Event news
From Division to Connection: Views from Southeast Asian Religious Specialists
Throughout human history, religion has supported people’s hearts and contributed to society, by providing ethical and moral foundations, helping those in need, and fostering communities. At the same time, in today’s world, religion is often perceived as a source of social division.
The Japan Foundation will invite 10 leading religious scholars and practitioners engaged in policy and social activities from 10 Southeast Asian countries to Japan for 10 days. They will engage with Japanese religious specialists on the themes of “Community Divisions,” “Disaster-Induced Divisions,” and “Youth Isolation.”
Ahead of this event, participants from Southeast Asia will visit Tokyo and Miyagi to observe community-level initiatives by various religious groups in Japanese society. Building on these experiences, this event invites Japan and Southeast Asian partners to join us in exploring a central question: How can religion serve not as a source of division, but as a foundation for coexistence and cooperation?
Outline
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Event title |
From Division to Connection: Views from Southeast Asian Religious Specialists |
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Date： |
Monday, February 2, 2026 |
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Time： |
3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Doors open at 3:10 p.m.) |
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Rundown： |
3:30–3:35 Opening Remarks (Yuri Sato, Advisor, The Japan Foundation) 3:35–4:05 Session 1: Community Divisions and Religion Moderator: Tadashi Ogawa, Professor, Atomi University 4:10–4:40 Session 2: Disaster-Induced Divisions and Religion Moderator: Toshiaki Kimura, Dean, Graduate School of Arts and Letters; Dean, Faculty of Arts and Letters, Tohoku University 4:50–5:20 Session 3: Youth Isolation and Religion Moderator: Takeshi Kono, Professor, Toyo Eiwa University 5:20–5:30 Wrap-up |
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Venue： |
Iwasaki Koyata Memorial Hall, The International House of Japan |
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Language： |
English and Japanese（simultaneous interpretation available） |
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Admission： |
Free (registration required) / 60 seats |
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Registration： |
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Organizer： |
The Japan Foundation |
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Supported by: |
The Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA) |