The Tale of the Three Cities: Shanghai, Tokyo, Detroit.
Presentations and Discussions on three cities of the world--Shanghai, Tokyo and Detroit.
Organized by Seigo Nakao, PhD, Associate Professor of Japanese, DMLL, Oakland University
Date of program: October 28, 2010.
2:45: Door opens
3:00-3:40: Presentations on Shanghai
3:50-4:30: Presentations on Tokyo
4:30-4:40: Refreshments.
4:40-5:20: Presentation on Detroit
5:20-5:40: Discussion; Q& A.
5:40-6:10: Refreshments.
Location: Heritage Room, Oakland Center (to be reserved).
Although cultural, economical and technological influences of Asian countries on the USA have
been felt since the 1970s when Japan emerged as the 2nd economic superpower after the USA
in the world, it has never been so palpably felt as in the last several years. Back in the 1970s, as
the Japanese car exports to the USA soared, Japanese car bashing was hailed by some
Americans, particularly in Detroit. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the USA still felt
threatened not only by the Japanese automobile industry but also by the Japanese computer
industry. Since then, as the Japanese economic threat has diminished, China has meteorically
emerged as an economic super power. China is expected to become the world’s number one
economic power house in terms of GDP before long; Japan, despite the fact that it experienced
a so-called “Lost Decade” from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, turned out to be one of the
most ingenuous technological innovators as well as one of the most prominent cultural leaders
for young people around the world. This seminar is to offer a forum in order to 1) present the
past, the present, and the future of two prominent Asian cites--Tokyo and Shanghai; 2) discuss
the linkages, parallels, or inter-relatedness of these cities with Detroit now and in the future.
The presentations and discussions will make clear what the three cities envision as their future
in contrast to their past and present.
This seminar presents the three cities that are considered to be the “frontiers” at present
and/or in the future. It is to be discussed if these frontiers will compete, emulate, or inspire
each other for the expansion of their “borders.” Tokyo has become a prominent roll model for
its efficient mass-transit system and high-tech culture, and has been expanding its technological
and cultural borders to the rest of the world. Shanghai is emerging as another model for a
future city, too (except over-population), with the added prospect that it will become one of
the world’s largest financial centers. The relationships between Detroit-Tokyo and DetroitShanghai have been geared by automobile industries in the past. Will Detroit be able to expand
its cultural, technological and financial border to join the pack? How can it expand its position
as a frontier city in the US and the world? The speakers and the audience will probe into such
visions.
Key speakers:
Dr. Alan Epstein, Oakland University, on Shanghai.
Dr. Shuishan Yu, Oakland University, on Shanghai.
Dr. Roy Hanashiro, University of Michigan, Flint, on Tokyo.
Dr. Seigo Nakao, Oakland University, on Tokyo.
Dr. Sharon Howell, Oakland University, on Detroit.
A guest speaker (TBA) on Detroit.