{"id":21112,"date":"2024-08-21T12:10:54","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T19:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=21112"},"modified":"2024-08-29T15:36:48","modified_gmt":"2024-08-29T22:36:48","slug":"jon-kaji-family-endowment-supports-global-experiential-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/jon-kaji-family-endowment-supports-global-experiential-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Global impact of Japanese design is focus of USC Dornsife course, supported by new endowment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                                              \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_hero_2348x1350-768x432.jpeg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_hero_2348x1350-1920x1080.jpeg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_hero_2348x1350-1280x720.jpeg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_hero_2348x1350-768x432.jpeg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"A person with a microphone speaks to a group standing around a rock garden\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Jon Kaji (center) offers advice to students traveling to Japan during a reception celebrating the Kaji Family endowment in USC\u2019s commemorative Nisei Garden. (Photo: Justine Phan.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=dornsife-global\">Dornsife Global<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Global impact of Japanese design is focus of USC Dornsife course, supported by new endowment<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Local city councilman, businessman and USC Dornsife alumnus Jon Kaji and his siblings establish Bruce and Frances Kaji Family Endowed East Asian Studies Center (EASC) Fund.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Taline Rumaya<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">August 21, 2024<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 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<p>\u201cKeep your eyes, ears and especially your mouths open.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This was alumnus Jon Kaji\u2019s advice to the 16 USC undergraduates who were about to embark on a research excursion to Japan through the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/programs\/easc-360-global-east-asia\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Global East Asia Maymester program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With the support of a new endowment from the Kaji family, students spent two weeks in Tokyo examining the role of contemporary Japanese design in social engagement and transformation to inform their own research projects.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21114\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21114\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21114\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_a-413x550.jpg\" alt=\"People pose on a Japanese street with Tokyo Tower in the background.\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_a-413x550.jpg 413w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_a-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_a-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_a-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_a-1280x1707.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_a-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21114\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">USC Dornsife students visit Tokyo Tower during a Maymester to Japan this summer. (Photo: Grace Ryu.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Led by Miya Elise Desjardins, associate professor (teaching) of <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/ealc\/\">East Asian languages and cultures<\/a> and art history, students immersed themselves in Japanese culture through site visits to the Asakura Museum of Sculpture; Tokyo Tower, an iconic Japanese landmark; 21_21 Design Sight, a contemporary design museum; Ikebana Sogetsu, a leading school of Japanese flower arranging; and even cafes and public spaces.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe found design in everything,\u201d said Amy Wu. \u201cWe saw many elements of design that exist to serve the greater good, but many of us gravitated towards more subtle forms of design that exist in our everyday lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A themed entertainment major at the <a href=\"https:\/\/cinema.usc.edu\/\">USC School of Cinematic Arts<\/a>, Wu focused her research on how design could make the experience of waiting in line more interactive and enjoyable.<\/p>\n<p>Other students\u2019 projects included Lorenzo Hinojosa\u2019s photography series using <em>komorebi<\/em> (light filtered through trees), John Miranda\u2019s examination of street fashion, and Kira Sano\u2019s research on how different cultures use community engagement campaigns to make a more sustainable society.<\/p>\n<p>For Sano, who graduated for USC Dornsife in May with degrees <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/soci\/ngos-and-social-change\/\">in nongovernmental organizations and social change<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/environmental-studies\/\">environmental studies<\/a>, the work was part homecoming and part career-building.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a third-generation Japanese who has never been able to go to Japan, it was a privilege to have the chance to reconnect with my culture while studying it academically in my field,\u201d she said. \u201cThis course served as an incredible basis for understanding potential topics and to ground me in my career aspirations.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Kaji endowment honors the past, inspires the future<\/h2>\n<p>A businessman and councilman for the City of Torrance, Calif., Kaji studied abroad in Japan for a year while a USC Dornsife undergraduate and credits the experience for his professional success. \u201cIt entirely changed my life and the trajectory of my career to include business and academic activities in Asia,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>The L.A. native graduated from USC Dornsife in 1976 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in history and <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/\">East Asian studies<\/a>. He remains an active member of the USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association.<\/p>\n<p>Kaji and his siblings established the Bruce and Frances Kaji Family Endowed East Asian Studies Center (EASC) Fund this spring as a tribute to their parents, Bruce and Frances Kaji. The couple\u2019s history of activism includes a successful campaign to award posthumous degrees to Japanese American (Nisei) USC students whose studies were interrupted during World War II.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cTaking part in different cultures opens up our hearts and minds.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A survivor of the Manzanar incarceration camp, Bruce Kaji leveraged his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marshall.usc.edu\/departments\/leventhal-school-accounting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USC accounting<\/a> degree to establish the firm that brought Toyota to the American market, ushering in a new era of Japanese investment that bolstered the Japanese American community. He went on to co-found the Japanese American National Museum and advocate for the preservation of L.A.\u2019s Little Tokyo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor our family, education has always been a priority,\u201d says Jon Kaji. \u201cI feel that we have a responsibility to support others in our community to achieve their goals through higher education.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His hope is that by enabling students to experience the world beyond their classrooms, the Kaji Family Endowment will help build a generation of leaders with a global perspective.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTaking part in different cultures opens up our hearts and minds,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen students take on leadership positions in the future, they can make decisions based on these experiences and friendships.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Kaji endowment fosters global connections<\/h2>\n<p>Kaji&#8217;s aspirations have already been realized: The spirit of cross-cultural exchange served as a cornerstone of the Global East Asia Maymester program.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21115\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21115\" style=\"width: 350px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21115\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_b-500x270.jpg\" alt=\"Jon Kaji stands in front of a rock sculpture in USC\u2019s Nisei Garden\" width=\"350\" height=\"189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_b-500x270.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_b-1024x553.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_b-768x414.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_b-1536x829.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/jon-kaji_instory_b-2048x1105.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21115\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jon Kaji along with his siblings established an endowment at USC Dornsife in their parents\u2019 name. (Photo: Taline Rumaya.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Before leaving for Tokyo, students explored Los Angeles to study examples of the influence and adaptation of Japanese design, including Frank Lloyd Wright\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/hollyhockhouse.org\/\">Hollyhock House<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.makcenter.org\/schindler-house\">Schindler House<\/a> in Hollywood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTaking the time to appreciate the bits and pieces of Japanese culture throughout Los Angeles made me understand and appreciate all that Tokyo has to offer even more,\u201d said Hinojosa, who graduated from USC in May.<\/p>\n<p>What many students found most impactful, however, was connecting with host students at Tokyo\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meiji.ac.jp\/cip\/english\/\">Meiji University<\/a> throughout their time in Japan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur differences drove our desire to share more about ourselves in a completely unfiltered way that was devoid of judgment on both ends,\u201d Hinojosa said. \u201cI treasure the experience and hope these bonds will last a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Bruce and Frances Kaji Family Endowed EASC Fund will stand as a lasting tribute to the family\u2019s enduring commitment to education and community, Jon Kaji says.<\/p>\n<p>Now a senior member of his family, he hopes to instill these values in his daughters, nieces and nephews. \u201cWherever you are, make sure to commit not just to your own growth but also to those around you,\u201d he advises them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is the continuing legacy of the Kaji family\u2019s gift, not just to USC, but also to our greater community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    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Fund.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":21118,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,23,9,17],"tags":[177,1951,1236,186],"class_list":["post-21112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-arts-and-culture","category-dornsife-global","category-student","tag-east-asian-languages-and-cultures","tag-east-asian-studies-center","tag-japan","tag-maymester"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Global impact of Japanese design is focus of USC Dornsife course, supported by new endowment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"City councilman, businessman, USC Dornsife alumnus and his family establish Bruce and Frances Kaji Family Endowed East Asian Studies Center 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