Wilson Center Welcomes Japan Scholar Nobuo Fukuda

WASHINGTON--The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars welcomes Nobuo Fukuda as a Wilson Center Japan Scholar. Fukuda will spend three months in residence at the Wilson Center, beginning in February 2011, working on a research project examining forms of positive nationalism in Asia.

Nobuo Fukuda is a staff writer with over 25 years experience at the Asahi Shinbun. He was the Jakarta bureau chief in the period leading to Indonesian President Suharto's fall, as well as correspondent for Europe based in London in the aftermath of 9/11, with assignments to Afghanistan and Iraq. His other assignments include coverage of the United Nations in New York, the 1992 U.S. presidential campaign, and Cambodia's transitional government in 1991. He has also written for AERA, a current affairs magazine in Japan. His feature series on the role of the Asahi and other Japanese news companies in the Imperial Japanese Army's invasion and occupation of Asian countries in the 1940s won numerous awards, including the Japan Congress of Journalism Award.

During his time at the Wilson Center, Fukuda will focus on the concept of "open nationalism," that is, forms of nationalism among Asian states that foster compassion and understanding towards neighboring countries. Fukuda sees open nationalism as potentially providing a basis for stability, security, and prosperity in the region, which might benefit Japan in particular. For Japan, a nation that has struggled for the past six decades to overcome its ultra-nationalist past and redefine its interests, open nationalism might provide an opportunity to reestablish its identity in the region.

The Japan Scholar program is the centerpoint of the Woodrow Wilson Center's activities related to Japan and U.S.-Japan relations. This scholarship competition is open to men and women currently residing in Japan, or of Japanese citizenship. Applications are accepted from individuals in academia, business, journalism, government, law, and related professions. Candidates must be currently pursuing research on key public policy issues facing Japan, including U.S.-Japan relations and East Asian political, security, and economic issues.

Successful applicants will spend 2-4 months in residence at the Wilson Center, where they will carry out advanced, policy-oriented research and writing designed to bridge the gap between the academic and policy communities.

The Japan Scholar Program is made possible by the generosity of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.