the ambassador THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN • FALL 2010

Paul Tange
redesigns the face of ASIJ
 the architecture issue
4
contents
cover story
A Man with a Plan 4
Architect Paul Tange talks about his plans for a new-look for ASIJ.

features
Head of School’s Message 3
Head of School Ed Ladd on “The Alchemy of ASIJ.”

Campus Timeline 10
A look at ASIJ through the ages.

A Plan for the Future 14

An introduction to the 4 x 4 Campaign and the campus
improvements we have planned.

16 Modern Living 16
Parent, architect and writer Naomi Pollock talks about her passion
24 for the modern Japanese house.

ASIJ Architect: Hana Ishikawa ‘01 20

ASIJ Architect: J.C. Schmeil ‘86 22

Chinese to Go! 24
Staff writer Lucy Williams takes a look at ASIJ’s growing
Chinese language program.

Ballplayer is in a League of Her Own 28

Profile from The Japan Times of high school ballplayer Bessie Noll ’13.

The Write Stuff 30

A report on Scholar-in-Residence Alan Gratz’s visit to the
Middle School and his work with budding authors.

FALL 2010 the ambassador 1

 features
MESSAGE
Editor | Director of Communications
Matt Wilce
Art Director | Photography
Francine Flora
Head of School
Ed Ladd
Director, Center for
School-Community Partnership
Tim Thornton
Alumni Relations | Communications
Lucy Williams
Data Officer
Kanako Sato
the ambassador
is published by the Center for
School-Community Partnership,
The American School in Japan.
ASIJ alumni, families, faculty and
friends receive the ambassador.
We solicit your comments and
encourage you to submit ideas and
articles for consideration.
Letters and inquiries may
be addressed to:
the editor,
the ambassador,
The American School in Japan,
1-1-1 Nomizu, Chofu-shi ,
Tokyo 182-0031, Japan.
Tel: 81-422-34-5300, ext.700
Fax: 81-422-34 5304
Email: communications@asij.ac.jp
http://community.asij.ac.jp
Photograph and Cover Design
by Francine Flora
Music Man 34
Artist-in-Residence Linsey Pollak brings his unusual vegetable
instruments to the Elementary School.
Alumni Authors: Setting Sail 36
Alumna author Pia Tipper Fenton ‘77 launches herself
as a novelist with her debut historical romance.
2009-10 fundraising report
The Power of Giving 40
A message from Jere Miller, Chair of the Fundraising Committee.
Gift Clubs 41
Honor Roll of Donors 43
Matching Gifts 48
Planned Giving 49
Board of Trustees and Board of Directors 50
alumni section
Back on Campus 51
Class Reunions 52
A look at this summer’s reunions and events
Class Agent List 58
The Chochin Goes Digital 60
In Memoriam 61
2011 Stateside Receptions 64
The Alchemy of ASIJ
T
he faces of schools change all the time, yet the rarified ethos
of a school is created over time. This dynamic of new and
old creates a natural tension that allows for opportunities to
become realities, and for realities, over time, to become part of the
place we call ASIJ. In some ways, I think this description is very
apt for my entry into the ASIJ community. The blend of old and
new is an alchemy of sorts, not to magically create gold as believed
in medieval times, but to transmute the “new” into the old: in a
sense to absorb and make something its own. In the case of ASIJ,
everything over time becomes part of the legacy and tradition of
the school and community.
I can truly say after three months that I feel more and more like
a “mustang.” ASIJ is working its magic on me, and every smile and
hello from a passing student in the hallway, every greeting from a
parent, or invitation to a classroom by a teacher is transforming me.
I particularly felt the tug of this transition during the recent “Spirit
Day.” Watching the interactions of our community on a beautiful
Saturday afternoon of football was mesmerizing, and talking to
alumni at their reception on the terrace made me feel more and
more that this was home, that I was part of this place called ASIJ.
This same transformation takes place at many different
levels and on many different planes at our school as curriculum
changes, our physical space is redesigned, or a new event is
added to our social calendar.
In this issue of the ambassador you are going to read about
our Chinese program, about our building project, and about our
architect, Paul Tange. All three of these elements possess their own
alchemy, and while they will impact and change our school, they
will eventually become part of ASIJ as well.
It should be no surprise to anyone that the meteoric rise of China
over the past decade, in addition to the sheer size of this country
and its influence, not only in Asia but also throughout the world,
has been a catalyst for the development of Chinese language
programs. To this end, ASIJ began a Chinese program last year
that will eventually expand into a full-blown program for teaching
Chinese as a foreign language at ASIJ. We are very fortunate to
have had Joyce Huang join our faculty last year to spearhead this
language initiative. I had the pleasure of visiting Joyce’s classroom
features
HEAD OF SCHOOL’S MESSAGE
last year during one of my transition visits, and her dynamic style
is one that engages students actively in the nuances of tones
and articulation. The inclusion of Chinese in our school has the
potential to have great impact for all future learners at ASIJ.
Paul Tange’s imagination and creativity are only matched by his
sartorial taste. The genius behind the “cocoon” building, one of
the most recognizable structures in Tokyo, Paul is now bringing his
talents literally to the front gate of ASIJ. As an ASIJ parent, Paul
understands the role that a campus plays in the life of a school and
in creating those memories that our alumni carry all over the globe.
In the first phase of a two-phased process, Paul has designed
a new façade for our front entrance that is both striking and
functional. This façade, along with a new building under which to
park our buses with tennis courts and a fitness center on top and
complemented by spaces for wrestling and dance, will give ASIJ
an entire facelift. This stunning creation will connect all elements
of our school’s architecture into a cohesive whole, resulting in a
safer flow of buses and children to and from school, better security,
and a more aesthetic welcome to all visitors who cross the new
piazza to enter the school. There is, indeed, magic in the alchemy
promised by this bold new design.
Phase Two of our project will address a number of
programming and curricular issues and enrich the learning
experience for students throughout the school. I am especially
excited about the plans to realize the vision of our “action plan”
to design a Japan Center on the campus. While ASIJ has a long
history of interacting with the culture and language of Japan, this
new learning space will cultivate greater focus on the context in
which we all live and enrich the experience of Japanese language
and culture, both inside and outside the school. I believe that this
is the kind of alchemy that can create a “gold” standard within
our school and enlarge the experience of what is ASIJ.
So, as you can see, there are many new “faces” to ASIJ,
but over time these too will become part of the legacy and
tradition of our school. I think all of us should be enthused to
be part of such great “alchemy.”
Warmly,
Ed Ladd, Head of School
FALL 2010 the ambassador 3
 man
features
PAUL TANGE

a
with a plan

Current parent and renowned

architect Paul Tange talks about
his designs for the latest campus
improvement project

4 the ambassador FALL 2010 FALL 2010 the ambassador 5

 features features
PAUL TANGE PAUL TANGE
Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower
Shinjuku, Tokyo

I
n architectural circles the name Tange is synonymous with cutting-edge grand designs and the creation
of many of Japan’s iconic modern buildings. From the Hiroshima Peace Park and the Yoyogi National
Gymnasium to the Fuji TV Building in Odaiba and the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, the work of Pritzker
Prize-winning architect Kenzo Tange defines 20th century architecture for many Japanese. With the
completion of the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower in 2008 and his current redesign of Roppongi Crossing,
Kenzo’s son Paul Tange is continuing that work, helping create Tokyo’s future cityscape.
In between large-scale projects in Singapore, where he is building a 38-story addition to the Overseas
Union Bank Center, Paul has generously agreed to lend his expertise to ASIJ, redesigning a significant area
of the campus. The two-phase project will focus on the front of school and the redevelopment of the old
MPR building and is the culmination of a master plan to improve the school’s facilities that began in 1998
with the seismic retrofit (see timeline on pages 12-13).

Did you know from an early age that you wanted to be an architect?
My father was an architect and I suppose I didn’t know any better. I always ask myself when did I really decide and
I don’t have an answer really. When I was growing up it was always architecture, architecture, architecture. When
we had a family trip it was always visiting one of my father’s job sites. We went to interesting places like Nigeria,
Tanzania, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Lots of places you wouldn’t usually go on a family trip. It was very exciting, but it
was still architecture, architecture, architecture. I began thinking, well this might be what I want to do. But my real
turning point came when I was a sophomore in college and I asked myself, is this really what I want? When I was
in college, they didn’t have an architecture school, just liberal arts or science all the way until graduate school level
when you choose a professional direction. I always liked math and physics, so as an undergraduate I was preparing
myself to go to architecture school by doing an art and engineering double major. But then all of a sudden I
came to a standstill and asked myself whether that what really what I wanted to do. So I changed my major to
economics for a year. And I hated it with a passion. I was good in math, so I understood the curves of supply and
demand and all of the different coordinates, but that meant nothing to me. So maybe I made a mistake there.
That’s when I realized that I really did want to go into architecture. I refocused and carried on through my junior
and senior years to prepare myself for architecture school. I think that was the best thing I’ve ever done because
otherwise even today I might have been asking the same question — did I choose the right profession?

Did your father give you any advice when you started out as an architect?
I don’t think he knew that I wanted to go into architecture at the time. Especially after I changed my major I think
he didn’t know what I was doing. One summer trip to Bologna, over a spaghetti lunch I told my father that I
wanted to be an architect. In summertime in Italy during those days all of the restaurants closed for about two
months, so we were in a restaurant in Bologna train station and it was the lousiest pasta I’ve ever had. That made
me gutsy enough to tell my father what I wanted to do. There was sheer silence for about 30 seconds and he said
“Well you live only once, do what you want to do.” I was very relieved but at the same time, now when I think
about it I think those 30 seconds, as a father, he must have been happy that his son was going to follow in his
footsteps but on the other hand he knew how tough it is to be an architect because that’s what he did.
So it must have been a very confused feeling that he went through in his mind in those 30 seconds of silence.
But by the end he came to the conclusion that there are so many people that live their lives doing a job that doesn’t
necessarily make them happy—it’s just a job. But if you can find something to do that makes you happy, then think of
yourself a lucky person. He told me that if that happens to be architecture for me then he would support that. That’s
the only time he ever mentioned the architecture profession to me.

How was it growing up in an architectural family?

I was quite fortunate in that I got to go to many cities and my dad would take me to see the architecture there.
In Italy there is architectural treasure everywhere, around every corner. In New York, it’s the same for modern
architecture in Manhattan. Now that I think about it, it was a great experience—he explained to me what
architecture is all about as we walked through the streets of Manhattan. Maybe I didn’t realize it was a learning
experience at the time because he was my dad. In that way, I learned first-hand about architecture.

6 the ambassador FALL 2010 FALL 2010 the ambassador 7


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PAUL TANGE
Where did the inspiration for the design you have done for
ASIJ come from?
Of course my daughter goes to the school and so I visit the school
quite a bit. If we look back at our childhoods, there are some
interesting memories and it is very important for a school to give
people these kind of memories. That is why when we are talking
about the planning of this new development, we can’t look at it
only based on function—we have to look at the bigger picture.
My approach comes from a very philosophical direction, by asking
“What is a school experience?” and “What can we provide to
create wonderful memories and inspire our children through that
environment to go even farther in the future?” Whenever we
approach a project, we are not just solving that particular issue
but we look at the overall idea. If we build a building in the city
of Tokyo, for example we are not just building an environment
for Roppongi Crossing, we think about how Roppongi is related
to Akasaka and how that is related to Nishi-Azabu, and how the
flow of people moves through them. We are urban planners and
architects. We have to see the bigger picture. When we came onto
this project we wanted to present to ASIJ the possibilities of today
and the possibilities of the future. To understand the possibilities
of today we have to understand the history of the school as well.
Can you talk us through some of the main elements in the re-design?
We have to understand that this is a campus and every building
has a specific function. We have to move things around into the
right order to fit in everything. We have to understand what
will happen, future potential developments, from the near to far
future. In the far future we may not be around but the school
will continue. Tim [Thornton, Deputy Head of School] explained
to us how everything started and how it has evolved. This is not
just a project, it’s a whole master plan. At this point we are in one
phase and it can go on into another phase. It’s a process we have
to present for the future. When it came to this particular site, we
did a total analysis and one of the things we concluded was that
even though there are those that commute by bicycle and train,
the majority of students come in by bus and there is also car drop-
off. Every one of the bus drivers deserves a gold medal because
they are fabulous at what they do. But we thought that we should
reduce the movement of the buses as much as possible. So when
they enter campus, instead of going around every which way we
should have a traffic flow with the buses able to get to where
they have to be as quickly and easily as possible. Now there are
too many interfaces with other students and vehicles. We thought
that a parking structure would be the best solution. Once we’ve
created a parking structure it’s a very simple exercise to lift up the
tennis courts above.
How will that change the face of the school?
We can’t simply see the new facility as a parking structure and
tennis court—as we have students coming in from the station one
8 the ambassador FALL 2010
Overseas Union Bank Center
Singapore
way and buses by another, we are creating a sense of arrival. It’s
the place where people feel like they’ve come home as they reach
the school. That experience is very important. Essentially we’ve
analyzed what a school experience is in various ways and for us
it is based around the gate, a sense of arrival, historic monuments,
space, etc. A school has these various important elements. We
realized ASIJ doesn’t really have a threshold when we arrive there.
We have Nogawa Park, which continues on to the tennis courts
and then open spaces and buildings and they are welcoming, but
there isn’t an experience of arrival. So by creating this building for
safety reasons and necessity, we realized that it is a chance to create
the face of the school. It will be different, but it is what we think is
important.
What is your concept for the new front entrance?
Students will come in from all directions into a central plaza and
then move on to their destinations. It’s all about the flow of people.
There are spaces in the school that are not yet well defined. So
we are not creating the front plaza only, but also analyzing the
HS gym
main entrance
Ricketson Theater
ASIJ Project - Phase 1
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PAUL TANGE
new building
cafeteria building
MS
ASIJ Project -Phase 2
little spaces in between because that is what people use as a
communicating space.
What role does good design play in an educational environment?
My father, who was an architect from the age of 33 until he
died in 1991, was also an educator and he had a strong belief in
school architecture. What I was taught by my father is that the
most important part of an educational building is the corridor. The
corridor is where people meet, talk and chat. The corridor can
then extend out into a school yard. Everyone thinks the classroom
is important, and yes it is very important, because that’s where
students learn and teachers teach, but education is not all one
direction of learning, teacher to student. It’s also student to student
communication and informal student to teacher environments. In
our designs for educational buildings, corridors are much wider
because it’s not just an area for people to walk through but to
sit and enjoy like a plaza. We have to think how we can turn not
very utilized space into active spaces for students. That’s where we
came up with the idea of a plaza in the front. Since we have to
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PAUL TANGE
build a building for the parking and tennis courts, we can create
an edge. Then we must think how to capture that space. That’s
how we decided to make a kind of courtyard in between the new
building and the old buildings.
When students go through the gate we want their experience
of school to start. Now, the space under the canopy of the high
school building doesn’t offer any sense of arrival. Neither does
the yard with the flagpoles. Unfortunately, because of the parking
situation it’s not really an open space, it’s a parking lot. It’s not
only ASIJ that faces this problem, many public buildings do. We
have to redefine the spaces and understand the needs to make
the campus active. We try to understand how each element fits
together and with the help of the school we visualize various
strategies to activate spaces. Hopefully once we finish the final
two phases, we will create an experience for students to bring
with them after they depart ASIJ.
How did being an ASIJ parent affect your designs for the school?
Was the process different to the other academic design projects
you have worked on?
Whether I like it or not I am much more personally involved. I get
involved personally with all of the projects we do because that is our
policy. If we cannot be involved, what is the purpose of doing that
project? It doesn’t matter how big or small the project is, we are
providing a service for our client. We are not artists, we’re service
providers. If I cannot provide that service, I would rather not do
the project, regardless of the size. With my daughter being here,
that is an added interest on my part, but she is graduating soon, so
the project is not for her personally. But I do see the school from a
different perspective—not just from an architect’s perspective, but
from a parent’s perspective. I asked not only my daughter, but other
present students for their opinions. Because I have more access to
these users’ opinions than usual, I hope that my approach is more
accurate. I have incorporated students, teachers, and parents’
perspectives. They are all users, and I’m quite fortunate to have the
opportunity to be involved with them personally.
What makes for a successful design?
Architects cannot make people think a certain way, we cannot tell
them how to feel. Perhaps teachers are the same way in that they
can give one possibility of how to think but cannot tell anyone to
think that way. So what we do is we give people a lot of choices
to have their own experiences. We create the hardware and from
there we hope that it will give a certain feeling. We try to create
architecture that gives emotion to the user. Hopefully our building
will make people feel like they want to go in, or they want to
come back, or they want to spend more time there. Or they stop
and say “I like it!” or even if they stop and say “I hate it!” that’s
fine. Architecture is successful if while people are going about
their busy lives they stop and see it and it triggers some emotion.
At the end of the day we are just a space creator.
FALL 2010 the ambassador 9

campus
timeline
YMCA Kanda
The Tokyo School for Foreign Children begins
classes at rented rooms in the Kanda YMCA
building, but soon outgrows the facility. It
moves after only four months to the Episcopal
Mission in Tsukiji.
1902 1910
#17 Tsukuji
When the land owned by the Episcopal
Mission is no longer available the school
moves to the Presbyterian Mission and uses
the old Union Church building, the foreign
residence and playing field at #17 Tsukiji.
10 the ambassador FALL 2010
Shibaura
Board Member Everett Frazar constructs
a new three-story school building on land
reclaimed from Tokyo Bay. The new school
opens with a new name, becoming The
American School in Japan.
1918 1921 1923
Episcopal Mission
Compound Tsukiji #54-56
Requiring more space, the school moves back
to the Episcopal Mission compound at #54-
56 Tsukiji, changing its name to the Tokyo
Foreign School. With the addition of high
school courses the school soon graduates its
first seniors.
Nakameguro
After an extensive search the Board purchases
land in Nakameguro and a new school
campus is constructed. Architect and parent
Antonin Raymond assists with the re-design
and re-construction of several of the school
buildings on the new site.
1939–1945 WWII
1927 1939 1941
Great Kanto Earthquake
Friend’s Mission
Compound Shiba
Following the devastation of the Great Kanto
Earthquake, the school buildings are no longer
safe and classes resume at the former home
of the Bowles Family on the Friends Mission
Compound Shiba.
features
MASTERPLAN
From humble beginnings in rented rooms and mission properties in Tsukiji
to the spacious Chofu Campus and state-of-the-art ELC in Roppongi,
ASIJ has moved and changed with the times. We look back at some of the
significant points in the school’s 108-year history and also look to the future
and the completion of the facilities master plan that began in 1998.
Chofu
The iconic elementary school “donut” is the
Middle School
first building completed on the new Chofu The construction of a new middle school
Campus, closely followed by the high school, building sees the creation of a new division and
gym and little theater. the end of junior high classes in the high school.
Nakameguro Campus
1945 1946 1962 1963 1968 1973 1983 1985
School re-opens N-K Roppongi New fine arts
The Community Nursery School merges with facilities
ASIJ to create the ASIJ Nursery-Kindergarten
An extension to the Ricketson
in a converted home in Roppongi.
Theater sees six new practice
School closed due to WWII rooms, four classrooms and a radio
and TV studio added to campus.
On December 1, 1941 the Board signs over
the lease of the school property to long-
serving staff member Kiyomi Hashimoto giving
him free use of the buildings for the purpose
of educating Japanese girls. Six days later the
Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor and America
enters the Second World War.
N-K
Nakameguro
When the Roppongi site
becomes too small, the
Nursery-Kindergarten moves
to a specially designed new
building in Nakameguro
FALL 2010 the ambassador 11
 features
MASTERPLAN
facilities master plan
1998–2014
Ricketson Theater
If you asked us what we can do better than
we could before, the answer is everything.
We can provide students with a variety
of performing arts experiences in a safer,
• Seismic retrofit less congested environment than our old
theater. Not to sound clichéd, but we are
• ES gym really limited only by our imaginations.
• HS entrance David Neale, Digital Film/Theater
• HS expansion
Second Century Campaign
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Cafeteria Building Early Learning Center
The cafeteria building is much more than a We have always had a great early childhood
spacious dining hall and is used for a variety program at ASIJ, but when we made our
of activities. The second floor features move to the new, well designed, purpose-
elementary classrooms and the third floor built ELC, we finally had a facility to match
is home to administrative offices and two our program. The design of our new facility
classooms shared by the middle and high in Roppongi took into consideration the most
schools. current research on early childhood programs
to create an environment that is warm,
inviting, safe and nurturing for our little
ones. A facility does not a program make,
but a good facility allows us to have the best
possible program, one where kids are safe
and happy and learning. We feel now like
we have it all at the ELC.
Judy Beneventi, ELC Director
12 the ambassador FALL 2010
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MASTERPLAN
Over the last 12 years ASIJ has made many significant improvements
to both campuses, following the Board’s facilities master plan laid out in 1998.
As we near completion of that plan and the launch of the 4 x 4 Campaign,
we look at how those changes have impacted students and the final
two phases that will bring further enhancements.
ES Playground
MS Field Solar Panels
4 x 4 Campaign
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Phase 1 (2010-11)
Phase 1 will see the front of school transformed with a
new entrance and streamlined traffic system. The athletics
program will benefit from new multi-use tennis courts and a
new building housing a wrestling room, dance studio, fitness
center, trainer’s room and athletics office. The high school
lobby and admissions area will also be significantly improved.
Lower Field
The new field allows students to train and
play in all types of weather on a safe and Phase 2 (2012-13)
attractive looking facility. No longer do we
The second phase will see the old Multi-Purpose Room
have to cancel events due to bad weather.
(MPR) transformed into a new facility housing classrooms,
State-of-the-art facilities, including field
an elementary performance space, Japan Center and strings
lights, now enable us to host a wide variety of
room. Improved science, art and music rooms, a new robotics
Kanto Plain events, day or night, with pride.
John Smith, Athletics & Activities Director lab and an expanded MS Library will further enhance the
curriculum. A revamped side entrance to the school, new
kiosk/bookstore and health center, new offices and other
facilities will also impact campus life.
FALL 2010 the ambassador 13
 features features
ANNUAL CAMPAIGN ANNUAL CAMPAIGN

a plan for the

future M
aster schools need master plans and ASIJ’s project to
improve and update its campuses, which began in
1998, is near completion. The final two phases will
bring dramatic enhancements that will help us realize the full
potential of our school and create a more secure and richer
learning environment for our students.
Phase 1, which will begin February 2011, will see the
front of school transform both inside and out, with a new
main gate and remodeled high school entrance. A new suite
of athletics facilities that includes a wrestling room, dance
studio, fitness center and six tennis courts will enhance our

Y400 million
current curricular and co-curricular programs. The elevation
of the tennis courts will allow us to create a designated bus
drop-off and pick-up zone with covered bus parking.
Phase 2, beginning in 2012, will focus on the current MPR
building, which will be replaced with a new two-story building.

4 years
Housing elementary classrooms for art and science and a
new ES performance space, the facility will also include a new
strings room to be used by all the Chofu divisions. The creation
of a Japan Center will add specialist resources to support our
Japanese studies program at all levels. Cross-divisional services,

For ASIJ
such as the kiosk, bookstore, health center and curriculum office
will move to the new building, creating space in the middle and
high schools for additional learning spaces.
To help us realize this vision of educational enrichment and
facilities fit for the future, we are launching the 4 x 4 Campaign—
for more details on the campaign, see page 40.

14 the ambassador FALL 2010 FALL 2010 the ambassador 15


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ALUMNI PROFILE
Current parent, architect and
writer Naomi Pollock casts her
eye over Tokyo’s skyline
16 the ambassador FALL 2010
living
modern
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ALUMNI PROFILE
C
overed in concrete, laced with overhead expressways and
peppered with garish neon, Tokyo is not exactly a beautiful
city. Unlike New York, Chicago or San Francisco, it has no
discernable skyline, turns its back on the waterfront and is not
organized around a central square or major park aside from the
imperial palace. And those tree-studded grounds are all but
closed to the public. At the same time, Tokyo is an architect’s
paradise. It has vitality. It has charm. And, since few buildings
are made to last, it constantly reinvents itself. In Tokyo, there
is always something interesting to see. The trick is in knowing
how to look. As an architect and a writer, I have been sending
this message to readers for over 20 years.
I began retraining my own eye almost as soon as I stepped
off the plane at Narita in 1988. A newly minted architect, I took
a leave from my job at a large Manhattan firm to accompany my
husband on a three-year assignment in Tokyo. Having lived here on
and off all his life— including his middle school years at ASIJ—my
husband David Sneider ’75 was keen to come back. Fortunately this
opportunity also offered me chances to advance my own career. I
fleetingly considered entering a local design office but after I won a
scholarship from the Japanese Ministry of Education, I enrolled in a
master’s degree program at Tokyo University instead.
Unlike in the United States, where graduate education in
architecture centers on building design, academic research is the
focus at many Japanese universities. Shortly after arriving on campus,
my advisor, a part-time professor and a fulltime architect, asked
what I planned to study. At the time I knew very little about Japan,
let alone Japanese architecture. Yet I was struck by the contrast
between American and Japanese buildings. In Tokyo, for example,
many seemed oddly shaped, tightly crammed together and, for the
most part, unrelated to each other. I decided to find out why.
But if I wanted to understand the new, I needed to study the old
as urged by my advisor. So I chose historic minka farmhouses as
the subject of my thesis. While I spent my weekdays investigating
these thatch-roofed homes, I spent many weekends visiting brand
new steel and concrete buildings alongside my fellow students.
In Japan, architects have a wonderful custom of inviting peers,
professors and parents to preview their newly completed works
before handing them over to clients. Eager to get up to speed
quickly, I attended as many of these events as possible.
When a magazine editor I knew back in New York got wind of
my adventures, she asked me to write an article about Tokyo
architecture. I gladly accepted her offer and then, bitten by
the writing bug, began seeking out journalistic opportunities
on both sides of the Pacific. Shortly before my graduation, I
became the Tokyo correspondent for Architectural Record, a
leading American magazine geared towards architects.
Initially convincing the New York-based magazine to
publish buildings located in places no one could pronounce
and designed by architects no one had ever heard of was a
hard sell. But as Japan’s Bubble Economy grew and the country
The Balcony House
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became a source of work for architects around the globe, the
appetite for information about Japanese design grew steadily
and my workload increased exponentially.
While reporting on new buildings in Japan and other parts
of Asia, I noticed that libraries, museums and office towers had
begun to look more and more alike. It did not seem to matter
whether they were in Seoul, Tokyo or Hong Kong. Yet houses
seemed immune to this trend. Instead they remain stubbornly
rooted in the local lifestyle and traditions, especially in Japan.
Here international standards suffice for commercial buildings but
most homeowners still want to exchange their street shoes for
slippers and soak in a steamy ofuro bath when they come home.
Though the contemporary homes I visited as a journalist
bore little outward resemblance to the historic houses I
observed as a researcher, the two were clearly and inextricably
linked. Viewed through the lens of tradition, even avant-garde
contemporary homes made sense. This idea became the theme
of my book, Modern Japanese House.
Due to the rapid rate of construction here, many books on
contemporary Japanese architecture are out of date before
they even go to press. Determined not to fall into this trap, I
aimed to provide background information and analytical ideas
that readers could easily extend beyond my book to buildings
they might encounter on their own.
Midway between a coffee table portfolio and an academic
tome, the book presents 25 houses organized by type, such
as the tiny house, the indoor-outdoor house and the vacation
house. Based on site visits plus interviews with architects and
clients, each profile includes a written explanation, professional
photos and simple architectural drawings. While it was not easy
to select just twenty-five houses from the hundreds I visited, I
had strict, self-imposed criteria. Since I wanted to engage general
readers as well as design professionals, every house had to be
architecturally innovative but have plenty of human interest.
One of the houses that made the strongest impression
on me was a weekend retreat near Zao Mountain in Miyagi
Prefecture. A warm wooden home organized by a dynamic,
pinwheel-shaped floor plan, the house was practically devoid
of windows – a curious condition that conflicted with just
about every weekend home I had visited in the United States.
But on the ground floor, its backside was made largely of
glass doors opening onto a covered porch. Modeled after
a traditional engawa veranda, it ran the width of the house
and overlooked a densely wooded ravine that seemed to go
on forever. Built for a media executive who liked to hike and
hunt for wild mushrooms in his spare time, the house was the
product of a young designer from Sendai, Hitoshi Abe.
Shortly after Modern Japanese House was released in 2005, my
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publisher and I began talking about doing a monograph featuring
the work of a single designer. Having dealt with 23 architects and
almost as many photographers for the previous book, the idea
of delving deeply into the work of one designer was enormously
appealing. Though there were many possible candidates, we both
agreed on Abe, a young whippersnapper with a strong design
sensibility and, we were guessing, a rosy future ahead.
Unlike most designers of his generation, Abe did not head to
Tokyo for graduate school or apprenticeship in an established
firm. Instead, he went to California for school and then stayed on
to work. This overseas stint came to a screeching halt when, on a
lark, he entered a government-sponsored competition to design
a 40,000 seat soccer stadium back in Sendai. Amazingly, the then
30-year old designer beat out famous architects and construction
companies alike. This was a truly remarkable feat, but it required
Abe to relinquish California to set up shop back home.
The stadium was only the beginning of Abe’s success. What
followed was an impressive array of buildings that including
an award-winning community center on a remote island off of
Kyushu, elegant restaurants in Sendai and an array of inventive
houses for both foreign and Japanese clients. Over the course of
a couple years, Abe and his staff took me to see as many of these
buildings as possible— an outstanding extension of my education
and the basis of my monograph.
While writing the book, I hoped Abe would land
another high-profile commission. Instead he was offered
the chairmanship of the school of architecture at UCLA, an
appointment that enabled him to return to LA, and the book
to benefit from his new notoriety in the US.
After the release of Hitoshi Abe the book in 2008, a
London-based colleague and her husband, an architectural
photographer, invited me to join them as co-author of a survey
book featuring 100 new buildings throughout Japan. An
opportunity to acquaint myself with buildings I did not know
as well as re-visit some of my favorites, I gladly accepted their
offer. The product of our collaboration, New Architecture in
Japan, made its Tokyo debut this past spring.
More recently, I have completed magazine articles about a
bank in the Tokyo suburb of Tokiwadai, an orthodontic clinic
in Omotesando and a brand new, environmentally sustainable
city 40 miles from Seoul. Occasionally I miss design and in
interviews find myself reconfiguring floor plans and elevations
in my head as architects explain them to me. But journalism
enables me to stay connected to architects around the globe.
And through buildings I continue to gain a deeper and more
profound understanding of Japan.
Photographs courtesy of Naomi Pollock, Phaidon and Merrel.
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ASIJ
architects:
Hana
Ishikawa ’01
D
esign, whether it is a single chair or a large-scale
entertainment complex, is similar to a math problem.
There may be multiple correct answers, some problems
will be more difficult than others, and there are obviously wrong
answers. The good projects are functional, the better projects
will last, and the best projects are also aesthetically pleasing.
After several years at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a
sustainability-oriented, conceptual-design-driven architecture
program and several more at the famed utilitarian you-can’t-
teach-design Mies Van Der Rohe program at Illinois Institute
of Technology (IIT), I graduated even more convinced that the
profession was meant for me.  Architecture to me has been a
delicate balance beam bridging art and science, and through it, I
could do both.
Despite always knowing that I would one day major in
architecture, I only knew several major architects’ names when I
was interviewing for colleges during my senior year at ASIJ. I did
however possess an eye for aesthetics. Growing up surrounded
by family and friends who were designers whether it was in
fashion, illustration, or construction, I was able to see their
vibrant world. I managed after one year at CMU to gain an
internship at Nomura Kougei, Inc., under a famous creative
director by the name of Shigechiyo Suzuki.  I was drawn to
his work, which was vibrant, outlandish and full of life and
color. During your first week at a design firm nobody expects
your boss to be searching for “castle goods” so that he
could build a castle-like African themed spa.  Needless to
say, my experience diversified quickly at Nomura. During my
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Mary Bartelme Park
five years of internships during the summers and winters in
Tokyo, I worked on everything from high-end office interiors,
sustainable-themed cafes, the Aichi World Expo grounds and
booths and smaller graphic design jobs to an entertainment
complex that spanned multiple blocks in Yokohama.
After graduation with a plethora of odd projects on my
resume, I set out to work at a startup firm as a creative director
in Chicago, Illinois. The firm aimed at marketing undervalued
commercial office buildings without the use of major
construction.  This involved graphics, interior renovations,
signage programs, marketing rooms, creating marketing
collateral and logos. While the ability to work on magnificent,
historically significant properties—even ones that would
change the Chicago skyline— fascinated me I left the firm to
search for an opportunity to create from the ground up.
I still have not worked at a true architecture firm, and have
stepped into the landscape architecture field. I found out today
that Stearns Quarry Environmental Park, also known as Henry C.
Palmisano Park, won the Chicago Athenaeum Award. The 27-acre
lot was previously a 350-foot deep limestone quarry in a residential
district of Chicago called Bridgeport. The quarry closed its doors
over a hundred years ago, the city turned it into a construction
material dump, and working alongside multiple city agencies and
firms, Site Design Group, Ltd., amongst others, developed a plan
to turn the landfill into an educational wetland park. It is difficult
to fathom that within the flat Great Plains, a park that had over
50 feet in elevation change could exist.  The park is sustainably
designed so that all the water on the site, even from “Mount
Bridgeport”, ends up in the tiered native wetland system where it
cascades down multiple recycled limestone and sidewalk concrete
waterfalls and finally into the fishing pond below. The water is then
pumped up to the top to be re-circulated down to the pond again.
Most recently, I was involved with a project that saw
Mary Bartelme Park take down its fences and open up to the
neighborhood. Five stainless steel fountain gates at the northwest
entry act as an iconic gateway to the park. Using only three gallons
of water per minute, the fountain cools off visitors by emitting a
fine mist of vaporized water, immersing the area in a cloud. A fully
accessible playground allows for inventive, explorative play complete
Stearns Quarry Environmental Park
with mounds, depressions, and custom equipment for the site. There
is also a dog park, a quieter seating area, and a viewing mound that
takes advantage of the Chicago skyline and a lawn.
Each of my past projects (post my paradigm-shift at Nomura)
have been done with the passion of an artist but with the logic
of an engineer and during any design decision, still, I often have
a fear that any part of my project could fail. After the successful
opening of Mary Bartelme Park the contractor commented that
“the playground’s success could be attributed to a child’s mind
designing it.” And that, I’m okay with.
Photographs courtesy of Site Design Group, Ltd.
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J.C. Schmeil ‘86
O
ne of my first memories of ASIJ (which I attended
from 1979-86) is of the elementary school “donut”
building—I loved how it formed a garden courtyard and
created a connection between the classrooms and the exterior.
In my senior year, I took a mechanical drawing class, taught by
Gerry Hoops (FF 1978-90). Though I couldn’t have predicted at
that point that I would study architecture, it’s interesting to note
that Jennifer Sands Marsh ’89 was in the class as well, and we
are now both practicing architects in Austin, TX.
At Stanford University, I studied international relations with
a focus on the Japanese political economy. Perhaps the most
influential class I took in college, though, was one called visual
thinking, an introductory class in the mechanical engineering
curriculum in which we invented mechanical devices and kept an
idea journal; the most important lesson I learned was that every
idea has merit, and shouldn’t be rejected without consideration.
After graduation, I moved to New York where I started work
as a metals trader at Mitsubishi International Corporation. My
office was two blocks from the Museum of Modern Art, and
I spent many lunch hours there finding inspiration, ultimately
deciding to apply to architecture school. My last year in New
York, I shared a loft in Tribeca with Steve Knode ‘86, Ken
Sackheim ‘86 and Maya Sackheim ‘83. We had a lot of fun,
and it was a creative environment that helped me make the
decision to move on from my job at Mitsubishi.
I attended the Master of Architecture program at the
University of Texas. During my third year there, I applied for an
internship with the French architect Christian de Portzamparc,
who had recently won the Pritzker Prize. I sent portfolio
images for his review—he described them as “seductive,”
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though I’m sure that was mainly a response to the fuzzy black-
and-white images faxed across the Atlantic. My wife and I sold
our car and moved to Paris for seven months. I was the only
American in the office, but there were other student interns
from Switzerland, Belgium and France.
Portzamparc’s office had a collegial atmosphere; people
worked hard but also went out together almost every day
for lunch, even when project deadlines loomed. After a while
I realized my small stipend couldn’t support a regular lunch
habit, so I began to stay in the studio working on models of
projects that were in the design phase. On occasion Christian
would come by my desk during lunch hour, and we would
sit together and discuss the models I was building, which
was a formative experience. My leisure time in Paris was
spent exploring buildings, taking photographs and making
sketches—it was probably the most free time I’ve ever had to
think about architecture and urban design.
I graduated with a Master of Architecture degree in 1998, and
accepted a job in Austin with a small firm. I worked there for four Trails End (Dripping Spings, TX)
years, on a variety of project types: theaters, schools, fire stations,
houses, urban design. In 2002, I joined two former classmates
who had started a design-build firm and gained valuable
experience there helping to build the projects I was designing.
I decided to open my own office full-time in 2004. I’ve been
fortunate to work on a variety of projects in California, New
Mexico and Texas, and have had several projects featured
on local Homes Tours. My work has mostly been residential,
though in the past couple of years I have had the opportunity
to expand into urban design and historic architecture. I recently
completed a project with my wife’s environmental consulting
firm, overseeing the relocation of a historic farmstead.
In March of 2010 I returned to Japan, spending four weeks
in Osaka on a Rotary-sponsored Group Study Exchange writing
a blog, “An Architect in Japan” (anarchitectinjapan.blogspot.
com). I met local architects and toured buildings designed by
Tadao Ando, one of my favorite architects. After the exchange,
I spent a couple of days in Tokyo visiting with old friends from
ASIJ. Norie Fukuda ’86, who is also an architect, took me on a
tour of some buildings in Tokyo. I also visited Jun Watanabe, who
was my first studio professor at UT, and now has a firm in Tokyo.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to visit ASIJ during my trip, but I
remain appreciative of my experiences there and the influence
they have had on my design philosophy. This fall I will teach an
introduction to architecture class to elementary school students,
and look forward to showing them photos of the ASIJ donut.
Photographs courtesy of J.C. Schmeil Painter’s Studio (Austin, TX)
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chinese
to go!
Lucy Williams heads to class to
learn how ASIJ’s Chinese language
program is expanding

S
tep into Joyce Huang’s high school Chinese II class and
you might forget that you’re in Japan. Though it’s only the
beginning of their second year, the students are already
posing questions about grammar entirely in Chinese. Joyce knows
how to immerse the students into the language, only using the
occasional linguistic term in English, but otherwise speaking Chinese
at the student’s level and expanding with pantomime and gestures
to get the point across. The students are not shy with their responses,
more than a lecture it feels like a room-wide conversation. Suddenly
there is silence as everyone jots Chinese characters across their
notepads when Joyce asks them to make up questions for a set of
the hypothetical “answers” on her next PowerPoint slide. After a
few minutes they begin comparing answers and discussing all of the
possible options and sentence forms.
Chinese II student Angela Squillacioti ’14 likes the style of the
class, “Ms. Huang gives us examples that are easy to use in real
life. It’s not just memorization. Most of what we use is not from a
textbook so we get to be creative.” she explains. Jeremy Homler ’11
agrees, “The class is really engaging, I never zone out.” It’s easy to
see why Joyce considers the first year of the Chinese program at ASIJ
to have been a big success. “The students are focused and active.
They always want to know more Chinese characters and they really
like the language. When they like it and they want to continue it,
and I can tell it’s going to be part of their life, that’s when I feel that
I’ve been successful as a teacher.”
That’s not to say that it was not a challenge to build a Chinese
program from the ground up. Joyce acknowledges that there is
always a stereotype that Chinese is a hard language to learn, even
though most students later find that’s not the case. So the main
struggle initially was enrollment, but in only the program’s second
year there are 18 students in high school Chinese I and 15 students

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in Chinese II. There are also 12 students now studying it in middle
school, showing that the program is expanding quickly. Leslie
Birkland ‘66, head of the foreign languages department, recounts:
“Chinese classes are now vying for ‘a piece of the pie’ along with
Japanese, French and Spanish, and there had been some concern
about lower enrollment in the other language classes. However,
surprisingly, the other languages are maintaining their enrollments
and in some cases their classes are bursting at the seams due to
increased interest from students in picking up multiple languages.
So, with the addition of Chinese, we are all able to ‘have our pie
and eat it too!’” Indeed, sometimes the perception that Chinese
is difficult is an advantage, “Students that take Chinese are
students that are up for a challenge,” Joyce confides.
Though there are other obstacles to introducing a new
program, it’s not Joyce’s first time setting one up; she previously
founded a Chinese program for Millburn High School in New
Jersey after gaining experience by teaching at the university level
in the United States. Although she has now taught for over 10
years, she started out in TV and newspaper journalism in Taiwan.
Working in the media gave her the confidence to engage an
audience and her interest in the power of communication
eventually led her to teaching. When asked how it is different
teaching students at ASIJ who have mostly been exposed to an
Asian language already, she admits that having a knowledge
of kanji makes it possible to intensify the reading and writing
aspect of the class, but overall it’s not the students’ experience
but their open attitude about language learning that makes
the difference. Students who have lived abroad come into the
26 the ambassador FALL 2010
classroom understanding the value of a foreign language and
ready to learn. “I don’t just teach reading or speaking, I aim to
teach communication. When it comes to real communication
in a new language, everyone starts from scratch. So I have to
create an environment where they are comfortable with each
other and invested in learning together, where they are never
afraid to communicate.” Yun-Joo Park ’14, a Chinese II student
confirms, “When we have assignments it’s not just to memorize
something. We always have to work together in class so it’s never
boring or stressful. It feels easy and fun.”
ASIJ’s growing Chinese program is just one example of how
Chinese language instruction is expanding throughout the world.
In fact, the number of students in North America studying Chinese
is estimated to be as high as 50,000 today. This is unsurprising
seeing as Chinese is the most widely spoken first language in the
world and is used in many areas outside of China itself. China
has always had a major international cultural presence — in
literature and cuisine, music and film, dance and art, religion and
philosophy— drawing on its tremendous heritage as the most
enduring civilization in the world. In recent years rapid economic
growth and increasing participation in the global market has made
China a point of interest for those looking to learn a language
that will enhance their career. Additionally, China’s political
importance in the Asia-Pacific region is broadly acknowledged
and, particularly since 9/11, its help has been sought on difficult
issues like North Korea and terrorism. Collaboration with China is
increasingly deemed essential for solving a range of global issues,
from nuclear proliferation to the environment, from currency
exchange to trade laws. Leslie Birkland explains, “Because we live
in an international community in Asia, there is ample opportunity
for our students to speak Chinese. As the Chinese language gains
popularity in the world, many of our multilingual students will be
better prepared as global citizens.”
ASIJ students are taking these possibilities into consideration
when they study Chinese. Jeremy’s reason for choosing Chinese
reflects these trends: “It’s a growing language. It’s expanding.
More and more people are learning it around the world because
it’s so useful.” Alto Ono ’14 says that he chose to learn Chinese so
that he can use it both personally for travel, and professionally for
business. Out of the 15 students in Chinese II, 13 are continuing
students from Joyce’s class last year. Richard Rowland ’13 is one
of the continuing students who made the decision based on the
progress he made in his first year. “I wanted to continue to build on
the foundation I have,” he said, noting that he was able to come so
far in the first year that it would be a waste to not make use of his
new ability. In fact, several students, such as Mia Tsusaka ’11, want
to get a head start by learning Chinese in high school because they
have already decided to study it in college. Mia explains, “Then
by the time I graduate university I’ll be fluent, and I’m sure I can
use it in whatever I do in the future.” All of the students have put
a lot of thought into their decision and want to make the most of
this opportunity. Two students even participated in an independent
program in China over the summer break.
With good reason, Joyce strongly believes that ASIJ’s Chinese
program will open doors for her students, even if they can only
participate for one or two years. “I hope that experiencing the
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CURRICULUM
language and the culture will enrich their life. My goal is not
just to teach them, but to inspire them to keep learning,” she
says. Having seen the way in which many students have been
motivated by their experience in her class, she is excited about
the plans to expand the program over the coming years. Levels
will be added with each year so that students can continue on
to more advanced courses. Director of Curriculum, Instruction
and Assessment Patty Butz also expressed enthusiasm for the
growing program, revealing that it is a plan that has been in the
works since the ASIJ visioning process in 2004-05 which showed
a strong interest among stakeholders in taking advantage of
our position in East Asia through a Chinese language program.
Now with the program proving so successful, ASIJ plans to offer
Advanced Placement (AP) in Chinese language and culture in the
near future. The College Board began offering the course for the
first time in the fall of 2006 and as of 2008 there were over 3,500
students taking the exam. Patty and Joyce have been working
together to put ASIJ on the leading edge of language learning by
preparing for the introduction of the AP curriculum.
Whether students choose to take the AP exam or not,
they are already proving the benefits of learning the Chinese
language as they use it in their travels, continued study in
university, or as a step in their future careers. Perhaps most
of all, what Joyce would have them take with them is the
confidence that comes from rising to a challenge and working
together collaboratively. These are the keys to communication
that she hopes to instill through her class and the reason
behind the soaring success of the Chinese program at ASIJ.
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ballplayer
STUDENTS STUDENTS

Bessie Noll ‘13 hopes the
skills from her Musashi
Fuchu stint earn her a spot
B
essie Noll won’t celebrate her 16th birthday for another
year, but she’s already got a sweet swing on her future.
Noll hopes her experience as the starting center fielder
for Musashi Fuchu’s little league baseball team in the competitive
Tokyo League will give her an edge toward securing a softball
to American Little League, encourages effort over fun.
“It is definitely the time put into everything. As you get older,
practice starts earlier and finishes later,” she said. “By my sixth
year, I was there by 7:30 in the morning until 6 at night, every
Saturday and Sunday, year round. We only took one weekend

is in a league of her own

in a university club,
reports Japan Times
writer Kris Kosaka
scholarship at a Division 1 university in the United States. She
believes her experience within the competitive system of male-
dominated Japanese baseball has given her perseverance,
determination and a reflective perspective to bridge cultural divides.
Noll came to Japan with her parents when she was 8 years
old, a third-grade tomboy with a passion for sports. Enrolled
at The American School in Japan, where her parents are both
teachers, she immediately joined the elementary-school swim
team. T-ball had been her favorite sport back in Minnesota, so
as soon as her parents settled from the move and found a little
league team nearby, Noll joined.
Although she did not realize it at the time, Noll’s entry to
the team was unusual to say the least. Only the second girl to
go through their system and the first foreigner, Noll recalls the
day with a full awareness now of the strange scene they made:
“We rode up on our American bikes that we had shipped over, a
Burley hooked up to the side of my dad’s bike so my little brother
could come along. I was dressed in just a shirt and pants, and all
the Japanese kids were so formal in their uniforms.”
What she remembers most is the hospitality the team showed
that first day: “Some of the older kids were very nice, and there
was one girl there, the first one in the system, Megumi. They
sent me off to practice base-running from home to first. They
all kind of laughed at me, but by the end of the day we were
talking, asking questions in basic English, and I felt welcomed.”
For the next six years, Noll played for the Fuchu team, a
Tokyo powerhouse that regularly qualifies for the Little League
World Series. Her highlights include some big at-bats when she
was 11 years old against “a team twice our size and twice our
age, but I hit two home runs in one game.”
A year later, she took a no-hitter into the bottom of the last
inning.“I bumbled their bunt and ruined my own no-hitter,” but
the memory is still a good one, almost as good as Noll’s lead-off
homer against Team Korea in 2008, along with a diving catch
in the outfield that earned her the front cover of Japan’s Little
League Baseball magazine, Bokura Little League.
Throughout Noll’s years with the team, her natural
determination hardened into steadfast discipline, thanks to
the Japanese way of baseball. “It taught me how to become
a person. The whole basis of Little League in Japan is to build
strength.”Of course, Noll’s strength in baseball increased, but
more importantly, she attests to an increase in mental strength.
“Being a girl and a foreigner, it was hard to assimilate
completely. Sometimes I felt like an outsider, looking in. It taught
me to be OK, and comfortable, with being alone sometimes as a
person,” she said. Noll believes the Japanese system, in contrast
off for Japanese New Year’s, and whenever there was a national
holiday, you were expected to be at practice.”
Noll credits this disciplined, repetitious approach with her own
high skill level and ability to work hard. She also admits she finds
it hard to relax. “It drives my parents crazy,” she says, laughing,
“but I always have to be doing something.” Noll is still working
hard to improve her softball skills, her goals predictably high.
She plays for a competitive summer league in the U.S., gaining
the opportunity to showcase her ability at various tournaments
attended by a range of Division 1 university softball scouts.
Despite her success, Noll’s experiences in Japanese baseball
were not always positive. In addition to the years where she felt
like an outsider, there were also many cultural aspects she found
difficult to accept. “Some things can’t help but look sexist,” Noll
says, citing the example of toban: “Once a month, each mother
has to take a turn for the entire day of practice, and what you
do, basically, is feed the men and clean the bathrooms.”
Noll also found the high level of competition tended to
spoil team unity because players looked toward their own
improvement first, especially as she got older. “Senior League
in the Japanese system is even more intense . . . it’s seen as your
recruiting chance into Japanese high schools, and boys were
mean to each other, mean to me. As a first-year, you don’t get
any playing time on the field at all, so you have to wait a whole
year for even a chance to play.”
And Noll’s focus has always been to play. Turning her
attention to softball during the summers, she keeps up her
athleticism by taking advantage now of the three sports
seasons at the ASIJ. In fall she runs cross-country, in winter,
plays girls basketball, and in spring she takes the field with the
ASIJ baseball team.
Noll keeps in touch with the friends she made in the Japanese
system and clearly relishes many happy memories. She realizes a
girl in a competitive American system would have faced similar
difficulties. “The biggest problem was I didn’t know how to
stand up for myself because I couldn’t speak the language well
enough. I could get by, but it is not the same as if someone told
me something in English that I didn’t like.”
Noll recommends Japanese sports to anyone interested in
improvement, but has no real advice to give.“You are going to
hate it more than you love it, especially in the winter when you
get up on those cold mornings and you don’t want to go. But
if you really want to get better, if you want to become strong,
you just have to do it.”
Reprinted with permission of The Japan Times, Oct. 23, 2010.

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write
VISITORS VISITORS

the
stuff
Author and Scholar-in-Residence
Alan Gratz shares his expertise
with the Middle School

A
lan Gratz, wildly popular children’s fiction writer whose first novel, Samurai Shortstop, was named one
of the American Library Association’s 2007 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, was ASIJ’s Scholar-
in-Residence for six weeks last spring. Born in Tennessee, Alan started his career as an eighth grade
English teacher and in addition to fiction has written for the stage, magazines, TV and radio.
Alan got connected with ASIJ when former seventh grade Language Arts and Social Studies teacher
Chris Rose’s class read Samurai Shortstop last year at the recommendation of MS Librarian Martin Swist
and had a Skype visit with Alan as part of the unit. Dan Smith’s seventh grade class read the book as
well, which led Dan to propose Alan for the Scholar-in-Residence program, made possible by donations
to the Annual Fund. Students in the seventh grade were practicing research papers before Alan came,
but with his assistance they were able to delve into historical fiction and see an entirely different way to
use their research skills. They could construct different places and time periods through their writing that
they had never seen in person, all through careful research.
Although Alan’s debut novel was set in Japan, this was his first trip to the country that inspired him. To write
Samurai Shortstop, which is set in Meiji-era Tokyo at a well-known school of the day, he relied exclusively on
research, reading over 30 books ranging from history to baseball. A big baseball fan himself, writing about a high
school youth’s quest to make the school team was no stretch, but immersing himself in Japan was a challenge
at first. Eventually he became fascinated by the country and culture. During his time at ASIJ, Alan was able to
pursue many cultural explorations when not in school, posting his observations and photos on his official blog.
During his six weeks here, Alan worked with just about every middle school student individually at one
point. The sixth grade worked on short story writing, the seventh grade on historical fiction, and the eighth
grade created one-act plays. Dan Smith believes it is this direct contact with students and the clearly visible
impact on their writing and the way that they think about literature that shows the effectiveness of the
Scholar-in-Residence Program. Alan’s authentic real life experience and his skillful way of explaining his
writing process gave the students genuine tools they could use in their own work, “It was a lesson for the
teachers as well, giving them the confidence to incorporate a wider range of topics and teaching methods
into the curriculum for the following years based on the projects we did together during Alan Gratz’s stay,”
Dan Smith explains. The seventh grade classes will continue to read Samurai Shortstop and to use the
lessons from Alan in order to apply their research skills to creative writing. Dan explains that it is difficult
to teach historical fiction with the right balance, so that it is a good history lesson but also enjoyable as
literature. Alan was able to provide projects that met this balance perfectly.
Middle School English teacher Mark Burpee can see the effect of last spring’s program on his new incoming
eighth graders as well. They come in with more knowledge and tools from their sessions with Alan. “We
are now doing a unit on analyzing and writing short stories and the results are better than I’ve ever seen,”
Mark says. Many of the writing and analysis techniques that Mark is teaching his eighth graders this year
are not entirely new to them—they have already created a foundation from working with Alan last year and

30 the ambassador FALL 2010 FALL 2010 the ambassador 31

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VISITORS

now Mark is able to reinforce, build on, and go more in-depth

with these concepts. Mark also agrees that Alan wasn’t only
instructing the students.“The teachers were able to glean new
ideas from him and this influence has affected the way I teach
my students this year,” he says.
Mark also is confident that his eighth grade students from
last year will have gone into high school with an advanced
array of tools at their disposal. While working on one-act
plays with Alan, eighth graders were able to better analyze,
understand and appreciate plays after the experience of
writing one of their own. They also received practical
advice from Alan, who is a playwright himself, such as the
importance of the unity of location to minimize set changes
and the use of minimal special effects to make the play
easily performable in a variety of settings. Students came
out with an understanding of the constraints of playwriting
versus fiction or a movie script, but they also learned the
importance of action that is driven by characters, not events,
which spans all forms of creative writing. More importantly,
Mark explains, “Alan emphasized that no matter what you
are writing, from fiction to reports, it is always important to
be aware of your audience.” That awareness will benefit
them whenever they put pen to paper in anything they do.
Cloe Gagnon ‘14 confirms this, saying, “I learned a lot about
summarizing my ideas, which helps in more areas than just an
English class.” She also enjoyed the process, explaining that Alan
gave them guidance initially but then let them have freedom to
come up with their own storyline. Once they had completed
their rough draft he was available to consult with each student
personally. “He advised, commented and personally helped us
‘clean up the rough edges’ of our plays,” Cloe adds. Meredith
Beed ‘14, also now a high school freshman, felt she had improved
as a writer as a result of working with Alan last spring while in
eighth grade, both overall and especially in her understanding
of writing for theater. “I have never been to a school before
where you have actual authors coming and helping you with
your writing. I felt it was a great learning experience to work
hand in hand with a professional who could help and encourage
us to do our best work,” she said, adding that she would like to
have the opportunity again.
On the last day of Alan’s stay, the MS student body
gathered in the Ricketson Theater for a “writing celebration,”
a multimedia presentation featuring highlights of his time
at ASIJ. Each student had a piece they could be proud of,
and the seventh grade was even able to publish their works
online. Students cheered and clapped for each other as they
shared their writing at the final gathering, a show of support
and camaraderie that may have been the most encouraging
result of the program overall.

32 the ambassador FALL 2010 FALL 2010 the ambassador 33

 features features
VISITORS VISITORS

music
man
Artist-in-Residence Linsey Pollak, the
Australian musician and instrument
maker, charmed the elementary school
with his unusual musical creations.

M
aking innovative instruments from such diverse materials
as a carrot or a rubber glove, Linsey Pollak has traveled
all over the world performing and teaching about his
methods. This October he joined ASIJ as an Artist-in-Residence in
the elementary school thanks to sponsorship by Friends of the Fine
Arts (FOFA). The students were delighted to learn how to make and
play some of these unique instruments as well as to invent some
of their own. “The children have taken home their excitement and
have shared their enthusiasm with their friends and relatives. I have
had children say they forwarded YouTube clips and Linsey’s website
to their grandparents for their enjoyment,” says ES music teacher
Karolee Kent . In Jody Fuller’s Grade 4 class, Rogier Fransen came
into school the day after Linsey presented and brought a special
homemade instrument he had produced based on the principle of
the vibrating membrane that Linsey had explained. Twins Rikako
and Ryusei Kent also made a carrot clarinet at home by following
Linsey’s instructions. Jody adds, “In a recent activity, Grade 2
students wanted to explore several ways of adding instruments,
testing out various mallets to change the tone quality, and looking
beyond conventional musical instruments to see if other items in
the music room could become percussion instruments and still add
the integrity we sought in our song accompaniment.” In addition
to using unusual materials, Linsey also makes use of digital sound
effects and other technology. “Linsey really opened our eyes to
new possibilities, and he was kind enough to give us a professional
development session on the operation of these machines, which
we also found really useful,” Karolee explains. “Jody and I are now
pumped to access some of this wonderful technology in our music
composition/creation activities with students.”

34 the ambassador FALL 2010 FALL 2010 the ambassador 35

 features
ASIJ AUTHORS
Pia Tapper Fenton ‘77
launches her debut novel – a
romance that follows a journey
from East to West
36 the ambassador FALL 2010
features
ASIJ AUTHORS
S setting
et in 1731-32, Trade Winds is the story of handsome
Scotsman Killian Kinross, who goes to Sweden in the hope
of making his fortune. There he meets strong-willed Jess
van Sandt, a merchant’s daughter, who believes that she’s
being swindled out of her inheritance by her stepfather. They join
sail
forces for mutual benefit and enter into a marriage of convenience,
but then Killian is offered the chance of a lifetime with the Swedish
East India Company. He sets sail for China, but the journey doesn’t
turn out quite as he expected ...
My three years at ASIJ were some of the best of my life and
while I was in Japan, I fell in love with all things Oriental. When
I started trying to write a novel, it therefore seemed obvious that
I had to set it at least partly somewhere in the Far East. Since I’m
half Swedish, I decided to combine the two, and the idea for my
story took shape when I came across a replica of an old sailing
ship used by the Swedish East India Company. Although I ended
up with my hero going to China, my own experiences of living
in Japan helped me with his reactions to such a foreign country.
His feelings of delight and wonder at the sights he sees are very
similar to how I felt when I first arrived in Tokyo. It was all just so
amazingly different to what I was used to and I’m sure that would
have been even truer back in the 18th century.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Japan a couple of times
recently and I still find everything about this country fascinating.
When I attended the ASIJ ‘70s decade reunion in Orlando, FL,
earlier this summer, I realised that I’m far from alone in feeling
like this. My fellow ASIJ alumni all had a great time in Tokyo too
and those years during our teens created an incredibly strong
bond that still remains. Even after several decades, it was like we
were family. We had a great time, both in our teens and now,
and I can’t wait to meet up with them all again soon!
I’ve always loved books and prefer reading to almost any
other pastime. I spent many happy hours hiding away in the ASIJ
library—or in the garden behind it—reading romance novels when
I should probably have been studying instead. Likewise, the long
train journeys from Mejiro to ASIJ passed much more quickly
when I had my nose in a book. And it was in Tokyo I discovered
just how many wonderful novels there are written in the English
language and so many genres. (Thanks Mr. Boyd for starting up
the “Futuristic Lit” class that introduced me to science fiction!)
I was never very good at writing essays, however, so it didn’t
occur to me that I could be a writer myself. I was brilliant at
daydreaming, but who knew you could translate that into a job?
Not me. When I had my first daughter, I was due to go back
to work after six months, but by that time I’d realized I much
preferred staying at home with her. There was so much I didn’t
want to miss and I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her with
strangers all day. So I thought – why not write a book? Then I
could earn money while still being at home with her. I decided
to try my hand at a Mills & Boon [standard romance novel]; they
seemed simple enough so how hard could it be? Well, a lot harder
FALL 2010 the ambassador 37
 features
ASIJ Authors
The Ultimate Japanese Phrasebook
Kit Pancoast Nagamura
Writer, editor, Japan Times
columnist and current parent Kit
Pancoast Nagamura’s witty and
practical guide to Japanese as it is
really spoken is already in its fourth
printing despite only being on
shelves for less than a year.
Hollywood Savage
Kristin McCloy ‘80
Like her previous works Velocity
and Some Girls, Kristin’s third
novel has received rave reviews.
Written in a journal form, it follows
a screenplay writer as he deals with
the dark side of Hollywood.
Melting Point - Bali
Yoshitaka Saji
Long-serving staff member
Yoshitaka Saji has published a
compilation of his amazing photos
taken in Bali over the years.
Kaba no Chindonyasan
David Shapiro
Alumni parent David Shapiro,
professor at Ryutsu Keizai
University, weaves a charming
morality tale based on the young
hippo Pippo and his dream of
becoming a chin-don-ya, a
gaudily dressed street performer.
Encounters: A Lifetime Spent
Crossing Cultural Frontiers
Nancy Keeney Forster
Born and raised in Asia during the
tumultuous years before WWII,
Clifton Forster later joined the US
Foreign Service. His wife, educator and
alumni parent Nancy Keeney Forster
combined his records and her own
into an account of the encounters
and passions of a lifetime devoted to
international understanding.
38 the ambassador FALL 2010
than I thought. Trust me, they’re not written to a “formula” at
all and getting them just right is an art form I’ve never mastered!
Even though my first attempts were quickly rejected, I was
bitten by the writing bug and from then on I kept trying. I
wrote whenever I could and tried not to take the rejections
2009-10
personally. They just meant I wasn’t good enough – yet. It
took me 18 years to finally get published, but it was definitely
worth the hard work. The irony is that my daughter is the one
leaving home now that I’ve made it, but luckily I was able to
stay at home with her in any case, so it didn’t matter.
If anyone is thinking of becoming a writer, the best advice I
could give is to persevere. Don’t give up, and grow a very thick
fundraising
skin, because rejections are inevitable unless you’re extremely
lucky and/or talented. It’s also essential to join writer’s groups or
organizations—I belong to the Romantic Novelists’ Association
here in the UK for example—attend talks and workshops to learn
more about the craft of writing, but above all mix with other
report
authors, published and unpublished. Being a writer can be very
lonely and although family and friends try to be supportive, they
don’t always understand. Other authors will though and if you can
find a “writing buddy” you trust, someone to swap manuscripts
with for constructive, honest criticism, that can be invaluable.
There were many times when I thought of giving up, but then
another story idea would worm its way into my mind and I’d be off
again. Also, my writing friends refused to let me stop–I even made
a pact with my writing buddy that neither of us could quit unless
the other one allowed it. So far, we’re still writing.
The great thing about being an author is that there is no age
limit–the more you’ve experienced, the more you have to write
about–and it’s something you can do any time of day or night.
For someone who’s not a morning person like me, that’s perfect.
And you can take time off whenever you want, plus you get to do
some interesting research. While writing Trade Winds, for example,
I went on board a sailing ship called the Götheborg, which is an
exact replica of a ship used by the Swedish East India Company to
go to China in the 18th century. It was fascinating.
As I said, I drew on my own experiences in moving to Japan
when I wrote Trade Winds, even though the hero in that story
ends up going to China instead. My second novel, however, is
set in Japan and for that I was able to use a lot of my memories
from my time in Tokyo. It is called The Scarlet Kimono and will
be published in March 2011. I can’t give any more details at
the moment, but my research for that involved visiting Himeji
Castle, Dejima in Nagasaki and, of course, eating lots of sushi and
tempura. My family all love Japan as much as I do, so no doubt
we’ll be back for another visit soon. Can’t wait!
Trade Winds is published by Choc Lit Ltd, ISBN no. 978-1-906931-
23-0. Pia Tapper Fenton writes under the pseudonym Christina
Courtenay: www.christinacourtenay.com
FALL 2010 the ambassador 39
 2009-10
FUNDRAISING REPORT

Gift Clubs
The American School in Japan’s Gift Club program recognizes the outstanding and vital support of its most generous contributors.
The objectives of the Gift Clubs are to strengthen the annual giving program and to help build an enthusiastic group of parents,
alumni and friends who feel a particularly close association with ASIJ. Special recognition is given to members of these clubs. Please

The Power of Giving

contact the Center for School-Community Partnership for further details.

The Second Century Circle The Decade Club

¥5,000,000* or more in gifts within the current year. Members who have donated consecutively for the current and

I
n 1963, ASIJ moved from a downtown location in Meguro to its present location in previous nine school years regardless of the total amount.
Chofu. The purchase of property and subsequent relocation were the first steps of The 1902 Society
a forward-thinking governing body that realized the potential that ASIJ had to ¥1,000,000–¥4,999,999* in gifts within the current year. The Double Decade Club
become a leading school in Tokyo and the need for better facilities. Today, ASIJ enjoys Members who have donated consecutively for the current and
an outstanding, global reputation as a top international PK-12 college preparatory The Headmaster’s Circle previous nineteen school years regardless of the total amount.
school. To maintain this position, ASIJ’s Board of Directors strives to be innovative ¥200,000–¥999,999* in gifts within the current year.
and continues to focus on school improvement. Our planning is not just for today’s The Triple Decade Club
students, but also for future generations of ASIJ students. The Black and Gold League Members who have donated consecutively for the
¥100,000–¥199,999* in gifts within the current year. current and previous twenty-nine school years regardless
After several years of careful study, we are preparing to complete our 1998-2014
of the total amount.
master plan for campus and program improvement. To achieve this, we are launching the
The Mustangs Club
4 x 4 Campaign—a four-year fundraising program to generate ¥400 million for the project.
¥50,000–¥99,999* in gifts within the current school year. * or US$ equivalent
ASIJ’s financial stability has allowed fundraising monies to be used for enhancements
to our facilities and curricular programs. Through generous support, both campuses have
improved dramatically during the last 11 years. The Chofu campus has a new cafeteria, new
theater, two all-weather sports fields, field lights and a new elementary school playground.
Gift Club Members
The former NK is now the beautiful Early Learning Center in Roppongi, with a model The Second Century Circle Piez, Catherine A. ‘82 Nishimi, Tetsuya ‘94
program that other schools study and look to for best practices. In addition to facilities, Royer, Louis J. & Yuko Y. Oline, Richard A. & Jean
Zwaanstra, Shizuka M. ‘85 & John
funds have been used to reduce our environmental impact by cutting our carbon footprint Schmidt, Fredrick K. & Schmidt, Miki ‘82 Peel, Jeffrey J. & Nawako
through a range of green initiatives and our curriculum has been enriched through the
The 1902 Society Seltzer, Theodore S. & Yuen-San Bailey, George & Pieper-Bailey, Susan
Scholar-in-Residence program (see page 30), which was funded entirely by donations.
Flannery, John L. & Tracy B. Sipe, Eric & Emily Plum, John E. & Mimi K.
The final phase of the master plan (see pages 12-15) will see major improvements to
Godbout, James T. & Kelly R. Suzukawa-Tseng, Linda M. ‘72 Ras, Andrew A. & Mariko H.
the front of school, a new athletics facility, the redevelopment of the old multi-purpose
Guild, Theodore & Yasuko A. Takemura, Shigeharu & Rino Raub, Joshua A. & Shimada, Mihoko
room (MPR) and the creation of a Japan Center. The first enhancements to the curricular
and co-curricular programs will impact students beginning next fall. Kent, Eric A. & Yasuko N. Tanaka, Takumi & Diana Salsberg, Brian S. & Chessler Salsberg, Abbie
Over recent years, the philanthropy of many has had a profound impact on ASIJ Nishida, Tina Y. ‘85 & David A. Toppino, Jon-Paul & Stephanie A. Sasao, Toshiaki & Masami
students. We are particularly appreciative of the Zwaanstra family, who generously funded Forster, Louis J. & Pike, Kathleen M. Tsusaka, Miki & Jun Shiroishi, Robert H. & Mayuzumi, Sue
the new Berger Choir Room; former Board Chair Thierry Porte who spearheaded the Siegel, Kenneth & Michiyo Young, Yuriko J. ‘84 & Brace Singh, Jesse & Linda
Second Century Campaign and made several significant gifts to the school; the Yonamine Tange, Noritaka & Denise F. Zavattero, Jeffrey J. ‘83 & Eri Sneider, David A. ‘75 & Pollock, Naomi
family for their leadership contribution to the lower field project; and Roy Ryu’s donation Wendel, Christopher & Hilary Bird, Jack E. & Thomas, Karen C.
of field lights and invitations to impressive guest speakers. The financial contributions by Yonamine, Paul K. & Lynda S. The Black and Gold League Vickrey, Geoffrey & Kimberly
current and former ASIJ families such as the Eharas, Schwarts, O’Bryants, Kindreds, Daniels, Downs, Vicky Wisoff, Marshall D. & Therese A.
Pike/Forsters, Rothbergs, Siegels, Yamazakis, Thomas/Birds, Gregors, Kents, Mallat/Decks,
The Headmaster’s Circle Finn, Robert G. & Kimberly A. Wu, Andrew C. ‘89 & Alice
and Schmidts have been exemplary. We thank them and the other donors listed on the
Lorentz, Douglas W. & Sukunya A. Fujii, Daniel K. ‘82 & Yuki Yamasaki, A. Paul & Afifah R.
following pages for their generosity.
Maggart, Bradley J. & Leann L. Gythfeldt, Magnus D. & Keeko O. Yoshii, Sakae & Mimi
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I invite you to join me in supporting the 4 x 4
Matthews, Jim & Amy Hudson, Christopher S. & Nicole
Campaign and help us build on the fantastic stewardship shown by our community
over the past decade. Your gift will directly impact our students next year, as well as Mistry, Azam & Halley Kindred, Jonathan B. & Sachiko The Mustangs Club
many more in the school’s future. Morgenstern, Frederick N. ‘83 & Kendra McCagg, Peter B. & Yukari G. Abrell, Matthias & Jeanette
Warmly, Neilon, Michael D. & Cora A. Miller, Bruce W. & Jere C. Bernier, Jeffrey S. & Seiko S.
Jere Miller, Chair, Fundraising Committee O’Bryant, Allan E. & Tina Nakayama, Tetsushi ‘84 Cohen, Frederick ‘69 & Topper-Cohen, Barbara

40 the ambassador FALL 2010 FALL 2010 the ambassador 41

 2009-10
FUNDRAISING REPORT
Cohen, Maury R. ‘76
Cox, William G. ‘62 & Joyce
Doyno, David & Judith M.
Duffy, Christopher A. & Lee, Min Jin
Geis, Charles A. & Bernadette
Glovins, Keith R. & Lisa E.
Hatakeyama, Yasu & Maki
Hofmann, Peter A. ‘77 & Ana B.
Honaman, William F. & Eleanor
Irvine, Peter
Ishigami, Kumiko
Kido, Shino ‘02
Kirkwood, Timothy C. & Julie S.
Lee, Daniel W. & Park, Young-Sun
Leoni, Michael A. & Allison D.
Lury, Richard R. ‘65 & Gemma
Matsunaga, Len & Naomi
Maynard, Donald E. & Beneventi, Judith
Moss, Carolyn M. ‘73 & Daniel J.
Noddin, Robert L. & Janette I.
Norris, Margaret ‘65 & Charles
O’Donnell, Chris & Lynne
Rosario, Jason & Allison
Rossetto, Joy K.
Smith, Rosemary B.
Takagi, James M. & Tsukasa
Turner, Sally A. ‘66
Whitehead, Charles K. ‘79 & Debbie
Williams, John S. ‘87 & Heidi
Wu, Chung J. & Yamada-Wu, Stella N.
Zimmerman, Gary & Chana S.
The Triple Decade Club
Cohen, Frederick ‘69 & Topper-Cohen, Barbara
Downs, Vicky
Glazier, Kenneth C. ‘67
Nielsen, Jeannette A. ‘59
Pariser, Rudolph ‘41 & Louise
Shimizu, George ‘39
Teaze, Robert S. ‘43
Yamada, Roy H. ‘58 & Sandra A.
The Double Decade Club
Adams, Jim D. & Nancy
Anderson, Russell D. ‘76 & Lori
Armstrong, Peter H. ‘52
Barber, Martha M. ‘45
42 the ambassador FALL 2010
Bergt, David E. ‘60 & Jeannine C.
Boatwright, David ‘73
Brooke, George M. ‘63 & Jane
Bruns, David R. ‘68 & Shirley J.
Burkart, Edward I. ‘48 & Pauline A.
Carlin, Christopher D. & Donna K.
Carlson, Ernest D. ‘39 & Joyce
Colville, Glenn L. ‘68 & Dianne
Conrad, Nancy A. ‘77
Crandall, Leslie G. & Aiko K.
Davis, Jenny L. ‘72
DeLong, Paul H. ‘51 & Lynne
Dennis, Thurman H.
Durloo, Ruth S. ‘34
Farkas, Jennifer J. ‘65 & Arthur J.
Fattal, Leon ‘57 & Suzanne
Fielding, Raymond E. ‘48 & Carole
Fisher, Carl M. ‘51 & Miriam
Ford, Gregory R. ‘72 & Maita, Toni
Fox, Eugene A. ‘50 & Chantal
Franklin, Richard G. ‘50 & Gloria W.
Frugoli, Susan F. ‘51
Haines, Andrew L. ‘60 & Elizabeth
Hand, Richard A. & Yumi
Hanson, Mirja P. ‘74 & Samuel
Harkness, Donald R. ‘50 & Mary H. N.
Harnik, Peter L. ‘69 & Yoko M.
Harper, Flora ‘38 & Robert A.
Hayao, Kenji ‘76 & Victoria W.
Higa, Ernest M. ‘70 & Aya
Honaman, William F. & Eleanor
Horwitz, Elizabeth M. ‘76 & Barry
Hsia, John S. ‘57 & Lynn W.
Huskins, Shirley E.
Jacobson, Kimberley A. ‘77 & Hutchison, Straus, Ulrich A. ‘44 & Sarah
Dennis
James, Larry G. & Sharon
Jones, Linda E. ‘69
Karcher, Carolyn ‘62 & Martin
Kemmerer, Ruthli
Kerr, Virginia M. ‘67
Kidder, David D. ‘70 & Jane D.
Kidder, Paul M. ‘76 & Terry P.
Kindred, Jonathan B. & Sachiko
Kobayashi, Albert S. ‘42 & Elizabeth
Kreyling, Peter A. ‘67 & Catherine S.
Kurahashi, Nancy ‘65
Kuwana, Yumi ‘82 & Eiichiro
LaDow, Kristen ‘77 & Richard J.
Lank, Dannette L. ‘69 & Avi
LaPorte, Charles R. & Sarah A.
Lenz, Pamela L. ‘50 & Ben
Leybold, Sandra L. ‘73 & Dennis
Livingston, Jerry K. ‘81 & Bonnie
Ludlow, Thomas W. ‘70 & Jane F.
Lund, Andrew E. ‘81 & Denise
Lury, Richard R. ‘65 & Gemma
Magnuson, Jody ‘73 & Clark E.
Martenstein, Thomas B. ‘50 & Carolyn T.
McCoy, William L. ‘59 & Lynne V.
McVeigh, Thomas R. ‘70 & Rebecca B.
Meyer, Mary A. ‘65
Michalski, John J. & Nancy E.
Mirah, Alan R. ‘76 & Therese
Morgenstern, Frederick N. ‘83 & Kendra
Moss, Carolyn M. ‘73 & Daniel J.
Muhl, Richard R.
Nicol, Joanna ‘52
Nicoll, Hilda K. ‘45 & Donald E.
Peacock, Jeffrey D. ‘60 & Cynthia
Pierce, Lucia B. ‘68
Pietraszek, Henry T. & Margaret
Relnick, Philip R. & Nobuko
Roeser, Patricia N. ‘72
Rossier, Beth ‘74 & Alan
Sa, Sophie ‘61
Schmalz, Sally Burks ‘83
Skillman, Alan M. ‘70 & Reiko
Smith, Rosemary B.
Smith, Tara L. ‘78 & McSwiggen, Patrick
Squier, Middleton P. & Carol L.
Suzukawa-Tseng, Linda M. ‘72
Tanaka, Richard E. ‘67 & Catherine
Thede, Ann L.
Turner, Barbara B. ‘40
Walsh, Robert R. ‘81
Yamada, Leslie L. ‘64 & Tadataka
Yamasaki, A. Paul & Afifah R.
Yusha, Alexander ‘42
Zimmerman, Suzanne ‘59
The Decade Club
Amos, William H. ‘38 & Catherine
2009-10
FUNDRAISING REPORT
Bailey, Mark E. ‘78 & Denise Kamano, Hiroyuki & Harumi Shorrock, Hallam & Yasuko
Barrett, James H. & Sue C. Kang, Edwin E. & Mae S. Snell, Richard T. & Francine J. S.
Barry, James J. & Martha G. Kirby, Kyoko O. ‘80 & Peter S. Soga, Michitaka ‘81
Maynard, Donald E. & Beneventi, Judith Kohl, Kari O. ‘87 & David Stauffer, Daniel B. ‘41
Berkove, Ethan J. ‘86 & Kyra Kuroda, Mitzi ‘77 & Elledge, Stephen J. Stokes, Paul A. & Rose
Blizzard, Jan M. ‘71 & D. Craig Larson, Nathanael C. ‘80 & Elizabeth A. Struebing, Joel ‘78
Blum, Andrew W. ‘58 Lee, Ronald E. & Toshiko A. Swann, Barbara ‘57
Borheck, Steven J. ‘76 & Antonina Leonard, Elizabeth ‘75 Tanimoto, Hiroshi & Michiyo
Bragg, G. Mark ‘75 & Debra Majid, Nasir & Chie Bird, Jack E. & Thomas, Karen C.
Bruzek, Patricia A. Matsumoto, Tadashi C. & Mildred C. Thompson, Heather M. ‘57 & Donald B.
Carlin, Amy E. ‘92 Mayer, Jean E. ‘38 Toyama, Kentaro ‘87
Case, Caleb B. ‘45 McCoy, Julia L. Tunis, Jeffrey S.
Caudron, Cordell R. ‘60 McKee, Craig L. ‘60 & Kathy Turner, Sally A. ‘66
Clark, Barbara ‘78 Meller, Louise S. ‘63 & Lukowski, Jay D. Umezaki, Margit
Clark, Matthew R. ‘93 Mera, Yuhka ‘81 Wakat, Barbara M. ‘88
Clevenger, Thomas R. & Doris J. Miller, Robert X. & Lorraine Welti, Donald R. & Patricia R.
Cobb, Elizabeth S. ‘88 & Steven Miller, Scott M. & Mary E. Whitehead, Charles K. ‘79 & Debbie
Coopat, E. Thomas & Cheryle P. Moore, Craig K. ‘71 Wiederwohl, Mailyn G. ‘65
Cooper, Peter R. & Pamela Muscari, Joseph C. & Donna M. Wierman, Albert & Ineke
Cox, William G. ‘62 & Joyce Nagata, Paul ‘74 & Susan Williams, Renee L.
Downs, Constance ‘81 Neff Heath, Susan C. ‘69 Witt, Eugene W. & Janet M.
Duke, Christopher K. ‘88 Nishida, Tina Y. ‘85 & David A. Yanagishita, Toshio
Duke, Susan N. ‘83 Nishimi, Tetsuya ‘94 Yang, James H. ‘62
Ehrenkranz, Andra K. ‘83 & John Norris, Margaret ‘65 & Charles Yao, Alejo & Lusan
Farrell, William R. & Marabeth Y. Notehelfer, Fred G. ‘57 & Margaret Yoshii, Sakae & Mimi
Francischetti, Mark P. ‘72 Ogawa, Hiromitsu & Betty J. Young, Yuriko J. ‘84 & Brace
Fujii, Daniel K. ‘82 & Yuki Okada, Elizabeth Zavattero, Jeffrey J. ‘83 & Eri
Fujii, David K. ‘83 & Makiko Okada, Mutsuko Zwaanstra, Shizuka M. ‘85 & John
Fujishima, Julie K. ‘84 & Takuya Oline, Richard A. & Jean
Fukuma, Lalaka ‘93 Ondry, Pamela L. ‘77 & Mark A.
Fuller, Jody R. Onishi, Randall & Susan Honor Roll of Donors
Gibson, Margaret G. ‘40 & Wallace Parr, Frederick L. ‘80 & Blair E.
Gilbert, Miriam C. ‘77 & Randall C. Phillips, James M. Parents & Alumni Parents
Gilman, Irene P. Phillips, Marjorie R. ‘77 & Carrig, Steve *Abrell, Matthias & Jeanette
Gish, George W. & Yoko F. Plum, John E. & Mimi K. *Acito, Paul L. & Clouthier, Margaret M.
Gogerty, Daniel J. & Lana J. Potter, Meredith W. ‘52 *Adams, Jim D. & Nancy
Greenberg, Myron L. ‘55 & Helga C. Reckord, Josh G. & Nancy *Andersen, Robert P.
Grimes, William W. ‘83 & Melinda S. Reynolds, A-Lan ‘74 & John *Avery, John W. & Carolyn C.
Haines, David W. ‘64 & Karen R. Rich, Miriam S. ‘76 Bailey, George & Pieper-Bailey, Susan
Harada, Mary ‘81 & Greg Riecks, Robert E. ‘39 *Barrett, James H. & Sue C.
Harris, Bonita G. ‘61 & Gene Rubinfien, Elisabeth S. ‘73 & Sneider, *Barry, James J. & Martha G.
Harte, Norman F. & Esther L. Daniel C. *Benack, Bill & Keri
Hastings, James E. ‘53 & Constance Sanders, Michael ‘87 *Beneventi, Judith & Maynard, Donald E.
Hermann, Kenneth W. & Beatrice A. Sapala, Elizabeth M. ‘61 Bernier, Jeffrey S. & Seiko S.
Huo, Eugene J. ‘96 Schlichting, Richard D. & Cynthia M. Bird, Jack E. & Thomas, Karen C.
Huo, Jeffrey S. ‘94 Schriever, Sandra M. ‘72 *Blizzard, Jan M. ‘71 & D. Craig
Jones-Morton, Pamela Shimizu, Louise L. ‘64 Bowers, Thomas A. & Kasahara, Michie
* Alumni Parents Repeat donors listed in bold FALL 2010 the ambassador 43
 2009-10
FUNDRAISING REPORT
Brown, Arlo A. & Yuko S.
*Butterfield, Peter T. & Joanne S.
*Callanan, Regina & John J.
Callon, Scott ‘83 & Janel A.
Cannon, Alan & Kitakado, Fuyumi
Capizzi, Peter & Gina
*Carlin, Christopher D. & Donna K.
*Carr, Timothy S. & Barbara
*Chitani, Yinsei Chang ‘68
*Clevenger, Thomas R. & Doris J.
*Coopat, E. Thomas & Cheryle P.
*Cooper, Peter R. & Pamela
*Crawford, David & Mary L.
Culbert, Geoffrey & Ward, Emma
*Dornoff, Jeffrey M. & Deanne M.
*Downs, Vicky
Doyno, David & Judith M.
Duffy, Christopher A. & Lee, Min Jin
Edmunds, Eric F. & Misa
*Eisenhart, Scott F. & Michelle M.
Elkareh, Oliver & Linda
*Farkas, Jennifer J. ‘65 & Arthur J.
*Farrell, William R. & Marabeth Y.
*Finn, Robert G. & Kimberly A.
*Flannery, John L. & Tracy B.
Folsom, Richard L. & Yukiko
*Forster, Louis J. & Pike, Kathleen M.
Fujii, Daniel K. ‘82 & Yuki
Fujii, David K. ‘83 & Makiko
*Fujishima, Julie K. ‘84 & Takuya
*Furth, Ronald J. & Sandra S.
Geis, Charles A. & Bernadette
*Gish, George W. & Yoko F.
Glantz, Roy M. & Rie
Glovins, Keith R. & Lisa E.
Godbout, James T. & Kelly R.
*Gogerty, Daniel J. & Lana J.
*Greenberg, Myron L. ‘55 & Helga C.
Gregor, Eugene C. & Barbara T.
Griffin, Michael L. & Montana L.
Guild, Theodore & Yasuko A.
*Guyett, Greg & Stephanie
Gythfeldt, Magnus D. & Keeko O.
Hall, Larik M. & Katherine A.
*Hamilton, Stephen & Janie
Harris, John D. & Diane
*Harte, Norman F. & Esther L.
44 the ambassador FALL 2010
Hatakeyama, Yasu & Maki
*Hermann, Kenneth W. & Beatrice A.
*Hester, James M. & Janet R.
Higa, Ernest M. ‘70 & Aya
Hikida, Ross & Lee, Hoshin
Hoffmann, David & Heather
*Holcomb, Stan A. & Elizabeth S.
Hong, Gregory & Diane
Howe, Christian J. & Francesca P.
Hudson, Christopher S. & Nicole
Hunsaker, Mark D. & Jane
*Huskins, Shirley E.
Hyman, Gary & Weiss, Efrot
Irvine, Peter
*Ison, Stuart D. & Deborah L.
Iverson, Chad M. & Rumi K.
*James, Larry G. & Sharon
*Johnson, Jay A. & Adrianne B.
*Kang, Edwin E. & Mae S.
Keese, Jack S. & Pamela L.
Kent, Eric A. & Yasuko N.
*Kindred, Jonathan B. & Sachiko
*Kirby, Kyoko O. ‘80 & Peter S.
Kirkwood, Jonathan S. & Christina W.
Kirkwood, Timothy C. & Julie S.
Koll, Jesper J. W. & Matsui, Kathy M.
LaMacchia, Thomas & Wein, Jacqueline
*LaPorte, Charles R. & Sarah A.
*Larson, Nathanael C. ‘80 & Elizabeth A.
LaScala, Russell J. & Sheryl A.
Lee, Daniel W. & Park, Young-Sun
*Lee, Ronald E. & Toshiko A.
Leoni, Michael A. & Allison D.
Lin, Victor H. & Susan S.
Lorentz, Douglas W. & Sukunya A.
Lostaglio, Keith & L’Esperance, Kathleen
Maggart, Bradley J. & Leann L.
Majid, Nasir & Chie
Matsunaga, Len & Naomi
Matthews, Jim & Amy
Mayer, Ray & Robin
*McCagg, Peter B. & Yukari G.
*McCoy, Julia L.
*Michalski, John J. & Nancy E.
Mies, Michael J. & Eiko I.
Miller, Bruce W. & Jere C.
*Miller, Robert X. & Lorraine
2009-10
FUNDRAISING REPORT
*Miller, Scott M. & Mary E. Sipe, Eric & Emily o Clark, Franklin T. & Susan C. ASIJ Alumni Donors
Mistry, Azam & Halley *Smith, Rosemary B. o Cooper, Peter R. & Pamela
Class of 1934
*Miyake, Yoshihito & Yuko Sneider, David A. ‘75 & Pollock, Naomi o Crandall, Leslie G. & Aiko K.
Durloo, Ruth S. (Stirewalt)
Morgenstern, Frederick N. ‘83 & Kendra *Snell, Richard T. & Francine J. S. o Dennis, Thurman H.
*Mulkern, Louis & Dorothy *Squier, Middleton P. & Carol L. o Downs, Vicky Class of 1938
Amos, William H.
*Muscari, Joseph C. & Donna M. *Stokes, Paul A. & Rose o Duke, Christopher K. ‘88
Suzukawa-Tseng, Linda M. ‘72 Fuller, Jody R. Harper, Flora (Wikawa)
Neilon, Michael D. & Cora A.
*Takada, Yuko o Furth, Ronald J. & Sandra S. Mayer, Jean E.
Nishida, Tina Y. ‘85 & David A.
Noddin, Robert L. & Janette I. Takagi, James M. & Tsukasa o Gilman, Irene P. Class of 1939
O’Bryant, Allan E. & Tina Takemura, Shigeharu & Rino o Gogerty, Daniel J. & Lana J. Carlson, Ernest D.
*O’Donnell, Chris & Lynne Tanaka, Takumi & Diana o Hand, Richard A. & Yumi Riecks, Robert E.
*Ogawa, Hiromitsu & Betty J. Tange, Noritaka & Denise F. Hatakeyama, Makiko Shimizu, George
Oghigian, Haig B. & Kathryn A. Toppino, Jon-Paul & Stephanie A. o Hickok, Leon & Roberta
Class of 1940
*Okada, Mutsuko Toyosaki, Masahito & Motoko o Ishigami, Kumiko
Gibson, Margaret G. (Noss)
Okuno, Marcus & Kazuko Tsusaka, Miki & Jun o Jones-Morton, Pamela
Turner, Barbara B. (Young)
*Oline, Richard A. & Jean *Tunis, Jeffrey S. o Kemmerer, Ruthli
*Onishi, Randall & Susan *Umezaki, Margit o Koshewa, Allen P. Class of 1941
Onuma, Satoshi M. & Lisa M. Vickrey, Geoffrey & Kimberly Maggart, Bradley J. & Leann L. Pariser, Rudolph
Owens, Daniel E. & Ayako T. *Wakamatsu, Ernest T. ‘75 & Yuko o Meadows, Viola Stauffer, Daniel B.
Parr, Frederick L. ‘80 & Blair E. *Wales, George H. & Judith o Muhl, Richard R. Class of 1942
*Parrott, George & Ruth Wendel, Christopher & Hilary o Okada, Elizabeth Kobayashi, Albert S.
Peel, Jeffrey J. & Nawako *Wierman, Albert & Ineke Raub, Joshua A. & Shimada, Mihoko Yusha, Alexander
*Phillips, James M. Wisoff, Marshall D. & Therese A. o Reckord, Josh G. & Nancy
Class of 1943
*Pietraszek, Henry T. & Margaret *Witt, Eugene W. & Janet M. Rosario, Jason
Teaze, Robert S.
*Plum, John E. & Mimi K. Wu, Andrew C. ‘89 & Alice Rossetto, Joy K.
*Porte, Thierry G. & Tashiro-Porte, Yasko Wu, Chung J. & Yamada-Wu, Stella N. Seevers, John K. & Karen Class of 1944
*Proctor, David M. *Yamada, Roy H. ‘58 & Sandra A. o Snell, Richard T. & Francine J. S. Straus, Ulrich A.
Radmilovich, Todor M. & Abigail L. *Yamasaki, A. Paul & Afifah R. o Squier, Middleton P. & Carol L. Class of 1945
Ras, Andrew A. & Mariko H. *Yano, Judy C. & John S. Sugiya, Minako Barber, Martha M. (Kipp)
*Reckord, Josh G. & Nancy *Yao, Alejo & Lusan o Tokuhiro, Yumiko Case, Caleb B.
*Relnick, Philip R. & Nobuko Yasutomi, Wayne K. & Nakamura, Keiko o Umezaki, Margit Nicoll, Hilda K. (Farnum)
Rezneck, Jonathan N. & Lottie C. Yonamine, Paul K. & Lynda S. o Viglielmo, Frances
Class of 1948
Rosario, Jason & Allison Yoshii, Sakae & Mimi o Welti, Donald R.
Burkart, Edward I.
*Rosen, Janet B. Zavattero, Jeffrey J. ‘83 & Eri Wilce, Matt D.
Fielding, Raymond E.
Royer, Louis J. & Yuko Y. *Zimmerman, Gary & Chana S. o Williams, Renee L.
Ryan, James H.
Salsberg, Brian S. & Chessler Salsberg, Abbie Zwaanstra, Shizuka M. ‘85 & John Witt, Eugene W. & Janet M.
Sano, Hiroyuki & Eiko Wooles, Angela Class of 1950
Sasao, Toshiaki & Masami Current/Former Faculty & Staff o Yanagishita, Toshio Fox, Eugene A.
*Schlichting, Richard D. & Cynthia M. o Andersen, Robert P. o Yano, Judy C. Franklin, Richard G.
Schmidt, Fredrick K. & Schmidt, Miki ‘82 Anonymous Faculty Harkness, Donald R.
*Seevers, John K. & Karen Beneventi, Judith & Maynard, Donald E. Friends Lenz, Pamela L. (Alexander)
Seltzer, Theodore S. & Yuen-San o Booth, Andrea Foley, Brian & Kristen Martenstein, Thomas B.
Shenk, Scott M. & Megumi o Bruzek, Patricia A. Kamano, Hiroyuki & Harumi Class of 1951
Shiroishi, Robert H. & Mayuzumi, Sue Burpee, Mark D. & Nakamura, Machi Suzuki, Erimitsu & Kawasaki-Suzuki, DeLong, Paul H.
*Shorrock, Hallam & Yasuko o Callanan, Regina Tamami Fisher, Carl M.
Siegel, Kenneth & Michiyo o Carr, Timothy S. & Barbara Weese, Laura Frugoli, Susan F. (Tucker)
Singh, Jesse & Linda Chitani, Yinsei Chang ‘68
* Alumni Parents o Former faculty/Staff Repeat donors listed in bold FALL 2010 the ambassador 45
 2009-10
FUNDRAISING REPORT
Class of 1952
Nicol, Joanna (Strother)
Potter, Meredith W. (Woods)
Reid, Russell P.
Story, Morris E.
Class of 1953
Hastings, James E.
Class of 1954
Hawkins, Nancy E. (Fish)
Mamlin, Sarah E. (Dozier)
Class of 1955
Greenberg, Myron L.
Class of 1956
Matsumoto, Tadashi C.
Class of 1957
Fattal, Leon
Hsia, John S.
Notehelfer, Fred G.
Swann, Barbara (Bowles)
Thompson, Heather M.
Class of 1958
Blum, Andrew W.
Yamada, Roy H.
Class of 1959
McCoy, William L.
Zimmerman, Suzanne (Long)
Class of 1960
Bergt, David E.
Caudron, Cordell R.
Haines, Andrew L.
McKee, Craig L.
Peacock, Jeffrey D.
Class of 1961
Harris, Bonita G. (Bongard)
Sa, Sophie
Sapala, Elizabeth M. (Danker)
Class of 1962
Cox, William G.
Karcher, Carolyn (Lury)
Yang, James H.
Class of 1963
Brooke, George M.
Martino, William L.
Meller, Louise S.
46 the ambassador FALL 2010
Class of 1964
Haines, David W.
Shimizu, Louise L. (Picon)
Yamada, Leslie L. (Davis)
Class of 1965
Farkas, Jennifer J. (Burkard)
Kurahashi, Nancy (Nagase)
Lury, Richard R.
Meyer, Mary A.
Rubenfeld, Linda S. (Steele)
Wiederwohl, Mailyn G. (Snyder)
Class of 1966
Turner, Sally A. (Noll)
Class of 1967
Glazier, Kenneth C.
Kerr, Virginia M.
Kreyling, Peter A.
Tanaka, Richard E.
Class of 1968
Bruns, David R.
Chitani, Yinsei (Chang)
Colville, Glenn L.
Pierce, Lucia B.
Class of 1969
Cohen, Frederick
Harnik, Peter L.
Jones, Linda E. (Jones)
Lank, Dannette L. (Hill)
Neff Heath, Susan C. (Neff)
Class of 1970
Higa, Ernest M.
Kidder, David D.
Ludlow, Thomas W.
McVeigh, Thomas R.
Skillman, Alan M.
Tsai, Linda L. L. (Yen)
Class of 1971
Kobata, Kathy K.
Moore, Craig K.
Sanoden, James P.
Class of 1972
Davis, Jenny L. (Skillman)
Ford, Gregory R.
Francischetti, Mark P.
Roeser, Patricia N. (Moss)
Schriever, Sandra M.
Suzukawa-Tseng, Linda M.
(Suzukawa)
Class of 1973
Boatwright, David
Kleinjans, Constance
Leybold, Sandra L. (Colville)
Magnuson, Jody (Kroehler)
Moss, Carolyn M.
Rubinfien, Elisabeth S.
Tsuchihashi, Noriko
Class of 1974
Ahn, Mi C. (Ryu)
Hanson, Mirja P. (Karikoski)
Nagata, Paul
Reynolds, A-Lan (Von Hornlein)
Rossier, Beth (Pedersen)
Class of 1975
Bragg, G. Mark
Leonard, Elizabeth
Sneider, David A.
Sult, Nathan
Wakamatsu, Ernest T.
Class of 1976
Anderson, Russell D.
Borheck, Steven J.
Cohen, Maury R.
Horwitz, Elizabeth M.
Kidder, Paul M.
Mirah, Alan R.
Rich, Miriam S. (Rich)
Class of 1977
Conrad, Nancy A.
Gilbert, Miriam C. (Clark)
Hofmann, Peter A.
Jacobson, Kimberley A.
Kuroda, Mitzi
LaDow, Kristen (Jordan)
Ondry, Pamela L. (Eldredge)
Phillips, Marjorie R.
Class of 1978
Bailey, Mark E.
Clark, Barbara (Clark)
Smith, Tara L.
Struebing, Joel
Class of 1979
Whitehead, Charles K.
Class of 1980
Kirby, Kyoko O. (Ono)
Larson, Nathanael C.
Parr, Frederick L.
Class of 1981
Downs, Constance
Harada, Mary (Che)
Livingston, Jerry K.
Lund, Andrew E.
Mensendiek, Martha
Mera, Yuhka
Soga, Michitaka
Walsh, Robert R.
Class of 1982
Fujii, Daniel K.
Kuwana, Yumi (Mera)
Piez, Catherine A.
Class of 1983
Callon, Scott
Duke, Susan N.
Ehrenkranz, Andra K. (Bowman)
Fujii, David K.
Grimes, William W.
Morgenstern, Frederick N.
Schmalz, Sally (Burks)
Zavattero, Jeffrey J.
Class of 1984
Fujishima, Julie K.
Nakayama, Tetsushi
Young, Yuriko J. (Takahashi)
Class of 1985
Glastal, Catherine E. (Swanz)
Sheehan, David W.
Zwaanstra, Shizuka M. (Asakawa)
Class of 1986
Berkove, Ethan J.
Herault, Gretchen S. (Swanz)
Class of 1987
Destival, Charles A.
Kohl, Kari O. (Odquist)
Sanders, Michael
Sharp, Robert L.
Toyama, Kentaro
2009-10
FUNDRAISING REPORT
Williams, John S. Class of 2005 Earl, The OPI Japan K.K.
Class of 1988 Woods, Steven T. Estee Lauder K.K. Pacific Islands Club Guam
FAB Academy Pacific Islands Club Saipan
Cobb, Elizabeth S. (Horn) Class of 2006
Duke, Christopher K. Yoshii, Takashi M.
Foreign Buyers’ Club, The Panorama Hospitality
Wakat, Barbara M. Four Seasons Hotel Pan Pacific Yokohama Bay
Class of 2007
Marunouchi Hotel Tokyo
Class of 1989 Onozuka, Juliana
Frijoles Park Hyatt Tokyo
Hurd, Samantha (Fritz)
Class of 2009 Fukushima Garo Peninsula Hotel Tokyo, The
Wu, Andrew C.
Yoshii, Emi M. Global Dining Company Priya Indian Restaurant
Class of 1990 Gold Salon Tokyo Restaurant L’osier
Hagg, Nicole B. (Harris)
Corporate Grand Hyatt Tokyo Riedel Japan Co., Ltd.
Class of 1991 Donors H&R Consultants K.K.
Higa Industries
Ritz Carlton Osaka, The
Kaser, Patrick S. Roppongi Hills Club
A Cut Above
Hitachi Consulting Co., Ltd. Royal Copenhagen
Class of 1992 Agos Japan Inc.
Carlin, Amy E. AIG Co. Japan
Hyatt Regency Kyoto Sakura Japanese Program
Ito-En Co. Ltd. Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay
Alco Japan
Harvey, Christopher J.
Jeffrey Boyle Shinko Studio
Karim, Arshad Akariya Kanaru-sha
Jewels ‘n Style Sin Den
Allied Pickfords Japan
Class of 1993 J’s Kitchen Sogetsu Foundation
Amway Japan Limited
Clark, Matthew R. Junkadelic Sony Marketing (Japan) Inc.
Fukuma, Lalaka (Ogawa)
ANA InterContinental Tokyo
Kamisou Foundation Specifix8
Andrea Bernard Beauty Salon
Class of 1994 kate spade new york Sports TMC Ltd.
Art Land Hotel Tateshina
Greig, Katherine H. Asia Jet
Katell SRMG and To the Moon and Back
KidZania Japan K.K. Stark-Condé Wines
Huo, Jeffrey S. Asian Tigers Premier
Nishimi, Tetsuya Audi Japan Sales K.K.
Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotels Sumitomo 3M Ltd.
Riceberg, Jessica L. Krispy Kreme Doughnut Starbucks
Bacardi Japan Ltd.
Japan Co., Ltd. Swarovski Japan Ltd.
Class of 1996 Baccarat Pacific K.K.
Le Cordon Bleu SwimFriends
Huo, Eugene J. Beaute Absolue
Lego Japan Ltd. T.Y. Express K.K.
Bluesilver
Class of 1997 Let’s Party Tokyo Tai Kou Rou Chinese Restaurant
Botejyu Tokyo Food Corp.
Ewart, Emilie F. (Fisher) Mais Co., Ltd. Taj, The
Burton
Pontius, Pamela R. D.
Canyons
Make a Friend Co., Ltd. TASAKI & Co., Ltd.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Tokyo American Club
Class of 1999 Carpet Doctor
Mays Food International Tokyo Fitness
Pontius, Elizabeth P. D. Cartier Richemont Japan, Ltd.
McDonald’s Co. (Japan), Ltd. Toriizaka Art
Watt, Julie D. Cave de Re Lax
Mockingbird Trading Co. Toys “R” Us Japan, Ltd.
Class of 2000 Chez Vous Co., Ltd.
Mori Building Co., Ltd. Two Rooms Grill & Bar
Choo, Yoon Suk China Airlines, Ltd.
Mori Building City Air Services United Airlines, Inc.
Cirque Du Soleil
Class of 2001 My Gym United Dental Office
Coca-Cola (Japan) Company
Thomas, Sarah MyToyota.jp Wagumi-D
Conrad Tokyo
Woods, Matthew M. NASPA New Otani Resort Wally Yonamine Co., Inc.
Cornes & Co. Ltd.
National Federation of Coffee Walt Disney Attractions Japan, Ltd.
Class of 2002 Corning Holding Japan GK
Growers of Colombia WDI Corporation
Kido, Shino Daniel Kelly Studio
Nike Japan Corporation Wishbone Cooking & Catering
Uchida, Aki Dave’s Party Entertainment
NoniNet Japan Yoga Tree
Dean & Deluca
Class of 2004 Nu Skin Japan Company, Ltd. Yokohama Country and
Delta Air Lines
Taffel, Max W. Oberoi Mumbai, The Athletic Club
Devi Fusion
Okinawa Marriott Resort & Spa Y’s Table Corporation
Diya Indian Restaurant
Repeat donors listed in bold FALL 2010 the ambassador 47
 2009-10
FUNDRAISING REPORT
Matching your Gift
A growing number of companies will match gifts to international schools that have US foundations. Matching gift programs
allow donors to double or sometimes triple their gifts to ASIJ. The companies and their foundations listed here have matched
individuals’ gifts to ASIJ’s US foundation, Friends of The American School in Japan. If your firm does not appear, please help
ASIJ increase the list and gain further support by checking with your personnel officer about matching gifts. Matching gifts are
credited toward qualification for ASIJ’s Gift Clubs.
Organization Name
Abbott Laboratories Fund, The
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Allied-Signal Foundation
American International Group Inc.
Amherst International, Inc.
Amoco Foundation, Inc.
Associated Dry Goods Corporation
Atlantic Richfield Foundation
Avon Products Foundation, Inc.
Bank of America Foundation
Bank of California N.A., Tokyo Branch, The
Bankers Trust Foundation
Baxter Allegiance Foundation
Bell & Howell Foundation
BOC Group, Inc., The
Boeing Company, The
BP America Inc.
Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP
Charitable Foundation
Cabot Corporation Foundation, Inc.
Cardinal Health
Charles Schwab Corporation Foundation
Chubb Corporation, The
CIGNA Foundation
Cisco Foundation
Colgate-Palmolive Company
ConocoPhillips Company
CoreStates Financial Corp.
CPI Corp.
Dana Corporation Foundation
Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation
Digital Equipment Corporation
Electronic Arts Inc.
48 the ambassador FALL 2010
Ethyl Corporation
ExxonMobil Yugen Kaisha
Fidelity Foundation
The Field Corporation Fund
First Hawaiian Bank
GAP Foundation, The
GlaxoSmithKline Foundation
Goldman Sachs Educational Matching Gift Norton Company Foundation
Program
GTE Foundation
Hewitt Associates LLC
Home Depot, The
Houghton Mifflin Company
Hughes Aircraft Company
IMC Fertilizer, Inc.
International Schools Services
ITT Corporation
The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation
JK Group, Inc.
Johnson & Higgins of Japan Inc.
Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc.
Jostens Foundation, Inc., The
Kemper National Insurance Companies
Legg Mason
Lehman Brothers
Lucent Technologies Foundation
Manhattan Life Insurance Company, The
Manufacturers Hanover Foundation
May Stores Foundation, Inc., The
McGraw-Hill Foundation, Inc., The
MediaOne
Merrill Lynch & Co. Foundation, Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
2009-10
FUNDRAISING REPORT
Mitsui USA Foundation, The
Mobil Foundation, Inc.
Morgan Stanley Matching Gifts Program
Motorola Foundation
Nike, Inc.
North Star Reinsurance Corporation
Northrop Grumman Int’l Inc.
Owens-Illinois (Asia) Ltd.
PepsiCo Foundation Inc.
Pfizer Japan Inc.
Prudential Foundation, The
Raytheon Engineers & Constructors
RJR Nabisco Foundation
Rohm and Haas Company
Planned Giving
L
Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation
ike many nonprofit institutions,
Sanofi Winthrop, Inc.
Security Pacific Foundation
ASIJ is fortunate to have a vibrant The Gate Society
community that supports its
Signet Banking Corporation ASIJ’s Gate Society honors individuals who have included ASIJ in their estate plans
mission with annual gifts. In addition to
Sony Corp. or have made another form of planned gift to the school. Please let us know if you
annual donations, from time to time ASIJ
Sony Corporation of America Foundation, Inc. have already included ASIJ in your estate plans (donors may also be added to The
also benefits from bequests and estate
SPS Foundation Gate Society posthumously).
gifts. Planned gifts such as these are a
Sun Microsystems Foundation, Inc., The
vital and much appreciated component Ms. Irene M. Anderson ‘74 Ms. Julia Ludlow-Ortner ‘72
Sundstrand Corporation Foundation
of the school’s fundraising. Mr. David Bergt ’60 Ms. Rhoda (Knudten) Miklos ‘40#
Tandy Corp./Radio Shack
Planned giving is a long-term option Mr. Frederick Cohen Mr. Richard R. Muhl*
Thomas J. Lipton Foundation, Inc.
that enables individuals to make larger Mr. Peter Cooper* Mr. David B. Nicodemus ‘33#
The Torrington Co.
charitable donations that consider the Mr. & Mrs. Ray Downs* ‘50 Ms. Elli-Hideko Shibata ‘66
Towers Perrin
personal and family needs of the donor. Dr. Frederick P. Harris*# Mr. Ronald J. Snyder*
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Planned gifts are usually made with Mr. Robert D. Haven Mr. John J. Sullivan*#
UBS
assets rather than current income and Ms. Ann Hesselink ‘71 Mr. and Mrs. Carl Sundberg ‘77
Verizon Foundation
are a tax-effective means of giving to Ms. Abigail Hoffsommer ‘27# Mrs. Chizu Shindo Suzuki ‘64
Young & Rubicam Foundation, The
the school. They can range from simple Mr. W. Alfred Hoffsommer ‘29# Mr. & Mrs. Brent Ware ‘74
bequests of funds, gifts of stock or Dr. James R Huddle ‘70 * = Former Faculty
property to making ASIJ the beneficiary Dr. Pamela Jones-Morton* # = Posthumously
of a life insurance policy.
If you are interested in joining The Gate Society and have included ASIJ in your estate plans, please let us know.
For more details, please email <donate@asij.ac.jp> or contact the Alumni Office.
FALL 2010 the ambassador 49
 2009-10 features
FUNDRAISING REPORT

alumni
MESSAGE

Board of Trustees 2010-11

Jeffrey Bernier
Saniya Bloomer
Janel Callon
Alan Cannon
Christopher Chang ‘11
Ernest Higa ‘70
Christian Howe
Jane Hunsaker
Mark Hunsaker
D. Greg Jones
Marc Merlino
Jere Miller
Halley Mistry
Yasuaki Mori
Mike Neilon
James Takagi
Noritaka (Paul) Tange
Gary Thomas
Karen Thomas
Stephanie Toppino
back on campus
Abbie Chessler Salsberg Hiroyuki Kamano Brian Nelson ‘85 Miki Tsusaka We love it when alumni stop by and visit.
Andrew Conrad Jonathan Kindred David Nishida Jacqueline Wein
Judy Doyno Timothy Kirkwood Allan O’Bryant Kent Wertime
If you are planning a trip to Tokyo and
Paul Duerloo Jesper Koll Marcus Okuno Thomas Whitson have time to stop by the Chofu campus,
Richard Folsom Ed Ladd Thierry Porte A. Paul Yamasaki
Robert France Stephen Lasher J. Karen Rossetto Paul Yonamine please let us know. The alums below
Dave Fujii ‘83 Jeffrey Leppard Rei Rothberg Mimi Yoshii
Aaron Gagnon Doug Lorentz Fred Schmidt James Zumwalt
are some of our recent visitors who
Yoko Gish Bradley Maggart Kenneth Siegel John Zwaanstra reconnected with former teachers and
Eugene Gregor Jonathan Malamud Jim Small Shizuka Zwaanstra ‘85
Theodore Guild Kathy Matsui Edward Storin got to check whether the chicken katsu
Elicia Cousins ‘09, currently an undergraduate at Carleton, visited ASIJ on August 26,
was still as good as they remembered. 2010. Her sister, Emily ’06, is currently working in ASIJ’s HS Science Resource Center.

ASIJ Board of Directors 2010-11

Abbie Chessler Salsberg Richard Folsom Eugene Gregor Jesper Koll Ed Ladd Lina Yamashita ’04 visited the Chofu Campus on September 8, 2010 for the Cynthia Kawamura ‘90 and her husband stopped by ASIJ on October 28, 2010
High School College Fair to talk about her experience at Oberlin College. It had during a two week stay in Japan that was the start of a 3 month voyage around
been five years since Lina had been on campus, so we were glad to see her! Asia including Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

Bradley Maggart Jere Miller Allan O’Bryant Stephanie Toppino Miki Tsusaka

Diane Tadlock Siuda ‘99 with her husband and current faculty Gene and Janet Witt Fumiaki Tosu ’95 had a great chat with current faculty Gene Witt and Keiko
during a campus visit on October 27, 2010. Diane was married in April and was Auckerman. Fumiaki had been teaching high school in San Jose, CA, for seven
in Japan for her honeymoon. She hadn’t been on campus for ten years, but she years and is now taking a year off to travel the world. He stopped by to visit
has kept close to her friends from ASIJ. Tamina Plum ’99 was the officiate of her ASIJ on November 4, 2010 for the first time in ten years after visiting his
Paul Yonamine Mimi Yoshii Shizuka Zwaanstra ‘85 Linda Suzukawa-Tseng ‘72* Frederick Morgenstern’83* wedding and Emily Ewins ’00 was her Maid of Honor. grandmother in Shikoku.

*Statutory Auditors

50 the ambassador FALL 2010 FALL 2010 the ambassador 51

 alumni
REUNIONS

This Year’s
Class Reunions From the 1950s to the year 2000, a half century of ASIJ alumni reconnected

50’s
decade
The reunion for the ‘50s decade alumni was held in the quaint
small town of Los Gatos, CA, located 50 miles south of San
Francisco in the heart of Silicon Valley. The weekend was beautiful
60’s
faculty
with clear blue skies and temperatures in the mid eighties, typical
for this time of the year. Excitement was running high in the
September group even before the start of the week with telephone calls
17-19 going back and forth. The anticipation of the celebration and
the reconnection with former classmates, some for the first time
Los Gatos
since 1956, set the festive mood for the reunion. Twenty-three
CA alumni and spouses arrived for the gala which represented four
classes. Organizer Charlie Wu ’57 was able to bring all of these
Charlie Wu ‘57 classmates together with the help of his daughter May-Lynn. This
reunion was planned with an international theme and began on
Friday evening, September 17th, with a reception dinner, an
Italian feast, at the Bella Saratoga. On Saturday morning, a
Hong Kong style Dim Sum brunch was enjoyed at the Joy Luck
Place. In the afternoon the group toured the famous Hakone
Garden in Saratoga. The Saturday night dinner was held at the
Kamakura Restaurant. The reunion concluded Sunday with a
champagne brunch at Pedro’s Restaurant. It was a memorable
weekend and the events were thoroughly enjoyed by all. The
group departed with promises to do it again soon.
A terrific reunion of old friends and former ASIJ colleagues
took place at Chico Hot Springs, Pray, MT, from August 15 -
20. Chico is located between Livingston, MT, (birthplace and
current home of Gary Fish FF 1965-95) and Yellowstone Park
in beautiful Paradise Valley. After the initial round of greetings
August and a wonderful dinner served by Alaete Fish (FF 1978-95) the
15-20 remaining time of the first night was spent reminiscing about
ASIJ and our lives since teaching there. The rest of the week was
Pray, MT
spent swimming in the hot springs, shopping in Livingston, white
water rafting on the Yellowstone River, observing the beauty of
Gary Fish
the Valley from both the rental home and principle residence of
(FF 1965-95)
the Fishes, and wine tasting. One day was spent caravanning
through Yellowstone Park watching the buffalo roam and the
geysers spout. We finished the week with a wonderful dinner
at a five star restaurant in Chico before our departures the last
morning. A great time was had by us all and we left with the
promise that we would meet again in Alabama sometime in
2011. An interesting revelation was that Gerry Moore, the
husband of Nancy Kepner (FF 1965-68) and Gary Fish were
altar boys together in the mid-‘50s in Livingston, Montana.

class of 50
years
class of Four members of the Meguro HOBOs met in
‘60
‘51
Newport, OR, from October 4 – 8, 2010 for a
memorable four days of reminiscing, dining, touring,
and planning for the next get-together in 2012. September
Meeting in a B&B in Newport with their spouses
October 24-26
were Eldon Carr and Anna, Daniel Garges and
4-8 Peggy, Bill Wardell and Jenny, Carl Fisher and Portland
Newport Miriam. Prior meetings have taken place in Lake ME
Tahoe, Las Vegas (twice), Squirrel Lake, WI, and a
OR Mississippi River cruise on the Delta Queen. Our David Bergt ‘60
next meeting will be in Branson, MO. Not present The Class of ‘60’s 50th anniversary reunion was just wonderful, with great Maine weather, and nary a hitch to
Carl Fisher ‘51 for this meeting were Bill Brunckhorst and Ed the reunion plans. Fourteen from our class attended, along with six spouses. We enjoyed a city and harbor tour, a
Rankin who are usually in attendance. Hosting for lobster dinner on a nearby island, an afternoon in famous Freeport, home of Lands End, and finished with a great
the event was Al and Anna Carr. Tours included dinner at a harbor-side Irish pub. Needless to say, as with any ASIJ reunion, the highlight was not the food and sites,
coastal Oregon, The Space Museum, the Newport but the great and endless conversations shared by all, remembering the good old days at ASIJ, and laughter from
Aquarium, and many scenic places. These days we beginning to end. Marsha (Bassford) Miller was the coordinator on the ground in Portland, and she did a terrific job!
come with a few more aches and pains but always She was helped by classmate Kiyoko Uramatsu, who lives across the border in New Hampshire. Between the two of
go home rejuvenated, refreshed, and full of new them, they worked the better part of a year on the reunion. We’ve already started planning our next reunion, which
hope and vigor. Reunions do that for you. we’ll hold in 2013, and have a number of sites selected, which we’ll vote on down the line.

52 the ambassador FALL 2010 FALL 2010 the ambassador 53

 alumni alumni

25
REUNIONS REUNIONS

years
70’s
decade
The reunion had an outstanding alumni
turnout of 80 Students and two faculty
members, Pamela Jones-Morton
class of
‘85
(FF1972-77) and Nancy Grohman (FF
July 2-4 1973-8). Also joining us were spouses, August
children and friends totaling 120 people
Orlando 21-22
“In the House” as we welcomed
FL everyone’s arrival with hugs, laughter Boston
and tears. It had been 30 or more years MA
Cheryl Wise ‘79 since many of us had seen each other. The class of 1985 held a reunion in historic Boston, MA, on August 21-22. As classmates came together to celebrate
Lake Buena Vista Resort was the place 25 years, there were many stories to share and happy memories to recall. Jennifer Krouse organized the gathering
to be on the 4th of July if you attended and guaranteed everyone had a great time.
ASIJ. Friday morning started with Dean
Kistler ’79, Carlos Chaveco and myself
setting up a red carpet photo shoot for
class of The Class of 1990’s 20 Year Reunion held in San Francisco was a

‘90
everyone who arrived. Then there was smashing success, with a large turn-out of classmates flying in from
a welcome shot of “Gentleman Jack” to faraway places like New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Organizers
get the reunion started. Friday evening Kaoru Hudachek, Patty Sharp and Andy Ogawa were excited to
Deanna (Adams) Smith ‘78 had the clever

idea of making buttons for every alumni
with their yearbook picture. The night
turned from the 32 beers on tap at Frankie
Farrell’s Irish Pub and Grill to a “Find your
face party” created by Debbie (Wise)
Guitton ‘82. Celebrations on Saturday
were held pool side and we ruled the pool,
bar area and Pirates Plunge slide! Sembei
were passed around to capture the smells
and tastes of our time in Japan in the ‘70s.
The semi-formal Saturday night dinner
at Ming Court was a perfect setting,
decorated by the Alumni Office gift box
20
get the party started. The weekend-long festivities kicked off with
September a Meet and Greet Event on Friday, with our main reception taking
17-19 years place on Saturday night. Highlights from the reception included
the raffling off of ASIJ caps and T-shirts and singing along to the
San Live ‘80s-themed Karaoke Band, the Amazing Embarrasonics,
Francisco culminating in a group chorus of “We Are the World” (video
CA available on Facebook). Winding down the weekend on Sunday
was some Family Fun in the Sun at the Ogawa Residence, with a
relaxing BBQ and pool time for the children. A great time was had
Kaoru Hudachek
by all, and we’re looking forward to our next reunion.
‘90
class of The reunion was a great success! Classmates caught up and

‘95
reminisced during three events in Washington, DC. We first
of balloons, key chains, stickers and fans.
met for Happy Hour on April 9 then on April 10 we enjoyed a
All 120 people arrived and were seated
leisurely picnic at the Tidal Basin and wrapped up the weekend
to a wonderful Chinese meal and many
with dinner. Attendees included Hilary (Yoshimura) Michener, Jill
ordered sushi trays. Sunday concluded April 9-10 (Kuo) Goeckner, Sanae Kubota, Katie (Kaser) Gifford, Rahul Bhat,
with the thrill-seekers heading to Universal
Studios and Disney World for a long day
Washington Brooke (van Houten) Allen, Paul Hernandez, Liz Chisolm, Katie
Dutkowski, Rachel Roby, Teena (Gallops) Chavis, Dana Fink, Ken
of adventure, which ended with 4th of DC Innes, Jenny Mandel, Winston Floyd, Lisa (Hilgendorf) Seigel, Dan
July fireworks! Pearl Vos ‘95
Connelly, Brian Faulkner, Adam Bjornholm, and Betsy Yoshimura
Many people said they could not
‘97. Many thanks to all and it was great seeing everyone!
explain the overwhelming feelings the
weekend brought them. It was a time and
15
a place where we could share the unique
stories only children who experienced this
years
together will ever know. Attend a reunion
just one time and you will walk away so
incredibly astonished at how all the years
in between that time disappear.

54 the ambassador FALL 2010 FALL 2010 the ambassador 55

 alumni
REUNIONS
10
years
class of The reunion event kicked off on September 3
‘00
at Johnny Utah’s in midtown Manhattan. One
of the highlights of the night was Tom Rowe
September
doing a pretty good job on the mechanical
bull. Late night hot dog cravings led Kiki
3-6
Rodriguez to snap some cool shots of Christie
Cruz and Ken Chin posing with Spiderman
New York in Times Square. The next day started with
a picnic in Central Park. Paul Hastings and
NY Debbie (Wissel) Hastings ’99 staked out a
great spot on a hill overlooking the rest of
Gary Yamada ‘00 Sheep Meadow. With Frisbees and footballs,
some folks played around, but most soaked
up the amazing weather and talked. Of
course, Joseph Waldman’s little ones weren’t
interested in talking with the adults; they kept
themselves entertained the entire time.
After we disbanded from the picnic, everyone
left to get changed for the reunion reception at
Joshua Tree Bar. The ASIJ crowd had a private
space in the back of the venue, but with over 50
attendees, it was cozy. Megan (Foster) Glen and
Emily Chan take the cake for traveling the farthest;
Megan and her husband traveled from New
Zealand, while Emily flew in from China!
At the early hour of just 9:30pm, we left Joshua
Tree Bar and headed to the rooftop lounge/bar of
230 Fifth Avenue. We had an amazing view of
a lit up Empire State Building, so it was a perfect
spot to end the day (for some). Since some of
the other international schools were having their
own reunions in NYC, we met up with about
30 Seisen, Scared Heart, and St. Mary’s reunion
attendees. Fifteen of us decided to go to karaoke
where we had fun recreating the karaoke rooms
of our Kichijoji and Shibuya days.
On Sunday, those who were still hanging
around met up at the High Line and Chelsea
Market for a short stroll. The beautifully
maintained gardens made for an incredible
ending to a terrific weekend. All in all, an
excellent reunion weekend! Organized by
Paulene Kawasjee, Rachel Goldner, Paul
Hastings, Joseph Waldman, and Gary Yamada
(Aimee Singer and Brandy Snyder couldn’t
attend but helped with the pre-planning). More
pictures can be found at http://www.picacasa.
com/asijco2000 as well as on class photo blog
at http://asijco2000.posterous.com
56 the ambassador FALL 2010
alumni
REUNIONS
all
When planning this event, I felt that many times we only
think of class specific reunions. Knowing that there must be
a fairly large ASIJ Alumni contingency in the Washington
ASIJ DC area, I simply threw open the invitation using Facebook
as my launching pad. I was extremely happy and surprised
reunion at how quickly information got spread around. Soon I was
being contacted by alumni located all over the world and
June 19-20 those that attended from the 1940s through the most
recent graduates. I was even in contact with former HS
Washington Principal Dr. Robert Winer as well as some families who
DC said that they left ASIJ prior to graduating. On the first
day of the event, held at Dave & Busters in Rockville, MD,
Scott Trickey ’89 there were alumni from Maryland, Virginia, Washington
DC, North Carolina, West Virginia, New Jersey, New York,
Arizona, and Germany! I was really happy to learn that for
our “youngest” alumni John ‘45 and Nancy (Brewer) ‘53
Eills who had come down from Mahattan, NY, this was the
first ASIJ alumni event that they have ever attended! John
was actually at the Meguro Campus and had many stories
to share. Also a fantastic event occurred simultaneously,
as this was a full on Rimilinger Family Reunion! Parents
Richard and Ellen Rimlinger were very proud (as was I) to
have their entire family present. The following day we were
extremely lucky to be all invited to John Wylie ‘88’s house
in Leesburg, VA for a BBQ. Dr. Robert Winer was there
and we informed him of the huge success of the previous
evening. Having received such a huge response, we are
already starting to plan the next event later this year in
October. Hopefully those who had prior commitments will
be able to attend.
all
ASIJ
reunion
July 16
Tokyo
A Mega-Reunion for international schools in Japan was held July 16 at ROTI Roppongi. ASIJ alumni living
in the Tokyo area traded stories with alumni from 12 other international schools hailing from Okinawa,
Kansai, and Kanto. Not only was it a great chance to reconnect with ASIJ classmates, it also was a way
to meet new people who had similar experiences growing up as a global citizen. Entertainment included
opera tenor John Nuzzo, a capella group Senme, and recording artists Emyli and Keiko Walker.
FALL 2010 the ambassador 57
alumni
Class Agents
1945
Mrs. Martha Kipp Barber
11369 Berwick St.
Los Angeles CA 90049-3413 USA
martedbar@yahoo.com
1950
Col. Eugene A. Fox
1450 Emerson Avenue, Apt. #105
McLean VA 22101-5747 USA
gene.fox@verizon.net
1951
Carl Fisher
7102 Essington Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28270 USA
cfisher@carolina.rr.com
1952
Mr. William L. Brunckhorst
1224 W Melrose St.
Whitewater WI 53190 USA
brunckhorst@gmail.com
1953
Col. William B. Seely
1219 Georgetown Circle
Carlisle PA 17013-3549 USA
pbseely@earthlink.net
1954
Mr. William H. Curtis
840 Hawk Hill Trail
Palm Desert CA 92211-7492 USA
captskayc@aol.com
1955
Rev. William L. Cryderman
111 Blenheim Dr.
Spring Arbor MI 49283-9706 USA
wcryderman@comcast.net
1956
Mrs. Sandra McIver Thompson
83 Church St., Unit 10
Winchester MA 01890-2545 USA
sandra.thompson3@comcast.net
Ms. Mei Sun Li
971 Hawthorn Dr,
Lafayette CA 94549 USA
meisunli@comcast.net
58 the ambassador FALL 2010
1957
Mr. Charles C. Wu
75 Whitney Avenue
Los Gatos CA 95030 USA
wucc@earthlink.net
1958
Mr. Andrew W. Blum
110 E. Center St., # 947
Madison SD 57042 USA
innofthe5thwheel@gmail.com
1959
Mr. Knight D. Farwell
PO Box 1074
Morehead KY 40351-5074 USA
1960
Mr. David E. Bergt
6732 Vanderbilt St.
Houston TX 77005-3827 USA
dbergt@comcast.net
1961
Mr. C. Stuart Bennett
7683 SE 27th St. #128
Mercer Island WA 98040-2804
USA
angus-coyle@hotmail.com
1962
Mrs. Katherine “K.C.”
Bauernschmidt Clarke
7306 Riverhill Road
Oxon Hill MD 20745-1031 USA
kcbclarke@gmail.com
1963
Class agent required
1964
Ms. Angela C. Grant
acollinsgrant@hotmail.com
1965
Mrs. Myong S. Kellar
4613 W Seldon Lane
Glendale AZ 85302 USA
bobandmyong@yahoo.com
1966
Mrs. Annie Nichols Campbell
150 E Barcelona Rd.
Santa Fe NM 87505 USA
campbell.annie@gmail.com
1967
Mrs. Grenda F. Penhollow Moss
2300 NW 58th St.
OK City OK 73112 USA
grendamoss@yahoo.com
1968
Dr. Masahiro “Marty” Honda
665 Greenview Place
Los Altos CA 94024-5335 USA
hondam@pacbell.net
1969 Class agent required
1970
Mr. Daniel Garnitz
3121 Lady Cheryl Dr.
Fayetteville NC 28301 USA
dangar46@yahoo.com
1971
Ms. Kathy K. Kobata
4085 Sunridge Road
Pebble Beach CA 93953-3033
USA
asij1971@redshift.com
1972
Mrs. Karin Jaegel Flynn
5643 S. Thurlow St.
Hinsdale IL 60521 USA
kflynn@vedderprice.com
1973
Mr. J. Chris Reid
30 Chatham Rd.
New Rochelle NY 10804-2514
USA
chrisreid@iname.com
Mrs. Pamela Backer Channell
PO Box 338
Georgetown MA 1833 USA
pchannell@mindspring.com
1974
Mrs. Mirja Karikoski Hanson
5510 Edgewater Blvd.
Minneapolis MN 55417-2605
USA
mirjah@aol.com
1975
Ms. Reiko E. Niimi
3301 Shirley Ln.
Chevy Chase MD 20815 USA
rniimi@gmail.com
1976
Ms. Elizabeth Yanagihara Horwitz
18 Durant St.
Newton MA 2458 USA
liz@lizhorwitz.com
1977
Mr. Carl E. Sundberg
Komaba Park Homes #106
Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0041
Japan
carl_sundberg_ja@yahoo.com
1978
Mrs. Deanna Adams Smith
8009 Abbot Ct.
McKinney TX 75070-6947 USA
smithgangV@att.net
1979
Mr. L. Dean Kistler
663 Sharon Drive
Rochester NY 14626 USA
skierdean1@aol.com
1980
Mrs. Julie L. Froude
401 Emerald Woods Dr.
Oxford OH 45056 USA
froude14@gmail.com
1981
Mrs. Sherry Davis Tighe
5347 West Mill Dr.
Highland Heights OH 44143-
3144 USA
tighezoo@sbcglobal.net
1982
Ms. Lisa Bastick
2167A Turk Blvd.
San Francisco CA 94115-4328
USA
omalasq@mac.com
1983
Mr. Jiro Okochi
148 Christopher St.
Montclair, NJ 07042 USA
jiro_okochi@reval.com
1984
Mrs. Yuriko Takahashi Young
88 Appleton Street
Cambridge MA 2138 USA
yuri@fiveonthehill.com
1985
Ms. Jennifer A. Krouse
71 High Street, 2nd Floor
North Adams MA 1247 USA
jkrouse@att.net
1986
Mrs. Diane E. Stewart Wack
19 N. Rolling Rd.
Catonsville MD 21228-4849 USA
diwack@msn.com
1987
Mr. Robert L. Sharp III
2413 Mimosa Place
Wilmington NC 28403 USA
robert@digieffects.com
1988
Mr. Sergei P. Hasegawa
85 Russell Street
Brooklyn NY 11222 USA
sergei@purekitchen.com
Ms. Kathrine L. Schmitt Simon
17100 28th Ave. N ,
Minneapolis MN
55447-1752 USA
schm0495@gold.tc.umn.edu
1989
Ms. Linnea M. Hasegawa
19 Kenmuir Ave.
Morristown NJ 7960 USA
tamagomeshi@yahoo.com
Mrs. Diana K. Chang Stuhrenberg
Friedrich-vom-Spee-Strasse
17 Duesseldorf 40489 Germany
dcheng1@hotmail.com
Mrs. Samantha “Samm” Fritz Hurd
8533 Calera Drive
Austin TX 78735 USA
samf@austin.rr.com
1990
Mr. Kentaro K. Relnick
1-15-10-901 Nishi Azabu
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031 Japan
krelnick@me.com
1991
Mrs. Nicola M.Watkin Britton
4106 Ridgelea Drive
Austin TX 78731 USA
nicola.britton@gmail.com
1992
Mrs. Jikja Chun Frank
1592 Santa Ana Ave.
Costa Mesa CA 92627-3752 USA
jikchun@gmail.com
Ms. Beth J. McGregor Vergidis
8915 Heather Ann Dr.
West Chester OH 45069 USA
beth@devstudios.com
1993
Mr. M. Thomas Homer Reid
208A WA Street
Somerville MA 02143-3127 USA
homer@homerreid.com
1994
Mrs. Margaret McCallum Hartley
2550 Luanda Pl.
Dulles VA 21089 USA
hartleymr@gmail.com
Ms. Midori “Mimi” Kano
224 Easth 85th St. Apt 5A
New York, NY 10028-3014 USA
mxkano@hotmail.com
1995
Ms. Sarah M. Suzuki
55 Phoenix Ave.
Morristown NJ 07960-5015 USA
sarahmeg@optonline.net
Ms. Y. Pearl Maddox Vos
4461 Stuart Hall Blvd.
Lexington KY 40509-4504 USA
pearlvos@hotmail.com
1996
Mr. H. Sunny Shimizu
Pacific Livew Jiyugaoka Room 701
Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-0031
sunny_shimizu@hotmail.com
1997
Ms. Amy M. McIntire
amymariemc@yahoo.com
Ms. Alyssa K. Murphy
2714 Kahoaloha Lane
Honolulu HI 96826 USA
alyssam@gmail.com
1998
Ms. Rose E. Hastings
rosehastings@yahoo.com
1999
Ms. Naomi D. Hayase
300 E. Providencia Ave. #103
Burbank CA 91502 USA
naomidhayase@gmail.com
Ms. Tamina M. Plum
Upper Flat
London N70BX UK
tamina_plum@yahoo.com
2000
Mr. Gary T. Yamada
174 27th Ave
San Francisco CA 94121 USA
gtyamada@gmail.com
Ms. Aimee F. Singer
440 Wainee Street
Lahaina HI 96761 USA
aimeefrancine@gmail.com
2001
Ms. N. Joy Mita
2-5-34 Tamacho Fuchu-shi,
Tokyo 183-0002 Japan
nagarekawa@hotmail.com
Ms. K. Kimble Lyons
168 Eastern Promenade Apt. 1R
Portland, ME 4101 USA
kathrynlyons@gmail.com
2002
Ms. Anna L. Tuttle
500C Russell St.
Nashville TN 37206-4114 USA
annalynnosu@gmail.com
Mr. Mitsuhiko Tsukimoto
moonbook@gmail.com
2003
Ms. Aileen N. Kurobe
2230 Ruhland Ave.
Redondo Beach CA 90278 USA
ank2118@columbia.edu
Mr. J. Chesley Burruss
2938-A Laukoa Pl.
Honolulu HI 96813 USA
chesley.burruss@gmail.com
alumni
2004
Mr. Jason C. Mothersill
2133 Stockton St. Apt. B308
San Francisco CA 94133-2040 USA
jasonmothersill@gmail.com
Ms. Arisa M. T. Goldstone
220 Beverley St.
Toronto Ontario M5T 1Z3 Canada
arisa.goldstone@gmail.com
2005
Mr. Tatsuya Izumi
2-5-12 Miyamae
Suginami-ku, Tokyo 168-0081 Japan
tatsizumi@gmail.com
2006
Ms. Mana Sasaki
511 124th St.
S Tacoma WA 98444 USA
mana.sasaki@gmail.com
Mr. Andrew Tai Dirkse
vaio2006@gmail.com
2007
Ms. Rosalind E. Onions
rosalindonions@hotmail.com
Ms. Carly N. Baird
baird.carly@gmail.com
2008
Ms. Mariko C. Funai
funai.mariko@gmail.com
Ms. Jemil M. Satterfield
jemil_55@hotmail.com
2009
Ms. Caitlin E. McHose
caitlinmch@hotmail.com
Ms. Elicia M. Cousins
elicia_cousins@hotmail.com
2010
Ms. Janet Kanzawa
Box 2923, Vassar College
124 Raymond Ave
Poughkeepsie NY 12604 USA
janet_xoxo@hotmail.com
FALL 2010 the ambassador 59
alumni
The Chochin Goes Digital!
We are currently preparing to scan and digitalize the Chochin from
past to present. This will make it possible for those who have lost
or misplaced their yearbook, or simply would like a digital copy, to
easily view it on their computer.
It is also an important step for us to maintain copies of our oldest
archives—dating back to 1919—as the pages begin to show their
age. Remember to check the Alumni e-News for updates on the
progress of the digital Chochin project. There will be an official
announcement when the digital archive is unveiled.
60 the ambassador FALL 2010
alumni
In Memoriam
Hans Baerwald ‘44
Hans. H. Baerwald ’44 passed away June 2, 2010 at the age of 82 at his
home in Pope Valley, CA. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer, his children
Andrea, Jan, and David, as well as three grandchildren. Hans was born in
Tokyo and attended ASIJ until the threat of WWII persuaded his parents to
leave Japan. Baldwin Eckel ’42 explained that Hans’ father was in business
in Japan for many years but after the Tripartite Treaty between Japan,
Germany and Italy was signed, the German Jews in Japan became the
target of the Nazis. The German government required the Jews to change
their names which clearly labeled them as Jews, even though they were
not practicing their faith openly. It was after this that Hans and his family
left Japan for the United States. In the 1940 Chochin Year Book, Hans is
described as a class president, a great lover of sports, and a “future auto
racer,” an amusing prediction in retrospect. His classmate Mark Owens ’44
remembers Hans as active and adventurous and they often climbed trees
together when he lived in Yokohama. After the Baerwald family immigrated
to California Hans attended the University of California at Berkeley but was Hans Baerwald ‘44 and Fred Notehelfer ‘57
soon drafted into the army. Due to his fluency in Japanese, he was posted
to the government section of Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters in Tokyo
where he witnessed the process behind the purge of Japanese leaders.
Later Hans would become well-known for several works that incorporate
these experiences including The Purge of Japanese Leaders under the
Occupation. He also authored authoritative texts on the Japanese political
system, Japan’s Parliament: An Introduction, and Party Politics in Japan.
Hans returned to Berkeley where he eventually completed his PhD which
allowed him to spend time in Japan for his research. He then accepted a
position as Assistant Professor of Asian Government and Politics at Miami
University, Ohio. In 1962 he moved to the department of political science
at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he eventually
became Vice Chair and influenced the lives of many students and faculty
until his retirement in 1990. Hans continued to cultivate his strong
connection to Japan by founding the Southern California Japan Seminar
and by serving as Director of UCLA’s Education Abroad Program Study
Center in Tokyo. He also directed UCLA’s Japan Research and Exchange
Hans Baerwald at home in Pope Valley, CA
Program, which has given a new generation of American scholars the
chance to experience Japan. In November 1989, Hans was awarded the originally and I was half German and half Russian) and we three could
Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star, by the Emperor of Japan speak some German. My husband attended during WWII the University of
in recognition of his contributions to bettering US-Japan relations through Michigan and the Japanese Language School where Hans and Uli were also
his academic work. students, I knew through him of Hans’ involvement US-Japan relations. He
truly deserved the award from the Japanese Emperor.
From Veronica Schwartz McKnight ’45:
Hans and Uli (as he was called then) Straus were in my Junior High classes From Martha (Kipp) Barber ’45:
of 7th and 8th grades. I recently got out my 1940 Chochin to look at some I attended ASIJ for the year 1938-39. We lived in Yokohama and I rode the
of the pictures. Regrettably I do not have a 1941 Chochin as that is when train to ASIJ every day. I was in 6th grade and it was a year never to be
the school was disbanded due to the beginning of WWII. forgotten. Every summer we rented a house in Karuizawa. In 1938 we lived
About all I recall is those were the most pleasant of school years I spent just across a small road from Hans Baerwald. I had had a terrible fall off my
at ASIJ. Our school room teacher was Mr. Powell who taught most of the bicycle and scraped both my knees! I had to sit on the front porch trying to
classes and Mr. Misner who was our science teacher. As students we all got heal. Every day, Hans came over to visit me, and to help me heal my “raw”
along well and I enjoyed looking at pictures of our classes playing soft ball knees by keeping me company. We became quite good friends. I last saw
and participating in field day. There were several pictures featuring Hans, Hans recently at an ASIJ reunion at George Shimizu’s. I guess we are all
Uli and myself among our classmates. The one thing we had in common getting older! But I was so sad to hear that Hans had passed away. He was
was that we had German backgrounds (they were Jewish Germans an important connection to my childhood. All my blessings to his family.
FALL 2010 the ambassador 61
alumni
Sylvia Hohenthaner (FF 1989-2008)
The ASIJ community was saddened to hear
of the death of Sylvia Hohenthaner this past
summer. Sylvia and her husband John taught at
ASIJ for many years and both their sons, Stephen
and Daniel, graduated from the school. She was
a much loved and highly respected teacher with
a unique ability to connect with any individual
who crossed her path. The cooking room was a
safe haven for students – whether they took her
class or not. Sylvia provided a tolerant, inclusive
and warm environment where everyone felt
accepted. Teachers, students and friends alike
greatly enjoyed her keen sense of humor and
dry wit. She will be greatly missed. – Current
faculty Mary Onions, Kim Gotterson, Janet
Witt, Debbie Studwell, and Gail Lanier
We loved Sylvia’s accent and she was always
fun to be around with a quick wit that often
brought a smile when life got a little hard at
times. Sylvia would let you know that she
understood and that there was indeed some
humor in the situation to lighten things up a
bit. She is a beautiful person inside and out.
Tim and LaNae Stout (FF 1996-2006)
I had the privilege of attending her cooking class,
and loved her both as a teacher and as a person.
The class had an awesome balance of being
strict and laid back at the same time, and her
comments were so funny the atmosphere
couldn’t have been better in that room. Thank
you Ms. Hohenthaner, we’ll miss you.
Rodolfo Velasquez Lim ‘07
Ms. Hohentaner was one of the best teachers
I had at ASIJ or anywhere for that matter. She
really got involved with her students. She would
let you fool around up to a point but she made
the line clear and would make you want to get
all your assignments done. You always knew she
was there if you needed anything. - Jon Levin ‘99
Ms.Hohenthaner was one of the most influential
teachers that I had the privilege of being taught
by. She helped me through my high school years
when I was going through family problems, and
without her, I probably would not have been
able to deal with it. I still have the letter that she
gave me at the time of my graduation. I miss her
a lot. - Hinako Eguchi ‘07
Ms. Hohenthaner always gave me so much
encouragement in anything I did. To me she
62 the ambassador FALL 2010
was not only an amazing and inspiring teacher,
but a great friend. I always looked forward to
visiting her classroom on trips back to Tokyo
after graduating, and she always welcomed me
with a big smile and great conversation. I had
the pleasure of babysitting her sons when they
were younger and I have them and Mr. Hojo
in my thoughts. I’m so glad they were able to
spend time being close to her in the US. I will
keep her positivity with me for the rest of my
life. - Naomi Hayase ‘99
When I first met Sylvia she was heavily pregnant
with Daniel and had beautiful Steven in tow. I
remember her roast lamb, sweet potato dish and
apple pie, her gardening in the spring and playing
games in Nogawa Park with the boys when they
were little. I remember how with great patience
and love she would sew Halloween costumes for
Steven and Daniel. We spent many wonderful
evenings laughing with John and Sylvia or
dancing until dawn downtown in Roppongi at
our usual haunts: Castillo’s, Paddy Foleys and
Propaganda where she was the life and soul of
many a party. In school she was creative and
always available for the students that needed
to talk. She was also always there for me: when
I first arrived in Tokyo, when my father passed
away, when Julian and Riordan were born and
finally when I left Tokyo. Through all these
milestones in my life she was there for me. I
loved her wit, warmth and unique perspective.
Often, I find myself thinking, “I wonder what
Sylvia would have said about this....” I have
so many wonderful memories of Sylvia, she
had a profound impact on my life and I am
so lucky to have had a friend who brought so
much wisdom and joy to my life. She was a
true friend, wonderful mother, loyal wife and
caring teacher. Sylvia was unique; how lucky
I am to have been a part of her life. I miss her
so. - Melinda Kehe (FF 1990 – 2003)
Ms. Hohenthaner was my international
cooking teacher. I was relatively a good student
who usually did not cause any trouble in the
classroom, and Ms. Hohenthaner was the only
teacher who ever scolded me in high school for
misbehavior, so I remember her very distinctly!
International cooking class was a boisterous
class with different grades mixed together. I
was there with my best friends Meg, Mie and
Katherine. We took the class because one of the
girls had Ms. Hohenthaner as a health teacher
and knew how cool she was. Ms. Hohenthaner
was speaking at the top of her voice explaining
the procedure when she heard me say “Let’s
just start cooking!” That did it. She decided to
stop teaching the class for 10 minutes or so until
everyone was paying attention. I still keep the
recipes I learned in class in a folder in the kitchen
next to all my cookbooks. I am a mother of a
3 year old and her recipes still help me. - Ruri
(Yokoyama) Clarkson ‘01
She was such a beautiful teacher inside and out,
and I have such fond memories of her. When I
was upset about guys, she would always give
me tips on being a strong woman, and how to
handle “chumps.” She also showed me a photo
of when she was young, and she was ripped in
her two-piece. We’d laugh about how hot she
used to be. She wasn’t just another teacher, she
was a friend to all of us, and it is such a big loss I
don’t even know what to say. I haven’t seen her
in years, but I’ll never, ever forget her sunshine
smile. – Akane Wada ‘00
Ms. Hohenthaner, you were one of the
greatest teachers I have encountered at my
time at ASIJ. Your charisma and sense of
humor always lightened the room, and your
ability to bring yourself to the same level as
a student always created an enormous sense
of comfort. Thank you for the continuous
concern you showed towards my family and
everything I went though in high school. It’s
been years since graduation and your name
still comes up in many great conversations.
You will be missed and I will cherish our
memories forever. –Ami Takeda ‘00
Ittoku Fujii, with his wife Setsuko, son Dave Fujii ’83
and granddaughter Jessica ‘21.
Ittoku Fujii, the father of Marjorie (Fujii)
Higuchi ’80, Daniel Fujii ’82 and Alumni
Council President Dave Fujii ’83, and a
dedicated member of the ASIJ community
passed away from a heart attack August 30,
2010. He is survived by his wife Setsuko, his
three children, and his grandchildren, current
ASIJ students Alec ‘15, William ‘17 and
Jessica ‘21.
Laurie Meech ‘65, a mental health advocate
and activist living in Honolulu, HI, passed
away on February 9, 2009 after a valiant
struggle against bone cancer. In 1984,
building on her own experience with manic
depression, she founded Hawaii’s first self-
help group for persons with bipolar disorder.
She volunteered for National Alliance for
the Mentally Ill, Oahu, and the Mental
Health Association, receiving an award from
the latter in 1995. For years she testified
before state legislative committees for more
recognition of, and more funding for, mental
health matters. Laurie is survived by her sister,
Julia, and brothers Charles and Christopher.
David Noss ‘38 passed away January 7,
2010. David was born May 28, 1920, in
Japan, to Christopher and Carol Day Noss.
He had a life-long interest in learning and
attended Franklin and Marshall College,
the Pacific School of Religion, Lancaster
Theological Seminary and the University of
Chicago Divinity School, where he earned a
PhD in religion and the arts. He then went
on to become a professor in the religion
and philosophy department of Heidelberg
College in 1950, where he continued his
work well beyond his retirement in 1989
as an advisor to faculty and administration.
During this time, he authored A History of the
World’s Religions, a textbook that is used in
universities across the US. David is survived
by a daughter, Jeanne; a son, Roger; and
seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by
his wife of 56 years, Elizabeth, in 2004, and
his son, Richard, in 2009.
Timothy Rachal ’86 died in a car accident
January 24, 2010.
Frederick Parker ‘45 passed away July 10,
2008 and is survived by his wife of 38 years,
Susan, sons Nicholas and John and grandson
Julian. Raised in China and Japan, Frederick
continued on to study at Middlesex School,
Harvard College and New College, Oxford
after attending ASIJ. Fred was a member
of the Union Club, The Harvard Club and
the Madison Beach Club. A veteran of the
shipping industry, he enjoyed traveling and
was a well known oenophile. He was also
committed to the bettering of society, and
served on the boards of the Youth Foundation
and the Huguenot Society.
Nancy Lee Seto ’71 passed away July 14,
2010 after a long battle with cancer.
alumni
Alumni News is
now online!
It’s easy to post your news on
ASIJ’s NetCommunity.
Here’s how:
1. First, you must be registered
for NetCommunity. If you are
not, please go to the alumni
login page, scroll down and
follow the instructions for new
user registration. Please allow
several days for your registration
request to be processed.
2. Go to the alumni welcome
page and click on “Class Notes”
on the left hand side menu.
3. Click on Edit My Class Notes
and type in your entry. Please
include your name.
4. When you submit your entry,
it will take a couple of days to
approve. Your update will then
appear on your class year page.
It belongs to you, and you can
update or edit it at any time.
5. Any photographs you send
by mail or to <alumni@asij.
ac.jp> will be included in alumni
photo gallery sent each month
in the e-news and archived on
the alumni site. At this time,
NetCommunity does not have
the capability to post a photo
with the note.
FALL 2010 the ambassador 63
alumni

2011
save the date:

alumni receptions
ASIJ will be hosting two receptions in New York and San Francisco to introduce new
head of school Ed Ladd to the Stateside alumni community. Also in attendance will
be some familiar faculty faces (see below). If you are able to join us at either event,
please RSVP by January 7th to the Alumni Office at <alumni@asij.ac.jp>.

January 28
6:30-8:30 pm
The Harvard Club
New York City
Join us at the Harvard Club in Midtown and
meet Head of School Ed Ladd, former faculty
members Bill and Sandy Jacobsson and current
HS counselor Tim Olson ‘77. Look out for more
details in the Alumni e-News.

February 9
6:30-8:30 pm
Urban Tavern
San Francisco
Join us at the Urban Tavern on Union Square
for an evening with Head of School Ed Ladd
and former faculty member John O’Leary. Look
out for more details in the Alumni e-News.

64 the ambassador FALL 2010

 the ambassador
Center for School-Community Partnership
The American School in Japan
APO AP 96328-5000

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THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN • FALL 2010