2011 Grant Award Recipient Announced

Akemi Martin, of Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii, was awarded a grant from the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation.

2011 Kokoro Endowed Scholarship Award Recipient Announced

Kari Urada was awarded $1,000 for the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation’s Kokoro Endowed Scholarship in American Studies for 2011.  Kari was introduced as the fifth recipient of the scholarship at JWSF’s annual Shinnen Enkai on January 22, 2012 at the Natsunoya Teahouse.

The annual scholarship was made possible through the successful sales of JWSF’s book, “Kokoro Cherished Japanese Traditions in Hawaii, published in 2004.  The Kokoro Endowment was established in 2006, whereby interest income from the endowment would generate an annual scholarship to assist a student in American Studies pursuing Japanese-American Studies at the University of Hawaii.

Kari graduated valedictorian from Pearl City High School Class of 2009 and is now a junior at UH Manoa with a double major in American Studies and English. She is a dedicated scholar and a straight A student, who sets her standards high and tries her best to achieve her goals. At the luncheon, she stated that with a positive attitude she tries to approach problems head on and challenges herself to exceed the expectations of others, as she knows they expect the best of her.  She believes that with determination, dedication and heart she can achieve her dreams, one of which is to teach English in Japan.  She is grateful to the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation for the generous gift of scholarship.