Randolph-Macon College hosted a near-capacity crowd for the Taylor Anderson/Japan Foundation Lecture, “Postscripts from Japan: Stories that Endure After the Earthquake and Tsunami,” on Sunday, March 11, 2012 in Blackwell Auditorium, RMC Center for the Performing Arts. This lecture commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, which took the life of RMC alumna Taylor Anderson ’08.

Please enjoy a slideshow by clicking on lecture.

Andy and Jeanne Anderson, Taylor’s parents, attended the lecture. Andy Anderson shared an update on the Taylor Anderson Memorial Fund, which they created to help connect people as they recover from the tsunami. This fund is also supporting the Taylor Anderson Reading Corners, or Taylor Bunko as they are called, in the seven schools in Ishinomaki where she taught English as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program. “We knew she wanted to be a bridge between Japan and the U.S.,” said Anderson. “We aim to keep Taylor’s dream alive.”

Japanese Ambassador to the United States Ichiro Fujisaki delivered brief remarks and shared with the audience that although Japan is still struggling, they are on the road to recovery. “We are aiming not just to restore, but to recover and be a more resilient Japan. We are in a renaissance,” said Fujisaki.

The keynote speaker for the lecture was National Public Radio (NPR) correspondent Yuki Noguchi. She shared stories from her time in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami which she could not cover on the news. She also spoke about the resilience of the survivors, their ability to find humor and give tokens of appreciation to volunteers and journalists even in their time of need. “I saw the capacity of young people to become civic minded,” said Noguchi. “This was a galvanizing emergency. Young people organized clothing drives and collected goods from people who still had goods to donate.”

The Taylor Anderson/Japan Foundation lecture was made possible through a generous grant from The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, entitled “Honoring the Life , Work and Good Spirit of Taylor Anderson—Enhancing Japanese Studies at Randolph-Macon College.” The purpose of this grant is to create further awareness, understanding and appreciation of the Japanese culture and cultivate meaningful and lasting relationships with each country. Japan Foundation director Kazuaki Kubo and his wife attended the program. Special guests also included Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Marla Graff Decker, Virginia Secretary of Trade and Commerce Jim Cheng, Ambassador John Malott, President of the Japan-American Society of Washington, D.C., and Maurice Maloney, President of the JET Alumni Association of Washington.

In addition, 28 Japanese students with the Knowledge Investment Program (KIP), hosted by the U.S. Japan Council, attended the lecture to commemorate the anniversary. Student participants included those both directly affected by the March 11, 2011 earthquake, in the Tohoku region, and those dedicated to Japan’s post-disaster recovery from other parts of the country.

The Japan Foundation

The Taylor Anderson/Japan Foundation lecture is sponsored through the generosity of The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership grant, entitled “Honoring the Life, Work, and Good Spirit of Taylor Anderson- Enhancing Japanese Studies at Randolph-Macon College.” In 2011, Randolph-Macon College received the grant to strengthen Japanese Studies, a part of the college’s Asian Studies program. The grant will help the College reach its goal of increasing course offerings in Japanese language and culture and allow students to travel to Japan as part of their studies. The college received $100,000 for this academic year with the anticipation of receiving additional funds during the five-year duration of the grant.

Taylor Anderson ’08

Taylor Anderson, who had a lifelong love of Japan, graduated from Randolph-Macon College in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and minors in Asian Studies and Political Science. She joined The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program and was assigned to teach in Ishinomaki, Japan. The JET program is one of the world’s largest exchange programs and is aimed at developing strong international relationships between Japan and other nations.

Taylor Anderson Documentary

Producer/Director Regge Life is currently producing a documentary about the inspiring life story of Taylor Anderson and her passion and zest for the people of Ishinomaki, Japan. Life is seeking additional support to finish the film which he hopes will provide encouragement and opportunities for young people, in both Japan and the United States, to look beyond the boundaries of their community.

To learn more about the documentary and pledge your support, click on www.kickstarter.com.