We are so proud of our team member, Danielle Reed! Danielle recently received the prestigious John & Hiroko Malott Leadership Award at the Japan America Society of Washington, D.C.'s Capital Gala. Danielle deserves all the accolades and recognition that comes with this award!

Zack Davisson (Nara/Osaka 2001-2006) has always been interested in folktales and all manner of spooky things. Maybe it was due to growing up in the United States’ Pacific Northwest reading about Bigfoot, or the time he spent in Scotland, where he became obsessed with local fairy tales and the Loch Ness Monster. But it was Zack’s time in Japan on the JET Program that solidified his love of Japanese yokai and yurei and set him on the path to become the prolific writer he is today.

In this Senpai Spotlight, Jonathan Lucas (Shizuoka, 2016-2019), MICE Promotions Specialist & IGLTA 2024 Coordinator, Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau , explains how he got his start in the tourism industry.

In this Senpai Spotlight, Becca Guttentag (Oita, 2014-2018), Localization Producer at Riot Games, explains what it takes to get started the in game localization industry.

As the room fills up, the air seems to start to vibrate. People are talking, a constant drumming comes from somewhere behind the plywood walls, and the occasional burst of laughter peals through the space. They compliment each others’ clothes, ask about their work, and really listen to the answers. Everyone seems excited to be here, to be involved in this project—Black Gold.

The prestigious ‘George Busbee Award’ was presented to a key advocate of Georgia-Japan relationship, JET alum, Jessica Cork (Hiroshima, 1997 - 2000), Vice President of Community Engagement and Corporate Communication at YKK Corporation of America.⁠

Sonia Narang is a JET alum (Gifu 2003-2004) and a multimedia journalist who covers climate change and the environment, global health, music and culture, and immigration issues.

She has produced and reported stories for PRI’s The World, the BBC, The New York Times, GlobalPost, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE/World, Time.com, and NBC News.

Our inaugural article in the Senpai Spotlight series, features Justin Urso, Director of the McMillon Innovation Studio at the University of Arkansas, serial entrepreneur, and owner of Big Box Karaoke a popular eater-tainment concept in Fayetteville, Arkansas.