Having spent my primary school days in Sydney, Australia, later I joined the JANZ (Japan Australia New Zealand) Ladies’ Group in Tokyo and was a member for more than 30 years. I learned about CWAJ from JANZ members who belonged to both groups, and I often attended the CWAJ Lecture Series with my JANZ friends.
One day my Australian friends invited me to the CWAJ Luncheon at the Tokyo American Club and told me where to sit if I wished to become a member. Then, after the CWAJ President’s welcome speech, a Japanese lady who was probably part of the Membership team suddenly approached me and said that as a Japanese, I should not be sitting there, and that I could not join then. At that time, there was a long waiting list for Japanese prospective members. As current Director of Member Activities, I can well imagine her shock at seeing me with the non-J prospective members.
In 2007, after three and a half years on the waiting list, the Membership Co-Chair called at last to ask if I was still interested in joining CWAJ. I immediately wanted to get involved with the Lecture Series since I was a big fan — I could not believe my ears when I heard that it was being discontinued. At first, I found myself often volunteering alone. My Print Show partner would always leave Japan, which wasn’t so bad since I could make decisions right away, especially when I was in charge of Product Production. For PS Publicity I would go to the CWAJ Center alone and spend the morning calling newspapers and magazine publishers. Working on the catalogue was my first opportunity to be a part of a nice team, with Patricia Hiramatsu and Hiromi Matsumura.
Then I was asked to join the Scholarship NJG Committee. Reading the application forms was interesting because applicants can study in any field, come from a variety of backgrounds, and are often engaged in amazing cutting-edge research. I soon became NJG Committee Coordinator, and then Scholarship Co-Chair with Ann Endo. Having Joanna Chinen as Director was really fortunate. When I succeeded Joanna as Director, the experience of the previous year helped me a lot. The May Scholarship Luncheon is without doubt the climax of the Scholarship year, and preparations keep everyone very busy. As Director I was required to make all the name cards, and I remember sleeping only three hours the previous night. Nonetheless, it was very rewarding indeed to meet with the selected scholars on the big day. I had happily agreed to be the Director of Scholarship for a second year when the Nominating Committee proposed a different position: President. This was totally unexpected since I had been on the Board scarcely a year. However, the following year was the Print Show’s 60th Anniversary and the exhibition would travel to Highfield Hall & Gardens in Falmouth in June. The opportunity to travel as President to Boston and Cape Cod for the first time was too exciting to miss.
The Print Show exhibition at Highfield Hall & Gardens was an extraordinary event under the leadership of Co-Chairs Joanne Fallon and Motoko Inoue, with interesting programs planned almost every day. The prints were attractively displayed in a huge mansion, a very different environment from our usual Print Show. About 100 Overseas Members and their husbands attended, along with Past Presidents and enthusiastic members who had flown in from Japan to celebrate the anniversary.
The busy two years (2016~2017) as CWAJ President passed quite quickly with the kind support from Ann Endo, Vice President, and my Board members. However, my Presidency began with a shock: the passing of Vice President Krystyna Kenmochi. On June 10 Krystyna sat next to me, eating and drinking as usual at the farewell lunch for ex-President Nancy Nussbaum. Right after this lunch she was suddenly hospitalized, and by the end of July she had gone to heaven, unbelievably quickly. Without the support of Ann Endo stepping into the role of Vice President, it would have been difficult to continue.
When CWAJ celebrated its 70th Anniversary in 2019, I was on the committee for the Anniversary Dinner held on May 17 at the Okura Tokyo. Many Overseas Members came to Tokyo to celebrate and to catch up with their friends. At such moments I feel especially lucky to be a member of CWAJ.
Today we pray for world peace but the global situation is perilous. CWAJ’s mission of promoting education and fostering multicultural friendships is desperately needed, and gives hope for the future.
Photos:
- May 2019, CWAJ 70th Anniversary Dinner at the Okura Tokyo.
All the past Presidents on the stage.
- May 2025, General Meeting, Miyuki with the 2024 Membership team (l to r,
Jane Baker, Miyuki Fukuma, Lorraine Graybill)
