Cafe Middle East is a one-of-a-kind forum for ordinary Japanese interested in talking about issues related to the Middle East.
Cafe Middle East is extraordinary because it is not a formal public assembly, where lecturers give speeches to an audience. Instead, it is a casual meeting place, where the participants get to ask questions and exchange ideas over a meal or cup of tea at a restaurant or similar venue.
The Tokyo University of Foreign Studies started Cafe Middle East (www.japan-middleeast.jp) last November, commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a new way to study and promote international affairs.