released “Japan as Number One”, which became a best-seller in Japan, in 1979. In recent years, his book “Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China”, which was released in 2013 after spending over 10 years, also became popular. This lecture was realized after Chancellor Mizuta, who lived in the U.S. for many years as a comparative literature researcher, requested that Dr. Vogel, who is her old acquaintance, give a lecture.

Dr. Vogel arrived at Sakado Campus, being welcomed by the faculty members, students, and exchange students in Josai University and Josai International University in the morning on the day of the lecture. After enjoying the ukiyoe collection in Mizuta Museum of Art, he attended the honorary doctorate presentation ceremony and gave the lecture.

After the honorary doctorate presentation ceremony held in the Seiko Hall, Chancellor Mizuta praised Dr. Vogel’s achievements in the speech, saying that he “has made academic and research contributions that are necessary not only in the research of Japan but also in the peace and prosperity of this region”. In the lecture, Dr. Vogel followed the political, economic, and social changes in Japan, China, and the U.S. during 25 years by dividing the period before and after 1989, in which the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Tiananmen Square incident took place. He raised “continuation of economic growth”, “deterioration of environmental issues”, and “expansion of international exchanges” as the key points to capture East Asia in the future. He went on to point out that the U.S. “must cooperate with China in environmental issues”. He advised that China, which has achieved economic growth and is creating conflicts with the neighboring countries, “should keep a low profile in its foreign policy”. He also made the audience laugh, saying that “Japan needs to learn more natural English”. He then concluded that (Japan) “needs to be more patient in order to get along with neighboring countries (mainly Korea). Japan’s representative must have considerations and a sense of responsibility”. Dr. Vogel also thoroughly answered questions by students, such as “what should the younger generation do in this time of aging society with the declining birth date?”, etc.

Approximately 500 people filled the hall, including the guests such as Kuniko Koda, who is a member of the House of Councillors, and Mayor Hayato Shimizu of Saitama City, etc., faculty members and students of Josai University and Josai International University, researchers, residents in the community, etc. The audience listened to the lecture of Dr. Vogel, which is supported by his many years of academic studies, with passion.

A reception was also held after the lecture, and pleasant conversations were held, surrounding Dr. Vogel.