June 12, 1997- July 8, 1997
Prepared by:Thomas A. Hollihan
Annenberg School for Communication
University of Southern California

The 1997 Committee on International Discussion and Debate (CIDD)exchange tour to Japan was a smashing success. The tour, which wassponsored by the National Communication Association (NCA) in theUnited States, and by the Japan Debate Association (JDA) and Babel,Incorporated in Japan, helped to further cement thelinkages betweenthe debate communities in Japan and the U. S. Representing theU. S.on the tour were debaters Catherine Shuster, M. A. candidate at theUniversity of Georgia, and Scott Ruthfield, M. A. candidate at RiceUniversity. They were accompanied by Professor Thomas Hollihan,Annenberg School for Communication, University of SouthernCalifornia.

The American debaters were selected by the CIDD during tryoutsheld in Kansas City, MO, in October, 1996. The pair were verysuccessful intercollegiate debaters, Ms. Shuster was a formerNational Debate Tournament Champion (Emory University, 1996), and Mr.Ruthfield was a former National Parliamentary Debate AssociationChampion (Rice University, 1996). The debaters not only demonstratedexcellent debating skills, but they were also effective teachersofdebate techniques.

The tour was superbly coordinated and hosted by Mr. Yoshiro Yano,Research Associate in the Department of Sociology at the Universityof Tokyo. In addition, we would especially like to acknowledge theefforts of Mr. Naoto Usui,a Lecturer at Kanda University of ForeignStudies, who will assume the responsibility for hosting the next U.S. tour to Japan in 1999. Both Mr. Yano and Mr. Usui were extremelykind and helpful to us. We cannot say enough about their hospitality.

The arrangements were outstanding, and the tour proceeded withoutany of the glitches or problems that one would normally expect toencounter. We were warmly greeted at every stop on the tour, housedin very comfortable hotels, escorted to almost all events, taken tosee important cultural attractions and tourist sites, andenthusiastically entertained every evening. It would be difficult toidentify any improvements in either the schedule or the planning. Thetour was thoroughly planned, and our hosts were gracious andconcerned with our welfare and comfort. Participating in the tour wasa great honor for each of us, and will always be remembered.

Most of the debates were on the current national debate topic inJapan, Resolved: That Japan should abolish the death penalty, and theUS team debated both sides of this topic. In addition, they alsodebated a few rounds on the topic, Resolved: That the US-Japansecurity treaty should be terminated; and tworounds on the topic,Resolved: That the Japanese should learn to debate. Most debates wereheld in the late afternoon or early evening, and I typicallycommented on the debate and/or provided a 30-60 minute lecture. Ilectured on the following topics: the history of debate education inthe United States, the role of argumentation in American society, therole of argumentation in Americanpolitics, rhetorical criticism in amedia age, and the role of argumentation inbusiness.

Daily Activities:

June 12 Arrival, Tokyo Narita Airport, 3:40 PM. Met by Mr. Yano,escorted to New Prince Takanawa Hotel. Dinner in a Chinese restaurantthat evening with Mr. Yano, Mr. Usui, Mr. Satoru Aonuma, and Mr.Mitsugu Iwashita.

June 13 Meeting and reception at Sophia University. Includedorientation tothe tour, very gracious lunch hosted by Fr. ScottHowell, a brief meeting with the Sophia debaters, and an eveningreception.

June 14 Travel to Nagasaki by plane. Mr. Usui accompanied us tothe airport. We were met in met in Nagasaki by Mr. Yano and Mr.Aonuma. We spent the afternoon driving around the city and harborarea, then to Chinatown for dinner in the evening, where we werejoined by Dr. Narahiko Inoue, Chairman of the JDA. Following dinner,Mr. Yano introduced us to karaoke.

June 15 Attended the Communication Association of Japan Conventionin Nagasaki. I delivered the convention keynote address entitled:"Citizenship and Community in a Cyberworld: The Internet as a Sourcefor News. " Scott and Mr. Yano and Kate and Mr. Aonuma then debatedon the topic, Resolved: That the Japanese should learn to debate. Ioffered comments following the debate. Inthe evening we dined at aFrench restaurant with Mr. Yano, Mr. Aonuma, and Professor DeborahForeman-Takano from Doshisha University.

June 16 Mr. Yano took us to the train station where we departedfor Fukuoka. We were met in Fukuoka by our host Professor TommyTakaomi Hirahashi, and by Ms. Misako Tamura. After checking into ourhotel, we went to Kyushu University. I lectured on the role ofargumentation in American society. Scott and Kate debated Ms. YumikoSakamoto and Mr. Kuniharu Tsuji on the topic Resolved: That Japanshould abolish the death penalty. Following the debate I made a fewbriefcomments and entertained questions from the audience. In theevening we went for dinner ("Hakata Ramen," the consensus best singledish on the trip!) in a tiny neighborhood hideaway known by ProfessorHirahashi.

June 17 Professor Hirahashi escorted us to the train station tocatch a morning train to Kitakyushu. There we were met by Ms. HiroeNoguchi the energetic, enthusiastic, and incredibly well-preparedhostess at Kitakyushu University. Ms. Noguchi got us checked into ourhotel, secured us lunch, and got us to campus for an afternoondebate. Scott and Kate debated against Kazumi Ono and Asayo Terasimafrom Kitakyushu University ESS, on the death penalty topic. Ilectured on debate education in the United States. Approximately 500students, faculty, and administrators attended the debate, thelargestaudience on the tour. The debate was also filmed by the localtelevision stations, and excerpts appeared on the evening newscast.

That evening we went out for a very beautiful and tastytraditional Japanese dinner in a restaurant adjacent to the castle.We were joined at dinner by several students, faculty members, andeven alumni from Kitakyushu.

June 18 Ms. Noguchi escorted us to the train station for a tripback to Fukuoka. There we were met once again by Professor Hirahashiwho took us by subway to the airport. We were supposed to catch a 10AM flight to Matsuyama, but the airline was on strike. All of theirflights out of Fukuoka were canceled that day, except for ours, whichwould depart, but three hours late. We proceeded to the coffee shopwhere Professor Hirahashi entertained us and taught us some survivalskills for the remainder of the tour. We really appreciated his goodcheer and the fact that he devoted so much time to us. We only wishwe had more time to see Fukuoka and Kitakyushu.

We arrived in Matsuyama and were met by students from the ESSclubs at Ehime University and Matsuyama University. We arrived injeans and grubby clothes only to learn that the debate was to takeplace almost immediately and that we did not have time to check intoour hotel (due to the late arrival of our flight). We changed clothesin the airport restroom (to the consternation of the Japanesesalarymen) and then proceeded to Ehime University. We were hosted byMr. Hiroyki Abe and by Mr. Hirotami Yoshino. We ate lunch on campusand thenproceeded to the ESS room for two debates (one againststudents from Ehime and one against students from Matsuyama), both onthe death penalty. I offered comments on both debates.

Following the debates we checked into our hotel, and then went outfor a lovely Japanese dinner. The dinner was attended by a largenumber of students, and was followed by a visit to Matsuyama'scountry-Western bar! We felt much at home surrounded by photographsof the American West.

June 19 This was a hot and humid day in Matsuyama, the first ofthree typhoons we were to experience was preparing to come on shore.We spent a very busy day, however, including a visit to thespectacular Matsuyama castle (complete with a cable car to the top ofthe hill and a chairlift back down). The castle and the view of thecity and waterfront were very impressive, as was the display ofancient armor and artworks hanging in the gallery displays. Aftervisiting the castle we enjoyed a wonderful lunch of "udong noodles"with our student hosts. They wanted us to tour Dogo Hot Springs, themost famous hotsprings in Japan (and the "must see" attraction of thearea--when ever anyone heard that we were in Matsuyama they asked usif we visited the hot springs!), but we declined. The weather was sowarm at this point that the idea of a hot springs did not seemtolerable. We opted for ice cream and conversation instead, andproceeded to the airport.

We caught a late afternoon flight for Osaka where we were met byProfessor Deborah Foreman-Takano and two students from the NationalAssociation of Forensics and Argumentation-Kansai Debate League. Wetraveled by bus to Kyoto and checked into our hotel. That evening wewent out for a wonderful dinner at an Indian restaurant where we metthe students from Doshisha University who weregoing to participate inthe next day's debate.

June 20 Plans changed. The typhoon had now come ashore and wasbattering Kyotoand the adjoining areas. Winds were the strongest theyhad been in years and rain was coming down by the buckets full. Inour hotel the windows opened to ansmall inside courtyard and wehardly noticed the storm. The rules at Doshisha University are suchthat if there is a strong wind warning in place at 9:30 AM, then theUniversity is closed for the day. The debate was canceled. Because itwas a Friday, it could not be rescheduled. We spent the day withProfessor Foreman-Takano shopping and sightseeing. ProfessorForeman-Takano was a most gracious host (she even did some of ourlaundry for us!). Our day off sightseeing in Kyoto was a great treatfor us, but we were disappointed that we did not get to debate atDoshisha. We enjoyed a very pleasant lunch in a soba shop, and then abeautiful dinner in a seafood restaurant with ProfessorForeman-Takano that evening.

June 21 Mr. Hzrokazu Seki and other students from NAFA took ussightseeing. We enjoyed seeing two lovely temples. That evening wewent out for a lovely Italian meal where we enjoyed Japanesespaghetti. Later we investigated an English Pub (the Pig andWhistle), a technobar (It's a Bar Isn't It), and a walkthrough theGion.

June 22 Mr. Seki met us in the morning to took us to see anothertemple and garden. We especially enjoyed the bamboo forest. In theafternoon we proceededto the NAFA/KIDL Tournament. We were hosted byShigeyuki Aoki, Yumi Nakayama, and Yuhki Tashiro. I lectured ondebate education in the U. S. Scott and Kate debated the affirmativeon the topic, Resolved: That Japan and the U. S. should terminate theJapan-U. S. security treaty. On the negative were Ms. Emiko TakedaandMr. Hirokazu Seki. I offered comments following the debate. We thenproceeded to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

June 23 Mr. Tashiro accompanied us to the train station where wecaught a "bullet" train for Nagoya. At Nagoya we were met by Mr.Daisuke Hayashi and Mr. Yousuke Tokota, and Ms. Chisa Nagata, theprimary hosts in Nagoya. We checked into our hotel, enjoyed a lunchof soba, and then proceeded to the Nagoya Institute of Technology.Kate and Scott participated in a practice debate in the afternoon anddebated the death penalty topic in the evening. The event attracted alarge audience. I lectured on debate education in the U. S. , andoffered comments on the debate. Following the debate we enjoyed aJapanese dinner and drinks with many of the students from Nagoya, andthen went to a verynice cocktail lounge atop Nagoya's tallestbuilding for a drink.

June 24 Mr. Hayashi, Mr. Tokota, Ms. Kato, and Ms. Nagata took usto see the Nagoya Castle. The castle is most impressive and affords abeautiful view of the city. We also enjoyed a very tasty lunch beforedeparting on the "bullet" train for Tokyo.

Mr. Yano met us at Tokyo station and accompanied us back to ourhotel, the Shinagawa Prince. That evening Mr. Yano, Mr. Usui, Mr.Reiji Yamanaka and Mr. Takuzo Konishi joined us for a sushi dinner inthe hotel.

June 25 We spent the early part of the day relaxing andsightseeing in Tokyo. Then in the late afternoon we proceeded toBabel, Inc. , for a debate on the topic Resolved: That Japan shouldestablish an Asian Economic Union. Kate and Scott split sides, anddebated with Mr. Reiji Yamanaka and Mr Takuzo Konishi. Ilectured onthe topic of the benefits of debate and argumentation training forbusiness careers. The debate and lecture were conducted for a largeaudience ofbusiness executives. Mr. Usui translated the speeches andlecture into Japanese because some audience members were not fluentin English.

Following the debate and lecture, we were hosted by Mr. HamajiMachio of Babel for an excellent dinner. We were joined by severalother Babel representatives and executives.

June 26 This day was devoted to rest and sightseeing. Scott hadbecome ill and stayed in the hotel, but Kate and I explored Tokyo.

June 27 Scott was ill and confined to his room. Kate and I tookthe train to Sagami Women's University High School. Unfortunately,the map we were given to the campus was incomplete (no street namesin either English or Japanese) and wearrived late. We spent about 20minutes visiting with high school students learning about debate andthen another hour touring the high school with Mr. Michael Lubetsky,before it was time to return to Tokyo.

That evening we went to the Japan Businesspersons DebateFederation. Scott was unable to attend (Mr. Yano accompanied him to aphysician in the afternoon), so Kate and I debated together on thetopic, Resolved: That Japan and the U. S. should terminate the JapanU. S. security treaty. We debated Mr. Mikio Kobayashiand Mr. KoujiKatoh. I also lectured on the benefits of debate and argumentationtraining for communicating in business.

Following the debate we were accompanied to dinner with thebusiness debaters. The business executives set the standard for anevening of partying. The food was excellent, the beer and sakeplentiful, and the conversation was warm and friendly. This was oneof the more memorable and enjoyable evenings on the tour.

June 28 Scott was still ill and stayed at the hotel. Kate and Iwent to the Daily Yomiuri Debate Tournament. We judged the twopreliminary rounds in the tournament and also the final round. I alsoprovided comments on the final round debate on behalf of all of thejudges on the panel. The event was directed by Dr. Shigeru Matsumotoand hosted by Ms. Akira Okuyama. It drew a very large audience andwas extensively covered in the Daily Yomiuri on July 7, 1997.

Following the debate we went to dinner with the participants inthe final round,Mr. Usui, and Fr. Howell. After dinner we enjoyed anevening of karaoke, during which Mr. Usui firmly established hisreputation as the Emperor of Karaoke!

June 29 We spent the day at the East-West Debate Tournament. Ourhosts were Ms. Akimi Matsuda and Mr. Shun Shirai. The entiretournament was run by a student committee, and we were greatlyimpressed by their competence, thoroughness, and professionalism. Wejudged the semi-finals and final round inthe tournament, and Ilectured on recent trends in American debate.

Following the tournament we went out for dinner and were joined byan enthusiastic group of debaters.

June 30 In the morning we visited the University of Tokyo with Mr.Yano. We were filmed as part of a TV documentary that was being doneon Mr. Yano. We also enjoyed lunch on the campus, and observed the"electric aquarium. " Who needs nature when you can have virtualfish?

We then met Mr. Shigenori Yamaki who accompanied us to KandaUniversity of International Studies on the train. At Kanda, thedebaters enjoyed an excellentdebate on the topic, Resolved: That theJapanese should learn to debate. Kate and Scott affirmed the topic.The Kanda students, Ms. Yukika Lily Adachi and Ms. Maki Aizawa, saidthat debate was bad because it imposed time limits on the discussionof important issues. Kate responded by stealing the time cards duringher cross examination of the first affirmative speaker. The audienceloved it. I lectured on the benefits of learning debate and offeredcomments on the debate. Professor Matsumoto then hosted a large andboisterous dinner party for us.

July 1 Mr. Yano accompanied us to the Tokyo station where wecaught a "bullet" train to Yamagata. At Yamagata we were met by anenthusiastic group ofstudents holding signs with our names on them.We should not have been too hard to locate, we were the onlyWesterners on the train! The debaters took us to our hotel and thento lunch. After lunch we toured a very impressive historic buildingin Yamagata, and then went to a soba shop where we got to makeour ownsoba! As much fun as the process was, our creation could not comparewith the wonderful soba produced by the master!

Following dinner, we returned to the hotel where we met andvisited with the debaters who would be debating the next day.

July 2 Mr. Masa Sato, advisor to the Yamagata ESS, took us toYamadera sightseeing. We visited a spectacular mountain temple, andthen enjoyed a most incredible traditional Japanese lunch. Therestaurant was amazing. We dined ina private tatami room with amagnificent view of the mountains and of the temple we had justvisited. The food and atmosphere were phenomenal.

After lunch we headed back to Yamagata for the debate and lecture.I talked about the history of debate education in the U. S. Kate andScott debated Ms. Nao Kato (Chief of the Debate Squad at Yamagata)and Mr. Hiroyasu Hosoi (from Tohoko University), on the topic,Resolved: That Japan and the U. S. should terminate the securitytreaty. The debate and lecture were very well attended.Representatives from three separate television stations filmedportions of the debate for their evening newscasts, and a printreporter from the local paper also attended.

Following the debate, we enjoyed dinner in an Italian restaurantand then drinksand additional food in a Japanese restaurant.Incidently, we also enjoyed the local delicacy, Yamagata cherriesthat were generously provided by Ms. Kato's mom!

July 3 Almost all of the Yamagata ESS students turn out to take usto the train station. It was an early morning departure, and thus itwas quite an achievement to see so many students, especially becausewe knew how enthusiastically they had partied the evening before! Wetravelled to Sendai, where we changed trains and then on to Mito. Thescenery between Yamagata and Sendai was breath-taking.

We arrived in Mito and were met at the station by ProfessorTakeshi Suzuki who accompanied us to Ibaragi University. At Ibaragi,I was escorted to meet the President of the University and the Deanof the College. They presented me withan engraved medal of theUniversity commemorating my stay! The debaters then debated the deathpenalty, and I lectured on the topic: the role of criticism ina mediaage. The debate was well attended, the audience enthusiastic, and thestudents asked many questions.

In the evening Professor Suzuki accompanied us to dinner in alovely French Restaurant. The food was outstanding. If visiting Mito,call Takeshi for the name and address! After dinner we checked intoour rooms in the very comfortable guest quarters that belong to theuniversity. We then went out for drinks in an outstanding barfeaturing American jazz. The bar's proprietor was extremely friendlyand presented us with antique coins in honor of our visit.

July 4 We celebrated American Independence Day by going to thespectacular Kairukuen Gardens in Mito. They are huge, lush, and veryunique, and include a shogun home. Following the garden tour we wentfor lunch in a very traditional Japanese restaurant. The food wasdelicious, but what was most impressive was the presentation. Themeal was a work of art, with carefully decorated vegetables and tofu.

Following lunch we caught the train back to Tokyo. We arrived justin time to change our clothes because we have an evening debate atSony, Inc. Scott and Kate debated the negative on the death penaltytopic against Ms. Chie Matsuoka and Mr. Senzo Horii of Sony. The Sonydebaters were both executives with no college debate experience. Theyare coached by Professor Matsumoto from Kanda University. I lecturedon the benefits of debate training for business.

After the debate we went to another Sony building and a companyowned restaurantfor dinner. We were warmly hosted by Mr. IsshinYamada, General Manager of theHuman Resources Department in theProcurement Center at Sony. We met many veryinteresting people, andenjoyed a very stimulating conversation. We were also presented withnew Sony "walkman" cassette players to thank us for ourparticipation.

July 5 This was a much needed day of rest in Tokyo.

July 6 We attended the NAFA Tournament at Meiji University inTokyo. I lectured n the topic: argumentation in American society.Kate and Scott debatedon the death penalty topic. After the debate wewent to dinner with Mr. Yano, Mr. Usui, Mr. Nagai, and several otherstudents and coaches.

July 7 The day was devoted to sightseeing around Tokyo. In theevening we went to a delightful restaurant in the Ginza district fora farewell dinner. Mr. Yano, Mr. Usui, Mr. Sano, and Dr. Suzukijoined us. After dinner weenjoyed a final evening of Karaoke.

July 8 We met with Mr. Yano in the morning. In the afternoon Scottand Kate left for the airport and their flight back to the U. S. Ileft two days later.

Recommendations and Comments:

To the next US Tour Group:

1. We learned of the topics that we would debate several weeks inadvance. This was very helpful, and gave the students time toprepare. I recommend that future tours allow sufficient time fordiscussions and case building in the US before they depart for Japan.We did not have much time together in the US prior to our departure,and I think it would have been very useful to have at least a coupleof days.

2. It is very important that you pack as light as possible. It isdifficult tolug very large and heavy suitcases around, and especiallywhen traveling on thetrain. My suggestion is that you pack in such away that you can store some ofyour luggage in Tokyo, and thenretrieve it when you return to the city. It ispossible to ship thingsfrom one city to the next, but you need several days notice.

3. The audiences we spoke to were very diverse. Some spoke Englishvery well and were very familiar with debate theory, and othersseemed to speak very little English and had no prior exposure todebate. It is imperative that the participants are sensitive to thebackground and needs of particular audiences.

4. Several of the audiences were primarily interested in businessrelated topics. I think it will be very useful if future facultymembers on the tour are prepared to address the issue of how debateand argumentation advances strategic business communicationpractices.

5. Japanese debaters are very interested in the latestdevelopments in debate theory in the United States. Tour participantsshould be able to lecture on these developments and explain them toaudiences who sometimes lack prior exposure to some of the jargonthat has become popular in the U. S. My own prejudice is that it isalso important that future debaters and lecturers emphasize that wellthe competitive aspects of debate are interesting and exciting, thatdebate must be viewed as an educational experience and not simplyasan intellectual game where one merely seeks strategic advantage.

To Japanese Hosts:

1. I have already mentioned, it is difficult to think of anythingthat could have been done to improve our experience. There weremoments, however, when it would have been nice to have a bit moretime to tour a particular city. Our visits to Fukuoka and Kitakyushuwere, for example, very brief, and if possible,it would be nice toallow future tours a bit more time.

2. There were times when we either did not know when our debateswere scheduled to take place, or when the times changed at the lastminute. It was helpful to know exactly when we had to be someplaceprepared to debate. It was also nice to have some time to take a dayoff or even to have a morning off. Although exciting, travel can alsobe exhausting, and some rest periods really help.

3. There were a few times on the trip when we were met very earlyin the day, well before scheduled events, and then simply parked in aroom on campus to await the debate. On a few occasions there were noteven any students around for us to talk to while we waited. Weenjoyed meeting the students and faculty members from the differentuniversities, and liked having time to visit and share strategiesbefore the debates took place, but there were a few times when we didnot feel like our time was all that well utilized, and we would haveappreciated having the time either to look around the city or campusor to rest in our hotel.

Conclusion:

We were thoroughly impressed with the quality of academic debatein Japan, and with the hospitality that was extended to us during ourvisit. I hope that when Japanese debaters tour the United States in1998 they find that hosts are as kind to them as everyone was to us.I believe that participating on this tour was perhaps the bestprofessional experience that I have every had. I hope thatthere willbe many more exchanges in the future.