Opportunities

. : Opportunities for Corporate Members

Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Research Student Scholarship

The Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu is presently accepting applications for the 2011 Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Research Student Scholarship for graduate students. MEXT offers scholarships to foreign students who wish to study at Japanese universities in various fields.

Basic qualifications for applicants:

A US citizen Under 35 years of age (as of April 2, 1976) Graduate of a university In good mental and physical health to study in Japan Able to arrive in Japan either during the first week of April or October

Scholarship benefits include:

Monthly allowance (approximately 152,000 yen) Transportation to and from Japan School fees (including enrollment fees, tuition and entrance exam fees)

For more information, please download and review the scholarship information PDF from the "Study in Japan" website. The Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu highly encourages students to apply for this 1 ½ or 2 year scholarship. Please download the application schedule for 2011 and the preliminary application form. The deadline to submit the preliminary application is Friday, April 23, 2010. Contact Lisa Sakamoto at (808) 543-3126 or jethi@hawaiiantel.net with any questions or concerns.

Hawaii 5:01 Program. This program provides corporate members the opportunity to host an event at their place of business for Society corporate members. The intent of the program is to provide a venue for company representatives to meet in a setting for informal discussions and developing relationships. This networking event also presents the host company a great marketing opportunity by showcasing the company, not only to Society corporate representatives, but to invited guests (to introduce them to the company and the Society). Interested companies should contact the Society at 524-4450 or email at ehawkins@jashawaii.org.

Tokyo Business Entry Point. The Society attempts to help other organizations, especially if there is benefit to members and the community. The new web site of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is an example of helping business members to make contact in Tokyo through the "Tokyo Business Entry Point" web site. It is designed as a one-stop portal for foreign firms' various questions. Visit http://www.tokyo-business.jp for more information.

Advertising in the Society's Membership Directory. Companies can market their company in the Society's Membership Directory that goes out to nearly 1,100 members. Interested? Call the Society at 524-4450 or email at admindir@jashawaii.org.

Sponsorship in Society's Annual Friendship Golf Classic. Sponsorship opportunities are available to showcase your company's support for the Society and the work it does for the community. Sign up now to enter by calling the Society office at 524-4450 or email at ehawkins@jashawaii.org.

The tournament will begin with a 1200 noon shotgun start. Registration begins at 1000 a.m. with lunch, an open driving range to loosen up those muscles and a putting contest. Enjoy a round of golf with your friends and help your Society at the same time. Sign up for the sponsorships and help your company gain the spotlight. We're looking for sponsors, prize donors and players. Fill out your name on the following forms and return all to the Society as soon as possible.

Download flyer & forms: You will need Adobe Reader to open.

. : Offers to Members

The Imperial Hotel Special Rates - The Imperial Hotel is offering special rates for Japan-America Society members at their Tokyo and Osaka locations. Members can enjoy a standard single or double occupancy room at a rate of ¥25,000 per night plus service charge and tax at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo. The regular price is ¥36,000 for single occupancy and ¥41,000 for double occupancy.

Members can also enjoy a standard single occupancy room at a rate if ¥15,000 per night or a double occupancy room at ¥18,000 per night plus service charge and tax at the Imperial Hotel Osaka. The regular price is ¥28,000 for single occupancy and ¥33,000 for double occupancy.

. : Opportunities for Teachers and Students

Pacific Forum CSIS

Young Leaders Program - The Pacific Forum CSIS Young leaders Program engages selected young professionals and graduate students from a broad range of disciplines and countries in policy dialogues through participation in selected Pacific Forum CSIS workshops, seminars, and conferences. The program helps train up-and-coming 20-35 year-olds from the U.S., East Asia, and elsewhere in international security and policy affairs at an early juncture in their careers, while also giving greater voice to the next generation’s viewpoints within the elite circles of policy specialists. Partial funding for the Young Leaders Program is provided by the Luce Foundation, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Strong Foundation. A growing number of academic research organizations, government ministries, and businesses also provide support by sponsoring individual Young Leaders. Ambassador Alfonso Yuchengco sponsors a group of Yuchengco Fellows from the Philippines.

Please visit http://www.csis.org/pacfor/youngleaders for more details.

The Vasey Fellowship Program provides bright, young Asian scholars the opportunity to study the economics and politics of the Asia-Pacific region and the US-Asia relationship as a junior researcher and participant in Pacific Forum events. The Vasey Fellow will work in the Pacific Forum office in Honolulu, Hawaii for a period of 3 to 12 months and will receive a modest stipend to cover living and traveling expenses while in Hawaii.

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation Fellowship (SPF) is a new fellowship program that focuses on S-Japan relations. The SPF Fellowship is looking for young professionals from Japan and the US to spend 3-6 months at the Pacific Forum office as well us up to six weeks in Tokyo or Washington DC. We are also seeking a non-resident SPF Fellow who should already have an MA or PhD and will attend 2-4 Pacific Forum CSIS (Young Leaders) conferences a year.

Please visit csis.org/program/pacific-forum-csis to find out more information about the Pacific Forum CSIS and to apply for the Vasey and SPF Fellowships.

The Japanese Garden, Intensive Seminar in Kyoto.
The Research Center for Japanese Garden Art and Historical Heritage, which runs an English language intensive seminar regarding the Japanese Garden, is currently accepting applications for the 13th annual seminar to be held October 25 – November 6, 2010. The course is designed for the serious student, amateur or professional; it is not a garden tour. The seminar will include many on-site lectures as well as some hands-on work experience. This course is a rare opportunity for English language speakers giving broad access to Japanese gardens and gardeners.

For details and more information, please see the Seminar website at
http://www.jghh.jp/center/semnew.

Atsuhiko Tateuchi Memorial Scholarship
Ina Goodwin Tateuchi and her late husband, Atsuhiko Tateuchi, both came from hard-working families and were taught to appreciate and respect education. They wish to provide $5000 scholarships for students from the Pacific Rim states who demonstrate hard work, dedication and sincerity. Students must have financial need and academic merit. Visit www.seattlefoundation.org/tateuchi for more information.

Harvard online: Explore Japan's history. You can now explore Japan's history in the Harvard online course HIST E-1851 Japan: Tradition and Transformation with Mikael Adolphson, PhD, Associate Professor of Japanese History at Harvard University. The lectures are from the popular Harvard daytime course Historical Studies A-14, recorded for viewing through the Harvard Extension School by students living anywhere in the world. Visit www.extension.harvard.edu for more information.

The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature
The Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University annually awards $6,000 in Japan-U.S. Friendship Commision Prizes for the Translation of Japanese Literature. A prize is given for the best translation of a modern or classical work, or the prize is divided between equally distinguished translations. Submission deadline is February 28. Please visit www.donaldkeenecenter.org for details.

Fujitsu Scholarship. The Fujitsu Scholarship is a full tuition scholarship that enables a Hawaii resident to take part in the Japan-America Institute of Management Science (JAIMS) East-West Knowledge Leaders Program (EWKLP). The EWKLP is intended to strengthen one’s business savvy for dealing with the increasingly complex challenges of managing in this 21st century. The post-baccalaureate program focuses on global best practices in a concentrated three-month period, thus minimizing time away from work for professional development. Detailed information regarding the scholarship can be found at http://www.fujitsu.com/scholarship . The application deadline for the Fujitsu Scholarship is March 19, 2010. Additional information about JAIMS and the EWKLP can be found at www.jaims.org.

Youth For Understanding USA. Experience Japan!…through Youth For Understanding USA. Our mission is to prepare young people for their responsibilities and opportunities in a changing, interdependent world through exchange opportunities. As an exchange student to Japan, you will experience Japanese life and learn about the culture while living with a host family. Fluency in another language, knowledge of another culture, increased maturity, enhanced opportunities for the future, and lifelong friendships are just some of the benefits of exchange. Whether you’re interested in getting a glimpse of the culture during summer or fully immersing yourself in Japanese culture on a full-year program, YFU USA offers many scholarships. For over fifty years, YFU has offered opportunities to study in more than 35 countries through three distinct types of programs: academic year, academic semester, or summer. Please visit http://www.yfu-usa.org or call 1-800-TEENAGE (1-800-833-6243) for application and additional information. Download flyer: You will need Adobe Reader to open.

The Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program. The Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program was established by the U.S. Congress in 1994 to build a corps of federal employees, who because they have lived in Japan and worked long-term on projects in Japanese ministries, can manage the U.S.-Japan relationship more effectively when they return to their U.S. government agencies. An intensive, two-year program, the Mansfield Fellowships provide for a year in Japan working in full-time professional positions in Japanese government offices, preceded by a first year of in-depth study in the United States of the Japanese language and area studies. Through the practical experience of conversing in Japanese and being involved in projects, meetings, planning sessions and business travel with their Japanese colleagues, Fellows learn how the Japanese government works and establish professional relationships with Japanese government officials, the business community and the Japanese people. For additional information about the fellowships, you may visit the Foundation's web site at http://www.mansfieldfdn.org or call Fellowship Program Associate Director Ms. Niharika Chibber Joe at (202) 347-1994.

The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. Recruitment for the 2010 JET Program is now in progress. The JET Program, which began in 1987, is a Japanese government sponsored exchange program that seeks to help enhance internationalization in Japan by promoting mutual understanding between Japan and other nations. The program is based upon intensifying foreign language education in Japan, and upon promoting international exchange at the local level through fostering ties between Japanese youth and JET Program participants. This program also provides valuable opportunities for the participants to learn about Japan and the Japanese culture. The JET Program offers highly qualified college/university graduates opportunities to work as either Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) in elementary or secondary schools or Coordinators for International Relations (CIR) in selected local government offices in Japan. For the online application and general information, please visit http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/JET.The deadline for application submission is Tuesday, November 24, 2009 (to the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C.).

Blakemore Foundation: Blakemore Freeman Fellowships for Advanced Asian Language Study. The Blakemore Foundation plans to award grants for the advanced study of modern Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian languages during the 2009/2010 academic year. Blakemore Freeman grants are intended for those pursuing professional, academic, or business careers that involve the regular use of an Asian language. The grants fund a year of advanced language study at an institution in Asia. Where there is no structured advanced-level language program at an educational institution in the country, the grant may provide for the financing of private tutorials under terms set forth in the application instructions. For further information and application forms, please visit the Blakemore Foundation website at: http://www.blakemorefoundation.org

Japanese Friendship Doll Program. The Society nominates two elementary schools each year for the Japanese Friendship Doll Program. The Japanese Cultural Center at the Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute in Spokane, Washington, under the Directorship of Ms. Michiko Takaoka and Activity Coordinator Patrice Pendell, coordinates this program throughout the United States. The Society was chosen as the Hawaii Coordinator in 1999 and has since nominated schools to receive the beautiful Japanese Friendship Doll. Elementary schools keep the doll and teachers are encouraged to incorporate Japanese cultural activities into their curriculum with the help of resources that come with the doll. If your school wishes to be nominated, contact the Society at 524-4450 or email at ehawkins@jashawaii.org.

. : Internship

Richard Kiyabu, University of Hawaii at Manoa Public Administration Graduate Candidate

The not for profit community in the islands is a special network of dedicated individuals that go beyond the call to deliver outstanding services and programs. JASH’s mission to "promote understanding and friendships between the peoples of Japan and the United States through the special and unique perspective of Hawaii," made a special impression on me to be part of sustaining the bridge between our countries. While pursing a graduate degree in Public Administration at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I leaped at the opportunity to enroll into a practicum as an intern with the Society.

This wonderful experience granted many rewarding hands on experiences that helped me gain a greater appreciation for the organization’s functions while prescribing challenging projects. I was able to volunteer at golf tournaments, act as a Japan in a Suitcase co-presenter, assist with operations relating to fund development, and collaborate with highly motivated staff members on special projects. A highlight was hearing Emperor Akihito’s address at the annual Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation dinner.

I would like to thank JASH’s staff, board of directors, and supporters for this solid opportunity to serve my community and the wonderful international relationships we cultivate everyday.

Makoto ni Doumo Arigatou Gozaimasu!

Sachiyo Kobayashi

I worked at the Japan-America Society of Hawaii as an intern for one-year. In Japan, I worked at Japanese companies for seven years. I wanted to have experience working in America so that I could learn about the way American people think and also learn about how non-profit organizations operate. My job was to assist the Asian Pacific Children’s Convention (APCC) Program Director and I also went out to elementary schools and gave presentations to children with the Japan-in-a-Suitcase Program. Our goal in that program was to show differences and similarities between American and Japanese culture and the way we see things – different perspectives. I was also able to work with the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation (a sister society of JASH) on their 50th Anniversary celebration where I was in charge of organizing the Commemorative Booklet for the event. This time was very special and I am grateful to JASH and the CPASF for giving me the opportunity to meet new people and experience new challenges that I had never experienced before.

Junjiro Makise, Japanese student majoring in Accounting at Brigham Young University Hawaii

I applied for this JASH internship opportunity because I wanted to meet different people and to have different experiences seeing what I want to do for my future career. To accomplish this goal, I was able to participate in two major events during my internship. The first event was the Pearl Harbor Workshop, where I was a facilitator for the Japanese participants. My job was to assist the Japanese participants during the lectures and discussions. The second event was the English Rakugo program performed by Katsura Kaishi at the University of Hawaii, where I assisted with coordinating the event.

Throughout my internship I was able to meet and talk to different people and had great experiences with them. It really helped me to realize what kind of career path I want to pursue. I am so grateful to JASH for giving me this internship opportunity this summer.

Ryohei Masuda, Japanese student, majoring in Economics and Management at Seikei University (Tokyo)

My scope of duties while at JASH was redesigning the Japan-America Society of Hawaii website, incorporating e-giving solutions and developing update tasks list on the webpage. I actually had created a website for university students in Japan. Thus, my previous experiences helped me to for the website. Also, I met many different people through this internship. These things are going to play a prominent role in my entrepreneurial career in the future. Above all, I am grateful to JASH for giving me an internship position. I recommend other students to apply for this internship!

Linh Tran, Vietnamese student, majoring in Finance at University of Hawaii at Manoa

As a marketing intern, my role was to write articles of recent events and also to make a marketing plan for the Society. The position gave me a chance to see how a nonprofit organization gets its word out to the community. One of the main concerns I looked at was how to find a way to spread JASH’s message effectively without increasing the advertising costs. I realized the important role of the news media (magazines, newspapers, TV) in a non-profit organization. The experience that I received from this internship will help me greatly because I gained greater working knowledge and knowledge of people.

Kanae Tokunaga, Japanese Student, majoring in Economics at Washington College

My major project was to create a budget profile and budget projection for the year 2008. I realized the challenges that nonprofit organizations face in financing valuable activities that are necessary in the community. Since this internship was a part of my senior thesis project, which is on the relationship between nonprofit revenue seeking behavior and its quality of operation, I was using academic research on nonprofit organizations. However, more than any research could have done; my hands on experience at JASH gave me a greater insight for my thesis. I am thankful that I could meet many people through this internship. Meeting new people always motivated me to think about my career path after my graduation this coming December.

Ryoko Hirose

I have been an intern of the Japan-America Society of Hawaii since September 2007. My main job has been to organize the role of JASH for the Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention (APCC) in Fukuoka, Japan. The APCC is a grassroots organization devoted to promoting international exchange both in the community and throughout the world. Each year, the Society selects eight 11-year-old students (four boys and four girls) from across the state to take part in a two-week convention in July as Junior Ambassadors (JAs) from Hawaii to APCC in Fukuoka, Japan.

I have also participated in the “Japan in a Suitcase” program. The presentations teach some differences between American and Japanese culture to public elementary school children in Hawaii.

Historically, Hawaii has deep ties with Japan. I have been very happy to be doing an active internship in Hawaii because I am able to be involved in a cross-cultural exchange between Hawaii and Japan.

My desire has been and will be to strengthen the bonds of friendship between Hawaii and Japan. The internship-training program of the Japan-America Society of Hawaii has given me the confidence to seek ways where I can continue to help the people of Japan and Hawaii to understand and communicate with each other in the best ways possible.

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. : UH Student is selected for Japan Return Program’s “Nihongo Summit”

An Accounting major with a desire to double major in International Business at the University of Hawaii Manoa has been selected to represent the United States at this year’s “Nihongo Summit,” an intensive 35-day fellowship program sponsored by the Japan Return Program (JRP). UH Hawaii Manoa Senior Christopher Sagliano will spend 35 days in Japan for fellowship, travel, and study developing language skills as well as creating new friendships with 15 other representatives from around the world. JRP is a non-profit organization in Japan that aims to foster Japanese language study by foreign youth and to establish networks of distinguished human resources who will act as a bridge between Japan and the world. Each summer, JRP screens applicants from around the world for language ability and for meeting program requirements.

The Japan-America Society of Hawaii (JASH) hosted the Executive Managing Director of JRP, Ms. Miyoko Ikezaki last summer to provide orientation for Hawaii’s students regarding this program. JASH accompanied Ms. Ikezaki in March of this year as she returned to interview prospective candidates. The association between JASH and JRP began through coordination with the America-Japan Society Inc., a JASH counterpart organization in Tokyo, Japan.

The program for 2008 titled “Peace—Across Ethnic Boundaries” is scheduled between June 14 and July 18, and will occur in both Nagasaki and Tokyo. Expenses for selected panelists are borne by the JRP and include round-trip airfare between a gateway international airport in the applicant’s country and Japan, all airfare within Japan to study travel destinations, and fees for participation in official events and for home-stays. Those interested in next year’s program can refer to the JRP website at http://jrp,nihongo.or.jp/ Information is also available on this website under Opportunities.

. : UH Student Selected for 2008 Japan-America Student Conference

University of Hawaii undergraduate student Neal Akatsuka was recently selected by the Washington, D.C. based non-profit organization International Student Conferences (ISC) to participate this coming summer in a cultural exchange between US and Japan under the Japan-America Student Conference (JASC). JASC is the oldest student-run cultural exchange program between US and Japan, beginning in 1934. Some of its past participants were Former Japanese Prime Minister & Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa (JASC 1939, 1940), Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (JASC 1951), and Mr. Glen Fukushima, former USTR and current President, Airbus Japan (JASC 1970, 1971).

Mr. Akatsuka will be one of nearly 80 students who have been selected from universities across Japan and the United States to convene and discuss some of the hottest topics facing the two nations. The program alternates host countries each year, giving students the rare opportunity to see places, whether at home or abroad, and learn about their culture through the eyes of others. Not only do conference participants learn about one of the world’s most strategic bilateral alliances, they also have the opportunity to directly help reinforce the bonds between countries by sharing knowledge and experiences while making memories and friendships with other future leaders.

Japan-America Society of Hawaii collaborates with the University of Hawaii’s Center for Japanese Studies to help provide funding for University of Hawaii students who are selected for the program. Mr. Akatsuka is majoring in Anthropology and Religion.

International Student Conferences (ISC) is a non-profit organization, which operates educational and cultural exchange programs for university students from the United States, Japan, and Korea. The first Korea-America Student Conference (KASC) will be held in the summer of 2008, opening more opportunities to motivated college students. To learn more about these programs, visit the ISC website at http://www.iscdc.org/ or at this webiste under Opportunities.