Program Description

The purpose of this summit is to provide a comfortable environment in which Japanese and American citizens spend time together discussing topics of mutual interest. This is done in the hope of increasing friendship and cultural understanding. To accomplish this, the John Manjiro-Whitfield Commemorative Center for International Exchange has designed a program that has proven year after year to establish and nurture relations between these two countries. Here’s how the summit works.

Each year, members of The Manjiro Society and other interested parties are invited to attend a grassroots cultural exchange called the Japan-America Grassroots Summit. Summit locations alternate between Japan and the U.S. each year. Participants are given a list of the “local exchange sessions” offered for that year’s program before the summit begins. Examples of programs offered this year include; organic farming, diversity in education, small business development, outdoor recreation and the environment, and performing and visual arts.

This year’s program hosted by Atlanta will begin for the Japanese on Thursday, November 12. They will tour the city and do some shopping on Friday while waiting for the American participants to arrive. That evening, there will be an Opening Ceremony complete with welcoming speeches from high level officials, lively entertainment, and plenty of food and drink.

The next day, buses will pick up participants at area hotels and bring them to the different local exchange sessions which will primarily take place in towns within an hour and a half drive from Atlanta. Hosting the sessions in area towns allows our Japanese visitors the opportunity to see more than just the city. Most of these session groups will have approximately 30 participants. After the first day of the session, Japanese visitors will stay in local area homes. The homestay experience is a very important part of this program. It gives our foreign guests an opportunity to see what a day in the life of an American is like. The American participants will take a comfortable bus ride back to their hotel in Atlanta.

The next day, homestay hosts bring their Japanese guests back to the local exchange session location for the second day of the exchange program while the Americans arrive by bus from Atlanta. The Japanese enjoy a second night of homestay that night and the Americans go back to Atlanta for an open evening.

The following day, everyone returns to Atlanta for the farewell party that will take place on Monday evening, November 16. The festive party will include bar-b-que, music, dancing and many sad good-byes.