Student Ambassadors

NWK's Student Ambassador Program was established in 1986 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of our organization.  Co-sponsored by Wakayama Prefecture, the Ambassador Program allows selected students to experience life in Wakayama for 2-weeks through a homestay program.  This provides ambassadors with the valuable chance to learn more about their family's roots and culture. Our program has sent 64 students to Wakayama-ken between 1988 and 2015.

In 2025, Wakayama Prefecture and WIXAS announced a change in the Ambassador Program, and that the final year of the program *as-is* will be held in 2026, with ambassadors selected in 2025. For more information about the expanded criteria for ambassadors, as well as to keep informed about the changes for future Ambassador Programs when they are announced, become a member of Nanka Wakayama Kenjinkai.

Student Ambassdors Akemi Levine (left) and Emily Hatanaka (right) with coordinator Naoko Tsuyama of WIXAS. July 2015.

Scholarship applicants are eligible to apply to this program.  Please see the Scholarship Application Process for more details.  

To read about some of our previous ambassadors' experiences, explore the links below.

• 2016 - Philip Kamei
• 2016 - Andrew Gruhn
• 2015 - Emily Hatanaka 
• 2015 - Akemi Levine 
• 2013 - Risa Hijima 
• 2012 - Kelsey Kwong
• 2011 - Emi Kitahara
• 2009 - Clay Thibodeaux
• 2009 - Jaymie Takeshita