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Members of Japan SO and Hawaii SO attend the 10th anniversary celebration.

Japanese clappers, gifted to each of us by the newscasts.
governor. Ando Atsuka shared the story of the On Monday afternoon, we learned how to
Blue-Eyed Doll Project; then Hatsue presented make Japanese “washi” paper, which we were able
Debbie with a very special Obi, the sash or belt to take home. We then made Japanese noodles
worn with a kimono. After a toast with Japanese (soba) from scratch to enjoy at lunch. From there,
saki, we took a group photo with the Geisha. we went to the Niyodi River and over the Nagoya
On Monday, we spent our last full day Submersible Bridge. This bridge is only one lane
with the JSO women. The 10th anniversary wide and has no railings or guards because, when
celebration culminated in meeting the vice the typhoons come and the water rises, the bridge
governor and deputy governor and then the mayor just sinks below the water. One can drive or walk
and superintendent of education in separate over the bridge. We all walked to the center of
conferences. Each person spoke of the importance the bridge and had our picture taken by a drone
of education in Japan, the value of JSO and the operated by the husband of a JSO member.
work it has done, and the pride in having two We then traveled to Sekkei-ji Temple to see
DKG chapters in Japan. They also recognized the the Buddhist statues that are more than 1,000
Hawaii State Organization women who had helped years old. Japan has done such an incredible job
Japan start DKG chapters, noting how much they preserving its history and heritage over thousands
appreciated everyone involved and how important of years. The statues are made of wood, but the
it is to keep this relationship and organization eyes are made of crystal. They literally looked
going. It was heartwarming to learn that the mayor like they were staring right through us! Pilgrims
had been in office when DKG JSO came into happened to be there, and we got to witness and
existence as he saw firsthand how much it has listen to their ritual, seeing once again firsthand the
grown and all the good the women have done. The spirituality that characterizes Japan. After this, we
significance of these conferences was recognized visited the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum.
when media videographers and cameramen Through his short 32 years in the mid-1800s,
attended and the meetings were featured on local Ryoma devoted his life to the creation of a new

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Collegial Exchange · 11
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Collegial Exchange