TUJ Student Selected for Prestigious Japan-America Student Conference

Yuika Ohtaki, a TUJ sophomore, was a delegate member of the 78th Japan-America Student Conference.

• TUJ student Yuika Ohtaki selected as a delegate to JASC 78
• Three-week conference fosters U.S.-Japan ties through cultural and academic exchange
• TUJ’s learning environment prepared Ohtaki for diverse perspectives and challenging discussions

Yuika Ohtaki, a sophomore majoring in International Affairs at Temple University Japan (TUJ), was selected as a delegate to the Japan-America Student Conference (JASC). The longstanding educational program brings together university students from Japan and the United States to foster mutual understanding and strengthen ties between the two countries. Through discussions of complex issues, delegates learn to navigate differing viewpoints and broaden their perspectives without necessarily having to reach agreement.

As a member of the 78th Japan-America Student Conference (JASC 78), Ohtaki traveled to San Francisco, Nashville, and Washington, D.C., for a three-week program this summer. During the conference, she visited companies and organizations, including Google, Bridgestone Americas and the Nashville Metropolitan Council.

Having grown up in both the United States and Japan, Ohtaki hoped to deepen her understanding of the relationship between the two countries. Her international background and experience at TUJ helped her adapt quickly and play an instrumental role in building cultural understanding throughout the program. She participated in workshops and conferences, engaging closely with fellow delegates from universities across the U.S. and Japan.

“I think the global environment that TUJ offers really helped me,” Ohtaki said in an interview. “There are so many people with different perspectives, and sometimes they’re not perspectives that you agree with. And because Temple is so diverse, with so many students from all over the world, I think that very global environment helped me to be able to handle some debates and more difficult discussions during JASC.”

Founded in 1934, JASC is the oldest student-led exchange program of its kind. With a history spanning more than 90 years, JASC has welcomed participants who have gone on to become government officials, diplomats, and business leaders.

 The conference is entirely organized and run by students. Each year, the student-led executive committee plans the conference, selects its themes and leads its activities, creating a hands-on, challenging and globally relevant experience that helps participants develop practical skills valued by future employers.

Ohtaki had lived in the U.S. for eight years and was more familiar with American culture, history and other aspects of American society than with Japan culture and society. Still, her participation in JASC gave her an opportunity to reflect more deeply on her roots as a Japanese person.

“It was important to experience moments when we had to discuss difficult topics at JASC, but the important thing is to build mutual understanding as we all have different values,” Ohtaki said. “It’s important to learn from others and appreciate their perspectives, but it’s also vital to understand your own country in order to resolve issues.”

Following her experience at JASC, Ohtaki is determined to deepen her academic knowledge of U.S.-Japan relations as she pursues her degree in International Affairs at TUJ. “In the past, I was focused on advancing my studies in areas such as in American politics, putting more focus on the U.S. because I thought of myself as being more American. But having attended a Japanese campus, I now think I need to deepen my studies in both countries, especially since I have Japanese nationality and Japanese parents.”

Ohtaki plans to complete her degree at TUJ in one more year. She will also continue serving as a JASC committee member, helping to recruit participants for next year’s conference, JASC 79. “I’m also planning to start a career in Japan after graduating from TUJ,” she said. “In order to do so, I also have to further my studies of Japan.”

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