Epilogue
The editorial team has been filled with pure excitement and joy throughout the process of
publishing Heart of Japan. It not only commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the Japan Center Essay
Competition, but also helps us share the vibrant unique essays with a much wider audience. Nonetheless,
the editing process of this collection involved numerous time-consuming tasks. Seemingly simple tasks
such as selecting a title and a cover design required multiple trials and thought processes. We came up with
many possible titles including Thoughts on Japan, Perspectives, Horizon, Visions, Connections, and
Friendship. However, we eventually chose Heart of Japan. It is somewhat vague, but is inclusive enough
to warmly represent a variety of thoughts young authors developed in connection with Japan. Similarly, we
were offered with several ready-made professionally designed book covers featuring cherry blossoms.

Although aesthetically pleasing, none of them emotionally appealed to us. Eventually, we decided to take
photos of cherry blossoms by ourselves in front of the Charles B. Wang Center. It indeed made perfect
sense because the Wang Center is the very place where the authors of the essays in this collection were
formally recognized, year after year, during cherry blossom season. Nevertheless, arriving at our final
cover photo was not an easy task. We did shoots on different days, at different times, from different angles
and with different compositions while watching the weather forecast and the cherry blossoms’ development
literally every day. Such determined efforts were obviously the reflection of our passion toward this essay
competition and indeed represent our heart toward the young authors of the essays included in this
collection. This essay competition has been the highlight of the Japan Center’s outreach efforts since its
inauguration in 2005. Our aim is to encourage young American authors to think outside the box and find a
connection to Japan, a culturally distinct country. Although we evaluated essays based on a set rubric,
originality was ultimately what we were looking for. The essays submitted during these first 10 years
remain in our memory. We still talk about the very first award-winning essay written by Nora Micheva,
who discovered the transience of life through the hardships of her artist friend in Kyoto. Some authors
shared how they achieved their goals by adopting Japanese concepts. Michael Cohen completed his long
bicycle trip across the country, adopting the spirit of Zen. Molly Baum overcame physical difficulties due
to her handicap, adopting the spirit of gaman (endurance). Some authors sent an impactful message through
their essays. Jessica Goldman was determined to condemn discrimination and hatred, inspired by an
encounter with a Japanese man who spoke with Anne Frank’s father decades ago. Duke Ataley and Emily
Linko showed their respect to the brave unnamed rescue workers in Fukushima, who put the welfare of
their nation above their own health, after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan in 2011. Charles Beers
encouraged the victims of Hurricane Sandy to learn from the experience of those earthquake victims in
Japan. Some Japanese American authors revealed their family stories. Yumiko Siev shared the heroic role
her grandmother played in helping an aged former American soldier return a sword to its Japanese owner,
decades after their armies fought during World War II. Shelby Lin proved the emotional impact of not
knowing one’s heritage language, stating, “I felt regret in my chest each time I heard Japanese being
spoken, but most especially when it came from my mother’s mouth.”
We believe that writing is undoubtedly the pathway to developing ideas and sharing them with a
wider audience. We also believe that the juxtaposition of different cultures and values can produce positive
energy through the process of writing. The authors of the essays in this collection validated these
convictions. Their young spirit, genuine emotion and fresh ideas deeply touched our hearts and will also
continue to do so for the future readers of this collection.

I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the editorial team members, Dr. Iwao Ojima,
Ms. Yoko Ojima, and Ms. Patricia Marinaccio. Special thanks go to Ms. Yvette Vetro, a student of Japanese
at Stony Brook University, for taking the photo of cherry blossoms for the cover of this book with Ms. Yoko
Ojima and me. The assistance provided by Ms. Kanako Nozawa at the Consulate General of Japan in New
York and Ms. Dawn Shields at Canon U.S.A. for this publication was also very much appreciated.

Eriko Sato
Editor-in-Chief 140