Project Report on Group Invitation for Next Generation Experts in ASEAN (Cohort 2: Interfaith Dialogue)

The Japan Foundation (JF）launched JFSEAP Program/Group Invitation for Next Generation Experts in ASEAN in FY 2024, and in its second year, ten religious scholars and practitioners from ASEAN countries were invited to Japan from Sunday, January 25 to Tuesday, February 3, 2026.

Participants crossing their arms, holding hands with the person next to them, and posing for a commemorative photo in the ASEAN pose

With the support of the Program Advisor, Dr. KIMURA Toshiaki, Dean, Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Tohoku University, participants engaged with Japanese counterparts during a ten-day program in Japan. Over the course of the program, they visited Tokyo and Miyagi, and exchanged views with members of Japanese religious communities on the themes of “Community Divisions,” “Disaster-Induced Divisions,” and “Youth Isolation,” aiming to explore a central question: How can religion serve not as a source of division, but as a foundation for coexistence and cooperation in modern society? —considered from both ASEAN and Japan perspectives.

By providing a platform for interfaith dialogue, this program not only enabled the sharing of perspectives grounded in Southeast Asia’s diverse religious contexts and experiences with Japanese society, but also fostered meaningful two-way exchange between both sides.

Visit Itinerary
Sunday, January 25 Arrival Tokyo
Monday, January 26 Orientation and Lecture at JF
Visit to Masjid Otsuka and International Islamia School Otsuka		 Tokyo
Tuesday, January 27 Roundtable on Youth Isolation and Religion
Visit to Tokyo’s Sanya District (Kosho-in Temple) and Night Outreach in Ueno Park		 Tokyo
Wednesday, January 28 Visit to Meiji Jingu and Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin
Tokyo Program Reflection		 Tokyo
Thursday, January 29 Lecture and Discussion on Rinsho Shukyoshi (Interfaith Chaplains)/Café de Monk at Tohoku University Sendai
Friday, January 30 Visit to Ishinomaki Mosque and Dogen-in Temple Ishinomaki
Saturday, January 31 Reflection on Tohoku Program
Cultural Tour in Matsushima		 Sendai
Matsushima
Sunday, February 1 Research Day Tokyo
Monday, February 2 Session with Southeast Asian Studies Researchers, Public Event “From Division to Connection: Views from Southeast Asian Religious Specialists” and Farewell Reception Tokyo
Tuesday, February 3 Departure Tokyo
Participants listening to a presentation at Meiji Jingu
Visit to Meiji Jingu
Participants are engaged in a discussion
Session at JF

Participants shared their reflections on the program such as “we were able to connect with diverse researchers and leaders from ASEAN with different religious backgrounds through Japan, and to learn from each other,” “we reaffirmed that religion can serve as a bridge to foster social cohesion and mutual understanding,” “in times of disaster, rather than dividing people by religion, the role of religious practitioners who stand by individuals through listening should be shared in our own country.”

Through participants’ first-hand exposure to diverse on-the-ground realities in this program, the dialogues initiated here are expected to further expand between ASEAN and Japan.

JF Official Website

The Japan Foundation - JFSEAP / Group Invitation Program for Next Generation Experts in ASEAN

Final Report by Participants

Overview and Objectives of the Program

This program invites a group of approximately 10 next generation researchers from think tanks and research institutions in ASEAN countries to Japan for about 10 days. Its aim is to foster an intellectual network among Japan and ASEAN to address global common issues.

Participants are introduced to various aspects of issues currently facing the region and the world through a series of lectures and discussions at universities, think tanks, multinational corporations, and government agencies and have the opportunity to share their perspectives on potential areas between Japan and ASEAN countries.

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