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| About the Manjiro Society |
The Manjiro Society for International Exchange, Inc. is a not-for-profit educational and cultural exchange organization that aims to foster mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and Japan. Our programs take topics of professional and personal interest as the basis for person-to-person exchange, and often involve homestays that give participants the opportunity to learn more about the culture and lifestyle of the other country.
Our programming involves persons from all walks of life, and fosters the personal friendship and good will that encourage the development of ongoing relationships and learning opportunities.
We provide assistance to groups from both Japan and the U.S. that seek help finding homestays and developing exchanges with groups having a similar focus. We also hope to create interest in U.S.-Japan exchange by offering innovative programs featuring learning opportunities in diverse settings.
The Manjiro Society was founded in 1993 as a Virginia not-for-profit educational and cultural exchange organization governed by its membership.
The Manjiro Society is named in honor of the historic first encounter between the American and Japanese cultures that occurred with the rescue and education 150 years ago of a Japanese castaway by American whaler captain William Whitfield of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The Japanese castaway, who took the name John Manjiro, contributed to his host country as a whaler officer and participant in the Gold Rush, and to his native country as the first source of accurate and comprehensive knowledge of American life and democracy. The friendship between the two men, and the friendship between their descendants that continues to this day, inspires the grassroots exchange activities of the Manjiro Society.
Comments on the Society's programs should be sent to the Executive Director.
Comments on the website should be sent to the Webmaster.
Page last updated Aug 15, 1999. Copyright 1998-2002, The Manjiro Society.