The Ambassador. Spring, 2021

The Ambassador Fostering a community of inquisitive learners and independent thinkers, inspired to be their best selves, empowered to make a difference.

SHINJI YAMASAKI ’03

Talks about his skincare brand RE:ERTH

Spring 2021

3/11: A DECADE ON

Reflecting on the continued impact of the disasters

The American School in Japan

TOKYO 2020 TORCH

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch visits ASIJ

GOA TURNS TEN

Students and alumni on their Global Online Academy experiences

Stay Connected

It’s all about connections... ... that’s why our new alumni portal is designed to make it easier than ever for you to stay in touch with us and your fellow ASIJers around the globe. Mustangs Online is a dynamic site for alums, alumni parents and former faculty packed with news, information about upcoming events and reunions, photo galleries, internship and job opportunities, and directory. It also hosts digital copies of yearbooks going back to 1919, past issues of The Ambassador magazine and a selection of Hanabi articles and content from the archive.

To make the most of this service, we’ll need your email so we can send you information about the launch and help you get started. If we don’t already have your up-to-date email, please take a moment to drop us a line at alumni@asij.ac.jp.

Our Alumni Services Alumni Directory Alumni Events ASIJ Alumni Connect Industry Meetups Internships & Jobs Ambassador Magazine Monthly Newsletter Regional Receptions Class Reunions Photo Galleries Yearbook Archive Alumni Portal Transcript Services

Don’t miss out! Contact us: alumni@asij.ac.jp https://asij.ac.jp/alumni (+81) 0422-34-5300 ext 703

Follow us on social media: asij_official

asijtokyo

asij

asij

In this Issue Features

06

The Roots of Beauty

Shinji Yamasaki ’03 shares the secret of his skincare brand RE:ERTH

14

3/11: A Decade On Reflecting on the continued impact of the disasters

18

Tokyo 2020 Torch

24

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch visits ASIJ

Global Online Academy Turns Ten Students and alumni on their Global Online Academy experiences

More 03 \\ Head of School’s Message 04 \\ ASIJ Highlights 29 \\ Fundraising Update 36 \\ Mary Margaret 38 \\ ASIJ Alumni Connect 40 \\ Class Agents 42 \\ Artifact 43 \\ Obituaries 48 \\ The Big Short

Director of Communications Matt Wilce Assistant Director of Communications Jarrad Jinks Graphic Designer Ryo Ogawa Communications Assistant & Graphic Design Matthew Worsley Director of Institutional Advancement Clive Watkins Assistant Director of Institutional Advancement Mary Margaret Mallat Assistant Director of Development and Alumni Relations Claire Lonergan Data Specialist Catherine Iwata Photography Jarrad Jinks Ryo Ogawa Matthew Worsley Illustration Matthew Worsley Editorial Inquiries communications@asij.ac.jp alumni@asij.ac.jp — The American School in Japan 1-1-1 Nomizu, Chofu-shi Tokyo 182-0031, Japan The Ambassador is published

by The American School in Japan ASIJ alumni, families, faculty, and friends receive The Ambassador Although some photos taken for this issue depict subjects who are not wearing masks, all photo shoots followed strict safety protocols with staff and subjects, distancing and wearing masks at all other times. Some images were taken before the pandemic.

2

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

HEAD OF SCHOOL

The redeeming power of human connection is foremost in my mind this spring.

After months of hybrid learning, we once again have all students back on campus. Mask wearing and social distancing are reminders that not all is normal, but seeing (and participating in!) impromptu conversations with old friends, and making new friends, are welcome indications that progress is being made.

After the painful cancellation of last year’s spring musical, we were delighted to see our student performing artists recently return to the ASIJ Theater. True, the virtual audience could only watch through Broadway On Demand, but this also meant that family and friends experienced the same palpable energy of all three performances regardless of where they were in the world.

The same thing can be said of our athletics program this spring: the stellar growth in support of our Annual Fund this year means that the school is much more confident in our ability to respond to opportunities as they arise. The installation of our first Pixellot video system is allowing not just local fans to watch, but interested viewers all over the planet. Please read more about this improvement and how our Annual Fund allows us to make such enhancements on page 32.

In March our community was able to come together on the sports field to mark the tenth anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake. The program of events put together by our Japan Center and long-term faculty member David Neale deeply moved all of us, and reminded us of the lasting significance of this event for ASIJ and our community. In addition, several ASIJ alumni joined us for a webinar panel discussion about

Message

their experience as students during the earthquake and their ongoing work associated with it. Hearing these stories only adds to my great pride in being a Mustang. You can read more about these events on pages 6–11.

As preparations for the Olympic Games continue, we were treated to a visit by one of the official Olympic Relay Torches.

Passing the torch from hand to hand — with a disinfecting wipe in between! — was a wonderful way to connect each of us. You can learn more about how students engaged with the Tokyo 2020 torch on page 18.

Many of our alumni reading this will know that ASIJ is a proud member school of Global Online Academy, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. On pages 24–28 we hear from alumni on the lasting impact the program has had on their further studies and careers, and from current students on the ongoing appeal of these online courses.

No matter the ups and downs, we know that each day brings us closer to the moment when we will finally emerge from the pandemic. I hope to see you all back on our campuses soon. Until then, stay safe and stay connected to your fellow Mustangs wherever they may be.

With warm regards,

Jim Hardin Head of School

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

3

ASIJ

Highlights

BUSINESS

Pitch Perfect President of the America-Japan Society (AJS) and former Japanese Ambassador to United States, Mr Ichiro Fujisaki, joined ASIJ’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Ryosuke Suzuki, in hosting the US-JAPAN Business Challenge on April 28. High school students made their pitches in groups and faced tough questioning from the panel of judges from the AJS, Itochu and the Women’s Startup Lab. NHK World covered the students’ preparations and presentations and broadcast their report on May 6.

4

ACTIVISM

ARTS

CULTURE

Black Lives Matter

Spring in Nogawa Park

Annual Kyogen Performance

Julia Torres is an anti-racist/anti-bias educator, BLM activist, school librarian in northeast Denver, and language arts teacher, who joined us remotely in January. Julia spoke with our middle school humanities students about BLM, what it means, the movement’s history, and her personal experience, at the request of our seventh-grade humanities team.

Middle school art classes took time out of the classroom to head to Nogawa Park to take advantage of the warmer weather and blooming cherry blossoms. Students studied the sakura and painted the blossoms.

Our Kyogen team went the extra mile this year to produce a virtual premiere of our 43rd Annual Kyogen Performance, which took place in March this year. The three plays — Iroha, Kaki Yamabushi, and Boushibari — provided plenty of amusement for the audience who watched the recorded performances on ASIJ TV.

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

ASIJ

Highlights

ARTS

Pippin Takes the Stage This year the spring musical returned to the stage after a year’s hiatus with a production Pippin — the first time the show has been performed at ASIJ. The show was performed live without an audience and streamed live through Broadway on Demand to viewers around the world. The cast also gave some short preview performances outside in the courtyard during lunchtime that included some audience participation in one of the numbers.

VIRTUAL VISIT

EVENTS

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Poetry in Motion

Boosting Our School Spirit

Manga Piracy Pitches

Australian Poetry Slam Champion, and hip-hop artist Zohab Zee Kahn inspired our grade seven students with his virtual poetry and performance workshop during his visit in April.

Zohab’s motivational writing workshops provided opportunities for students to gather ideas, write and share their work.

Some students even found the courage to perform in front of their peers!

The Booster Club promoted school spirit with a series of days in April that featured a spin and win in the courtyard for prizes that included items from their ASIJ Spirit Co store. In addition to a Black and Gold Day, students and staff also dressed in blue to mark autism awareness before ending the week in 80s inspired fashion on Friday — there was even a Pop-Tart giveaway at lunch time.

High school entrepreneurship students were recently challenged to develop solutions to tackle the issue of piracy in the global manga business. Students developed plans to switch illegal users to legitimate users. Mangamo’s founder and CEO Buddy Marini ’85 joined the class to hear their pitches, which included ideas for subscription models and incentives.

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

5

6

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

The Roots of Beauty Claire Lonergan talks to beauty entrepreneur Shinji Yamasaki ’03 about style, skincare and family.

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

7

“Always be presentable” is family advice that, clearly, Shinji Yamasaki ’03 lives by. He is always impeccably dressed and is wellknown for his love of suits, even sharing with Remarkable Living, a Singapore Tatler x CNA Luxury TV Series, that he owns more than 50 suits. Saying that, “if it doesn’t make you feel like a million bucks, it’s not the right suit for you.” He told The Straits Times in 2017 that “because a suit is timeless, it will always look good,” and that many of his suits were handed down from his father Paul Yamasaki. “He bought them 20 or 30 years ago and I have re-tailored them to fit.

Our styles are so similar, we will even buy the same suit separately. Sometimes, we will meet wearing the same thing. Then we just look at each other and sigh.”

Being presentable however is not just about looking your best according to Shinji, who tells us that “obviously I don’t mean show up in a tux to your company camping trip.” His personal ethos is that whatever you do in life, be there fully. “If it’s a team exercise, be part of the team.

If you’re going into an interview, make an effort to make a positive impression,” he says. “I think this philosophy is relevant to all aspects of life. For myself, a part of my job, and a part that I truly love, is that I travel a lot, and I meet new people all the time. Whether at conventions, interviews, or even at the gym. By being mindfully present and being a part of that exchange, it has brought a lot of personal satisfaction as well as professional growth.”

Shinji is the founder and CEO of RE:ERTH, a Singapore based nature-derived skincare brand. Founded in 2017, RE:ERTH (an abbreviation of Re-encountering Earth) roots itself in creating products that incorporate Japanese wellness principles and university-backed technology. Shinji’s brand promises easy-to-use products for all ages and skin types to achieve “mochi skin,” which Shinji defines as firm, supple, and hydrated skin that has an inner glow and brightness to it. “The key to achieving mochi skin is to first have healthy skin,” he says. His aim “is to combine effective and well researched nature-derived ingredients with cutting edge cosmetic science, to create well formulated, effective products — which he says sets them apart from other skincare brands in the market. The unique Japanese ingredients the brand utilizes are compounds found in Japanese White Turmeric and Japanese Spring Turmeric, which are only found and grown specifically in the Kyushu region. Shinji describes those proprietary ingredients as “an untouched treasure.”

8

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

The story goes that “a turmeric farmer from the Kyushu region of Japan couldn’t bear for the lush, glossy leaves of the plant to be discarded and sought help from Professor Komai, who was Head of Agriculture at Kindai University at the time, to look into its properties.” Veritas, the company owned by Shinji’s father Paul Yamasaki, began supporting that initial research which RE:ERTH now continues. Eighteen years on, the unique compounds that were discovered in the Japanese White Turmeric and Japanese Spring Turmeric have two patents — with a third pending — and Shinji continues to work with researchers and scientists from Japan and the UK to harness the restorative powers of the compounds it contains.

Although attempts have been made to replicate the compounds by growing the plants in other areas of the world, Shinji tells us that although the turmeric will grow elsewhere, it doesn’t contain the active compounds needed. He believes that there is something unique about the environment in Kyushu that encourages the plants to produce the patented ingredients the brand uses — perhaps the volcanic soil in the area. He tells us that the turmeric’s properties include the ability to brighten tired and dull skin, firm sagging skin, refine pores, diminish dark spots and bring a “RE:ERTH radiance to the skin.”

(Photo courtesy of Shinji Yamasaki)

(Photo courtesy of Shinji Yamasaki) THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

9

While the brand raves about their nature derived ingredients, they are also mindful of how they can be environmentally responsible. Shinji shared that the turmeric used by the brand is farmed sustainably and “just like how we are committed to preserving the land and ensuring the sustainability of our farming, we had to be 100% certain that we know exactly where our used bottles would go and how they would be recycled in the most sustainable way possible.” In 2020, RE:ERTH launched a new sustainability initiative in which they partnered with a recycling program in Singapore that allows consumers to return their used bottles. “Through our program, the plastic can be recycled in its current form, without needing to be washed, dismantled, or cleaned. A unique chemical recycling method will convert the collected bottles into a form of fuel that is non-fossil derived — an added solution to another environmental pain point. This truly green initiative will produce carbon credits, that can be

10

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

used to offset carbon emissions from logistics, operations, transport, etc” Striving to be sustainable in the skincare industry is not without its challenges however. Shinji tells us “one challenge of launching a sustainable, ethical, clean, etc product is in the definition of it. There is no governing body nor set of laws that regulates any of those definitions, and so the interpretation of it is entirely up to the customer, brand, media, or distributor/retailer.”

RE:ERTH cultivates its star ingredients from Japan, and is currently headquartered in Singapore and they are also expanding into the US market. Tiffany Saito ’01 is currently the Chief Brand Executive for the US market based in California.

Shinji shared that “one of my personal requirements for people to be involved with RE:ERTH is that they be firm believers in the products and brand.” Tiffany and Shinji maintained a friendship since they both attended ASIJ and he told us

Shinji on site of one of the turmeric farms with Professor Komai (Photo courtesy of Shinji Yamasaki)

that she actually started out as a user of the products and loved them before signing on to join the business.

Shinji was born and raised in Tokyo, attending ASIJ from the Nursery-Kindergarten in Nakameguro to Grade 12. He recently connected with Nick Harris ’05, as a guest on his Tokyo Alumni Podcast in February 2021 where he went into detail about his experiences since graduation. He shared with Nick that friendships are the elements of ASIJ that he remembers most. He went on to say that “we all had somewhat of a similar background all being international; we all came from different places of the world. For the overwhelming majority of the time we all got along together which is really very rare.” He went on to say that he hasn’t seen connections between people like the ones formed at ASIJ, which is what he finds most special. Beyond lasting friendships, Shinji told us that he thinks his passion for fitness can be traced

back to ASIJ and John Seevers’ (FF ’97–17) strength training class in high school, and that one of his most memorable classes was Japan Seminar and its trip to Okinawa. Shinji was interested to learn that ASIJ now offers entrepreneurship courses in high school but admitted that he “didn’t know what I wanted to do in high school or really even college to be honest” so that even if such entrepreneurship courses had been offered when he was in school he’s not sure he would have signed up for them.

That said, Shinji did soon migrate to studying business, heading to Bentley University near Boston after ASIJ, before going on to receive his graduate degree in International Business from London Metropolitan University. He worked in various fields before joining his family’s firm in 2011, including finance, insurance, and the healthcare/medical device industries but shares with Authority Magazine that “nothing really stuck.”

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

11

12

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Shinji with his mother Afifah Yamasaki and father Paul Yamasaki (Photo courtesy of Shinji Yamasaki)

Tiffany Saito’01, Chief Brand Executive for the US market (Photo courtesy of Shinji Yamasaki)

He goes on to say that, “I was living in New York at the time, and due to several circumstances, I thought I’d give the family business in the beauty industry a try, and I haven’t looked back since!” In addition to his work with RE:ERTH, Shinji has an active role in his family’s company, Veritas Ltd. He is currently the Director of Business Development at Veritas and his primary responsibility is finding new and innovative products that are a good fit for the company, as well as the Japanese market, and developing a strong relationship with its brand owners and manufacturers.

Shinji’s father, Paul Yamasaki, founded Veritas almost 30 years ago with his wife Afifah Yamasaki and her sister Farida Rahman ’68. Paul is the CEO and currently the only founder who remains active in the business. The company specializes in the importation, distribution, and sale of international beauty and health products, as well as medical devices in Japan.

According to Shinji they “currently have exclusive rights to many different brands and products from countries across the globe, including the United States, United Kingdom,

Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Israel. Many of the products that we carry are available at drug stores, variety shops, department stores, hair and nail salons, nationwide, as well as online, TV, and on a direct sales, B2C basis.”

Family is obviously really important to Shinji and he shared with us that his father is one of his biggest inspirations. Paul was a long-term member of ASIJ’s Board of Directors, serving between 1993–2003, and a member of the Board of Trustees from 2004–2016. Shinji told Authority Magazine about the importance of family support and that he believes that there is no such thing as being self-made. “There is always somebody somewhere that helped you out, took a chance on you at some point, or invested in you. For me, throughout my career, I have definitely learned a lot from each and every boss, as well as many of the colleagues that I’ve worked with, and I am very grateful to each of them. However, if I had to choose the most influential people in my life and that I am most grateful for, it would without a doubt be my parents, and of course particularly in regards to my career, my father.”

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

13

14

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

3/11:

A Decade On Reflecting on the continued impact of the triple disasters of 2011

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

15

At 2:46pm on March 11, 2011 a normal Friday at ASIJ was coming to an end when suddenly our whole world changed.

For approximately the next six minutes a massive M9.0 earthquake violently shook Japan and the earth literally moved all around us-to the extent that Japan moved eight feet and the earth’s rotational access was altered. On campus, buildings shook forcefully and quickly students and faculty in class ducked and covered before evacuating to the main field. Realization that a tsunami had hit northern Japan and that a critically damaged nuclear plant was close to meltdown were horrors yet to be discovered. In the moment, the focus was on the safety of our immediate community and how to reunite everyone with their families.

Standing on the same field a decade on, those who were present that day in 2011, shared with current students and faculty their initial reactions to the crisis and how ASIJ responded to the triple disasters over the following years.

With middle schoolers gathered outside and the rest of our community watching a live stream of the memorial ceremony, ASIJ came together to reflect on 3/11 a decade on.

“Ten years ago I led my students from Digital Film Making class right here to this field,” David Neale told the audience.

“For six minutes, the ground had been swaying under our feet. First slowly, like a ship at sea, and then violently, making it hard to climb the stairs from our TV Studio in the basement. When we arrived, we saw those poles swaying and the entire cafeteria building was shaking back and forth towards the high school library.” He recalled how we spent several hours waiting for the full extent of what was happening to become apparent — something made more difficult as the cell phone network was down. Eventually students were allowed to leave, but road closures and the complete shutdown of the train system created long delays.

He reminded our current community of the outstanding role our bus drivers and monitors played that day, noting that when the last bus dropped off its passengers at 1:30am the driver still had to get home himself.

“In the days and weeks that followed we felt very small. And scared. We didn’t know when the next aftershock would hit and, more importantly, how would the leaking radiation from Fukushima affect us here in Tokyo,” David continued. Like many people his thought was, “What can I do? What should I do?”

For David the answer lay in his past. He went to Sendai, a place he’d lived for many years, where he still had many connections. “I stayed in Sendai for two weeks as a volunteer.

Shoveling mud from inside houses, delivering supplies to evacuation centers. It felt like very little. Almost nothing.”

When he returned to school after the extended spring break was over he discussed with business manager Tim Thornton (FS ’98–17) how ASIJ could respond to the needs of those affected by the disaster in Tohoku. The school quickly put together plans and soon faculty and students were headed

16

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Japan Center Directors Mariko Yokosuka (far left) and Kyoko Takano (far right) with Steve Mita and the speakers at the memorial north with school supplies, desks and food for some of the communities most in need. “Mr Steve Mita (FS ’65–12), our former cafeteria and bus manager who is with us here today, worked tirelessly organizing and guiding the trips and building relationships with the people there that continue to this day,” David told the audience. “Mr Mita, there is no way that I or anyone else can offer you or Dr Thornton enough thanks for all you did for the people of Tohoku and, truthfully, for us here at ASIJ. Domo Arigato Gozaimashita.”

From that initial outreach, ASIJ’s efforts to support the people of Tohoku grew and longer term projects began. Later in the year, students, faculty and parents went to Ishinomaki and hosted a Halloween party for the young children there. Back in Tokyo they began offering weekend English lessons for evacuees who were unable to return to their homes because of nuclear radiation; they also began monthly English Lessons via Skype for elementary students in Ofunato.

At 2:46 the presentation paused for a moment of silence as our community reflected and remembered those lost to the triple disasters. Breaking the silence, social studies teacher Kathy Krauth reminded us that “we remember not only those who lost their lives or loved ones but we also remember the individuals and communities in Tohoku who continue to daily rebuild, many without help, most without notice.”

She went on to challenge us to recommit as a community to those ASIJ programs built after 3/11. “Those families and children from Fukushima who participated and continue to participate in English Circle are now an important part of our ASIJ community, and just like you, will be forever,” Kathy told the audience. “Likewise an everlasting tie has been made with

the students and their teachers in Ofunato, particularly Sakari Elementary School; they have participated in our Virtual English Programs.” She went on to say: “Today and going forward as an academic community, we need to be committed to the lessons learned in the last ten years. There is no other institution in the entire world better poised than The American School in Japan to learn the many lessons of March 11, 2011, and to educate others; these lessons are not specific to Japan but are the most important lessons and questions for your future: for everyone’s future.” Questions such as: What are the benefits but limitations of science? How can we help make all communities in the world more resilient to disasters? What are the specific needs of the elderly, the differently abled, the LGBTQ+ community, and women in disasters and recovery? How can the arts help people and communities come together and heal? How do we decide our future energy sources and how do considerations of environmental justice inform our choices?

Addressing our students from the ELC to high school directly, Kathy told those listening that, “you are the future we believe in because we trust you will answer the questions generated from the triple disasters of 3/11 and we trust that you will communicate those answers to the world. If not you, who will do it?” Adding, “I know that all of ASIJ is committed to helping you answer and communicate your solutions. You can and will make a difference, if you truly want to.”

With those poignant words, Kathy passed the mic to Chloe Wu ’21 who was in second grade when the earthquake hit. It wasn’t until a few years later though, when she was in fifth grade that Chloe began to understand the true impact of what had happened. She spoke about learning about the ongoing impact of the triple disaster at school and in the course of the project, Chloe connected with a Fukushima Chloe Wu ’21 shares her experience of working with a Fukushima survivor and poet

Middle school students visit the Voices From Japan exhibition staged in high school

survivor whose poetry was featured in the Voices From Japan exhibition at school. “Through letters, we learned about her story and made an effort to show we valued her voice and the challenges she faced,” Chloe told the audience.

“While writing today’s speech I wanted to relive the moment when I first held her reply in my hands,” Chloe said. “Last week, I walked into my room and knew exactly where I tucked her letter away seven years ago. I could feel her heart laid out in the letter and as I re-read her words, a mix of emotions welled up inside me. At the time, I was too young to process all of my feelings, but I know now that for the survivor, my simple letters reflected by my age, did not change the significance of the impact my words had on her. She had said that the most meaningful part about our connection and the letters we exchanged was that people still cared about her three years later. Cared enough to reach out and say ‘you are not forgotten.’ She is someone who I had never met before and only had a few chances to write to. However, she is also someone who I have not and will not ever forget. She taught me that connecting with others and being there for someone is oftentimes the most valuable thing you could give.”

Coordinated by the Japan Center, the memorial was the centerpiece of a week of events that included multiple guest speakers and a special alumni panel. In the elementary school, teachers discussed the disaster in an age-appropriate manner using videos and resources prepared by the Japan Center to emphasize the ways in which communities, including ASIJ’s community, came together to support each other. In the lead up to 3/11, students in the middle school had the opportunity to hear from alumna and current parent Motoko Rich ’87, who is the bureau chief for the New York Times in Tokyo. Motoko provided the entire middle school with a 30-minute presentation on the earthquake and its aftermath, including an update on the current situation at the Fukushima power plant, which was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. Current middle school students were just toddlers when this event happened

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

17

Motoko Rich ’87 speaks to middle school students about the impact of the earthquake

Mark McNeil ’14 delivering school supplies on a 2011 trip to Tohoku

and Motoko brought to life the story of an elementary school that was impacted severely by the tsunami. She described a series of decisions and unique circumstances that led to the tragic outcome that day, where so many students at the school lost their lives in the tsunami. She also highlighted the current difficulties faced by the Japanese government and TEPCO in storing the endless amount of waste water on the grounds of the Fukushima plant. Although Motoko was not in Japan in 2011, she described how her colleagues reported the story at the time. Through her presentation, ASIJ middle school students gained a deeper understanding of what happened a decade ago and what is also happening today in the Tohoku region.

High schoolers re-staged the Voices from Japan Exhibition, a student-curated collection of tanka (short poems) written by survivors and witnesses to the tragedies of 3/11. As visitors to campus are still restricted, students shot a virtual tour of the exhibition to share online. In Taeko Ito’s media literacy class, students also produced a video presentation to share the stories of survivors while in Bhapi Ghosh’s Japan studies class students discussed issues relating to infrastructure, sustainability and the role of local and national government in rebuilding in the region impacted by the triple disasters.

A special advisory session was coordinated by the English Circle club and Annie Young ’24, who talked about the Tomodachi Initiative. In the aftermath of 3/11, the United States military and Japan Self-Defense Forces worked together successfully in Operation Tomodachi to provide immediate humanitarian relief to the Tohoku region. Building upon this cooperation and spirit of friendship, the Tomodachi Initiative is led by the United States Embassy in Tokyo and the US-Japan Council. English Circle began in the fall of

18

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Elicia Cousins ’09 reflects on one of the retreats she organized for refugee children

2011 to support families who had been evacuated from their homes in Tohoku. This high school club, which utilizes the Early Learning Center in Roppongi, offers a safe space for these children and families and provides them with English lessons. A decade on, the club still meets twice a month and although some of the families involved have since moved back to Tohoku, some still return to Tokyo to participate in English Circle. The English Circle club also hosted a webinar with Richard Lloyd Parry author of Ghosts of the Tsunami.

Richard is Asia Editor and Tokyo Bureau Chief for The Times (UK) and his book looks at the disasters through the lens of the tragic story of Okawa Primary School, where 74 of the 108 students either lost their lives or remain missing.

The continued work of English Circle was also a topic of discussion during the Alumni Reflect panel which featured Alissa Caldwell ’19, a former leader of the club. Alissa is currently a sophomore at UC Berkeley studying political science and has worked in advocacy and education regarding the nuclear disaster that occurred 10 years ago. Alissa was in grade 4 in March 2011 and like many elementary students, she vividly recalls being home with her mom and brothers when the earthquake struck, as the elementary school had parent-teacher conferences that day.

Also on the panel to discuss Fukushima and the Continued Impact of 3/11 were Elicia Cousins ’09, Mark McNeil ’14, Andrew Deck ’13 along with faculty member David Neale, who moderated the event. Like many of the panelists, Elicia participated in ASIJ’s volunteer trips to Tohoku and she is currently a graduate student at Northeastern University, where she joined the sociology PhD program in the fall of 2015.

She is also a member of the Social Science Environmental

Steve Mita observes the moment of silence

water that had receded mostly but had also collected,” he told the panel. “There was a real smell of the ocean and the mud and everything that was left behind.

So that was just a really visceral and powerful experience for me.” He spoke of the resilience that volunteer workers observed in the communities they worked with, something that David Neale also noticed. “You know, everybody up there was hurting, but they didn't wear it on their sleeves all the time. They did their best to keep looking forward and to move on. And I don't think you can overestimate how important the work that you guys did was in lifting spirits.”

Health Research Institute (SSEHRI) and her dissertation research focuses on contested narratives about radiation health effects after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster of 2011. This research draws largely from extensive volunteer experience and participant observation at nature-focused recuperation retreats for children and mothers still living in contaminated areas and sheds light on the gendered burdens of daily mitigation of toxic exposures. Her interest in this area developed following an internship with Friends of the Earth Japan. Elicia helped them to set up a recuperation retreat for children and mothers from Fukushima, which later led to her starting her own retreats for a group of about 30 children and mothers from Fukushima City with the help of ASIJ. “You have to remember that this was a time where radiation contamination was a real concern in Fukushima,” Elicia told the panel. “And so a lot of parents were just absolutely terrified to let their kids do what kids like to do, like touch flowers and play in the dirt or play in the river or the forest. At these retreats, the mothers would repeatedly tell me about their immense relief of being able to let their kids play freely.”

Like Elicia, Mark, who is currently Manager at the Alliances and International Affairs division of All Nippon Airways, made several trips to the Tohoku region in different capacities and recalled some of the scenes that left a lasting impression on him. Following the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, he organized a project at ASIJ to deliver desks, chairs, and other supplies to devastated elementary schools in the city of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. “One image that really sticks in my mind was just there were so many buildings with like ships on them because the tsunami had just brought the ships hundreds of meters into the city and also the smell, the sea

Andrew also had first hand experience of working with survivors and visited Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture on an ASIJ-led trip as well as working as a student editor on the 2013 Voices from Japan exhibit.

Now a technology reporter for Rest of World, an international journalism nonprofit telling stories about the intersections of technology and culture, Andrew also spent time in Tokyo as a freelance journalist. He authored a cover story for Metropolis magazine on the workers of Fukushima Daiichi in which he profiled Musashino Yamamoto, an engineer working on the decades-long project of decontaminating and decommissioning the nuclear power station. What Andrew observed at the plant “was people working under the most kind of unimaginable conditions for their day to earn their wages — getting daily radiation scans, wearing protective equipment that sometimes was so hot during the summer it led to people fainting.” He told the panel, “it really made apparent to me that understanding Fukushima Daiichi today is also in part a labor issue and one that involves the tens of thousands of people that is required in order to decontaminate both the nuclear power station but also the surrounding region.”

Both Andrew and Elicia had the realization through their recent work that often the nuclear disaster is treated as a historical event. “After spending time there, I had a growing realization that the nuclear disaster is ongoing in many ways,” Andrew commented. “I do think that the ASIJ community, because so many of us have personal experiences related to the disaster, are uniquely positioned to continue pushing that conversation. Maybe this 10-year anniversary was an entry point for many of us to learn more and re-engage with something that felt like it was an older part of our life. But for many of the people living in Fukushima or displaced by the nuclear disaster, it is a daily reality even now, 10 years later.”

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

19

Tokyo 2020 Torch As the Olympic Torch Relay for Tokyo 2020 begins, ASIJ students have an opportunity to see the torch up close on campus.

The road to the Games of the XXXII Olympiad, more commonly known as Tokyo 2020, has not been smooth, but the launch of the Olympic Torch Relay on March 25 this year marked a crucial step in preparing for this summer’s events. Scheduled to coincide with the cherry blossom season in Japan the torch relay has the concept of “Hope Lights Our Way” — a fitting theme for current times and the aspirations of the organizers of the games. On March 31 this year current parent Yugo Kanazawa, who works for Lixil Corporation — one of the five companies that collaborated on the production of the 2020 torch — held the Olympic Flame aloft and ran with it as part of the relay. The Kanazawa family then generously offered ASIJ the chance for the torch to come to campus for an extended period of time so that it could go on display and be featured in several activities at school.

20

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

The torch began its time at ASIJ at the Early Learning Center where the Kanazawa’s son Keigo is in nursery — their older son Kaito is in eighth grade. The Mustang mascot put in an appearance and helped share the torch and its meaning with our youngest students. After a few days at the ELC, the Mustang brought the torch to the Chofu campus.

Students in Tim Gotterson’s design technology class looked into the construction of the torch, which measures 71 centimeters (28 inches) long and weighs 1.2 kilograms (2 pounds 10 ounces). The top part of the torch is shaped like a cherry blossom, a well-known symbol of Japan, and is designed to be wind resistant — supposedly even typhoon resistant.

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

21

Students from middle school art classes also studied the rose gold torch, which was created using recycled aluminum construction waste from the temporary housing that was built for victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Approximately 30% of the aluminum in each torch is recycled material. Each torch is fabricated from a single sheet of aluminum featuring the Olympic rings and Tokyo 2020 logo on the side. Materials for the torch were supplied by Lixil Corporation, who worked with four other companies to produce the torches. Students learned that the process of making the torches utilizes the same aluminum extrusion manufacturing technology used in the production of the Shinkansen Bullet Train.

When lit the torch has a bright blue flame inside, that acts as a pilot light, with five separate golden flames that emerge from the flower petals of the torch and come together as one at the center to give off a more brilliant light. For some sections of its journey the torch used hydrogen, in a first for Olympic torch relays, with the remainder powered by gas. This is one of the initiatives undertaken by Tokyo 2020 in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

22

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

In the elementary school, the mustang mascot and Olympic torch made an appearance at recess to motivate participants in the elementary school’s Marathon Club challenge and schoolwide Fun Run. This year, the annual Fun Run took place vir tually with participants logging how far they ran between April 18–24. Those with the farthest distance for each grade level/ age group had the opportunity to hold the torch and take photos when the results were announced.

In Kindergar ten, student s took a close look at the torch and tried their hand at sketching it. Following the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Games, the Olympic Flame, which was already in Japan at the time, was first transferred to the facilities of the Tokyo Fire Department for safekeeping, then later on kept alight at the Olympic Museum in Tokyo. This makes it the longest lit Olympic Flame in history.

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

23

Global Online Academy Turns Ten Matt Wilce speaks with current and former high school students about their experiences taking courses through Global Online Academy.

In the last year online learning has become par for the course for many students around the world, but rather than logging into a Zoom call with their regular classmates and teacher, Global Online Academy (GOA) has offered ASIJ students a different type of virtual learning for the past decade.

A not-for-profit consortium of over 120 independent schools, GOA was started by a group of independent schools looking to bring the benefits of online learning to their teachers and students. Teachers create their own materials for classes and connect students to curated material gathered from a variety of sources. Just like in brick and mortar classrooms at their member schools, in GOA classrooms emphasis is on engagement, interaction, and collaboration among students and with the teacher.

ASIJ joined GOA in 2012, as the program entered its second year, with three pioneering students — attracted by classes such as Multivariable Calculus, Comparative Government and Medical Problem Solving — taking courses in the first semester and another seven in the second semester. The diverse range of subjects on offer has proved to be a key reason why students have continued to choose GOA over the years, allowing them to pursue new interests or delve deeper into a topic they’ve already studied at ASIJ. Akira Camargo ’14 was in one of the first cohorts of GOA students at ASIJ and took the Examining the Media with a Global Perspective course in the fall of his senior year due to his interest in media in all its forms. “Looking back, the course was beneficial because the issue area was one that was not available as a course offering at ASIJ,” he says. “It also allowed me to connect with students from across the globe,

24

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Aaron Alcodray provides students taking the GOA courses with guidance

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

25

Ella Noll ’15 during her studies in Abu Dhabi

Akira Camargo ’14 (top) and Keeli Johnson ’18 (bottom)

which was a shift from my day-to-day at ASIJ. With the pandemic and the increased presence of edtech, I think GOA courses will continue to remain a crucial part of our educational experience.” In talking to alumni like Akira, it is clear that often GOA has a lasting impact. “I was always interested in the intersection of media with politics and social issues,” Akira says, “which has definitely translated to my current profession as a PR consultant for nonprofits. Using media — the news and social — as a means to amplify our clients’ stories and issue areas is one skill set I use daily, and this GOA course was a helpful introduction in sharpening my skills.”

Students today continue to seek courses that offer them new directions or speak to a passion they have. “I chose to take the GOA course business problem solving because I wanted to take a course not offered at ASIJ that elevated my understanding of business,” says junior Shou Bernier ’22.

“Although there are clubs and courses related to business at ASIJ, none of the courses are specifically about viewing societal issues through the lens of a business leader.”

Back in 2014, then senior Ella Noll ’15 felt the same way, telling us that she had always been intrigued by the ability to speak multiple foreign languages and having studied Japanese and Chinese she took the opportunity to try Arabic through GOA. Looking back now Ella says, “I’d probably characterize the GOA Arabic course as the start of a long journey that ultimately landed me where I am today. I’ll admit I initially chose to enroll with the goal of increasing my chances of getting into NYU Abu Dhabi — which worked! — but I learned so much and met so many interesting people, a few of whom ended up being my classmates at NYUAD.” While Ella ultimately didn’t continue

26

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

studying Arabic, she says it ended up being very useful for her senior AP Capstone project where she developed a system of automated post-editing for Arabic-Japanese machine translation — it has also come in handy in Abu Dhabi.

Keeli Johnson ’18 took GOA’s Arabic course in 2017, initially because she had in mind the lucrative employment and research opportunities for Arabic-speakers. “I have always wanted to work in foreign policy and knowing Arabic is certainly an asset in that line of career,” she says. “Through the GOA course, I was exposed to Middle Eastern culture, the distinctions between certain types of Arabic, and a basic overview of the Levantine dialect. Overall, it gave me an introduction to the Middle East region that other ASIJ courses weren’t offering at the time.” The class sparked Keeli’s desire to continue learning about the Middle East and in her freshman year at college she received Wesleyan University’s Scott Prize in Arabic. “I am still studying Modern Standard Arabic and plan to declare a Middle Eastern Studies minor,” she says. Her aspirations from high school remain the same and she hopes to eventually become a Foreign Service Officer for the State Department. “In the meantime, I want to work for a think tank on foreign policy to gain a better understanding of the culture and politics of the Middle East,” she says.

Although Arabic has continued to be a popular choice for students, with nine students enrolling in the GOA course so far, one of the most popular areas of study for ASIJ students through GOA is psychology with 14 students taking abnormal psychology, nine taking the introduction to psychology class and 10 studying neuropsychology. “One of the reasons I think psychology in particular is very popular among ASIJ students

Shou Bernier ’22 took the business problem solving course

Calla Wilcox ’23 took GOA’s social psychology course

is due to the fact that, although psychology is offered at ASIJ, it is only a one-semester course and only available in the final years of school,” says Sophomore Calla Wilcox ’23, who took GOA’s social psychology course this year. For students like her, the opportunity to explore the subject in multiple classes can lead to the confidence to pursue the subject in college as well as help them understand their own studies more deeply.

Calla notes that, “social dynamics are a large part of the high school experience and I think many others like me have been curious about how and why we think and act differently.”

The growth of GOA’s consortium of schools has contributed immensely to the development of its programs and offerings throughout its first ten years. As new schools join, there are more students who want to learn with GOA and more educators who want to design courses and teach, which helps to create the diverse course offering that students find so appealing. “In all of this growth, the guiding principles and concepts GOA was founded on 10 years ago have incredible relevance today — our focus continues to be on impacting students,” says Michael Nachbar, GOA’s Executive Director.

In addition to their regular classes, GOA has recently developed shorter, non-credit bearing courses to provide students with an opportunity to join a global conversation on relevant, real-world topics. Known as Flex Courses, these 1–2 week courses are scheduled in advance and run at specific times during the academic year, allowing for peers around the world to join the collaborative, engaging conversations at the same time. A further change is the introduction of the Learners for Life series of modular, topic-based offerings, which are focused on life skills and learning strategies for

students in grades 7–9. Distinctive from the Flex Course model, these courses are designed by GOA with on-campus teachers playing an active role in supporting students’ engagement with the modules in the classroom. “As we began our year in hybrid learning mode, it was important to us that our middle schoolers were prepared for their off campus days. The GOA Learning to Learn Online course prepared students by building their digital learning tool kit,” says Pip Curtis, Middle School Principal. “Advisors on campus guided students using the GOA resources so that they were well prepared for the year ahead. Teachers appreciated the resources and structure of the course while students enjoyed the freedom to work at their own pace and apply the learning to their personal situation at home.”

Back at the start of the 2016–17 school year, ASIJ opened courses to grade 10 for the first time and a total of 26 students took part in GOA courses that year. The number of students choosing GOA has continued to grow, hitting a high of 55 enrollments in this school year. “With online learning becoming a norm for everyone over the last year, I think more students became comfortable with the idea of taking a virtual class and decided to choose GOA as these courses were always intended to be taught remotely,” says Aaron Alcodray, ASIJ’s GOA coordinator.

Having someone in the high school who can guide students through their online learning experience has proved valuable to students. “A factor that determined whether I would have taken a GOA or not was whether I would have help with the classes, or if I was completely alone in the process,” notes Calla. “Luckily for other students like me, we had Mr Alcodray

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

27

GOA's psychology courses have proved to be consistently popular with ASIJ students

who not only did check-ins to make sure we were doing well, but also was there to help with any other GOA related difficulties we may have had, like questions about how to use the website,” she says. “Having that kind of support from teachers at ASIJ played a huge part in the reason why I felt comfortable enough to take the class.”

ASIJ’s involvement with GOA has not only impacted student learning but also faculty professional development. The program provides teachers with access to leading research and expert facilitators, innovative and immersive programs, and a global network of colleagues that can help transform their teaching. ASIJ’s teachers have taken part in 64 professional learning opportunities through GOA over the last two years and have benefited from units on designing for equity and designing for online learning.

GOA classes are teacher-paced, meaning students are assigned work throughout the week rather than given assignments to complete over a large block of time. All classes contain both synchronous and asynchronous components, giving students the opportunity to connect in real time but also providing them with the flexibility to work when and how they would like. One of the biggest takeaways students say they get from taking GOA courses is learning how to collaborate and communicate better. “I learned the importance of constant communication because I was working with people in different timezones who I met once a week,” says Shou. “My groups in GOA were more diverse than at ASIJ, so I learned how to work with people who have different perspectives or experiences,” he adds. “At first, trying to start a conversation with the other students in the class was very difficult because I didn’t know what to talk about. However, as I got to know the others, I realized that we had more in common than we thought, and we also

28

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

had mutual acquaintances,” he says. “Lastly, collaborating with people from other schools allowed me to gain a better understanding of how people from different countries approach a problem.”

GOA also offers students the opportunity to take increased ownership of their learning and develop new skills. “Some of the things I have gotten out of GOA are opportunities and freedoms that I wouldn't usually have with in person school,” says Calla. “For example designing my own schedule and planning get-togethers with fellow classmates in the other parts of the world.” Shou agrees saying, “because the GOA courses are largely self-driven, students will be better equipped to work independently in the future.” Calla seconds that opinion saying, “If students love variety in their subjects or just want to have a little more choice in projects and time management, GOA is the way to go. GOA opened my eyes to new ideas and opinions and it also gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation for aspects in life that I already really enjoyed!”

The work of four ASIJ students was selected for the GOA Catalyst Conference this spring.

Their presentations on the theme of sparking change in our communities are available here: https://2020.goaconference.org/ school/The-American-School-in-Japan/

FUNDRAISING UPDATE

20–21 Dear fellow ASIJ Community members,

As I write this, my colleagues are diligently stuffing envelopes with the current Printer’s Proof of the 2020–21 ASIJ Annual Fund and by the time you read this it should have already hit your mailbox. This list is a forerunner to the donor roll we publish in the fall issue of the magazine and it serves a few different purposes: it ensures that our donors are recognized in the way that they would like to be recognized (I noticed that my wife wasn’t listed with me, so there’s one correction that needs to be made!); it ensures that we haven’t missed anyone who has given this year; and of course, it also serves as a reminder for people who thought they had given already, that perhaps they haven’t (yet!).

This is an impressive document in size and content; it speaks very loudly to the increasing support that the school is receiving each year from the community; I know I’m not the first to say, “Thank you” and I know I won’t be the last.

The Annual Fund is a key part of the school’s ability to provide more programs, more personnel, and improved facilities without having to raise tuition in lockstep with those improvements. Keeping our tuition affordable while improving our educational outcomes allows us to strive to be elite without becoming elitist.

This year the Annual Fund played an important role in allowing us to respond to COVID-19 by putting in place new safety protocols and hiring temporary staff to deal with challenges presented by the pandemic. Further examples of the impact of the Annual Fund can be found on the following pages.

We are well on our way to setting a record this year for the amount raised and number of participants. When everyone joins together to support the Annual Fund with an amount that is meaningful to them, it continues to give the school the confidence to reach ever further each year, ensuring the commitment to excellence that all ASIJ community members demand of their school.

Thank you to all of you who have chosen to support our school in this way.

Warm regards,

Clive Watkins Director of Institutional Advancement

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

29

ANNUAL FUND UPDATE Progress to Date

We are so grateful to our generous community, who have already helped make this year’s annual fund such a success! We have raised just over ¥67 million so far, and our goal of ¥80 million is within reach. Participation from both our current parents and alumni is also tracking ahead, with our total number of donors currently at 627. We hope to get to 800 annual fund donors by June 30, 2021, and with your help we think this goal is also achievable. Thank you again to those of you who have helped support ASIJ and continue to demonstrate your deep commitment to our school. If you haven’t yet made a gift to ASIJ, there is still time to contribute.

All gifts, no matter the size, combine to make a difference for our school.

Our Goal

¥80M

We’ve Raised

¥67M

¥76M

*Please note that current year numbers are as of April 7, 2021. Previous year numbers are end of year total.

Fund Year 20/21

Participation

Our Goal

800

Current Participants

627

Fund Year 20/21

30

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Fund Year 19/20

660

Fund Year 19/20

Fund Year Fund Year 20/21 20/21

With your support, Giving Tuesday this year was record breaking! In just one day, you helped us raise over ¥17.6 million for the Annual Fund — more than we have ever raised in a single day at ASIJ. Participation from our community was also at an all time high with gifts from 300 donors. Thank you for the overwhelming support!

Mark your calendars for Giving Tuesday 2021, which follows American Thanksgiving on Tuesday, Nov 30.

¥17,643,910 ¥17,643,910

Fund Year 19/20 Fund Year 19/20 ¥10,084,296 ¥10,084,296

Raised on Raised on Giving Tuesday Giving Tuesday

Fund Year 18/19 Fund Year 18/19 ¥6,114,361 ¥6,114,361

Total Gifts 300 300 218 218 90 90

Fund Year 20/21 Fund Year 20/21

Fund Year 19/20 Fund Year 19/20

Fund Year 18/19 Fund Year 18/19

ASIJ raised me. It’s where teachers who taught me confidence became mentors; where teammates who taught me companionship became friends; and where friends who taught me compassion became family. I’ll always be grateful to ASIJ. I give back so the school and community can continue to raise and become a home for future students (and possibly one day, my own children!)

—Enna Hattori ’11

Mustangs Club Donor and Supporter of Corporate Matching

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

31

ANNUAL FUND IMPACT Pixellot

With your support of the Annual Fund, we are able to continuously provide enhancements to our school which directly impact our student experience. We are excited to share that this past fall, we purchased the Pixellot AI Camera System for our high school gym. The automated sports video capture and streaming service is a considerable update of ASIJ’s ability to livestream athletics on campus, something that has been even more valuable during the past year. The system uses a set of ceiling-mounted cameras that provide automated coverage that tracks the movement of our athletes.

“Pixellot reduces manpower needed to provide a smoother livestream experience,” says Beau Williams, Assistant Director of Activities and Athletics. “The automation of the stream allows an optimized experience to showcase our students’ talents globally, while at the same time allowing us to use our labor elsewhere to run events,” he adds.

The system also provides coaches with a new tool to help students improve their performance. Practices can be scheduled in the system so that coaches can review the footage with their athletes during training.

The installation of the new system was made possible due to the success of the Annual Fund and cost ¥2.8 million.

With your continued support of the Annual Fund we plan to add additional systems to allow coverage of the main field, thereby broadening the number of activities that can be recorded and streamed.

Other Areas of Impact: • Diversity, equity, and inclusion professional learning for all employees • New iPad friendly laser cutter and 3D printer for elementary school design tech lab • Additional robotics equipment for elementary school • Creation of student center in middle school • Additional supervisors as part of our COVID-19 safety measures • Upgraded podcast software for high school • Partnership with New Pedagogies for Deep Learning

Activities and Athletics Director Timmy Jacobsson and Assistant Activities and Athletics Director Beau Williams stand with the Pixellot, installed on the ceiling of the high school gymnasium

32

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

We wanted to take a moment to remark on how much we appreciate the Pixellot camera system this year for home games at ASIJ. While the situation for the student athletes has certainly been challenging, not being able to attend games for parents is one more reminder of what we’re missing. The on-site cameras have absolutely helped to bridge the gap and bring a little “normalcy” back to those of us who are avid Mustang fans and sideline cheerleaders. The ability to do close-ups and zoom in on plays is the next-best-thing to being there, and as the operators become more familiar with the technology we anticipate your home audience viewership will exponentially increase. We’ve also enjoyed the student commentators that add another dimension of energy to the events. Lastly, we can’t say enough good things about ASIJ TV and the great resource it is for being able to share content with family and friends outside Japan. Thanks for prioritizing this technology that is truly a win for all of us.

—Paul and Kathyrn Rivet Current Parents

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

33

THE GATE SOCIETY The Gate Society, Planned Giving Those who have generously arranged to include ASIJ in their estate plans, become members of The Gate Society.

Definitions:

Planned giving is a long-term fundraising option that enables individuals to make charitable donations that consider both the personal and family needs of the donor.

Planned gifts are usually made of assets, rather than current income, and are a tax-effective means of giving to our school. While there are tax and other financial benefits associated with planned giving, the most meaningful reward is knowing that your gift will leave a legacy and have an impact on future generations of our students.

Bequests:

Planned Giving Can Include: • Simple bequests of funds

Include a bequest to ASIJ in your will or trust. Indicate a specific amount or percentage of the balance remaining in your estate or trust.

Benefits: • Doesn’t deplete current assets.

• Provides the opportunity to make changes as a will is adjustable.

• Generally, bequests are exempt from estate taxes.

• Charitable gift annuity

Making ASIJ the beneficiary of a life insurance policy: ASIJ will be the sole owner and beneficiary of the policy. This should only be used with fully paid up policies. Provides an immediate income tax deduction, plus possible estate tax savings.

• Charitable remainder trust

Charitable gift annuity:

• Gifts/bequests of stock or property • Making ASIJ the beneficiary of a life insurance policy

ASIJ has been receiving planned gifts for more than 30 years, and throughout our school's history there have been a number of alumni, former faculty/staff and alumni parents who have generously arranged to include ASIJ in their estate plans and leave a gift to our school.

A charitable gift annuity is a contract between an individual and ASIJ whereby an asset is transferred to the organization and in return the donor can name one or two people, including themselves and no more than one other person to receive fixed annual payments for life.

Please contact the advancement office at donate@asij.ac.jp for more information on making a bequest, or to request guidance on how to include ASIJ in your estate plans.

Benefits: The donor and/or the beneficiary(ies) also can receive certain tax advantages depending on the specific details of the gift annuity agreement.

Charitable remainder trust: A charitable remainder trust is when the donor places a major gift of cash, securities or property into a trust. The trust then pays the donor and/or the beneficiary(ies) the fixed unitrust amount based upon the payment rate of the trust document and the value of the assets of the trust to the donor. When the donor passes away, the remainder of the trust is transferred to ASIJ. There are two basic types of charitable remainder trusts: • Unitrust: Pays a variable rate of return based on an annual valuation of the trust principal. Donor selects the payout rate within specified range • Annuity trust: A fixed annual payment to beneficiary(ies) (based on a stated % of the initial trust value) for life or up to 20 years.

34

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Members

David Nicodemus ’33 left ASIJ a bequest of ¥4.1 million when he passed away in 1999. He was a professor of physics at Oregon State University where he worked on their cyclotron project.

Anderson, Irene ’74 & Somes, James Bergt, Dave ’60 & Jeannine Cohen, Frederick ’69 Cooper, Peter & Pamela Dennis, Thurman Downs, Vicky ‡Downs, Ray ’50 Forgrieve, Bruce ’77 Glazier, Kenneth ’67 Harada, Mary ’81 ‡Harris, Frederick ‡Haven, Robert Hesselink, Ann ’71 ‡Hoffsommer, Abigail ’27 ‡Hoffsommer, Walter ’29 Huddle, James ’70 Jones-Morton, Pamela (PhD)

ASIJ has been part of my family since the 1930s. I was lucky enough to hear and learn about this amazing institution from a very young age. Not till I became a teacher and was accepted as an ASIJ faculty member did I truly appreciate the level of expertise that the school expected and exhibited.

The quality of excellence that is woven into the fabric of ASIJ is a wonder to behold. To keep the level of performance at the peak of everyone’s expectation, support in all aspects is needed but most importantly in the financial areas. Contributing to ASIJ through the Gate Society is a privilege because I know that ASIJ will be there to develop international citizens of the future.

—Pamela Jones-Morton, PhD Former Faculty

Ludlow-Ortner, Julia ’72 & Ortner, Robert Muhl, Dick Nichols, Kerry & Lynn ‡Nicodemus, David ’33 Proctor, David Shibata, Hideko ’66 ‡Snyder, Ronald ‡Sullivan, John Sundberg, Carl ’77 Suzuki, Chizu ’64 Tunis, Jeffrey Ware, Brent ’74 ‡ Deceased

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

35

Reflecting on Retirement As Mary Margaret Mallat prepares to retire, we look back at her many roles and long association with ASIJ.

36

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Mary Margaret with her husband David Deck and their sons Andrew ’13 (left) and Michael ’10 (right) PTA President, Chair of the Board of Directors, Admissions Director, Interim Director of Advancement, Assistant Director of Institutional Advancement and most importantly mother of Andrew Deck ’13 and Michael Deck ’10 — Mary Margaret Mallat has worn many hats at ASIJ over the past two decades.

As she prepares to retire from ASIJ this summer, we reflect on her time at school and find out what’s next for this ASIJ icon.

What brought you to Japan?

We came in 1998 on a classic expat assignment. My husband, David Deck, is a corporate lawyer with a background in East Asian Studies. Japan was always on his horizon but the timing of the move for our family was a surprise. The law firm asked us to relocate from New York City to Tokyo for a short assignment — maybe three years at most. It was our second Tokyo assignment and my fourth time in Japan.

However, this time was different, since we needed schools for Michael and Andrew. It’s the ASIJ community we found that is part of what has kept us here now for more than 20 years.

How did you feel the first day of school when your boys started at ASIJ? Michael started in Grade 1 and Andrew started preschool at the Nursery-Kindergarten, when it was in Nakameguro. I remember the Grade 1 class lists that were posted outside the elementary school building on the first day and finding Michael’s name penciled in for Karen Yoder’s (FF ’83–89, ’96–99) class. What a wonderful teacher and one of the many fantastic teachers both boys would have throughout ASIJ. Michael’s first day was also my first visit to ASIJ’s Chofu campus. David had done the pre-visits and just knew ASIJ was right for our family. Thankfully ASIJ had space despite our late May application!

At the NK, Andrew was welcomed into the wonderful class of Tarzah Doyle-Archer (FF ’98–02) and I met other parents through drop-off and pick-up. It was insightful to attend the parent presentation on “The NK Way.” Student-directed learning is still a pillar of the ELC education today. For Andrew’s class of 2013, they had the good fortune of graduating with nine seniors who had all been at the ELC together. What a great run our entire family has enjoyed at ASIJ. What is something you learned from each of your roles at school?

What an interesting question! If we go way back to PTA Bake Sale Chairperson, I learned the importance of local customs and preferences from other parents (bundle cookies in threes and fives and not fours!). As PTA President, I learned the importance of balancing the need for change, which parents

often want done quickly, with the need for buy-in if the change is to last — and buy-in at school can take some time to build.

As a Board Chair, I learned the importance of “holding the institution in trust” — to preserve and protect it for the future — and supporting its top leaders, primarily the Head of School. That partnership is nearly invisible to many within the school community, but essential to the success of the Head of School and the growth of the school. As the Director of Admissions, I experienced the intimacy of listening to parents talk about their children, and their hopes for their education, which all of us feel as parents. In the Advancement Office, I learned to celebrate community and develop answers to why families and alumni might give to the school, or donate their treasure as I like to say. The three elements of time, talent, and treasure were present in all the roles I had at ASIJ but varied in intensity with each job.

What was the best advice you received as Board Chair and who gave it to you?

The advice touched on how difficult it is to take your board hat off in the eyes of others. In daily conversations you may think you have your parent hat on, or your friend hat on, but you can’t predict how others are hearing your comments when you’re the Board Chair. Wearing those many hats at once can be challenging and forces you to consider your place as both a member of the community and a leader within it. Josh Reckord, a former ASIJ middle school teacher and consultant, who helped ASIJ adopt our best practices for good board governance, taught me so much that I’ve taken with me for every role I had at ASIJ. What’s next?

I wish I knew! But I had the same feeling when I arrived in Tokyo in 1998: what would be next after leaving Old Greenwich, CT, where I had volunteered on the Old Greenwich School PTA? I couldn’t have imagined the vast experiences ASIJ would offer at that time, but looking ahead now I hope new schools or non-profit organizations may be in my future. We will remain in Tokyo as David continues his legal practice, and I am sure the ASIJ community will still be a source of inspiration and friendship. I am excited to see what the next chapter brings.

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

37

We take a look at how ASIJ’s latest initiative has helped alumni network, build new connections and share career advice.

Staying connected to our alumni is one of ASIJ’s overriding goals — even if COVID-19 is demanding work from home, social distancing, and the canceling of events. Our challenge was to find a way for us to continue to engage with alumni during the pandemic. What could bridge the personal connection and keep us in-touch? As platforms such as Zoom gained a higher profile and expanded usage we saw an opportunity for us to stay in touch and a way we could launch our new program — ASIJ Alumni Connect: Industry Meetup.

38

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

At many schools this year, online events are replacing inperson reunions, alumni receptions, and small group gatherings of classmates. The shift to new platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet is providing an option that actually fits ASIJ’s global alumni community quite well. With alumni spread across multiple time zones, using Zoom allows for convenient meeting times, eliminates travel costs and encourages attendance by those across the generations. Perhaps most surprising is the high degree of connectivity attendees find with each other in a Zoom session. “It was the best alumni event. It was

Director of Institutional Advancement Clive Watkins moderates the inaugural Alumni Connect extraordinary to be with so many ASIJ Alumni from so across the decades,” commented Joseph Schmelzeis ’80.

How does Alumni Connect work? ASIJ graduates, with a shared interest in a particular industry, attend a panel presentation by fellow alumni and then break into discussion sections to make further connections with each other. Mifumi Asano ’02 said “I seriously loved the breakout room. We definitely got to know each other better and it was great seeing some old friends. I cannot wait for another one!” Meaningful conversation and shared experiences benefit everyone and the format makes it easy to attend, whether you were located in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco or New York.

ASIJ graduates from the 70s and 80s are just as likely to attend as recent college graduates and everyone brings something to the discussion. Stefanie Mullins Johnson ’86 said “it hit all the right notes — structured but free-flowing and authentic.”

The conversation provides new and refreshing ways to forge stronger bonds in our alumni community.

Offering young alumni this type of opportunity has brought more to our alumni network, with an enthusiasm for ASIJ that is matched by alumni who graduated long before. We know that ASIJ graduates share special bonds with their classmates.

Stories about sports, teachers, favorite hangouts and great food usually abound at every alumni gathering, but Alumni Connect offers another path to forge a relationship focused on industry topics. Rei Suzuki ’84 highlighted that “it is critical to get the young alums involved in the alumni community at an early stage.” ASIJ’s Alumni Connect is bringing the past forward and making an even stronger bond across the decades. Alumni are sharing valuable insights with recent graduates and finding out what their own classmates have been up to in the decades since they walked the halls at ASIJ.

Seiji Vincent ’07 shares his advice with attendees of the entrepreneurship alumni connect Whether you were a successful entrepreneur on your third or fourth start-up, or a young college graduate struggling to launch your first idea, Alumni Connect’s entrepreneurship panel on December 9 offered something for you. Moderated

by Brian Nelson ’85, a veteran of several start-ups, the panel included Philip Seiji Vincent ’07 the founder and CEO of Plug and Play, Kay Teo ’12 the director of Dining Innovation and Hee Gun Eom ’12 from recruitment platform Skillzilla.

The February 26 session on international relations brought together alumni with an interest in world affairs and desire to work in the field of public policy and/or government relations. For experienced foreign service professionals such as panelist Steve Knode ’86 this was an opportunity to share their career experience. Joe Schmelzeis ’80 drew on his experience as Senior Advisor to the Ambassador at the US Embassy in Tokyo, while Asmita Barua ’96 shared what it is like working at the United Nations and Hannah Rosenfeld ’13 discussed her work for the Center for International Private Enterprise’s Asia and Pacific team. Younger alumni took the opportunity to discuss decisions about graduate school and sought guidance on when or whether to attend in the breakout rooms.

As we go to print the details of our third event of the year are being finalized and the May 20 Alumni Connect will focus on the area of sustainability. Our panelists are Robert Redlinger ’81, Robin Lewis ’06, Mirei Takashima Claremon ’00 and Mana Saza ’14.

The series will continue next fall with our next session planned for early October. We welcome suggestions for topics and participants, so please get in touch with the Advancement Office with your feedback. You can reach us at <alumni@asij.ac.jp>.

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

39

ALUMNI

Class Agents

Classes pre-1955 and those noted below need class agents. Please contact alumni@asij.ac.jp if you are interested.

1955 William L. Cryderman

1964 David Bonner

1956 Mei Sun Li

1965 Scott Hutchinson

wcryderman@comcast.net

meisunli@comcast.net Sandra L. Maclver Thompson sandra.thompson3@comcast.net

jshutch47@gmail.com Susan Broe Parmelee Sparmelee2@gmail.com

1973 Class Agent Required 1974 Class Agent Required 1975 Reiko E. Niimi

rniimi@gmail.com

1957 Charles C. Wu

1966 Annie Nichols Campbell

1976 Elizabeth M. Yanagihara Horwitz

1958 Class Agent Required

1967 Grenda F. Penhollow Moss

1977 Carl E. Sundberg

1968 Nicholas D. Connor

1978 Deanna Adams Smith

wucc57@gmail.com

1959 Class Agent Required 1960 David E. Bergt

dbergt@comcast.net

1961 Stu Bennett

stu.bennettCEO@ SanFranciscoSeamaster.com

1962 Katherine C. Bauernschmidt Clarke kcbclarke@gmail.com

1963 William L. Martino

txmartino@yahoo.com Nancy Wu naninvan@me.com

40

dbonner@regenevita.com

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

campbell.annie@gmail.com

grendamoss@yahoo.com

ndconnor@yahoo.com David T. Sakamoto dave.sakamoto@infoontheweb.com

liz@lizhorwitz.com

carl_sundberg_ja@yahoo.com

deannasmith1959@gmail.com

1979 Cheryl Wise

shareallwise@gmail.com

1969 Laura B. Hertenstein Swanson

1980 Class Agent Required

1970 Daniel Garnitz

1981 Sherry L. Davis Tighe

1971 Kathy K. Kobata

1982 Lisa Bastick

1972 Linda Suzukawa-Tseng

1983 George Mimura

laura@swanson.com

dangar46@yahoo.com

kkobata21@gmail.com

sutseng@wonder.ocn.ne.jp

tighezoo@sbcglobal.net

omalasq@mac.com

georgemimura@yahoo.com

ALUMNI

1984 Judith Walsh Baumhover

baumhover@earthlink.net

1985 Sandra L. Orton Tweed

sandra@prestonmatthews.com

1986 Diane E. Stewart Wack diwack@msn.com

1987 Robert L. Sharp

robert@redgiant.com

1988 Sergei P. Hasegawa

sergei@purekitchen.com Kathrine L. Schmitt Simon schm0495@gold.tc.umn.edu

1989 Linnea M. Hasegawa

tamagomeshi@yahoo.com Samantha Fritz Hurd samf@austin.rr.com

1990 Kentaro K. Relnick krelnick@me.com

1991 Maiko Galles

maikomizutani@hotmail.com

1992 Daniel Brandt

dbrandttennis@gmail.com

1993 Katherine S. Sakuma Moore ktsakuma@yahoo.com McMahon T. Reid homereid@mit.edu

1994 Midori Kano

mkano128@gmail.com Margaret R. MacCallum margaretreiko@gmail.com

1995 Yuki P. Maddox Vos

pearlvos@hotmail.com

1996 Hisashi A. Shimizu

sunny_shimizu@hotmail.com

1997 Vicky (Carter) Chen

Class Agents

1998 Rose E. Hastings

rosehastings@gmail.com Kacie E. Rosenberg Leviton kacie_r@hotmail.com

1999 Naomi D. Hayase

naomidhayase@gmail.com Tamina M. Plum taminaplum@gmail.com

2010 Janet H. Kanzawa

janet.kanzawa@gmail.com Kana Maeji kanamaeji12@gmail.com

2011 Hannah T. Siegel

hannahtsiegel@gmail.com Philip T. Tseng philtseng7@gmail.com

2000 Gary T. Yamada

2012 Seung Joon Sung

2001 Kyoko Minegishi

2013 Lia Camargo

gtyamada@gmail.com

kyoko.minegishi@gmail.com

2002 Anna L. Tuttle Delia

annalynnosu@gmail.com Mitsuhiko Tsukimoto moonbook@gmail.com

2003 Class Agent Required 2004 Jason Mothersill

jasonmothersill@gmail.com

2005 Tatsuya Izumi

izumtat@gmail.com

2006 Tai Dirkse

tdirkse@asij.ac.jp Mana Sasaki Kalohelani mkalohelani@gmail.com

2007 Carly Baird

baird.carly@gmail.com Rosalind E. Onions rosalind.onions@gmail.com

2008 Miles Bird

miles.t.bird@gmail.com Jemil Satterfield jemilsatt05@gmail.com

sjsung94@gmail.com

lollia1108@gmail.com Andrew Deck andrewdeck227@gmail.com

2014 Akira Camargo

akiracamargo01@gmail.com Sayuri Sekimitsu sayurisekimitsu@gmail.com

2015 Mina F. Hattori

minahattori@me.com Haruka Higo jjriko@aol.com

2016 Ray M. Hotta

ray.hotta@yahoo.com

2017 Allessandra Rogers

rogeal01@luther.edu Andy Takagi andy.takagi@gmail.com

2018 Hikari Shumsky

hikarishumsky@gmail.com

2019 Kenichiro Bernier

b.kenichiro@gmail.com

2020 Arman Balian

armanbalian@me.com

2009 Caitlin E. McHose

caitlin.mchose@gmail.com

Celine Maeda-Tarumoto celinemaedatarumoto@gmail.com

Ashley Teslik ashleyteslik@gmail.com

vickycarter@hotmail.com Sarah Godfrey sgodfrey617@gmail.com

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

41

Artifact The general ledger below covers the period 1930–38 and was used to record the school accounts. In addition to tracking tuition payments and salaries, the ledger includes records of the heat, light and water payments made by the school and US dollar investments.

Among the list of purchases is a piano, bought on June 30, 1933 for the princely sum of ¥650.

42

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

ALUMNI

Obituaries

Sayonara YOSHITAKA SAJI (FF ’76–11) passed away at home on December 19, 2020 following a battle with cancer. He had turned 74 years a few days prior on December 15. Saji-san, as he was known on campus, worked at ASIJ for 35 years taking care of students’ and teacher’s AV needs in the library.

He was also known for his passion for photography and his work was often featured in school publications.

Born in 1946 in Tahara city in Aichi Prefecture, Saji-san graduated from the Kuwasawa Design School in 1968 with a major in photography. The first showing of his work took place the following year, when he participated in a group exhibition at the Ginza Nikon Salon.

Saji-san continued to pursue photography and design and later started his own design studio, GALAXY, with his former classmate from the Kuwasawa Design School and renowned photographer Shigeo Gocho. The pair worked together for five years until Gocho’s untimely death in 1983 as a result of his long battle with Pott’s disease and its side effects. At the time of their collaboration, Saji-san had already started work at ASIJ, where he had joined the audio-visual department in 1976.

Former librarian Vick Downs (FF ’59–99) fondly remembers interviewing Saji-san for that job in the AV room: ”His intelligence, integrity and reliability seemed to shout out to me from this otherwise quiet man. He learned English in what felt like two weeks, and soon was the “go to” person

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

43

ALUMNI

Obituaries HARRIET BERKIN (FF ’60–64) passed away on December 5, 2020 in Ashburn, VA. She taught in the Elementary School while her son Jeffrey Berkin and ’74 daughter Terrie McConnell ’75 were enrolled at ASIJ. After leaving Tokyo, Harriet resided for two years in Hyattsville, MD, and for seven years in Geneva, Switzerland, before returning to the United States and eventually retiring after 20 years as an elementary school teacher in Fairfax County, VA. She is survived by her husband, Gerald Berkin, her two children, and three grandchildren.

JOAN BRIDGE (FF ’55–56) passed away on December 19, 2020, at the age of 86. After graduating from Buffalo State Teachers College in 1955, she traveled to Japan to marry her husband Pat. While in Tokyo, Joan taught third grade at ASIJ before returning to the USA in 1956. Thereafter she taught school in Washington DC, and Arlington County, VA. Buffalo, NY. She retired following a 40-year career in education.

Saji-san with elementary teacher Kathleen Nelson (FF ’89–11) for anything to do with photography. Looking through back issues of The Ambassador shows what a debt we owe him: some issues would look empty without his pictures.”

Throughout his time at ASIJ, Saji-san continued to exhibit his work with regular shows at galleries throughout Tokyo. In addition to capturing Japanese subjects, Sajisan created a body of work focused on life in Bali, a place he was drawn to. Following on from his 2004 exhibition Balinese Meditation at the Contemporary Photo Gallery in 2004, Saji-san published the photo book Melting Point — Bali in 2010 and held an exhibition of the same work at the Tambourin Gallery in 2010. His final exhibition of his Balinese work at the ESPACE BIBLIO Gallery came in 2019 and was accompanied by the publication of East of Bali, Beyond the Mirror.

Saji-san is survived by his two daughters and their families and his two brothers and their families.

44

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

DANIEL CARNEY (FF ’73–75) passed away on December 3, 2020 after being hospitalized with pneumonia and COVID-19.

Dan worked in ASIJ’s math resource center while his siblings Colleen ’73 and Bill ’80 attended the school.

RUBEN M. STO. DOMINGO ’62 passed away on February 9, 2021 in Antipolo, Rizal in the Philippines at the age of 74.

He attended ASIJ from 1959–62 along with his brother Reynaldo ’67. After his graduation, he lived in the Philippines and stayed briefly in California. He is survived by his wife, five children, and six grandchildren.

ALUMNI DANIEL DREYFUS ’49 passed away on January 30, 2021.

Daniel was born in Brooklyn, NY, and attended ASIJ while his father Major General James Dreyfus participated in the post-war reconstruction of Japan. Daniel received his bachelor’s in civil engineering from George Washington University in 1957 followed by a master’s in engineering administration from in 1965. He later received a PhD from The American University in 1975. Daniel served in the Army’s 7th Infantry Division during the Korean War and was awarded the Order of the Bayonet for faithful and honorable service and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge. In 1957, he was directly commissioned as a second lieutenant, and was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers. He also served as a company commander in the Eskimo Scout Battalions of the Alaska National Guard. In 1968, Daniel was appointed as a professional staff member to the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, beginning his time in the United States Senate. In 1979, he was appointed as the Staff Director for the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He retired from the Senate in 1981, but not before contributing to several major legislative efforts including the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 which established the Department of Energy. Daniel next took on a role at the Gas Research Institute, as the Director of Policy Analysis in a position of Deputy to the Vice President of the company and continued his presence on Capitol Hill in a slightly different capacity.

Daniel retired from GRI to return to public service in 1993, through the nomination of the Senate and appointment by then President Clinton, to serve as the Director for the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Department of Energy. While awaiting the formal appointment, he worked as a special assistant to secretary Hazel O’Leary of the Department of Energy. After retiring from federal service, Daniel was able to combine his love of history with his professional life. He joined the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History as Associate Director for Operations, where he fulfilled roles as the chief operating officer and chief financial officer from 1997 to 1999. In his spare time, Daniel enjoyed exploring his favorite hobbies: gardening, talking to nature, gunsmithing for black powder shooting, and woodworking. In retirement, he delighted in caring for his six grandchildren.

Obituaries ELRIA EWING (AP ’78–81, FS ’80–81) passed away on April 15, 2021. After moving from place to place for many years, she and her husband David settled in Portsmouth, NH, where she passed away at the age of 80 from complications of dementia. Elria worked briefly in the high school library, where she enjoyed getting to know high school students. She is survived by her husband, four children Jeff ’81, Dino ’83, Valentia Leonard ’85 and Nathaniel ’86, 10 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

GALI ESHKOL HEFFER ’93 passed away on March 22, 2021, after a 17-month battle with cancer. She was 45 years old. Gali was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to father Nahum Eshkol, an Israeli diplomat, and mother Esther (Kamen) Eshkol, an Israeli-American audiologist.

Gali’s twin sister Kinneret ’93 was born twenty minutes earlier. Their brother Ishai (aka Jesse) ’95 joined the family in 1977. The family moved around the world, from Cyprus to Singapore and later Japan, where her father served as the Israeli Ambassador. Upon graduation, Gali returned to Israel and was immediately drafted to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). After completing basic training with Kinneret, Gali was selected to serve as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the IDF’s International Cooperation Unit. She spent most of her service in the Gaza Strip, where she met her future husband Chen Heffer. The two were inseparable for the next 26 years and married in 2000. Gali was honorably discharged from the IDF in 1995 after attaining the rank of sergeant. After earning a BA in English literature from Tel Aviv University in 2001, she embarked on a ten-year career at Teva Pharmaceuticals. In 2011 she joined Chen, a cybersecurity professional, as his company’s office manager.

Gali and Chen relocated their family to the United States in 2014, spending one year in Rockville, MD, and three years in Castle Rock, CO. During this time, Gali worked various jobs but primarily focused on raising her children. In 2018, the Heffers returned to Israel and settled in the town of Kochav Yair, where Gali worked as Resources Manager and Vice President of Operations in Chen’s newly founded cybersecurity consulting company. Gali was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable brain cancer, in October 2019. Gali is survived by her husband Chen, her son Amit and daughters Yuval, Maayan, and Roni, her parents Nahum and Esther, and siblings Kinneret and Ishai.

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

45

ALUMNI EUGENE (GENE) KAMIKAWA ’73 died unexpectedly of natural causes on April 19 2021. Gene attended ASIJ from kindergarten through grade 12. He leaves behind his three sons, Anthony, Alexander, and Adam, and their families. He is also survived by his sister Ruth Meinke ’68 and brother Stephen ’75. He resided in Vancouver, WA.

ROBERT ALDEN MAGNUSON of Brewster, MA, died unexpectedly on December 24, 2020. Robert served on ASIJ’s Board of Directors and Board of Trustees between 1981–84 and was the director of finance for Northwest Airlines.

THOMAS MAYFIELD ’92, passed away on November 17, 2019 in Dallas, TX. After graduating from ASIJ, he attended college at Texas A&M University and Blinn College. He then went on to study technical theater at Texas State University.

Thomas worked as a stage lighting and sound professional in Austin, TX, and Las Vegas, NV. He is survived by his parents Joan Weaver Mayfield and Gary Mayfield, and his sister, Tamara Mayfield ’94.

KAYOKO PRIEUR (FF ’19–21), passed away on May 2, 2021.

Kayoko joined ASIJ in April 2019 and worked in the Business Office as the Director of Finance and Accounting.

Her twins Amélie ’32 and Luca ’32 were enrolled in the elementary school until shortly before spring break this year. Kayoko was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer in September 2020 and devoted the last year to fighting the disease and spending precious time with her husband Paul and her children.

46

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Obituaries SATOKI SANO ’77 passed away on November 27, 2020.

Satoki and his brother Tokuya ’89 both attended Nishimachi before graduating from ASIJ. Satoki spent 20 years at Hakuhodo Inc. as a marketing planner before he moved to an international agency and became COO for all global accounts. He started a selfowned consultancy from 2009, helping agencies develop client proposals and train employees. Satoki was also a lecturer on presentation skills for the Japan Marketing Association’s master course program and a professor at Meiji University, where he taught business studies.

ROBERT SILBERSTEIN ’84 passed away on May 27, 2020.

Robert was the founder of Genki Inc Atlanta and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He is survived by his wife Erin and their son Harrison and his sister Jennifer Salazar ’81.

STANLEY HOWARD SMITH (AP ’79–81) passed away on January 13, 2021 in Shelburne, VT. Stan spent six years in Japan as Executive Vice President of Allstate, during which time his son Craig ’81 attended ASIJ. Stan served as a member of ASIJ’s Board of trustees from 1980–85 and as a director from 1981–85. He was a prominent member of the expat community in Tokyo, where he also served as director of the American Chamber of Commerce and chairman of their Trade Expansion Committee and US-Japan Trade Study Group, as well as serving on the board of the Tokyo American Club. Stan is survived by his wife Beverly (AP ’79–81), daughter Tedley Pihl, sons Gary and Craig ’81, and five grandchildren.

PATRICIA HELSINGIUS SÖDERBACK ’76 passed away January 12, 2020 in Turku, Finland. Patricia attended ASIJ from 1973–76 along with her brother Patrick Helsinguis ’79.

Born in 1957 in Helsinki, Finland, Patricia graduated from ASIJ in 1976. She then moved to the US, where she received a BSc degree in environmental science

ALUMNI from Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1981. She then moved back home to Finland to continue studying at the Åbo Akademi University in Turku, where she graduated with a MSc degree in biochemistry in 1985. Patricia spent most of her working life at Wallac Oy, the Turku site of PerkinElmer, Inc, lastly as a Global Business Manager within maternal health.

Patricia met Tom Söderback while studying at the Åbo Akademi, and they married in September 1986. She is survived by Tom and their three children, Daniela, Thomas and Andreas, and her brother Patrick and his family.

ARNE SORENSON ’76 died February 15, 2021 at his home in Washington after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few years prior. He was 62. Arne was President and CEO of Marriott International, which grew to become the world’s largest hotel chain under his leadership. He was the company’s first CEO from outside the Marriot Family. He began his career as a lawyer in Washington DC, where he impressed Bill Marriott while representing his hotel chain in a 1993 court case. The two men became friendly and a few years later, Arne received an offer to join Marriot. Arne attended ASIJ for the 1964–65 school year along with his older siblings Robert ’72 and Mary ’74.

INGA THOMMESSEN ’74 passed away on December 3, 2020, at the age of 64. Inga attended ASIJ for 10th grade (1971–72) while her father was Norwegian Ambassador to Japan. An accomplished singer and musician, Inga appeared in Annie Get Your Gun when she was at ASIJ. Her love of music continued throughout her life and saw her write and release many songs. Inga settled in Odense, Denmark, where she worked as a language teacher/art therapist for immigrants from the Middle East.

PATRICIA VALENTINI ’70, who attended ASIJ for high school, passed away on February 5, 2021. Patricia’s siblings Malcolm McDonald ’76, Michael McDonald ’68, Jennifer Foley ’78 also attended ASIJ.

Obituaries WILLIAM WARDELL ’51 passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 19, 2021. He was 87 years old. Bill attended ASIJ in high school from 1947 along with his sisters Dorothy Wardell ’49 and Marian Hanna ’53. Bill was a retired Naval Officer, who reached the rank of Commander, and he spent 24 years on active duty, with 11 of them at sea. Bill served two tours on the USS Collett DD-730 as Gunnery Officer, Operations Officer, and Executive Officer while homeported in Yokosuka, Japan and was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan between 1960 to 1968. While stationed there he met and married his wife Ginny. His awards include Command at Sea Insignia, Naval Aviator Wings, Surface Warfare Officer Insignia, Bronze Star, 3 Air Medals, Navy Commendation Medal with combat ‘V’, Combat Action Ribbon w/ Gold Star, Navy Unit Commendation, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Quemoy and Matsu Islands, Taiwan) National Defense Service Medal w/1 Star, Vietnam Service Medal w/7 Stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Gallantry Cross w/ Palm, and Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal 1st Class.

THOMAS CHARLES WINN ’64 passed away on May 6, 2019 after a sudden and brief illness. Tom was born in Guatemala where his parents were assigned to establish Laubach literacy centers. He went on to live in Colombia, New York City, Kobe and Tokyo, where he graduated from ASIJ in 1964. Tom settled in Washington State where he attended Seattle Pacific College (SPU) before graduating from Western Washington University and subsequently receiving his Master’s in education from Leslie College. He pursued a career teaching in the La Conner School District. After retirement, he spent his time volunteering with the Washington Trails Association and the town of La Conner, including service as a Parks Commissioner. Tom is survived by his wife Mary and siblings John ’58, Elizabeth Meyer ’56 and Julia Pollock ’70.

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2021

47

The Big Short Big questions, Short answers

Sandy Blodgett joined ASIJ as a Spanish teacher in 2007 along with her husband Seth who teaches Math in the Middle School. Prior to ASIJ they worked at Blair Academy, a boarding school in rural New Jersey, for nine years. Their children, Maya ’20 and Cody ’18, are now ASIJ alumni.

Where are you from?

Ecuador, paradoxically, a country very similar yet so different from Japan.

What kind of student were you in school?

My parents come from humble backgrounds, thus I was raised to make the best of the opportunities you were given.

Therefore, I could not waste the chance to go to school and get educated. I was hardworking, conscientious, and curious.

I wanted to learn but also I wanted to understand how things worked.

Why did you choose to go into education?

I did not. Life offered me that opportunity, I gave it a chance, and I loved it. Actually, had you asked me in my 20s if I dreamed about being a teacher, I would have said you were crazy. When I landed on my first teaching post, at Blair Academy in New Jersey, I fell in love with passing on my culture, my language, my traditions, my love for who I am really.

Then, I realized, it was more than teaching Spanish, it was shaping kids lives and perspectives about the world and about people.

If you weren’t a teacher, what would you do?

I was in corporate America before teaching, but I guess I would have gotten tired of that kind of pressure and atmosphere. I always loved working for the environment and with people. I love helping people; perhaps I would have worked in tourism or community projects, something that has to do with the environment or helping people get to better situations.

What is your favorite thing about ASIJ? The students!

What is your favorite thing about Japan?

It’s so similar to Ecuador, yet so different. Let me start with the similarities: respect for authority, the elderly, and family traditions.

However, we are so different, Ecuadorians are so loud, happy, full of life. We play music and start dancing. Personal space— what’s that? We hug each other all the time!

Japan is so orderly, clean, respectful, and the people are so kind, helpful and polite.

What advice do you give your students?

Have fun on the weekends, make sure you have some balance in life. You have to study, have fun, sleep in, spend time with family and friends, laugh, be active and then if there is a bit more time, study. You will do great things wherever you go, no matter what, because it is the effort and attitude that matters most.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“Hmm… you know what I am saying?” and “Does this make sense to you?”

Who are your favorite writers?

Oh my … I’m going to cite two Spanish authors: Isabel Allende and Pablo Neruda.

I like romantic poetry and learning about history from personal experiences.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Rumiñahui, he was an Inca, from the town where my dad was born, who tried to save his brother and his hometown from the Spanish conquistadors. Unfortunately, he was captured, tortured and killed, yet he never revealed where the city treasures were buried. I hope to have the courage to fight for my family and country if the time comes when an invader arrives.

Which living person do you most admire?

Malala, she fought for her rights and the rights of women in a very harsh regime.

When and where were you happiest?

The beach when the sky is blue (or not) and there is no schedule. You can admire the beautiful blue shades of the ocean and enjoy the serenades of the waves crushing in the rocks, forming white foam in the white sand. Paradise, only if Seth is around!

Who are your heroes in real life?

Seth, he puts up with me!

What is your most treasured possession?

My past: it made me who I am and what I value. I’m not perfect but I strive to be a better person each and every day.

Illustration by Matthew Worsley 48

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

SUPPORTS THE

Grants and Speakers Series at ASIJ If your company would like to join in supporting this program, please contact donate@asij.ac.jp

Advancement Office The American School in Japan ASIJ / FBC USA 7055 Marcelle St Paramount CA 90723 Address Service Requested

Industry Meetup: Medical Research Early October, 2021

© The American School in Japan