The Ties That Bond UCLA and the Japan Alumni Association

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n March 31, Chancellor Gene Block, Mrs. Carol Block and a small UCLA leadership delegation visited Tokyo for the Japan Alumni Association’s Westwood Reunion 2023. Like so many alumni events around the globe that unite Bruins, this one was not out of the ordinary with its cocktail reception, plated dinner and speeches. After all, this celebration has been an annual affair since 2016, but interrupted for the last three years due to the pandemic. And yet, this night was special for that very reason. With COVID restrictions recently lifted in Japan, the longest running international alumni network had once again assembled nearly 150 Japanese Bruins to reunite, reenergize and reaffirm its deep connections to UCLA.

Founded in 1975, the UCLA Japan Alumni Association is the largest and oldest alumni network outside of the U.S.  Its first president, Yuji Tsutsumi ʼ65, established the Japanese branch at the request of then UCLA Chancellor Charles Young. Today, Japan is home to nearly 2,000 Bruins and the Japan Alumni Association has nearly 200 active members that span generations.

Their activities also span their members’ multitude of interests. Each fall they participate in New Student Send-offs for incoming Japanese UCLA students, and in the spring, they hold Hanami celebrations to view the blooming cherry blossoms. Their Young Alumni Network has hosted New Year’s mixers and career networking events, and the network helped with the beautification of Yumenoshima Marina for Volunteer Day 2022. In 2019, several lectures in Tokyo featured UCLA faculty and administrators who spoke on subjects ranging from physics and astronomy, to the healthcare industry to innovation and technology. These ties to the campus are built, sustained and reinforced by the Japan Alumni Association’s signature event.

Held at the luxurious Palace Hotel in Tokyo, the Westwood Reunion is the largest gathering of Bruins overseas. This was the first in-person dinner to be held since the pandemic, which added another layer of excitement to the event. The Association’s current president, Tomohiro Toyhama, L.L.M. ʼ84, started the tradition when he took office in 2016. He said, “I wanted a gathering where young people and old people in Japan can get together over a seated, plated dinner.” He acknowledged the difficulty in accessing and reaching the Bruin community in Japan, due to their lack of contact info. For him, this annual gathering, especially given its size, was a great way to reconnect with one another, to get the momentum going for future activities and having the UCLA Chancellor attend was always a good draw for their members.  

Along with Tohyama, other speakers at the reunion included Chancellor Block; Hitoshi Abe, director of the UCLA Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies; Keith Terasaki ʼ77, M.D. ʼ83, chairman of the Terasaki Family Foundation; and Riki Kojima, MBA ʼ92, president of the Anderson Alumni Network: Japan Chapter. Abe spoke about the Terasaki Center and its role in supporting students and faculty studying about Japan. He’s always looking for ways to collaborate and strengthen the ties between the two organizations, with the Terasaki Center serving as the bridge for communications and resources. He said, “For instance, if we wanted to do a life science event, there may be people in the Japan Alumni Association who work in that industry or have connections to potential hosts for such an event. Of course, financial support can also happen, but more importantly, it’s the connection and knowledge they have that is the most valuable resource.” He mentioned that there were key members of the Japan Alumni Association who also serve on the Terasaki Institute’s Advisory Board, which is another platform for ongoing dialogue. “The Institute,” he said, “is a way to enhance the community we have in Japan.”

Dr. Terasaki, who chairs the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies Advisory Board, is the son of the late Paul Terasaki ʼ50, M.A. ʼ52, Ph.D. ʼ56, a pioneer in the field of organ transplant medicine. Paul established the Terasaki Family Foundation which helps fund the Center for Japanese Studies and many other programs and research that benefit the Japanese community and society as a whole. Dr. Terasaki spoke at the reunion about his family, his commitment to UCLA and to the Japanese community in both countries. These were the same three things his father was most passionate about. He also expressed his amazement at this type of gathering of Japanese Bruins. Both Paul and Keith Terasaki are recipients of UCLA’s highest honor for alumni, the Edward A. Dickson Alumnus of the Year Award, with the father having received it in 2011, and the son to receive it this coming May.

The purpose of this meeting was to reestablish the strong and longstanding connections between UCLA and the Japan Alumni Association, as well as reunite Japanese Bruins. After a long hiatus from in-person gatherings and the loss of their passionate and active vice president Kenji Yokouchi in 2019, Tohyama acknowledged they still have a ways to go to get the “locomotive going” when it comes to their Association’s activities. From gathering alumni contact info to reorganizing their Office of the Secretary to finding successors to lead the community, he is optimistic about the future and hopes that one day they’ll be able to attract 500 to 1,000 Japanese alumni to this event. With support from UCLA and the Japanese American community in Los Angeles, the Japan Alumni Association is poised and ready to blossom into a new season.  

For more information, or to get involved with the Japan Alumni Association, visit their website or join their Facebook group.

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