The Manjiro Society - Summer 1997 Newsletter

Volume 4, Number 1
Summer 1997

In This Issue: Index of other issues

The 7th Japan-America Grassroots Summit
The Japan-America Youth Orchestra Exchange
Chiba Youth Orchestra Members Speak
Spring Concert
Summer Camp in Virginia
(Japanese names are presented western style, family name last, except for historical figures and bibliographic entries.)
The 7th Japan-America Grassroots Summit
Looking for an inexpensive way to experience Japan, its culture, and people? Hoping to experience traditional Japan and see a part of the country that most visitors do not? The Japan-America Grassroots Summit is an opportunity to do all of this and more. Yamagata Prefecture is gearing up to host 250 Americans for the annual Summit program that features homestays with local families, exchange sessions on a variety of topics, and opportunities for touring and sightseeing. Yamagata Prefecture, located in the northeastern part of the country on the coast of the Sea of Japan, is known for its natural beauty and its preservation of the traditional way of Japanese life.
The wide variety of exchange programs at this year's Summit reflect the diversity of Yamagata's natural and cultural offerings. The town of Kushibiki, for example, will feature an exchange focused on Kurokawa Noh plays that feature local farmers as the actors and musicians. Performances of Noh in the town have taken place for over 600 years, and its style is currently being studied as an outstanding example of the art form.
Dancers will appreciate the exchange in Obanazawa City, the birthplace of Yamagata Prefecture's famous folk dance, the Hanagasa Odori (Flower Hat Dance). The natural environment exchange, a regular exchange at the Summit for the past two years, will be featured in Asahi Village, home of the Bandai-Asahi National Park.
A number of exchanges for students will continue the Summit focus on programming for young poeple. Tsuruoka City will host a high school student's debate, the town of Yuza will host a program for school children interested in the story of Jahn Manjiro, and Amarume will host parents and school children who are learning Japanese.
The exchange for deaf persons will build on the success of the deaf exchange at the 6th Summit in Colorado in 1996. Blind and vision impaired persons will also join the exchange this year to share ideas and opinions on their experiences living in Japan and the U.S.
The optional tour scheduled for November 4 and 5 will feature "Traditional Japan in Yamagata." The Safflower Museum in Kahoku is a former residence that now houses displays of clothing, weapons, and other antiques. Participants will enjoy a boat ride down the Mogami River and a lunch of traditional vegetarian cuisine. Also included on the tour is a visit to Yamadera, a Buddhist temple founded in 890 A.D.
For complete details on this exciting opportunity to experience traditional Japan, please contact the Society office.
The Japan-America Youth Orchestra Exchange
A thought of music and friendship developed from a simple idea into one of the most successful Manjiro Society programs ever. The Japan-America Youth Orchestra Exchange gave 22 young musicians from Japan and the members of the McLean Youth Orchestra (MYO) in McLean, Virginia an opportunity to perform together and learn from each other through personal exchange.
The idea grew out of a discussion between Taeko Floyd, Manjiro Society Executive Director, and Fumio Ogawa, parent of two Chiba Youth Orchestra (CYO) members who currently lives in New York. With the program framework in place, the Manjiro Society approached Pauline Anderson, Music Director of the McLean Youth Orchestra, with a proposal for the program, and her enthusiastic response and willingness to work the visitors into the March 23 McLean Youth Orchestra concert, already planned, made the possibility of the exchange a reality. With a performance date set, the Manjiro Society arranged an exchange that would incorporate the musical performance, homestays with MYO families, and visits to local schools and sites in Washington, DC and New York.
The Chiba Youth Orchestra members, accompanied by CYO parent and delegation leader Atsushi Hattori, arrived in Virginia on March 17. They oriented themselves to the U.S. and toured the highlights of Washington, DC during their first two days. The CYO members also visited Thomas Jefferson and Falls Church High Schools in Virginia during the week, observing Japanese classes at both schools as well as an orchestra practice and school facilities. They even performed several pieces as a part of the Heritage Week festival at Falls Church High School.
Nineteen families of McLean Youth Orchestra members hosted Chiba Youth Orchestra members for four days during the homestay portion of their visit. As usual, the homestay was the highlight of the visit for both hosts and guests (see comments from the Chiba Youth Orchestra members). Hosts Dave and Vicki Thompson relate their experience hosting Tenjiro Amazawa, the leader of the Chiba Youth Orchestra members who made the trip: "The best part of the homestay was Saturday night when we finally had an evening together. We invited friends and neighbors over to meet Tenjiro. Andrew and Ten spent the afternoon sight-reading violin duets by Viotti, and then played a concert that evening for our friends. Then Tenjiro played a Bach Partita for everyone. He is an extremely talented violinist and the Bach Partitas are some of the most difficult for violinists to play. Most of our guests had never heard violin playing of that quality and were deeply moved and very impressed. Everyone was also impressed with his fluent English. In the end, we all thought of Tenjiro as our friend rather than a visitor from Japan."
The two groups practiced together only twice before their joint concert on March 23 at Catholic University in Washington, DC. The concert, "A Tribute to American Music," featured Ludwig van Beethoven's Overture to Egmont and Symphony No. 1 in C Major, as well as pieces by various American composers, including Variations on a Shaker Melody by Aaron Copeland, and Morton Gould's American Salute. The MYO and CYO members ended the concert with a spirited performance of John Philip Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever.
At the post-concert reception in McLean, Counselor Reiichiro Takahashi from the Embassy of Japan spoke to the guests briefly about the story of John Manjiro and the spirit that inspired the orchestra exchange. The CYO members performed some additional pieces for the guests, as host families and their guests scrambled to take pictures together in front of the commemorative quilt Vicki Thompson made as a gift for the Chiba Youth Orchestra.
Tearful farewells followed the end of the reception, as the CYO members prepared to depart for New York the following morning. The New York portion of the trip for the CYO members included two hectic days of touring and a performance in the Empire State Building at a Japan National Tourist Organization reception. They returned to Japan on March 26 aftern ten busy days in the U.S.
As homestay host James Casey noted, this year's Japan-America Youth Orchestra Exchange program "opens up the possibility of future exchanges with other countries, and even a return exchange for the McLean Youth Orchestra to go to Japan." If interest is high among MYO members, the Society hopes to plan just such an exchange for next year. Atsushi Hattori, for one, is already planning to host visitors. We hope the host families and guests, most of whom are actively exchanging letters and phone calls, will be just as enthusiastic to continue the friendships begun at the first Japan-America Youth Orchestra Exchange.
Chiba Youth Orchestra Members Speak
"When I met my homestay family on the first night, it was the first time I had ever been asked questions by foreigners, and I was so nervous I couldn't say anything... After the farewell reception, we had to say goodbye to our homestay families. I had been so worried about the homestay at first, but by this time, I wanted to talk more, but I couldn't. Then I really felt that, even if I couldn't speak well, I could communicate across the boundaries of countries through music, and this gives me inspiration to continue."
-- Eriko Uchida, 15

"On this trip I felt how wonderful exchange through music is. Austin [of my homestay family] also played guitar like me, and we were about the same level, so we improvised together. I was also able to play in Austin's band, so we became very good friends that way."
-- Nozomu Kono, 17

"My impression of American schools is that each student is unique and lively... In the U.S., I also felt that people care more for handicapped people, both in the educational system and in the larger society... there is even a lift for wheelchairs in the buses! All public places have slopes and automatic doors [for wheelchairs]. I think that America is more advanced than Japan in this way. The commonality between the countries, however, is music. We can communicate without works this way. I realized through this how wonderful music is."
-- Aya Kono, 20

"The performance with the McLean Youth Orchestra was wonderful. I was a bit nervous when I saw them for the first time. Then I thought, we speak different languages, but this is just like an amateur orchestra in Japan... I realized that Americans don't care so much about how many people are in the audience or how good the hall is. The important thing is whether you enjoy playing. My host family parents are also amateur musicians, so we talked about music a lot... even when I couldn't find the right words to say, they waited patiently for me to think of the words and tried their best to understand me."
-- Kenichiro Ogawa, 14

"When I returned to Japan, I immediately sent my homestay family a post card. It took me ten hours to write one card! But it is wonderful that I now have friends abroad..."
-- Seiko Yoshioka, 18

"Music lovers like myself meet music from the outside by going to concerts or listening to records. These young musicians, however, with their own instruments, meet music from the inside. Through this trip, because of this wonderful invitation [the homestay] by the people of McLean, these young musicians also met American life and culture from the inside. This was the most significant part of the program."
-- Atsushi Hattori, delegation leader/parent representative

Spring Concert
The Manjiro Society Spring Concert brought Society members and friends together for an evening of outstanding musical performances. Over 45 guests gathered on April 5 at the home of Manjiro Society members Jay and Toshiko Tompkins for the concert and dinner. All proceeds went to benefit the activities of the Manjiro Society.
Pianist Yasuko Hachiya was the driving force behind the event, and assembled the musicians and singer for this special concert. She reflects, "For a long time, I had longed to hold a concert before I leave the U.S. [to return to Japan.] I love the process of perfecting the music in concert with other players in preparation for the performance. I enjoy that moment of connection among the musicians that performance brings.
"As my departure from the U.S. was rapidly approaching, I searched for an opportunity to perform. I decided to invite some friends to a concert I would play at a local church. One day at a party, I saw my friend [Manjiro Society Executive Director] Taeko Floyd. When I mentioned my plan, she said 'How about playing for the Manjiro Society as a fundraising event?' I immediately loved the idea.
"I approached three string players--Yuki MacQueen, Barbara Gholz, and Lizbeth Duncan--as well as Harumi Shibuya, a soprano whose husband is a minister, and invited them to perform with me. They were all supportive of the concept of the Manjiro Society, and each of them graciously accepted the request to play as a volunteer. We practiced seriously for the concert, and I enjoyed that practice time immensely.
"My wish came true with the concert performance on April 5. At the same time, the concert was a little help for the Manjiro Society, and this made me very happy as well.
"I am very grateful that I was able to play at the Manjiro Society Spring Concert, and I would like to thank all of the members and friends who came to listen to our music. I would also like to thank the musicians who willingly accepted my request to perform, and the Tompkins for opening their beautiful home for the concert. We all had a wonderful time."
Summer Camp in Virginia
The success of the pilot Manjiro Society Summer Camp project last year was encouragement enough for us to offer the program again for 1997. Sixteen youth from Japan are already signed up to participate in this year's camp from August 4 through 18 in Pembroke Springs, Virginia.
The camp is an opportunity for Japanese and American youth to develop friendships and learn from each other about their respective cultures and daily life. Camp activities will be both nature and culture related. Participants will fish, hike, and horseback ride together as they learn to communicate cross-culturally using language skills that they will practice during the camp. Participants will also teach each other about school, studies, and other aspects of their daily lives in their respective countries, and show off their skills at a talent show. Three counselors with knowledge of English and Japanese will guide the experience.
Japanese camp participants will also do extra studies on American history and culture and visit local sites of historical significance including Mount Vernon and the Smithsonian Museums. Last year's campers from Japan were amazed to be able to fish, pick their own berries and make jam, and spend time in nature at the camp, activities they are rarely able to do in their own country.
American youth ages 12 to 14 are welcome to participate in one or both sessions of the camp for local participants: August 7 through 10 or August 14 through 16. The participation fee for one session of $300 for non-members or $275 for immediate family members of Manjiro supporters includes all expenses for the camp except transportation to and from the camp site. Accommodations will be in tents or cabins. American campers are not required to have any knowledge of Japanese, but youth with an interest in Japan and Japanese will find the camp especially enjoyable.
Please contact the Society office for application forms and a detailed schedule.
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