February 14, 2022 The U.S.-Japan Council is an organization that is committed to many kinds of economic, political and social projects that strengthen the relationship between the United States and Japan. Recently, one of their programs has been the 'Japanese American Storytelling Program' (JASP), which speaks to audiences in both Japan and the United States about a range of issues, especially history, diversity, empathy, and connections between the two countries. Recently, some Global Studies in English course (GSE) students were very lucky to be invited to an interactive session hosted by James Minamoto. Joining us online, he gave an engaging and interesting class, entitled 'Resilence'. In this story, we follow the life of a Japanese-American girl, who leaves Hiroshima for the United States, is forced back to Japan, but eventually, returns to the United States. In the course of her life, she faces challenges that are difficult to imagine, and throughout the lecture, students answered questions, explained their own feelings, and tried to put themselves in the shoes of others. I asked Mr Minamoto if he would share his motivations for this program, and how he felt about the session here at Hiroshima Jogakuin University. \\"I thoroughly enjoyed presenting the story of my mother's challenges and resilience to the GSE students, as well as discussing their insightful questions and comments. Through our Japanese American Storytelling Program, we try to pass on positive messages to university students all throughout Japan - the future leaders of the country. Thank you for giving us this wonderful opportunity.\\" The students themselves did a good job of engaging with difficult topics and showed empathy and deep reflection when asked questions. I asked one of the students to share her perspective on the seminar: \\"I liked how the speaker told us about the story. The message of the story can be clearly felt, and some parts I could easily relate to my own life, which impressed me greatly. I know how it feels when other people treat us differently. When I feel like giving up, I remember that life isn't always rainbows and butterflies and that there must be rain sometimes, and we must try to move on and always try our best. After this seminar, I will be more motivated, and I want to be strong, like the speaker's mother was, in facing challenges\\". In the GSE course, we are always trying to connect topics in the classroom with the real world. Through real-life stories and the generosity of Mr Minamoto and his colleagues in the JASP program of the U.S.-Japan Council, we had an enjoyable afternoon. Thank you! Read the full article here.