Address: 1-12-905 Higashi Kanagawa, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Japan 211-0044

Internet: ken@japaneseforeveryone.com

1947-1950: roughneck and derrick-man, Wyoming oil fields

1950-1954: Computer and Radar Technician, U.S. Navy

1954-1957: Undergraduate, University of Chicago

1957-1960: Harvard University Graduate School

1960-1963: Fulbright Research Fellow, Tokyo University

1963-1967: Assistant Professor of Japanese, Yale University

1967-1977: Program Founder and Director, Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Tokyo (Administered by Stanford University)

As director of the Center I conceived, planned, and developed a 10-month intensive course in intermediate and advanced spoken and written Japanese for U.S., Canadian, and W. European graduate and undergraduate students specializing on Japan.

The Center received the Japanese government "Japan Foundation Prize" for its contribution to U.S.-Japan relations through the training in Japanese language and research of American specialists on Japan. The Center is still operating, and currently is training 40 to 50 specialists a year. Over 1,200 students have graduated from this course.

The Center was supported by grants from the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, U.S. Office of Education, National Endowment for the Humanities, U.S. Department of State, the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japan Ministry of Education, and the Japan Foundation, all of which I personally negotiated.

1978-present: President, Butler Consulting, Inc.

From 1978 to 1989 I was an international business consultant with my own company in Tokyo, specializing in joint-ventures, technical tieups, and management and educational consulting.

Clients included Brown Boveri & Co., Enskilda Securities, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Japan Gatorade Sales Co., Linguaphone Japan, Ltd., Mitsubishi Corporation, Morgan Guaranty Trust Co., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Time International, Inc., Toshiba Corporation, Toyota Motor Corp. , and other major companies. For two years (1982-1983 ) I devoted full-time to a start-up venture business (Language Computer Systems, Inc.). As part of this work I conceived, designed and developed through to mass production in Japan a microprocessor-based machine for the self-study of foreign languages. I hold U.S. and Japanese patents on this machine.

From 1989 to 1996 I and my company were engaged full-time in developing interactive multimedia language learning software for Macintosh and Windows computers.

In 1996 I was asked to return as director of the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (Administered by Stanford University), now located in Yokohama. I served as director for six years, until August 15, 2001. Now, I am once again engaged full-time in developing interactive multimedia language learning software for Macintosh and Windows computers.

With Inter-University Center Students and Associate Director Aoki

Education:

Graduated Lusk High School, Lusk (Niobrara County), Wyoming, 1948-->http://www.luskwyoming.com 

B.A., with honors, University of Chicago, 1957: Classical Chinese
M.A. Harvard University, 1958: 19th Century China
Fulbright Research Fellow, Tokyo University, 1960-1963
Ph.D. Harvard University, 1964: Far Eastern Languages

Awards and Honors:

Receiving the "Bunka-sho" from Yokohama Mayor Takahide Hidenobu

On October 28, 2000 I received the Yokohama City "Bunka-sho" (Cultural Award) in recognition of my contribution to the development of education and culture in Yokohama since 1995. This award originated in 1952. It is the highest honor Yokohama City bestows and is awarded annually to five Yokohama citizens. I might mention that Yokohama was the first place in Japan I saw when I arrived by airplane at Haneda Airport in 1951 during the Korean War. Now, fifty years later, to receive this honor from Yokohama is very gratifying.

Receiving the honorary degree from the President of Yokohama Shiritsu Daigaku, Kato Yuzo

On November 11, 2001 Yokohama Shiritsu Daigaku (Yokohama City University) conferred an honorary Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree on me in recognition of my scholarly work on pre-modern Japanese literature (Heiki monogatari), my contribution to the development of Japanese language education, and my efforts in promoting international exchange at Yokohama City University. As was the case with the Yokohama City "Bunka-sho", it is personally very satisfying to receive this honorary degree at this stage in my career.

The content of this Butler Consulting, Inc. WWW site is copyright © 2001, 2003 by
Ken Butler, 1-12-905 Higashi Kanagawa, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Japan 211-0044