Dear JASM family and friends, In the past two weeks, we have witnessed the troubling stories and images surrounding the death of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis. These events have brought racism and discrimination to the forefront of public consciousness. First, Japan America Society of Minnesota would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere condolences to the Floyd family.  Second, our mission at JASM is to build bridges between the peoples of Japan and Minnesota to further mutual respect and understanding. JASM condemns discrimination in any form, and we will continue to promote cross-cultural appreciation within our community. Finally, numerous local businesses have been affected by the protests in the wake of Mr. Floyd’s death, and we urge you, if you are able, to assist with the reconstruction efforts underway, especially in the South Minneapolis and Midway neighborhoods. We will be doing what we can to help our neighbors to heal, to rebuild, and, eventually, to flourish. Elizabeth Fehrmann, JASM President Rio Saito, JASM Executive Director

Dear JASM community:

In light of the continuing disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I wanted to reach out to you to detail JASM’s response to date, as well as share some thoughts on what will be done going forward.

Thus far, we have taken the following steps to keep you safe and informed:

• We have decided to postpone all in-person events (e.g., the March 26 Corporate Roundtable). However, we remain committed to supporting our J-Quiz Level II-IV winners in their preparations for remotely participating in this year’s Japan Bowl.
• We prioritized the safety of our office staff and interns; the office is closed for all but emergency access by our Executive Director, Rio Saito, and we moved all our meetings to virtual settings. While our office remains closed, our staff and volunteers continue their work on our upcoming programming and activities.
• The JASM board held an emergency meeting last week and appointed a crisis team consisting of myself, Executive Director Rio Saito, Treasurer Yoko Torigoe, and Board member Bob Luck, in close collaboration with Program Manager Yoko Ueno. This team will move quickly as needed to address developing issues, while keeping the full Board informed.  Look for more important communications from us as we adjust and adapt to the evolving pandemic environment.

Our mission has not changed: we strive to promote mutual understanding and friendship between Japanese and US citizens and further an appreciation of cultural, educational, economic, public, and other affairs of interest to both peoples. Our goals for the next few months will be identifying and implementing new ways to connect with you, and ways for you to connect with one another. For now, find and follow JASM on any of these platforms for the latest on our activities:

JASM website 

Facebook

Instagram 

Twitter 

Lastly, as a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on you, our members, for support on many levels, including [your time] and financially. The JASM board and staff have conducted a review of our assets, and because of your generosity, we have sufficient resources to operate for the next 2-3 months. However, this pandemic introduces new difficulties for all of us, and we will need your continued support in the upcoming months to weather the storm. Late last year, we introduced an online membership management system that allows members and supporters to renew their memberships and make online donations. No need to lick stamps! If you are able, please consider helping JASM in one or more of the following ways:

• Join JASM. If you have not yet joined JASM, or your membership expired over a year ago, log in and join now!
• Renew or extend your membership. This is the fastest and easiest way to stay connected and active and ready to jump back in as soon as our in-person programming resumes!
• Invest in the JASM community with a direct donation. No donation is too small; every little bit helps!

Thank you all for your continued engagement. Please stay safe!

 Regards,                                                                                                                       Elizabeth Fehrmann                                                                                                     JASM President

We recently added a number of enhancements to our web site. The content of the site has not changed, but visitors can now log in with a unique username and password.  Once logged in, you can update your profile and preferences, join JASM or renew your membership, sign up and pay for events or donate to JASM via a secure system.  Back copies of the Tsushin will be online, and the current version of the Tsushin will be readable straight from your screen—no need to download it.  Members will be able to access an online membership directory, and to take advantage of member-only events.  All visitors, even those who do not log in, will be able to browse our web site to learn about events and programs, and will find links to our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn feeds.

Here are instructions to access and log into the new web site:

1. Go to the JASM web site:  http://www.mn-japan.org

2. Click on <Log in> on the upper right of the screen:

3. Type in your email address in the email box and click <Forgot password>

4. A box will appear, asking you to retype your email address, enter a Captcha code, and then click <SUBMIT>

5. After clicking the <SUBMIT> button, you should see the following:

6. Check your email inbox and you should see a link that allows you reset your password.  Click the link, reset your password, and then log in.  Now you should see your name in the upper right hand corner: 

7. Click on your name, and you will see a menu that allows you to log out, change your password, or view your profile.  Click on <View profile> and you will be able to review and edit your information. 

Feel free to explore the site, and sign up for events!  An article will be coming out in this month's Tsushin, explaining more about the web site.  We are planning more upgrades in the coming months to improve functionality and design.  If you have any questions, please call our office, or email us at mailto:jasm@us-japan.org