Special Lecture Series for I-House Members
Starting from 2019, the International House of Japan (I-House) is holding special lecture series exclusively for our members, inviting world-renowned individuals as guest speakers. Following each talk, there will be a reception for all participants to deepen friendships among one another.
【Special Lecture Series for Members】International Politics as Depicted in Intelligence Novels
- Speaker: Ryuichi TESHIMA (Foreign Affairs Journalist, author)
- Date: Monday, July 29, 2024, 6:30-8:30 pm (including reception)
- Venue: Iwasaki Koyata Memorial Hall
- Language: Japanese (without interpretation)
- Admission: 5,000 yen/person (registration required, drinks and light meal will be provided.) *This event is exclusively for I-House members. *On the day of the event, please present your membership card at the reception desk in front of the venue. *Members may be accompanied by a spouse or partner.
I-House regularly holds members-only events to which a distinguished member is invited as a guest. Our featured guest in July will be foreign affairs journalist and author Ryuichi Teshima. After the lecture, there will be a reception with drinks and refreshments, where participants will have an opportunity to meet with the speaker and fellow members.
A Message from the Speaker
There is no proper Japanese equivalent for “intelligence,” as used in the sense of information having high military or political value, so the word joho is commonly used. But this also refers to information in general, thus giving rise to confusion as to which meaning was intended.
Intelligence is a special type of information that is collected by nations in an effort to meet the challenges of a fiercely competitive international society. National leaders rely on intelligence to determine which policies are the best for the country. Intelligence, by nature, is highly sensitive, so the sources of such information must be kept secret, and it rarely finds its way into official documents.
Ironically, therefore, the type of real-life information warfare that occurs is often more accurately depicted in fiction in the form of “intelligence novels” than in government records.
In my lecture, I will discuss the essence of intelligence by drawing from well-known Western works, as well as from my own novels, such as Ultra Dollar and Sugihara Survival. I also hope to shed light on the current international political situation from the angle of intelligence.
Ryuichi TESHIMA (Foreign Affairs Journalist, author) 
Having started as a journalist at NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) covering the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), he became a correspondent at NHK Washington Bureau in 1987. He covered the White House (Reagan and Bush Administrations) and Department of Defense. In 1994, he was invited as a fellow at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University for his works focusing on the issues surrounding US and Japan Alliance. Mr. Teshima was then assigned as Head of the NHK Bonn Bureau in Germany and subsequently the Bureau chief of the NHK Washington Bureau from 1997 to 2005. He was responsible for the news coverage of the 9-11 terrorist attack in 2001 and the war against Iraq.
Mr. Teshima is currently a foreign affairs journalist and writer focusing on themes such as diplomacy and security issues. His nonfiction books include ‘Shoot the Japanese FSX,’ ‘Gaiko Haisen’ and ‘Black Swan Korin.’ He is also known as a forerunner of so-called intelligence novels. ‘Ultra Dollar’ was published in March 2006 and it became an instant bestseller. Other successful novels include ‘Sugihara Survival,’ ‘Nakazuno Cuckoo’ and ‘Wuhan Confidential.’ In addition to writing, Mr. Teshima is actively involved in conducting joint studies with major international research centers and universities in Europe and the US. From 2007 to 2019, he was a Professor at Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management. Currently, he is a councilor of Kyoto International Conference Center.
Having started as a journalist at NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) covering the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), he became a correspondent at NHK Washington Bureau in 1987. He covered the White House (Reagan and Bush Administrations) and Department of Defense. In 1994, he was invited as a fellow at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University for his works focusing on the issues surrounding US and Japan Alliance. Mr. Teshima was then assigned as Head of the NHK Bonn Bureau in Germany and subsequently the Bureau chief of the NHK Washington Bureau from 1997 to 2005. He was responsible for the news coverage of the 9-11 terrorist attack in 2001 and the war against Iraq.
Mr. Teshima is currently a foreign affairs journalist and writer focusing on themes such as diplomacy and security issues. His nonfiction books include ‘Shoot the Japanese FSX,’ ‘Gaiko Haisen’ and ‘Black Swan Korin.’ He is also known as a forerunner of so-called intelligence novels. ‘Ultra Dollar’ was published in March 2006 and it became an instant bestseller. Other successful novels include ‘Sugihara Survival,’ ‘Nakazuno Cuckoo’ and ‘Wuhan Confidential.’ In addition to writing, Mr. Teshima is actively involved in conducting joint studies with major international research centers and universities in Europe and the US. From 2007 to 2019, he was a Professor at Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management. Currently, he is a councilor of Kyoto International Conference Center.
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