Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation
A Collaborative Program by Japan’s Rotary Districts

The RotaryYoneyama Memorial
Foundation isa scholarshipfoundation jointlystudents from 123 countries have received scholarshipsupport under this program.

Creating Heart-to-Heart Understanding
between Scholars and Rotarians

supported by all

In addition to thethe Rotary districts

financial assistancein Japan. To date,provided to Yoneyama

the Foundation

Scholars by way of theirhas awarded scholarships to more

scholarships, the program

than 18,000 students（Yoneyama Scholars）from 123

has another uniquelycountries and regions to support their study in Japan.

Rotarianesque feature: aProviding a matrix for heart-to-heart communication, thesystem of sewa clubs（hostprogram also seeks to help the young scholars understandclubs）and counselors thatand emulate the Rotary spirit.

gives the scholars moral

The Foundation’s Scholarship Programsupport and caring assistance during their tenures. Each
Yoneyama Scholar is assigned a sewa club chosen fromThe Rotary Yoneyama

among the Rotary clubs in his/her area.

Scholarship Program uses

One member of the host club serves asfunds donated by Rotarians

the scholar’s counselor, who helps toacross Japan to provide

deepen the relationship between the scholar

scholarships to overseas

and the club members and endeavors tostudents who self-financemake the scholar’s stay in Japan a rich andtheir educations in Japan.

rewarding experience. While imbuing

The program’s mission is tothe scholar with the Rotary spirit offoster a large cadre of young

service, the system also works to deepen

people who, imbued with thethe Rotarians’ own understanding of theRotary spirit, will play active roles in international societyrole and value of the Yoneyama Memorial Scholarshipwhile building bridges of understanding and cooperation

Program. For further information, see the foundation’s

between their countries and Japan. In sum, the program’s

website at http://www.rotary-yoneyama.or.jp/

goal is the same as the Rotary’s—to advance international
understanding, goodwill and peace.

Japan’s Largest Private-Sector
Scholarship Program for International Students
With approximately 700 students receiving $10
million worth of scholarships each year（FY2013 figures）, theYoneyama Memorial Scholarship Program is the largest
private-sector scholarship program for international
students in Japan. As of July 2014, a total of 18,104

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THE ROTARY-NO-TOMORotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation
Yoneyama Alumni in the World Today
2. Number of alumni obtaining PhDs: 3,437
By country or region
1. South Korea 1,277
2. China
1,209
3. Taiwan
612

1. Countries and Regions Yoneyama Scholars to datewhere are fromIndonesia 361（2.0％）
Bangladesh 304（1.7％）
Thailand 289（1.6％）
Sri Lanka 248（1.4％）（Total number of alumni as of July 1, 2014: 18,104）

Others3,055（16.8％）

Vietnam689（3.8％）

Malaysia865（4.8％）

Taiwan3,382（18.7％）

3. Clubs established centering around Yoneyama alumni● Rotary Club of Taipei Tokai（D-3480）
Chartered:January 31, 1995
● Rotary Club of Taichung Wen Shin（D-3460）
Chartered: March 16, 2007
● Rotary Club of Tokyo Yoneyama Yuai（D-2750）
Chartered: March 16, 2010
● Rotary E-Club of District 2750, Tokyo Yoneyama
Chartered: June 21,2012● Rotary Club of Saitama Ozora（D-2770）*
Chartered: November 25, 2013

China
5,915
（32.7％）

Cum.Total 18,104（123countries andregions）

Korea
4,198（23.2％）＊ Together with Rotary Foundation alumni※Total of Yoneyama Scholars for 2014
724 students from 56 countries and regions

Breif History of Rotary Yoneyama Scholarships
1952 Dec.

The first Yoneyama Scholar, Somchard
Ratanachata of Thailand, arrived in Japan.

Somchard Ratanachata ata meeting of Rotary Clubof Tokyo.

Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation
was established receiving authorization by
Ministry of Education.

Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation
received an award from the government for
its commitment to strengthening ties withforeign students studying in Japan.
Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation
received a status of Public Interest
Incorporated Foundation by Japan’s PrimeMinister.

THE ROTARY-NO-TOMO

1954 Sep.

1957 Sep.

The Rotary Club of Tokyo launched
an international
scholarship program
to commemorate theachievements of Umekichi
Y o n ey ama, “F at h er o f
Japan’s Rotary.”

The Yoneyama Memorial Scholarship
Committee was formed as a joint undertaking
among all the Rotary clubs in Japan.

1967 Jul.
1998 Oct.

Scholarship program extended to students
from all nations regardless of whether theirown country has Rotary clubs or not.

2001 Oct.

2004 Nov.
2012 Jan.

The Rotary International Board of Directors
commended the Rotary Yoneyama Memorial
Foundation for its contribution to world
understanding and peace through its
granting of scholarships to deserving
recipients.

23

Yoneyama Alumi’s Story

A Bouquet of Thanks from Thailand

I first came to Japan in 1991. While I spent one year
as an exchange high school student everything was new

Vocational Service and the Four-Way Testand different. I learned persevering spirits from gym class

The town of Yokota (now Okuizumo) in Shimane wasand club activities, and experience gained from the tea

at that time one of the few places in Japan where abacuses

ceremony and calligraphy taught me the importance ofwere manufactured. The abacus is said to be an aid inproper manners and a receptive mind. My host father waslearning mathematics, and even today elementary schoolquite strict in instructing me in the Japanese language sokids are taught how to use the abacus. The town wasthat I would be able to converse with my friends.

conducting an abacus exchange program in Thailand

A half a year after returning home my host parents

as part of an attempt to promote its use worldwide. As

visited me in Thailand and recommended me to attend

luck would have it, after graduating from the university

a university in Japan after graduating from high school.

I served for three years at the town office as an

So I came back to Japan, and studied intensively forinternational exchange representative. By introducing thethe college entrance exam. I passed the entrance exam

abacus to my own country, the mathematical skills of theand was admitted to Shimane University, but class work

children of Thailand improved greatly, and I was able toproved to be much more difficult. My teacher evenserve as a bridge between the two countries. It was a truly

pointed out to me once that my writing was elementary-wonderful experience.

level. Perhaps it was because of my poor writing,when I

I moved back to Thailand in 2001 and began myapplied for a Yoneyama scholarship in my junior year I

job as secretary to the president of Panasonic Siew

wasn’t selected. I applied in my senior year again, and thisSales (Thailand), which represents Japan as the second

time with success.

largest manufacturer of electrical appliances. My duties

For me the world of Rotary was like an introductory

mainly involve arranging schedules, meeting withcourse in becoming a member of society. Quite naturally

visitors, interpreting and translating, and I have many

I acquired the habit of obeying rules and being on time.

opportunities to learn something of the perspective andI also learned to bear a sense of responsibility and how

high-level views of managers. At the same time I often

to greet others. But to tell the truth, at the time I wasn’t

recall the things I learned from my interaction withaware of more important things I had learned.

Rotarians during the time I was a Yoneyama scholar.
Perhaps because I have been at this job for along time, many employees come to me with theirproblems. We think things through together, and it
is especially exciting when we come up with someclue leading to a solution. I consider it a small partof vocational service to report any problems to thepresident while they are still small, and then tocorrectly pass on any thoughts the president might
have to the employees. Vocational service, as I
understand it, means that one cannot continue unless
one has pride and confidence in one’s vocation.
With the Rotary’s sprits of service in mind,I amBusakorn explains about Yoneyama at ＲＩConvention 2012 in Bangkok

24

trying to improve myself day by day. I remember theTHE ROTARY-NO-TOMORotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation
Busakorn Hongsyok first visited Japan as a high school student, and urged to do so by her host family, she cameback again. After graduating from the university in Japan she served as “abacus ambassador”, linking her own
country and Shimane Prefecture. Returning home she now works as a secretary to the president of a Japanese firmin Thailand, while practicing vocational service and applying the Four-Way Test that she learned as a Yoneyama
scholar. Let’s hear what she has to say about her endeavors to expand the circle of goodwill through such things asYoneyama Alumni service activities.

Rotarians of my host club would recite the Four-Way Testat every club meeting, but at the time I didn’t understandits deeper meaning. Now that I am actually working, I
have come to realize its importance. Whenever I reportthings to the president I think to myself, “Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned? Will it build GOODWILLand BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to allconcerned?”

Sending Well-trained People Out into the WorldI want all of our employees to be acquainted with themagnificent writings of Konosuke Matsushita, the founderof Panasonic (originally Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,
Ltd.), and known in Japan as the “God of Management”.

Cleaning up along the seaside with alumni members.
Busakorn is fourth from the right.

More than a Bouquet of Flowers…

Therefore bit by bit I am translating his works into theMy Japanese host father, who was so strict with me,

Thai language. I used to feel regret whenever a well-passed away three years ago. Only once did I ever receive

trained employee left the company. But my way ofpraise from him. I was chosen as valedictorian for ourthinking changed when I discovered these words of Mr.

graduating university class, and I’ll never forget how his

Matsushita: “If everyone takes one step up the ladder offace beamed as he said to me, “You’ve done your father

progress, then all of society improves by one step as well.”proud.”

It made me happy to think that by sending talented people

My host mother has often remarked how sorry sheout into the world, we were helping to raise the level offelt for me the day our group arrived in Shimane. All thesociety as a whole. To me this sounded much like the ideas

other host families had brought bouquets of flowers withof Rotary, and then I found out that Mr. Matsushita waswhich to welcome the visiting high school students, andindeed once a Rotarian (the Rotary Club of Osaka). There

she will never forgive herself for bringing nothing. But I

is a portrait of him with the Rotary pin proudly displayed

wish to say, not only to my Japanese mother, but to mynext to his company badge.

mother in Thailand, to Rotarians, and to everyone who

The Yoneyama Alumni Association of Thailand which

has helped me along the way, I have received more thanI belong to is less than three years old, but already it isenough flowers with which to color my life. I don’t needexpanding the circle of goodwill through such activities

any bouquets. Instead I intend to do whatever I can toas donating diapers and other items to an infant carerepay you all for all the warmth and treasures in my life

center and, together with the members’ families andthat you have given to me. Please continue to watch overfriends, staging a clean-up along the ocean shore. At its

me in the future.

board meeting in September 2013 we decided to provide
scholarships for Thai students, an action I believe to bevery fitting for us, who ourselves received scholarships

Busakorn Hongsyok
Panasonic Siew Sales (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Secretary to Company President, Manager

from Rotarians in Japan. I hope we can continue suchCountry of Birth: Thailand,

productive activities long into the future.

School: Shimane University,

THE ROTARY-NO-TOMO

Yoneyama Scholar: 1997~98

Host Club: The Rotary Club of Izumo-Chuo25