Japan America Society of Minnesota

Transcription

1 Japan America Society of Minnesota The Tsūshin is a membership publication of the Japan America Society of Minnesota J-Quiz: To Washington D.C. and Back May 2014 VOL. 23, No. 05 On April 10 th, 2014, the three teams who won the 2014 J-Quiz competition here in Minnesota traveled with their teachers to Washington D.C. to attend the National Japan Bowl and the annual Sakura Matsuri. The students had a busy weekend, starting off with the Japan Bowl on the 10 th and 11 th. There were 39 participating schools in the National Japan Bowl this year, making for a total of 239 students competing. During the preliminary rounds alone, students answered 300 questions about Japanese language, culture, and history. The students heard the answer to the question afterwards, as the Japan Bowl aims to be a learning experience for students. In addition to the competition, there were several special guests in attendance, such as the Tamagawa University Dance and Taiko Group. - Continued on Page 5 - Annual Sake Tasting Event JASM is hosting its 3rd Annual Sake Tasting Event on Tuesday, June 17th, Join JASM in savoring one of Japan's enduring traditions - the elegance of Sake. Sample sake from a great variety of family brewers, employing age-old techniques from Japan to craft aromatic and robust flavored brews. Enjoy your sake tasting while networking and socializing with other JASM members and friends attending this event. We are pleased to announce that Sake Story and Winebow will take part in our event this year as the sake distributors in addition to other potential participants. More information will be provided in due time. Join us for this amazing event that is sure to be a blast! Details: When: Tuesday, June 17th, 2014 Where: Origami Restaurant (Uptown Location) Time: 6:00 8:00 p.m. Cost: $20 JASM Member, $25 Non-member 2014 Mondale Scholarship Application and 2014 Mondale Award Nominations The Japan America Society of Minnesota (JASM) will award the Mondale Scholarship to Minnesota undergraduate students enrolled in Minnesota colleges and universities who want to study and travel. JASM will offer up to $4,500 in scholarships for the academic year. The selection committee has the discretion to award up to three $1,000 scholarships or two $1,500 scholarships. Due to the generous donations received at the Mondale Gala in 2013, the fund for the scholarships has been increased to three scholarships for the next academic year. The awards are specifically to be used for travel to or within Japan before, during, or after the student s specified terms of study. To read the guidelines for application and to download an application form, please visit our website and look under the link titled Programs. Since 1998, the Mondale Scholarship has made many learning opportunities available to students. These students have been able to stay with host families, travel, research, and learn in ways that they may have not been able to without the scholarship. Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by Tuesday, June 10th, 2014 The United States has a long history of sending top-notch people to serve as Ambassador to Japan, and Minnesota s own Walter Mondale certainly fits the description. As a former Vice President and Senator, he was Photo of Cherry Blossoms near Hiroshima Castle taken by a past Mondale Scholarship recipient. dubbed O-mono (a magnate ) by the Japanese press when President Bill Clinton appointed him in He served with distinction, earning praise in both countries for his deft handling of trade disputes and a serious diplomatic crisis involving U.S. military personnel. After his return to Minnesota in 1997, the Japan America Society of Minnesota created the Mondale Award for Japan-Minnesota Partnership to recognize outstanding contributions to the building of understanding, cooperation, and respect between the people of Japan and Minnesota. The Award was named for and first presented to Joan and Walter Mondale to recognize his service as Ambassador and their ongoing efforts to promote cultural exchange in both countries. Applications for nomination can be found on our website under the link titled Programs. Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by Monday, July 7th, 2014.

2 Personal Reflections from the President Bridging Minnesota and Japan My Japanese family Soon after moving to Japan for the first time in 1988, I met my Japanese Family. Since then, they have been an important part of my life. In the beginning they proudly shared the rich culture of Japan. On weekends, my wife and I were escorted through a myriad of temples, parks and shopping districts. We took great interest in these weekend adventures and greatly enjoyed spending time with our second family. The father spent his career as a high school gym teacher with a passion for baseball. His wife is a housewife with a strong interest in art and Japanese culture. During our initial five-year stay in Japan, I met my Japanese mother several times per week at local coffee shops. As she speaks virtually no English, she took great interest in helping me improve my Japanese so she could share more of the wonders of Japan. Some of our fondest memories include celebrating traditional New Year s festivities at the Matsue home, our first sushi bar visit, and having them attend our wedding in Kentucky. At our wedding they stole the show dressed smartly in traditional kimono attire. Everyone wanted to talk with them and learn their story. In 2000, my wife and I returned to Japan when our son was three years and remained until he was seven years old. During this period, we frequently met the Matsue s and they consider our son their honorary grandson. Together on New Year s Day Throughout our son s early years in Japan, the Matsue s helped us celebrate Boys Day, took us to Meiji Shrine for the Shichi-Go-San blessing and celebrated the Christmas holiday at our Tokyo home. Over the past 10 years, I have been doing business in Japan on a regular basis. I make it a point to spend the morning of the day of my departure with my Japanese mother. We stroll through a park or garden, share pictures and stories of the latest developments in our lives, remember the past and look forward to the future. It is a special gift to have cross-cultural friendship that have endured and strengthened over the past quarter century. We have many great people in our JASM community that are open to sharing their rich lives and culture. I strongly encourage you to volunteer in JASM programs and activities that touch the lives and souls of so many people. - David Smith, JASM President Nichibei Lecture Series Coming in June Mark your calendar! The next Nichibe Lecture Series is coming up in late June. Dr. Hiroshi Nakato, who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University of Minnesota, will be speaking on Model Organism Zoo. Model organisms are animals that are extensively studied in the life of sciences to understand particular biological phenomena. The history and current progress of the life sciences through these powerful, and sometimes cute, animals will be discussed at the lecture. When: Tuesday, June 24th, 2014 Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm Where: University of Minnesota Molecular and Cellular Biology Building Room #2-138 MCB 420 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN More information will be available in the June issue of the Tsushin, so stay tuned. Dr. Hiroshi Nakato, guest speaker Membership News Thanks to the following new JASM Members: Masumi Ito Thanks to the following renewing JASM Members: James Ellinger, Elena Beisel, Erin Tamaki, Peter Wilkins, Gregory Cottles Thanks to New Non-Profit Members: U of MN Dept. of Asian Language and Literatures, Japanese Language Program Thanks to the following Renewing Corporate Members: Taiyo International, Inc.; BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota; Lion Precision; Hamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson, P.C.

3 New JASM Annual Membership Renewal Process - Set to Go We want to express our appreciation for the loyal and generous financial support that members of the Japan America of Minnesota continually demonstrate through their annual membership fees. Your support makes it possible for JASM to provide events and activities that build bridges of understanding, cooperation and international goodwill for the whole community. In order to streamline our operations and become more efficient, we are implementing a new membership annual renewal process. We will now ask everyone to pay their annual membership fee in June of each year for a twelve-month membership with JASM. Beginning in the month of May, JASM individual members will be receiving a letter of request and an invoice for the annual membership fee. If you renewed your membership during the past year, or joined JASM as a new member, please note the following renewal grid: If you renewed in or before Aug. 2013: You will receive our invoice for the full amount of your membership fee. If you renewed in Sept. to Dec. 2013: Your invoice will reflect a 25% credit. If you renewed in Jan. to Mar. 2014: You will receive a 50% credit. If you renewed in Apr. to Jun. 2014: You will renew in Jun We believe the new renewal process will be beneficial to JASM through a more efficient and effective process for membership renewals and enable the JASM office team to focus more time and endeavors on JASM events and programs. Please note that the Corporate Membership process will not be affected with this change. I want to thank you for the financial support you provide to JASM through your membership. Your generous support helps JASM to build cultural understanding and international cooperation in the Upper Midwest. - Ben van Lierop, Executive Director Anime Detour 2014: More than Meets the Eye Beginning on Friday afternoon on April 2 nd and running all the way until the evening of April 4 th, Anime Detour 2014 was well underway when I arrived the morning of April 3 rd. Kale Ganann, the director of charities for Anime Twin Cities, which is the parent corporation of Anime Detour, greeted me with high energy; he was excited to share with me what both Anime Detour and Anime Twin Cities were all about. He showed me all the different types of programming at the convention, which was expansive in order to please all 5,000 people in attendance over the course of the weekend. He also showed me the dealer s room, where you can buy anything from manga to figurines, and the consuite, where idle chit-chat about anime and manga as well as rice and cookies abound. Near and dear to Kale s heart, though, was the charity auction room. Items donated from U.S. anime companies like Funimation and from the local dealers up in the dealers room are auctioned off to raise money for some of the many charities and organizations like JASM that Anime Twin Cities supports. This was just a sliver of what I continued to find over the course of my day at Anime Detour. Anime Twin Cities president, Lauren Ganann, became involved with Anime Twin Cities several years ago as a volunteer. During a panel dedicated to educating people about the parent organization that hosts the beloved Anime Detour, she mentioned the four branches of ATC. One of which is dedicated to putting on the convention, but the other three are related to both charity and social work. - Continued on Page 5- Please thank our members with your support! Corporate Benefactor Members Daikin Applied, Inc. Delta Airlines, Inc. Corporate Sustaining Members 3M Company American Medical Systems, Inc. Andersen Corporation Boston Scientific Corporation Design Ready Control, Inc. Dorsey & Whitney, LLP Fredrikson & Byron, PA Gray Plant Mooty Hamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson, PC Hubbard Broadcasting Lion Precision Mall of America Medtronic, Inc Nagai Industries U.S.A. Inc. St. Jude Medical Taiyo International, Inc. The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. Corporate Contributing Members Aveda Corporation Bloomington Sister City Organization Briggs and Morgan, P.A. Compart Family Farms Devicix, LLC Japan Lifeline Co. Ltd. Leonard, Street and Deinard Minnesota Orchestra Musicians Professional Instruments Company Proto Labs, Inc. Satellite Industries Sysco Asian Foods Wilson Learning Worldwide Partners in Service Fuji-Ya Restaurant Kiku Enterprises Origami Restaurant St. Paul Saints Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar Saint Paul Convention & Visitors Authority Saint Paul Saints Baseball Club Suishin Restaurant The Voyager Group Tiger Sushi Tomodachi Nonprofit Members Aikido of Minnesota Anime Twin Cities, Inc. BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota Concordia Language Villages JETAA Minnesota JETRO Chicago KCC Japan Education Exchange Macalester College Asian Language & Culture Department Minneapolis Japanese School Minnesota International Center Minnesota Trade Office Mu Performing Arts N-Dimensional Japan U of MN Dept. of Asian Language and Literature, Japanese Language Program US-China Business Connections Winona State Univ. Global Studies Dept.

4 Star Points/ Tom Haeg Star Points: Connections Old and New; Daniel O Brien, 298 p; 1951 (self-published). Local author, Daniel O Brien, is embarking on a Japan book series, a literary task to reveal Japanese culture through the prism of literary fiction. Star Points, published in 2011, Book One in the series, is his flagship novel. Book Two of the series, Japanese Ghost in America, will be published later in Star Points is a mystery story of a young, married couple, Yuri and Bernd, -she is Japanese and he is German, recently married and living in modern Japan. Their curiosity entangles them in an ancient, secret society with global connections and universal conundrums. The quest is to solve the cryptic riddle of the Star Points. It is an interesting journey. O Brien does a credible job employing the narrative as a portal to highlight Japanese culture, customs and the venue. He frequently interjects romaji (notwithstanding a plethora of misspellings, e.g., otoosan instead of otousan) to create the desired tone. Sometimes the romaji is repetitive (we are reminded several times that Japanese tea is o cha). And, the text cries out for spell check (under ware for underwear) and a word cop to avoid garrulousness (e.g., describing children who are expected to obey their parents, and then belaboring the reader with the definition of filial piety). Yet, to his credit, he is clever to point out and explain our protagonists behavior from a Japanese perspective. He has a good grasp of Buddhist practices, a decent understanding of Shinto teachings, and a firm hold on Confucius ethics. He also uses the mystery platform to achieve a moral: to recognize the universal meaning of humanity by surrendering to the infinity of the stars above. O Brien received his masters in Advanced Japanese Studies from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. He lived for 12 years in Japan. He used this time to travel to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea and Viet Nam. He is an aficionado of world languages, mysticism and spirituality. When he is not writing or meditating, -or gazing at the stars at night, he can be found weaving saori freestyle. -Tom Haeg, JASM Executive Secretary Any Plans on Mother s Day? Minneapolis Ibaraki Sister Cities Association cerebrates the 4th Annual Cherry Tree Festival at Nicollet Island Park (40 Power St., Minneapolis, MN 55401) on Sunday, May 11 at 2-3:30p.m. They will have a haiku contest (theme: cherry blossoms), photos in Kimonos and/or Yukatas, carnation and card for all mothers, and more activities. For more information, please find Minneapolis Ibaraki Sister City Association (MISCA) on facebook. Meet the New JASM Program Manager We are pleased to welcome Rio Saito to the JASM office team as our new Program Manager. Rio will assist us in many areas, including planning and managing our events, leading the intern team, and managing our office. Rio has had a very wide range of experiences over the years that made her the ideal candidate for this position. She was born in Gunma, Japan and came to the U.S. as an exchange student in high school for a year. She decided to come back to the U.S. for college at the University of Minnesota and graduate school at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. While a graduate student, (at MCAD) Rio began learning some of the program management skills that she has as an intern for Martin Weinstein. She then became the Gallery Manager at the Weinstein Gallery where she assisted with everything ranging from customer service, to research, and event coordination. Right now, Rio is the Administrative Manager for the School Girl and Mobile Suites: Mechademia Conference for Asian Popular Cultures. Rio has relished the opportunity that this brings to connect scholars who study Asian culture, especially Japanese, from all over the world. As their office manager, she is in charge of many of the same tasks that she will be doing here at JASM; she works with schedules, sponsorship, and supervises volunteers, interns, and other eventspecific staff. Rio is also an Adjunct Instructor at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Here, she teaches a Japanese language class that also focuses on history, pop culture, and contemporary Japanese art. In addition, she was also an interpreter this year for Anime Detour. This is all part of Rio s endeavor to help support a bridge between the U.S. and Japan, much like we do at JASM. We are pleased to welcome Rio to the JASM team. Tamagawa University Dance and Taiko Group performing at the National Japan Bowl

5 Art in Bloom 2014: Upcoming Event J-Quiz in D.C. -Continued from Page 1- - Continued from Page 1 - Image from artsmia.org The 31st annual Art in Bloom, an event featuring art and flowers at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is coming up fast! There will be over 150 floral arrangements to view, as well as lectures, a Gala Preview Party, tours, classes, and other activities over the course of the four day event. There are many arrangement galleries to view, including some ikebana, bonsai, and various other displays. Several galleries will be on display from the Ikebana International school as well. Price: There are both free and ticketed events over the course of the weekend. Check or call (612) for more information on tickets. Time: The event will run from May 1st until May 4th. A full schedule is available online at Anime Detour -Continued from Page 3- After the grueling competition, the rest of the weekend was dedicated to enjoying the Sakura Matsuri, beautiful Cherry Blossom trees in full bloom along the Tidal Basin near the National Mall, and other famous popular and historical sights of Washington D.C. They were even able to meet Senator Amy Klobuchar in passing. The Sakura Matsuri was packed with events, activities, shopping, and food. There were many cultural booths, such as the Japanese craft booth where origami lessons were given. Japanese food, as well as other Asian and Western foods, were available at various booths as well. There were also many performances, including a joint dance performance to the popular song Koi suru Fortune Cookie by the students from the National Japan Bowl and the students from Keio Academy in New York. We are very proud of our students for competing in this year s National Japan Bowl and hope that they continue learning more about Japanese language, culture, and history! -Continued from Page 3- The Social Outreach Service branch host get-together events, such as gathering groups to go to the Minnesota Renaissance festival, participating in the Polar Plunge as charity work, and getting together cosplay events outside of the convention. The charities branch is dedicated to helping out the community. They have a Leg Fund, which has helped several people near and dear to the Anime community here, such as voice actor Carrie Savage, who credited the heart that anime fans at Anime Detour have for her desire to come back each and every year to do guest signings and panels. They also are hoping to establish a scholarship to help students study abroad in Japan and were very active during Japan s time of crisis back in 2011 after the Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami. They are hoping to grow this network to be national, as Anime Detour is the only conventions in the U.S. to have such an extensive community focus and charity force. The clubs branch of ATC teams up with GPS (Geek Partnership Society) to help students create anime and manga focused clubs at schools, as well as compiling a directory of local clubs that students can attend. Beyond the panel rooms was a large area, surrounded by small room parties focused on various interests like video games or cupcakes, was a sea of cosplayers that I just simply could not resist. Skills ranged from masters to novice, which were the categories at the cosplay competition later in the evening. Michael Anderson, dressed as Capitan Harlock, who works at a local costume shop, even custom orders buttons used to film Pirates of the Caribbean. That evening at the cosplay competition, those who stood in the long line to enter the ballroom joined a large crowed inside. The winners of the Anime Music Video contest, which had taken place earlier that day, had their videos premiered during intermission. The support from the crowd for the cosplayers, judges, and music video crafters, embodied the theme of the day: a strong sense of community keeps people coming back to Anime Detour year after year. When asked, cosplayers Amanda Sako and Jessica Upsius, along with many others, mentioned the bond created over a common interest, community, and friendship fostered at the convention as reasons for attending year after year. Registration for Anime Detour fills up early every year, so check out to stay updated on future dates, prices, and registration times. Also check out to find more information about the organization, see upcoming events related to anime or geekdom, find anime and manga clubs, and find out about contributing to their charities. A special thanks to the Anime Twin Cities team for all of the work you do and for all of the help you gave me while writing this article. JASM is happy to have Anime Twin Cities as a member, and we look forward to working with you in the future. - Alex Ehret, Media Relations Coordinator

6 Normandale Japanese Garden Festival The newly renovated Normandale Japanese Garden will be hosting a newly formatted fundraising program to help support the Garden. The event this year will have food, entertainment, a boutique, and more! Confirmed entertainment consists of: Kogen Taiko Sansei-Yonsei Kai Japanese Flute-Player, Leo Hansen And many others! Food options: Image from Bento box: beef skewers, chicken cutlet, rice, and salad OR Asian dinner salad (vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free option) Where: 9700 France Avenue South, Bloomington, Minnesota When: Saturday, June 14th, 2014 from 12:00pm to 6:00pm Cost: Admission: $6 presale / $8 at the door -- Children 12 and under are free Meal: $14 -- Quantity at the door is limited, so prepurchase to guarantee For ticket purchases, contact Kathy Hara at or at kathyhara76@gmail.com See the Normandale Japanese Garden Facebook page for more details or contact TJ at tjhara@q.com for inquiries. Looking for Summer Help We are looking for summer help for our kids to drive to sports activities and help with house management. We have two boys ages 12 and 15. The candidate must have a car to be able to drive to and from various sports events. House management will include some cooking, taking care of our pets and helping with other errands, such as grocery shopping, as needed. Hours are 6-8 hours per day or about 30 hours per week. The times of work need to be flexible since the boy's activities vary each week. We would need someone to start on June 9th through the end of August. Hourly rate offered is $14.00 per hour + car mileage reimbursement at cost. Interested candidates should call Ron and Molly Leonhardt at to schedule an interview. Submitted by Ron Leonhardt, former JASM Board Member For latest JASM updates, visit our website at find us on our Facebook (Japan America Society of Minnesota), or follow us on Twitter (@MNJAPAN). 船に見る日本人移民の歴史 笠戸丸からクルーズ客船へ 山田廸生 ( 中央新書 ) を読んだ 114 年前に英国で建造された貨客船は 1906 年に日本から初めての移民 646 名をハワイに送り 2 年後に 781 名を第 1 回のブラジルに移民を運んだ 農事移民達は二度と戻れぬ故郷を後に運ばれて行った 胸に迫る日本史 そう私は 14 歳だった 小さい弟妹 3 人を餓死させ写真さえ持ち帰られない悲しさを引きずって 満州南端旅順港近くのコロ島から米軍の貨物船の底へ詰められた 子供たちは甲板に並べられたお椀に実の入っているのを探して争った 杓子一杯のお汁は海水そのままの様な味がしていた 船底から甲板にある共同便所への鉄梯子登りを籠の中のネズミの様に繰り返した お腹がはち切れそうなのにウンコが肛門から出ない栄養失調の糞詰まり 10 日間の航海 +10 日間の博多港外で検疫と予防だ ゴム手袋を肛門に差し込まれての検便後 DDT を電動噴霧でパンツに突っ込まれての消毒後日本へ上陸許可が出た 奉仕者の小母さん達が先発して握り飯を作った できるだけ大きくしてぎゅうぎゅう詰めたんだよ と大得意 米と麦と馬鈴薯に薩摩芋でも嬰児の頭大のお握りは米粒が見え感激して食べた満州引揚者情景昨日の様に今も思い出される 66 年前の人生の一コマ それ人間の相をつらつら感ずるに朝 ( あした ) には紅顔ありて夕べには白骨となれる身なり Tell me what is it you are plan to do one wild and precious your life? 80 歳になり 100 歳まで現役ですよ もう 20 年間家の売買は私に声をかけて下さいね 何故って? 私は考える故郷に両親も兄弟らも亡くなり 貧乏で家庭不和で今でも一番辛かったのは 楽しそうに通学する友達の後ろ姿を見送った 18 歳 20 歳金に売られた青年期だった 渡米 51 年周りに愛されて不自由のない今日なのに 脳の底に過去に出会った餓えが沁みになったのだと思う もっと勉強してもっと働いたらもっと沢山あげられると思うとき幸福を感じるなんて本当に貧乏の性なのだ 同じ移民者でも 100 年前に比べ私たちはその苦労さえ知らない Yoko Breckenridge Yoko@yoko4home.com

7 Advertise in the Tsushin! Advertisement Rates Style Size Cost/issue 1/4 page 5 x 3.5 in $ /2 page 5 x 7.5 in $90.00 Full page 10 x 7.5 in $ Classified 80 character line $10/ line (min. 2 lines) Ad production and design available in both Japanese and English for an additional charge. Deadline for completed ads and classifieds is the 20th of every month. Questions? Contact the JASM Office Tel: jasm@us-japan.org Japan America Society Calendar June Sake Tasting - June 17th Nichibei Lecture Series - June 24th *If you would like to let JASM know about an upcoming event, us at jasm.interns@gmail.com* Japanese Speaking Club The Japanese Speaking Club is an informal meeting place for those wishing to practice Japanese. We encourage those just beginning the language as well as native speakers to gather at the Espresso Royale Café in Downtown Minneapolis to meet new people, discuss experiences in Japan, or simply to speak Japanese. Come when you can, leave when you must. Date/Time: Every Saturday, any time after 3:00 p.m. Place: Espresso Royale Cafe 1229 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 月例日本人会のお知らせ 毎月日本語図書館で日本人会の昼食会 (Monthly Nihonjinkai ) を行っています 電話などでお誘い合わせの上 お友達やお知り合いとご一緒においで下さい 可能の方はどうぞ料理を 1 品ご持参願います ミネソタ州在住の日本人達で良い事を考え ご馳走と日本語で楽しい時間を持ちましょう 日程 : 毎月第 2 月曜日正午より場所 : 日本語図書館 (4231 Bloomington Ave S., Minneapolis, MN 55407) また 毎週土曜日午後 2 時からは 日本語図書館のお手伝いしてくださる方の集まりがあります 是非ご参加ください この図書館には 漫画や宗教誌約 冊や約 2500 本のビデオDVDがあり 希望者にはセルフサービスで日本人会と同じく無料で貸出しています お問い合わせは下記までどうぞ Yoko Breckenridge Cell phone: (612) Yoko@yoko4home.com Nihonjin-kai monthly meeting on 2nd Monday noon at 4231 Bloomington Ave S Minneapolis, MN Become a JASM Member online! Support our mission and become a member! 1. Go to mn-japan.org 2. Click on Membership at the top 3. Select your membership type and read the benefits and instructions. Japan America Society of Minnesota O Membership Application O Change of Address O Tax-deductible Donation Name Name (2nd adult of a household membership) Address City State ZIP Phone I would like to make an additional taxdeductable donation of Amount Enclosed: (Please make checks payable to JASM) Japan America Society of Minnesota 43 Main Street SE Suite EH 131 Minneapolis, MN Individual Membership Patron $1,000+ Sustaining $500+ Contributing. $100+ Individual. $30 Student/Senior $20 Household... $50 (2 adults plus children under 18)

8 Japan America Society of Minnesota Riverplace EH Main Street SE Minneapolis, MN Tel: Fax: Tsūshin May 2014 The Japan America Society of Minnesota is a non-profit, non-political association engaged in bringing the peoples of Japan and the United States closer together in mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation. Through programs and interchange, it endeavors to promote an appreciation of cultural, educational, economic, public, and other affairs of interest to both peoples. Membership in the society is open to individuals, corporations, and other organizations interested in furthering its programs. The Japan America Society of Minnesota is a member of the National Association of Japan-America Societies. (Please report any inaccuracies you find in this publication to jasm.interns@gmail.com) Photos from the 2014 National Japan Bowl Trip and 2014 Anime Detour