In 1982, Prime Minister YAB Dato' Seri Dr
Mahathir Mohamad urged Malaysians to "Look East". The Centre for
Japan Studies, established in January 1991 at the Institute of
Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, is intended
to serve as an instrument of this policy, namely to promote the
study of Japan thus leading to a greater understanding of the
nation.
It has also sought to promote greater mutual understanding
between Japanese and Malaysians as well as understanding of
Japan in East Asia and other parts of the world.
Its inaugural public lecture entitled “Japan’s Strategies for
and Future Commitment to The Changing World” was given by Former
Foreign Minister of Japan, Mr. Saburo Okita. Over the years, the
Centre has sought to draw lessons from Japan’s developmental
experience for the benefit of Malaysia’s economic development
and its on-going nation-building process. Despite Japan
experiencing hardship in the last decade of the 20th century,
Malaysia continued to have confidence in its revitalization and
leadership role in the new century.
CJS,ISIS is grateful to the Japan Federation of Economic
Organisations (KEIDANREN), with support from the Japanese
Chamber of Trade and Industry, Malaysia (JACTIM) for having been
its sponsor for the period 1991-2002. The Centre also
appreciates the kind encouragement from the Embassy of Japan in
Kuala Lumpur for its programmes and activities.
The Centre's activities comprise 3 major
programmes:
Research Programme The aim of this programme is to conduct research on various
issues pertaining to Japan, on Japan-Malaysia relations and,
more generally, Japan-Southeast Asia relations as well as
Japan’s relations with its Northeast Asian neighbours. It
focuses on trade, investment, finance, technology, tourism,
human resource development, official development assistance, and
politics, defence and security and East Asian community
building.
Japan Lecture Programme Under this programme, the Centre organises lectures on Japan
for Malaysians in the government, private sector, media and
academic circles.
Information Resources Programme A databank is being established under this programme to
serve as an up-to-date depository for documents, reports and
books on Japan. environment.
In the decade and a half since the Centre
was set up in 1991, it has received about 1500 visitors for
discussions and interviews on such topics as Japan’s economic
development, Japan-Malaysia relations, Japan and ASEAN, ASEAN +
3, and the EAS. The visitors from different parts of the world
have included government officers, businessmen, researchers from
think-tanks, academics and the media. Japanese academics and
researchers from think-tank continue to seek affiliation with
the Centre as Visiting Fellows. For Malaysian perspectives on
Japan, CJS has been interviewed by many news agencies such as
the local press and television stations, Japanese media (NHK,
Fuji TV, Asahi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Hokkaido Shimbun,
Tokyo Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun and Akahata), BBC, Reuters,
Agence France Presse, Bloomberg, Time Magazine, Newsweek,
Asiaweek and Far Eastern Economic Review). CJS, ISIS has also
promoted links between ASEAN-ISIS and Japanese organisations by
organising joint seminars, e.g, with the Keizai Koho Centre in
Tokyo, the Kanagawa Foundation for Academic and Cultural
Exchange, and the Pacific Resource Exchange Center (Osaka).
One of the early highlights of CJS activities was the conferment
of the Distinguished ISIS International Fellow Award to former
Prime Minister of Japan, H.E. Mr. Toshiki Kaifu, in 1993. For
many years, together with the Japanese Chamber of Trade and
Industry, Malaysia (JACTIM), CJS has co-organised Japan Lectures
as part of the annual Japan Festival in Malaysia. Past speakers
have included renowned Japanese personalities as Naoki Tanaka,
Toyoo Gyohten, Osamu Miyazaki, Haruo Shimada and Motoshige Itoh,
Eisuke Sakakibara, Shujiro Urata and Heizo Takenaka.
In December 1998, CJS,ISIS and Emerald House Sdn Bhd’s nominee,
well-known Malaysian architect, Mr Hijjas Kasturi, won the
prestigious Overseas Award in the 12th Tokyo Creation Award 1998
organised by Tokyo Fashion.
In December 1999, the Centre’s director was appointed by the
Ministry of Finance, Japan as Member of the Foreign Special
Members Subcouncil on the Revitalisation of the Asian Economy
and Financial Markets.
In 2000, CJS, ISIS Malaysia was awarded The Japan Foundation
Kuala Lumpur (JFKL) grant under JFKL’s Support Programme For
Core Organisations in Japanese Studies for Upgrading Facilities
to the sum of US$21, 767.90 (RM 82,718.02).
In March 2003 and July 2004, at the invitation of the
Uzbekistan-Japan Center of Human Resource Development (with the
collaboration of the Embassy of Malaysia in Tashkent), the CJS
director spoke on “Malaysia’s Look East Policy” to Uzbek
audiences in Tashkent, Bokhara and Samarkand.
In conjunction with the 30th Anniversary of Japan’s relations
with ASEAN as Dialogue Partner, CJS with the assistance of the
Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur, organised a Japan-ASEAN
Colloquium “Partnership for Peace, Stability and Prosperity in
the 21st Century” in Kuala Lumpur, 29-30 June 2003. At the
Colloquium, the book Matlamat Jepun Abad Ke-21 Garisan Sempadan
Dalaman- Keupayaan Individu dan Urustadbir yang Lebih Baik dalam
Millenium Baru (translated from The Frontier Within: Individual
Empowerment and Better Governance in the New Millennium
published by the Prime Minister’s Commission for Japan’s Goals
in the 21st Century) was launched by then Ambassador of Japan to
Malaysia, H.E. Mr Masaki Konishi.
In July 2003, CJS assisted in organising the Public Lecture by
the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi, in Tokyo entitled “Continuity, Change and Cooperation:
Japan and Malaysia Working Together.” The event was part of the
Malaysian Business Forum co-organised by ISIS Malaysia, JETRO,
Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry , MAJECA and JAMECA in
conjuction with the official visit of the Malaysian Deputy Prime
Minister to Japan.
Now in its 15th year, CJS, ISIS continues to promote bilateral
relations between Malaysia and Japan and mutual understanding
between its peoples as well as between Malaysia-Japan and other
members of ASEAN, ASEAN+3, EAS and other parts of the world.
