Japan Institute for National Fundamentals

The Second [Terada Mari Japan Study Award]

The works of Recipients of Terada Mari Japan Study Award

Remarks on the selection of award recipients

For starters, allow me to refer to my “above-average” interest in the life of sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) thanks particularly to two friends of mine. One of them is Sakuya Fujiwara, a former deputy governor of the Bank of Japan and a longtime friend of mine. When Fujiwara was with Jiji Press, I read a book he gave me in the latter half of the 1980s. He co-authored the book, titled “Ri Koran: Watashi no Hansei” (Half My Life as Li Hsiang Lan), with Yoshiko Yamaguchi, the wife of Isamu Noguchi. Yamaguchi had been popular under the Chinese screen name of Li Hsiang Lan before and during World War II. As for Isamu Noguchi, Japanese author Masayo Duus in 2000 published a book titled “Isamu Noguchi—Shukumei no Ekkyosha,” which was translated into English later as “The Life of Isamu Noguchi: Journey Without Borders.” The author’s younger brother, Shohei Umezawa, a former professor at Shobi University, who is another longtime friend of mine. By the way, to be honest, I have not read through his sister’s book yet.

“Leonie Gilmour: When East Weds West” (Santa Barbara: Botchan Books) authored by Edward Marx—whose Japanese version “Reoni Girumoa: Isamu Noguchi no Haha no Shogai” was published by Sairyusha—sufficiently satisfied my curiosity. As I read this book, I thought Leonie (1873-1933) exemplified a typical American woman who would be intelligent and make a decision on her own at each key phase of her life. She studied at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, whose entrance exam was said to be harder than Harvard’s. Actually, to pass the exam, she had to translate at least three of four foreign language sentences on site. The exam also included an essay test that required her to tell what made John Milton’s masque “Comus” outstanding--the narrativity, the characterization or the beauty of its linguistic presentation. Furthermore, for the history test, she had to choose one of the three subjects—ancient history, British history and American history. Among her seniors at Bryn Mawr College was Umeko Tsuda who founded Tsuda College in Tokyo.

Leonie was recruited by Japanese poet Yonejiro Noguchi, who happened to be in the United States, to edit his English poems. Then, they fell in love and Isamu was born. As anti-Japanese campaigns emerged in American society even before the Russo-Japanese War, Leonie raising a Japanese American child had to cope with harsh circumstances. While Noguchi subsequently had affairs with another woman, Leonie, had relations with another Japanese man in Japan and gave birth to a girl, Ailes, whom she raised, alongside Isamu, as a single mother. Leonie was so keen to let Isamu become an artist that she sent Isamu back to the United States to receive education in her mother country. She also wanted Ailes to receive American education. So, she later returned to the United States with the daughter.

In his book, Mr. Marx traces the American lady’s life in detail—from birth to death. It is based on a huge amount of letters—and essays—written by Leonie and those sent to her from relatives, teachers, Yonejiro, her children, among others. In the book, Leonie Gilmour is depicted as a woman who was always honest to herself whether she was in the United States or Japan while Yonejiro and Isamu became so famous in their respective genres. The scholarly way of tracing Leonie’s life by Mr. Marx can be praised as a sociological approach. As such, he deserves to receive this year’s Japan Study Award.

By Tadae Takubo
Vice President of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals
Japan Study Award Jury

David Hanlon "Making Micronesia : a political biography of Tosiwo Nakayama"

On May 10, 1979, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) became independent with Tosiwo Nakayama inaugurated as its first president. The FSM, comprising Chuuk (formerly Truk), Yap, Pohnpei and Kosrae, occupies a vast area in the Western Pacific. The award-winning book analyzes the past, present and future aspects of Micronesia while focusing on Tosiwo Nakayama. He was born to a Japanese father, Masami Nakayama, and a native mother in Namonuito Atoll, 246 kilometers northwest of the Chuuk Islands, on November 23, 1931. He died on March 29, 2007.

The FSM joined the United Nations in 1991.

Needless to say, the area was administered by Japan under the League of Nations mandate for a period from1920 to 1945, following colonial rule by Spain and then Germany. During World War II, it became the site of a hard fought battle.

The book scrutinizes how the area was administered before and after the League of Nations granted Japan the South Pacific Mandate and analyses the post-WWII developments under the United Nations trusteeship with the United States assuming the role of the trustee. It depicts how a number of Japanese Micronesians—Tosiwo Nakayama in particular—led so many islands with different interests to close ranks for realizing the independence of Micronesia. Indeed, this is a rigorous scholarly book.

By Katsuhiko Takaike
Vice President of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals
Japan Study Award Jury

Professor David Hanlon of the University of Hawaii who received the Japan Study Encouragement Award 2015 contributed a special article as follows entitled:” Tosiwo Nakayama, Micronesia and Japan.”
>>Click here

Award Jury

Award Recommendation Committee