Hello! My name is Jeff Berglund. I've been living in Japan since 1969, when I came as a 20-year-old student to learn Japanese language, Japanese culture, and Japanese religion. My nearly a half-century has been spent in the "capital of capitals" (京の都), Kyoto, Japan. I love Japan, and I especially love Kyoto! I am now a professor of Intercultural Communication at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, a member of the Board of Regents of one of my alma maters, Kyoto Nihongo Gakko, and a member of the Kyoto Machiya Fund which works to protect and preserve traditional Kyoto townhouses in the face of massive modernization. I'm also an International Goodwill Ambassador for Kyoto City.　I’m excited about the new Department of Global Tourism in the Faculty of Global Engagement that will be starting in April 2018. All of the faculty and staff as well as the students who are already on campus look forward to greeting new students and working with them to help them discover their potential.

The new Department of Global Tourism wants you to think about MOCCA. These are the five ingredients that we think are essential for you to be successful as a student in our department. “M” stands for “Motivation” (動機). If you already feel motivated and know what you want to do, we’ll help you and support you in your efforts to realize your dreams. “O” stands for “Objective” (目標). Objective means “goal” or “aim.” In other words, you have a specific idea of what you want to do at Kyoto Gaidai and in the future. If you already have an objective, we want to help you work toward that objective. If you don’t have an objective yet, don’t worry. When I entered university as a high school graduate, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the future. I had the good fortune to encounter wonderful teachers and inspiring students as well as new ideas in the books I read and the classes I took. The biggest experience of my four years in college was having a Japanese roommate. I had never thought about going Japan before I met him, but he got me interested in Japan. I came, and I’ve been here ever since. You will also have many encounters (出会い) during your four years in Kyoto and during your off-campus research.

The first “C” stands for “Change” (変化). We want to change the world. We want the world to become a more peaceful and happy place for all the citizens of the world. Our motto at Kyoto Gaidai is: “Pax mundi, per linguas,” which means “World Peace through Language.” In order to achieve world peace, however, language by itself is not enough. We need people using language to interact with each other all over the world to build peace. In other words, we need “Change Agents,” people who want to change the world and make it more peaceful. That’s why “Change” is at the center of MOCCA: we want you to become a change agent. In order to change the world, you must change yourself. The second “C” stands for “Commitment” (決心). Even when you are a change agent with strong motivation and a clear objective, the challenges can sometimes seem overwhelming. In other words, it’s not easy! So you need commitment that you will not give up along the way.

The final “A” stands for “Action” (活動). “Engagement” means connecting and interacting with other people, so the Faculty of Global Engagement is a place where you will connect and interact with teachers, staff, other students, and members of the community both here in Japan and around the world. You must be ready to be active. “Tourism” is an active experience: you must take action and get out of your “comfort zone” (普段の生活) to encounter new places, new people, new foods, new languages, new ideas, and new growth. We believe that the Department of Global Tourism can become a springboard for you and other students to become active members of a worldwide fellowship of change agents working for world peace. We believe that Motivation, Objectives, Change, Commitment, and Action based on the concept of tourism as a base for intercultural communication can contribute to world peace. We also believe that Kyoto, with its more than 1000 years history, its vibrant culture, and its strong atmosphere of peace, should be the starting place for this action. Kyoto University of Foreign Studies is the place for you to be motivated, to have an objective, to welcome change, to remain committed, and to actively start working as a citizen of the world to realize “Pax mundi per linguas.”

Related links:
Jeff's Travel Guide @ Kyoto

教員紹介　（グローバル観光学科　河上幸子）

専門分野：文化人類学、移民研究

担当科目：Communication Skills for Fieldwork Research, Community Engagement Workshop I, 多言語観光論

メッセージ：
　これまでの勉強では、誰かが用意した問題を解くことが中心だったかと思いますが、これから大学ではじまる研究は、自ら問題を発見するために学ぶところから始まります。それまで当たり前のように慣れ親しんできた環境を離れてみることも、自分で問題を見つけるために有効な方法のひとつです。
　私が専門とする文化人類学は、海外、国内各地に実際に赴いて、現地の人びととコミュニケーションを重ねるなかで、問題を発見してきた異文化理解の学問です。さあ、皆さんもこれから、国内外のさまざまな現場にどんどん出かけ、社会とつながる問題を自分で見つけて取り組むという研究の醍醐味を存分に味わいにいきましょう！

その他：
　近年は、かつてカナダに移民を多数送りだした和歌山県日高郡美浜町のアメリカ村と呼ばれる三尾地区にゼミの学生たちと足を運んで、町の人たちと一緒にまちづくりに取り組んでいます。
　三尾地区は、100年以上も前から、カナダへの出稼ぎ移民が多い地区として知られており、現在もカナダのバンクーバーやトロントに住む親戚との往来や手紙のやりとりがあったり、和洋折衷の建物や英語交じりに話す文化が残っていたりします。しかし、少子高齢化や人口減少を背景に、こうしたアメリカ村独自の移民輩出の歴史や文化も衰退・縮小の一途をたどっており、地区としての存続も危ぶまれる現況があります。
　こうしたなか、現在、住民主体での地方創生事業として進行している「日の岬・アメリカ村再生協議会」下部組織の部会メンバーとして、カナダ移民送出の歴史をはじめ、アメリカ村の文化と自然を背景にした多様な地域資源を有効活用するためのプロジェクトにゼミ学生と参画させていただいてきました。その過程にて、「京都外国語大学と美浜町との連携協力に関する協定」を締結し、2017年夏には、カナダから三尾出身の祖先をもつ日系カナダ人５世の大学生を招き、ゼミ学生らがアメリカ村の歴史保存やインバウンド観光促進を視野に入れたドキュメンタリー動画を日英両語で作成しました。

Here are a few words about Kyoto that I wrote for my website jeff-kyoto.com:

Kyoto is a city with a long history (more than 1200 years) and stands along with Tokyo and Osaka as one of the most popular destinations for foreign guests, both business people as well as tourists. Kyoto has more than 1000 temples and shrines. Among them are 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Some of the popular sightseeing spots include Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, Kiyomizu Temple, the Gold and Silver Pavilions, and Nijo Castle. The Japanese gardens at these temples and shrines are breathtakingly beautiful and filled with quiet tranquility.

Everywhere you turn in Kyoto, there's a feeling of history and culture. Traditional craftsmen and artists create magnificent pottery, cloisonne, lacquerware, kimonos, calligraphy, and the list goes on and on. Kyoto also has a large number of antique shops as well as the outdoor temple sale at Toji Temple the 21st of every month and the Kitano Shrine outdoor bazaar on the 25th of every month. You can see the Japanese tea ceremony along with Ikebana flower arranging, Maiko dancing girls, and other traditional performing arts at the popular Gion Corner. You can also have the hands-on experience of making wagashi, Japanese confectionary, or turn into a Samurai or Ninja. Of course you can also put on a Japanese kimono and enjoy sightseeing in traditional Japanese style.

Kyoto has so many different places to stay, from traditional Ryokan (Japanese inns) to luxury hotels.

There are hotels and old townhouses where you can do your own cooking as well as youth hostels and other places for travelers on a tight budget. If you're coming for an extended stay, you can try renting a townhouse or even boarding with a Japanese family.

The food in Kyoto is fantastic! Of course there is traditional Japanese food, including Kaiseki full course meals, tempura, sushi, soba, udon, ramen, curry rice, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, and Kyoto obanzai, which is the traditional home cooking that's so delicious and so healthy. There are also a lot of restaurants and temples that serve vegetarian and vegan cuisine. As for international restaurants, there are French, Italian, Turkish, Mediterranean, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Nepal, Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, African, Brazilian, and restaurants from countries all over the world. You can enjoy the food and beer at a gastro pub, or spend a memorable evening at a Japanese beer garden or at one of the Kawayuka verandah restaurants along the Kamogawa River in summer. You can also enjoy a coffee or tea at a traditional Japanese kissaten (coffee shop) or at one of the more modern cafes all over the city.

The Kamo River, running north to south along the east side of Kyoto is also an excellent place for jogging, taking a walk,or just relaxing. The water birds and the turtle-shaped stepping stones are quite popular. There are so many places to go hiking in the mountains around Kyoto, and the city itself, which is almost completely flat, is a great place for walking. It's less than 10 kilometers along Shijo Street from Heian Shrine in the far east to Matsuo Taisha Shrine on the far west. Kyoto is filled with narrow streets that each offers it's own adventure. The city buses are inexpensive and easy to use, and there are trams and trains that are also available. Taxi drivers are friendly and courteous, and they are used to carrying foreign visitors around the city, so you can feel comfortable either hiring a taxi or just flagging one down.

Kyoto is a great place for shopping! Whether you want a souvenir for yourself or a gift for someone else, there's definitely something in Kyoto. I recommend visiting the Teramachi shopping arcade and the Nishiki Market that branches off from it. There are thousands of specialty shops all over the city where you can get traditional furoshiki cloths, incense, Japanese paper, or Japanese tea.

Whether you're coming to Kyoto on vacation, on business, or as a student, I recommend checking out my video clips at jeff-kyoto.com before you arrive. You can travel around Kyoto with me, and that's a trip!

Related links:
Jeff's Trave Guide @ Kyoto