President Kisala is a CJS alumni and studied at the CJS from 1978 to 1980 and from 1985 to 1987.
He wrote about his memories at the CJS back then and dreams for the future.

My Study at the CJS

My first experience at the CJS was in 1978, just four years after the Center was established. At that time I was in Japan on a two year contract to teach English Conversation at Nanzan Junior High School, Girls’ Division, and the Center offered a part-time language program for people like me who were otherwise in full-time employment. At the end of the contract I returned to the United States to study theology, and once again came to Japan after being ordained in 1985. Then I became a full-time student at the CJS. In the years that I had been absent, the CJS had grown considerably in terms of the number of students from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. I studied together with students from the Netherlands, Spain, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and the United States. The intensive language program served me well, giving me a solid foundation for later graduate studies in Tokyo and my continuing work at Nanzan University. The teachers were both professional and friendly, and I fondly remember being invited as a class to several of the teachers’ homes. The CJS office staff also went out of their way to help us feel at home and to navigate the cultural differences that we faced in everyday living in a foreign culture.

Memories with My Host Family

One of the most important experiences I had while studying at the CJS was the opportunity to live with a host family. My host family was located in one of the closer suburbs of Nagoya, in a modest home that reminded me of my own home in Chicago. They had three sons, which also reminded me of my own family, since I grew up with two brothers very close to my age. When I stayed with the family, their oldest son was already a university student in Tokyo, and their second son was preparing for the university entrance exams. It was a great opportunity to practice everyday Japanese and learn about Japanese culture from the inside. Even after finishing the homestay we have kept in contact. I was often invited to visit their home at new years; when I was transferred to Italy some years ago they invited me for a farewell dinner; and when I returned to Japan they were among the first to welcome me back. Two years ago I even had the opportunity to officiate at the wedding of their granddaughter, and last year we celebrated the birth of their great-grandson. I’m not sure if it is appropriate to mention this, but one of the many gifts I received from my homestay was an appreciation of Japanese sake. Among the many fond memories I have of my host family, I especially enjoyed the times when I had the opportunity to sip some sake with my host father. They are truly my family here in Japan.

Dreams for the Future

The 50th anniversary of the founding of the CJS is also an opportunity to dream of the future. Regarding the future of the CJS, there are four things that I would like to emphasize. The first is, while maintaining the high quality of the present programs offered by the CJS, to continue to develop new and innovative programs like the Nanzan Anime Study Tour. My second dream is to continue to develop the worldwide network of former students of the CJS as part of the university’s alumni, so that they can better maintain contact and exchanges among themselves and with the university. Third, I would like to be able to do more to facilitate employment in Japan for those graduates of the CJS that would like to take up that option. Finally, taking advantage of 50 years of experience in developing a high quality language program, I dream that we will be able to make a significant contribution to the training of Japanese language teachers throughout the country. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has set a goal of expanding the number of international students studying in Japan, creating the need for more well-trained professional language instructors. With internationality as part of the DNA of Nanzan University, I think we can make a uniquely profound contribution in this area.