Q:The numbers of foreigners living in Japan has surpassed 2.2 million. How do you think Japanese society should respond to this from now?
A:I think Japan needs to take more care of their overseas students. A lot of Asian students are really studying hard while doing part-time work. I think for the future of Japan – as an advanced Asian nation – there is a need in Japanese society for adults to make these students feel really welcome. I worked as a teacher in America for five years; the secret of America’s popularity is its tolerance in accepting people from various countries. On the other hand, exchange students in Japan should learn more proactively about Japan’s great aspects. For example, there is no country with as little littering as Japan, and Asian students have much to learn from Japan about public morality.
For two and a half hours without a break, Professor Soetanto spoke to us in earnest, overflowing with passion. The students who participated in the interview were also completely drawn in to “Soetanto’s world”. Yet even the powerful Professor Soetanto has experienced poor treatment at the hands of Japan’s closed university system; twice he has had to return to Indonesia for convalescence due to the shock and subsequent depression he suffered as a result of that treatment. Yet despite those experiences he is still helping students in Japan in full earnest. His teaching technique - the ‘Soetanto Method’ - appeals to the spirit and is based on an educational attitude that ‘does not give up on any student’. It is having a profound impact on not just students, but also many instructors, and its effects are receiving widespread attention in both the education and business worlds. It is the sentiment from this one originally self-funded exchange student from Indonesia – that he would ‘never give up at any time’ – that is starting to change Japanese society.
Here at Global Community for this year, we will be introducing people who were able to pull themselves together and unleash their original potential through the Soetanto Method – stay tuned.
Students impression after interviewing Prof.Soetanto
(Right photo) Utano Suzuki (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)
I have had periods where I worried about the relationship with my mother and became emotionally unstable; there have also been times where I blamed my mother. However, this time I understood that I had been completely mistaken and felt very sorry towards my mother – I almost started crying. This is the biggest change for me. After meeting with Professor Soetanto and hearing him talk, it was as if the inside of me that I had kept shut up for so long had received a burst of fresh air. The cells inside my body which had been deprived of oxygen have come back to life. This has made me feel more powerful and energized; I want to direct this power towards my job hunting and English study.
(Centre photo) Makoto Arai (Daito Bunka University)
My impression after the interview was as if I had received a revelation. Professor Soetanto’s words, “You need fools for society to become better”, stand out in my mind. ‘Fools’ in this case are people who have love for others; people who can serve others. Also, from listening to Professor Soetanto – someone who has worked all around the world – I truly felt that Japan must rapidly advance its globalization. Through my current activities involving volunteer interpreter guiding and Global Community, I felt I wanted to create together a Japanese society which is both loved by people from overseas and where all people can live in harmony.
(Left photo) Ms Stintya (Lakeland College)
I felt very humbled by Professor Soetanto’s positive attitude to serve others. Exchange students in Japan tend to focus on Japanese society’s closed aspects, but I once again felt it is important to learn more from Japan’s great aspects. It was very encouraging think that someone like Professor Soetanto put himself through school as a self-funded student in Japan while working part-time, just like myself.
