Help! We need somebody!

In walks Keishi Matsuda – appropriately, a lover of the Beatles’ music, and one of the latest interns at the Cultural Center.

In September 2010, Keishi arrived in Seattle to study business at Bellevue College. Keishi belongs to the International Business Professions which is described by the college as “a one-year program for adults interested in upgrading their skills in International Business and English.” Keishi learned about the Japanese Cultural & Community Center through his professor who recommended that he apply for his internship at this organization. He followed through on her advice and started his internship at JCCCW on June 27th. In September, he will be returning to Japan to attend the Tohoku University for one more year before returning to his hometown of Kanagawa.

Since his arrival at JCCCW, Keishi has been instrumental in translating historical books. The cultural center received two books published in 1919 and 1929, displaying captioned photos of Japanese families from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Washington D.C. Keishi has taken the lead in translating these books so they are ready for the next step of digitizing the photos and translations. The hope is that people will be able to easily search and locate information about their family history. In addition to translating the books, Keishi has also been successful in contacting museums, schools, other Japanese cultural centers and many other organizations to promote the awareness and sale of the Omoide books.

Keishi reflected on his time at the Cultural Center, “It has been helpful to gain actual experience on various projects and to meet and work with other interns and staff. And I have loved to interact and play with the children at the Japanese Language School.” We’ve loved interacting with Keishi and have been fortunate for all his good work.

Fumiko Uyeda Groves

During her career, Fumiko Groves worked as a librarian and information specialist in Seattle and even worked as a librarian in Samoa. She also worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as an information specialist for the fishery industry. With a great sense of adventure and zest for life, she has enjoyed scuba diving and flown private planes for NOAA. Yet there is something core to her heart that has kept her grounded. As Fumiko expressed, “My father was very active in Japanese community service and I believe the work the Issei did was important to continue.”

And continue she has. Fumiko has stepped through the doors of the Japanese Cultural & Community Center many times throughout her life. Before World War II, she attended the Japanese Language School. When JCCCW opened in 2003, Fumiko became a volunteer for the museum and currently serves on the committee for the NW Nikkei Museum as well as the Japanese Language School Board. Her love of collecting Japanese antiques, multiple travels to Japan and listening to Japanese classical music has made her a valuable museum volunteer who shares her experiences and knowledge with others.

In addition to continuing her volunteer work, Fumiko is looking forward to more travels to Japan and is adding China to her list of adventures. Photo credit: Aimee Hasegawa

Takashi along with his co-worker, Takumi Yoshinaga, work on the agriculture training program for Japanese farm youth who come from Japan for an 18-month training program. Students receive 2 months of institutional training at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake before spending 13 months performing farm work and training experiences at one of the farms in Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Delaware, Idaho, Nebraska, Illinois, Tennessee or Maine. Another 2 months of institutional training occurs at the University of California, Davis. Before returning home to Japan, the last ½ month of their experience is spent on a final educational trip by themselves to a location of their choice.

For the past 45 years, The Japan Agricultural Exchange Council has been a bridge between Japan and the United States in providing not only an education in agricultural for many, but a sharing of cultures and friendships. Welcome!

Pictured L-R: "TJ" Takashi Yoshikawa and Takumi Yoshinaga

• Date: Sunday, Sept. 11th:
• Time: 9:45am – 1:30pm
• Time: 1:30pm – 5:00pm

If you are interested in signing up or would like more information, please email Leelab@jcccw.org