【Year 2022 events】 

CHRISTMAS Event 2022, Japan Minnesota Association

JMA Christmas Party 2022 Report

December 3, Saturday, 20:00 – 21:30 (CST-Central Standard Time)

December 4, Sunday, 11:00 – 12:30 (JST-Japan Standard Time)

JMA held its 2022 Christmas Party as a hybrid event, done by both a face-to-face gathering in Tokyo and an on-line meeting available across time zones. We used the meeting room and telecommunication equipment of Nihon University’s Sangenjyaya campus, through the courtesy of Dr. Fukuda, Dean of Risk Management, Nihon University. The theme of this year was “study abroad”. On-line from Minnesota and in the meeting room in Tokyo, four presenters shared their own study abroad stories. There were fourteen members joined in person, and eleven members participated on-line, totaling twenty-five attendees who enjoyed listening to the speeches and conversation.

The MC of the event was Ms. Harumi Iwanami, President of JMA. After an opening address by Mr. Nakamura, Vice President of JMA, the first presenter, Ms. Yumiko Ehara, from Minnesota, vividly introduced her life at the U of M as an exchange student from Hitotsubashi University. A lively Q & A session was held after her speech. Secondly, Mr. Ryan Renard took the platform in Tokyo. He came to Japan as an exchange student from the U of M and now he is working in Japan. He talked about his impression of Japanese culture and local’s lives when traveling all around Japan. During his Q&A session, he was pleased to share his opinion of Aomori’s characteristics in a response to Mr. Ryota Chiba’s question, whose hometown was Hirosaki, Aomori. The third presenter was Ms. Satomi Mitani. She concisely introduced the road to her study at the U of M as a PhD student of International Education, both in Japanese and English. The last presenter was Dr. Hiroshi Kono. He is a Professor at Toyo University in Japan, and teaches heathcare and sports. He is in Minnesota to deepen his studies using a sabbatical year. He talked about the current situation and compared Minnesota and Japan in regards to his subject of study. In addition, Ms. Alex Okubo was introduced by President Iwanami. She was supposed to give a speech as one of presenters, but was unable to be in Tokyo because her company, ispace, dispathced her to the USA for the launch of the first HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program. Alex-san sent the following message. “Please accept my sincere regrets for not being able to join you all for today’s event. I very much look forward to the next opportunity to see everyone.”

Finally, Mr. Yamaguchi, Vice President of JMA, gave the closing address, and concluded the program.

The participants were as follows. On-line attendees were Mr. Ryan McCarthy, who is in charge of exchange students at U of M, Mr. Timothy Wolf from University of Minnesota Foundation, Mr. William Herlofsky from Nagoya, Japan, Mr. Ryota Chiba, Mr. Akira Fukui who previously worked for 3M, Mr. Yasuhiro Hirao who worked for Keio University, and JMA’s Coordinators, Mr. Masayuki Negishi and Mr. Akihiko Muramatsu. Mr. Hiroshi Toyama, Founder of JMA, Mr. Haruhisa Ijiri, founding board member, Mr. Takuo Takase, former Representative, Minnesota Trade Office of Japan, Mrs. Fumiyo and Mr. Yoshimoto Nakata, Ms. Yoko Umeda, Mr. Isamu Kadekawa, Ms. Hiyori Ishihara, and JMA Coordinators, Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, and Mr. Hirokazu Yuihama participated in person.

At the venue, beautiful gifts related to Minnesota and the University, such as Twins caps and Fleets, U of M Polo shirts, t-sshirts, and resusable shopping bags, were exhibited in the meeting room, and they were bought by many attendees. All of them were donated by Mr. Akiyoshi Yonehara, an alumnus living in Minnesota. The money made from sales of the donated goods will be used as operating funds for JMA. We really appreciate Mr. Yonehara’s kindness.

It was a valuable opportunity to look back and share experiences of when we studied abroad. We enjoyed Italian food at Salvatore Cuomo Restaurant near the Nihon University campus, and we will look forward to meeting each other again at upcoming JMA events.

We are happy to report that the Japan Minnesota Association (JMA) has received the Outstanding Alumni Network of the Year Award from University of Minnesota Alumni Association. JMA President Harumi Iwanami accepted the award on behalf of the organization at the awards ceremony on September 29th at the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. 

At the ceremony,Ms. Ann Sheldon, Vice President of Global Supplier Quality at Medtronic, stated the reason for the award and shared JMA’s activities with the audience, and then Ms. Iwanami received a crystal trophy from Ms. Lisa Lewis, President and CEO of University of Minnesota Alumni Association, to commemorate the award. On the frontscreen, JMA was introduced as the Outstanding Alumni Network of the Year along with some photos. 

Please see the below link for JMA’s introduction on the University of Minnesota Alumni Association webpage as the recipient of the 2022 Network of the Year Award.

https://www.umnalumni.org/s/1867/18/interiorwide.aspx?sid=1867&gid=2&pgid=3783

Finally, Ms. Iwanami gave an acceptance speech at the podium. Her statement was as follows. 

“On behalf of the Japan Minnesota Association, we would like to thank everyone at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association for this honor, and we extend special thanks to Ms. Audra Gerlach Ferrall, Director of International Alumni and Travel, for encouraging us to apply for the award. I’m thrilled and honored to be accepting this award for our organization.

As the Japan Minnesota Association, or JMA, we have had three virtual summer parties, two virtual Christmas parties, and two special spring events, since the pandemic started in Japan in January, 2020. I am proud of our efforts to keep up with our activities and stay connected with one another given the circumstances. In addition, our events are even more inclusive than before since we are able to gather across time zones. Finally, I would like to accept this award in honor of our association’s founders, all six of the JMA’s president emeriti, and every member in our thirty-eight years of history. As they say, “Rome was not built in a day.” As our membership grows, JMA leaders and members remain passionate about maintaining our strong connection with the U of M, and also with each other. I hope this award will be encouraging not only for our current membership, but also future alumni in Japan whom we look forward to meeting someday. Thank you all once again!”

It was an honor to be recognized for JMA’s achievements as an outstanding network in front of President Gabel, the 17th president of the University of Minnesota, and aapproximately 90 other attendees of the ceremony.

SUMMER PARTY ONLINE 2022

June 18, 2022

JMA’s Summer party of this year was held on June 18, through ZOOM. Special guest speaker of this year was Mr. Charles McJilton, Founder and CEO of Second Harvest, Japan. He established it as the first food bank in Japan in 2002 after graduating from University of Minnesota and acquiring MA from Sophia University in Japan. His speech was divided by three parts, first of all, he talked about a journey of finding his own identity, secondly explained the comparison of the culture and languages between USA and Japan, and finally he mentioned his way of decision-making in the Japanese organization as a foreigner. Following the speech, there are many questions from attendees such as ‘similarity between Minnesota and Japan’, ‘the event that let to him starting to establish the food bank, ‘job satisfaction’, and ‘children’s cafeteria. Mr. McJilton honestly answered every question.

After Kanpai (Toast) by JMA Vice President Nakamura, every participant made a brief introduction with a name and a next plan for volunteer activity. Moderator Kamata made the event go well, and we got to know each other. Every talk was heart-warming and moved.

Eighteen alumni, students, and friends from Minnesota and Japan joined the party. JMA Vice President Mr. Kenichi Yamaguchi gave a closing remark, and promised that JMA would continue online events. 

To Charles-san, and everyone who attended at the party, thank you for the participation. Please take care. We are looking forward to seeing you again.

Mr. Charles McJilton first came to Japan in 1984 with the US military. He came back in 1991 as an exchange student studying at Sophia University. At the time he was considering becoming a Catholic priest and lived in a religious order in one of the poorer sections of Tokyo while attending Sophia University. This choice led him on the path that eventually resulted in him to incorporate the first food bank in Japan on March 11, 2002. A formative experience was living in a cardboard house along the Sumida River for 15 months (January 1997 – April 1998). “That experience radically changed my whole worldview and laid a clear foundation for the work I do today. But not in the way most people would assume.” Mr. McJilton has founded four organizations that deal with food security, three of these are directly related to Japan.

Charles is BA 1993, International Relations and Affairs & East Asian Studies, the University of Minnesota, and MA 2004, Business/Trade/Commerce, Sophia University.

Japan Minnesota Association participated in the 2022 Day of Service in April, by donating food products to Second Harvest Japan, same as before in 2020. Second Harvest Japan is the first food bank in Japan and Mr. Charles McJilton, Founder and CEO, was graduated from the U of M. Approximately 33Kg (75lbs) of the food products from eight JMA members were sent to Second Harvest Japan directly, following all conditions of delivery rule.

We thank you for the members who donated. Donors are Haruhisa Ijiri, Kenichi Yamaguchi, Harumi Iwanami, Isamu Kadekawa, Seiji Shibata, Hirokazu Yuihama, Ichiro Katsuki, and Yoko Umeda.

On Saturday April 2nd, 2022, the Japan Minnesota Association (JMA) hosted HANAMI WALK, strolling under the cherry trees. JMA has not hosted an annual cherry blossom viewing party since the pandemic started in 2020, because of the government encouraged the public not to organize cherry blossom viewing parties in public parks. HANAMI WALK is proposed as an alternative event to the cherry blossom viewing party this year, followed by on-line Sakura Kukai, gathering of haiku poets, in 2021. This HANAMI WALK is the first In-Person event which is not virtual for the first time in more than two years, since the Christmas Party in 2019. 

Under the blue sky in spring, 11 members, including a prospective Japanese exchange student who will study at the University of Minnesota in Fall 2022, gathered for strolling in Chidori-ga-fuchi Greenway and Yasukuni Shrine to appreciate cherry blossoms in full bloom. Chidori-ga-fuchi Greenway is about 700m long along the moat of the Imperial Palace, and there are 140 cherry trees. It is one of the most famous cherry blossoms viewing spots in Japan. In Yasukuni shrine, there is the benchmark cherry tree by which the Japan Meteorological Agency announces blooming of cherry blossoms in Tokyo. Cherry trees in these two spots attract a lot of tourists from home and abroad. 

It was a great engagement opportunity to get together and have talk in a very friendly atmosphere. After strolling, members enjoyed American food at Tony Roma Restaurant near to Chidori-ga-fuchi. The 2022 JMA Hanami event was a great success in the pandemic. We enjoyed the unforgettable holiday with cherry blossoms and will look forward to meeting each other again in upcoming JMA events in Tokyo.