在ヒューストン日本国総領事館

Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to this luncheon honoring Japan Exchange and Teaching Program returnees, alumni, supporters and friends.

For almost 25 years, the JET Program has drawn enthusiastic young professionals from around the world to the cities and villages of Japan. In their new communities, participants work in schools and government offices, sharing their own languages and cultures, and learning about those of Japan.In the process, JETs create relationships that last a lifetime.

I have had the pleasure of being directly involved with JET for more than 14 years- at the Embassy of Japan in Canada, the Consulate-General of Japan in Boston, and most recently at the Exchange Program Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Public Diplomacy Bureau. Having worked from recruitment through senior administration, I have witnessed this program’s impact in Japan and worldwide. Now, I am pleased to see the program’s impact here in Texas and Oklahoma.

While I have only been in Texas for a few months, I have already learned of numerous alumni in the area who have turned their JET experience into a lifelong pursuit.Several professors of Japanese, including Keri Toma of UTSA, Peggy Hardt of the UNT, and Scott Langton of Austin College, honed their skills teaching English in Japan.Other alumni, such as Christine Starkman, Curator of Asian Art at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and Martha Blackwelder, Director of the Asia Society Texas Center, have made their impact in the cultural realm.

Not all JET alumni turn their experiences directly into Japan-related careers, but most keep their experience alive and growing in some way. Alumni volunteers have spent hundreds of hours sharing their understanding at schools, scout meetings, business forums, community events, and, of course, family gatherings.JETs sign up to experience life in a new place, but for most this is only the first step along a path as life-long ambassadors for Japan in their home communities. JET is as much about grass-roots cultural exchange as it is a teaching program.

In mentioning the wider community, I must take a moment to acknowledge those who, though not JETs themselves, have contributed so much to the program. Though I couldn’t possibly hope to name them all, I express my deepest gratitude to the volunteers such as Dr. Toshimatsu Matsumoto, who has served as an interview panelist since the very first year of the program; Helen Nakamoto and Yoko Nishimoto, who have taught crash-courses on Japanese language and culture at our annual JET Q&A session for years; LaVerl Daily, who has shared her expertise in Japanese cooking and flower arranging during several classes for the program alumni.Without their support, and the support of so many others, the JET Program could never hope to achieve the depth and importance that is has.

At its most fundamental level, the JET Program is about exchange: of ideas, of culture, of language and of friendship. If there is anything that I can do to help facilitate this exchange, please do not hesitate to ask. I am very happy to be here with you today and I look forward to working with you more in the future.

Thank you.