カラマズー会 大嶋英二会長 スピーチ
President Dunn, Steve, Jane, WMU exchange students, and friends from Kalamazoo Kai:
Thank you for joining together for the Grand Reunion of Kalamazoo Kai today. It has been 6 years since our last Grand Reunion was held and the absence may have been too long, for which I have to apologize. But here we are at last, and I am glad to see all of you here.
Our special welcome goes to President Dunn of Western Michigan University who was kind enough to share with us his precious time in Japan. We are very honored to have him here as this has been exactly 20 years since President Haenicke came and saw us in 1993. I hear that the recent development of the University has been quite remarkable and people all agree that it should be accredited to the strong leadership shown by President Dunn. We are lucky to be able to hear about it directly from the President, today. Later, Steve will give us an update of the Japan Center and the Japanese Major programs. We are happy that our donation is being spent quite properly by WMU.
As you already know, this Grand Reunion is not an ordinary reunion. We are gathered here today not only welcoming President Dunn and rejoicing and renewing our friendship and memories, but also we are here in memory of the late Dr. Soga, who passed away on the 3rd of March this year. Let me recite part of my speech at the Memorial Service held in WMU on April 21st this year.
Dr. Soga, Soga-Sensei as we called him, was the father for all the students and scholars who came from Japan to WMU. He had three beloved sons, but in reality, Dr. and Mrs. Soga had more than 600 sons and daughters, and probably many more over the course of 45 years that they lived in Kalamazoo. As one of the sons, I wish to say a few words about my experience with Soga family in the early days of their settlement in Kalamazoo. I must say that it involved much more than just a friendly association with the family.
I was the 7th Murakami scholarship student from Keio who arrived in Kalamazoo in 1969. It was just one year after the Soga family joined WMU. When I arrived there, I was determined not to meet with any other Japanese people, nor speak Japanese with anybody who may try to do so. But that lasted only three months. By the time Thanksgiving Day came, exchange students like us needed a warm place where we could escape from the freezing weather of Michigan. All the Japanese students at WMU, and there were only about 10 of us, got to know each other when we were invited to a dinner by the Soga family during that holiday.
Since then, there were many occasions when Dr. and Mrs. Soga kindly invited us to gather around in their living room, and through these occasions, I met my future wife Kiyoko. What is amazing is that it was not only us who married afterwards, but there were two more couples, Mamoru and Noriko Takamura, Mike and Sachiko Kido.
Takamura san, Mike, where are you ? Here they are….
Imagine, of all the American beauties and handsome men in the Midwest, six out of ten Japanese students! There must have been something in the Soga family that made us, young and hopeful couples, to dream that one day, we all could be like Sogas—a warm, sincere, joyful, and loving family.If I look around this room today, I can see at least 4 more couples who should have met in Kalamazoo and whose marriages are lasting till today. Congratulations to you all !! Let me go back to my speech.
I was filled with sorrow to hear that Mrs. Soga lost her lifelong partner; all the more because I lost the love of my life just 4 months prior to Soga Sensei’s passing away. I know how much Mrs. Soga misses her husband from the way I miss my wife. The only consolation is that Soga-Sensei and Kiyoko both told us, their spouses, that they had no regrets at all about their rich and full lives they led. I sincerely wish that Kiyoko and Dr. Soga are having a nice chat by the fireside at the deep corner of the universe, together with Mamoru Takamura, Noriko san’s late husband, and Yumiko Miyazaki, the 8th Murakami Scholarship student, who both passed away about 20 years ago. Maybe, Yukiko Murakami, Masami Otsuka, Professor Toshiro Sakow, and many of his late friends, will also be there to greet Dr. Soga.
I hope that they are having a nice re-union up there just like we do now. Loved ones, we pray for you all. Thank you. Incidentally, Mrs. Sakow, and Mr. Michiharu Soga, Dr.Soga’s nephew, and Ms. Nobuko Enya, his niece are all here with us today. We will have an opportunity to listen to them. Well, I am speaking too long now, so let us enjoy our reunion, talk about WMU, and fond memories of Dr. Soga. Back to you, Mr. Fujishima…
佐藤敬氏 スピーチ
Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome President Dunn, Steve and Jane. I was one of the students to WMU in 1962 from Keio. There were altogether 64 students. Of the 64, 10 are here with us now.
Let me talk about memories of WMU. It was a 6 weeks seminar and boys stayed at Hoekje Hall and girls at French Hall. I wonder if those dorms are still there. We were very impressed by the hospitality and kindness of not only WMU faculty and students but citizens who invited us to their homes during weekends. Dr.Soga was not yet there, but instead, Rev. Mochizuki was there playing the same role to help us in many ways. Besides lectures on American civilization, there were many social programs including home stays. My home stay was with Mr.Casler’s family. He was with Upjohn. I enjoyed American daily life with them for the first time.
Ever since then, for 50 years I still exchange cards with him. He should be more than 80 years old. When earthquake and Tsunami of 3.11. hit us, he immediately sent me e-mail to confirm if I was safe. WMU was always kind enough to us and the impact of our experience there was so strong as we were 21 years old then. We enjoyed everything, except the sad accident of Yukiko Murakami. She was loved by everybody in Kalamazoo. The exchange program born out of this accident, thanks to WMU and Keio, is lasting 50 years.
On the 23rd of May, there was the 50th year anniversary reception at Keio at the presence of President Dunn. As he explained about WMU now, times are different, but today so many people gather here because we are thinking WMU is our alma mater, and Kalamazoo is our hometown. I hope we continue this relationship with WMU and Kalamazoo forever. Thanks to the first president Kitagawa, the second president Uyetani, the third president Oshima, and many other members for continuously developing the Kalamazoo Kai and preparing for this wonderful Mitsubishi Club party today. I also thank to Mr. Fujishima, today’s chair.
ジャパンセンター報告
Let me begin by saying how wonderful it is to see so many of you here today. The last time we gathered together in this number, I believe, was to celebrate the opening of the Mitchitoshi Soga Japan Center. Dr. and Mrs. Soga were both with us then. In the intervening years much has happened at the Soga Japan Center. We have grown by leaps and bounds in a large part thanks to your generous support. Today I will give a brief update on our accomplishments.
First, as you have heard we now have Japanese major at WMU. What is more, the Japanese major, which started just this past fall, is now the second largest language major at WMU behind only Spanish. Interest in the major and in studying Japan just keeps on growing. Over the years we have hosted many, many guest speakers, artists, poets, and writers. We have also brought several film series to campus as well. In addition, we have hosted two significant Japan workshops and two major conferences.
Most recently we applied for and won a major Japan Foundation grant that has brought to us a faculty member in Japanese literature for two years and has helped to fund our outreach coordinator Michiko Yoshimoto, who some of you know. Michiko’s work has been amazing. She speaks before over 3000 people each year. She runs Japanese culture workshops all across Japan teaching people from Kindergarteners to retirees about Japanese language, kimono, origami, calligraphy, Japanese food and more. If you have not done so, please “Like” us on Facebook so you can follow Michiko’s work and keep up with all of the events we host.
In addition to all of this, I am happy to report that WMU was also selected as one of only seven institutions in the United States to host a special teacher-training program sponsored by the MEXT and Gaimusho. This program brings a dozen Japanese school teachers to WMU for several months each year to give them training in the latest ESL teaching techniques. We are very proud of all of the work that was done to bring about this and so many other great programs on or related to Japan at WMU. All this would not be possible with all of you — the fund raising drive Oshima san led, the dinners you put on for our study abroad students, and the network of friends that you represent makes all the difference.Thank you .
田中理事 スピーチ
カラマズー会 田中榮治理事 スピーチ
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tanaka, born in the last century, tempered by war. I went to the United States almost 50 years ago, in August 1965, 2 years after the assassination of President Kennedy.
I left Haneda by Pan American Airlines for Honolulu. After a day sightseeing I went to San Francisco by United Airlines, headed to Dallas by American and then to Austin, Texas by Braniff. The Government had to use all these airlines as part of the program was financed by the budget from these airlines.
One-month orientation was held at the University of Texas. I was a bit scared walking alone at night. An ex-marine shot to death 23 pedestrians from the 27th tower top of the graduate school exactly a year after, and that is where we walked around. Mrs. Bieler summoned me to come to Kalamazoo at the end of August for registration.
At the graduate school I studied Economics. As the term granted to me was one year, I kept on studying all sessions from autumn, winter, spring and summer to receive MA in Economics and came back home in August 1966.
As America was at war in Vietnam, anti-war demonstration took place in the campus to which I could not participate. My friend got injured in Vietnam and hospitalized in Negishi, Yokohama. Some took rest and recuperation in Tokyo.
From 1975 I was stationed in San Paulo, Brazil for 7 years and from 1990 in Mexico City for 3 years, but only one-year stay in Kalamazoo gave me a lot. Kalamazoo is my starting point and I left my heart in Western Michigan University.
Welcome President Dunn, Dr. Covell and Jane-san. Let us toast for the best of WMU.
KANPAI!
WMU Dunn学長 スピーチ
Speech by WMU President John M. Dunn (Summary)
I thank many of the alumni for traveling to WMU for Dr. Soga’s memorial service. During my stay in Japan this time, I was excited to visit many of the Japanese sites, and welcomed the opportunity to strengthen WMU’s relations with its Japanese partners and alumni. I would like to update you with current campus events and future plans, and share an overview of WMU’s strategic plan. Highlights include the new WMU School of Medicine, which will welcome its entering class in fall 2014, and the proposed alliance with the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. I also wish to share with you WMU’s international statistics where WMU enrolls nearly 1,600 international students from 95 nations, and we now send more than 500 domestic students on study abroad. I also wish to thank the members of Kalamazoo Kai for their continued support of WMU’s Soga Japan Center, and wish to share the information regarding the launch of a special Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange program. WMU is coordinating this program through Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. WMU is looking forward to welcoming their third batch of participants at the end of July, which will consist of fourteen Japanese teachers.
I also wish to highlight the School of Music’s recent achievement in reaching its 100th anniversary and being the first university in Michigan to be named an All-Steinway Music School. I am proud to comment on the construction of the new Sangren Hall. It is built to LEED gold specifications and it is already saving the university more than $300,000 a year in energy costs. Next month, a rooftop solar array will harvest the equivalent of 15 percent of the building’s electrical energy usage. Additionally, expansions were made to the Lee Honors College, which is the academic home to nearly 1,600 of some of the most talented students in the nation. I note the changes in on-campus housing, including the upcoming finish of Phase II of the new Western View apartment-style complex for upperclassmen.
Lastly, WMU Archives and the Regional History Collections will soon be moving to the new Zhang Legacy Collections Center on Oakland Drive where the important materials will be better preserved. I wish to announce to you that East Campus, where the archives were previously held, will be transformed into an alumni center. The University’s commitment to restoring East Hall and Prospect Hill is a testament to the long-lasting partnership between WMU and its community because the building and hilltop were gifts from Kalamazoo when WMU was established in 1903. East Hall will become a campus and community gathering place, a home for WMU alumni and development offices and a spot to showcase WMU’s heritage for current and new members of the campus community. Thank you.
大嶋会長 スピーチ
カラマズー会 大嶋英二会長 スピーチ
President Dunn, Steve, Jane, WMU exchange students, and friends from Kalamazoo Kai:
Thank you for joining together for the Grand Reunion of Kalamazoo Kai today. It has been 6 years since our last Grand Reunion was held and the absence may have been too long, for which I have to apologize. But here we are at last, and I am glad to see all of you here.
Our special welcome goes to President Dunn of Western Michigan University who was kind enough to share with us his precious time in Japan. We are very honored to have him here as this has been exactly 20 years since President Haenicke came and saw us in 1993. I hear that the recent development of the University has been quite remarkable and people all agree that it should be accredited to the strong leadership shown by President Dunn. We are lucky to be able to hear about it directly from the President, today. Later, Steve will give us an update of the Japan Center and the Japanese Major programs. We are happy that our donation is being spent quite properly by WMU.
As you already know, this Grand Reunion is not an ordinary reunion. We are gathered here today not only welcoming President Dunn and rejoicing and renewing our friendship and memories, but also we are here in memory of the late Dr. Soga, who passed away on the 3rd of March this year. Let me recite part of my speech at the Memorial Service held in WMU on April 21st this year.
Dr. Soga, Soga-Sensei as we called him, was the father for all the students and scholars who came from Japan to WMU. He had three beloved sons, but in reality, Dr. and Mrs. Soga had more than 600 sons and daughters, and probably many more over the course of 45 years that they lived in Kalamazoo. As one of the sons, I wish to say a few words about my experience with Soga family in the early days of their settlement in Kalamazoo. I must say that it involved much more than just a friendly association with the family.
I was the 7th Murakami scholarship student from Keio who arrived in Kalamazoo in 1969. It was just one year after the Soga family joined WMU. When I arrived there, I was determined not to meet with any other Japanese people, nor speak Japanese with anybody who may try to do so. But that lasted only three months. By the time Thanksgiving Day came, exchange students like us needed a warm place where we could escape from the freezing weather of Michigan. All the Japanese students at WMU, and there were only about 10 of us, got to know each other when we were invited to a dinner by the Soga family during that holiday.
Since then, there were many occasions when Dr. and Mrs. Soga kindly invited us to gather around in their living room, and through these occasions, I met my future wife Kiyoko. What is amazing is that it was not only us who married afterwards, but there were two more couples, Mamoru and Noriko Takamura, Mike and Sachiko Kido.
Takamura san, Mike, where are you ? Here they are….
Imagine, of all the American beauties and handsome men in the Midwest, six out of ten Japanese students! There must have been something in the Soga family that made us, young and hopeful couples, to dream that one day, we all could be like Sogas—a warm, sincere, joyful, and loving family.If I look around this room today, I can see at least 4 more couples who should have met in Kalamazoo and whose marriages are lasting till today. Congratulations to you all !! Let me go back to my speech.
I was filled with sorrow to hear that Mrs. Soga lost her lifelong partner; all the more because I lost the love of my life just 4 months prior to Soga Sensei’s passing away. I know how much Mrs. Soga misses her husband from the way I miss my wife. The only consolation is that Soga-Sensei and Kiyoko both told us, their spouses, that they had no regrets at all about their rich and full lives they led. I sincerely wish that Kiyoko and Dr. Soga are having a nice chat by the fireside at the deep corner of the universe, together with Mamoru Takamura, Noriko san’s late husband, and Yumiko Miyazaki, the 8th Murakami Scholarship student, who both passed away about 20 years ago. Maybe, Yukiko Murakami, Masami Otsuka, Professor Toshiro Sakow, and many of his late friends, will also be there to greet Dr. Soga.
I hope that they are having a nice re-union up there just like we do now. Loved ones, we pray for you all. Thank you. Incidentally, Mrs. Sakow, and Mr. Michiharu Soga, Dr.Soga’s nephew, and Ms. Nobuko Enya, his niece are all here with us today. We will have an opportunity to listen to them. Well, I am speaking too long now, so let us enjoy our reunion, talk about WMU, and fond memories of Dr. Soga. Back to you, Mr. Fujishima…
Grand Reunion 2013
Grand Reunion 2013: Dunn学長歓迎・曾我先生を偲ぶ会
式次第
挨拶
当日は天候にも恵まれ、三菱商事ビル２１Ｆにある三菱クラブからは皇居が目の前に広がり、皆様の集まりも順調でした。11時１５分くらいから、会長・Dunn学長・Steve Covell・Jane Blythで皆様をお迎えし、１１時３０分に藤島さんの司会でスタート。会の趣旨の説明と共に、大嶋会長より会員歓迎・Dunn学長以下のゲスト歓迎に引き続き、曾我先生ご家族との思い出が語られ、その後、Dunn学長により、ご挨拶とWMUの現状と活動状況が説明され、田中理事の乾杯のご挨拶で、昼食会となりました。
スピーチ
和気あいあいとした昼食を挟み、Steve CovellからはSoga Japan Center とJapanese Major Progaramなど日本関係のWMU現状について報告があり、その後は、各年代を代表して、62年は佐藤様の初期のＷＭＵとアメリカ旅行の思い出、酒向先生夫人による７０年代の曾我先生と夫・ＷＭＵの思い出、８３年の山口さんの涙ながらの曾我先生とＷＭＵの思い出、２１世紀を代表する岩本さんの村上由希子メモリアルブックやJapan Clubを含むＷＭＵでの思い出、などなどが語られ、最後に曾我先生ご家族を代表し、曾我道治様より心暖まるスピーチを頂きました。
写真撮影
その後、恒例の写真撮影（３組に別れ）、藤島理事指導によるカラマズー会の唄を全員で斉唱し、会の終わりに、高村憲子副会長から終宴のご挨拶を頂きました。初期の同窓会集まりの思い出に加え、曾我先生の遺志として「世界の平和」を訴えられたのが、とても印象的でございました。
当日はお帰りの皆様に、印刷版のカラマズー会第一次文集と曾我先生のmemorial bookletが配布されました。
記念文集発行
WMU思い出文集発行のおしらせ
東日本大震災から2年、ようやく永い冬も終え、春寒しだいに緩むころとなりましたが、皆様いかがお過ごしでいらっしゃいますか。さて、この度は、会員の皆様にご寄稿のお願いをしておりました、「思い出文集」が完成致しましたのでお知らせ致します。
ご存知の方もいらっしゃるかと存じますが、日本の大学とWMUの交流が、昨年で丁度50周年を迎えました。 この５０年の間に、WMUに留学された方やカラマズーにお住まいになった方を中心とする緩やかな集いであるカラマズー会の会員数も、600人を超える状況になって参りました。そんな皆様が彼の地で青春時代のひと時を過ごしたことが、それぞれの人生に大きなインパクトとなって残っているのではないか、とも思われます。
カラマズー会として、この50年を振り返り、皆様が過ごしたひと時をかえり見て、また後輩たちになんらかの参考となることを期待し、それぞれの時代を過ごした皆様のWMUやカラマズーへの思いや思い出を綴って頂きました。このたび、新たに５０周年記念文集として編纂したものをお届け致します。会員のみなさま個々人の心に残る記念として、長くお手許にお残し頂ければと存じます。 又、第二文集を、との声もありますので、皆様には改めてお声をお掛けするかもしれません。その節には是非ご応募をお願い致します。
この文集を、完成を心待ちにされておりました、故曽我道敏先生に捧げます。
★WMU思い出文集★←(ここをクリック。PDFがダウンロードされます。)
活動費支援 報告
カラマズー会 活動費支援の報告
カラマズ―会会員の皆様：
下記添付のカラマズ―会活動費支援のお願いの期日が参りましたので、結果をご報告申し上げます。
ご支援頂きました皆様には衷心よりお礼申し上げますと共に、これからの活動に是非有効に活用させて頂き度く、何卒宜しくお願い申し上げます。
記
２０１２年１０月１５日
カラマズー会 会長 大嶋 英二（６９－７１）
本年度の活動費支援募集は上記金額を持ちまして、終了致しました。
ご協力、誠に有り難うございました。
(参照) カラマズー会活動費支援のお願い
同時に支援者把握の為、WEBにて登録を併せ宜しくお願い申し上げます。
歓迎レセプション
歓迎レセプションのご報告
Steve Covell教授、Cathryn Bailey教授率いるＷＭＵ宗教学研修生11名の皆様を迎えた恒例のカラマズー会主催によります歓迎会は、2012年6月5日18時30分より池袋の東明大飯店にて、無事賑々しく開催の運びとなりました。
司会の阿部理事による当日参加者のグループ紹介により、和やかに会は始まりました。
参加者は大きく４つのグループに大別されました。
(1) Japanese Religion and Culture Seminarグループ （11名)
(2) その他WMU教員、ゲスト (2名)
(3) WMU協定大学の教員、今年ＷＭＵに留学予定の学生 (6名)
(4) カラマズー会メンバー (12名)
以上の構成で、総勢３１名の方々のご参加となりました。
式次第
①カラマズー会の会員数は600名を超えている。
②WMU全学生25,000人の中で、留学生が占める割合は６％である。
③ここ数年カラマズーでは3年に一軒の割合で和食レストランが増えています。
会計報告
・収入 ￥７２，０００ ＝ ￥６，０００×１２名（理事側）
・支出 ￥９６，０００ (招待者１９名含む３１名分 with discount）
・不足分 △￥２４，０００ （カラマズー会運営予算より支出）
当日の企画・総合司会・受付から集計・支払いに至る全ての煩雑なお仕事をこなして頂きました阿部、中田、千谷理事には、いつもながら誠にありがとうございました。深謝！
カラマズー会 会長 大嶋 英二（６９－７１）
WMU/Japan Trivia Quizの回答：
村上由希子50回忌式典
村上由希子50回忌式典 (2011年7月14日 於WMU)
今年は由希子さんの50回忌にあたります。これを記念して、WMUでは山本道子様ご夫妻始め、当時の所縁の方々をお招きし記念の式典を開催致しました。当日は、由希子さんの記念碑の前に参集し、Steve Covell教授の読経と皆様の献花により由希子さんを偲びました。その後レセプションでは、日本総領事やDean MacCloudほか所縁の方々のご挨拶の後、道子さんが返礼されるとともに、慶應大学学長信を手渡されました。
更に、日本で亡くなられたWMUからの元村上奨学生であるRoger Swan君を記念した、Roger Swan Memorial Fundへのご寄付をお申し出になられ、和やかな中に無事記念式典は終了致しました。
音量にご注意下さい。
記念昼食会 (2011年8月3日 於村上開新堂)
山本ご夫妻は、この8月3日にご実家であられる村上開新堂にて、当時の 留学生の方々及び村上奨学生数人をご招待し、記念の昼食会を開催されました。当日は、村上 奨学生の1人である藤島理事の名司会の下、おひとり、おひとりのお言葉が心に沁みる、しめやか 且つ和やかな会となりました。慶應大学を代表して、国際担当の阿川常任理事にも御出席頂けました。 理事会からは、北川理事が黙祷と献杯のご発声を、私からは、村上奨学生の一員且つカラマズー会の 会長として由希子さんの投げた輪が600余名にならんとする大きな広がりとなった旨をご報告しました。