A recent trend in the international commitment of Japan is often diagnosed as Galapagos Syndrome in Japanese Media Reports. The Galapagos Archipelago is the area where evolution occurred independently and this is the ironical expression that Japanese development is oriented only within Japan. It is said to be a kind of “involution.” Japan has developed many high-standard systems such as mobile phones and medical systems which have no effect on the other area of the world. Another warning fact is that the number of young Japanese studying overseas is decreasing. This talk is based on a symposium held in the Science Council of Japan concerning on the policies to release the Japanese society from the inward mobility within.

Matori Yamamoto is Professor of Anthropology (since 1990), Faculty of Economics at Hosei University, Tokyo. She specializes in Socio-cultural Anthropology of Oceania, especially of Samoa. Her first theme of interest was ceremonial exchange in Samoa. Now that Samoan migrants have settled in other countries, their transnational activities including ceremonial exchange are conspicuous, thus making her interested in “transnationalism and culture.” She has been a council member of the Science Council of Japan since 2005 and also involved in writing recommendations to the government.