SEPTEMBER 2022 | VOL. 11 | NO. 3

AATJ NEWSLETTER
全米日本語教育学会 American Association of Teachers of Japanese

Messagefrom thePresident

TOMOKO TAKAMIIn this issue...
FALL
CONFERENCEINFORMATIONMENTOR
INTERVIEWSERIESLEADERSHIPTRAINING REPORTINTERNATIONALCONFERENCE ON
JAPANESELANGUAGEEDUCATIONCALL FORPROPOSALS,SPRING
CONFERENCE
AND MORE!

I hope you all have enjoyed the summer. Another summer is approaching its end,and I hope everyone will have a chance to fully nourish their energy during thesummer months and welcome the new year ahead.
Many events and preparations are taking place at AATJ during the summer
months. We had the AATJ O-chatto on July 1. The topic was inspired by thefeature article "Our Challenges and Triumphs: Female Asian Faculty in
Leadership Positions in U.S. Colleges and Universities: Faculty in Leadership
Positions in U.S. Colleges and Universities" in Japanese Language and Literature(JLL) Vol 56, No. 1 (22). In addition to hearing directly from the authors of thisarticle about their experiences in leadership and careers, participants discussed
these topics together. My sincere gratitude goes to Junko Mori-sensei, Satoko
Suzuki-sensei, and the authors for organizing and speaking at this event. We
hope to consider creating opportunities to listen to our senpai’s experiences anddiscuss our career plans with them.
In late July, the AATJ-JFLA co-sponsored the Advanced Leadership workshop
under Yoshiko Abbott Saito-sensei’'s guidance. It was the final session of theyear-long series of workshops that began in the fall of 2021. It was nice to hear
the presentations of the participating teachers: a testimony of their leadership.
The AATJ Annual Fall Meeting, part of the ACTFL, will be held in Boston.
Takayuki Masai-sensei, Junko Tokuda-sensei, Yuko Prefume-sensei, and Jamie
Tateyama-sensei are preparing for this conference. It will be the first in-person
AATJ conference since the breakout of COVID-19. We will hold the AATJ
Annual Spring Meeting in person at the same time as the AAS. Shinsuke
Tsuchiya-sensei, Yoshihiro Mochizuki-sensei, and Jae DiBello Takeuchi-sensei
are preparing for it. The transition to the online conference during the COVID19 pandemic was undoubtedly challenging at times. However, we have also
found some advantages to doing virtually, such as the ability to attend fromhome. On the other hand, there is the limitation of not being able to meet inperson during the conference. Now that COVID-19 is under control, we areconsidering whether to hold future conferences 100% online, in a hybrid format,
or 100% face-to-face. We decided to have the spring conference in 2023 inperson this time, so we can see how it goes when it is back to 100% face-toface.
Finally, I would like to mention our rigorous initiative; we are reviewing the
AATJ's bylaws to make them even better for the future of AATJ. We have asked
our past presidents, Ann Jordan-sensei, Junko Mori-sensei, Motoko Tabusesensei, Joan Ericson-sensei, and our current DEI Director, William Matsuzaki1

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sensei, to take on this crucial task. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of these committee
members for their hard work. We will solicit questions and comments from members at the August 25 town hallmeeting and through an online form during August, followed by voting at the end of this year. Thank you in
advance for your cooperation.
As the new school year comes around again, I am sure you will meet and learn from new students andcolleagues. We wish you good health and success in your endeavors.

残暑お見舞い申し上げます。今年も夏があっという間に終わろうとしています。夏の間に皆さんが十分
英気を養われ、また新しく始まる一年を迎えていらっしゃるように、と願っております。
夏の間にもAATJでもいろいろなイベントや準備が行われております。7月1日にはAATJおチャットが開催されました。今回は４月に出版されたJapanese Language and Literature (JLL) Vol 56、No.1 (22) の特集記
事 “Our Challenges and Triumphs: Female Asian Faculty in Leadership Positions in U.S. Colleges andUniversities”を踏襲するもので、この特集号で執筆してくださった先生方に企画していただきました。リーダーシップについて、キャリアについて、執筆者の先生方のお話を直接聞くだけではなく、参加者が一緒に話し合う機会がありました。開催の準備をしてくださった森純子先生、鈴木聡子先生、執筆者の先生方、有難うございました。これからも先輩の経験を聞く機会、自分のキャリアプランなどを相談する機会などが作れないかAATJの方でも検討してみたいと思います。
また、７月下旬にはAATJ-JFLA共催のAdvanced leaders workshopが齋藤アボット佳子先生のご指導のもと行われました。2021年秋学期から１年にわたって行われたワークショップの最終回に相応しい、参加者の先生方のそれぞれのチームから素晴らしい活動の発表がされました。
例年行われるACTFLの一部として行われるAATJ年次秋季大会がボストンで開催されます。政井孝幸先生、徳田淳子先生、プレヒュ ーメ裕⼦先⽣と⽴⼭ジェイミー先⽣のご準備をいただいています。この学会がコロナ禍になって以来、初めての対面でのAATJ学会になります。また、AATJ年次春季大会はAASと同時に対面で行いますが、こちらの方も、土屋伸介先生、望月良浩先生、武内ジェイディベロ先生がご準備を進めてくださっています。コロナ禍、オンラインでの学会への移行は大変なこともありましたが、素晴らしいサポートチームに支えられ、また私たちそれぞれがオンラインの学会に慣れると、普段学会に行けない人も自宅から参加できる、など利点もあることが分かりました。一方で、セッション以
外の時間に直接会って話せないという限界もあります。コロナ禍が一段落ついた今、これからの学会をオンラインで行うか、ハイブリッドで行うか、100%対面で行うかはこれから学会で考えていく課題の一つでございますが、2023年の春学会は一度コロナ禍前に戻って対面で行ってみようという趣旨でござ
います。

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最後に新しい取り組みについてご報告があります。AATJの将来を考え、より良い学会となるように、
AATJの学会の現行規約を見直しております。この非常に重要な任務には前会長のアン・ジョーダン先生、森純子先生、田伏素子先生、ジョーン・E・エリクソン先生、そして現在DEIディレクターであるウィリアム松崎先生にお願いしました。この場を借りまして、委員の皆様に感謝を申し上げます。8月25
日のタウンシップのミーティング、そして、会員からの質疑をいただきまして、今年末には会員の皆様に投票をお願いする次第です。よろしくお願いいたします。
新しい学年がまた巡ってきて、新しい学生や仲間との出会い、学びがあることでしょう。皆様のご健勝とご活躍をお祈りしています。
長いようであっという間に終わってしまった夏休みが明け、新学年が始まりました。皆さまにおかれましてはフル稼働で頑張っていらっしゃることと思います。対面授業に戻ったとはいえ、まだまだコロナも終息とは言えず歯がゆい思いが先立つこの頃です。
今年１１月１８日から３日間ボストンで開催される秋の学会(ACTFL)は
対面でのセッションが可能になりました。オンラインでは味わえない
対面での交流の機会が持てますので多くの皆様のお越しをお待ちしております。
また、今年４月に全米の教師会の横の繋がりを強化するためのアフィ
リエイトMeet & Greetミーティングを開催しましたが、その第二弾をMessage
近く計画しております。今回は事前に各教師会の皆さまからトピックの案を出していただき、その中から絞って話し合いながらこれからのfrom the
発展につながるヒントが得られればと思っています。
Vice President さて、AATJではロゴマークを一新し、当会の内規改訂に取り組むな
MIEKO AVELLO
ど、より一層の向上に努めておりますが、何と言っても会員の皆さまとのコミュニケーションも同じく大切です。ご意見、ご要望、ご提案、ご質問の声などお気軽にご連絡ください。

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新型コロナウイルス感染症パンデミックが新しい段階に入った今、新学期の始まりとともに不安と心配が増していらっしゃる先生方も多いのではないでしょうか。ワクチン接種が進み、治療薬の開発が進みつつあるとはいえ、今後はこの種のウイルスと共存しながら生活設計、授業計画を考えていかなくては行かなくなりました。AATJも学会として何ができるかを考えながらすべての先生方のご意見やアドバイスをもらう中で前進していきた
いと思います。
この秋は11月にACTFLの対面での学会がボストンで開催されます。（今秋のACTFLはハイブリッドです）多くの先生方とボストンで再会できるのを楽しみにしています。また、来春の2023年のAATJ春学会も今回は一旦パン
デミック前の対面方式に戻してACTFLと同じく3月にボストンで開催することになっています。発表の申し込みや登録に関する詳細は学会からの案内
メールをお待ちください。
Message
AATJ主導のオンラインでのタウンホールミーティング、ウェビナー、座談from the会などはパンデミック期間中の経験を活かしながら継続してまいります。
傘下の各地域教師会のオンラインセミナーなどの予定がありましたら僕まPresident
たはAATJ本部までご連絡ください。AATJのホームページのカレンダーにも付け加えたいと思います。また、日本語教育関係の様々な情報には目を配Electっていますが、拡散が妥当な情報がございましたら、フェースブックやツ SHINGO SATSUTANI
イッターなど活用して協力させていただきますので、こちらの方もご遠慮なくお申し出ください。
パンデミックと相まって、日本語プログラムの継続が危機に瀕している教育機関があちこちに見られます。そのような教育機関や教育委員会に対してAATJとしてプログラム継続をお願いする正式なレターを準備するなど可能な限りの応援をしています。また、反対に日本語教育がこれから盛んになっていくよ
うな地域がありましたら、こちらもその現況を全米の日本語教育関係者みんなで情報共有していきたいと思っています。
AATJとして今後も引き続き安定した信頼できる組織として、また皆さんに積極的にかかわっていただけ
るような組織として発展していくために学会約款 (By-Law)を改定改善し、副会長をK-12からと大学教育
以上からの二人を選出し様々な仕事を分担していくことを目指します。
2024年にはアメリカでは2006年に次いで2度目となる国際日本語教育学会 (ICJLE)大会をウィスコンシン
大学マジソン校で対面で行いながらオンラインでも一部参加できるような形で開催いたします。K-12関係に関しては僕と副会長のアベロ先生が担当します。是非、ご意見をお伺いしたいと思いますのでよろしくお願いします。
さて、個人的には秋学期は全て対面授業で、毎春実施しているスプリングブレーク京都花見研修、夏季5週間京都日本語研修も実施OKとの通達が大学当局から来ました。私人としての僕ですが高校2年生になる娘はフィギュアスケーターとして全国大会を目指し、中学2年生になる娘は「芸術家」として初めての個展を京都で開かせていただきました。相方はKADOKAWAから作家として芽が出始めたようです。
地方の教師会に属していらっしゃらない先生方やAATJの傘下に入っていない教師会の先生方のお話も聞かせていただきたいのでsatsutan@cod.eduまでいつでもご連絡ください。

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Annual Fall Conference ACTFL 2022 in Boston
TAKAYUKI MASAI, YUKO PREFUME,JAIME TATEYAMA GUSMAN & JUNKO TOKUDA SIMPSONFALL CONFERENCE CO-DIRECTORSThe AATJ Fall Conference will be held in person in Boston during the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages (ACTFL) Annual Convention and World Languages Expo from Friday, November 18th, through Sunday,
November 20th, 2022. This year, three general sessions, over 150 on demand educational sessions, and the recorded
ACTFL Awards Ceremony will be also available for members who want to participate in the convention virtually.
AATJ will host ten sessions and twelve paper presentations, including eight practice-oriented papers and four
research-oriented papers. In addition, six pre-recorded sessions will be hosted. The complete schedule will be
posted at https://www.aatj.org/conferences-fall.
The AATJ Teacher Award Luncheon will be held in the Convention Center from 12:15 to 1:30PM on Saturday,
November 19th. This is a great opportunity to network with Japanese educators, supporters, and guests from thelocal community. The tickets are $60, and the last day to purchase tickets is November 13th. Please purchase aluncheon ticket when you register for the conference. AATJ will not sell tickets at our booth, and ACTFL will nothave tickets for sale on-site. If you have already registered but did not request a luncheon ticket, please go backonline to your account on the ACTFL website and add the luncheon to your registration, or contact ACTFL. When you
register, please verify that all workshops/special events are correct, as no changes or refunds will be permitted after
October 26th, 2022. If you decide to select another workshop after October 26th, 2022, you will be required to pay
the difference between the advance and the late pricing of the new activity selected. Those registering after
October 26th, 2022 will not be permitted to make changes to their selections once the registration process iscomplete.
Also, the AATJ General Membership Meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30PM on Saturday, November 19th. We areplanning to make this meeting an opportunity to reconnect with our members and celebrate our success over the
past two years. Please join us!!

2022 ACTFL-AATJ Schedule
FRIDAY, November 18th, 2022
AATJ Session in Room 152

7:00am8:00am

Wellness Event

8:30am10:00am

Opening General Session with Keynote Speaker (live broadcast)

10:15am11:15am

Exhibit Hall Opening with Welcome Coffee

10:30am11:15am

Exhibitor Workshops

11:30am12:15pm 1826
12:30pm1:15pm

Rebound Learning through Reflective, Feedback, and Creativity Assessments
Mieko Avello, Miami Palmetto Senior High School;
Kazue Masuyama, California State University, Sacramento(Language of presentation: Japanese)
Lunch Break / Wellness Event in Exhibit Hall
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AATJ Session in Room 152

1:30am2:15pm 1362

Open Pedagogy: Partnering with Students to Build Ownership of Learning
Junko Tokuda Simpson, University of California, San Diego
Yasu-Hiko Tohsaku, University of California, San Diego
Izumi Takeda, University of California, San Diego(Language of presentation: Japanese)
AATJ Paper Session <Integration of Technology>

1884
2:30pm3:15pm 1128

1793

3:30pm4:15pm 1140

Language Learning through COIL and Business Cases with a Focus on Diversity
Yoshiko Gaines, Baylor University(Language of presentation: Japanese)
Effectiveness of Integrating Reflection and Feedback in Online Courses
Noriko Fujioka-Ito, University of Cincinnati(Language of presentation: Japanese)
Participants' Attitudes toward Zoom Conversation Table among JFL Learners
Kiyomi Kawakami, University of Colorado Boulder(Language of presentation: Japanese)
Impact of COVID on Japanese Language Education and Future Directions
Yoshiko Saito-Abbott, California State University Monterey Bay
Junko Mori, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Tei Ann Jordan, The Laurasian Institute
Ryo Takehara, The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles(Language of presentation: Japanese)
AATJ Paper Session <Teaching Pedagogy>

1601
4:30pm5:15pm 2357

2246

5:30pm6:15pm 1850

Incorporating Anti-racist Pedagogy into the Foreign Language Classroom
Hiromi Takayama, Rice University(Language of presentation: English)
Fostering Autonomous Learning Through Shadowing Using Authentic Materials
Wakana Maekawa, MIT(Language of presentation: Japanese)
4 Steps to Transform Textbook Dialogues into Engaging Narratives
Megan Scarlet, Brigham Young University
Shinsuke Tsuchiya, Brigham Young University(Language of presentation: English)
Professional Development to Promote K-16 Japanese Language Articulation
Kazuo Tsuda, United Nations International School
Tomoko Graham, Harvard University
Michiko Homann, Boston Latin Academy
Kazuko Saito, Clarkstown CSD and CUNY
(Language of presentation: Japanese)

6:30pm7:30pm

President's Welcome Event

7:30pm9:30pm

AATJ Officers and Directors Meeting Room 207

SATURDAY, November 19th, 2022
AATJ Session in Room 152

7:00am7:45am
8:00am8:45am 1107

Wellness Event
Applications of Gather.Town in Japanese Language Instruction
Kazumi Hatasa, Purdue University
Yumiko Tashiro, Kenyon College
Samet Baydar, Purdue University
Kaho Sakaue, Purdue University(Language of presentation: Japanese)6

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AATJ Session in Room 152

8:15am9:00am

Exhibitor Workshops

9:00am9:45am

Meet the Exhibitors / Wellness Event in the Exhibit Hall

10:00am11:00am

General Session with Keynote Speaker (live broadcast)

11:15am12:00pm 1443
12:15pm1:30pm

Learning Forward with Descriptive Feedback
Mio Nishimura, Alisal High School
Yo Azama, Salinas Union High School District
Cameron Chien, North Salinas High School(Language of presentation: English)
AATJ Teacher Award Luncheon (Room: 205C)
AATJ Paper Session <Research on Written and Spoken Language>2100
1:30pm2:15pm 1103

2482
2:30pm3:15pm 2164

Role of Phonological Saliency in Kanji Learning
Hisae Fujiwara, Brandeis University
Etsuko Collins, University of Miami(Language of presentation: Japanese)
From Spoken to Written Japanese: Steps toward Academic Writing in Japanese
Nobuko Koyama, University of California at Davis(Language of presentation: Japanese)
Training and Language Learning Background vs. Japanese Sound Recognition
Shigeko Sekine, California State University Monterey Bay
Hana Jacinto, CSU Monterey Bay(Language of presentation: English)
Movie Analysis: Culture Comparisons and Social Justice Standards
Junko Yamamoto, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania(Language of presentation: English)

3:30pm4:15pm

Exhibitor Workshops

3:30pm4:30pm

Meet the Exhibitors

4:30pm5:15pm 1090

Social Emotional Learning: New Practice to Advance Students' Performance
Kiyomi Chinen, California State University Long Beach
Yoshiko Saito-Abbott, California State University Monterey Bay
Shingo Satsutani, College of DuPage(Language of presentation: Japanese)

5:30pm6:15pm 1724

Maximizing the Benefit of Digital Technology Use in the Japanese Classroom
Shinji Shimoura, University of South Florida
Mako Nozu, University of South Florida(Language of presentation: Japanese)

6:30pm7:30pm

ACTFL Professional Awards Ceremony

7:30pm9:30pm

AATJ General Meeting and Door Prize (Room: 205C)

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SUNDAY, November 20th, 2022
AATJ Session in Room 152

7:00am7:45am

Wellness Event
AATJ Paper Session <Task-Based Course Design>2243
8:00am8:45am 2324

1276
9:00am10:00am

New Assignment Design to Boost Motivation for Japanese Language Learners
Masami Ikeda, MIT(Language of presentation: Japanese)
Utilizing What We Learned from Remote Teaching in Our Classrooms
Rie Tsuboi, San Dieguito Academy
Shigeko Sekine, California State University Monterey Bay(Language of presentation: Japanese)
Project-based Learning in a 4th-year Japanese Literature Course
Ryu Kitajima, San Diego State University(Language of presentation: English)
Meet the Exhibitors / Wellness Event in Exhibit Hall

10:00am10:45am 1696

Virtual Apollo Japanese Project Connects Horizontally and Vertically
Masayo Oyama, United Nations International School
Kazuo Tsuda, United Nations International School(Language of presentation: Japanese)

11:00am12:00pm

Closing General Session with Keynote Speaker (live broadcast)

Pre-Recorded Sessions (45 minutes) also available:

1110

Using Subtitled/Dubbed Dialogues to Expand the JFL Linguistic Repertoire
Vance Schaefer, The University of Mississippi; Tamara Warhol, The University of Mississippi;
Kaoru Ochiai, The University of Mississippi

1295

Paving a Path for Language Justice for Nikkei Learners of JapaneseMimi Okabe, University of Alberta - Edmonton, AB

1471

Project Based Learning: Interview Projects for Beginner and Intermediate Levels
Naomi Larson, Cornell University

1879

Collaborative Social Contribution: Translating Tsunami Survivors' Stories
Yuko Prefume, Baylor University; Yayoi Takeuchi, University of North Texas;
Yuki Waugh, Texas A&M University

1943

Academic Emotions to Written Corrective Feedback by JFL Learners
Jun Takahashi, University of Nevada Reno

2409

Developing Mutual Learning Curriculum for Japanese Service-Learning Course
Keiko Kuriyama, IUPUI University Library; Yurika Kano, IUPUI; Alexis White, IUPUIOther:

2160

ACTFL Less Commonly Taught Languages SIG Paper Presentations
SATURDAY, November 19th, 2022 11:15am-12:00pm Location: Room 254B
Effective and Interactive Lecture Videos for Elementary Language Classes
Aya McDaniel, Arizona State University

Note: There may be more presentations which will be made by Japanese language educators or related to Japanese
language education. For details, please check the ACTFL 2022 Online Convention Program.
https://www.actfl.org/convention-and-expo/online-convention-program.
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The goal of the ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo is to provide a comprehensive professional
development experience that will have an impact on language educators at all levels of teaching and in turn enable
their students to succeed in their language learning process. The ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages
Expo is where language educators from around the world come to meet! This global event can bring language
educators from distinct languages, levels, and assignments together, and learn from each other!

Registration
Registration is already open! Please check the ACTFL site for further details. AATJ is a Convention Partner
Organization and you can register at a member rate.
https://www.actfl.org/convention-and-expo

Full Convention:
Onsite + Digital

Advanced(10/26/22)

Late(After 10/26/22)

Member$285$375

Non-Member

$400

$490

Presenter (Membership Required)

$235

$325

Student$90$135

One Day Onsite Only

Advanced (10/26/22)

Late(After 10/26/22)

Member$255$345

Non-Mmber

$355

$445

Digital Only*

Advanced(10/26/22)

Late(After 10/26/22)

Member$150$165

Non-Mmber

$265

$280

*Digital Only: A registrant for this category will have access to the live streaming of the three general sessions (laterviewable on demand), over 150 on demand educational sessions, and the recorded ACTFL Awards Ceremony.
To register for the ACTFL Convention, please go to this Registration page and click the “Register Online” button. If
you are a current AATJ member, be sure to scroll down the ACTFL 2022 Registration page and use “Convention
Partner Organization Registration” under Option 2 in order to register at the lower member rate.

Stipend Award Program
To apply, please go to https://www.actfl.org/convention-and-expo/stipend-award-program.
ACTFL sponsors this Stipend Award program to provide financial assistance in the amount of $500 to registrants for
the Full Convention in the following categories to help offset ACTFL 2022 Convention expenses. Applicants must
apply to ACTFL by Friday, September 14th, 2022. Applicants will be notified of the decision by Monday, October
10th, 2022.

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Housing
For details regarding hotel reservations, please go to https://www.actfl.org/convention-and-expo/housing.
Official Hotels:
Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport$265 Single/Double

Patron Run of House$275 Single/Double & Patron Q/Q $290 Single/Double

Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel$267 Single / $287 Double

Seaport Hotel$259 Single / $284 Double

The Westin Boston Seaport District$260 Single / $285 Double
For best availability and immediate confirmation, make your reservation online. Requests received via fax ormail may take longer to process. All hotel requests are processed on an availability basis. Please note that the
Destination DC/Passkey is ACTFL’s official housing company. Also, please note that no one will contact you
directly via phone/email to book your hotel room(s) or offer you a “special discounted conference rate.” There are
multiple scamming companies that call and/or email exhibitors claiming to represent ACTFL housing. To be clear,these companies are in no way affiliated with ACTFL. Please disregard any calls or emails you may receive.

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Mentor Interview Series

MOTOKO TABUSE
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

The two interviews published in this newsletter are two of four interviews with senior mentors in the Japanese language /Japanese studies field: individuals who are gifted teachers and who have also succeeded in the academic world,
becoming chairs, deans, and leaders in higher education institutions.
The four interviewees are:Janet Ikeda, Washington & Lee University – Liberal Arts Ambassador
Laurel Rasplica Rodd, University of Colorado – Program Builder
Bill Tsutsui, Ottawa University – Bridge Builder
Suwako Watanabe, Portland State University – Trans-Pacific Traveler
The interviews were conducted in 2019 – just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic – by Motoko Tabuse, a field
leader in her own right: Professor at Eastern Michigan University, Past President of AATJ, Chief Reader of the AP Japanese
Language and Culture program, and Director of the Middlebury Summer Language School and MA Program in Japanese.
Tabuse sensei talked with each of the mentors about their own career stories, their strategies for success in the “academic
hothouse,” and their advice for colleagues who are building their careers and looking for success of their own.
The interview series was made possible by a Sakura Network grant to AATJ from The Japan Foundation. We are gratefulto the Foundation for its support of Japanese language education in the United States and around the world.
In this issue, we present two interviews, one in Japanese and one in English.

Interview One: Janet Ikeda
This interview with Dr. Janet Ikeda was conducted in2019 in Lexington, Virginia, where she is an associate
professor at Washington & Lee University. She
served as President of ATJ from 2009 to 2012. She
also served as AATJ Advocacy Co-Chair from 2012 to2014.

Q: Please tell us a little about your career – thepath you took, what your present position is.
Ikeda: I often share with students that life is not astraight trajectory. You can plan as much as possible,
but things do not always go as planned, and perhaps
they should not always go as planned. I became interested in Japanese because of an extraordinary high school
teacher, Mrs. Jean Morden. She taught French in my Silver Spring, Maryland, high school, and I was an eager 9th
grader who took her class. When she decided to begin a Japanese language class two years later, I followed her into
the world of Japanese language. Jean Morden had trained at the U.S. Navy Language School in Boulder, Colorado,
during World War II and was in Japan during the Occupation. Her love of languages, her love of Japan, and her
general love of learning were infectious. I would have followed her anywhere because she inspired me to do my best.
She also taught me that you should love what you do. I think about how she learned about Japan under wartime
conditions and the wonderful way that she showed us how close the U.S. and Japan became during times of peace. In
my office I have photos of two strong women –one is of Jean Morden, and the other is of my “issei” grandmother asa child, just before she immigrated to Hawaii.
I went to the University of Hawaii from my high school in Maryland, and encountered another world. I think it helped
prepare me for eventually studying in Japan. The special culture of Hawaii, the closeness of the island people, and theincredible diversity of people from many nations were all part of my learning.
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I will be forever grateful for two undergraduate scholarships that changed the course of my life. I received the Crown
Prince Akihito Scholarship and went for one year of study in Tokyo at the Inter University Center. Realizing that I
needed to stay longer in Japan, I applied for and received the Sen Soshitsu Fellowship that gave me the opportunity
to study “chanoyu” at the Urasenke headquarters in Kyoto. In all, I studied in Japan for four years between my juniorand senior year of college! I jokingly call it the “four-year gap year” program. It was a special time in my life when I
had the freedom to explore.
During my three years at Urasenke I felt almost as if I had entered another time period. Dressing in kimono each day
made me feel like a military school student prepared for strenuous training. Today I teach at Washington & Lee
University in Lexington, Virginia. Our neighbor institution is the Virginia Military Institute. When the young cadets
run by in formation, I often think back to my tea training days. It is well known that one discovers more about self
than other when studying abroad. We think we’re learning about another culture and another language, but inretrospect it was really about self- exploration. One learns about character, what is important in life, and how one
wants to live a full life.
I returned to the University of Hawaii to do an honors thesis and then went on to graduate school at Princeton, where
I completed a Ph.D. in East Asian Studies. Because of my tea experience, I was drawn to the medieval period andstudied a warrior-poet known as Hosokawa Yūsai. At Washington & Lee University I teach Japanese language,
coordinate the Japanese program, teach Japanese literature in translation, and teach a very unique course about“chanoyu.”
As I often say in my class, focusing on tea seems like looking through a very narrow aperture at an esoteric traditionalart form. But in reality, the view opens onto a wide vista where one learns about various aspects of traditional culture,
modern society, and philosophical issues about one’s place in the world. In 2006 Washington & Lee built a “shoin”style tearoom for me to teach the course on “chanoyu.” http://tearoom.wlu.edu Each time I teach the class is a newexperience in which I lead students on a journey into the world of tearooms, the sound of boiling kettles, hanging
scrolls, tea bowls and scoops, and all the tastes, sounds and scents of this incredible microcosm.

Q: Why did you select the field you are in? What made you stay and continue in this field?
Ikeda: It was not easy as a Japanese American “sansei” to pursue a career in Japanese Studies. My father wasparticularly discouraging, from primarily a practical point of view. His generation did not have the luxury to study
literature or take time off to go to a tea school! I also realize that even though my “nisei” parents barely talked about
the war years, there must have been some complicated feelings of apprehension when I said I wanted to study more
about Japan. My own father had visited Japan once with the U.S. Army. He remembered in October 1945 seeing thecity of Tokyo devastated and war-torn. It did not occur to him why anyone would want to study Japan. My motherhad grown up in Hawaii and remembered that fateful Sunday morning when they looked up and saw planes heading
toward Pearl Harbor. She had only a rudimentary knowledge of Japanese culture from her own parents, but that did
not stop her from sharing songs, skits, kimono and food during my elementary school days in Ohio.
I continued to study Japanese after high school, because of my high school teacher. I remained close to her until she
passed away. She was responsible for starting the Japan Bowl in Washington, D.C., and I remember many times
when we stayed up late into the night going over the questions. I don’t know if I really planned on becoming auniversity professor, but it was a natural progression from completing a Ph.D. to find a job at a university. Onceagain, though, life was not a straight trajectory as I met my husband, who is Brazilian Japanese, and I spent a few
months living on his family’s intentional community farm in Brazil while I waited to give birth to our son. The
Japanese diaspora is a fascinating story. Although I did not grow up in a community with many Asian people, it wasinteresting to compare the experience of Americans and Brazilians during World War II and observe how the young
people of both cultures embrace and develop a cultural identity.
What I enjoy most about the field is working with students and trying to be as effective as Jean Morden in igniting
their interest and challenging them to do their very best. It’s not just teaching a subject, but helping them to grow as
young adults and learn to trust their instincts, be true to their nature, learn about integrity and respect, and hopefully
go out in the world eager to contribute and share.

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Q: What was the biggest challenge or most difficult situation related to your career? How did you overcome
the difficulty?
Ikeda: I think the biggest challenge is that we tend to work in silos. We tend to be people who sit in our offices or sit
in a library and pursue a dissertation topic for many years. When that is the majority of people who work in academic
institutions, then it’s a wonder we all come together. Think of today, with all the means of communication, theseemingly easiest way to communicate with a colleague who is two doors down is texting or emailing and waiting fora response. It’s a bit sad to think that those of us who teach language are sometimes not the best face-to-facecommunicators. In graduate school we weren’t given any seminar or lecture about how you work with colleagues at
an academic institution. No one ever taught you about the collaborative workplace. So, when you get out to the work
world, you have to make it up and learn from experience.
I think you quickly realize, especially in this day and age, in the field of world languages, that we must get out andnetwork; we have to advocate; we have to market our program. All of that, at least for someone like me, with myupbringing and with my personality, it was very foreign. I have gone through years of my career where I tried not tobe myself. I tried to imitate someone who would be much more outgoing. And it never worked because it is false. It
comes out as not genuine and sincere. So that’s one thing I learned. You have to be sincere, and you have to be true
to yourself and your own personality.
I look for models within the university. There are non-Asian colleagues who are very deferential, who are very quiet,
who are good listeners, but who speak up for themselves and their program and department. Those are the people I
look to as my models for my own interactions in the university. I learned that you must get out and talk with people.
You can’t just send an email. We need to interact at a social level. I think we can do more of that. It is a more
effective way to get to know your colleagues.
The other thing is getting to know your institution. You must know to some extent the history and the mindset of
the institution. You must know the mindset of the students and of your colleagues. What kind of colleagues are
attracted to teaching in this kind of environment? I have taught at a big state institution and I have taught at a small
liberal arts institution; I have had different kinds of colleagues. You must know the mindset of your administrators.
What are they looking for in a department?
I must remember the mindset of the learner. Of course, that is an ongoing challenge, because we are all working on
diversity. So even though W&L has become more diverse, I must understand the diversity of my students, not only
culturally but what mindset and abilities they are bringing to the classroom. We need to be sensitive to that.
Q: How did you learn to work successfully with colleagues in a school or department?
Ikeda: I don’t know if I can say “successfully,” but the secret that I have learned is that you have to be a lifelong
learner. You must be willing to listen to other people. Listen and have a genuine interest in what they are doing so
you can share what you’re doing. You must have an ability to also change and adapt and make a mistake. If you arewith colleagues and find out that they have better ideas, you must embrace that humility. The ability to say, “That’s abetter idea. I really appreciate your sharing with me. I think I am going to change course.” So again, not just being
rigid but being able to constantly maneuver with agility and flexibility. One thing about teaching a world language isthat we are always maneuvering between cultures. Being sensitive to nuance and cultural suggestion is a good skill tohave when you are dealing with colleagues from different parts of the country or of the world.

Philosophy and advice for younger colleagues
Q: Do you think leaders are born, or can leadership be taught or nurtured?
Ikeda: I think leadership is something everybody can do if they have a desire to do it. Some people are born withleadership traits, but certainly they can be learned. But it must come from deep within. You want to listen, and you
want to share your ideas. You always have this two-way conversation.

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I learned something important from a former colleague who was the head of a large French department. She said, “Ifyou are a good department head you must be a good servant. It’s not about leading--rushing in front holding a flag,
waving it and expecting everyone to follow you.” I interpreted it as meaning that you have a great desire to serve
your department. You have a great desire to be at the back. To be at the back and make sure that everybody has thematerial that they need to teach, that they are on course, that they are following the university rules, that they aredisplaying good pedagogy. But being at the back also means watching so that you can learn from them. You are notsetting up all the rigid parameters for the department. You are saying to them, “Tell me what you need.” “How can
we do this better?”.

Q: Do you have any advice for colleagues?
To younger colleagues, I would say first know who you are. You may be a shy and reticent person. You may be ateacher from another culture. You are here in an American institution, and you don’t feel 100% comfortable. And
that’s OK. It’s like study abroad. When I studied abroad in Japan and when I was in the tea school I didn’t doeverything perfectly, but I was there to learn and observe and see what the rules of engagement were and try tofollow them. So, I would tell young colleagues that you have to get out of your bubble. You don’t have to besomeone else other than yourself, but you need to talk to colleagues. You have to say to yourself, “I’d like to learn
more from my colleagues, and I would like to share when I am doing as well.” Just put it like that. You simply have to
say to yourself, “I must be like my students. I must sometimes feel uncomfortable, and deal with situations that are
new—maybe even a little bit fearful for me. I am going to get to know the people I work with. I am going to get toknow them on a professional level.”I think you need to take up inter-personal communication skills suitable for this country. We value looking people in
the eye. We value speaking openly and honestly to people. And so, you have to be a good learner of this society andyour own department. But it’s the willingness to want to learn from others. That’s what a leader is, I think. I want tolearn from you so I can be a better teacher, and so I can be a better person as well.
Maybe it all comes down to my favorite scroll that I use in the tearoom and that I brought back from Japan a year orso ago. We read an article in a tea class about teaching and learning at a Zen monastery: “Teaching and Learning in
the Rinzai Zen Monastery”, by Victor Sogen Hori. You will think “Oh boy, that’s about far away as you can get from a
21st-centruty academic situation in a US institution. But I learned so much from that article. Hori sensei talks about aphrase used at a Zen monastery for learning, and it’s the words(sessa takuma). I know that many Japanesegrow up with that phrase and understand it. But he talks about it in a unique learning situation. The phrase itself ends
with the word “polishing.” But only after the chipping and the chafing and the rubbing together—only after all ofthat are we polished. At the Zen monastery, it’s really the acolytes who are rubbing against each other, chastisingeach other, learning from each other, making sure everybody is on the same page. Without the help of the teacher,they are learning from each other in a tense situation. At the end, a bunch of rough stones rubbing against each all
end up being polished together. That’s what we all need to do as faculty.

切磋琢磨

We really need to do what we preach. We teach students many great ideas, and often we don’t incorporate them into
our own professional lives. Sometimes you will have to disagree with a colleague. Sometimes there are arguments.
But in the end, you are all working together for the same goal and you will all end up polishing each other.
One thing some of us need is to be able to come out of our shells and challenge ourselves. One book I recommend iscalled “Quiet” by Susan Cain. I love the subtitle: “The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.”
Believe it or not, even though I am very talkative, I know I am an introvert. I tend to be the person who wants to go
and sit quietly in the back of the room most of the time. But you can’t at a certain point. I could do that as anundergraduate, and I liked that because I like to observe from the back. But when you become a professor, you
become an advocate for your program. You can still be yourself, but you will need to find a comfortable way to speak
up and to engage with others.

Q: Do you have any advice to AATJ members about advocacy?
Ikeda: Basically, what I learned the hard way is that you can’t just advocate for your own language. You begin tosound like a broken record. “Oh, there she is talking about Japanese and the benefits of Japanese language, thebenefits of study abroad.” All very well and good. But you are only one small part—a part of a whole. So, I realized
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one day that I had to advocate for all world languages at W&L. I teamed up with a colleague and we brought
everybody together, because we were all in separate departments. We petitioned the university to change the namefrom “foreign languages” to “world languages,” which I think is very important and I encourage everybody to do so
because we are not studying something “foreign.”. This is a global world. This is a global economy. We need to thinkin those terms. We need to think of world languages.
We included the ancient languages, Greek and Latin, and we worked with the news and communication office here todevelop a beautiful logo of world languages. It lists all the 12 languages that fulfil the language requirement, with thelanguage names in the original languages. It’s beautiful and visually appealing. That was the most radical thing wehave done it at W&L. Last year we sent out a homemade flyer to all the academic advisors, listing all 12 world
languages. We made it in about 5 minutes. There were people from our own institution who came up to us and said,“We have 12 world languages at W&L! I did not know that language X fulfilled the language requirement.” Werealized even at our own institution people who are advising students don’t realize what we have—it’s like asmorgasbord, like a buffet.
So, I would advise colleagues to join with other colleagues. We can’t work in silos. We can’t compete against eachother. There is a lot of that. It just does not work, because students are too smart. They know when two departmentsor two professors are trying to sway them -- fighting over the students because they want numbers in their own
department. I think that is immoral and unethical. I want students to take a language that is important to them, notto boost my numbers in Japanese. Of course, I will advocate for Japanese because I know a little bit more about
Japanese and I can tell you about it, but I also studied French and Chinese, and there are other fascinating languages;
students should find what engages them. We must encourage students to be risk takers. We must get them to
explore the world on a global level, when the irony is that many academics are working in silos. Let’s recognize theirony so that we can interface as educators, get out of our comfort zone, and do what we preach.

Q: What do you do when you feel stressed? What is your stress-relief strategy?
Ikeda: It will seem odd that my greatest source of happiness involves stress, or what I would call a healthy dose oftension. I am most happy in the tearoom preparing for an event. It is in no way “relaxing,” but the total focus on thetask at hand is a way to get away from the endless number of distractions. Our gadgets are constantly begging forour attention like a willful, and almost naughty, child. If we succumb too much, we begin to lose sight of what is mostmeaningful in our lives. The study of tea is a way to quiet the mind, focus on what needs to be done, and movequickly and nimbly.
At home I am an avid bird watcher. Although very much an amateur photographer, I document the daily interactionsof birds, deer, and sometimes an occasional bear. I share these with family and close friends and perhaps in somesmall way offer them a window to another part of the world. I think studying and teaching Japanese literature has
shown me that nature, if we sit still and closely observe, can be the greatest teacher. In some small way, I feel thesephotographs become like haiku poems -- a snapshot of a fleeting moment.

Q: What makes you happy professionally?
Ikeda: Sending students off into the world and having them reconnect is so rewarding. I know that I can be a rather
strict teacher, but I am hoping it will benefit them in the world beyond college. When they return to campus, send an
email out of the blue, or want to do a Zoom lunch, it is rewarding just to hear their stories of achievement andfulfillment.

Q: What do you think would be the ideal situation for Japanese language education in the United States?
Ikeda: Unfortunately, we seem to be placed in positions of competing with other languages in a struggle overresources, enrollment numbers and maintaining teaching positions. What is often lost is what the student wants orwhat we want. It is a joy teaching Japanese language to undergraduates because it often is like entering anotherworld with them – the different writing systems, the magical way that words and grammar intertwine, the nonverbal
aspects of communication, the special idiomatic phrases or proverbs that speak volumes about the culture.
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But I’ve come to believe that we are teaching so much more than all of this. We are preparing our students toembrace diversity and inclusion. I want them to be able to sit in a room or a virtual meeting with people fromnumerous cultures and effectively know how to listen, communicate in a clear manner (even if it is in English), be
respectful, be intuitive and sensitive to the cultural nuances of others. We prepare students to be “global citizens” and“world -ready” and forward-looking. We want them to demonstrate a communicative and cultural competency in the
global workplace; to possess an awareness, respect, and empathy for others; to maintain a global perspective inworking with others, understand that diversity and inclusion involves the whole world, and work their hardest to be
bridges between cultures.

Q: What does language instruction look like in the digital world?
Technology is now an indispensable part of our world, and the new tools that come out each year keep us all freshand engaged. But it is also easy to hide behind the technology or to allow the technology to harness our attention
instead of our ability to control the technology. I dislike it when technology glitches ruin the lesson. It takes practiceand the ability to nimbly jump aside and do something else if some machine, app, or website does not work. Making
sure the technology works perfectly sometimes take away from really looking into the students’ faces andunderstanding their world. The tools are fun and fancy, but it is the human contact and sincere interest in helping
students learn that is the most important.
I will never forget a Japanese pedagogy workshop I took at Cornell University many years ago. It was probably before
the days of PowerPoint! It was led by the late Professor Eleanor Jorden and a crew of incredible Japanese language
instructors. The most riveting demonstration drill was done with nothing more than a paper cup!

Interview Two: Bill TsutsuiThis interview with Dr. Bill Tsutsui was conducted in 2019 at
Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, where he served as the
11th President. In 2021 he became the Chancellor of Ottawa
University, a private comprehensive institution with residential
campuses in Kansas and Arizona.

Background
Q: Please tell us a little about your career – the path you
took, what your present position is.
Tsutsui: My parents are both professors. So I’ve been on college
campuses my whole life and it was almost inevitable that I
became a professor. I grew up in central Texas; my parents
taught at Texas A&M University. When it came time to go away
to college, I wanted to get as far away from that little town as I
possibly could. So, I went to Harvard, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I ended up being an East Asian Studies major
there, and I was really influenced by one of my freshman teachers, Ezra Vogel, who was a sociologist of East Asia. His
course, called “Industrial East Asia,” really caught my attention. By the time I was a senior I was really lucky, and I
won a scholarship to study in England, so for two years after I graduated I was in Oxford doing a degree in modern
Japanese history. I worked on banking and financial history in Japan.
When that was over, I thought I needed to get serious and get a career and a job, so I came back to the States andwent to law school. I lasted all of six weeks—although I could have told you after six minutes that law school reallywasn’t for me. I decided then to go and get a PhD in what really was my love, which was Japanese history.
I went to Princeton. I had a tremendous experience there working on Japanese business history and launched into
what I thought would be a very traditional academic career. My first job was at the University of Kansas, which had a
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big Asian Studies program, and they also gave my wife a position in the English department. For 17 years I lived thelife of a faculty member—doing research, teaching, and I started doing administrative work pretty early on. I became
Director of the Center for East Asian studies, which is a National Resource Center funded through federal grants.
I also served as department chair and then later as Associate Dean for International Studies. In those 17 years, I think
I sat on every committee on campus: I was chair of the athletics committee, on faculty senate, the calendar
committee—you name it, I did it.
But after all that time I really felt I needed a change of pace and a change of scenery. And one day I got a phone callfrom a headhunter asking me if I was interested in positions as a dean. I ended up going to Southern Methodist
University in Dallas and became the Dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, the liberal arts core at
SMU. I had a wonderful experience. I learned a lot there about fundraising, and about working with the larger
community in particular. But after only four years I got another call, this time from a friend who I had gone to grad
school with in Princeton. She asked me if I had heard of a place called Hendrix College. I said, “I have faculty here
from Hendrix College. They’re smart. They’re good people. It has a great reputation.” She said, “Could you and yourwife live in Arkansas?” I put my hand over the phone and asked my wife, “Could we live in Arkansas?” Maybe it wasa weak moment, but she said, “Sure. We could live in Arkansas.”
I came up and saw the campus and fell in love immediately. This is a beautiful place with wonderful people. It’s a very
traditional liberal arts college with just over 1000 students, and I’ve been President here for the past five years.

Q: Why did you select the field you are in? What made you stay and continue in this field?
Tsutsui: At every point in my life, I felt I knew exactly what I wanted to do. And I have found that I was 100% wrong
in all those assumptions. When I went to college, I was convinced that I was going to go into business. I wanted to bean economics major. In freshman year I signed up for EC10, one of the biggest classes at Harvard. I had a wonderfulteacher and I learned a lot. I got an A. But I didn’t like it. When I actually took economics, I felt it was essentiallymath; it wasn’t really about people. I couldn’t relate to it on some deeper level. Instead, from the beginning it wascourses in the humanities that really spoke to me. The introductory history and sociology courses that I took reallybegan to give me a sense of how people make a difference and what the stories are that drive change over time.
I was interested in Japan, of course, because my father was Japanese. I’m half Japanese. My father came to thiscountry in the 1950s and met my mother in grad school. So I have been interested in Japan my whole life. I’ve been
traveling to Japan to see my family since I was nine years old. I also love the history of Japan because it was such atumultuous, busy, and remarkable story. So much happened in Japan in modern history, over the span of just over a
century. I was interested in understanding it better. So that really drove me as an undergraduate and through mymaster’s degree.
When I finished up in England, that’s when I said, “Boy, I really need to have a real job now. I’ve had fun; I’ve studied
all about Japan and Japan’s economy, but now I have to get serious.”
Like lots of folks back in the 1980s, I’d been watching “LA Law.” I’d seen people with fancy suits and nice cars
working in skyscrapers. Most of my roommates from college had gone on to law school. So I said “I’ll go to law
school, too.” But I just did not enjoy law school at all, because again, like economics, I felt it was strangely inhuman.
It was very systematic, very rigorous, and very logical, but those emotions—those stories that I really had come tolove in history—weren’t there. So I dropped out of law school. I went back to graduate school, and I’ve been happy
ever since with that decision.
One of the beauties about being a historian, and being an academic, is you can study whatever you want. So whereas
I started out studying business and economic history—and I am pretty sure that’s why I got my first teaching job,because what people cared about in Japan in the 1990s was the Japanese economy—over time I have gone in very
different directions. Probably most famously, at some point in my career I discovered I should go back to my firstchildhood love, which was Godzilla movies. I started working on those, studying those, writing about those movies,
and I suspect when my obituary is written, it will not talk so much about business history as about my love for a big
movie monster. It has been a huge amount of fun to do that. And the beauty of an academic career is that it gave me
the opportunity to have that freedom.
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Q: What was the biggest challenge or most difficult situation related to your career? How did you overcome
the difficulty?
Tsutsui: That’s a wonderful question, and not an easy one to answer. But I think, for me, one of the big decisions has
always been undertaking transitions in my career, making essentially a complete change. After 17 years at the
University of Kansas, I knew everything about that campus. I knew where all the skeletons were buried; I knew how
to get things done; and people knew me. I knew them. It was a very comfortable place to work. I easily could havespent my whole career there, doing what I’ve been doing—teaching, research, doing administration, service. . . .It wasvery appealing to be in a situation that was comfortable. But after all that time, I really felt, “I’m not being
challenged as much as I could be. I’m not learning as much as I need to be. I should do something different."
And it was hard to get to that point because we had a house, my wife and I both had jobs, and we were wellestablished in our community. Deciding, “Maybe we should pull up stakes and go someplace else”—that was thehardest decision I had to make but also the best decision to make. I was lucky, because my next job worked out reallywell for me. But it was sort of a leap of faith to say, “I spent a large part of my life in this place with this institution,with this group of people; colleagues that I really like; students I really like. But now, for the good of who I am, I
need to try something fresh. And there was a hard time when I thought, “Oh gosh, am I abandoning the institution I
work for and the people I worked with?” I still feel guilty about that, but I think I learned that sometimes you have to
make those choices, and it’s better for everyone in the end.

Q: How did you learn to work successfully with colleagues in a school or department?
Tsutsui: That’s one of those things that when you’re doing it, you don’t think about it a lot. But then in retrospect
you begin to understand how you built the relationships that allowed you to be successful in an academic and acampus setting.
One piece of advice I give to everyone is to say “Yes” to opportunities early in your career: do things, even things that
don’t seem that attractive or interesting. Take them on if they give you an opportunity to learn something new, andto interact with people in a meaningful way. I remember at Kansas there were certain committee assignments andjobs in the department that nobody particularly wanted. I stepped up and said “I volunteer. I’ll do that.” When I did
that, I said to myself, “I gotta work really hard to be successful at this, to do well; but I don’t want to do it forever.”
One of those was being our department’s Honors Coordinator. I had to run seminars and work with a lot of faculty
and students. It was very, very time-consuming. There was a lot of paperwork involved. So none of my seniorcolleagues wanted to do it. But I said, “I’ll do it.” That job gave me the opportunity to learn more about mycolleagues and to make some really strong relationships with students, and to grow as a young professional. But after
two years I said, “That’s enough. I really don’t want to do this anymore.” But because I managed to do a good job,
people said, “OK, that’s fine,” and I could move on to something else.
I have an alumnus at Hendrix who is a CEO of a big technology firm in Silicon Valley. The advice he gives to all young
people is, “Play in the traffic.” Kids are usually told, “Don’t play in the traffic because it’s dangerous.” What he says
is, “Play in the traffic because you always want to be around where something is happening.” My advice is about thesame: say “Yes,” join in, be part of things, learn how things work, but don’t get stuck doing the same thing forever.
Keep moving on and learning new things and expanding your contacts and your abilities.

Q. What is the most rewarding part of your career?
Tsutsui: There are lots of rewarding parts of a career. That’s the beauty of an academic career. We are so fortunatethat there are so many dimensions to the jobs that we have. It’s not like we spend 24 hours a day teaching or 24hours a day with our faces in a book doing research or on committees. We get to mix up so many different things. So
I think from all parts of my career I’ve had tremendously rewarding aspects.
A very important one is working with students and colleagues and seeing their progress over time. I had a student at
Kansas who took one of my classes in his first semester of freshman year. He ended up going on the JET program,then coming back to Kansas to do his master’s degree. Then he ended up getting his PhD in Japanese history at
Kansas. Now he’s a tenure-track faculty member at a university here in Arkansas. It’s amazing that our lives have
moved in parallel like this, but I’m so proud of all that he has achieved.
I also really take a lot of pleasure from seeing projects come to fruition. When you work on something hard and
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make it work, that is really rewarding. I was the founding Director of the Confucius Institute at Kansas, which is a
strange story because I studied Japanese history and don’t know a huge amount about China. But I have sort of anentrepreneurial streak in me, and when the opportunity came to the campus, again I stepped up and said, “I’ll do it.”
Nobody else wanted to, so I said, “I’ll take it on.” We built it into one of the top Confucius Institutes, not just in
America but in the world. I got great recognition for doing some wonderful things in schools and with businesses in
Kansas City. That was a rewarding experience.
The funny thing is that research is one of the most painful aspects of academic life for me. One of the most difficult
experiences in life for me is writing anything serious. I sweat, it takes me a long time, and it’s difficult. Sometimes
there’s nothing so rewarding as going back five or 10 years after I’ve written something, and I can’t remember evenhaving written it, and reading it again and saying, “You know, that’s not so bad. That was actually a pretty goodpiece.” That is joyful as well.
Interviewer: I still remember the paper you wrote when you were my student about an ordinary American person whochanged the course of history.
Tsutsui: That’s one of the beautiful things about studying history - and especially studying history now. If you studied
history a century ago, you mainly talked about kings and princes and prime ministers and things like that. Now you
can study the ways in which “average” people made a huge difference in how we all live and how we view the world.
People like that, and people in business, have a tremendous impact.
Frankly, I think the people who created Godzilla left a huge legacy to the world. When you ask people globally tothink about Japan, one of the things that often tends to come up is this big movie lizard. It makes no sense, and yet
it is fun and it’s educational. Learning about those movies teaches you a lot about Japanese history and culture,especially since World War II. Little did those people know back in 1954 when they were making that first movie thatthey were contributing to Japan’s soft power and our understanding of Japan around the world.

Philosophy and advice for younger colleagues

Q: Do you think leaders are born, or can leadership be taught or nurtured?

Tsutsui: I will tell you a little secret. I was actually born a very shy, quiet person. Most people don’t believe that today,
meeting me now, because I’m very outgoing and particularly I’m very loud. But until I was about six or seven years old
I don’t remember speaking in public. I just was quiet all the time. I would talk to my parents and have them speak forme, but I didn’t want to speak to anyone I didn’t know. It has been a very long process by which I changed from really
being very introspective—almost a withdrawn person—to being who I am today. I never said, “I’m gonna try to be
more outgoing.” I never said, “I’m gonna try and learn how to behave in a different way.” It just happened over time.
In the situations that I was in and in the ways that I challenged myself, I learned that I needed to be a little bit more
outgoing.
Teaching was really important for me in that respect. I think a lot of naturally shy people find that when they get infront of a classroom it changes who they are. So for me that was an important point. The other important point wasgoing to Japan to do doctoral research and living for a long time in Japan, where it would’ve been very easy to be shy
and say nothing. But I tried and push myself to really learn the language and be part of a community. That I thinkdrove me to a new level.
So I would say I don’t think leadership is inborn. I think people can change, and they do change. I’m not sure the way
to become a leader is to take a lot of courses on leadership or go to seminars or anything like that. I think the best
way is to find role models out there that you can learn from. Find mentors who can help you along the way.
Particularly important, I think, is observing leaders who you feel are not doing a good job. Learn from the negative
example as well as the positive. So many times in my life I’ve said, “I don’t want to be like that guy or that woman,”and I’ve tried to model my behavior in different ways.

Q: How would you train a younger colleague to become a leader?
Tsutsui: A lot of it is taking on a variety of different roles. That goes back to saying “Yes” to doing a lot of things. I
don’t think there is one path toward leadership for anyone. I think what is really important is putting yourself in
positions where you can learn about what your strengths are and what your weaknesses are. That allows you then towork on those weaknesses—to educate yourself and build yourself in those ways but also play to your strengths,
whether that’s motivating other people, bringing groups together, working in teams, or else simply doing a lot of the
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backroom work that makes any organization run. Maybe that’s where you want to put your energy. But the way tofind out where you can work best and what you can do to make yourself more effective is to be really engaged andinvolved.

Q: How do you advise younger colleagues to build relationships within a department or an institution?
Tsutsui: I would say to everyone: Be present. Go to things. If your colleagues are giving seminars or talks, attend
those. If there are ceremonies for your department for recognizing graduating seniors or if there are senior capstone
presentations, go to those. Invest your time in others.
Showing generosity of spirit and committing to being involved in a community are very important. Throw yourself infeet first and commit to that. Because that means a lot to other people—other people who feel strongly about you in
return.
Find a mentor. Find people who you respect. Be overt with them and say, “I’d like to learn from you. There are things
that you do and the way that you do things that I think are phenomenal. Can you help me become more like you?” I
have never known anyone who has not responded with an enthusiastic YES to that. “Let me help you.” It really is
about building relationships.
The other thing would be: Stay on top of things. One of the things that colleagues really appreciate is someone whowill return their email, be on time, deliver on promises—little things. Being that person—responsive and responsible—is a great way to earn the respect and trust of others.

More Personal

Q: What do you do when you feel stressed? What is your stress-relief strategy?
Tsutsui: I think with the world we live today, people feel stressed all the time. I’m not sure there is such a thing as a
stress reliever. But I think I am like a lot of folks in terms of what I do. Exercise is important. I work out probably
four or five times a week. Walking as much as possible is important for me as a time where I can clear my mind. I try
not to have my cell phone on, but I will say I do like Pokémon GO!, so I’m often playing as I walk. Video games—I do
play games on my phone quite often. Having hobbies, I think, is really important, too.So for me sometimes the bestrest reliever is going home after a tough day and cook dinner. Or helping my wife out in the garden. I don’t likegardening and I know nothing about plants, but I can tell a weed when I see one, and my job is to pull them up.

Q: What makes you happy professionally?
Tsutsui: Over time it transitions from being “joy” in one’s own accomplishments to “joy” in the accomplishments ofothers. Before you get tenure, you are naturally very focused on “What am I doing?” and when something comes upthat you can put on your CV, you’re thrilled. When you get an invitation to give a talk, or participate in a seminar, getappointed to a committee, that’s something you can be proud of, and that’s great. What I found is that after doingthat for a few years it didn’t give me much pleasure anymore. I knew I could achieve those things with the rightamount of time and the right amount of effort. What was a bigger challenge was finding joy in what others could do.
Working with students who didn’t seem the most promising at the beginning and seeing them be successful and thengrow and make good choices in their life—that became really joyful. Seeing junior colleagues who came on board
and maybe came to me and asked me to help mentor them go on and do things even better than I had—that’s really
joyful. There is plenty of such joy to go round in the world we live in today. Sometimes it is easy to focus on thenegative, but if you are generous of spirit and invest in others’ success, there’s always something to smile about.
Q: What advice do you have for younger colleagues who are trying to build a successful career for themselves and also
to advocate for their program and for language education in general?
Tsutsui: It is a really interesting and difficult question, because there is a natural tendency for people to want tobecome cheerleaders for their program. I understand that completely. I was on both sides of that. As a faculty
member and then as a center director and department chair, my job was pushing the agenda of the unit I was
associated with. But I’ve also been on the other side ride, being a dean and now a president, hearing that advocacy
from members of the faculty.

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My advice is: The first and most important thing is doing a good job in the classroom. If you are being successful inteaching students and attracting students; if you are doing everything a department needs to do in terms of researchand service and so forth—that’s where I would focus my energy first. Make sure you are fulfilling your mission. Then,
when you’ve done that, start making sure that other people know about it. So don’t go out with a big pitch until you
have done all that you can to make your program worthy of that pitch. People can see through it pretty quickly.
Everybody now understands they need to advocate for their language, their department, and their program.
I think one thing that people underestimate is how many different kinds of information make a difference in making
those cases. For some administrators, numbers are all that matter. So be sure and have your numbers in all cases. For
some administrators, stories would make a big difference. I’m one of those suckers who, rather than seeing data,
would rather hear about the great students, the wonderful accomplishments of the faculty members, the community
outreach program that works really well. Know how to use stories.
In the day and age we live in today, what medium one uses to transmit this information is critical, too. If it goes out
on Twitter, I’ve missed it. Facebook—maybe I’ll get it. Send me an email, I’ll get it. Knowing how to communicate aswell as what to communicate is a challenge I didn’t face so much when I was starting on my career. What I would tellpeople is the best program is one that sells itself—where the reputation is strong and where the students will say
great things. You just have to sort of nurture that, rather than really be out there and selling it heavily.
Interviewer:

謙譲の美徳 - The bottom line is to teach well and have good classes.

Tsutsui: That’s it exactly. If there are people in your department who are a little bit better at marketing and puttingthat public face on speaking about your accomplishments, set them up to really focus on making that case to theadministration, to the larger community, or whatever.
I really am sympathetic to this idea of not wanting to put yourself forward. I grew up with a Japanese-American
father, and he wanted me to get an A in everything. The belief was really instilled for me from the time I was a kidthat as long as you did well and got that A then everything would work out. We know that that’s not quite true. It’s
the start of things, but once you do get that A then you have to find ways of making sure that others notice thewonderful things that you were doing. Not in terms of bragging about yourself or being arrogant, but just in terms of,“Hey, look! We’ve got a good thing going here. We have ideas to share with others. We have things to learn fromothers. But we’re really furthering the mission of this institution.”

Q: What do you think about the current two-tier system in foreign language departments between tenuretrack positions and insecure lecturer and instructor positions? Can anything be done to improve theprecarity of these positions?
Tsutsui: This is a really important question for the academy today and a tough question, especially with the situationof higher education in the United States and indeed globally. So, there’s a part of me that might be sort ofpessimistic on this and say the direction we’re going in American higher education today might well be that precarity
is for everyone rather than just for people who are on non-tenure track contracts.
Going forward, I think that we’re going to see a lot more instability. When I started as a college professor I expected
I would have a job for life, and I thought I would probably work for the university I first worked at for the rest of mycareer. I think a lot of young people today don’t see the world like that anymore. They don’t see this stability as
comforting. Instead they see that lifetime job as being almost a sort of prison that’s holding them in. I think we’regoing to see some transitions, not just in how we deal with contingent faculty but also in terms of tenured andtenure-track faculty as well. I think it is incumbent upon universities, though, to find ways within the restrictions wecurrently have (in terms of finances and flexibility and so forth) to offer people as long a contract as we possibly canand to really work hard to bring more parity in terms of compensation and benefits and expectations for the people
who are on contingent contracts.
This unfairness is not consistent with who we are as people and who we are as institutions and what we're trying toteach our students. I’ve been really pleased that since I’ve come to Hendrix, we reduced the number of adjunctpositions that we used to have. We put more people on longer-term contracts, but in particular we focused on hiring
tenure-track faculty. Because those are the people who are most committed to the institution and are able to givethe most to the students.

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Q: What do you think would be the ideal situation for Japanese language education in the United States?
Tsutsui: One of the things that, for me, is really important is having opportunities for people across the country to beable to learn Japanese. Here in Arkansas we have a small handful of Japanese language programs at the K-12 level.
There aren’t many teachers and not many programs, but there are a lot of students who are interested.
I know a lot of students who have used technology to begin studying Japanese when they’re in middle school because
they’ve been turned on by popular culture. They want to know more about Japan; they want to travel to Japan—but
it’s not offered, not just in their town, not just in their own county, but not in most of the state of Arkansas. They
have the opportunity to get some exposure through technology, but I would love to see a future where Japanese
language teaching is offered in many if not most school districts in the United States. Then Japanese becomes one ofthe very top languages taught in this country. I know presently it’s number five or something like that. Given thesignificance of Japan to America, to the world economy, to world culture, I would love to see Japanese become oneof the top three languages in the country. But that’s going to take a long-term investment in training teachers andreally convincing schools and communities that this is a priority.
We have a very inequitable education system in this country. The school districts that have the resources to put into
something like Japanese language generally tend to be wealthy suburban school districts. That’s wonderful; there’s noreason why kids in the suburbs shouldn’t have the opportunity to learn Japanese. But here in Arkansas, we have a lotof small, poor, rural communities where they barely have the resources to offer English, math and a little bit ofscience.
The challenge is finding ways that we as a society can address these inequities and make sure that we can reach atown like Helena, Arkansas-- a majority African-American community with very low socioeconomics. A huge numberof people there love Japan. They are interested in anime and manga and would die to have the opportunity to travel
to Japan, but just don’t have the resources to do so. The challenge is on us. How can leaders at the government level,
nationally, and at the state level, help folks get this access?

Q: What does language instruction look like in the digital world?
Tsutsui: You know, it’s funny. Technological change is all around us, of course. Yet it strikes me the technologicalchange is additive. I remember when the Internet began, remember getting my first computer, remember getting myfirst email account. And I remember people saying when the Kindle appeared, “Oh, paper books will disappear.”Paper books haven’t disappeared. I think traditional publishing is growing. “We’re not going to have regular mailanymore. It’ll all be digital marketing.” I still get piles of advertising in my mailbox. Every time a new technology
appears in this world, we’re thinking it will replace an old technology, but actually it just scaffolds upon it.
The challenge we have is how we use the digital to supplement what really is the proven basis for effective language
pedagogy—which is face-to-face human connection and communication. Honestly, I think for most of us we are notlearning a language so we can type on our phone in Japanese. We are learning Japanese so we can go to Japan, so we
can communicate with people, so we can make friends in Japan. I don’t think the best way to learn that is necessarily
through digital flashcards. Will that help us do that? Yes, but it doesn’t replace the teacher in the classroom in schoolor university.

Q: What kinds of Japanese study did you enjoy the most?
Tsutsui: I have to say that I learned more in the 8-week intensive language instruction I had one summer at Indiana
University than I learned in years and years of instruction during the academic year where I was doing 10 other thingsin addition to Japanese. Being able to have that focus on the language and have it infuse all parts of your life—that
was absolutely critical to me.
When I was studying Japanese among other classes, both as an undergraduate and then as a PhD student, Japanese
didn’t seem fun to me. It seemed like something I was working hard to technically master. It was like I was taking
courses on history, which I loved, and then I was taking Japanese, which was like taking physics—something I had to
get through. When I took it over the summer in that intensive format, of course there was a lot of that hard work andfocus on how do I get my verb tenses right—what’s my vocabulary—what does it look like; but there was also a lot offun. And being able to do other activities in Japanese made me see, “Wow! I have the ability now to do neat things.
As I get better I’m gonna be able to do even greater things.” Partly that was the genius of the teachers I had at thetime: they gave us incredibly fun assignments that I still remember. It wasn’t just every week a new lesson and here’s
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a quiz and how are your kanji and what’s your vocabulary, etc. I think language pedagogy has come a long way since I
was a student; it focuses on real-world situations now in a way that it did not when I was in the classroom. So I am ahuge proponent of intensive language learning and of course of going abroad as well.
It is amazing what a transformative experience a trip can be. I was very lucky in my life, because of my parents, and I
got to travel quite a bit. You realize that most folks in this country are not. They live in a very small space, and sogoing to Japan is simply incredible and often unthinkable. Hendrix College sent 23 students to Japan last year. I
spoke to the group before they left, and then I spoke to them after they came back. To a person they wanted to go
back to Japan. Since then many of them have, and many of them have applied and won JET positions. They are going
off to teach English in Japan. To me that’s a remarkable investment by the Japanese government to help us send
those students abroad. It expands their horizons no matter what they do in life, but it also builds the relationshipbetween Japan and the United States that I think is so absolutely critical. We are at a moment in the world where
people seem to be drawing in—not thinking about the larger global community, just thinking about America or
Britain or Japan. So having these bridges that we can build between nations will help some people think globally andseek new ways of partnering together and learning about each other. That’s one of the most important things we cando as educators and as people fascinated by, and committed to, Japan.
Interviewer’s note: I taught Dr. Tsutsui when both of us were graduate students at a summer intensive program in the
1980s. Besides being a very good student, Bill was very personable and easy to talk to. His laughter and people skills madelearning relaxed and fun. Meeting after 20+ years, his people skills and laughter have not changed. His office was filled with
Godzilla figurines and books. Dr. Tsutsui is a Godzilla fan, and he wrote “Godzilla on my Mind: Fifty Years of the King of
Monsters (2004). The book was published in a Japanese version: Gojira to Amerika no hanseiki (), with Kyōko Kamiyama (2005).

ゴジラとアメリカの半世

紀2022-23 Advanced Leadership Training Report
YOSHIKO SAITO-ABBOTTPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
The 2021-22 Advanced Leadership Training program sponsored by AATJ and Japan Foundation-Los Angeles
began on November 6th-7th, 2021, with a two-day follow-up session was held on February 19th-20th, 2022,
culminating on July 30th, 2022, as the group met to share their final reports. Fifteen teachers from across thenation who had participated in earlier AATJ / JFLA leadership training programs were invited to participate inthis Advanced Leadership Training. All sessions were conducted virtually.
The participants were:
Yoko Sakurauchi, Pacific University & Portland State University (Oregon)
Carla Swick, Palmer High School (Alaska)
Aya McDaniel, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia)
Naoko Ozaki, Rice University (Texas)
Yuko Prefume, Baylor University (Texas)
Ryan Christie, Elk Grove High School (Illinois)
Noriko Taira Yasohama, Northwestern University (Illinois)
Yukino Tanaka Goda, Ursinus College (Pennsylvania)
Soichiro Motohashi, Western Carolina University (North Carolina)
Kyoko Hammond, University of Tennessee at Martin (Tennessee)
Nichole Mayfield, South County High School (Virginia)
Magara Maeda, University of Wisconsin-River Falls (Wisconsin)
Patricia Breun, Madison Country Day School (Wisconsin)
Rika Ito, St. Olaf College (Minnesota)
Hiroko Nagai, Memorial High School & North High School (Minnesota)

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We invited Mr. Hirokazu Nagata, Head of Plus Arts, a Kobe-based non-profit organization, to guide the planningand delivery of participants’ group projects, which had the aim of enriching the group’s regional community. The
15 participants were divided into eight project groups. The projects were crafted carefully to reflect the needs ofthe group’s region or state; the goal was to promote collaboration between high school and higher education,across several states, and within a state or region. All participants received a specially designed T-shirt andcelebrated their accomplishments on July 30.
The following summaries are examples of the projects. Some projects have been completed, and some of themare ongoing and scheduled for completion this year. Due to limited space, we are able to highlight below justfour of the many great projects.

East Coast GroupKyoko Hammond, University of Tennessee at Martin, Southeastern Association of Teachers of Japanese
Nichole Mayfield, South County High School, Mid-Atlantic Association of Japanese
Soichiro Motohashi, Western Carolina University; Southern Association of Teachers of Japanese
Yukino Goda Tanaka, Ursinus College, Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese

Project:

お助け隊

Advanced Leadership Training hosted by JFLA and AATJ throughout 2021 and 2022 has provided all participants
with great opportunities for networking and sharing ideas at both professional and individual levels. Our groupconsisted of 4 members (3 college instructors and 1 high school teacher) from North Carolina, Tennessee,
Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Our regional and background differences have greatly helped us to share inspiringand exciting discussions and ideas as a group.
Throughout our group meetings, we realized that one of the most common challenges for many teachers is tofind time and opportunities that enable them to connect with other teachers, to share ideas and information on
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a regular basis. We also agreed that if we wished to continue to meet as a group to develop our professional
connections across different states and conduct projects together, we would need some sort of “common
platform” where all participants would be able to join, upload, and organize information and ideas.

お助け掲示板Otasuke Keijiban.” The keijiban
Based on these needs, our group proposed the project idea called “will be created using Padlet, a web-based platform that enables users to upload, share, and organize content on“virtual bulletin boards”. Our goal is to create and use this virtual bulletin board as a place where Japanese teachers
can find event information, and teaching resources, as well as sharing questions and seeking advice and ideas. For
example, one of the pages on this Keijiban is designated for teachers to be able to post their announcements andqueries, such as collaborative project partner searches. Other pages can allow participants to find and shareteaching materials, course syllabi, and online teaching resources. We are currently in the final stage of designing
the bulletin board. The aim is to launch this Otasuke Keijiban in September 2022. We are hopeful that this virtualbulletin board can help us and other teachers to share useful information and stay connected as a virtual
community of connected teachers across several states.
The project-focused intimate group setting enabled by this Advanced Leadership training was especiallybeneficial and allowed us to get to know each other and share ideas and challenges as teachers and individuals.
We learned a great deal from each other as a group, and we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our
trainers, lecturers, and sponsors for their continued support and guidance to make this project possible.

Wisconsin Association of Teachers of Japanese (WiATJ)
Magara Maeda, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, President of (WiATJ)
Patty Breun, Madison Country Day School, Vice president of (WiATJ)

Project: Enrichment of Japanese Language Education and Japanese Teachers' Associations
The theme of this year's Advanced Leadership Training was "Enrichment of Japanese Language Education andJapanese Teachers' Associations." The president and vice president from WiATJ participated. Our action planwas "Let's Connect the Japanese Language Community in Wisconsin: Beyond the Boundaries of University, HighSchool, and Heritage Language Japanese Programs.” We collaborated on two projects. Here is a brief summaryof one of the projects, #CraneUkraine Project.
In response to the Ukrainian conflict in February 2022 followed by Russia's threat to use nuclear weapons, andthe Russian military's attack on one of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, we decided to do the #CraneUkraine
Project (mid March-beginning of June, 2022).
In a Japanese class at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, students learned about Hiroshima, the atomic
bomb, Sadako, and the 1,000 paper cranes story. The students posted photos of their origami cranes andmessages of support for Ukraine on Padlet. Students from Madison Country Day School who wanted toparticipate also joined along with support from Youtubers Origami Tami and Marina, Maeda sensei’s friend from
Ukraine. In addition, a social studies teacher from a high school in Minnesota contributed over 400 cranes madeby his class. Altogether more than 1,000 paper cranes were collected. Finally, we contacted and shared the
Padlet site with the Kyiv Independent, a Ukrainian news media outlet. It was a great collaboration between highschool and university teachers, but in the future, we’d like to promote more active interaction between students.
During the training, we learned about the roles of wind, water, and the earth with various examples ofleadership in fields other than Japanese language education. We strongly feel that sharing, improving, andstrengthening each other's classroom activities and lesson plans through collaboration can enrich unit and
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curriculum design which eventually leads to professional development and articulation of Japanese language
programs in high schools and universities. We appreciate the opportunity to have participated in this productive
training. It has been a catalyst for us to have more communication and collaboration. We hope this leadershiptraining will continue so many other teachers can be inspired as well. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Illinois Association of Teachers of Japanese (IATJ)
Noriko Taira Yasohama, Northwestern University; Interim President of IATJ
Ryan Christine, Elk Grove High School, Immediate Past President of (IATJ)

Project:

みんなで繋がろう日本語コミュニティー

We had a very productive time during the Advanced Leadership Program. Through participation in the Program,we were able to streamline operations of the Illinois Association of Teachers of Japanese (IATJ), our local
association, and took a first step to facilitate communication among IATJ members.
With challenges caused by the pandemic, it was urgent to increase efficiency in and to stabilize operation of
IATJ. We set up an IATJ Google account, created an officers’ shared folder, set up an IATJ listserv, and created a
website for the above purposes. Concurrently, we held several small ‘seeding’ events to connect learners andteachers in the community.
In April, we held a joint online language table between Northside College Preparatory High School in Chicago
and Northwestern University. 40 to 50 high school students gathered in Ms. Jeung-Hee Park’s classroom and 10
Northwestern volunteers, including 2 alumni of the high school, gathered in a classroom on campus. Due to thesetting (e.g., online, mixed proficiency and age groups) and some logistical mistakes (e.g., large group with nomicrophone), students were not able to interact very actively; however, they enjoyed the opportunity to learn
about each other’s Japanese language program and learning environment (Northwestern students were
especially impressed with the high school’s classroom walls that were filled with maps of Japan and lists of.) Planning and delivery of a joint online language table were relatively easy. When it is done properly, a joint
language table has a great potential to bring a very positive outcome with a small amount of preparation.

漢字Immediately following the joint language table, we held an online get-together, and 13 members attended. At
the meeting, we solicited suggestions for IATJ’s future activities. Based on their feedback, we created sign-up
sheets for class observation, joint language tables, language tables that accept outside participants, etc., in amember’s shared folder. Additionally, we held an informal idea-sharing session () in June 2022. To ease
officers’ workload and to encourage members’ active participation, we asked the teacher who proposed a topic
to be in charge of organizing the event. The first session was organized by Prof. Chisato Kojima of Illinois
Wesleyan University. The session was a success with new member participation and active discussions.

座談会

What we did during the training was quite simple and easy to deliver, but we believe that we planted a seed fora new phase of IATJ. IATJ has been playing a crucial role to support teachers and have helped in saving
threatened Japanese language programs. It has been managed by a significant amount of volunteering work by
past officers. We hope what we did during the training will bear fruit and have a positive impact on IATJ and its
community.

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Japanese Teachers Association of Texas (JTAT)
Yuko Prefume, Baylor University, President of JTAT
Naoko Ozaki, Rice University, Member of the JTAT Board of Directors

Project:「みんなでじぇぱでぃ！」

We attended the AATJ Leadership Training with the aim of developing strategies and planning to promote andadvocate for Japanese Language education in Texas. Each guest speaker and the leadership team representing
AATJ and JFLA provided us with knowledge and understanding to create a new project to meet the needs ofTexas Japanese language teachers. The main guest speaker
was especially inspiring as he had successfully organized
several projects that involved citizen leaders in Japan.
TAT (Japanese Teachers Association of Texas) has been
actively collaborating through workshops to improve ourpedagogy and expand our knowledge as educators. Taking
the opportunity of leadership training, we set three project
goals: (1) students learn about Japan beyond the realm of
textbooks, (2) teachers and students work in collaboration
to connect with the local communities by sharing Japaneseculture, and (3) these activities become a source of
advocacy to support the Japanese language education
within schools and communities.
We decided to create jeopardy games as a means to realize these goals in a two-fold manner. The name of our
project is “JTAT,” in which teachers play jeopardy
games with topics on Japanese culture in class and train the students. In-class activities enable students to gain
knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture. Then, the teachers and students can go beyond the classroom
to engage in outreach activities to share Japanese culture and advocate for the Japanese language. Because thejeopardy game is simple and engaging, anyone can learn about Japanese while having fun, regardless of their
Japanese knowledge.

「みんなでじぇぱでぃ！コミュニティと繋がろう！」

We are currently soliciting more jeopardy questions from JTAT members and are in the process of creating a
website for the JTAT members to share the culture jeopardy, teaching ideas, and resources. We are excited tohave participated in the leadership training and hopeful that this can be yet another way to collaborate among
JTAT members as well as empower the teachers and learners.

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International Conference on Japanese Language
Education (ICJLE) 2024

JUNKO MORIGLOBAL NETWORK DIRECTOR

As mentioned by President Tomoko Takami in the previous issue, at a meeting of the Global Network forJapanese Language Education held earlier this year, AATJ has agreed to host the next ICJLE in North America.
Although the conference is two years away, its preparation is already underway. We are happy to report that
substantial progress has been made in the last few months. Here are some highlights:

ICJLE 2024 Organizing Committee
AATJ approached the Canadian Association for Japanese Language Education (CAJLE) to see if they would
consider collaborating with us to co-host ICJLE 2024. CAJLE’s Executive Board voted to accept our invitation,and together we formed the ICJLE 2024 Organizing Committee, consisting of the following members:
Keiko Aoki (CAJLE, Queen’s University)
Hiromi Aoki (CAJLE, University of Alberta)
Mieko Avello (AATJ, Palmetto Middle School & Florida International University)
Yukiko Hanawa (AATJ, New York University)
Mamoru Hatakeyama (CAJLE, University of Victoria)
Mika Kimura (CAJLE, University of Victoria)
Junko Mori (AATJ, University of Wisconsin-Madison), Chair
Shinji Sato (AATJ, Princeton University)
Shingo Satsutani (AATJ, College of DuPage)
Susan Schmidt (AATJ, AATJ Office)Tomoko Shibata (CAJLE, Princeton University)
Tomoko Takami (AATJ, University of Pennsylvania)
Jae Takeuchi (AATJ, Clemson University)

Venue
After considering several options, Madison, Wisconsin has been selected as the conference site. While ICJLEs
have typically been held in major cities (including ICJLE 2006 held at Columbia University in New York),
Madison is a mid-size city, which does not have a worldwide recognition. However, the city houses the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of a few universities in North America that offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees
in Japanese linguistics and literature, withthe emphasis on Japanese language
education. Another factor that we took into
consideration is the relationship that AATJUW-MadisonhasestablishedwithProfessional learning and Community
Education (PLACE), which supported thevirtual AATJ Annual Spring Conference in
2021 and 2022. PLACE will continue to lend
their expertise in conference planning in
preparation for ICJLE 2024. We havereserved the Memorial Union situated righton Lake Mendota for this conference.
Photo by Jeff Miller / University of Wisconsin - Madison

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The committee will continue to work hard for theconceptualization and planning of various events to be partof the conference, development of a conference website
and a call for proposals, and grant applications andfundraising. We are aiming to publish our conference
website by June 2023.
Due to the cancellation of ICJLE 2020 planned by theSociety of Japanese Language Education Hong Kong incollaboration with University of Macau (due to thepandemic), ICJLE 2024 is going to be the first conference
Photo by Jeff Miller / University of Wisconsin - Madison
since the one held in Venice, Italy in 2018. We sincerely
hope that many of the AATJ members, as well as Japanese language educators worldwide can participate in thisconference. The committee is planning to offer workshops for graduate students, as well as for K-12 educators
to encourage their participation in this event.
Please consider visiting Madison, the Best City to Live in the
USA according to Livability.com at its best time of the year!
Stay tuned!

Photo by Jeff Miller / University of Wisconsin - Madison

Proposed Revision of AATJ Bylaws

SUSAN SCHMIDTEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

AATJ’s Officers and the AATJ Bylaws Committee (Joan Ericson, Ann Jordan, William Matsuzaki, Motoko Tabuse,
Junko Mori) have proposed the revision of the association’s bylaws, and are soliciting feedback from AATJ members.
The revision proposal was initially prompted by the recommendations submitted by the Task Force on Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion in the summer of 2021. Towards the end of 2021, a Bylaws Committee – made up of past AATJ
presidents and the current DEI director - was appointed by the AATJ officers. The committee reviewed the task force
recommendations and the bylaws of comparable associations (e.g., AATG, AATF, AATI, AATSP), and reexamined ourexisting bylaws.
The proposed revision is meant to address the following issues:
1. Update the language used to describe the purpose of the association;
2. Clarify the decision-making body of the association and the structure of leadership positions;
3. Increase the number of Executive Board members with a balanced representation of K-12 and higher education;
4. Clarify and enhance the nomination process in order to ensure that the association can reach out to suitable,
diverse candidates for critical leadership positions.
The latest version of the proposed revised bylaws is available at the following link or directly on the AATJ website.
A town hall meeting was held online on August 25th to solicit feedback from members. Based on the input that wasreceived from members in August and a legal specialist in September, the proposed revision bylaws will be finalized
and submitted to the membership for voting later this year. Once approved, the new bylaws will be implemented
starting in 2024; the new set of officers who are elected in fall 2023 will be elected according to the proposed new
structure.
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Call for Proposals -2023 AATJ Annual Spring Conference

SHINSUKE TSUCHIYAAATJ SPRING CONFERENCE CO-DIRECTOR
The 2023 Annual Spring Conference is scheduled to be held in person on Thursday, March 16th, 2023.
Proposals are invited for individual papers and panels. Individual papers are 20 minutes long with an additional 5
minutes for discussion. If your paper is shorter, you will have more time for Q&A. Organized panels are 100 minutes long
and are limited to four active participants (four paper presenters, or three presenters with one discussant). For organizedpanels, time can be used in a flexible manner. Allow at least a minimum of 30 minutes of discussion with the attendees.
There will be no sessions online (live or recorded). Please plan to present and attend in person.
Please note that in 2024, there will not be an AATJ conference held in March. Instead, AATJ will partner with theCanadian Association for Japanese Language Education (CAJLE) and the Global Network (GN) to host the International
Conference on Japanese Language Education (ICJLE). The ICJLE will take place in Madison, Wisconsin, in the first week ofAugust 2024. Please look for the call for proposals in Fall 2023.
A proposal for the 2022 Spring Conference should be in one of the following areas: (1) pedagogy*, (2) literature, (3)linguistics, (4) second language acquisition, or (5) special interest group (SIG) topics**.
*If your proposal is on pedagogy, please indicate the subcategory
you are interested in on the appropriate section of the online
submission form.
Pedagogy Subcategories:
A: Curriculum/course design and Implementation
B: Materials development
C: Assessment
D: Language, Culture and Identity
E: Language and Technology
F: K-16 Articulation**If your proposal is on a topic that is outside the main topic areas,
please consider whether it might fit into one of the AATJ's SIG Topics(Professional Development, Translating/Interpreting, Japanese forSpecific Purposes, Japanese as a Heritage Language, Study Abroadfor Advanced Skills, Language and Culture, Classical Japanese,
Community College Training, Proficiency Assessment, or AP
Japanese).
If your proposal is on a topic related to one of the SIG topics, pleaseindicate which SIG topic is addressed in the appropriate section of
the submission form.

An abstract for an individual paper should be no more than 300 words in English or 700 characters in Japanese. For
organized panels, a maximum 300-word or 700-character abstract is required from each participant, in addition to a
maximum 300-word or 700-character abstract for the panel itself. For organized panels, please specify the number ofpresenters and the Q&A time (Panels may be between three and four presenters.).
You may also include a reference list, and this will not count towards the word limit. Please limit yourself to ten
references or less.
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following characteristics: contribution to the field, originality, practicality,
methodological or conceptual soundness, and clarity of writing. Click here to see the proposal review criteria.
Please note that each individual may submit only one proposal, as presenter, co-presenter, or panel member. This
includes participation in SIG panels and presentations. It is not necessary to be an AATJ member to submit a proposal;
however, if your presentation is accepted for inclusion in the conference program, you will be asked to become a member
if you are not a member already.
Proposals must be submitted online. For details, and to submit proposals, please visit the following link.
AATJ is committed to gender, ethnic, institutional, and professional diversity among presenters. We encourage
presentations conducted in the presenter’s second language. Panel and co-presenter submissions reflecting diversity andinclusiveness in addition to quality will take precedence in the review process. Proposals on topics related to K-12
instruction and learning, and from K-12 educators, are encouraged.
The submission deadline for all proposals is 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, Monday, October 24th, 2022.
This is one week earlier than in previous years.
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Fall 2022 Bridging Scholarships Awarded

SUSAN SCHMIDTEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Seventy-nine undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the United States have been named
recipients of Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan. The winners will receive awards ranging from $2,000
to $4,500 to assist with their expenses while they study in Japan for a semester or an academic year beginning in Fall
2022. Since 1999, more than two thousand scholarships have been awarded by the US-Japan Bridging Foundation. In
2020 and 2021, the program was paused.
The goal of AATJ's Bridging Project is to promote study abroad in Japan by larger numbers of American
undergraduate students. AATJ administers the Bridging Scholars scholarship program for the US-Japan Bridging
Foundation.
Contributors for the 2021-2022 Scholarships
Contributors for the 2021-2022 scholarships include The Freeman Foundation (lead donor) and dozens of corporations, organizations, andindividuals: Aflac International, Inc., AIG Japan Holdings K.K., Amway Japan G.K., Bentall Green Oak, Colt Chaffin, Paul Clawson, Paige CottinghamStreater, Cultural Exchange LLC, Robin Dahlberg and Ted Maynard, Mark Davidson, Brian and Janie Doyle, Richard Dyck, ExxonMobil, Jean Falvey,
Robert Feldman, Angelika Ferguson, Yoshiaki Fujiki, Kristina Gaines, James Gerienchen, Evan Gordon, Green Oak Real Estate; Robert Grondine
Memorial Scholarship Fund (Chris Wells, Krishen Mehta); Ellen Hammond, Paul Hastings, Hecht Law PC, Harry Hill, AB Hirschfeld, Jr., Ichigo AssetManagement, Ltd., David Janes, Japan Foundation, Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, Hirofumi Jinno, Brian Kelly, Jessica Kennett Cork, Dan
Klebes, Kathryn R. and Joel Kolmodin, Edward Lincoln, Lockheed Martin Japan, Deanna Marcum, Ginger Marcus, Tom Mason and Qi Wang, Kathy
Matsui, Victoria Melendez, Joelle Metcalfe, Joseph Meyer, Mission Value Partners, LLC, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Lara Mones, Morgan
Stanley Japan, Samuel Morse and Anne Nishimura, Ekaterina Mozhaeva, MUFG Securities Americas Inc., Satoru and Hiroko Murase, Robert L.
Noddin, Oak Lawn Marketing, ORIX Corporation USA, ORIX Stewardship Foundation, Gwynette Paez, T.J. Pempel, Susan J. Pharr, Thierry Porté,
Chris Quackenbush, Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd., Roche Family Foundation, Edward Rogers, Samuel Ross, Susan Schmidt, Leonard Schoppa, FrankSeiji Sanda, David Semaya, Paul and Yoshiko Sheard, Bahia Simons-Lane, Sheila A. Smith, David Sneider, Ed Spitzberg, George and Brad Takei,
Allison Tolman; Jeremiah Trusty Memorial Scholarship Fund (Morgan and Brendan Aiello, David Albanese, Adam Bamford, Gregory Bamford,
Suzanne Basalla, Brian Bawol, Rachel Brown, Jennifer Butler, Serena Cline, Bob Corwin, Donna Ikeda and John Morey, The Eng Family, Charlie
Fujikawa, Dana Heatherton, David Hino, Tim Hino, Natasha Huynh, Adam Jan, Helen Jew, Sunil Kasturi, Jillian Kereczman, Allison Knowles, Keith
Krulak, Kristi Kuchta, Josh Lawrenz, Kris Lee, Global Film Network Inc., Laura Mabe, Jacob MacIntyre, Damien Magnuson, Dayspring Mattole, Matt
Mele, Michelle Mele, Ingrid Merriwether, Nathan Mesko, Brittany Morey, Kei Morita, Andrew Oberland, Courtney Ozaki, Barry Peterson, Jessica
Pham, Kelly Pong-Der, Delwin Por, Kenny Rivas, Ann Siqveland, Rachel Steinmeier, Andrea Sugano, Tyler Tokioka, Jason Trimiew, Sarah and Martin
Trimiew, Lynne Tsugawa, Joshua Valdivia, Paul Vosti, David T. Walker, Amy Weeden, Andrea Williams, Brenda Wong, Francis Wong, Brent Yoshida,
Anthony Yu); Bill Tsutsui, Axel Urie, Emily Williams, Isaac Wittenberg, Ira Wolf Memorial Scholarship Fund (Amy Jackson, Nike, Adam Wolf, Eloise
Wolf, Evan Wolf, Jeanne Wolf, Lacy Wolf, Lyla Wolf); Stephanie Wood.

These Bridging Scholars hail from a variety of schools–public and private, large universities and small colleges–in 32
states. They represent a widely diverse cross-section of students who study Japanese language, society, and culture.
Their destinations also vary, including schools representing all regions of the Japanese archipelago. A list of therecipients, their schools, their destination programs, and their majors follows.
Applications will be accepted in October 2022 for the next group of Bridging Scholarships, for study in Japan
beginning in Spring 2023. For information on the scholarships and to access application form, visit the Bridging
Project Online. For information on the US-Japan Bridging Foundation, visit www.bridgingfoundation.org.

Recipients of Bridging Scholarships, Fall 2022
Suvan AGARWAL / Oberlin College / Waseda University / physics; music performance
Ibrahim AL-RAMAHI / University of Illinois, Chicago/ Temple University Japan / management
Fabiola ALVAREZ / Hamilton College (NY) / Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies / dance; movement
studiesIsabel AN / University of Pennsylvania / Hitotsubashi University / international studies; businessAmanda ANDERSON / Smith College / Associated Kyoto Program / biological studies; JapaneseMarni AOSVED / Willamette University / Tokyo International University / chemistry; data science
Kelsey BARTON / University of South Florida / Kansai Gaidai University / studio art
Brandon BENTON / Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas / Nagasaki Univ. of Foreign Studies / electrical engineering
Victoria BENTON / Arizona State University / Nanzan University / psychology
Justin BICK / University of Toledo / Aichi University / mechanical engineering
Rebekah BLUME / University of Maryland / Waseda University / Japanese
Mason BROUWER / Western Michigan University/ Keio University / psychology; Japanese
Carlos BUSTAMANTE / New Mexico State University / Kansai Gaidai University / business; music
Aidan CASHMAN / University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee / Seijo University / linguistics; Japanese
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Joyce CHAN / Baruch College, CUNY / Waseda University / marketing management
Wilmer CHINCHILLA / University of Rhode Island / Niigata University / electrical engineering
Chandra COLVIN / St. Cloud University (MN) / Akita International University / mass communication
James DALTON / University of Texas, Austin / Sophia University / economics; JapaneseJose DAMIAN-FLORES / St. Edward’s University (TX) / Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University / global studies
Eric DAVIS / Michigan State University / University of the Ryukyus / JapaneseSoren DICKSON / Harvard Extension School / Temple University Japan / Japanese
Emerald FATICA / Marshall University (WV) / Kansai Gaidai University / finance; international business
Alec FELDSTEIN / University at Buffalo, SUNY / International Christian University / linguistics; Japanese
Madeline FRENCH / Baylor University (TX) / Hosei University / linguistics
Ignacio GARCIA-MATA / Ohio State University / Rikkyo University / Japanese
Jacob GENDERSON / Appalachian State Univ. (NC) / Kansai Gaidai / interdisciplinary arts and story
production
Maeve GENNETT / University of Colorado, Colorado Springs / Waseda University / Japanese studies
Michael GERY / California State University, Sacramento / Waseda University / communications
Zenna GLASER / Washington State University / Kansai Gaidai University / international business; marketing
Andrea GONZALEZ / University of Washington / Waseda University / visual communication design
Asia GRIFFIS / Appalachian State Univ. (NC) / Kansai Gaidai University / East Asian studies
Ayano GUERRA / California State University, Fresno / Waseda University / international business
Jazmine GUZMAN / Drake University (IA) / Kwansei Gakuin University / international relations
Kaylea HENRETTY / University of Arkansas / Kansai Gaidai University / Asian studies; Japanese; ChinesePaulina HENSLEY / California State University, Channel Islands / Waseda University / health science
Zackary HOLLINGWORTH / San Diego State Univ. / Gunma University / electrical engineering; Japanese
Zachary HUNT / University of Wyoming/ Saitama University / history; computer science
Claudia JACOBO / Washington State University / Nanzan University (ISEP) / Japanese
Jeremy JAKJAI / Central Michigan University / Nara University of Education/ global studies
Parvathi JASON / Temple University (PA) / Temple University Japan / criminal justice
Madison JORDING / Illinois State University / Kansai Gaidai University / international relations
Tyler KAHMANN / University of Hawaii / Keio University / exploratory business
Olivia KONIG / Northern Arizona University / Aoyama Gakuin University / international affairs
Emily LACILENTO / San Diego State University / Hosei University / English teaching
Brad LEATHERS / DePaul University (IL) / Kansai Gaidai University / international studies
Benjamin LEE / Vassar College (NY) / Ritsumeikan University / computer science
Abigail LOWRY / University of Tennessee, Chattanooga / J.F. Oberlin University / political science
Fatima LUNA / Northern Arizona University / Yamaguchi University / biomedical sciences; cultural studies
Zylah MARKHAM / Emory University (GA) / Kansai Gaidai University / international studies
Wren MARKLEY / Washington & Lee University (VA) / International Christian University / Japanese
Elizabeth MARSHALL / University of Michigan / Waseda University / history; international studies
Michaela MASUI / California State University, Fullerton / Waseda University / international businessJoshua MATHIS / Fort Lewis College (CO) / Waseda University / business administration
Luke MAY / Northern Arizona University / Kyushu University / biology; Japanese
Katerina MAYERLE / Weber State University (UT) / Kansai Gaidai University / Japanese
Ellie McCAMPBELL / American University (DC) / Ritsumeikan University / global international relations
Brendan MUUS / University of North Dakota / Meiji Gakuin University / finance; business economics
Emily OCHOA / San Diego State University / Akita International University / international business
Devon OLDING / Ohio State University / Tenri University / JapaneseLance PARKER / Bowling Green State University (OH) / Saitama University / accounting; international
business
Calvin PARKER-DUROST / University of Oregon / Waseda University / business administration
Miguel PEREZ / University of Florida / Kansai Gaidai University / JapaneseJennifer PILLAJO / University of Redlands / Waseda University / global business
Lilleanna POE / Western Michigan University / Rikkyo University / Japanese; cybersecurity
Leticia RAMOS / Fresno State University / Nagasaki Univ. of Foreign Studies (USAC) / physics
Noah ROBERTS / Grand Valley State University (MI) / International Christian University / criminal justiceRichard ROOS / Western Washington University / International Christian University / Japanese; business
Justin SCOTT / University of Michigan / Waseda University / Japanese studies; translation studies
Coby SIMON / University of Hawaii / Konan University / business
Moriah SMITH / Ohio State University / Nanzan University / Japanese; actuarial science
Claire SUGAWA / University of Hawaii / Waseda University / marketing; international business
Kevin SUGGS / University of Rhode Island / Kyushu University / computer engineering; Japanese
Faith TAYLOR / Oakland University (MI) / Nanzan University / Japanese; K-12 education
Miriam TORRES / DePaul University (IL) / Temple University Japan / political science
Jason WALTON / Oakland University (MI) / Nanzan University / linguistics
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Claire WILSON / University of Texas, San Antonio / Kyoto University / international relations; global studies
Kelsey WURSTER / Bowling Green State University (OH) / Hiroshima Jogakuin University / Asian studies
Tabassum YOUSUF / University of Illinois, Chicago / Temple University Japan / information sciences
Georgia ZUTZ / Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) / Kansai Gaidai University / communication; Japanesestudies

Cheng & Tsui Professional Development Grant
The Cheng & Tsui Professional Development Grant offers financial assistance toJapanese language teachers in grades K-16, especially those new to the field, for the
purpose of attending training workshops, seminars, conferences, and other local,
national, or international in-service learning experiences. The grant may also be used
to collaborate with a mentor teacher. The grant may not be used to purchase textbooks.
Teacher training workshops and seminars attended by the applicant should be focusedon pedagogy and issues of teaching and learning.
Cheng & Tsui Publishers, the sponsor of the grant, will award $500 to the grantrecipient(s).
Applicants for the Cheng & Tsui Professional Development grants should submit thefollowing to AATJ:
1. An application describing how they would use the grant;
2. The amount of subsidy requested and a proposed budget (included on theapplication form);
3. A current Curriculum Vitae.
The application form can be downloaded from AATJ’s website.
Applicants must be current members of AATJ. Recipients are also asked to write a briefreport after attending the event for which they were awarded money, summarizing theirexperience and what they learned.
Applications will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers selected by the American
Association of Teachers of Japanese and who have no professional or personalconnections with applicants.
The application form and CV should be sent via e-mail attachment to aatj@aatj.org bySeptember 1.

AATJ is grateful to Cheng & Tsui Publishers for their support of teacher professional
development.

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National Japanese ExamRegistration for the 2023 NJE is open on January 3!
Registration Period

Late Registration Period

Exam Period

Exam Fee (01/03/2023-02/03/2023
2 32023 1 3

02/06/2023-02/17/2023

02/22/2023-04/15/2023

受験料）$10 per student registration period

年 月 日〜 月 日 2023年2月6日〜2月17日 2023年2月22日〜4月15日 $20 per student late registration period（カテゴリー）

Categories
Level 1:
Middle/Junior High School: regularHigh school: regularCollege: Regular
Level 2:
Middle/Junior High School: RegularHigh school: regularCollege: Regular
Level 3:High school: RegularHigh School: Additional
High School: Others
College: RegularCollege: Additional

ガイドライン)
Bronze Level
Honorable Mention
努力賞
ブロンズレベル

General Guidelines (Gold Level

ゴールドレベル

シルバーレベル

90% and above of theexam total score90%

80-89% and above of theexam total score80-89%

以上の正答率Silver Level

以上の正答率70-79% and above of theexam total score70-79%

以上の正答率All Participants

参加者全員

60-69% and above of theCertificate of Participation
exam total score60-69%

以上の正答率参加賞

What is the NJE?
The National Japanese Exam (NJE) is an online, proficiency-oriented, standards-based and culture-related
assessment tool for students who are studying Japanese as a second language. The purpose of the NJE is torecognize achievement in the study of Japanese language and culture, to motivate students to further study andexplore Japanese language and culture, to advocate for standards-based, proficiency-oriented, and contentbased teaching and learning of Japanese, and to serve as a diagnostic assessment of Japanese language skills.
Teachers who conduct the NJE may award certificates to students (Gold Level, Silver Level, Bronze Level,
Honorable Mention, and Participation certificates), and the exam results can be used to highlight the success of
their Japanese programs and celebrate their students' accomplishments. The NJE also helps teachers identify
strong and weak areas in their teaching as well as to see students’ strengths and weaknesses in various areas
including skimming, scanning, contextual reading & listening, grammar and vocabulary.

は、第２言語として日本語を学習している生徒・学生のために開発された、プロフィシェンシー重視、スタンダーズベースのテストで、また文化能力を評価するテストです。
NJEは日本語学習の成果を讃え、また日本語学習に対するさらなる学習意欲を高めることを目的としています。
NJEでは、受験者全員に賞（ゴールドレベル、シルバーレベル、ブロンズレベル、努力賞、参加賞）が授与されます。先生方には学内、学区などで日本語プログラムの業績を可視化したり、学習者の努力や達成度を称したりするために利用可能です。また、教師の教え方の振り返りのためのツールの一つとしての利用、そしてスキミング、スキャニング、読解力、聴解力、基礎知識などスキル別に学習者の得手不得手を見分けるのにも役立ちます。
National Japanese Exam (NJE)

For more information, visit our website. Questions, contact us!
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American Association ofTeachers of Japanese, Inc.
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University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0366