Dear SSJ Members:

You are all invited to attend this year's NTNU Japan Seminar, which will be held on 28 November and will
address: "Japan's Recovery from the 3-11 Triple Disaster"

The two major sub themes will be energy policy and the role of militaries in disaster relief. Iida Tetsunari, who as many of you know is perhaps Japan's foremost critic of nuclear power and promoter of renewable energy will be speaking, as will Robert Eldridge, who will provide a view of Operation Tomodachi from the inside based on his experience as the DoD liaison between the GSDF's Northeast Army Headquarters in Sendai and the US Marine Corp.

Seminar Overview and Registration:

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology's Japan Program invites you to attend our annual Japan Seminar, to be held at NTNU in Trondheim on 28 November. This year's Seminar examines Japan's recovery from the massive earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011, and the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactor that resulted. We focus on two aspects: the impact of the disaster on Japan's energy future, especially the choice between nuclear power versus an attempt to replace it with reliance on renewable sources of energy (i.e. wind, solar, geothermal, etc.), and second, the role of Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the US military in disaster relief operations immediately following the earthquake and tsunami. The latter will include a detailed discussion of Operation Tomodachi, a massive joint disaster relief operation jointly undertaken by the US and Japanese militaries. Both themes focus speakers from Japan who have been prominently and closely involved in these two issues.

There is no cost to attend, and a free lunch and coffee will be provided. However, to attend you must register online by Friday 23 November. You can find the complete seminar program and the online registration link here:

http://www.ntnu.edu/iss/research/japanprogram

For questions regarding registration or logistics, please contact Mr. Eivind Lande:
eivinlan[at]stud.ntnu.no

For questions regarding the substantive contents of the seminar, please contact Paul Midford:
Paul.Midford[at]svt.ntnu.no

Paul Midford (Ph.D. Political Science)
Professor, Director, NTNU Japan Program
Department of Sociology and Political Science Dragvoll Campus Norwegian University for Science and Technology
(NTNU)
NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
Web:

Email: Paul.Midford[at]svt.ntnu.no