COLLEGE WOMEN’SASSOCIATION OF JAPAN

2021 - 2022
AnnualReport
MARCH 2022

Carrying On: CWAJ Supports the Visually Impaired
CWAJ built its foundation on three important pillars: Scholarship, Educational
Programs, and Print Show. Importantly, each of those pillars supports
programs for the visually impaired, including Scholarship for the VisuallyImpaired (SVI), Volunteers for the Visually Impaired (VVI), and Hands-on Art(HoA).
The Scholarship for the Visually Impaired (SVI) was established in 1978 as thefirst scholarship in Japan for visually-impaired students. A total of 78scholarships have been awarded to students for study in Japan and abroad.
Notably, Makoto Ogoda, who graduated from law school as an SVI scholar,
became the second totally blind lawyer in Japan, and Tomomi Ishiura, a 2008
SVI recipient, competed in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games as a paraswimmer, finishing in the top tier in three events. Former SVI scholarship
recipients Masamitsu Misono and Shoto Yamada were selected as
torchbearers for the Games.

Many SVI scholars have maintained warm ties with CWAJ long after theirgraduation, and three former scholars, Rie Yasuhara (2007), Kozue Handa(2007), and Eri Nakase (2004), have not only joined CWAJ, but also taken onvital roles with VVI. Yasuhara has written numerous substantial articles as
editor-in-chief of the VVI Newsletter. Handa, an expert in art appreciation forthe handicapped and lecturer at Meiji Gakuin University, has served as VVI
co-chair since 2022. Nakase works as part of a strong team of proofreaders
for the visually impaired.
VVI presents significant and memorable programs for CWAJ. In December
2021, at VVI’s virtual English Conversation Gathering, Paralympian Ishiurashared her inspirational story, including her struggle when she could not
devote herself to competition due to treatment for congenital glaucoma andeventually making a bold decision to undergo surgery and aim for theParalympics, her inability to self-assess her athletic level during thepandemic, and her determination to compete in the Paris Games. In March
2022, VVI organized a fundraising concert at the Jiyu Gakuen Myonichi-kan,
courtesy of Narimichi Kawabata, who is a world-class violinist with visualimpairment. All net proceeds from the concert will fund scholarships andeducational programs.
The Hands-on Art (HoA) program is an important aspect of the Print Show,providing raised images for visually-impaired visitors to touch with theirfingertips while listening to audio explanations of the image. As part of thevirtual 2021 Print Show, the Hands-on Art program shifted to an online
format, featuring a discussion with artist Kayoko Miyayama about her
beautiful woodblock print, "Magnolia 3." CWAJ sent a raised image ofMagnolia 3 to visually-impaired participants in advance of the discussion
and, at Miyayama's suggestion, also sent Japanese washi paper petals
impregnated with the scent of magnolias, so that participants could touch
the petals and the image together. Miyayama described her pursuit of thebeauty of flowers, including how she climbed on a ladder to a high Magnolia
branch to get a closer look at the flowers used for the print.
CWAJ will carry on with more fulfilling and engaging activities for the visually
impaired, which will surely benefit all CWAJ members.

FUND THE FUTURE
A generous joint donation from National Basketball
AssociationstarRuiHachimuraandTaisho
Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. boosted CWAJ fundraising in2021. Hachimura had several reasons to support CWAJ,stating: “I hope to support women to reach their dreamsand goals. I am grateful to the women in my life, mymother, grandmother and sisters, who supported me tobecome who I am today. I hope that women will havemore opportunities to have active roles in society andflourish in the future. I recently discovered CWAJ and theiroutstanding work supporting women. With this donation,I hope to help women reach their dreams and goals.”
In 2021, as in prior years, CWAJ was fortunate to receive
individual donations in a total amount that will fully funda scholarship. The generosity of all of our donors andsponsors makes it possible for CWAJ to accomplish its
goals as well as to provide opportunities for students topursue their education. By supporting CWAJ with amonetary donation, you can make a genuine and longlasting impact on the lives of women and visuallyimpaired individuals, as well as communities both inJapan and beyond. CWAJ welcomes donations of any
amount throughout the year.
For information about making adonation to CWAJ, please contact:
donations@cwaj.org

SAVE THE DATE

for the 65th

CWAJ PRINT SHOW
Wednesday to Sunday, October 19 - 23, 2022
Hillside Forum, Daikanyama, Tokyo

Online Gallery

will be held concurrently
https://cwaj-gallery.jp/

CWAJ 64th Print Show
64th Print Show Committee Award.
NOJIMA, Arata, “Leaves 02:homageto JS”. The awardee will be invited to
the 65th Print Show .
‘’SHINODA Toko and CWAJ’ was aspecial exhibit at 64th Print Show.
PRPP prints were on sale at theCWAJ Narimichi Kawabata
fundraising concert.

CWAJ Open Print Art Gallery
In 2021, the 64th CWAJ Print Show committee initiated plans for
an in-person show at Daikanyama as well as a corresponding
online show to serve customers who were unable to travel toTokyo. When the pandemic forced the cancellation of the inperson show, the 64th Print Show was able to proceed smoothly
as an online exhibition and sale.
New for 2021 was the digital submission of artist entries,
together with remote jury selection using digital images. The
broad experience of the jurors enabled them to easily discern
the quality of the submitted works without reference to thephysical prints.
The 2021 Online Print Art Gallery (OPAG) featured two special
adjunct shows: “SHINODA Toko and CWAJ” and the Pandemic
Response Print Project (PRPP). Shinoda, who was a true
supporter of CWAJ and its core mission, passed away in March
2021 at the age of 107. For 55 years beginning in 1966, Shinoda
shared a deep connection with CWAJ, submitting works to themain print show on 50 occasions. With the kind approval ofShinoda’s family, CWAJ conducted a lottery sale of six of her
prints and produced a video presentation titled “SHINODA Tokoand CWAJ”. This splendid video is a precious record of thehistory of CWAJ Print Show.

Another popular program at the 2021 OPAG was the “Magic ofPrintmaking” series of guided tours produced in both Englishand Japanese, featuring six popular CWAJ artists: Hirota Raifu(linocut), Ichino Yu (stone lithograph), Momma Hidemi(silkscreen), Omori Hiroyuki (mezzotint), Sekino Yowsaku(woodcut/gold leaf), and Sonoyama Harumi (lithograph). Thesevideos were shared on SNS by artists and members and wereextremely well-received.
A silver lining of the pandemic has been that overseas members
were more involved in the planning of the Print Show sincemost of the committee meetings were held virtually.

Scan to view the Shinoda Tokoand CWAJ Video

Scan to view the CWAJ ‘The Magicof Print Making’ VideoCWAJ Young Printmaker Award (YPA)

Pandemic Response Print Project (PRPP):
Special Sale of Prints Donated by Artists
The Pandemic Response Print Project (PRPP) was a one-time special
project focusing on raising funds to support the CWAJ Pandemic
Response Scholarship for nursing students, which was created in 2020 tohelp nursing students facing financial hardship. Invited artists of the 64thPrint Show were encouraged to donate small prints demonstrating theirtechniques and creativity to the PRPP for sale during the Print Show.
Many artists immediately responded, recognizing that this program
offered them a direct way to make a personal contribution towardpandemic relief.

CWAJ established the Young Printmaker Award (YPA) in2005 as part of the 50th Print Show celebration toencourage the development of young artists. Eligible
applicants are the creators of the top prints selected at
the Annual Exhibition of the Association of Japan Art
Colleges held every year in December.
The winner of the YPA in the amount of 500,000 yen
receives an opportunity to exhibit his/her works at theCWAJ Print Show, as well as to present new work at thePrint Show three years later. Many of the past winners
have made steady progress as budding printmakers.
At the 64th CWAJ Print Show Online Gallery in 2021,
the following two artists exhibited their work:

2021 YPA WinnerOHYAMA, Kanna
Tokyo Zokei University(Graduated March 2021) (left image)

2018 YPA WinnerOver 200 prints were donated by 47 artists, withan average print price of ¥9600. Customers
from all over the world purchased PRPP prints
as part of the online Print Show and the projectraised over 1 million yen, which funded two
Pandemic Response Scholarships. The PRPP also
reflected the wishes of the artists to offer highquality prints at affordable prices , making thisproject a wonderful introduction for customers
purchasing prints for the first time.

NISHIMURA, Ryo
Kyoto City University of Arts Graduate School(Graduated March 2020) (right image)Congratulations 2021 CWAJ Scholars!
CWAJ awarded scholarships in the following categories for the 2021 - 2022 academic year.

Scholarship is Carrying On and Innovating
CWAJ has not wavered from its main task of awarding scholarships.
Significantly, we have decided to continue the Pandemic Response
Scholarship for Nursing Students (NS) for another year, and our Study
Abroad (SA) program is stronger than ever, celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The Non-Japanese Graduate (NJG) program, which was suspended for oneyear, resumed in 2021 to commemorate its 40th year. Selection
committees for the 2022 scholarships met virtually, which happily meantthat overseas members were able to participate in scholarship selection
activities.
Volunteers made an extraordinary effort to successfully complete theinaugural test of the online application submission process so thatbeginning in 2023, most applications will be submitted online.

CWAJ Cultural Exchange Graduate
Scholarship for Japanese Women toStudy Abroad (SA)(Supported by the Japan Foundation)￥3.0 million; one recipient
SONE, Mari
MSc in Psychology: Theory and Research,Catholic University of Leuven (Kingdom ofBelgium)
CWAJ Graduate Scholarship forJapanese Women to Study Abroad (SA)
￥3.0 million; one recipient
SUEMURA, Moe
MS Aerospace Engineering Sciences,
University of Colorado Boulder (USA)CWAJ Scholarship for the Visually
Impaired to Study in Japan (SVI-SJ)¥1.5 million; two recipients
SUGATA, Rika
3rd year, Education, Faculty of Education,
University of TokyoABOUT CWAJYAMADA, Shoto
4th year, Department of Law,
Doshisha University

Our past scholars embodied the spirit to carry on through theiraccomplishments in humanitarian support, international
cooperation, and the environment.
Several past scholars are working internationally to realize
positive change: Kentaro Fukuchi (SVI 2011) is on assignment inthe Paraguay office of the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA); Eri Tayama (SA 2018) is serving with UNICEF; andMisaki Takahashi (SA 2018) is working with the Japan Forestry
Association through the JICA Botswana office to support
environmental work with the local government. Recently, more of
our past scholars have joined as full CWAJ members, carrying on
CWAJ’s mission and contributing to society.

CWAJ Pandemic Response Scholarship forNursing Students (NS)￥0.5 million; six recipients
HAYAKAWA, Meika
3rd year, Kanagawa Prefectural University of
Human Services
KAKIMOTO, Manaka
3rd year, Japan National College of Nursing
KOMUKU, Remi
3rd year, Saitama Prefectural University
MATSUSHITA, Ramu
3rd year, St. Luke’s International University
OYAMA, Takara
3rd year, Yokohama City University
YAMAGUCHI, Yu
4th year, Japan National College of Nursing“Note to Future Young Ambassadors
Young Ambassadors is an exciting newproject that offers junior membership in
CWAJ to women aged 28 years and younger.
The members of the Young Ambassadors willpromote CWAJ Junior Membership at theiruniversities and within their social networks
using their personal SNS and tagging CWAJ.
They will also distribute CWAJ print and virtual
media within their communities. In return for
promoting CWAJ, Young Ambassadors will
receive numerous benefits, apart from beinga member of this venerable organization,such as listing their activities on theirresumes,receivingatailoredrecommendation letter from CWAJ, andreceiving a discounted Junior Membershiprate (¥2,500) for as long as they retain CWAJ
Junior Membership.
CWAJ presents unique opportunities for
Young Ambassadors to establish or expand
their professional and social networks. If you
know a potential CWAJ Young Ambassador,please reach out to CWAJ membership or
send an email to: vicepresident@cwaj.org.

The College Women’s Association of Japan, a 100% volunteer organization, is a group of women supporting
women through education, arts, community and friendship. Founded in 1949, our primary mission is theprovision of scholarships that are funded by donations and proceeds from the CWAJ Print Show. CWAJ serves
the community by providing educational services for children and adults, including innovative programs forthe visually impaired. CWAJ offers opportunities to engage in meaningful volunteer projects, participate incross-cultural events and to make friendships with women, including LGBT+ individuals, from around theworld. Please join us! Contact: membership@cwaj.org@TheCWAJ@cwaj_japan
cwaj.org

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Volunteers for the Visually Impaired (VVI)

Volunteers for the Visually Impaired (VVI) provides a variety ofeducational and social opportunities for visually-impaired individuals.
In 2021, VVI held programs and events virtually and met in person
when conditions allowed.
In two virtual English Conversation Gatherings (ECG) in 2021, visuallyimpaired guests and volunteers gathered to practice speaking English
in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. The March ECG focused on spring
traditions: US-based journalist Diane Parsell explained how Japanesecherry trees came to be planted in Washington D.C., and Nahid
Yoshinari, an Iranian woman living in Japan, described the Persian New
Year’s celebrations held around the spring equinox. In December,paralympic swimmer and 2008 SVI scholar Tomomi Ishiura inspired uswith behind-the-scenes stories of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Everyone was excited to speak with an Olympian directly about herexperiences. In each ECG, visually-impaired participants and volunteer
moderators entered breakout rooms for further discussion in English.
In a special virtual event in July, the 8th Entaro Rakugo Master gave aprivate performance online to 20 visually-impaired guests and 65 CWAJ
members. After telling the story of Umaya Kaji, the 8th Entaro answeredquestions about his career and his rakugo techniques and then chattedwith guests in breakout rooms.

As part of CWAJ’s educational mission, VVI volunteers taught English
classes online, as well as in person when possible, at the Japan
Vocational Development Center for the Blind (JVDCB), helping adultstudents build language skills that are valuable in the job market.
Volunteers also conducted virtual mock EIKEN interviews with highschool students at the Special Needs Education School for the Visually
Impaired, University of Tsukuba to prepare for the proficiency test. TheVVI Newsletter, which provides information about these and other
CWAJ events, is regularly distributed electronically and in a brailleversion to CWAJ’s visually-impaired friends.

Foreign Students’ Circle (FSC)

FSC continues its online program series, “Presentation & Talk,”
which began in November 2020, during which FSC students andformer FSC students introduced their home countries to thegroup. The programs were well attended by those in Japan aswell as overseas, and provided opportunities to be reunited
with former FSC students residing outside of Japan, who areeither working or continuing with their studies. Small groupprograms were organized for foreign students by some FSC
mentors, including a Kabuki program in summer and a walking
program in autumn.

English Outreach for Children (EOC)

CWAJ has a long history of providing English lessons to Japanesechildren. For many years, volunteers provided a weekly English
learning space for Japanese children who had previously lived
overseas and who spoke English. In 2018, EOC shifted its focus
to providing Fun-in-English literacy-based lessons tounderprivileged children at St. Joseph’s Home, a children’s homein Nishi-Tokyo City, with the goal of making an important
contribution to the children’s English language learning.
When meeting in person became impossible, EOC begansending seasonally themed packages to the children at St.
Joseph’s Home that are filled with English language books, gifts,and games. We hope that these care packages will encourage
the children to continue their English language study.
EOC members met in person in December and January toassemble the winter and Valentine’s Day gift packages, and are
now looking forward to the day when in-person visits at St.
Joseph’s Home can resume.

CULTURAL PROGRAMSMonthly General Meetings
In April 2020, CWAJ began offering its monthly general meetings in a virtual format, which
revealed opportunities beyond our expectations. It is now possible to invite speakers fromaround the world. The year started with sociologist Chizuko Ueno’s lecture about the gender
gap in Japan; in February, Mark Bookman, who uses a wheelchair, spoke about accessibility forthe disabled in Japan; in March, Madeleine Umewaka and daughter Soraya gave a lecture on
the world of Noh; in April, Robin Harding, Financial Times Tokyo Bureau Chief, spoke about thechallenges newspapers face in the age of social media developments, and in June, Alice
Gordenker presented "Stigma or Art?”, a refreshing view on Japanese tattoos. In September,textile designer Reiko Sudo and architect/writer Naomi Pollock spoke to us live from Japan andthe U.S.; in October, printmaker Ayomi Yoshida provided a fascinating explanation ofwoodblock prints; and in November, David Atkinson, spoke from his perspective as a nonJapanese president of a company engaged in restoring Japanese temples and nationaltreasures.
The number of attendees consistently exceeded 100, far more than the average number ofparticipants at our former face-to-face monthly meetings. As much as our virtual lecture series
have been well-received both at home and abroad, the hybrid meeting held in December at theForeign Correspondents' Club of Japan provided an opportunity to see a spectacular samba
dance performance, as well as to experience the joy of an in-person gathering. The Monthly
General Meetings are open in-person or on-line to the public. Please visit the CWAJ website fordetails.
Top row: General Meeting speaker Chizuko Ueno. and speaker Alice Gordenker. Bottom row: Samba dancers
including Tomoko Yamashige-Mark, Yumiko Harada, and Chisato Mori.

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