< Vol.15 >
TV conference with the presidential aide
American Culture
Though I have grown in Japan, I have grown surrounded with American
culture.
I would laugh at Holly Wood's movie, be full of dream with SF, shed tears
at the jazz or musical. Ironically, I was poor at English, enjoyed them in
Japanese. But most of the true nature of them were American culture.
And an outstanding example is the computer which consists today's
computer world. Almost of the hardware and software are originated with
America.
The American Center, which shows American culture, seems to prize the
computer world and the subjects which have relevance to the computer
network, these days.
Can I speak English?
The other day, Mr. Stephen Salyer the president of the Public Radio
International visited Fukuoka, and lectured under the sponsorship of
the American Center. The trouble was that I was asked to preside at the
meeting. I wondered if they would suppose that I could speak English
as I was concerned with a computer network. But they explained that there
was a simultaneous interpreter, so I made up my mind to try presiding
at that though I didn't calm myself.
Interestingly, this president doesn't live in the metropolitan area, like
New York or Washington, but he lives in the local area, Minneapolis.
Though he lived there, he had paid attention to using computer network
quickly. And he has been continuing to make the network of the reporter
and the broadcasting tie-up station. They, with the network, have
already crossed swords with the world in the local. Though the
international FM broadcasting station will open in Fukuoka next year,
their vitality is a good reference to us Kyushu people.
Encryption technique
Before this summer or not, American Center also held a TV conference
connected with America, and I attended that. The attendance in America
was Michael Nelson the presidential aide in charge of information and
communication. I heard that he was the right hand man of Gore vice-president.
Though I had met him before in Tokyo, it was the first time for me to meet
him in TV conference as one to one. The topic was the export restriction
of the encryption technique from America. Because of the
national defense, there is an export restriction in America. Sooner we Japan
might be in trouble with the Electric money and so on. And we talked about
the network which not only the enterprises and administration but also
the citizen make with the initiative, and so on. It was so fun.
I asked to him "I'm surprised that the American Government with the
master key which only you can decode should export the encryption technique.
America want to be the big brother of Japan?" He, with smile, answered
"We don't want to be so. But we have to think the national defense in a
different level."
Actually, we can watch this conference in the COARA by video on
demand.
Broad-minded country
I was enjoying these exchange project of the American Center. Then
the center asked me "How about knowing about American culture, more?"
There was "International Visitor Program" under the sponsorship of the
public relation and culture exchange-agency, and I was invited to America
for 4 weeks.
Besides, to my delight, an interpreter will go with me and make
appointments with the place to visit by my request. I surprised at
this system. Many people seemed to share in the benefits of this program
in Kyushu.
America is a broad-minded country, isn't it? We surrounded with American
culture everyday were offered the chance to understand this country, again.
After all, American culture gets to spread itself to the computer world,
doesn't it?
written by Tooru Ono, the chief of the NEW COARA secretariat
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