We were delighted to welcome ten high school students from Ehime Prefecture and three staff/administrators from Ehime Prefectural offices to UH Mānoa campus. The students were in Honolulu for a short exchange program with local high schools. While at UHM, the students heard from CJS Director, Professor Mark Levin, Japan-America Society of Hawaiʻi (JASH) President Emeritus, Mr. Earl Okawa and JASH President, Ms. Reyna Kaneko, about the Ehime Maru tragedy in 2001 that led to the sister-state relationship between Ehime Prefecture and Hawaiʻi. The students also joined JPN 401, a fourth-year Japanese language class taught by Japanese language instructor, Miki Ogasawara-sensei.

Annually, CJS in collaboration with JASH send two UHM students to the Ehime Prefectural International Center (EPIC) on summer internships. The internships provide the students with opportunities to work in a Japanese government office and serve as cultural ambassadors from UHM. Thank you to 2024 EPIC Intern, Matthew Andres, who gave the Ehime students, staff, and administrators a campus tour; 2024 EPIC Intern, Kaitlyn Tokunaga, for joining the students to meet with Ogasawara-senseiʻs JPN 401 class; EPIC Executive Director Mr. Yasuoki Kosaka and EPIC Coordinator Ms. Tamami Moriyama for their support of the internship program.