Welcome to The Tokyo Foundation

Politics

Message from the Chairman: The Tokyo Foundation's Work in 2009

December 26, 2008 Hideki Kato

Two years ago, the Tokyo Foundation undertook a sweeping overhaul of the structure and content of its programs. We conducted a bottom-up review of our fellows and programs in the areas of policy research and leadership development-the foundation's twin missions-from the standpoint of how best to contribute to Japan and the world in the twenty-first century. You might say we reconstituted the foundation from the ground up.

Society and Culture

Should Brain Generation with Stem Cells Be Allowed?

December 24, 2008 Jiro Nudeshima

Progress in the life sciences is moving at an astonishing rate, and today it has become possible to reproduce part of the human brain in a test tube. The brain is a key organ controlling human activity, and there is a need to think seriously about how far we should allow such research to proceed.

Politics

The Issues in the Farmland System

December 17, 2008 Kazuhito Yamashita

Tracing the history of how Japan's farmland system has been administered back to 1952, when the Agricultural Land Law was enacted, is a means of shedding fresh light on the problems afflicting Japanese agriculture. It also serves to reveal the policies needed to secure the farmland that is essential to Japan's food security and to identify new actors willing and able to work this land.

SYLFF Fellows Volunteer to Help China Earthquake Victims

Education

Voices from the SYLFF Community

SYLFF Fellows Volunteer to Help China Earthquake Victims

November 27, 2008Tang Songlin, Zeng Xianghong

Two teams of Chinese SYLFF fellows traveled to areas most seriously affected by the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan, visiting local schools and giving moral and material support to surviving students. This was a rewarding experience for them, who report they were moved to see students trying to overcome their grief. The project was supported by the Tokyo Foundation.

Society and Culture

Rediscovering the Treasures of Food

Vol. 10: Koji, an Aspergillus

December 15, 2008Chieko Fujita

Miso soup for breakfast and dinner, soy sauce that always makes it on the dining table, the evening cup of sake-Japan has a wealth of fermented food products and beverages. The fermenting agent used in many of these foods is koji, a fungus of the genus Aspergillus. But in today's fast-paced society , natural fermentation is growing rare.