Annual Report. Aug July2015. Chieko Iwata. You made my JOI mission even more fun and fruitful!

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1 Japan Outreach Initiative Annual Report Aug July2015 To all who gave me hands and friendship, Never enough to thank ya ll for your support. You made my JOI mission even more fun and fruitful! Chieko Iwata Japan Outreach Initiative The School of Human Sciences 230 Lloyd Ricks Watson Ci129@msstate.edu by Chieko Iwata

2 COMMUNITY EVENTS COMMENTS: SCHOOL VISITS Japanese movie nights and reception Japanese World Heritage Sites Photo Exhibition and Tea Ceremony demonstration Origami and Calligraphy Demonstrations at Cotton District Festival Tea Ceremony and other Japanese Cultural Workshops at the Public Libraries Origami, Calligraphy, Chopsticks Challenge, Storytelling at Boys & Girls Club Talk about Japan, Calligraphy and Tea Tasting for 4-H Youth Group SUPERVISOR: She conducted various workshops on MSU campus that introduce Kimono, Japanese tea ceremony, Origami and Japanese calligraphy, etc. that would not have been possible if she was not here. Ms. Iwata was also able to receive kimono and fabric donations from her high school and college alumni which was used extensively during her workshops. We are really thankful for her dedication and effort to educate our students! COORDINATOR: I started by teaching the students how to greet in Japanese with bowing. I brought a Japanese school back pack and some elementary school textbooks. Students enjoyed learning about Japanese culture through old folktales and by doing ORIGAMI and wearing the traditional Japanese KIMONO.I always enjoyed the question time at the end of my program. I learned from the students by interacting with them. PARTICIPANT: How many of us had the opportunity to interact with someone from a different country and learn a new language in elementary school? I am just as excited as our students are to begin, and I feel so honored that our school has been included in this partnership. IMPACT OF JOI Total Number of Presentations and Workshops held at: Elementary schools 31 MSU Campus 20 High schools 5 Boys & Girls Club 8 County libraries 5 MSU Extension offices 3 Church 1 Kiwanis club 1 Civitan International 1 Overseas 1 Total Number of served: 2,604

3 SCHOOL VISITS COMMENTS: COMMUNITY EVENTS Learning about Japan SUPERVISOR: COORDINATOR: Explaining Japanese school Life Yukata (cotton kimono) demonstration Storytelling Introduce Japanese children s songs Origami Ms. Iwata helped coordinating and executing many on campus and off campus events to promote Japanese culture to the Starkville Columbus West Point area in Mississippi. Especially, it was really nice to hold movie nights and Japanese world heritage photo exhibition for her first semester to promote the Japan Outreach Program to wider audience. PARTICIPANT: The Japanese movie nights and the Japanese World Heritage Sites photo exhibition were kick -off events for the Japanese Outreach Program. Throughout the year, I have held Japanese cultural programs collaborating with Public Libraries, Boys and the Girls Club and MSU Extension Agents. I could have never accomplished all the programs I held without those volunteers who helped me. I, and the entire library staff, appreciate the fine work Mrs. Iwata has done at Starkville Public Library on behalf of Japan Outreach. She arranged a beautiful and educational tea ceremony for the young people of Starkville which was very well-attended, and it was a pleasure to watch the kids and their parents try out green tea for the first time. When Mrs. Iwata first visited the library, she came to a meeting of the Anime Club and spoke with teen club members who already had lots of questions about Japanese culture. They were totally fascinated as they listened to genuine details of life in Japan, such as the fact that children run small errands for their parents starting at a quite young age. Several of them expressed interest in doing an exchange in Japan, and Mrs. Iwata graciously followed up with information which I ed to these students. After a couple of origami workshops, the teens in my section became so interested in origami that they voted to change the ceiling décor to hangings of colorful cranes. I can confidently say that Mrs. Iwata has made a lasting, positive impression upon the young people of Starkville!"

4 ON-CAMPUS WORKSHOPS COMMENTS: ON-CAMPUS WORKSHOPS The participants of ON-CAMPUS WORSHOPS include Elementary, Middle school and College students; Public Citizens; and University staff and faculty Japanese Language and Calligraphy Kimono lecture and wearing demonstration Japanese Cook Out Japanese Pop Culture and Fashion Japanese Tea Ceremony Origami Job hunting and Business Manners in Japan SUPERVISOR: She conducted various workshops on MSU campus that introduce Kimono, Japanese tea ceremony, Origami and Japanese calligraphy, etc. that would not have been possible if she was not here. Ms. Iwata was also able to receive kimono and fabric donations from her high school and college alumni which was used extensively during her workshops. We are really thankful for her dedication and effort to educate our students! COORDINATOR: Workshops on campus were open to the public. I held a series of traditional art workshops and a series of Tea Ceremony. It was so great to see participants make progress while they practiced repeatedly. I also learned so much from them. Sometimes materials were not sufficient but we are always willing to share or use substitute materials. Giving the Certificates of accomplishment was a great idea to keep the students motivated. PARTICIPANT: Before this class, I wasn't sure about Japanese culture. Once I participated in the class, I became more aware of their beliefs and traditions. It opened my eyes to something I wasn't used to. MEDIA COVERAGE 11 Newspaper Articles 8 Websites/Online Articles 3 Articles in Town & Gown (local magazine) 7 WCBI News Feature Stories

5 Japan Outreach Initiative Annual Report August July 2016 Chieko Iwata Japan Outreach Initiative The School of Human Sciences Mississippi State University CI129@msstate.edu by Chieko Iwata

6 COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMENTS : SCHOOL VISITS Cultural Demonstrations at Festivals and Community Organizations Cultural Workshops at Public Libraries and Museums Cultural Workshops with Mississippi Extension Service and 4-H Youth Groups Collaboration with the Mississippi Delta Museum Your teaching on the Giant Traveling Map of Asia brought the Geography of Japan to American students. We were honored and delighted to present you in celebration dress, and the authentic articles you presented while teaching the Geography of Japan. You are truly an asset to your country. Barbara Boone, Coordinator Mississippi Geographic Alliance Working with the Mississippi Geographic Alliance allowed me to participate in day-long programs at 11 school systems across Mississippi, with direct contact to 4,526 students. My supervision of the Japanese musical performed by local elementary students brought international recognition to JOI with front-page coverage by the Tokyo Shinbum. Chieko Iwata, JOI Coordinator Each year, Chieko compared and contrasted Japanese and American school cultures. She taught us origami, folk tales, traditional dress, dance, songs and games, and tea ceremony. Chieko assisted us 2-3 days per week for the musical "Sadako and The Thousand Cranes," teaching our students to sing in Japanese and play "Ocharaka Hoi." Our students made 1,100 cranes, and enjoyed being filmed for TV and written about by the Japanese newspaper reporter two weeks before President Obama visited Hiroshima. Heather Rowland. Drama Specialist, Cook Elementary Magnet School IMPACT OF JOI Total Number of Presentations and Workshops: K & Elementary Schools 38 Middle schools 6 College Campuses 20 Museums and Libraries 5 Extension offices 8 Churches 3 Community locations 9 Total Number of Audience served: 8,617

7 K-12 SCHOOL VISITS COMMENTS: COMMUNITY EVENTS Teach about Japan Introduce Japan and it s school activities Yukata demonstration Story-telling Tea Ceremony and Calligraphy workshops Ms. Iwata created and conducted Japanese cultural activities including tea ceremony and various topics related to Japanese culture. Her outreach efforts Japanese culture to many areas and people that would never have learned about Japan without Ms. Iwata and the JOI program. Dr. Ju Young Lee, Supervisor Mississippi State University I expanded topics and impact area in my second year. My Tea Ceremony Demonstration on the Mississippi Coast and the New Year s Day Calligraphy workshop at the Children s Museum in Jackson were good examples. I reached a wider audience using video conferencing within the Mississippi Extension System to expand appreciation of Japanese culture. Chieko Iwate, JOI Coordinator Origami The Columbus Arts Council was honored to have Chieko Iwata conduct Japanese Outreach Activities during Chieko expended a great deal of time and energy helping us plan and coordinate events, exhibits, and workshops on Japanese life, art, and culture throughout the year. She showed great attention to detail and genuine interest in helping our efforts to expose Japan and its culture to our community. Chieko s passion, excellent knowledge, and personal example of all that is best and most beautiful about Japan allowed us to fulfill our goal of improving our citizens knowledge, understanding, and appreciation for the country of Japan. Her invaluable contributions and dedication insured our goal was achieved. Beverly Norris, Program Manager Columbus Arts Council

8 ON-CAMPUS WORKSHOPS AND OTHERS COMMENTS: ON-CAMPUS WORKSHOPS These were available to more than just College students, and included Elementary and Middle school students, Community members, and University staff and faculty. Japanese Language and Calligraphy Kimono lecture and wearing Japanese Cooking Japanese Pop culture and Fashion Japanese Tea Ceremony Origami Coordinating an Engineering Internship Program She conducted many workshops to introduce Kimono, Tea Ceremony, Origami and Calligraphy to our campus. She also guest lectured on Japanese Business and Educational Systems in several classes. Ms. Iwata obtained kimono and fabric donations from her middle school and college alumni that have and will continue to be used extensively by our University. Dr. Ju Young Lee, Supervisor Mississippi State University The privilege of basing the program on campus allowed me to work with departments with a diversity of interests and students. I guest lectured in classes from the departments of Art, Architecture, Agricultural Education, Business, and Fashion and Merchandise as well as many workshops open to any student or faculty member. Chieko Iwata, JOI Coordinator Before this class, I wasn't sure about Japanese culture. My participation increased my awareness of their beliefs and traditions. It opened my eyes to something very new and different from American culture. Class Participant MEDIA COVERAGE 12 Newspaper Articles 8 Websites/Online Articles 1 Magazine Article 6 News Feature Stories on TV Stations