The Nara International Discussion Series on Globalization, Local Identity and Ekistics

Ian Fookes, a New Zealander with an MA (Hons) in Philosophy from the University of Auckland, is a participant of the Japan Teaching and Exchange Programme (JET Programme) and is currently teaching English as part of this program in Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture, Japan. He is studying the Way of Tea and other aspects of traditional Japanese culture, and his interests include traditional cultures, philosophy, literature and garden design. Gareth Lochhead, a New Zealander with a BA in English Literature from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and a JET participantin Ikaruga-cho in Nara Prefecture, is currently teaching English in Vietnam. His interests include poetry and photography. Makoto Tsujitani, from Osaka, Japan, is an independent computer specialist working in Osaka and Nara, and is interested in traditional Japanese culture and travelling. The text that follows is a slightly revised and edited version of a paper presented by the authors at the international symposion on "Globalization and Local Identity," organized jointly by the World Society for Ekistics and the University of Shiga Prefecture in Hikone, Japan, 19-24 September, 2005.