Asameshikai
Asameshikai is an organization of students, faculty, and professionals who share a keen interest in Japan's economy, politics, language, and culture. Although its members are primarily MPIA students and GLI fellows, the group welcomes all IR/PS and UC San Diego doctoral students and faculty.
Asameshikai serves to:
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Expand students' knowledge of Japan by sponsoring a speaker series and holding informal roundtable discussions. Speakers are typically experts in such areas as Japanese business practices, trade and security relations, politics, and political economy. Recent guests have included senior foreign correspondents, businesspeople, and policy-makers. Informal discussions may cover current events or Japanese society.
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Organize social and cultural events that bring together IR/PS students, GLI fellows, PhDs, faculty, and members of San Diego's thriving Japanese community. Recent activities have included hosting visitors from the San Diego-Yokohama Sister City Commission and venture capitalists from the Osaka Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Corporation. Informal gatherings and movie nights provide an opportunity for the members to indulge their fondness for Japanese cuisine, culture, and language.
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Aid students in their career goals by creating links to local and overseas Japan-related businesses, foreign professionals, and IR/PS alumni. Information on internships, study abroad, and job openings will help interested members with their Japan-focused job search.
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Coordinate with the China Focus, Mannam, LASO and PIASO student groups to provide cultural and educational activities for the entire IR/PS student body.
Asameshikai Events
Asameshikai Officers
Past Events
Hanami at Balboa Park
On April 28th, 2012, Asameshikai hosted Hanami at Balboa Park. IR/PSers met at the Friendship Garden and enjoyed colorful carp, beautiful flowers, and the tranquility of a Japanese garden. Then they enjoyed bento lunch and had "undoukai" (sports day) events. Our fellow Japanese students seemed to enjoy reliving their childhood through "Rajio Taiso" (Radio calisthenics) and Tug-of-War while trying new games like Blind Dodgeball and Ultimate Frisbie. More events are in store, stay tuned!
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Current officers:
President
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Tenshing John Honda graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in global studies and history. From 2009 to 2011, he was an English instructor on the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) where he taught elementary and junior high school students in Ikata-cho, Ehime. His career track is international politics with a regional specialization in Japan. He hopes to work in security and disaster management in the Asia-Pacific when he graduates.
Vice President
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Christa Ogata was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, and moved to the U.S. in 2000. In high school, she studied abroad for one year in Fukuoka, and participated in the Nikkei Community Youth Internship in college. With a bicultural background, she graduated from US Davis with a degree in International Relations and Japanese. At IR/PS, her career track is International Development and Nonprofit Management with a regional focus in Southeast Asia.
External Relations Officer
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Yutaka Ishida is a BA/MIA student studying international economics with a regional focus in Japan and China. He was born in Japan and moved to Seattle, Washington when he was 14 years old. He is now interested in international financial regulation and trade policy. As External Relations Officer of Asameshikai, he plans for the speaker series and networking opportunities to be a liaison between the Japanese community and IR/PS students who are interested in Japan.
Chief Financial Officer
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David Fusco joins the IR/PS community with a combination of private sector and education experience. After graduating from Lehigh University with a BA in Asian studies, he taught English at a high school in Miyagi prefecture, Japan as part of the JET program. Following the program, David joined the American International Group as an analyst in their Tokyo office. Transferring to the company headquarters in New York City, he worked on projects such as growth strategy in emerging markets, global standardization of business practices, and insurance fraud prevention.
