Harvard Club of Japanから国会事故調についての講演に招かれました。60人ほどの方がこられ、70～80％程度が日本の方という印象でしょうか。日本の方は多くが大学院での留学した方たちですが、何人かカレッジ（学部）で勉強された方もいました。
びっくりしたことに、Mike Yoshino Business School名誉教授も参加され、私について素晴らしい紹介をしてくださいました。うれしい「サプライズ」でした。Yoshino先生とは5、6年前から東京大学President Councilでご一緒しており、その海外での会議でNew York、Genevaなど何度かご一緒しています。
私の講演の後の質疑も活発で、良い時間を過ごせました。終わってからも、何人もからさらに質問、提案がありました。
盛り上がりが続いていましたので、終わってから、吉野先生と国会事故調の“Jikocho’s Angels”（Charlie’s Angelsのもじりですが、、、）のお2人を加えた4人でチョット一杯の楽しい時間を過ごしました。
翌日から、参加の方たちから以下のようなメールを、間接（1）、直接（2~4）、、いただきました。
1) Thank you for arranging the presentation and introducing me to Kurokawa sensei. It was a great chance to hear his anecdotes and get a sense of his mission and perception of the issues. I was impressed with his compassion, integrity and sense of hope that things can change in Japan for the benefit of not the few but for the many. I hope he can continue, despite his age, to speak out and energize Japanese to get more involved in their affairs of the country.
2) Your presentation was titled Independent Commission on Fukushima, but its message was more broad. I believe you have some important transformational ideas as well as a healthy appreciation for the need to change. I hope the recommendation for an annual (3/11) event to measure progress will both cause action and help keep public engaged and knowledgeable.
3) I wish to take this opportunity for your most stimulating and thoughtful provoking presentation yesterday evening. Although I have read what is already available on the analysis and recommendations your commission has made, it is quite a different matter to directly hear your thoughts, commitment and above all your passion to the work of the Commission. It is indeed one of the blackest chapter in the history of Japan, but your presentation has clearly pointed out the opportunity to seize on the accident to change Japan.
Throughout the discussion period after your presentation, I have heard numerous comments from the audience that they found your presentation the best they have heard or read on this Fukushima accident.
I am also very encouraged that not only do you have further plans to publish your results in English but, you are going around the world to share your report to the interested and concerned audience.
4) I apologize for the lateness of this e-mail, but I just wanted to thank you and your team again for last week’s event.
Your insightful comments, presentation of the thinking and process that went into this report, and your far-reaching conclusions gave us all much to think about.
Having lived in Japan for much of the lost decade(s), I have heard the call “for change” many times from different quarters. I personally think it is up to all of us who live and work here to do what we can in our own ways to build the foundations and environment for a new era in the society and history of Japan. Promoting connected-ness between individuals of like minds both domestically and overseas, sharing of information and an awareness and curiosity about new ideas and ways of doing things, and a spirit encouraging challenges to the status quo by those who have new ideas and new outlooks – these are the traits that I think will help to bring renewed vigor and power to the people, society, and culture of Japan.
国会事故調を進める意義を共有する、広げることができたと思います。
毎日が忙しいですが、充実した時間で一日が終わりました。
