History

この地に住む子供達に日本語と日本文化を継承する学び舎

当時補習校に息子を通わせていた。進度を日本に合わせる同校（当時）は家庭が日本語中心でない場合、3年生になると大変になって来る。６年で「これで日本語を勉強しないで済む」と晴々と卒業して行く子らを見て残念に思っていた。同校にあった定住組向けの「日本語学級」は椿谷茂氏・越谷恵子ら運営委員会による改革目前であったが、委員半数が代替わりして逆に閉鎖。ならば外でと有志コアが継承センターを創設。2004年春の十数人のパイロット教室の成功をもって、その秋開校、NPO認定。コア・教員一丸となった努力によりここまで来た。補習校や当時傘下化を打診したさくら学園ともコミュニティのために良好な協働ができており喜ばしい。

パイロットに向けた命名「ワシントン日本語継承センター」を受け私はドメインkeisho.orgを取得。ホームページは、開校前からセンターを必要とする家庭の指針となり、オンライン教材や教員による毎週のブログなど、初期のビジョンの構築に役立ったと自負している。Coreや教員のためのメールリストや Dropbox、Facebook、Twitter も立ち上げた。

開校当初、下校前の「歌の時間」はお楽しみ以上の視点を欠いていたので、リードを買って出、11年務めた。現地校では歌う機会は無いに等しい。私は、歌は情操教育に有効と信じ、この地においては日本語に触れる方法としても家庭と教室を大いに補完すると考えた。さらに君が代など日本の代表的な歌を知ることは基礎教養であり、また現代の歌を知ることは同時代の文化を知ることでもある。小分けにして習熟していく練習は効果的であった。繰り返し、自らある程度歌えるようになることが様々な教育効果の元となる。生徒が大人になり街やネットで耳にした歌を「Keishoで歌った♪」とノスタルジーと共に口ずさんでくれるなら望外の喜びだ。

親の言葉を話せるか否かは、それに繋がる自分を肯定するか、距離を置いて生きるかの岐路である。幼少時は親もその視点を持ちにくく、祖父母との会話やバイリンガルが日本語教育の動機になりがちだが、思春期から大人に向けて肯定的アイデンティティの確立を支援することが、継承語教育の一番の目的である。初期の生徒から二例。継承センターに来てルーツに目覚め家で日本語を話すようになった高校生。土曜日の朝「Keisho行こう♪」と親を起こす小学生。これらの話を聞いた時、手弁当の努力が報われたと感じた。

創立時の情熱が受け継がれていくことを願って筆を置く。当初から私は保護者ではなく完全なボランティアであり、今後ともコア・名誉理事として継承センターと世界の継承日本語教育の発展に微力を尽くす所存だ。全ての協働者に感謝する。

越谷直弘

追伸：「継承」は一般名詞なので日本語で書く場合は「センター」を付けましょう。

Fond memories come flooding back of the first Keisho planning meetings at coffee houses and around dining room tables where founding members were sharing thoughts, ideas and experiences while simultaneously trying to keep young children occupied. It was these gatherings that brought together a group of dedicated teachers, staff and volunteer families who envisioned a non-traditional approach to teaching heritage language and culture, and I feel fortunate to be part of this pioneer group committed to Keisho's mission.

Much has changed since Keisho's trial semester in spring of 2004. The first students enrolled are now young adults forging careers, the 'little ones' become the 'big kids' and there are always new young faces in their place. Along with the undokais, mochi tsukis and potlucks, Keisho grieved the losses of a founding member and a teacher, both beloved by our community. Every celebration and milestone are the result of trials, tribulations and 'lessons learned' that build Keisho's institutional foundation and character.

I am heartened by Keisho's continued growth while maintaining a nurturing environment for students and families. Teaching Japanese language and culture is the cornerstone of Keisho but appreciating each family's unique multicultural identity is what bonds this community. As my family is enriched by the friendships and lifelong memories created at Keisho, I am confident Keisho will be a place where not only knowledge of language is attained but love of culture is embraced and this will be Keisho's legacy.

I never set out to build an institution or establish a "heritage learning center." Keisho Center for me was a process that developed to meet a need; a need to that arose and then evolved when I married a Japanese woman, Ako, and we had a child, Rena. As a former English teacher, I feel the need to point out the intentional use of a passive voice rather than an active one in that previous sentence. The "process that developed" was not something I intentionally thought out and worked toward. I did not have a grand goal or vision. I had a child. And I was a former language teacher. I knew that language and identity are intertwined. I wanted to be sure that my daughter had a strong identity, a strong sense of self. That in turn required a deep, natural, what some would call 'native', understanding of the Japanese language.

I also knew that language and culture are one and the same. You cannot become well versed in one without really knowing the other. Konichiwa (こんにちは) requires a head bow; sumimasen (すみません) may require an even deeper bow for an apology or perhaps a slight bow with a smile for a show of gratitude or thanks. The meaning is in the context and the context is in the culture. So if I wanted my daughter to understand herself, she had to know and understand – and hopefully love and enjoy – both of her languages and cultures.

Ako and I started Rena in a Japanese toddler play group. That moved on to a pre-K, Sakura Yochien (さくら幼稚園) and then to Hoshuko (補習校) for elementary school. But the elementary school program was designed for students whose families planned to return to Japan and thus needed to keep up with the Japanese curriculum. There was a lot of homework required for first grade, more than I remembered doing as a high school student, and Rena was beginning to develop her own personality and interests. There just was not time for everything and it was becoming less fun to be Japanese.

It was then that Shigeru Tsubakitani and Andy Saidel approached Ako and myself about joining them to form a new program. In total, I think it was six families plus Akane Shirata who came together to talk, plan, design, and then implement what we eventually called Keisho Center (継承センター), the Washington Japanese Heritage Center. We chose 'keisho' to emphasize that we wanted our students connected to their heritage. We developed a format that would be less intense but facilitate learning by making it enjoyable and meaningful to our children's current environment. Each of us tapped into our specialties: Akane developed the curriculum, Shigeru brought his business sense, the Koshiyas added the traditional culture, and I helped formulate the school structure.

We incorporated with each family having one member on the board and loaning Keisho a few hundred dollars to start on. We obtained non-profit status, found classrooms we could rent on Saturday mornings, gathered our supplies, spread the word, and opened our pilot term fifteen years ago with 30 students, three teachers, and handful of parent volunteers. I cannot speak for the others, but it was not my intent to build an institution, to create a legacy that would continue to serve the community. But it is immensely pleasing to know that occurred and, after Rena, is probably my proudest achievement.

Keisho Center would like to express our sincere gratitude to our generous donors.

Coleman Family

Farrell Family

H.E. and Mrs. Fujisaki

Dr. Shoko Hamano

Japan Foundation Los Angeles

Japan Commerce Association of Washington

Komatsuzaki Family

Dr. and Mrs. Koshiya

Matsumura-Claxton Family

Dr. Edson Mori

Osawa Family

Dr. Jeff Schwartz

Ms. Mina Seat

Ms. Akane Shirata

Washington Tokyo Women's Club