Upcoming Public Events presented or co-sponsored by the USF Center for the Pacific Rim.

Unless otherwise stated, all events are free and open to the public. RSVP recommended for all events; if they are required, notice is made in the individual event notice. If reservations are not required, no seat guarantee is implied by your RSVP.

To receive email and/or postal mail notification of our upcoming events, sign up here. To RSVP call (415) 422-6828. For for more information call (415) 422-6357.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

The Korean Peninsula: Peace and Prosperity in the Offing? (Watch a complete video of this event, now!)
A discussion with Bon-woo Koo, Consul General of South Korea in San Francisco

The October 2007 summit talks in North Korea's capital of Pyongyang between South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and his northern counterpart Kim Jong Il seemed to have ushered in an era of cooperation between the two halves of this divided peninsula. This was the first summit between the two states in seven years. With their powerful neighbors and the U.S. watching, what can we expect in the form of tangible results? Bon-woo Koo, a graduate of Seoul National University, now serves as South Korea's Consul General in San Francisco. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1980 and has served in Mexico City, Montreal, Paris, and Brussels.

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., a Kiriyama Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will moderate.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; reservations recommended. Please call our event registration line at (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the Asia Society Northern California, the Intercultural Institute of California and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Thursday, January 24, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

Policy Address: Lee Tae-sik, Korean Ambassador to the U.S., and Alexander Vershbow, U.S. Ambassador to Korea

Please join us for an extraordinary opportunity to meet and engage with the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea and the South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. as they discuss relations between the two countries. The proposed U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the Six-Party Talks on North Korea's nuclear program, South Korea's recent presidential elections, the presidential campaign here in the U.S. ? all will be fair game in this spirited, wide-ranging discussion.

Ambassador Lee Tae-sik is a career diplomat whose service for his country covers four decades and four continents. He has represented South Korea in various postings around the globe, including Liberia, the Philippines, Austria, the former Yugoslavia, and the EU, among others.

Ambassador Lee has also held several senior-level positions within the Korean government, including director-general of the International Trade Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), deputy executive director of Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO), and deputy minister for foreign affairs. In his capacity as the deputy foreign minister, he led Korean delegations in numerous security negotiations and consultations, particularly those addressing North Korea's nuclear issue.

Ambassador Lee's first ambassadorial posting was as ambassador to Israel, where he served from 2000 until 2002. In 2003, he became the Korean Ambassador to the Court of St. James (United Kingdom). In 2005, he was posted back to Seoul as the vice minister of foreign affairs and trade until he became Ambassador to the United States later that year.

Alexander Vershbow was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea in October 2005. He is a career member of the Foreign Service, with rank of career minister, and has extensive experience in East-West relations, non-proliferation, and European security affairs.

A long-time student of Russian affairs, Ambassador Vershbow served as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation from 2001 to 2005. During his tenure, he worked to promote U.S.-Russian cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, counter-terrorism, and counter-proliferation, and to expand the agenda to encompass new challenges such as HIV/AIDS. He was a consistent advocate for the causes of democracy, human rights, and rule of law in Russia, and received the American Bar Association's 2004 Ambassador's Award for these efforts.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; reservations recommended. Please call our event registration line at (415) 422-6828.

Presented by The Asia Society Northern California. Co-sponsored by the Korea Economic Institute and the USF Center for the Pacific Rim.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

Japan's Road Ahead (Watch a complete video of this event, now!)
A conversation with Hon. Yasumasa Nagamine, Consul General of Japan

Japan's economy remains a global powerhouse with a trading balance that now heavily focuses on the China market. Its high-tech sector is second to none as it adjusts to the rise of Asian competitors like India. While restrained by Article 9 of its constitution, it has built a very modern military machine that rivals the U.S. in Northeast Asia. In domestic politics Japan has experienced some leadership turmoil. What lies on the road ahead?

Consul General Nagamine graduated from Tokyo University and joined Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1977. He did his graduate work at Oxford University and then went on to diplomatic postings in New Delhi, Washington, D.C., and London before coming to San Francisco this September.

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., a Kiriyama Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will conduct the interview.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the Japan Society of Northern California, the Asia Society Northern California, the National Japanese American Historical Society, Inc., and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.




Wednesday, January 30, 2008, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
The Institute for Works on Paper
251 Post Street, 5/F, Suite 500
(Parking available at the Union Square and Sutter Stockton Garages)

The Art of Two Empires: Japanese Woodblock Prints and Moghul Miniature Paintings from the 15th through 20th Centuries
An Exclusive Inaugural Exhibit and Art Auction to Benefit the USF Center for the Pacific Rim and the Japan Society of Northern California

Enjoy cocktails and culinary treats from India and Japan, and raise money for two very special non-profit causes. Food for this event has been generously donated by Delica and New World Spices.

For further information please call (415) 422-6357. For more information on the gallery call (415) 362-3906.




Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall (Enter on Parker, between Golden Gate & Masonic)

Economc Trends in Asia: Outlook for 2008 (Watch a complete video of this event, now!)
A conversation with Nicholas C. Hope, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Stanford Center for International Development

All signs point to the Chinese market. For example, Beijing is now Japan's and South Korea's major trading partner replacing the U.S. Is this China boom sustainable?   Will recent concerns about product safety, undervalued currency, environmental degradation, and internal unrest slow, stop, or even derail this giant economic engine?   How will other Asian states like Indonesia find their place in the Asian sun?   What are likely global reactions to the enrichment of Asia? Nicholas Hope earned his Ph.D. at Princeton University, a B.Phil from Oxford University, and his undergraduate degree at Tasmania University.   The World Bank employed him from 1977 to 2000.   His research interests remain China and Indonesia.

Dr. Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, a Kiriyama Distinguished Fellow at the Center, will moderate.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the USF School of Business and Management, the World Affairs Council of Northern California, and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning, and the Japan Society of Northern California. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

Wiring India: Asia's Urban Adventure (Watch a complete video of this event, now!)
A powerpoint presentation by Sabeer Bhatia, Co-founder of Hotmail Corporation, Currently President and CEO of Arzoo.com and NanoWorks

As President and Chief Executive Officer, Sabeer Bhatia guided Hotmail's rapid rise to indrustry leadership and its eventual acquisition by Microsoft in 1998.   A pioneer in web-bsed e-mail, ne now heads Arzoo.com and in 2000 was named a Global Leader of Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum, seconded by TIME in 2002.   His recent visionary project is the creation of the first wired city   in India, called Nano City, in the state of Haryana designed from the ground up with modern infrastructure.   Come see the future!

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., a Kiriyama Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will moderate.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the Asia Society Northern California, the India Community Center of Milpitas, the USF School of Business & Management, the Mechanics' Institute, and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

Burma's Buddhist Crucible: Myanmar's Murdered Monks
A Conversation with Priscilla A. Clapp, Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Burma (1999-2002)

Burma's military massacred hundreds of Buddhist monks in anti-regime peaceful vigils in 1988 and repeated these mass murders at the end of 2007. But nothing stops Burma's saffron revolution. Monks number about 400,000, the same number as serve in the military. But the military have brutalized and pauperized the populace for 45 years. Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the opposition National League for Democracy, has suffered house arrest for years. Burma's neighbors, anxious to protect their oil and gas purchases, say and do nothing. Thanks to USF President Stephen Privett, S.J., our university honored the dead heroes at USF's December 2007 graduation.

Priscilla Clapp is a retired Minister-Counselor in the U.S. Foreign Service. As a diplomat she has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Refugee Programs and Chief of Political-Military Affairs in the U.S. Embassy in Japan. Her first book was published by Harvard University Press, and she has worked at MIT and the Brookings Insitution where she authored a chapter on Burma in The Worst of the Worst (Brookings 2007).

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., a Kiriyama Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will moderate.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the Asia Society Northern California, the Mechanics' Insitute, USF's Asian Studies Program, the USF Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

February 22-23, 2008
Herbst Theatre
401 Van Ness at McAllister, San Francisco

Humanities West presents
Empire on Horseback: Genghis Khan and the Mongols

In the 13th century, Genghis (Chingis) Khan (Universal Ruler) led a nomadic East Asiatic people in the creation of the largest contiguous empire in the history of the world. In the wake of his military victories, the essence of Asian culture spread throughout the conquered lands, the Silk Road that linked China via Central Asia to Europe was reopened, papermaking and printing technologies were introduced to the West, and a comprehensive communications network was established (one of whose imitators, centuries later, was America's Pony Express). Although his reputation as a brutal warrior is infamous, in recent years the contributions of his Empire in art, science, religious tolerance, commerce and politics, as well as military strategy, have gained more recognition. An able administrator himself, Genghis Khan, his sons and grandsons ruled the region from China to Europe for 150 years. FULL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION and Resources at www.humanitieswest.org.

Moderator, Fred Astren (San Francisco State University); Daniel Waugh (University of Washington Seattle); Peter K. Marsh (CSU East Bay); Morris Rossabi (Columbia University); James D. Ryan (CUNY); Stefano Carboni (Metropolitan Museum of Art New York); Panel Discussion with Audience Participation. And a Performance of Mongolian Music, coordinated by Peter Marsh and Orna Uranchimeg-Tsultem (UC Berkeley): Orgilsaikhan Chimeddorj on the morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) and Ulziisaikhan Lkhagvadorj on the ever buree (Mongolian horn) and singing khoomii (throat-singing style).

Student/Teacher or Group Discounts Available. Preferential Seating and Opportunity to Dine with Presenters available to Humanities West Contributors. Contact: info@humanitieswest.org.

Special offer only for Ticketholders: A 35-page study guide: "The Mongol Empire Through the Eyes of Contemporaries: A Selection of Readings to Accompany 'Empire on Horseback: Genghis Khan and the Mongols,'" compiled and introduced by keynote presenter, Daniel C. Waugh, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Washington Seattle. (distributed via email in PDF format; request at info@humanitieswest.org)

Tickets: Order directly from City Box Office, 180 Redwood Street, Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94102, call (415 392 4400), or visit www.cityboxoffice.com. (All tickets have an additional handling charge to City Box Office)

Friday and Saturday: $90 (orchestra/dress circle/grand tier [O/DC/GT]) or $50 (balcony)
Friday only: $50 (O/DC/GT) or $25 (balcony)
Saturday only: $60 (O/DC/GT) or $35 (balcony)
$20/day for students/teachers (balcony)

Cosponsored by the American Decorative Arts Forum of the De Young Museum, Asian Art Museum SF, Asia Society Northern California, Docents Council, SF Fine Arts Museums, Fromm Institute of Lifelong Learning, Institute of European Studies, UC Berkeley, Institute of East Asian Studies, UC Berkeley, Institute of Slavic, East European & Eurasian Studies, UC Berkeley, Leonardo da Vinci Society, Mechanics Institute, Office of Resources for International Area Studies (ORIAS), UC Berkeley, San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society, San Francisco Classical Voice, San Francisco State University Humanities Department, Silkroad Foundation, Stanford Alumni Association, Stanford Humanities Center, and the University of San Francisco Center for the Pacific Rim.

February 26, 2008, 5:00-6:30 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Xavier Hall, Maraschi Room

The Anime/Manga Revolution: Osamu Tezuka and 'Astro Boy'
A public lecture by Frederik L. Schodt

In this illustrated presentation, noted Japan expert Frederik L. Schodt examines the art of manga and anime, the connection between fantasy robots and technology, and the lifework of Osamu Tezuka (1928-89), the pioneering genius of manga and TV animation in Japan. Tetsuwan Atomu , or 'Mighty Atom,' (known in the United States as 'Astro Boy'), is his life's masterwork because of the character's profound cultural impact. Befriended by Mr. Osamu, Frederik Schodt combines the pespectives of friend and cultural historian in assessing the growing significance of both anime and manga in his new book, The Astro Boy Essays (2006).  

Frederik L. Schodt is a writer, translator, and conference interpreter based in San Francisco, California.   He has written extensively on manga, technology, and the historical relationship between Japan and America. His other books include Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics (Kodansha International, 1983), America and the Four Japans: Friend, Foe, Model, Mirror (Stone Bridge Press,1994), and Native American in the Land of the Shogun: Ranald MacDonald and the Opening of Japan (Stone Bridge Press, 2003). He is also the translator for the 23 volume Astro Boy series, and received the 2000 Osamu Tezuka Culture Award for helping to popularize manga overseas.

Presented by the USF Asian Studies Degree Program. Coponsored by the University of San Francisco Center for the Pacific Rim.

Thursday, February 28, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

The Mighty Mekong: Damming Southeast Asia's Longest River
A Conversation with Aviva Imhof, Campaigns Director of International Rivers

The 2,500 mile Mekong flows from the Tibetan highlands through China's Yunan province onward to Burma, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia before emptying into the South China Sea. In Laos alone 10 dams are under construction with plans for 70 more, some to be built by China's Sinohydro, which built the troubled Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze. Proponents argue that such dams deliver clean energy; opponents argue that such dams cause envivronmental damage to flora and fauna and displace entire populations.

Aviva Imhof has a law degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia. Among her publications are the co-authored Dams, Rivers and Rights as well as the International Rivers' report, Power Struggles: The Impacts of Hydro-development in Laos. International Rivers is a non-profit organization.

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., a Kiriyama Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will moderate.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the Asia Society Northern California, the World Affairs Council of Northern California, USF's Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Monday, March 3, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

The USF Center for the Pacific Rim and the National Japanese American Historical Society present a film screening -

White Light / Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Followed by a discussion with the film's director, Steven Okazaki

Steven Okazaki has received three Academy Award nominations for his films, winning an Oscar for Days of Waiting, the story of Estelle Ishigo, one of the few Caucasians interned with Japanese Americans in World War II. In making White Light/Black Rain Okazaki met more than 500 survivors, interviewed more than 100, and chose 14 finalists. The film is not about the rights or wrongs of the decision to drop the bombs, nor is it an educational or political tract. It is about 14 people who looked up and saw a white flash, what they experienced afterwards, and how it changed their lives. Jack R. Dairiki, a Japanese American atomic bomb survivor, will attend and comment.

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., a Kiriyama Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will moderate.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the Japan Society of Northern California, the Asia Society Northern California, the USF Asian American Studies Program, the Nautilus Institute, and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Lone Mountain Campus, Room 100
(Turk at Parker, in San Francisco)

Pakistan's Democracy Derailed
A Conversation with Ahmad Faruqui, Ph.D., Defense Analyst and Energy Economist

Will Pakistan implode, taking with it nuclear armed missiles? This time there is no search for weapons of mass destruction Iraq style. In this case they have been tested, then hidden. Pakistan's leader at the time of the 1947 partition with India hoped for a secular democracy. Instead we find a military dictatorship with an out-of-control intelligence service that U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson used to arm Afghan 'freedom fighters' that included the Taliban. Along with its ally al-Qaeda, the Taliban has regrouped in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier. With the recent assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, the chance of President Musharraf staying in power, even out of Army uniform, is not good. Does democracy stand a chance? If not, what does this mean for U.S. policy toward this critical ally in South Asia?

Ahmad Furuqui holds a B.A. and M.A. in economics from the University of Karachi and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California Davis, where he has taught. His books include Rethinking the National Security of Pakistan (2003) and the forthcoming Musharraf's Pakistan, Bush's America, and the Great Middle East.

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., a Kiriyama Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will moderate.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the Asia Society Northern California, the Mechanics' Insitute, the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning, and the Nautilus Institute. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

The University of San Francisco Center for the Pacific Rim in conjunction with The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival presents

Wings of Defeat
A discussion with filmmakers Risa Morimoto and Linda Hoaglund, director and producer, respectively, of Wings of Defeat (89 min., Edgewood Pictures, 2007).

Internationally, kamikaze pilots remain a potent metaphor for fanaticism. In Japan, they are largely revered for their selfless sacrifice. Yet few outside Japan know that hundreds of kamikaze pilots survived the war. Wings of Defeat is an exploration of the lives and the deaths of the young men who were part of Japan's corps of kamikaze pilots during World War II. The film contains rare interviews with surviving kamikaze pilots, retracing their journeys from teenagers to doomed pilots, allowing us to put aside our preconceptions to relive their all too human experiences with them. Join USF Visiting Professor of History Chiho Sawada for a conversation with the creators of this feature documentary accompanied by clips from the film.

Risa Morimoto graduated with a Masters in film and education from New York University in 1999 where she served as the Associate Director of the Asian/Pacific/American Studies Program and Institute. From 2002-2006, she served as Executive Director of Asian CineVision, a non-profit media arts organization. A second-generation Japanese American, Risa studied at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. She is president of Edgewood Pictures Inc., a motion picture production company. Linda Hoaglund is the film advisor for the Japan Society in New York. Born and raised in Japan, the daughter of American missionary parents, she attended Japanese public schools. A graduate of Yale University, after working as a bilingual news producer for Japanese television, she joined an independent American film production company as a producer. Since 1996, she has subtitled 150 Japanese films. She represents Japanese directors and artists and serves as an international liaison for producers. In 2004, she received a commendation from the Foreign Minister of Japan for her work promoting Japanese film abroad.

Wings of Defeat screens at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival at 7:00 p.m. on 14 March at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas (San Francisco, where two of the surviving pilots featured in the film will attend the sreening) and at 12:00 p.m. on 22 March at the Camera 12 Cinemas (San Jose). For tickets and more information visit: www.asianamericanfilmfestival.org.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning, and the Nautilus Institute. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

The USF Center for the Pacific Rim and Master of Arts in Asia Pacific Studies Mini-Festival at the








YASUKUNI
Friday, March 14 | 4:00 PM | Clay
Wednesday, March 19 | 7:00 PM | Kabuki

Japan/China, 2007, 123mins, Video, Color, Japanese w/E.S.
DIRECTOR: Li Ying

Chinese-born filmmaker Li Ying ( Dream Cuisine , SFIAAFF '04) returns with Yasukuni , an incisive documentary exploring one of the most divisive issues in Japan and Asia today. Yasukuni Shrine is home to the spirits of those who fought and died on behalf of Japan's emperor. Enshrined among some 2.46 million war dead are also the Class-A war criminals from World War II, making the shrine a controversial symbol of Japan's militaristic past.

Li treats Yasukuni as a stage upon which a multitude of people reveal themselves. War veterans, bereaved family members, protesters and even the former Prime Minister Koizumi - whose visits to the shrine have provoked outrage throughout neighboring Asian countries - weigh in on how nations and individuals ought to honor lives sacrificed during a war of aggression. Li, however, eschews polemics in favor of an impassioned but respectful investigation into the Japanese spirit. From dramatic confrontations, intimate conversations and stunning verite footage of rarely seen ceremonies emerge a complex portrait of a conflicted national psyche, one still reeling from the war.

At the heart of that psyche is the embattled bushido spirit, both beautiful and violent. Li uncovers the little-known fact that the object of worship at Yasukuni is a singular sword said to embody the souls of all who are enshrined there. The film repeatedly returns to the shrine's last surviving swordsmith, whose magnificent creations were stained in unspeakable acts during the war. His reticence and perhaps obliviousness regarding his legacy provides the film's most disquieting comment on the transience of history and memory.

WINGS OF DEFEAT
Friday, March 14 | 7:00 PM | Kabuki
Saturday, March 22 | 12:00 PM | Camera

USA/Japan, 2007, 90mins, 35mm Color, English & Japanese w/E.S.
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Risa Morimoto, WRITER/PRODUCER: Linda Hoaglund 

For most of us, the recent images of planes crashing into buildings symbolize religious fanaticism and suicidal impulses too alien to understand. In tracing the history of the kamikaze , Wings of Defeat explains how and why the practice played such a compelling role in the previous century's greatest war. After Japan's defeat in World War II, discussion of the tokkotai , or special attack unit - known to Americans as the kamikaze pilots - became taboo. Director Risa Morimoto's late uncle Toshio was a survivor of that airborne attack corps, but nobody in her family mentioned it. To learn why he chose to join and how he emerged alive from a career that was supposed to end in certain fiery death, Morimoto interviewed men from, as it turned out, hundreds of survivors. Their testimonies poignantly humanize the experience of the 4000 young men who perished as aviators and gunners in warplanes flown into American ships. Up close, they belie the dominant image of kamikaze pilots as suicidal fanatics bent on dying in a blaze of glory.

As Japan refused to face the grim certainty of its defeat, the suicide attack corps became the secret weapon and symbol for victory, embodying its central military strategy. Most of them were boy pilots, hastily and hellishly trained with a wooden rod. A beautiful animated sequence illustrates how the image of the fearless, valorous kamikaze pilot must have appealed to thousands of young boys eager to fight and die for their country.


SERAMBI
Sunday, March 16 | 7:45 PM | Kabuki
Tuesday, March 18 | 7:00 PM | PFA

Indonesia, 2006, 75mins, 35mm Color, Indonesian & Acehnese w/E.S.
DIRECTORS: Garin Nugroho, Tonny Trimarsanto, Viva Westi, Lianto Luseno

A fishing boat marooned atop the roof of a gutted home, the tattered postings of names and photos of the missing, the pages of a water-damaged Koran which cannot be separated: all are haunting images from Indonesia's Aceh province in the months following the Asian tsunami of December, 2004. In Serambi , the stunning collaborative effort of four Indonesian directors, these scenes speak of the incredible stories which came from the tragedy and of the rebuilding that followed, of individuals piecing together fragments of existence, and facing the enormity of how their lives had been transformed.

Poetic and powerful, Serambi follows several individuals whose introspective searches ask questions almost too heart-breaking to consider: how one can retain memory when their home no longer exists, or how to not exploit one's own sadness. After losing his wife and daughters, Usman Abdullah continues to work, but is only able to eat when amidst the ruins of their home. A student never without his Che Guevara t-shirt, Reza questions the role of Islam in how Indonesians are dealing with the tragedy, while the grade-school Tari agrees with her classmates to not discuss those who are no longer with them.

With a gentleness and grace that belies the weight of its subject, Serambi weaves together their stories, and reveals the humanity and resilience which unite them. Never veering into easy sentimentality or despair, it instead focuses on the rhythms and details of daily life, and the conversations and friendships which emerged from the tragedy, showing how life must and does carry on.


A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY
Wednesday, March 19 | 7:00 PM | Clay

Taiwan, 1991, 240mins, 35mm Color, Mandarin w/E.S.
DIRECTOR: Edward Yang  

A Brighter Summer Day is a picture of Taiwan at the start of the '60s as reflected in the story of a 14-year-old boy who kills his girlfriend. This is a Taiwan caught between the pull of mainland China and the lure of the U.S., land of milk and honey where Elvis Presley sings (or does he?) of "a brighter summer day." It's also a Taiwan of Communist-spy scares, and a Taiwan where the kids from mainland families have formed street gangs to assert their own identity and to challenge each other for supremacy. Xiao Si'r does not belong to any gang, although his best friends are members of the Little Park Gang?currently leaderless because its charismatic founder Honey has gone into hiding. When Xiao Si'r first meets Ming he keeps his distance; he knows that she was Honey's girlfriend. But a friendship develops between them anyway, a friendship that eventually pulls Xiao Si'r to pieces. Edward Yang locates this story at the heart of a vast fresco crowded with warmth, humor, violence and a wealth of intimate detail. For once, "masterpiece" seems the appropriate word. "This film is dedicated to my father and his generation, who suffered so much for my generation to suffer less," said Yang. "I hope they, the forgotten, can be made unforgettable."

For tickets and more information visit: www.asianamericanfilmfestival.org. CLAY = Clay Theater, 2261 Fillmore Street, San Francisco; KABUKI = Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, 1881 Post St, San Francisco; CAMERA = Camera 12 Cinemas, 201 South Second Street, San Jose; PFA = Pacific Film Archive, 2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley.

Thuresday, April 10, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

Tent and Trade: Masterpieces from Silk Road Weavers
A power-point presentation by Diane Mott, Curator, the Caroline & H. McCoy Jones Department of Textile Arts, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young Museum

China's fabled Silk Road traversed greater Turkmenistan near modern Afghanistan. Here artists-weavers designed rugs and tent trappings from the wool of Saryja sheep, which are bred solely in this region. No one matches the skill, artistic expression, and pattern of Turkmen work. The de Young Museum holds the finest collection of their carpets outside of Russia, 40 of which are now on display. Come see this woven art!

Diane Mott lived in Turkey for a decade studying carpets and textiles. She is the lead curator on this de Young exhibit. Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., Senior Kiriyama Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will moderate.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the Asia Society Northern California, the World Affairs Council of Northern California, and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Monday, April 14, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

Pacific Destiny: Manifestly American
An interview and book signing with Richard Abrams, Ph.D., author of America Transformed (Cambridge University Press, 2006)

During its history the United States was mainly Euro-centered, but in the past sixty years it turned toward the Pacific. Japan and China became our leading trading partners, Korea and Vietnam became our wars. California replaced New York in population and gross state product, East Asia and Latin America replaced Western and Eastern Europe in emigration. From Microsoft and Boeing in the Seattle area, Intel and Genentech in the Bay Area, and the entertainment industry in the L.A. basin, America's West Coast is 'the' coast. Abrams's subtitle says it all: "Sixty Years of Revolutionary Change, 1942-2001."

Richard M. Abrams, Ph.D., is UC Berkeley's leading 20th century historian of all things American. Trained at Columbia University, he has taught at Berkeley since 1961. This book "synthesizes the scholarly wisdom of a lifetime."

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., Senior Kiriyama Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will moderate.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the World Affairs Council of Northern California, the Mechanics' Institute, the USF Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

Bullish On Asia?
A conversation with Paul Matthews, Chairman of the Board and Founder, Matthews International Funds

With the American economy entering a recession, Japan's economy still struggling, the Chinese economy fighting inflation, and with Wall Street, the flagship of capitalism, being rescued by foreign state-backed investors (sovereign-wealth funds), where does one invest? Is Northeast Asia still a bullish bet?

To get some insights, come hear British-born, Cambridge-educated, San Francisco-based Paul Matthews, who has actively invested in Asian markets since 1982 when he moved to Hong Kong to work for the GT Group to manage their Pacific Growth Fund, one of the most successful Asian-oriented mutual funds in the U.S. In 1989 he left GT Group to establish Matthews International Capital Management. The rest is history-successful investment history.

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., Kiriyama Senior Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will conduct the interview.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the USF School of Business and Management, the USF Journal of Asia Business Studies, the California-Asia Business Council, the Japan Society of Northern California, the Asia Society Northern California, and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

Democracy For All: Pipedream or Possibility?
An interview and book signing with Larry Diamond, Ph.D., author of The Spirit of Democracy (Henry Holt, 2008)

This event is part of the USF Center for the Pacific Rim's Public Diplomacy Project in the Asia Pacific led by Dr. Chiho Sawada, a Kiriyama Research Fellow at the Center. In 1974, nearly three quarters of all countries were dictatorships; today more than half are democracies. Diamond demonstrates that the desire for democracy runs deep, even in poor Pacific Rim countries. He uncovers the extent to which democracy depends on the spirited grassroots activism of citizens while he dissects the causes of the recent "democratic recession."

Larry Diamond , Ph.D., has authored many books on democracy, is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, founding co-editor of the Journal of Democracy, and co-director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies of the National Endowment for Democracy.

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., Kiriyama Senior Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will conduct the interview.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the Asia Society Northern California, the Mechanics' Insitute, the USF Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall
(Enter from Parker Street between Golden Gate & Fulton)

A Conversation with Peter A. Darbee
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President of PG&E Corporation

By all reports Peter Darbee plans to build this country's greenest utility. Under his leadership PG & E Corporation has supported state and national laws designed to fight climate change. He has spoken enthusiastically about PG & E actively investing in and owning renewable energy sources, be it solar, wind, hydroelectric, or, in its most challenging form, 'ocean wave' power.   Come hear the details about California's green future.

Peter Darbee joined PG & E in 1999. Previously he was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs and has also held positions at Solomon Brothers, AT&T, and Pacific Bell. He received his B.A. and M.B.A. from Dartmouth.

Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, Ph.D., Kiriyama Senior Distinguished Fellow at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, will conduct the interview.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Reservations recommended. Please call (415) 422-6828.

Cosponsored by the USF School of Business and Management, the Brattle Group, the Asia Society Northern California, the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, and the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. Funded by the Kiriyama Chair for Pacific Rim Studies at USF.

Thursday, May 15, 2008, 6:00 pm Reception | 6:30-8:00 pm Program
World Affairs Council
312 Sutter St., Ste. 200, San Francisco

A New Era: Hu Jintao Visits Japan

Japan and China are renewing efforts to build stable, strategic ties for a stronger East Asia. To reciprocate Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda?s visit to Beijing in December 2007, President Hu Jintao is scheduled to visit Japan in May 2008. If this historic meeting occurs as planned, President Hu will be the first Chinese president to visit Japan in a decade.

Join our panel of scholars, Dr. T.J. Pempel and Dr. Sujian Guo, as they explore the complex bilateral relationship between Japan and China. Dr. Uldis Kruze will moderate a panel discussion to explore what topics are open for discussion?as well as what may be too sensitive to mention?between the two leading powers in East Asia.

Program Cost: $5 Japan Society, Asia Society, WAC Members & Students; $15 Non-Members. Visit www.usajapan.org or call 415.986.4383 to register.

Presented by the Japan Society of Northern California. Co-sponsored by the World Affairs Council, the USF Center for the Pacific Rim, and Asia Society Northern California.