The Japanese American Storytelling Program

How do Nikkei Japanese Americans self identify? As Japanese? As American? As Japanese American? Issei and Nisei faced identity struggles where they were treated as foreigners or outsiders without being able to be a part of either nation, Japan or the U.S. Momoko Tajima explains the impact of social context that affected their identity, analyzing the history, Japanese governmental policy and interviews with Sansei/Yonsei. Also, she tells the origin of the term “NIkkei” from a legal and historical perspective. Through her presentation, she’d like to think about how Nikkei identity is formed and look at current Japanese society together.

Speaker Biography

Momoko Tajima is a 2022 graduate of the law faculty at Kyushu University in Fukuoka.  She previously served as a USJC/TOMODACHI  intern, and She is currently working in the Supply Chain Management Department in charge of North America at DAIKIN, a sponsor company of the USJC.  She hopes to contribute to a better relationship between Japan and the U.S. 

As part of her university studies, Momoko wrote her senior thesis on the Impact of Social Context on Issei and Nisei Japanese American Identity.  Her sense of awareness comes from the fact that there is little opportunity to learn in Japanese school education about the history of Japanese Americans during World War II.  She is interested in how Japanese governmental policy and public attitudes affected Issei/Nisei identity.

She looks forward to learning the history of Nikkei, thinking about their identity and rethinking the current society together. 

What are lessons shared by Japanese Americans from decades ago that apply across generations even today? Yonsei Steve Sugino draws three values from his grandfather’s internment story and draws parallels with his own. Listen to his story of finding his own voice to answer important questions such as what is your story? What do you want it to be? What steps are you taking?

Speaker Biography

Steve Sugino is originally from California and now resides in Tokyo. Steve`s great-grandparents left Okinawa and Hiroshima nearly 100 years ago to make their way, via Hawaii, to Los Angeles. Steve’s grandparents, as “nisei kibei” – born in the US, sent back to Japan at a young age to be educated and then returned to the US –  found their way as US citizens through the Great Depression, World War II internment camps, and post-war discrimination to build their lives, educate their children and start their own local businesses, paving the way for future generations.

Steve currently is President and Representative Director of Bristol-Myers Squibb Japan, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Japan. He is passionate about helping people with serious illnesses live longer, healthier, and more active lives. Steve is also active in the community as a Japan Business Executive Council member of PhRMA, President’s Advisory Council member at Gunma University, and volunteer at US-Japan Council.  

Shin-Issei Atsuko Jenks tells the story of an ordinary Japanese girl who grew up in a small beach town in Japan, and ended up living in 8 cities in 3 countries. She  encountered cultural differences, unfamiliar perspectives, opposing values and beliefs. Taking a risk of coming to the US as a young woman with no prior experience of living abroad, no relatives or friends who could guide her, she experienced crash landing into the Silicon Valley society.  On one hand, it was exhilarating to experience a new world, but on the other, it was a real struggle. (Imagine navigating yourself in a foreign country without the Internet and your iPhone!) Later, she lived in England, Germany and came back to the US to raise a family and start her own business of providing business strategy consulting to Silicon Valley and Germany based startups and Japanese corporations. In the global turmoil with ongoing conflicts, Atsuko emphasizes the importance of meeting people around the world, living in different countries to learn to appreciate and respect differences among us, and learning to live together in the global community as global citizens.

Speaker Biography

Atsuko Jenks  is a first generation Japanese American, born and raised in Chiba, Japan.  She came to the US in her mid 20s to study at Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is the founder and CEO of Japan Accelerator, a consulting firm which provides strategic guidance to American and European startups as well as Japanese corporations. In addition to her consulting work, she is active in community service and she supports local nonprofits in education, human welfare, and international relations. She has been a member of US-Japan Council since 2014. 

An attorney and an actor, Dr. Brandon Marc Takashi Higa is a descendant of Hawaiian plantation workers that immigrated from Okinawa. Starting as a college exchange student to eventually earning permanent resident status by working at the national Diet of Japan, the Hawaii-born sansei pioneered a new path in Japan. He has also paved a new  way in DC as an Asian minority. Join Brandon Marc and hear him discuss fascinating topics such as the cultural differences of the US vs Japan’s capitals, identity struggles, Asian American representation in media, and more

Speaker Biography

Dr. Brandon Marc Higa (比嘉隆史) is a third-generation Okinawan-American (sansei) with roots in Nakagusuku, Okinawa. He is an attorney and constitutional law scholar, specializing in the U.S. military presence in Okinawa and free speech rights for anti-base activists, as well as marriage equality in Japan. Dr. Higa’s unique career path began as a college exchange student in Japan, later earning permanent residency while interning at the National Diet of Japan and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. He has also worked with the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Higa holds degrees from the University of Southern California (BA/MA in International Relations), the Stanford Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies, and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Doctor of Juridical Sciences (S.J.D.) from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law. He has also studied law at Doshisha University and Japanese language at Waseda University.

Through his work and scholarship, Dr. Higa explores the intersections of law, identity, and minority representation, offering insights into cultural differences between Japan and the U.S., Asian American media representation, and more.

Born in the United States to a Japanese mother and an American father, Christopher Ludgate tells the story of his father’s and mother’s dramatically different family histories, and the personal challenges he faced during his own upbringing in two very different cultures in Tokyo and Boston.  He believes that his past helped him understand where he belongs in the present, and his present “Third Culture” identity will help guide him in the future.  A new future of bridge builders and global citizens.  

Speaker Biography

Christopher Ludgate was born to a Japanese mother and American father in San Francisco, California.  Primary years were split between living in Tokyo (0~5) and the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts (5-18). Influenced by three generations of family, Christopher’s ancestral stories include life during WW2, the Showa bubble, a quintessential American dream and a family starting by chance.

As a first generation Japanese American in his mother’s bloodline, passive racism and adversity were often felt while living in Massachusetts. This ultimately fueled a decision to find himself in Japan by attending Sophia University in Tokyo for a Bachelor’s in International Business. At Sophia, Christopher found success through athletics and academics leading to a career as a Digital Marketer.  Christopher is currently captain of his ice hockey team and managing influencer marketing at Village House Management, part of Fortress Investment Group. He currently resides in Minato-ku with his Japanese wife.

Born and raised in Hawai’i, Nate Gyotoku embodies both the Aloha spirit and Japanese American values. He is a yonsei descendant of Japanese great grandparents who immigrated to Hawai’i as part of the original wave of “Gannen Mono” (first year of Japan’s Meiji era in 1868) and picture brides and grandparents part of the American WWII military efforts. Listen to Nate’s story to learn the fascinating history behind Japanese immigration to Hawai’i and his “ikigai” of making Hawai’i a better place by sharing Japanese American culture.

Speaker Biography

Nate Gyotoku is a yonsei born and raised in Hawai’i. He serves as the President & Executive Director of Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi, overseeing all operations for the state. The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi’s (JCCH) mission is to be a vibrant resource, strengthening our diverse community by educating present and future generations in the evolving Japanese American experience in Hawai‘i. Prior to his current role, Nate served in leadership roles for organizations that empower young people and value sustainability and conservation. He also has extensive experience in the technology, food manufacturing, and facilities management industries. 

Nate is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and is also a graduate of Waiakea High School on the island of Hawaii. He is also an alumnus of the U.S.-Japan Council’s Emerging Leaders Program.

As a yonsei, born and raised in Hawaii, Kelly Nuibe was always curious to learn more about the world and her family’s roots in Japan. Join Kelly on her journey to stepping beyond the comfort zone of Hawaii and discovering new outlooks on life.

Speaker Biography

Kelly Nuibe is a yonsei born and raised in Hawaii. She followed her dreams to Japan to find her family’s roots while working on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. During her Japanese language studies, Kelly completed an internship at The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation in Tokyo. In 2019, she was selected as a member of the USJC Emerging Leaders Program. She holds a B.A. in Asian Studies from Occidental College.

Kelly is the Assistant Director of Overseas Admissions at Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) in Tokyo. She is responsible for international student recruitment in Europe, the Philippines, Korea, and parts of North America. When she is not traveling for work, she is on stage performing hula in Japan.

George Miller is a photojournalist, an academic administrator, a professor, a baseball player, an American, and a Japanese all-in-one. The child of a father from a conservative white family and a mother from a traditional Japanese household, George recounts his experiences of “in-betweenness” and never fitting in whether at home or in the community. Join journalist George as he illustrates the world he’s seen as a multicultural individual from “busing” and segregation in White America to traditional, old port town Sasebo in rural Japan.

Speaker Biography

George Miller was the associate dean for academic affairs at Temple University, Japan Campus from 2018 through 2021. He has taught journalism classes at Temple since 2006. He is currently researching the relationships between universities and their surrounding residential communities, and raising a newborn.

Previously, he was a photojournalist, features writer and crime reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News, from 1994 until 2006. He published JUMP, a printed magazine that covered the Philadelphia music scene, from 2010 until 2018. His words and images have appeared in publications around the world. He is a graduate of Loyola University of Maryland and the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. He completed a second master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently a doctoral candidate at Wilmington University.

George was raised in Wilmington, Delaware but has been traveling to Japan since he was an infant, as half of his family is Japanese, from the city of Sasebo in Nagasaki-ken.

“Shin-Nisei Reverse Import New Yorker” Kaoru Utada has a unique career path – originally a director in the news industry and now a Director of Programs & Partnerships at the U.S.-Japan Council. Throughout it all, one thing is consistent: her role as a bridge between the U.S. and Japan. Tune into her talk to learn what her early life was like as a Nikkei Shin-Nisei born and raised in 80’s New York, the 3.11 disaster that pivoted her career, and how she creates a network of “deru kui” (出る杭) or nails that stick out to create change.

Speaker Biography

Kaoru Utada is a Japanese American Shin-Nisei (new second generation) “reverse import” originally from New York with ancestral roots in Yamanashi and Tokyo. She is the Director of Programs & Partnerships at the U.S.-Japan Council (Japan). Joining the team in 2012, she took on various roles in TOMODACHI from developing and managing programs, creating a new wing for alumni engagement, and providing opportunities for students and young professionals to be empowered. 

Prior to joining USJC, Kaoru worked in the broadcast news industry where she directed and produced news segments at both American and Japanese television networks (ABC News, Fuji TV, and NHK). Kaoru also founded the Hoshuko Alumni Association, Inc. (HAA, Inc.) that unifies young bilingual bicultural Japanese Americans who have been educated in the Japanese Weekend School system. She is passionate about helping others and disaster response and was motivated to move to Japan after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Kaoru is an alumna of Skidmore College with a BA in Asian Studies and Psychology.

Join “Hapa” Japanese American Russell Saito from Hawaii on his career journey, beginning from his transformative study abroad to successful business executive, and through his many ventures (and adventures) outside of his comfort zone.  Through these experiences, Russell illustrates how expanding personal horizons and networking can lead to greater professional success. Concretely, he provides students with an opportunity to evaluate and refine their own career goals, and suggests specific, innovative methods and resources to encounter more opportunities.

Speaker Biography

Originally from Kona on the “Big Island” of Hawaii, Russell is a multi-cultural business executive with over 15 years of professional experience in Japan. He currently leads Chia Network Inc.’s initiatives in Asia.  An expert in financial technology and corporate innovation, he also serves as an advisor at Nikkei Inc. (a business news outlet). His previous positions include Vice-President at Trust Capital, the largest Mezzanine finance fund in Japan. Russell has also held leadership positions with global technology corporations and has extensive cross-sector experience working with governments and nonprofits. 

He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the UC Berkeley Club of Japan and has been a long-standing member of the Rotary Club and the U.S. – Japan Council.

What exactly is a Japanese identity? What is it like to be a third culture kid? Shin-Issei Kumiko Hidaka takes the audience through her identity-searching journey as a third culture kid to answer those pressing questions. Kumiko breaks barriers by illustrating that one’s identity should not be limited by the stereotypes attached to nationality but that rather, it could be in diverse forms such as her bicultural identity that helped her bridge US and Japan in business.

Speaker Biography

Kumiko Hidaka graduated from the University of California, San Diego with BAs in Communications and Japanese Studies with a minor in French Literature. She began her career working on some of the world’s most iconic brands like Pixar, Nike, and Nintendo while building out her international brand, marketing, and communications expertise. She is currently Director of Communications, Product & Technology, at Netflix Inc. Before this, she was VP of Public Affairs, WeWork Japan, where she oversaw the company’s communication and government affairs efforts in Japan. Previously, she was Head of Communications, Digital Entertainment, at Amazon Japan, where she led the PR team for their digital entertainment businesses like Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Music. Prior to that, she spent over six years at Meta in their headquarters and Tokyo offices, where she first led the communications strategy for their Asia market entry and last served as the Head of Communications, Japan, responsible for communications across all their family of apps including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Oculus.

“Shin Issei” Mao Tolliver tells her inspirational tale of grappling with her complex identity as both a post-war, Japanese minority immigrant from Osaka, Japan to the US in rural Michigan, as well as an Americanized kikoku shijo Japan returnee. To bridge the disconnect between who she was and who she imagined she should be, she chose to immerse herself in culturally challenging situations to confront and define her identity. Mao shares how she now embraces her dual-identity, helping to connect Western and Japanese culture and serving as a US-Japan bridge.

Speaker Biography

Mao was born in Osaka and spent her childhood years in both the US and Japan. She was one of the first local employees for Booking.com Japan, where she supported their localization and expansion in the Japanese market. In 2018, she joined WeWork Japan to open the first WeWork building in Fukuoka and led multiple teams of +30 young professionals as the Director of Community for West Japan. 

She currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband and works at Kintone, a  subsidiary of Cybozu Corporation, to grow the Japan-based technology business in the US.

Steve Sakanashi’s great grandfather, Kenzo Sakanashi, is not in the incarceration camp records… Instead, he was incarcerated in a special camp by the FBI on suspicion of being a Japanese spy. Join Steve as he unlocks Kenzo’s mystery by unveiling government papers from the WWII period and revealing the backstory of Japanese-American incarceration. Listen to the enthralling story of Kenzo’s children’s sacrifice to serve in the military of a nation that treated their father like an animal and the 99-year-long Sakanashi journey to return to Japan.

Speaker Biography

Steve Sakanashi is a yonsei and was born and raised in Los Angeles as a dual citizen of an American father and Japanese mother. Steve spent 6 years working in Seattle before moving to Tokyo in 2014. An active member of the U.S.-Japan Council, Steve is passionate about using his experiences and network to bring his two homes of America and Japan closer together. 
Steve is currently the Director of Marketing & Global Strategy at Matchbox Technologies, a national pioneer at the intersection of Lawson convenience stores, HR technology, and on-demand staffing.  Previously, Steve founded Sekai Creator, a startup incubator for Japanese and global university students in Japan. He has taught entrepreneurship and innovation at all stages of Japanese society, including posts as a public secondary school teacher, TEDx speaker, and consultant to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

A young Japanese woman becomes pregnant but does not have either a partner or the financial means to raise the baby – what should she do? Yonsei Camryn Sugita opens her talk with this question and explains that the child named “Sora” (sky) was given up for adoption. She then further questions whether the audience knows of anyone that is adopted, what a life of an adopted child is like, and the situation surrounding adoption in Japan. Listen to Camryn’s talk to uncover who Sora is and the life that the adopted child led, and the deep meaning behind Sora’s name that connects all the dots from the talk together.

Speaker Biography

Camryn Sugita-Lee grew up in California, and stayed connected to her Japanese roots through traditional Japanese dance. Camryn went on to study International Studies and International Business at American University in Washington, D.C. and spent her junior year studying abroad at Waseda University in Tokyo. After graduation, she worked at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California. 

She currently works in Inclusion & Diversity at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group in San Francisco.

Being seen as a foreigner — for his entire life. Shin-Nisei Allan Watanabe illustrates that being seen as a foreigner can be a disadvantage until you turn that into a vantage point.  His experiences since childhood of being treated as a foreigner brewed his entrepreneurial spirit to venture into new businesses and countries. Listen to how Allan turned his “foreign mentality” into his advantage to run his businesses by venturing into new, uncharted territories.

Speaker Biography

Allan Watanabe is originally from Los Angeles, California and currently lives in Tokyo, Japan.  He is grateful to have met his perpetually supportive wife and feels blessed for his two vibrant children.  His parents living in Raleigh, NC are originally from Hokkaido and Yokohama and are currently wondering when/if their son will return to the US. 

Allan Watanabe is the Founder and CEO of PIPELINE, a cybersecurity intelligence company helping to protect businesses in JAPAC.  With over 20 years of experience working in the IT industry, he is currently working with Telecom Carriers, Government entities, and Universities across Asia to help protect their networks from growing cyber-attacks.  He has held roles in both technical and business functions such as technical support, data architecture, technical sales, country manager, and considers himself a passionate multi-preneur. 

Not being Japanese enough nor American enough… Daughter of Shin-Isseis Anna Nagamine shares her struggle to “fit in” during her journey back and forth between her Japanese and American identities. What is your label and how do you fit in? Tune in to learn where Anna discovered her community of individuals with similarly diverse identities and how she learned to embrace her multifaceted identity.

Speaker Biography

Anna Nagamine was born and raised in Okinawa and educated in both American and Japanese schools. Her parents emigrated and started a family in the US, but moved back to Okinawa before she was born. Anna is the Manager of the Business Development Section at the Technology Development and Innovation Center (TDIC) at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). Anna’s work involves developing industry partnerships, supporting entrepreneurship, and incubating startups in the region. She was an integral part of the team that established the first OIST startup (biotechnology) in 2014. Her current team manages an incubator in Okinawa and the first international startup accelerator program. 

Anna graduated from Chuo University, Faculty of Policy Studies, and holds a MA degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Asian Studies Program (East-West Center Obuchi Student Scholarship recipient). She was selected for the 2017 TOMODACHI-Mitsui Leadership Program and is currently a participant of the U.S.-Japan Network for the Future Program (The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation). She loves to travel, surf, and be an auntie to her nephews and niece.

In this highly interactive presentation, Ted Katagi raises thought-provoking questions and provides insightful advice on how to become a globally-minded individual. Based on his own experiences as a Japanese American, he introduces his “HITS” that helps prepare attitude and mindset to understand different cultures:  Global Heart, Global Intuition, Global Thinking and Global Story. Tune in to understand what he means by him being a “fifth-generation issei” or the fifth returnee to Japan from the US in his family line.

Speaker Biography

Ted Katagi is founder and CEO of Kenja. Kenja provides an enterprise software platform for larger global organizations like NTT, Randstad, and the United Nations.

Prior to Kenja, he held senior leadership roles, including Senior Managing Director of Fidelity Investments and Chief Marketing Officer of Vodafone Japan, Global Director of Commercial Strategy of Vodafone Group, and Executive Vice President of Japan Telecom. 

He is a well-sought after speaker in Tokyo and also is a professor at the NUCB Graduate School of Business. He earned his MBA at Harvard Business School and his bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley.

This is not a story about incarceration or racial discrimination. It is a story of an extraordinary immigrant from Fukushima that highlights the great trends of the time at the turn of the century and through World War II. Nikkei Sansei Roy Tomizawa’s grandfather Kiyoshi immigrated to the U.S. and achieved many things: Pre-war establishment of San Francisco’s Japanese YMCA, serving for America as a Japanese teacher, and post-war work helping Japanese immigrants naturalize to be American citizens. Tune in to hear about the life of a man who ventured from one world to another and lived a quiet life of conviction that impacted the lives of hundreds, if not tens of thousands over the decades after his passing. 

Speaker Biography

Roy Tomizawa is originally from New York with over 30 years experience working in Asia.  A head of leadership and talent development for MetLife Japan, Roy also co-chairs the Human Resource Management Committee and the Olympic and Sports Business Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan.  As a former print journalist for a local Gannett paper outside Philadelphia, Roy was the lead reporter on a team awarded second prize in investigative journalism by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association for coverage on a maximum-security prison in Eastern Pennsylvania. He is the author of: 1964: The Greatest Year in the History of Japan – How the Tokyo Olympics Symbolized Japan’s Miraculous Rise from the Ashes (Lioncrest Publishing, 2019), Start Up and Stay Up in Thailand (Alpha Research, 1997), and Working with the Thais (co-author, White Lotus Books, 1997).

A family immigrated to California from Japan, only to soon be sent to an incarceration camp in Wyoming. The family disperses as the grandmother dies from cancer in camp and the father joins the US Military Intelligence Service after camp. The grandchild of that couple is Yumi Clark. Tune in to Sansei/Nisei Yumi’s story to discover her upbringing of having two identities and her questioning of “Who am I?”

Speaker Biography

Yumi’s family is originally from Nagasaki and Fukuoka and many of Yumi’s summers were spent in Sasebo, Nagasaki with her extended family. Yumi has a B.A., from the University of California, Berkeley and majored in Rhetoric and East Asian Studies. She also attended Kyushu University where she studied Law and Political Science as a Fukuoka Prefecture Research Fellow. Yumi Clark is currently the Vice President of Integrated Financial Services for Quicken, Inc., a fintech specializing in personal financial management which is akin to a 電子手帳 and 会計ソフトfor consumers.  Yumi has built successful technology and financial services ventures in Silicon Valley and Japan, including at Capital One, Adobe, Intuit, eBay, PayPal, Visa, and a number of start-ups. She is currently on the board of freee, Japan’s premier cloud-based accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses. 

For her work, Yumi was recognized as one of Fortune Magazine’s 2019 “100 Self-Made Women” in Japan and in 2018, “Most Influential Women in Business” by the San Francisco Business Times. 

“Shin-Nisei” Yuhka Mera illustrates the importance of why Japanese society should embrace diversity through his own anecdotes of challenges he had faced as a returnee to Japan during his childhood. He explains how Japan’s appreciation of peace and stability can at times negatively work against the promotion of diversity. Join Yuhka to discover how Japan can incorporate more diversity in the modern global context in order to make advancements to once again become a better industrial leader. 

Speaker Biography

Yuhka Mera was born in the U.S. to Issei parents. He attended public schools in the U.S. & Japan and attended university in Massachusetts. After graduating with a Masters in Microwave filter design he continued to spend time in the US and Japan as a business professional. Yuhka has over 25 years of experience in worldwide business and technology development. His success as the Site Technical Director and Global Technical Film Specialist at 3M Optical Systems Division led to his next role as the Global Design Center Senior Director at Synaptics. During his time at Synaptics, he was instrumental in the development of large size touch screens along with the release of the first touch integrated display driver IC which revolutionized the touch IC market. 

Building off of his extensive experience in the United States, Korea, Taiwan and China, he is now working as a consultant and helping companies outside Japan develop and expand their business in Japan and Asia.

Born and raised in Alaska and Okinawa to an Okinawan mother and a white American father, Lynn Lethin explores their journey through multiple intersecting identities. From being treated differently as a child due to their racially ambiguous appearance to facing challenges receiving support due to sexuality and gender, Lynn’s illustration of growing up in-between identities evokes important topics surrounding uniqueness and discovering oneself. Lynn shares various personal anecdotes and explores intriguing questions such as “Why are there more transgender female entertainers than male transgender entertainers on TV?” Join Lynn to hear about their experiences surrounding queerness in the context of Japan versus the US, and creating a safe space for everyone that come from diverse backgrounds and identities.

Speaker Biography

Lynn was born in Anchorage, Alaska to an American father and Okinawan mother and was a dual citizen of the United States and Japan until the age of 22. Lynn is a Japanese Language Teacher at Niu Valley Middle School based in Hawaii where they currently teach Japanese to secondary school students. After completing 5 years on the JET Program from 2011 to 2016, they attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa and graduated with a Master of Arts in Japanese Linguistics with a focus on sociolinguistics. Lynn enjoys teaching students not only the Japanese language, but about the cultures of Japan and Okinawa. Some of Lynn’s hobbies include snowboarding, kyudo and spending time with Otto, the miniature schnauzer. 

Jim Minamoto tells the inspirational story of a Nisei Japanese-American from a small town in California, who endured more death and tragedy in her life as a teenager than most people experience in two lifetimes.  A Hiroshima hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor), she did not let the past determine her future.  Rather, she went on to live an ordinary and simple, yet heroic life.  A life of quiet resilience.  She might have fallen down seven times, but got up eight. 

Speaker Biography

Jim Minamoto is a third generation Japanese American, born and raised in New York.  His Japanese Issei grandparents emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900ʻs.  With only a Japanese elementary school education and armed with a strong work ethic, they started a tenant farming business in Southern California, but lost everything when they were forced to relocate to the Rohwer, Arkansas incarceration camp during World War  II.   Following graduation from law school, Jim worked for several years in New York City before relocating to Japan to take a position as a corporate lawyer at a Japanese law firm based in Tokyo.  He has lived in Japan for over 25 years and has been a member of the U.S.-Japan Council since 2012.

Yonsei Lynn Miyahira has always been immersed in communities where she is reminded of her cultural identity. In Hawaii, she is “Japanese Okinawan”, in the US Mainland, she is “Asian.” And in Japan, she is “Japanese American”. Yet through the depiction of the contrasting lifestyles of her two Japanese American parents, Lynn illustrates that even people of the same cultural identity can have distinct upbringings. Learn how Lynn’s experiences in Hawaii, Oregon, and Japan have shaped the way she grasps the fascinating concept of identity and the importance of understanding your own identity to better promote cultural exchange.

Speaker Biography

Lynn Miyahira is a yonsei, born and raised in Hawaii with ancestral roots in Okinawa and Izu-Oshima. She is an account director at iQ 360, an integrated communications and marketing firm, where she manages client relationships and specializes in public affairs, business consulting services and integrated marketing campaigns. In 2020, Lynn was the president of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association, a 40,000 member organization whose mission is to promote, perpetuate, and preserve the Okinawan culture in Hawaii.  

Lynn received her BA in politics from Willamette University and her MBA from the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. She is a member of the U.S. Japan-Council’s ELP class of 2014 and also co-chaired the U40 Summit in Hawaii in 2019.

Learning about the individual and collective experiences of Japanese Americans plays a very important role for Japan-based students as they reflect on the diverse nature of migration and mobility and universal human rights. The U.S.-Japan Council’s Japanese American Storytelling Program is a great opportunity for students to become more familiar with how policies and norms taken throughout history have affected individuals.

Mishio Yamanaka
Assistant Professor
Sophia University

In the past, we had collaborative classes with American universities, but due to the pandemic, it has become difficult to continue collaborating. Under such circumstances, the JASP program provided a wonderful opportunity to connect various Japanese American speakers online with Japanese university students, who are rich in diversity in terms of regional and generational characteristics. Through this rare opportunity to directly hear the family and own life stories of Japanese American speakers in English, students can feel vividly how the history they learned in class is connected to modern society. In addition, the story of the career development of Japanese American speakers who are active internationally in various fields was a very good stimulus for university students who are about to go out into the world. Join the JASP program and experience the voices and history of Japanese Americans living today.

Yoko Tsukuda
Associate Professor
Seijo University
Faculty of Law

…For students who especially did not have the opportunity to meet various people during COVID-19, they not only heard valuable talks from their own homes, but also had the valuable learning opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussions on their own.

Yuki Oda
Faculty of Commerce Associate Professor
Chuo University

For students who grew up in Japan, I think Japanese Americans are close and distant. For example, even if you hear the story of incarceration camps during World War II in class, you probably don’t have many chances to hear the personal story of the person whose grandparents were actually interned. Also, in Japan, research on the history of Japanese Americans in an older era has been produced in great amount, but I think there are surprisingly few opportunities to come into contact with Japanese Americans who are living right now. I think that the U.S.-Japan Council’s Japanese American Storytelling Program is a great opportunity to take advantage of the network of professional Japanese Americans living in Japan to learn about the history, society and current situation of these Japanese Americans on a personal level. Please join us in this program and learn what Japanese Americans are like.

Okiyoshi Takeda, Ph.D.
Professor
Aoyama Gakuin University
Department of International Politics

In the Global Studies in English course, and of course, being here in Hiroshima where issues of war and peace are so central, we often cover topics like identity, conflict, and discrimination. Yet, through the power of stories, and engaging with important, positive concepts like resilience, my students were able to link what we learn in the classroom to what they mean for the individuals living through them, leading to active and meaningful discussions that continued in the classroom and beyond.

Robert Dormer
Associate Professor
Department of International English
Hiroshima Jogakuin University

I wanted to extend my sincerest thanks for the lecture that [JASP Speaker] presented to my students. The session was thought-provoking and provided rich content that sparked a great deal of interest among the participants. Her efforts in delivering such an informative talk are truly appreciated. Thank you once again for your contribution to our course. I look forward to future opportunities to connect our students with the enlightening work of the Japanese American Storytelling Program.

~ Host Professor

The Japanese American Storytelling program provided a distinctive speaker who delivered his experience and knowledge to the class. His presentation not only mentioned the difficulties and advantages of having a unique background but illustrated a life lesson for students to reflect on. It was a great opportunity to have and the students and I would love to hear more from the storytellers.

~Student Presentation Coordinator

The youth are our future and JASP is a fundamental program of the USJC to connect the Japanese American experience with Japan across borders, across languages and across cultures. These JASP stories are brought to life in Japan specifically for the benefit of Japanese university students who are now embarking on their own independent lives into a much more global and complicated world. The stories are real life, family, personal stories, of overcoming challenges and hardships. For myself as a JASP speaker, this has been a life changing experience of reflection, learning and personal growth.

Steve Sugino 
JASP Speaker/Program Co-Leader
President/Representative Director Amgen K.K.

September 15, 2024

This September 15th, we held the event “Strengthening the JASP Community: Furikaeri Reflections & Networking”. You can find the highlight video of this event, along with automatic closed captioning, at the following hyperlink. A special thanks to George Miller and Roy Tomizawa, who shared their experiences as veteran JASPers and helped jumpstart the conversation about what it means to be part of this community. 

Part of our event had a Q&A session, moderated by Tanyi and Lea, where participants asked George and Roy about their approaches to speaking and how to connect with Japanese students. Shoutout to Kazuo Koshi and Dustin Ikeda, two potential JASPers, who came today and helped kickstart conversations around family, history, and diaspora! Hearing everyone’s stories helped me realize how much JASPers learn about themselves through JASP, and the joy of being able to share this with others.

Last but certainly not least, JASP Intern Reina shared an update about our next community event about Family Ancestry. Join us in Spring 2025 to learn how you can get involved in the healing and exciting process of ancestry research!

February 6, 2024

As most of you know, JASPer Nate Gyotoku serves as the Executive Director of JCCH, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi.  JCCH is teaming up with the USJC’s TOMODACHI Initiative and Odyssey Nature Japan to implement a new program called TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui. 

This program aims to support Maui’s teenagers impacted by the recent wildfires. Eleven juniors and seniors from Lahainaluna and Maui High School will embark on a journey to Higashi Matsushima, Japan’s Tohoku region in March 2024.

Nate writes,  “We hope that connecting them to youth who underwent tragedy themselves and are active in Tohoku’s recovery will inspire these students to do the same.” 

The idea of this program was first initiated by a US Japan Council board member, Yoh Kawanami. Having volunteered for TOMODACHI’s Rainbow for Japan Kids program after the 2011 tsunami, Kawanami saw the opportunity to offer similar support to Maui’s youth. He believed that survivors from Tohoku could provide comfort and guidance, offering more meaningful reassurance than outsiders.

“I went to Maui, and I saw these kids, and if I go up to them and say, ‘Hey, everything’s going to be alright,’ I just felt that was the most unnecessary, useless statement that I could make,” Kawanami said. “But what if a survivor of Tohoku reaches out to them, hugs them and says,” You’ll be alright” … That would have a lot more meaning to the students.”

The goal is simple: When these youths return home, they’ll be better equipped to help Maui heal and rebuild. TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui embodies the essence of friendship and support across borders, demonstrating the power of empathy and unity in times of need.

“We want students that have leadership qualities,” Kawanami said. “This is not just a free trip to Japan. This is an opportunity to grow the students into something even bigger.”“Many lost their belongings in the wildfires,” Nate added.

(Those who are interested in becoming a sponsor or donating, please contact JCCH at nate@jcchawaii.org.)

Source Credit: Star Advertiser, February 6, 2024 by Linsey Dower: Program to send young Maui fire victims to Japan | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

January 16, 2024

During its third full year of operation in 2023 since its Fall 2020 launch, the US-Japan Council’s “Japanese American Storytelling Program” (JASP) successfully completed over 60 presentations to universities in Japan.

As hoped, JASP again reached over 1600 students throughout many regions in Japan, including Fukuoka, Niigata, Tohoku, Hiroshima, and Kobe, as well as over 20 schools in the Tokyo/Kanto region. Since its Fall 2020 launch, JASP has delivered presentations to over 4600 students.

Praising JASP’s intentional selection of storytelling as a vehicle to convey positive, lasting messages, one university student commented, “Living in a mono-ethnic country like Japan, we are not familiar with the various aspects of immigration in our daily lives, but only see them in the news or in history. This time, I was able to better understand the topic of Japanese American immigrants, how their ancestors came to America, and what kind of life they led as immigrants. It was very meaningful.”

Said another student, “As someone who was born and raised in Japan and who has never been abroad except for a one-week trip to China with my family, it was refreshing to hear about the wide range of experiences in [the JASP Speaker]’s life. I am sure that I will meet many different people during my study abroad, and I will suffer at times, but I will remember the words “don’t be afraid of failure” and this talk and use them as food for thought.”

Active student engagement throughout all stages of the speaker presentation is a hallmark of the program. Said one host professor, “I wanted to extend my sincerest thanks for the lecture that [JASP Speaker] presented to my students. The session was thought-provoking and provided rich content that sparked a great deal of interest among the participants. Her efforts in delivering such an informative talk are truly appreciated. Thank you once again for your contribution to our course. I look forward to future opportunities to connect our students with the enlightening work of the Japanese American Storytelling Program.”

JASP is a program for USJC members to convey positive educational messages to Japanese youths. Through their personal and unique family history narratives, JASPers communicate positive messages including tolerance and empathy, overcoming discrimination and prejudice, strengthening diversity in society, and building bridges between the U.S. and Japan.

July 1, 2023

On Saturday, July 1st, 2023 at the Amway Building in Shibuya, the U.S-Japan Council hosted the TOMODACHI Next Generation Summit, featuring TOMODACHI alumni speakers and their experiences with the TOMODACHI program, studying abroad, inclusivity, and more! A few JASP interns joined the Summit to help on the day of the event, including Krishay Jhaveri, Joey Tezuka, and Sarina Noma. 

JASP speakers Yuhka Mera and Anna Nagamine attended the Summit and led the afternoon “Japanese American Storytelling” breakout sessions. They shared their personal stories about being “different” in both Japan and the U.S. but using that experience as an advantage in their daily and professional lives. Session participants were very engaged as they also shared some of their thoughts about identity during discussions. Thank you very much to Yuhka and Anna for sharing your unique stories and inspiring messages to the Summit attendees! 

Here are the JASP interns’ comments for the Summit: 

JASP Junior Intern Krishay writes… “My experience at the Tomodachi Next Generation Summit has helped me break the ice for meeting new people. At first, my nervousness was across my body, but the volunteers, staff, and attendees comforted me by sharing their experiences. I enjoyed my time at the Summit and hope to meet the same faces again.” 

JASP Intern Joey writes… “It’s always inspiring to meet diverse groups of people who are passionate about bettering the world in many different ways. The friendly interactions and presentations during the event were all extremely thought-provoking and I left feeling ever so motivated to play my part in constructing an all-inclusive society. Thanks once again to those who made this event possible and to everyone who participated! ” 

JASP Senior Intern Sarina writes… “I had a great time seeing familiar faces and meeting new people in the TOMODACHI and USJC communities. I enjoyed getting to know some of the attendees and how we share the same goal of helping bridge the gap between the U.S. and Japan.” 

June 26, 2023

On June 26, 2023, JASPer Tyler Pugeda gave his first JASP presentation to around 15 students at Tsukuba National University of Technology (NTUT) in American Sign Language (ASL), which was then simultaneously interpreted into Japanese Sign Language and Japanese voice with Japanese auto transcription subtitles. His presentation is titled “How to find your purpose as a Global Citizen” and presented the challenges and barriers he faced throughout life and how he overcame them to find his place as well as his family history and the struggles they faced during WWII.

Thank you Tyler for supporting JASP as a speaker and congratulations on successfully completing your first JASP presentation!

February 7th, 2023

During its second full year of operation in 2022 since its Fall 2020 launch, the US-Japan Council’s “Japanese American Storytelling Program” (JASP) successfully completed 60 presentations to universities in Japan, an increase of 20% over the number given in 2021.

As hoped, JASP again reached students throughout many regions in Japan, including Akita, Hiroshima, Kobe, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Okinawa, Osaka, Tohoku and Shizuoka, as well as 20 schools in the Tokyo/Kanto region.

Praising JASP’s intentional selection of storytelling as a vehicle to convey positive, lasting messages, one university student commented, 

“Living in Japan, I have had quite a few opportunities to consciously think about what is good about Japan compared to other countries and what needs improvement, but this presentation made me think about what I should do in the future. It also made me think about valuing the identity I have.”

Said another student, 

“I felt that it is important to eliminate the assumption that Japanese people look the same and speak the same language. I hope that the number of different types of Japanese people will increase in the future, and that Japanese people themselves will be able to imagine a more diverse Japan.”

Active student engagement throughout all stages of the speaker presentation is a hallmark of the program.  Said one host professor, 

“In the past, we had collaborative classes with American universities, but due to the pandemic, it has become difficult to continue collaborating. Under such circumstances, the JASP program provided a wonderful opportunity to connect various Japanese American speakers online with Japanese university students, who are rich in diversity in terms of regional and generational characteristics. Through this rare opportunity to directly hear the family and own life stories of Japanese American speakers in English, students can feel vividly how the history they learned in class is connected to modern society.  In addition, the story of the career development of Japanese American speakers who are active internationally in various fields was a very good stimulus for university students who are about to go out into the world. Join the JASP program and experience the voices and history of Japanese Americans living today.”

JASP is a program for USJC members to convey positive educational messages to Japanese youths. Through their personal and unique family history narratives, JASPers communicate positive messages including tolerance and empathy, overcoming discrimination and prejudice, strengthening diversity in society, and building bridges between the U.S. and Japan.

October 27, 2022

October 27, 2022 was TOMODACHI day, part of the USJC’s recent annual conference in Tokyo. Several JASPers were invited to present their stories, including Eriko Stronach, who talked about her experiences as a Japanese American; Nate Gyotoku, who introduced the legacy of the Meiji Gannen Mono, the first Japanese immigrants who came to Hawai’i; and finally Patrick Newell, who gave a powerful lesson on storytelling.  

Special mention to our very own JASP intern, Sarina Noma, who did an excellent job introducing the program and the speakers.  Over 65 young leaders from the TOMODACHI and Watanabe Scholar programs participated.  The group consisted of both Americans who are studying abroad in Japan now, Japanese who have studied abroad and are interested in international careers, and young professionals who work and live in both Japan and the United States. 

Sarina adds, “It was an amazing opportunity to meet and speak with Eriko and Nate in-person, as well as connect with TOMODACHI alumni!” Thank you again to JASPers for your time, support, commitment, and encouragement to the next generation. 

August 12, 2022

On the morning of Friday, August 12, 2022, JASP hosted an event about “terminology” in collaboration with the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). Matt Weisbly, who is the JACL Education and Communications Coordinator, gave the presentation “The Power of Words.”  

This topic is very important since the terminology we choose to describe Nikkei wartime experiences such as “internment” or “incarceration” have lasting impact on the next generation of leaders in both the US and Japan.

Participants included JASP Speakers, Host Professors, USJC Staff and Members. They learned about the terminology used in the context of Japanese American history and their euphemisms. Additionally, participants discussed their questions and experiences surrounding the topic.

You can watch the video recording of the event by clicking on the button below.

August 3, 2022

During the Spring 2022 academic semester, the US-Japan Council’s “Japanese American Storytelling Program” (JASP) successfully completed 31 presentations to universities in Japan, a significant increase over the 20 presentations given in the Spring of 2021.

Praising JASP’s intentional selection of storytelling as a vehicle to convey positive, lasting messages, one university student commented,

“I do not have any foreign names in my family tree and consider myself a Japanese born and bred
in Japan, but in high school I had many classmates from various backgrounds, so [JASP Speaker]’s
definition of “diversity” as one where “everyone is different and can be active as they are” made
perfect sense to me. I learned that even though [JASP Speaker]’s parents are Japanese people and she was born in Okinawa, she sometimes struggles between two identities depending on her
environment. In a society where globalization is progressing and family structures will become
more diverse, this lecture taught me a way of thinking that will be very important in the future.
Thank you very much for your valuable talk today.”

As hoped, JASP expanded its reach to new regions of Japan including Tohoku and Kumamoto.

JASP is a program for USJC members to convey positive educational messages to Japanese youths. Through their personal and unique family history narratives, JASPers communicate positive messages including tolerance and empathy, overcoming discrimination and prejudice, strengthening diversity in society, and building bridges between the U.S. and Japan.

July 16, 2022

The TOMODACHI MUFG International Exchange Program is a 5-part program that takes place over a course of roughly a month with one session a week on the weekends. During the program, the high school students have opportunities to learn about Japanese society and culture, and leadership through this year’s theme of resiliency. The program features opportunities to meet with Japanese people through interactions with local high school students.

On Saturday, July 16, 2022, JASPer Jim Minamoto gave a presentation about resilience as a part of their Resiliency and Leadership Session.

June 13, 2022

A volunteer group of Japanese Americans in Tokyo found opportunity in the COVID-19 pandemic and launched a pro bono, non-profit educational program to nurture a more global mindset among university students in Japan based on the ancient art of storytelling.

The climate “crisis,” the global financial “crisis,” the refugee “crisis.” We hear the word “crisis” a lot these days, oftentimes describing a serious, widespread, problem. Some readers will recognize that the Chinese characters (kanji) for “crisis” (“kiki”/危機), are made up of the characters for “danger” (危) and “opportunity” (機). Rather than fearing the character for danger during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, a non-profit group of Tokyo-based Japanese Americans (JA) acted on the second character. They seized opportunity during the crisis, launching a pro bono educational program for young, next generation Japanese leaders called the Japanese American Storytelling Program (JASP). This is their story.

Read the full article here (English version).

You can also read the full article in Japanese.

February 28, 2022

During its first full year of operation in 2021 since its Fall 2020 launch, the US-Japan Council’s “Japanese American Storytelling Program” (JASP) successfully completed 50 presentations to universities in Japan, a significant increase over the nine presentations given in its inaugural year 2020.

As hoped, JASP expanded the program’s geographic reach, presenting to university student audiences in Okinawa, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Shizuoka and Gunma, as well as over 10 schools in the Tokyo region.

JASP also continued to diversify its speaker base, offering storytellings by not only “traditional” Sansei and Yonsei, but also Shin Issei, Shin Nisei and Multi-Ethnic Nikkei, based in Hawaii and the Mainland US, as well as Japan.  

Presentation themes included Resilience, Building Bridges, Expanding Horizons and Comfort Zones, Entrepreneurship and Pursuing Passions, Discovery of Cultural Identity, Women’s Empowerment, Reconnecting with a Biological Parent, Coming Out, and the Advantages of DE&I in Business.

Praising JASP’s intentional selection of storytelling as a vehicle to convey positive, lasting messages, one university student commented, “the message of the story can be felt…I know how it feels when other people treat us differently…When I felt like giving up something, I remember that life isn’t always rainbow and butterfly, there must be rain someday. Just try to move on and always try my best… After this seminar I will be more motivated.”

Active student engagement throughout all stages of the speaker presentation is a hallmark of the program.  Said one host professor, “through the power of stories, and engaging with important, positive concepts like resilience, my students were able to link what we learn in the classroom to what they mean for the individuals living through them, leading to active and meaningful discussions that continued in the classroom and beyond.”

JASP plans to continue its expansion in 2022, with presentations in new regions of Japan including Tohoku and Kumamoto.

JASP is a program for USJC members to convey positive educational messages to Japanese youths. Through their personal and unique family history narratives, JASPers communicate positive messages including tolerance and empathy, overcoming discrimination and prejudice, strengthening diversity in society, and building bridges between the U.S. and Japan. 

February 14, 2022

The U.S.-Japan Council is an organization that is committed to many kinds of economic, political and social projects that strengthen the relationship between the United States and Japan. Recently, one of their programs has been the ‘Japanese American Storytelling Program’ (JASP), which speaks to audiences in both Japan and the United States about a range of issues, especially history, diversity, empathy, and connections between the two countries.

Recently, some Global Studies in English course (GSE) students were very lucky to be invited to an interactive session hosted by James Minamoto. Joining us online, he gave an engaging and interesting class, entitled ‘Resilence’. In this story, we follow the life of a Japanese-American girl, who leaves Hiroshima for the United States, is forced back to Japan, but eventually, returns to the United States. In the course of her life, she faces challenges that are difficult to imagine, and throughout the lecture, students answered questions, explained their own feelings, and tried to put themselves in the shoes of others.

I asked Mr Minamoto if he would share his motivations for this program, and how he felt about the session here at Hiroshima Jogakuin University.

“I thoroughly enjoyed presenting the story of my mother’s challenges and resilience to the GSE students, as well as discussing their insightful questions and comments. Through our Japanese American Storytelling Program, we try to pass on positive messages to university students all throughout Japan – the future leaders of the country. Thank you for giving us this wonderful opportunity.”

The students themselves did a good job of engaging with difficult topics and showed empathy and deep reflection when asked questions. I asked one of the students to share her perspective on the seminar:

“I liked how the speaker told us about the story. The message of the story can be clearly felt, and some parts I could easily relate to my own life, which impressed me greatly. I know how it feels when other people treat us differently. When I feel like giving up, I remember that life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies and that there must be rain sometimes, and we must try to move on and always try our best. After this seminar, I will be more motivated, and I want to be strong, like the speaker’s mother was, in facing challenges”.

In the GSE course, we are always trying to connect topics in the classroom with the real world. Through real-life stories and the generosity of Mr Minamoto and his colleagues in the JASP program of the U.S.-Japan Council, we had an enjoyable afternoon. Thank you!

Read the full article here.

December 21, 2021

The US-Japan Council’s “Japanese American Storytelling Program” (JASP) received television news exposure on December 18, 2021, when JASP Speaker and Program Co-Leader Steve Sugino’s presentation at Gunma University was covered by local media.

Entitled, “The Movie of  Your Life,” Steve’s presentation to an audience of international and Japanese university students recounted his own personal and professional journey as a Nikkei Sansei from Southern California, and the life changing decisions he made to study, and then work in Japan as the first US citizen “International Trainee” at the Bank of Tokyo.  After a career in finance in New York City, Steve focused his professional career in health care and currently leads the Japan operations of a major biotechnology company.  

Steve’s presentation provided insights on the new challenges facing students because of the globalization of Japanese companies amid the expanding environment of diversity. His presentation was one of the more than 50 live, real time presentations JASP speakers have given to university students in Japan since the program’s launch in the Autumn of 2020.

JASP is a program for USJC members to convey positive educational messages to Japanese youths. Through their personal and unique family history narratives, JASPers communicate positive messages including tolerance and empathy, overcoming discrimination and prejudice, strengthening diversity in society, and building bridges between the U.S. and Japan. 

USJC Newsletter January 14, 2021

Our JASP Speakers have given personal, unique storytellings on the following topics:

• Redefining the Meaning of Being “Japanese” in the 21st Century
• Tolerance, Empathy and Appreciating Differences
• The Japanese Diaspora and Migration
• Resilience (Fall Down 7 Times, Get up 8)
• Building Bridges between the US and Japan
• Expanding Your Horizons and Comfort Zones
• Entrepreneurship and Pursuing Passions
• Discovery of One’s Cultural Identity
• Women’s Empowerment
• The Hawai’i Japanese American Experience
• Our Heritage Gives Us Roots and Wings
• My Journey of Not Belonging and Self-Acceptance
• The Movie of Your Life
• Coming Out
• Wartime Experiences of JA’s
• The Advantages of DE&I in Business

JASP Speakers come from a diverse group of USJC members who broadly identify as Japanese American, including Nikkei Sansei and Yonsei, Multi-Ethnic Nikkei, Shin Issei (post-war Japanese immigrants to the US), Shin Nisei (US-born children of Shin Issei), and Japanese returnees (Kikoku Shijo) from the US. They range from next generation young leaders to senior executives, in the private as well as non-profit sectors.

Most JASP Speakers are based in Japan, but others are located in Hawaii, California and other parts of the US Mainland.  Most are native English speakers, and some are bilingual Japanese speakers.

Almost all JASP presentations use English as the primary presentation language, including the visual presentation slides.  However, some JASP Speakers can also provide occasional verbal explanation in Japanese when needed.  A few can also give verbal presentations mostly in Japanese.  We try to give special attention to pair a suitable JASP Speaker with each Host Professor’s class, and usually find that neither English level capability nor general academic level is a big issue for university students.  We also find that use of professional translators does not necessarily work especially well for JASP storytellings.

JASP offers presentations in the Spring academic term (April-July) and the Fall academic term (September-January).  A Host Professor can request a presentation in either or both terms, subject to JASP speaker availability.     

All JASP presentations are given live (real time). One of the hallmarks of the program is the opportunity for students and JASP speakers to interact directly during presentations in real time, using tools such as pop quizzes, student voting/polling and breakout rooms as well as traditional Q&A. Total presentation time including student discussion/Q&A time is usually 80–90 minutes.

Yes! Currently, almost all JASP presentations are given virtually using an online conferencing system such as Zoom.  This allows JASP Speakers to present live to students in universities all across Japan.  For example, we have already given live JASP presentations via Zoom to students in Okinawa, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Shizuoka, Akita, as well as Tokyo.  JASP warmly welcomes requests from Host Professors in every Japan prefecture.

We generally inform Host Professors at least a couple of months before the start of an academic semester whether or not we can provide a JASP speaker.  Further, we generally notify Host Professors of the specific JASP Speaker assigned to their class about 1 month before the start of the academic semester; for example, in March before the start of the Spring semester in April, or in August before the start of the Fall semester in September.  

Please note that if we receive a request to host a JASP Speaker sometime during a Spring semester (April-July), the earliest we can provide a Speaker is usually the following Fall semester (September-January).

Yes, where a JASP presentation is given virtually such as via Zoom, we might ask for Host Professor permission to video record.  In that case, we edit out all student names and faces to protect their privacy.  We also ask in turn that the personal information of the JASP Speaker be respected by the students.

No.  There is no charge or fee for JASP presentations.  If a JASP Speaker travels some distance to a university campus to give a presentation, however, reimbursement of transportation expenses can be accepted at the discretion of the individual speaker.

If you are a professor/educator teaching a class at a university located in Japan, we welcome your inquiry to host a JASP Speaker.  Please kindly submit background details on you and your class, and we will be in touch with you after receiving your responses: