How long have you been a member of the Japan Society of Boston?
I have been a member since either 1984 or 1985.
What drew you to JSB?
Prior to 1985 I had made a number of connections with Japan through my job. I was
working at a local engineering company at the time, and I had met and became friends
with a number of Japanese engineers at various professional conferences. I also had also
a personal friend living in Japan and I wished to visit her in 1985.
I decided I would try to learn some “survival” Japanese before my trip. JSB offered
Japanese language lessons in the evening, at a very reasonable price compared to area
language schools and universities, Also, if you became a member, you received a reduced
rate for the courses on offer. So, I joined up.
How would you describe yourself and what you're passionate about?
I would describe myself who is always interested in learning something new, and looking
at things from a new perspective. I have strong interests in a number of things; current
events and politics, history, classical music and opera, classic and modern theatre,
foreign travel and photography. Obviously, to be included in this list is Japan. I feel
fortunate that from my first trip to Japan almost forty years ago, until my most recent
visit in April of 2024, I have been able to enrich these travel experiences in the
company of Japanese friends. I have visited their homes, met them in working class pubs,
and in small, out of the way restaurants where I was the first, and possibly even today the
last foreign customer they ever had. Many years ago, I attended the “nyuugaku”, or
school opening ceremony for the first day of pre-school for a friend’s son, and several
years later the opening ceremony for his first day of high school.
I am continually impressed by Japanese cultural activities, especially the seasonal
festivals that occur throughout Japan. Also, attending Kabuki-za performances is
something I look forward to whenever I am in Tokyo. Japanese architecture, especially
traditional architecture and building techniques are things I find fascinating. On almost
every trip to Japan I have made over the years, I seem to find, often purely by chance, an
interesting shrine or temple that I had never visited or even heard of before. Looking the
scale models of some of Japan’s most famous shrines and temples in museums is always
an interesting and learning experience, as is learning the history and religious
backgrounds of these different sites. On a lighter note, I have a couple of friends with
whom a visit to the Tokyo Dome to see a Giants game is always a must on a trip to Japan.
Do you have a favorite event or program that you have participated in with JSB?
There are so many events that I have enjoyed immensely over the years that it is difficult
to select one, or even a few, and to call a favorite. There are cultural events, such as the
visit to the Museum of Fine Arts for a JSB private viewing and learned commentary
about the Hokusai exhibit last year. Another particularly memorable to me was the
Japanese puppetry performance at Wellesley College several years ago; an event at which
I was a volunteer photographer for the society. In this role, I was able capture several
images of the performance, and of the performers backstage.
Some other events I would categorize as items of current political, economic and
or/social interest. One event that stands out my mind was an extremely interesting panel
discussion on American and Japanese trade and economic policy. The panel featured
financial and trade experts on the subject, including Robert Lighthizer, who at various times has held high positions in the Reagan and Trump administrations.
Other memorable events in the regard were hosted by the late Vernon Alden, which featured
lectures on US-Japan political and economic relationships. These I found quite thought provoking and challenging to often “established wisdom”.
Of special memory for me, although not a JSB event, is something that would not have happened had I not been a member of the Society. Some years after Mr. Alden assumed Emeritus status, I had a chance meeting with him at the French Library of Boston, now called the French Cultural Center.
We chatted for about a half an hour or more. Mr. Alden was a fascinating raconteur, and a most pleasant conversationalist. He spoke to me of his days at the U.S. Navy Language School during World War II, and his stint aboard an aircraft carrier off the coast of Japan in August of 1945. With a full-scale invasion of the Japanese home islands expected, Mr. Alden’s assignment was to interview captured or surrendered Japanese military personnel to obtain intelligence information.
While our conversation was mostly about Japan, Mr. Alden had a broad range of interests,
including France and the French Library, of which we were both members. He also took a keen interest in my job, using computer graphics and associated software for civil and structural engineering purposes; a field that is commonplace now, but was relatively new at the time.
Other events that I have participated in over the years are not easy to categorize, in that they are educational, informing the JSB audience about various aspects of Japan; participatory, such as the O-Shōgatsu Japanese New Year celebrations, and the many presentations by speakers from the Japanese Consulate in Boston, who have informed and educated the membership on a broad of variety of the serious and from time to time not so serious aspects of Japanese life and culture. I found every event that I attended very interesting, often very pleasant as well, and indeed very often a lot of fun.
One final note on favorite events; JSB offers many opportunities for people with an interest in Japan to meet and chat about Japanese life and culture from kabuki to baseball to food to art and architecture. These events, such as the recent meetings at various Japanese restaurants, and the book and film discussions, are very special because they afford members the chance to get to know each other and to develop friendships that might not otherwise be possible.
What about JSB sets it apart from other groups within the Boston area?
I would first note what JSB is not; it is not an ethnic group, in that its membership is not
largely made up of Japanese ex-pats and people of Japanese ancestry. Also, it is not a
specialty organization, such as a student group or some other special interest association.
The Japan Society of Boston is a very inclusive organization with a very broad writ.
Persons with many different interests, and from many walks of life can find something of
interest on offer from JSB. They will also find others, Americans and Japanese, with
whom they will likely have some shared interest or interests. The Society, through the
broad variety of programs, provides a forum or venue in which these interests can be
presented, experienced and shared.
What would you say to somebody who is considering joining JSB?
If you have any interest in Japan, or in American Japanese political and economic
relations, or anything else ranging from Japanese cuisine to Shohei Otani (and Japanese
baseball players in MLB) you are very likely to find a group of kindred spirits with whom
who can relate and share thoughts. And whatever your interests in Japan, you will know
more about them as a member of the Society than you did before you joined up.
Thank you, Michael, for sharing your Japan journey and wonderful photos!
Interested in becoming a JSB Member? Click here or reach out to info@japansocietyboston.org for more details.
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