President's Message and Steering Committee

It has been 38 years since the Japan Society for Intercultural Communication was established in 1985 as the Japanese branch of the Society for Intercultural Training, Education and Research International (SIETAR International), whose headquarters was in the United States, and the year after next will mark its 40th anniversary. SIETAR International was established in 1972, but after the international annual conference held at Reitaku University in Japan in 1998, branches such as SIETAR Europe and SIETAR Japan were made independent and began to work in each region together with the newly launched SIETAR USA. Currently, SIETAR in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia are working together as the "SIETAR Global Network." The SIETAR Network aims to provide a place where members who are involved in research and practice of intercultural communication, regardless of their professional fields such as education, business, medicine, government, international aid, conflict resolution, counseling, and art, can study together and enjoy learning together, regardless of their different backgrounds such as generation, social status, disability, and LGBTQ+, and to contribute to "peace-making efforts" (coexistence and prosperity) in an increasingly diverse global society.

SIETAR Japan has also shared this goal. In the box of documents I inherited when I became president in April 2023, I discovered the first issue of the Sita Newsletter (1989). In it, Professor Yoshiro Hayashi, Emeritus Professor of Aoyama Gakuin University, wrote the following as the third president of SIETAR Japan, regarding the goal of "one of the goals of improving the quality of Sita activities."

"I hope that Sita will become a forum for members to exchange ideas and to study intercultural communication, and to become a place of spiritual refuge."

I thought again about why Professor Hayashi, who specializes in international management and is also well-known in business consulting, used the expression "a place of spiritual support" as one of the society's goals. This is my personal opinion, but I think he was advocating the need for Sita to function as a practical training ground for experts in intercultural communication to make use of "encounters with differences" and achieve "coexistence and prosperity."

SIETAR members are sometimes divided into two types: researchers and practitioners. However, in reality, everyone is a researcher and a practitioner at the same time, and in the sense that everyone is conducting research to improve practice and everyone is applying what they have studied to practice, I think it is very beneficial for us to learn from each other across disciplines and professions. In addition, I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation so far and ask for your continued support so that SIETAR can become a model for a "place of relaxation" that embodies the DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) that many companies have begun to seriously work on, and contribute to the achievement of the "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" adopted by world leaders to "leave no one behind." I have the utmost respect for all of you who are working as true professionals.

When I think back to when I was still just starting out as an intercultural coach, I became a member of SIETAR International in the United States and participated in activities at the Washington DC chapter. At that time, and even after joining SIETAR in Japan, many teachers accepted me as a member regardless of my nationality, status, age, etc., and taught me many things. What I learned through interactions with SIETAR members and training sessions was more valuable than anything else, and I am truly grateful that I am who I am today thanks to SIETAR. Thanks to all of you, SIETAR's activities have truly become a place of study and relaxation for me. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the members and all the past steering committee members.

The world is currently facing a mountain of conflicts, environmental issues, economic issues, and other problems. In the midst of these rough seas, we hope to convey our power as people who embrace the SIETARIAN spirit to as many people as possible, and to work with you to develop Sita as a constructive and beneficial place of learning and a place of relaxation, so that we can reach out to the international community from Japan.

We hope that you will continue to participate in Sita's activities as a colleague who shares the same goal.

Kaoru Yamamoto, Chairman of Sita Japan

SIETAR JAPAN 2024 Steering Committee

Steering Committee Officers

Committee Members

Journal Committee Members
Chinami KAIYA, Kyorin University
Youqi YE-YUZAWA, Kanda University of International Studies
Justin CHARLEBOIS
James P. LASSEGARD, Hosei University
Lisa Rogers, Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts

Finance Committee Members
Manami TANAKA, Tokyo Future University

Academic Committee Members
Daisuke OKABE, Juntendo University
Hitomi TAKAKI, Nagoya University
Seiichi Morisaki, Kansai University

Internal Relations Committee Members
Mayumi KAWASHIMA,  Sophia University

Steering Committee in Previous Years

・2023 Steering Committee ・2022 Steering Committee ・2021 Steering Committee

・2020 Steering Committee. ・2019 Steering Committee.・2018 Steering Committee

・2017 Steering Committee ・2016 Steering Committee ・2015 Steering Committee