IEC Supporters Association｜General Incorporated Foundation for the Promotion of International Education

Japan-America Student Conference

establishment
The U.S.-Japan Student Conference was founded on the principle that “World peace depends on peace in the Pacific Ocean, and peace in the Pacific Ocean depends on peaceful and friendly relations between the United States and Japan. Students should also play a part in this peace.” The idea was proposed by a group of Japanese students who were concerned about the rapidly deteriorating Japan-U.S. relations after the Manchurian Incident in 1931, when U.S. sentiment toward Japan rapidly worsened. In 1934, four Japanese students crossed the Pacific Ocean to visit U.S. universities to recruit American participants for the conference, and returned to Japan with a total of 99 U.S. representatives (including 22 professors and their wives) to form the Japan English Student Association (JESA), which was established the year before the conference. The first U.S.-Japan Student Conference was held in 1934 under the auspices of the Japan English Student Association (JESA), which had been established the year before the conference.

Two interruptions
Since its establishment in 1934, the Japan-U.S. Student Conference had been held every year, alternating between Japan and the U.S. However, due to the Pacific War, the conference was suspended after the 7th conference held in Japan in 1940. After the war, in 1947, the conference was revived under the auspices of the Japan International Students Association (JESA) in occupied Japan, and the 8th conference was held in Japan until 1953, when the 14th conference was held in Japan.The following year, in 1954, the 15th U.S.-Japan Student Conference was held in the U.S., fulfilling a long-held dream of the time: to hold the first postwar conference in the United States. However, in 1954, the International Student Association (ISA) of Japan dissolved the bilateral conference as a multilateral conference and launched the International Student Conference (ISC). The ISC- was launched, and the Japan-U.S. Student Conference lost its organizer and had to be suspended for the second time. This International Student Conference continues to be held to this day and is a project supported by our Supporting Organization.

Resurrection
In 1964, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the conference, the Japan-America Student Conference was revived under the auspices of the Association for the Promotion of International Education (the governing body of the Japan-America Institute of Conversation), of which Namiharu Itabashi, one of the conference founders, was the president. The Japan-America Student Conference was revived. Since then, the conference has been held alternately in the U.S. and Japan, as it was before the war.

（Supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, U.S. Embassy, Japan-America Society of Japan, etc.）

Japanese speech contest by foreigners

The program was established in 1960, and has been held annually since then, with the aim of providing an opportunity for people from around the world to give speeches in Japanese and to think about Japan, the Japanese people, and the international community. Since 1996, the Japan Foundation and the host city have co-sponsored the event, which is broadcast on NHK E-television (program name: “Watashi no mita Nippon” (Japan as I see it)).

Supporting Association of International Students of Japan and Supporting Association for the Promotion of International Education
In 1957, the Japan Society for International Students was established to strengthen the foundation of international exchange activities of the JASSO, and in 1966, His Imperial Highness Prince Takamatsu was welcomed as the honorary president of the JASSO. However, in 1969, under the influence of the student movement, the JASSO split into east and west, and the JASSO Supporting Association was renamed the JASSO Tokyo Branch Supporting Association. Meanwhile, in 1978, on the occasion of the 30th U.S.-Japan Student Conference, the Supporting Association for the Promotion of International Education was established to financially support the U.S.-Japan Student Conference and the Association's international educational exchange programs and cross-cultural understanding promotion projects.

Merger of two supporting associations
The Japan-America Student Conference and the International Student Conference supported by these two supporting societies have their roots in the Japan-America Student Conference, which was established in 1934, and many corporations and individuals were named as officers and members of both supporting societies. Therefore, in March 1985, the two Supporting Associations merged to form the International Education Promotion Association Supporting Association, with His Imperial Highness Prince Takamatsu as Honorary Advisor and His Imperial Highness Prince Takamado as Honorary President. Since 2003, we have welcomed Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado as Honorary President.

（Supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, etc.）

Greetings from the Chairman

Chairman, Supporting Association for the Promotion of International Education
Former Ambassador to the U.S., Chairman of the Japan-America Society of Japan, Inc.

Ichiro Fujisaki

FUJISAKI ICHIRO

My name is Ichiro Fujisaki, and I have been elected as the president of the Supporting Committee of the Association for the Promotion of International Education. I hesitated to accept the appointment because of my inexperience and lack of knowledge. However, it is a great honor to be elected as a representative of such an honorable organization with such a long history, and I humbly accept.

What is the role of this kind of private exchange? Friction and conflict with foreign countries cannot be prevented. However, it is these exchange organizations that can help to alleviate them as much as possible, and once the storm subsides, restore the old ways. In this sense, it is like having a built-in shape memory alloy that can be bent and then released to return to its original shape. If it continues for a long time, the alumni associations build up and become a great strength. It is an intangible asset of the people.

Leaders in the public and private sectors tend to prefer to initiate and support new initiatives for private-sector exchanges. In this context, I am truly grateful that there are many companies that recognize the importance of these long-standing organizations and support them. Objectively, the Japanese economy continues to face difficult conditions, but I would like to ask for your continued understanding and support.

We will do our utmost ineffectively with the guidance of our Honorary President, Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, and former President Hashimoto, and I would like to ask for your encouragement.

Active member of the Supporting Committee of the Association for the Promotion of International Education
http://www.iec-nichibei.or.jp/pdf/sanjokai_list.pdf

Rules and Regulations for Supporting Associations of the Association for the Promotion of International Education
http://www.iec-nichibei.or.jp/pdf/terms.pdf

Current Members of Supporting Associations
http://www.iec-nichibei.or.jp/pdf/member202412.pdf

Main events of the Supporting Association
Board of Directors meeting held in July each year in the presence of Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado

The main business of the Supporting Association
Grant for U.S.-Japan Student Conference
Grant for International Student Conference
Grants to the Association for the Promotion of International Education and other projects eligible for support
1. Japanese speech contest by foreigners
2. seminars on English teaching methods
3. overseas high school, university, and graduate school study programs in Japan
IEC Forum (public symposium)

Dues: Individual members: 10,000 yen per unit, 2,000 yen admission fee
Corporate membership: 50,000 yen per unit, 20,000 yen admission fee

Relationship Chart

History

1978

In commemoration of the 30th U.S.-Japan Student Conference, the International Education Promotion Association was established with the main purpose of supporting the U.S.-Japan Student Conference.
Honorary Advisor: Prince Nobuhito Takamatsu (1985-1987)
Honorary President: Prince Norihito Takamado (1985-2002)
Honorary President: Her Imperial Highness Princess Hisako Takamado (2003-present)
1985(March)

The Supporting Association for the Promotion of International Education (President: Soichi Yokoyama) and the Supporting Association of the Tokyo Branch of the Japan Society for International Students (President: Satoshi Sumida) merged to form the Supporting Association for the Promotion of International Education.
Past Presidents

March 1978 - March 1985
Soichi Yokoyama (Former President and Chairman of the Bank of Tokyo, Representative of the founder of the Supporting Association for the Promotion of International Education)

March 1985 - December 1991
Yutaka Takeda (Former Chairman and Representative Director, Nippon Steel Corporation (now Nippon Steel Corporation))

December 1991 - July 2006
Satoru Sumida (Former Governor, Bank of Japan)

July 2006 - May 2007
Yuomi Yamamuro, former Chairman of Diamond Lease (now Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance) and former President of International Education Promotion Association

May 2007 - March 2009
Takeo Shiina (Senior Advisor, IBM Japan)

March 2009 - February 2016
Akira Minamihara (Former Director, Bank of Japan)

March 2016 - July 2021
Toru Hashimoto (currently Honorary Advisor, Mizuho Financial Group)

July 2021 - Present
Ichiro Fujisaki, former Ambassador to the U.S., President of the Nakasone Peace Institute, and Chairman of the Japan-America Society of Japan