Student Ambassador Reflection - Philip Kamei

Philip Kamei, a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was selected as NWK Student Ambassador in 2015.  He traveled to Wakayama Prefecture along with Andrew Gruhn in July 2016.

Check out his essay below to read about his experiences.

Student Ambassador Reflection - Andrew Gruhn

Andrew Gruhn, a student at UC Riverside, was selected as a NWK student ambassador in 2015.  He traveled to Wakayama Prefecture with Philip Kamei in July 2016.

Click below to read about his experiences in Wakayama.

[Announcement] Scholarship Opportunities for 2016

The Nanka Wakayama Kenjinkai is excited to accept applications for scholarships and our student ambassadorship to Wakayama Prefecture again this year.  Please visit the following link for more information on requirements and for requesting application forms:

 NWK Scholarship Announcement 2016

Please spread the word to any family or friends who may be interested.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by leaving a comment below, or sending an e-mail to Jaymie Takeshita at jaymietake [at] gmail [dot] com

[Recap] National Sports Festival (Kokutai) Tour

NWK's 2015 Trip to Japan by Mari Shirai

This past September, some of our NWK members traveled to Wakayama-ken to attend the opening ceremony of the annual National Sports Festival (Kokutai) held in Wakayama.  We were just amazed at the pageantry and the number of high school athletes that gathered to compete in various sports.  The opening ceremony was very much like the Summer Olympic’s opening ceremony with entertainment, and they even had the “March of the Champions,” where the athletes marched into the stadium representing their city from throughout Japan.  What a spectacle to behold!!  The Emperor and the Empress were also present, sitting about 100 yards from us.  It was very exciting.  

We next traveled to Koyasan, the most sacred site for Shingon Buddhists in Japan.  The mountainous atmosphere and the morning fog added to the mystique and holiness of Koyasan.  Staying overnight at a temple lodging, dining on vegetarian meals, and even participating in their morning meditation added to the monk-like experience of this holy site.  

Even though our trip was short, we had a wonderful time, traveling together, sharing stories about our furusato in Wakayama-ken, and building friendships along the way.  

[Recap] 2016 New Year's Party and General Meeting

NWK hosted its General Meeting and New Year's Party on Sunday, January 26, 2016 at Quiet Cannon in Montebello. It was nice to welcome the new year together with around 70 of our members and friends.

Jack Sakaji served as master of ceremonies and led us through a moment of silence and the singing of a New Year's Song (一月一日).  Then, we listened to New Year's greetings from our officers. We also received a New Year's Message from Governor Niisaka of Wakayama.  Jack and Erika Fisher read the message on behalf of the governor in Japanese and English, respectively.  George Mori from the Nanka Kenjinkai Kyogikai (Japanese Prefectural Association of Southern California) also gave a speech in English and Japanese. Mari Shirai explained our financial reports from 2015 to the general members.  She also explained the new "committee system" for our kenjinkai and announced the chairperson for each new committee.  For more information on our new organizational system, be sure to click the "committees" on the menu of this page. Mari then presented plaques to Toshi Arichi and Atsuko Fisher as a thank you for completing their four year terms as president and treasurer.

We enjoyed lunch after Masao Iriyama gave a toast for the New Year!  After lunch, Erika Fisher served as M.C. for the entertainment portion of the program.  We watched a DVD about Taiji in honor of the Taiji Club's centennial celebration last year.  It was great to learn more about the culture and heritage of the small town.  Next, we watched a slide show presentation of NWK's trip to Wakayama in Fall of 2015 for the National Athletic Meet.  It looks like our members had a great time. Finally, Kotobuki no Kai, a minyo dance group led by one of our members, Susan Imoto, performed several dances to Wakayama folk songs.  Our members enjoyed watching and singing along with the familiar tunes.

Many attendees went home with raffle prizes including a gift basket by Maeda-en, bags of rice, and other prizes prepared by our Fujinkai.

A special thanks to our New Year's Party committee led by Mari for all of the time and work they put into coordinating a great event.  Thanks to Atsuko and Erika for serving as receptionists, and to Tom Hirami for setting up our sound system.

Thank you for coming to our New Year's Party.  We hope that everyone had a good time. 

Student Ambassador Reflection - Kelsey Kwong

Kelsey Kwong was selected as a scholarship recipient and student ambassador in 2011. She traveled to Wakayama Prefecture with David Calica in July of 2012. Kelsey has since graduated from Whittier College and is currently a Nisei Week Princess on the 2015 Court. She plans on pursuing a career in medicine.