2008 Year Ahead Part I: Japanese Society and Culture February 6, 2008

The Japan Society of Northern California presents a two-part review of cultural, societal and political developments in Japan.

Join us to discover where Japanese society and culture is headed in the new year and what social trends may shape Japan's future. From the latest pop cultural developments to the changing Japanese attitude toward women and families, our panelists will provide an up-to-date view of Japanese society today and beyond.

Mariko Fujiwara is Research Director of Hakudo Institute of Life and Living (HILL). She is also a partner in the consultancy Business Futures Network (London), Executive Director of Mobile Marketing Inc., and serves on ministerial councils including the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Finance, and the Supreme Court. She has published reports on Japanese consumers, Japan's post-war baby boom generation, second baby boom generation, changing roles of women and families, Japan's aging population and emerging trends among senior citizens.

Roland Kelts is the author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S., published the U.S., Europe, and Japan. He is a lecturer at the Univeristy of Tokyo, a columnist for The Daily Yomiyuri and an editor of the New York-based literary journal, A Public Space. His first novel, Access, will be published next year. His articles, essays, and stories have been published in Zoetrope, Playboy, Salon, DoubleTake, The Village Voice, Newsday, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and The Japan Times, among others.

Co-sponsored by UC Berkeley Institute of East Asian Studies and the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center.

2008 Year Ahead is made possible by the generous support of Union Bank of California.

$5 Japan Society members and members of co-sponsoring organizations; $15 General Admission; Free for Japan Society Student Members.

Official Website: http://www.usajapan.org/