CWAJ CARTIERSCHOLARSHIPCWAJ is proud to introduce the2023 CWAJ Cartier Scholarship
recipient Rin Ishikawa. Rin willcomplete an MBA at Oxford
University and is working to help
solve global food chain problems.
She has developed an ecommerce platform using theprinciples
ofCommunity
Supported Agriculture, in which
consumers buy directly fromlocal farmers to support those
who practice sustainable farming
methods.

COLLEGE WOMEN’SASSOCIATION OF JAPAN2022 – 2023
Annual Report
APRIL 2023

CWAJ International Women’s Day event March 8, 2023: June Miyachi,
Cartier Japan President and CEO with Rin Ishikawa, 2023 CWAJ Cartier scholar

Onward: Passing the Baton
In 1972, the year in which Sapporo held the Winter Olympics and theUnited States returned Okinawa to Japan, CWAJ—an organizationcommitted to supporting the next generation of women leaders—launched its scholarship program by awarding its first scholarship: theGraduate Scholarship for Japanese Women to Study Abroad (SA). Almost
ten years later, in 1981, CWAJ deepened its commitment to global
women’s empowerment by expanding its scholarship program to include
the Non-Japanese Graduate Scholarship (NJG).

“Reflections from past SA scholars

Golden Anniversary

who are members of CWAJ
“I would like to dosomething for CWAJ as mygratitude to CWAJ. I am
now very happy that I canhelp with the translation ofscholarship applicants.”

2013 SA scholar Ryoko Narui with her former UK professor

In 2022, the 50th anniversary of the SA program and the 41sta n n iv e r s a ry o f th e N J G p r og r a m a r e o c c a si on s w o r th y o fcommemoration. Together, the SA and NJG programs have awarded
scholarships to 203 women. The Scholarship for the Visually Impaired,
which CWAJ started in 1978, continues to be awarded to this day.

Special Relief Scholarships“I am still truly grateful to CWAJ
for its generous support.”
2001 SA scholar Mariko Kageyama

CWAJ has responded to natural disasters by offering Special Relief
Scholarships to support the education of students in stricken areas.
CWAJ funded the Hanshin Kobe Relief Scholarship in 1996 and 1997, theFukushima Relief Scholarships from 2012 to 2020, and the Pandemic
Response Scholarship for Nursing Students from 2021 to 2023. In total, if
CWAJ’s support of art programs and travel grants are included, thenumber of students who have received funding from CWAJ rises toalmost 900.

1986 SA scholar,
Yasuko Fukuhara-Yamane

Past Scholars Helping CWAJ Move Onward

SAVE THE DATECWAJ’s past scholars provide invaluable support as our scholarshipprograms move forward. Many past scholars have become full membersof CWAJ and they have been instrumental in furthering our mission to
give back to society through enthusiastic volunteering. Despite often
tight work schedules, one past scholar is a current Board member,another is a committee Co-Chair, and others help translate applications
or lend their technical skills to support CWAJ’s online activities and socialmedia. In addition, many are longtime donors who support younger
students to follow their dreams through CWAJ Scholarship programs.

Our past scholars’ courage to innovate is the greatest reward of CWAJ’sScholarship programs. In 2023, in addition to our existing Scholarshipprograms, CWAJ is thrilled to award the CWAJ Cartier Scholarship to Rin
Ishikawa, a talented entrepreneur, who will move onward with CWAJ’strailblazing spirit.

“CWAJ SA Scholarship was the very first
door that opened to me for many more
special opportunities to come.”

for the 66th

CWAJ PRINT SHOW
Wednesday to Sunday, October 18 - 22, 2023
Hillside Forum, Daikanyama, Tokyo
Mid September - October 2
Associate Show at Frederick Harris Gallery
Tokyo American Club, Azabudai

Online Gallery
https://cwaj-gallery.jp/

FUND THE FUTURE
The generosity of all of our donors and sponsors makes it possible for CWAJ to continue to provide opportunities for students topursue their dreams. By supporting CWAJ with a monetary donation, you can make a genuine and lasting impact on the lives of future
leaders, young artists, and visually-impaired scholars. CWAJ welcomes donations of any amount throughout the year. With the support of theJapan Foundation Designated Donations program, a tax deduction receipt is available for donors to CWAJ who file tax return forms in Japan.
For information about making a donation to CWAJ, please contact donations@cwaj.org

Congratulations 2022 CWAJ Scholars!
CWAJ awarded scholarships in the following categories for the 2022 - 2023 academic year.

CWAJ Cultural Exchange
Graduate Scholarship forJapanese Women to Study
Abroad (SA)Supported by the JapanFoundation￥3.0 million; one recipient

CWAJ Cultural Exchange Graduate
Scholarship for Non-Japanese Women
to Study in Japan (NJG)
Supported by the Japan Foundation￥2.0 million; one recipient

HIRABAYASHI Ai
Master of Science Applied, Coupleand Family Therapy
McGill University, Canada

YASSIN Eiman (Egypt)
Doctoral Course
Department of Education & Psychology,
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
International Christian University,
Tokyo, JapanCWAJ Graduate Scholarship forJapanese Womento Study Abroad (SA)
￥3.0 million; one recipient

CWAJ Graduate Scholarship for NonJapanese Women
to Study in Japan (NJG)￥2.0 million; one recipient

NAKAYASU Yuna
Master of Public HealthJohns Hopkins Bloomberg Schoolof Public Health, USA

AHMADI Parnian (Afghanistan)
Doctoral Course
Interdisciplinary Graduate
School of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine,
University of Miyazaki, JapanCWAJ Pandemic Response Scholarship for Nursing Students (NS)￥0.5 million; six recipients
TAKAHASHI Nanasa
4th year, Midwifery
Japan National College of Nursing

UESUGI Nami
3rd year, Child Health andDevelopment
Japan National College of Nursing

HYUGA Sakura
3rd year, Nursing & Social Welfarefor Human ServicesKanagawa University of HumanServices

TAMAOKA Yuki
3rd year, Public Health
St. Luke’s International University

OIKAWA Mikuni
4th year, Public Health Nursing
Nihon Institute of Medical Science

NEGISHI Misa
3rd year, International DisasterNursing
St. Luke's International University

Fundraising Concert for

CWAJ
Scholarships

May Scholarship General Meeting

On Monday March21, 2022, CWAJ
organized afundraisingconcert with theinternationallyacclaimed
Narimichi
Kawabata andpiano accompanist,
Yumiko Emura.

Every year, CWAJ introduces its new scholars to members andsupporters at the May General Meeting. At the 2022 meeting, heldvirtually, the 2022 scholars, including the six recipients of thePandemic Relief Scholarship for Nursing Students, introduced
themselves to the many overseas members and past scholars whojoined on this special occasion to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the scholarship program.

The venue was the Prairie-style Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan, whichsurvived the war and has been designated an Important
Cultural Asset. Directions to Myonichikan from JR Mejiro Station
were provided by Koto Navi, an application specially designed
for the visually impaired that was created by the accredited
non-profit organization, Kotoba no Michiannai.

ABOUT CWAJ

Past CWAJ Scholarship recipients who attended this meeting included
inaugural SA scholar Miiko Kodama (1972), Mayumi Imahashi (2015),
Shio Sakon (2019) and Sayoko Kawabata (2020)

Although attendance at the venue was limited due to selfimposed restrictions by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government,
the concert attendees filled almost all the available seats. The
performance by Narimichi Kawabata, who is visually impaired
but has made extraordinary efforts to become a worldrenowned violin soloist, was in keeping with the atmosphere ofthe venue and was very moving. The concert concluded withthree encores played to thunderous applause from theaudience. All proceeds went to CWAJ's Scholarship andEducation programs.

The College Women’s Association of Japan is a 100% volunteer organisation composed of women from diverse
backgrounds. Founded in 1949, our primary mission is the provision of scholarships that are funded bydonations and proceeds from the CWAJ Print Show. We believe in inclusivity, and support women, children
and people with visual impairments by providing educational services using innovative community programs.
CWAJ offers its members the opportunity to engage in meaningful volunteer projects, participate in crosscultural events and make friendships with women from around the world.
Please join us! Contact: membership@cwaj.org@TheCWAJ@cwaj_japan
cwaj.org

The 65th CWAJ Print ShowMIYAZAKI Fumiko“Stroll”
The 65th CWAJ Print Show Committee AwardFirst In-Person Show in Three Years Opens toGreat Success
The 2022 65th CWAJ Print Show was held in person for the first time inthree years at Daikanyama. The general public and the CWAJ community
were delighted to participate in the return of the in-person show—with its
buzz and excitement—and to reconnect with the artists on opening night
and throughout the show.

The in-person show was accompanied
by an online gallery, making the 65thPrint Show the first-ever hybrid show
held by CWAJ. An online gallery will
also be available in 2023 at thefollowing website.
(https://cwaj-gallery.jp)

Shincho Library Book Covers Exhibition

At the opening reception, a long-time friend ofCWAJ, Nakabayashi Tadayoshi, gave a moving
toast about the entirely volunteer-run printshow. Miyazaki Fumiko was presented with theCWAJ Print Show Committee Award.

CWAJ was honored to hold a special exhibition at the 65th Print
Show: “Visualizing the works of Kawabata Yasunari ThroughPrints: Shincho Library Book Covers Exhibition.”
Shinchosha Publishing Co, Ltd of Tokyo, selected 14 prints frompast CWAJ print shows to honor the 50th anniversary of thepassing of author Kawabata Yasunari, Japan’s first winner of theNobel Prize in Literature. These prints were used on the coversof new editions of 14 of his books. The original CWAJ prints andthe new books bearing these images were displayed and sold atthe 65th show.

The 2022 show continued the 2021 initiative ofdigital submission of artist entries, which werethen remotely selected by jurors. This process
substantially reduced the work of the Print
Show Committee during selection. In the end,
CWAJ exhibited a total of 221 pieces at theshow: 149 pieces from public submissions, 57
pieces from invited artists, 14 pieces from
Young Printmaker Award winners, and 1 piecefrom the CWAJ Print Show Loro Piana Woman
Artist Award recipient.
Other f eatures of the Daikanyama show
included the return of our Hands-on Art
program for the visually impaired. Prints by two
artists were transcribed into raised images withthe assistance of the Japan Braille Library.
Volunteers interpreted these to visuallyimpaired attendees and guided them throughthe exhibition.

Denzen Award

There was also a small display and sale of prints that had been donated toCWAJ. Most of these prints were donated by artists to support thePandemic Response Print Project in 2021, while others were donated in
2022 to support our ongoing pandemic response work.

Since 2013, the CWAJ Print Show has exhibited the twowinning prints of Sukagawa City, Fukushima’s annual
Denzen Award. CWAJ invited four students, including two
2020 winners, and their parents, to the 65th Print Show.
Attendees were impressed and inspired by the prints ondisplay.

Following the positive feedback and international reach of last year’s print
information videos, three more were produced this year: “Sosaku-Hanga –Creative Prints,” “Light and Shadow,” and “Light and Color.” A leaflet
introducing the 19 prints featured in the videos was distributed at the show
and the videos were played in the gallery in lieu of a guided tour program.

Ohtsuki Momoko , Usui Risa, Hosoda Ichiha and Katagiri Masaaki

2022 CWAJ Young Printmaker Award
NAGANUMA Sho

Graduate School of Nihon
University
Photo-engraved
copperplates
Sho plans to use this award
to buy a printing press andother equipment.

“When I make my copperplate prints, I always try
to make my latest work my masterpiece.”

Loro Piana Woman Artist Award
Loro Piana Japan, a leading Italianfashion brand, generously funded a onetime special award, the “CWAJ Print
Show Loro Piana Woman Artist Award,”of 500,000 yen to encourage a young
female artist. The recipient of this award,
O N OD ERA Y ui, u ses w ate r- b ased
woodcuts to express humanity. She wasone of the 2022 Young PrintmakerAward applicants and received thisaward at the opening reception inrecognition of her printmaking potential.

Onodera Yui with Marco Spola, Vice President Loro Piana

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Volunteers for the Visually Impaired (VVI)

The Volunteers for the Visually Impaired (VVI) serve visually-impaired children and adults
with English-language programs and special events. In 2022, VVI started a new program,
English Conversation Partners, for high-school students at the Special Needs Education
School for the Visually-Impaired, University of Tsukuba. This program gives students achance to build confidence in speaking English through one-on-one online or telephone
conversations with volunteers. VVI also continued its mock interview program at thisschool in June and October, helping 29 students to prepare for the EIKEN test of practicalEnglish proficiency. This test is used by some universities as part of their entrance exams
and is useful in applying for jobs.

Throughout 2022, VVI continued to hold classes in person at the Japan Vocational
Development Center for the Blind and Low-Vision, where twice a week, volunteers help
adults, who are re-training for jobs, brush up on their English skills.
In July, VVI held an English Conversation Gathering at the Cinema Chupki Theater.
Attendees watched a movie in English together (with narration in Japanese) and had adiscussion afterward.
Finally, information about VVI and CWAJ events was sent to 181 visually-impaired friends
through our newsletter with electronic and braille editions.

English Outreach for Children (EOC)

Foreign Students’ Circle (FSC)

F o r e i g n S tu d e n t s ’ C i r c l e ( F SC ) p r ov id e sopportunities for foreign students to understandand enjoy Japanese customs and culture. Most
FSC volunteers support FSC students privately asmentors.
FSC held six in-person outings and one online
program in 2022. In-person outings included:•CWAJ has a long history of providing English lessons to Japanese children. This year,
EOC has been able to visit with the children on two occasions, but regular lessons,due to COVID-19 precautions, have not been possible. EOC has continued to sendseasonally-themed packages with English language books, gifts, and games toencourage the children to continue their English language study.
One addition that EOC made in 2022 was torecord CWAJ members reading books in
English (with a Japanese translation) before
sending them. EOC then shared a QR code linkto the recordings on the back of the books. It
is EOC’s hope that an adult at St. Joseph’s canuse their smartphone to access the link andplay the book recording whenever the children
want to hear the story. EOC is looking forward
to the day when monthly in-person visits at St.
Joseph’s Home can resume.

••
•
••

Attendance at CWAJ’s Narimichi KawabataFundraising Concert held at Myounichikan.
A guided walking tour from Sakuradamon
Gate to Sengakuji Temple.
A visit to Suntory Art Museum in Roppongi.
A Kabuki show, “Momijigari,” at the National
Theater.
A visit to the 65th CWAJ Print Show.
A trip to the Bonsai Museum and Bonsai
shops in Toro, Saitama City.

FSC also held an online program, “All AboutKimono,” in September. The participants included
former FSC students who are currently living inEuropean countries, such as Germany and Spain.
Attendees enjoyed watching guides on how towear gorgeous kimono for both men and women.

MONTHLY GENERAL MEETINGS
Throughout 2022, the pandemic continued to place restrictions on CWAJ's general meetings. As a result, monthly programs presented toour community were mostly via virtual format.
January: Melanie Brock, founder of the not-for-profit
organisation Celebrating Women in Japan, profiled
Japanese women who excel in their chosen fields
and challenge commonly-held stereotypes.

September: Professor Sven Saaler from Sophia
University, talked about the factors that shape ourhistorical perception, including the way that history canbe manipulated for political ends.

February: Wakayu Sato, talked us through the waysthat social media platforms enable companies to tailor
advertising to the user based on their search history.

Artist Noriko Yanagisawa talked about her lifelong
challenges with themes and techniques at the in-person
October Printshow Kickoff at Daikanyama Hillside
Banquet Hall.

March: Izumi Duvalier, from Bank of America Merrill
Lynch, offered us insight into the factors that drive up
inflation.

November: Hannah Kirshner, who commutes
between New York and Yamanaka, a small village in theNakano mountains of Japan, discussed the crafts andcultural activities in that aging community.

April: artist Kate Thomson enchanted us with alively talk about her white marble sculptures and hercommunity work in Scotland and Japan.

December: Grace Mahya, a talented jazz singer andpianist, serenaded us with songs from around the worldin celebration of the global nature of the CWAJ
membership.
This was also the occasion of our first in-person
luncheon in three years! 66 members enjoyed thisevent at the new Foreign Correspondents’ Club ofJapan in Marunouchi.

June: Vicky Bowman, a former British Ambassador
to Myanmar, talked about responsible businesspractices. Shortly after the talk, CWAJ was shocked
to learn of her incarceration by the Myanmar military
junta and was relieved to hear of her release in lateNovember.

Ippan Shadan Hojin CWAJ
2-24-13-703 Kami-Osaki Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0021 | contactus@cwaj.org
2-24-13-601

The CWAJ Center has moved to a larger space within the same building.