Japan

Sep

2025

Japan and Immigration

Honored to spend time with 40-year China analyst, former CSIS Japan Fellow, and PhD in social engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Dr. Arai Takashi and his wife on immigration issues in Japan and the integration of foreign communities in Kanagawa Prefecture. Dr. Arai participated in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development held in Yokohama in August and is conducting research on Japan’s relations with the Middle East. Eager to read his next research study. The stack of books behind us in his library represents only 1/4 of the rest of his collection of impressive materials. As Japan grapples with an aging society and declining population, labor resource management will remain a key challenge – something AI and robots alone cannot resolve.

May

2020

Helping the Homeless and Urban Poor

What a day to be grateful for if you have your health, family and a means to financially support yourself and loved ones. Not everyone is so fortunate. It is a blessing to be able to share one’s wealth and knowledge to alleviate in some way the pain and suffering of others. The spirit of volunteerism is also very American and alive and well. It is a spirit I treasure. I created this business proposal long before the COVID-19 outbreak precisely to see how I could assist the urban homeless in Japan. Why? The homeless aren’t someone else’s problem. They are us. They are human. It is never too late to reaffirm our common humanity through kindness and acts of charity. I hope one day some brave soul will take this business proposal and implement it. It’s free. One less homeless person on the streets is a legacy we can all be proud of – whether Japanese or American or both. Have a great week and know that your health ultimately rests on the health and well-being of others. One human family.

https://kenreiman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Japan-Urban-Homeless-Project.pdf

Jan

2020

The Year’s First Dream – What Did You Dream About?

In Japan, it is believed that the first dream of the New Year is important because it tells you what the year holds for you. What did you dream about? Here’s a haiku poem by Itō Shōu in English and Japanese below.

The year’s first dream –

a secret I spoke to no one,

smiling to myself. 　　― Itō Shōu (1859-1943)

初夢や

秘めて語らず

一人笑む　　　　　　　　―伊藤松宇

The Japanese poet Itō Shōu was a poet of the Meiji era (1868-1926). He was a contemporary of another great Haiku poet Masaoka Shiki. Both wrote during a time when Japan opened its doors to the world and quickly learned about Western culture and technology.

On a journey, I’d have

as my companion on the road,

a butterfly. ―Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902)

道づれは

胡蝶をたのむ

旅路かな　　　　　　　　―正岡子規

https://kenreiman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Japan-Urban-Homeless-Project.pdf

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