Activities And Accomplishments

. : Community/Educational Outreach Programs
     (Giving Back to the Community)

Japan Perspectives Programs (Japan in a Suitcase, Asian Pacific Children's Convention, Japan Day, Japan Wizards)

• Japan in a Suitcase. Society's most important program as it helps young students to learn about different perspectives. Program encourages elementary students (grades 3-5) to develop an open-minded attitude towards others of a different culture while gaining an international perspective. Students learn through a fun-filled process by examining the suitcase filled with items used by Japanese students and discovering similarities and differences between themselves and their counterparts in Japan. Program helps to develop skills in comparison, questioning, teamwork, and communication. Approximately 90 - 100 sessions conducted per year to about 4,000 students. Open to all schools. Japan in a Suitcase I is being developed for kindergarten to grade 2.

• Asian Pacific Children's Convention. Opportunity for eight 11-year old students to experience almost three weeks of homestay, camps and other activities with over 350 peers from 40 countries in Fukuoka, Japan. Great learning experience for Hawaii's students. Open to all schools.

• Japan Wizards Competition. State-wide academic team competition on general knowledge about Japan and on the Japanese language. Encourages high school students to develop research skills, teamwork, confidence in speaking before the public and learning about Japan. Society is committed to sending two public and two private winning teams to Japan to experience the efforts of their learning. Open to all schools in Hawaii. Japan Wizards is a new program that replaces Japan Bowl, which the Society participated in the last six years. The Society thanks the JAS of Washington, DC for holding the National Japan Bowl Japanese language competition and providing the Society to hold its own regional competition in the past.

• Japan Day. Public and private high school students are invited for a half-day of hands-on experience with various Japanese cultural activities such as tea ceremony, bon dance, bonsai, abacus, etc. Held twice a year since 1993. Helps students interface with the 40 community volunteers. Complements the teachers' classroom teaching in fun-filled way. Open to all schools.

Sister School Relationship.

• Facilitated a Sister School Relationship Between Mililani Middle School (MMS) and Ikeda Junior High School (Gifu Prefecture)
• 20 Ikeda JHS students traveled to MMS in August 2001 for homestay
• In May 2002 MMS students traveled to Ikeda
• Ikeda JHS returning to MMS in August 2003
• Society initiating formal program in 2004 with the generous support of the Freeman Foundation

Tagawa Homestay Program

• assisted in establishing this program with Tagawa Town in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan in 1999
• Hawaii high school students travel to Tagawa for homestay with families and interaction with students of Toyo High School

E-mail Exchange Programs

• assisted schools in Hawaii to establish email exchange programs with schools in Japan

Safety Pamphlet for Japanese Visitors

• published in 1998 to provide visitors with tips on dealing with situations not encountered in Japan, such as street solicitors, tipping, leaving children unattended in hotel rooms, etc

Industry-Focused Panel Series

• held in 1995-1996 to highlight to government officials and public the difficult problems being encountered with the sagging Hawaii-Japan economy
• three panels held on real estate, construction and insurance before the industries started holding own panel sessions

Japanese Friendship Doll Program

• Society nominates schools in Hawaii to receive the Japanese Friendship Doll
• Puuhale Elementary first school in Hawaii to receive doll (Kihei, Ahuimanu, Waianae, Lanikai, Waialua and Lunalilo schools also received dolls)
• Society works with Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute Japanese Cultural Center in Spokane, Washington on program and thanks Michiko Takaoka, Director of the Japanese Cultural Center and to Patrice Pendell, Program Director.

Assisting Scholars and Teachers and Others

• assist scholars with research projects
• helped student from Institute of Public Health in Tokyo with survey of Japanese living in Hawaii
• participate in Hawaii International Education Week
• conduct workshop with Hawaii Association of Language Teachers (HALT)

Working with Community Groups

• work with Commander, United States Pacific Command and other military agencies; US Pacific Fleet and US Marine Forces Pacific are JASH members
• Waikiki Improvement Association/Ohana Task Force on cleaning Waikiki Beach (usually in conjunction with the JAS of Miyakonojo)
• Hawaii Hotels Association in conjunction with their Charity Walk