Self Introduction:
2003-2005 JOI Program Coordinators

The Japan Outreach Initiative (JOI), a program jointly run by the Laurasian Institution and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP), offers a grassroots opportunity to develop an understanding of Japan and Japanese culture by dispatching Japanese individuals to volunteer in communities in the southeastern region of the United States. Junko Tokuda and Takeo Suzuki have been working as coordinators on the JOI Program since August of 2003. Below, they each discuss their experiences and what they hope to gain from the program.

JUNKO TOKUDA Japan America Society of Mississippi, Mississippi College

I am currently stationed at Mississippi College, a private college in the small town of Clinton, which is home to about 24,000 people and is located about 18 miles west of the state capitol, Jackson. The state of Mississippi has had several connections with Japan before; however, the relationship between Mississippi and Japan is getting closer recently with the construction of the Nissan automotive plant in Kenton. During those two or three years, the number of Japanese industries here boomed, and with that boom came the founding of the Japan America Society of Mississippi (JASMIS). Additionally, this spring saw, among other things, the establishment of tutorial schools for the children of Japanese business people. So you can see, preparations for stronger interactions with the Japanese are underway. The community has become more and more interested in Japanese language, culture and customs, and Japanese restaurants have started to appear that are very popular. And for me, personally, I have been fortunate to experience the warmth and "Southern hospitality" of the people of this area.

Since my arrival in the United States, I have done the bulk of my work in the middle of campus. Beyond starting two Japanese language classes on campus, I have received requests from every academic department to give presentations, ranging in theme from traditional Japanese music and literature to the "aging society" problem. What is interesting to me is that these presentations have, in fact, presented me with a lot of challenges. I have even been put in a position of having to relearn things about Japan that I knew but have forgotten, or in some instances, to study an aspect of my own country about which I knew little or nothing. Also, I have met many students of all ages. Some of their questions are startling to me, which shows that Japan is still unfamiliar to many students in Mississippi. Through these experiences, I've been fortunate to be able to talk about Japan to these young students. I have also had chances to help Japanese companies by being an interpreter and a Japanese language instructor. Every day, I have a different type of activity, and I have no time to get bored.

From September to October, the campus hosted a Japanese ceramics exhibit sponsored by the Japan Foundation. This was an excellent chance to meet some of the residents in this area. It also gave me a little bit of "celebrity status" I had not counted on. When the Clinton newspaper wrote an article about the exhibit, they were kind enough to include my picture with some of the pottery, but after the article was published, whenever I was looking at the gallery or even walking around on campus, people would ask me how long it took me to make the pottery. At first I could not understand what they were talking about, but later I realized that some of those people must have concluded that I was the artist! So, being a JOI coordinator has not been without its funny stories.

For a few years before I joined the JOI Program, I taught Japanese in Ohio and Mexico. I saw great potential and worthiness in the JOI Program's goals of introducing Japanese culture and customs people who had hitherto no contact with Japan, and decided to apply. Now I am making my dream a reality. After my term is over in August 2005, I hope the work I will have done will have a lasting and meaningful impression on Mississippians and keep interest in Japan alive.

TAKEO SUZUKI Arkansas International Center and the Japan America Society of Arkansas

I work for the Japan America Society of Arkansas, which has its offices at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Previously, I had an interest in nonprofit organizations and applied to the JOI Program so that I could work for an NPO. My job includes a wide variety of activities, including visits to elementary schools and university classrooms to educate the students about Japanese culture and give Japanese language lessons, providing support to Japanese students who are studying abroad, advising local businessmen, translating and responding to requests for information about Arkansas from Japan.

Arkansas, whose nickname is the "Natural State," is rich in nature and resplendent with rivers and forests. Additionally, the home base for Wal-Mart is located here, it is the birth state of General Douglas MacArthur, and is the hometown of former President, Bill Clinton. The state population is 2,700,000 people. Forty-five minutes from the state capital of Little Rock is the city of Hot Springs, named for its hot springs and beautiful scenery. During World War II, one of the largest Japanese interment camps was located here. Thus it could be said that Arkansas and Japan have a very deep connection.

However, the Asian population of Arkansas is tiny�a mere 0.8%. Information on Japan and the Japanese people is limited, which really adds meaning to my daily work. Arkansans are, mostly, very direct and open, and one can sense their warmth and kindness in both their work and private lives. For example, when my car broke down in the middle of nowhere near Eudora, I helped the auto mechanic set up his computer to access e-mail and the Internet. Because of this, the mechanic introduced me to many of the town's people. Not surprisingly, neither this mechanic nor people in this town had ever met a Japanese person before. Because of this chance meeting, the mechanic now pays attention to news about Japan and inquired after Prime Minister Koizumi. I also visit that town to have dinner and attend other social gatherings withmy new friends.

In the next two years, while continuing to learn a lot daily, I have been doing the footwork to provide even a little bit of information about Japan to the people of Arkansas, and in doing so, build a bridge between the United States and Japan. Also, if possible, I would like to conduct some research about how much the people knew about Japan before and after my arrival, and write a scholarly paper about it.

I want to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Walter Nunn, his wife Gale Stewart and everyone involved in the JOI program. I also want to thank the people who assist me every day.