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From left: Consul General Akira Muto, Indra Levy, Yuko Kaifu (President, Japan House Los Angeles), and Hitoshi Abe (Director, UCLA Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies). Photo Credit: Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles
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Dr. Levy Receives Prestigious Award
The IUC is delighted to report that Executive Director Indra Levy has received the first Irene Hirano Inouye Memorial Award from the UCLA Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies in recognition of her contributions to Japanese studies and as leader of the IUC. The award honors the life and work of Irene Hirano Inouye, whose work as a philanthropist, community organizer, and champion of social causes contributed greatly to US-Japan relations. “The IUC is crucial to preparing the next generation of scholars in North America who can both deeply understand Japan and facilitate US-Japanese understanding,” said Keith Terasaki, chair of the advisory board and son of the late Paul I. and Hirano Terasaki, adding, “Indra’s unflagging support of the IUC and her work to preserve it led the Terasaki award committee to select her as the first recipient of the Hirano Inouye Award.” The awards ceremony was held on June 3 and hosted by the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles at Consul General Akira Muto’s residence. We are deeply grateful to the award committee for recognizing the IUC’s vital importance in delivering best-in-class advanced Japanese language training.
Bruce Batten
Giles Richter
CLASS OF 2022
Congratulations to the fifty graduates of the IUC Class of 2022! The 2021–22 ten-month program was the second to take place fully online. Many students were able to enter Japan in March 2022 with the assistance of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who expedited the issuance of visas. Although classes remained online through the end of the school year, students physically in Japan were able to take part in various in-person activities including afternoons spent at school and a series of field trips, some of them sponsored by Tokyu Hotels. The annual happyōkai was held online on June 6 and 7 and the graduation ceremony took place, also online, on June 10. Immediately following graduation, students in Japan convened in person at Rinko Park, near the Center’s facilities at Pacifico Yokohama, to receive their completion certificates. For many of the attendees (including administrators, faculty, and staff, as well as students) this get-together was an emotionally satisfying highlight of the program. Following graduation, some students obtained jobs and remained in Japan, while others returned to their home countries.
SUMMER PROGRAM AND SUMMER INTENSIVE KANBUN PROGRAM 2022
Congratulations are also due to the 31 students who completed the 2022 summer program, held June 20–August 10, and the five who successfully completed the 2022 summer intensive kanbun program, held June 20–August 3. Both programs took place online owing to continued restrictions on entering Japan for short-term visitors. We look forward to holding the programs in person next summer for the first time in four years!
CLASS OF 2023
The 10-month regular program for 2022–23 begins on September 5 and 62 students will attend. This is the second largest entering class in IUC history, following the 63-person Class of 2018. Participants are currently applying for visas and we expect that they will be able to obtain them in time for the program. Japan is in its seventh wave of the pandemic but we hope the number of new infections will soon go down. To avoid crowding at school, students will initially be attending in-person classes on an alternating basis, but the goal is to revert to fully in-person classes as soon as pandemic conditions permit.
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○ Student News
○ Recent Events
○ Alumni Recognition
○ Online Appearances
○ TV Appearances
○ Other Alumni News
○ Obituaries
○ Recent Publications
Your support is critical to our students. To make your gift today, visit our website. To find out how to make a planned gift, please email richterg@stanford.edu.
IUC PROFESSIONAL TUTORIALS
The IUC offers a custom-designed tutorials program in advanced Japanese for scholars and professionals at a lower rate for graduates of the IUC. Visit our program page for more information.
MIIS SCHOLARSHIP
IUC alumni enrolling in degree programs at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies are eligible for a $12,000 scholarship!
The Middlebury Institute educates professionals to advance understanding, promote peace, and drive change in pursuit of a more just world. For details, contact Jill Stoffers, Senior Director of Partnerships at MIIS, by email at jill.stoffers@miis.edu or by phone at (831) 647-6571.
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The Past, Present, and Future of Japanese Studies: Insights from the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (IUC)
On July 6, IUC Executive Director Indra Levy delivered a talk at Waseda University about the history of the IUC. It was followed by a conversation with alumni Robert Campbell (’80), University Professor at Waseda and formerly Director-General of the National Institute of Japanese Literature. The event was conducted in Japanese and attended by both a live audience of Waseda students and faculty and a virtual audience.
>> About the talk (日本語)
2022 Virtual Shinnenkai
On Friday January 14, some 60 IUC alumni spanning the decades from around the world gathered online for another virtual shinnenkai, occupying two full floors of the virtual IUC Alumni Club on the social networking platform Remo. It was a rousing 2-hour party that extended into nijikai for enthusiasts. There was particularly strong representation by alumni from the 2000s. Attendees from earlier decades included Carl Tausch (’68), Joan Winstein (’72), Maribeth Graybill (’73), Kimo William Nestuk (’83), Stephen Anderson (’85), Timothy George (’85), Gregory Todd (’87), Carol Ruth Kimmel (’87), Tish Robinson (’90), Jon Metzler (’95), Nancy K. Stalker (’97), and Daniel Zoot (’97).
“Ask Me Anything” Career Workshop for Students
On June 18th, the IUC held another successful IUC “Ask Me Anything” career coaching/networking session to support some very talented new grads in Tokyo from the IUC Class of 2022, generously hosted by their senpai from the previous year! A big thank you to our energetic ’21 AMA mentors Anna Araki, Noah Francois, Benjamin Freedman, Alex Hutchins, Kanako Ichikawa, and Caitlin Maroney. And a special shout out to Sabrina Lau (’20), who helped lead last year's first AMA team and establish this valuable tradition.
Summer Gatherings in Japan
For the first time in two and a half years, Managing Director Giles Richter (’92) was able to visit Japan in June to meet up with IUC staff, faculty, and stakeholders as well as to connect with some 60 IUC alumni at various outdoor events held in Yokohama and Tokyo. Gatherings included a first-time in-person meeting at a picnic at Kamonyama Park in Yokohama with recent graduates from the Class of 2022, many of whom were part of the intrepid group that relocated to Japan in March. Giles also hosted two evening events held at Marunouchi House in Tokyo, which drew local alumni from across the decades, including several ’22 graduates, who came to network with senpai and get job hunting advice.
Kakehashi Project
On March 15, 2022, the IUC partnered with Kanagawa University to host virtually Japanese language learners from the US and Canada as part of the Kakehashi Project, sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and administered by Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE). The meeting featured presentations and discussions on Japanese culture and society. Thanks to Ryan Cain, Mo Gasmi, Thu-huong Ha, Elena Mailander, and Arden Taylor—all members of the Class of 2022—for presenting on behalf of the IUC. We look forward to cooperating with MOFA and JICE in future Kakehashi Project events.
Special Guest Lectures
During the pandemic, the IUC has been reaching out to our friends in various fields to “visit” the Center virtually to give presentations and participate in Q&A with students. Special guests during the final months of the regular ten-month program included Alexei Kral and Kevin Kabumoto from the Foreign Service Institute Japanese Language and Area Training Center in Yokohama (FSI) and ballerina Miyako Yoshida, the Artistic Director for Ballet & Dance at Japan’s New National Theatre. During the summer program we were visited by Umeya Nakamura, 8th-generation master of the Nakamura style of dance, and her daughter Ume; Noh actor Haruhisa Kawamura of the Kanze School; and Prof. Miho Hotta of Kindai University, who spoke on “Assertiveness in Japanese Culture.”
We also owe a big vote of thanks to Paula Curtis (’10), who gave a workshop on “Online Presence and Professionalization in Japanese Studies” for the 2021–22 Nippon Foundation Fellows on February 15.
IUC Alumni Talks
The IUC Alumni Talks series presented three guest speakers in the first half of 2022. On March 4th, Prof. of Political Science Michael Strausz (’02) of Texas Christian University discussed his path to Japanese studies and his recent book, Help (Not) Wanted and shared his insights on immigrants in Japan. On May 13th, Erika Enomoto (’15) spoke about her time at the IUC while offering reflections on identity as a Hawai‘ian with Japanese roots, and also shared how her journey through marketing and art history led to her current job at Microsoft. On July 29, Daniel Zoot (’90), VP at L3Harris, spoke about the connections between his Japanese language studies and a career bridging the US-Japan alliance and the aerospace and defense industry, and his 40-year devotion to kendo. Each event consisted of a casual interview, followed by audience Q&A with the speaker, and concluded with a lively breakout session on Zoom where participants were able to chat with each other directly and get acquainted.
>> YouTube: Michael Strausz
>> YouTube: Erika Enomoto
>> YouTube: Daniel Zoot
Sign up today for the IUC Alumni Talks mailing list to stay informed about upcoming talks!
This web series was planned and executed by IUC Alumni Talks Committee members Richard Sleboda (’03), Jazmin Ramos (’22), and Taranee Cao (’20). We would like to thank Jazmin for her work on the team as she moves on and to welcome new team members Megan Beckerich (’22) and Stephen Meyerink (’16)!
ATTENTION: IUC Alumni Talks is recruiting marketing volunteers with basic graphic design skills and/or Mailchimp experience. For more information, please contact the team at alumni_talks@iucjapan.org.
ALUMNI RECOGNITION
Haruo Shirane (’75) has been elected Honorary Member of the Japan Academy (Nippon Gakushi-in). This is the highest recognition given in Japan to scholars in all fields. In 2019, Professor Shirane was the first recipient of the NIHU International Prize in Japanese Studies.
>> EALAC, Columbia News
ONLINE APPEARANCES
With public events having shifted to Internet streaming during the pandemic, many more talks and presentations by IUC alumni are now accessible online. We’ve started cataloguing some of these to share on our website and social media, so if we have missed yours or you have any others to share—past or future—please post them to the IUC Facebook and LinkedIn groups or send us an email at stanford@iucjapan.org!
Japan Society of New York Webinar: The Legacy of Shinzo Abe & the Aftermath of His Assassination Gerald Curtis (’65)
Japan Zoominar @ UCSD: Changing Employment Norms and Women in Japan’s Workplace Hilary J. Holbrow (’09)
Japan Zoominar @ UCSD: Eiichi Shibusawa's Legacy and Japan's "New Capitalism" Patricia L. Maclachlan (’92)
JFNY Literary Series: Yoko Ogawa × Stephen Snyder Stephen Snyder (’83)
New Books Network: The Visual Culture of Meiji Japan: Negotiating the Transition to Modernity Alison Miller (’10)
“Shinpai Deshou” blog by Dr. Paula Curtis (’10): Distance Learning at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies
Featuring interviews with Benjamin Freedman (IUC ’21), Elena G. Mailander (’22), Daniel Morales (’22)
ATTENTION: Dr. Curtis is producing new articles by IUC alumni for her 5-10-20 series, which features short articles by people 5, 10, and 20+ years out of their Japanese Studies degrees. In these articles people share information about their career paths and practical advice for those just beginning their Japan-related careers. If you are interested in contributing, please contact her at shinpai.deshou@gmail.com.
TV APPEARANCES
Jeopardy!: Season 38 Episode 221 William Chou (’13)
OTHER ALUMNI NEWS
Christopher B. Johnstone (’94) joined the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) as Japan Chair.
>> Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
Stephen Pollock (’84) was named new president of the Japan Society of Northern California (JSNC).
>> Japan Society of Northern California
OBITUARIES
We are sad to report the recent passing of the following members of our community. Please visit the links below to read about their lives.
Bruce M. Brenn (’63)
>> Obituary: The Oregonian
>> IUC Gold Profile
Barbara Sato (’78)
>> Obituary: Association for Asian Studies
Antonia Levi (’79)
>> Obituary: Stanford Magazine
Frances Rosenbluth (’82)
>> Obituary: YaleNews
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Video Game
Ghosts over the Water: Changing the Tides of Japan's Future is a historical, immersive strategy game built upon a familiar and accessible visual novel framework. It takes players into the fast-paced world of Edo in 1853, right after Commodore Matthew Perry's arrival into Edo Bay. Players have to play as Tsumaki Naoharu, an ambitious and curious young samurai working under Abe Masahiro, the chief senior councillor of Tokugawa Japan. From his lofty position, Abe must steer Japan’s response to this newfound threat. There are no playbooks to guide him, and the player's help will be crucial for the future of Japan. The game features a 130,000-word narrative, more than 70 pieces of original art, and three individual character storylines with seven fully-illustrated endings.
Isabella Yang (’21) is the project manager and lead narrative writer for Ghosts over the Water. The game's development is supported by JapanLab at The University of Texas at Austin, a digital humanities program co-led by Mark Ravina (’84). It is also funded by the Japan Foundation, with thanks to the Council on East Asian Studies at Yale University.
Books
So many of our alumni have published books recently that we couldn’t feature them all of them in our newsletter. If you don't see your book listed in our full list of recent publications, please let us know so we can add it. >> recent publications list
In addition to these books, you may also be interested in The Eight Female Emperors of Japan by the late, great IUC teacher Kiyoko Takagi, which was translated into English in 2018.
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