Dear Friends of JFIT,
 
As the Rabbit is making its exit, we are gearing up for the Year of the Dragon (龍/辰tatsu). The most mythical of the twelve zodiac signs, the Dragon is a supernatural being unequalled in talent and excellence. It  symbolizes power, ambition, determination, wisdom, luck, and success. We here at JFIT are flexing our muscles - what can go wrong?
 
But, we can’t do it without your help. That’s why we are writing today to ask you to consider an end-of-the-year donation to ensure that we can continue to bring you insightful and interesting offerings. And, as you may have heard us say, it’s not just about financial support. It’s also politics and power. As Japan continues to be passed over, the best way for JFIT – and Japan research more general - to secure recognition within the public debate, even our small quarters here at UC San Diego, is to show that we have a large group of supporters. Every single donation, however small, counts toward that goal.
 
Our Year of the Rabbit was wonderfully successful, as we zigzagged at crazy speed through the twelve months. In March, Ulrike’s book “The Reinvention of Japanese Business” was published in Japanese as “最興 THE KAISHA”. It is now in the second print, and continues to sell very well. She also wrote a book for the Japanese market only, which will be published this coming March as “シン・日本の経営：悲観バイアスを排す” (“New Japan Management: Overcoming the Negativity Bias”). This book was partially based on an interview she did with PIVOT, a YouTube-based new provider startup,  which has attracted more than 1.1 million viewers so far. This was in English, with Japanese subtitles,  and you can watch it here and here. She was also interviewed by NHK for a show to be aired on January 1, 2024, so watch out for that.
 
Our Japan Zoominar (JZ) has grown in leaps and bounds. In 2023, we had a total of 1,496 live audience at 16 events, and 4,769 YouTube views. In total, since we launched in April 2020, we have had more than 12,000 live audience and over 57,000 views of the recordings. We will start the Year of the Dragon with two shows on entrepreneurship and innovation, and will also tackle the DX, the global insurance industry, and much more. Look out for our event announcements!
 
Meanwhile, our other center activities have continued as well, including our visiting scholar and educational programs. Supported by the good offices of the Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles and the “Kakehashi Program” of MOFA, our School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) sent ten Masters’ students to Japan for one week in January, which according to them was a life-changing event. In return, we hosted 10 graduate students from Yokohama National University in November. It was wonderful to build more bridges between the two sister cities!
 
All these activities are possible only because of you – our friends, supporters, program participants, Japan Zoominar speakers, JZ audience, and donors. We thank you for being part of our community. Yet, as mentioned, support for Japan research in the U.S. remains at a sad low. It would be great if we here at JFIT could create more energy around Japan activities that draws more attention to the world’s fourth largest economy, the United States’ most important ally in the Pacific Rim, and an important forerunner in all kinds of societal trends, from anime and aging to technology and Zen. 
 
We hope you can support our efforts through a gift, however small or large, to show the powers-that-be that we have a critical mass of audience here. Donations will not be used for lavish dinners, big staff, or office matters, because we don’t actually do that sort of thing. Basically, all donations will flow straight into making sure that the JZ and associated activities can continue.
 
The easiest way to make your gift is online with a credit card. If you prefer to donate by check, please make it payable to “UC San Diego Foundation” with a notation that “JFIT #2520” is your intended target. Please mail it to UCSD Gift Processing, 9500 Gilman Drive #0940, La Jolla, CA 92093-0940.
 
Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year of the Dragon! Taka has drawn a ferocious dragon for us this year, to guide us all into 2024. May yours be filled with all the energy, success and good luck of this JFIT Dragon!
 
With best wishes,
 
Ulrike Schaede
Taka Kiyoizumi
and the JFIT Team