Greetings    Tsunetada Matsudaira  Chairman, ESUJ

Happy New Year. I hope this will be a year of good health and happiness for everyone despite the global economic turmoil and crisis in the financial and manufacturing sectors. It has been noted on TV that every Year of the Ox brings economic problems, but at the same time it is also a year for beginning to establish the foundations of a new system. We must expect increasing focus to be placed on core new sectors such as the environment and energy conservation. ESUJ is also greatly suffering from the continuing decline of its supporting enterprises and corporate sponsors. We are making a big effort to overcome this crisis. We beseech your earnest support in this endeavor. We are also advancing preparations to become an entity with the juridical personality of a corporation this year. We will inform you as this process progresses.

The common motto of ESUs throughout the world has become "Creating Global Understanding through English." I think the meaning of this is becoming more important now. For many countries outside the English-Speaking world, English is no longer a "foreign" language. Rather, it is becoming these nations' "second language." In Japan there used to be only a small percentage of people who found it necessary to know English, but today the number of corporations using English in conferences and preparing documents in English is rapidly increasing. Otherwise, international communication is not possible. Not only in economics, but also in politics and in cultural matters English knowledge is increasingly necessary if one is to have any sort of relations with the countries of the world. ESUJ is not an English-education organization but I think we should offer as many Japanese as possible the opportunity to familiarize themselves with English. We want to work with all our might in particular to increase the communication skills of our young people through our University Debate Competition.

Finally, we look forward to your participation in the many enjoyable events we are planning for this year.

The final event for 2008, the ESUJ Annual Christmas Party, was held on December 16 (Tues.) at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) in Yurakucho with over 100 members and guests in attendance. Chairman Matsudaira greeted guests with a witty welcome, followed by a first-time toast from the new ESUJ Honorary President and British Ambassador Mr. David Warren. This was followed by a surprise performance by ESUJ Vice Chairman Sadaaki Numata wearing a jaunty hat and strumming his guitar while serenading the guests with near professional renditions of songs such as Cielito Lindo, Imagine, Country Road, and Where Have All the Flowers Gone. The entertainment concluded with everyone singing White Christmas. Afterward, ESUJ Chairman Emeritus Hanabusa proposed the establishment of an e-Pal program among ESU members around the world (details to be announced). Members and guests enjoyed an excellent buffet and conversation together and also meeting foreign students at the party as well as speakers from lectures in 2008 and student finalists from this year's University Debate Competition, for a fine conclusion to the ESUJ year. A special thanks to the many people who helped to fill the ESUJ Donation Box.

Courageous Retreat: Japan's Lesson for the U.S.
ONO Goro   January 6, 2009
Good-bye, Neocons! ---Hope from the Jews of America
HIRAYAMA Kentaro   December 26, 2008
Dear Senator Obama
MURATA Ryohei   November 12, 2008
We Want an Internationalist, not Globalist America
HANABUSA Masamichi   November 5, 2008

English Club Meeting in January
Tuesday, January 20 19:00-20:30 at Marunouchi Café
"Japan's lunar explorer "KAGUYA": first year observations and early results"
Guest Speaker: Mr. Shinichi Sobue
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
2009 has been declared "International Year of Astronomy" and also is the 40th anniversary of Apollo11 moon landing! Shall we make a trip to the moon?

February's English Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 17 at Marunouchi Café (19:00-20:30)
Details: Coming soon….Please check our website!

New Year's Lecture: January 28 (Wed.) 19:00-20:30
((Full House!)) Lecture by Mr. Sadaaki Numata
"Can Japan keep pace with a changing America?"

Haiku in English by Ms. Emiko Miyashita
Date: Wednesday, 25th February 18:30-20:00
at Japan National Press Club (9th floor )
ESUJ's popular workshop series (the sixth) about English Haiku.