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Dear Friends of JFIT,

Year of the Rabbit cartoonThe Year of the Tiger is nearing its end, and we are looking forward to hopping happily into the Year of the Rabbit. The rabbit is said to be vigilant, witty, and ingenious, while also calm, faithful and compassionate. What’s not to like, then? May your 2023 be filled with the stamina, gentleness and quick-wittedness of a cute bunny!

At JFIT, we are intent on steadily hopping forward, as we continue to grow our programs. Toward this goal, we are writing to invite you to consider an end-of-the-year donation to ensure that we can continue to bring you insightful and interesting offerings. 

We are looking back on quite a successful 2022. Ulrike’s book “The Reinvention of Japanese Business” was published in Japanese, as “Saikō THE KAISHA”. Meanwhile, her co-authored Japanese book on “How to Build an Ambidextrous Organization” has sold over 30,000 copies, which bodes well. And, she co-authored a book titled "The Digital Transformation and Japan’s Political Economy" (Cambridge UP). On other news, Ulrike was appointed to the Board of Associate Editors of The Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, and the Advisory Board of The National Bureau of Asian Research.

The Japan Zoominar (JZ) has grown in leaps and bounds. In 2022, we had a total of 2,000 live audience at 17 events, and more than 7,600 YouTube views. In total, since we launched in April 2020, we have had more than 9,000 live audience and over 43,000 views of the recordings. So much is clear: there is a huge and continuing interest in Things Japan, and we are happy that you find what we do of interest! 

Meanwhile, our other activities have continued as well. We hosted new “advanced visiting scholars”, ran two entrepreneurship workshops with Kobe University, supported Kyoto University’s Life Science showcase event in San Diego, held an online course for life-science startups at the School of Health Innovation at Kanagawa University of Human Services, and continued to run our JUMP (Josei/Women for Upper Management) and AIM (Advanced International Management) programs online. The Newsflash, written throughout the year by Hanae Araki and Marcia Yang, is drawing eyeballs in numbers that inspire us to keep going. 

Our activities are possible only because of you – our friends, supporters, program participants, Newsflash readers, Japan Zoominar speakers and audience members, and donors. We thank you for being part of our community. The JZ, in particular, is giving us a lot of joy. But while it is online, it is not free, as we incur a variety of expenses from website management to e-mailing fees. To keep it going, we are asking that you to please consider a gift, however small or large, in support of JFIT. Even a small contribution will help us greatly toward this goal. Donations will not be used for lavish dinners, big staff, or office matters. Our program is tiny, and we run on minimal overheard. Thus, all donations will flow straight into making sure that the JZ and the Newsflash can continue to run like the energy bunny.

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 Rabbit! May it be filled with all the fun, calm, and vivacity that the Rabbit symbolizes in Asia! 

With best wishes,
 
Ulrike Schaede
Taka Kiyoizumi
and the JFIT Team