Dear Members,
I want to wish you Happy Holidays! May you enjoy good times with family and friends as you welcome in the new year.
The year, 2025, turned out be a year to remember! So many parts of CWAJ, current and past, contributed to its success.
Who will forget the VVI celebrations of 2025? We celebrated 50 years of continuous programming and friendship with the visually impaired community by organizing two major events.
One, in April, we invited members of CWAJ and members of the visually impaired community to attend the inspiring Life is Climbing event, celebrating a blind rock climber’s success. Two, in November, we welcomed many fans of VVI, including Her Imperial Highness, to an elegant concert in November, featuring a 2021 VVI scholar, Rita Sugata, on the piano accompanied by Seina Kudo, who sang soprano.
Please take a look at the comprehensive VVI booklet to fully appreciate the dedication of CWAJ and its support of the visually impaired community for all these many years. Link.
The year, 2025, will also be remembered for the three (!) awards CWAJ received during the year: one for its scholarships supporting women, one for its English language programs for VVI and one for its Print Show as a valuable means to fostering friendly relations between Japan and other countries.
Add to the above, the selection of our outstanding 2025 scholars and the third traveling Print Show, plus our presence at the Osaka EXPO, I am sure you will agree CWAJ has had a memorable year.
To me, the compilation of these events is a quick snapshot of how, over the years, with hundreds of members’ active involvement, CWAJ has successfully supported the mission of cross cultural understanding through education, art and friendship. The coming year’s work will continue to be important. As global tensions rise and fall, our work to foster person to person relationships and people to people connections around the world is needed all the more. To this end, CWAJ members have been investing in a better future by making a difference today.
May 2026 be another impactful year for CWAJ!
As always, onward and upward,
Heidi
