First year Linguistics graduate student Annabelle di Lustro recently participated in the KAKEHASHI Project, an exchange program for young American researchers to visit Japan, sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA). MOFA commissioned the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) to organize the program which included graduate students from Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, and George Washington University. “Kakehashi” means a “bridge” in Japanese, and the program serves to act as a bridge between the cultures of the US and Japan. Annabelle had the opportunity to participate in various cultural experiences such as traditional Japanese dyeing in Tokyo and a brief stay with a host family in Minamiaizu. The program also involved attending lectures at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the University of Aizu, and a talk from Professor Watanabe at Keio University. The participants learned about Japanese history and culture through a trip to the Tokyo National Museum and about modern technology and innovation through a trip to Panasonic.
Read more about Annabelle and her experience.
