66th MUMEI-JUKU (05/09/2023)
Theme: A Study of Space Development Utilization Strategy
～ Recent Global Developments and What Japan Should be Strengthened ～
Guest speaker：Dr. Shinichi Nakasuka, Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo
◆Opening Remarks By Dr. Takeda ◆
Today’s lecturer, Dr. Nakasuka, was introduced to us by Mr. Nakamura, Counsellor of the European Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Today, Mr. Nakasuda is attending the 150th anniversary meeting of the International Law Association in Paris, and he is one of the six invited panelists on space law from around the world. The International Law Association is the world’s oldest academic society of international law. He is indeed a diplomat with a very sophisticateed specialty.
Dr. Nakasuka, he is a world leader in research on space equipment systems and nano-satellites. I had heard that he is a man who has been trying to bring consistency to Japan’s space policy, which tends to be fragmented as the people involved change from one person to the next.
Space is a vast area to be explored, but more than that, it is now recognized as a treasure trove of data and an important space for economic development, just like cyberspace. In line with this new recognition, the space policies of the U.S., China, the EU, India, and other countries have begun to undergo major changes, but Japan, like cyber space, is still lagging behind.
Today, Dr. Nakasuka will talk about the current status of space policy in the world and the challenges that Japan must take.
◆Comments by Dr. Takeda◆
My request to all of you is to take away Dr. Nakasuga’s talk and use it as material for thinking about various issues. In addition to Tohoku University, Tsukuba University, Nagoya University, and Sophia University, those attending today, including Hiroshima University, Osaka University, and Kyushu University, have been promoting collaboration with US universities in the form of US-Japan Digital Innovation and Advanced Technology. Dr. Ohno of Tohoku University, Dr. Nagata of Tsukuba, Dr. Sugiyama of Nagoya University, and Dr. Terumichi of Sophia University have all discussed and learned directly from each other. Space is definitely a theme that requires collaboration, and we hope that Dr. Nakasuka will play an active role within this framework.
Many people have said that Japan is not good enough, but on the other hand, there are aspects of Japan that are being greatly reevaluated in the world these days. I hope that all of you will do your part to restore the image of Japan that we can be proud of to the world.
