Notes from Japan • Connection, Community-Building and Reflection

I just returned from a wonderfully moving and memorable three-week visit to Japan. It was an honor to be invited back to Japan for a third time to offer workshops and reconnect with the colleagues I have built strong friendships with since my first trip 15 years ago.

Making new connections with passionate and thoughtful experiential facilitators and educators from across Japan was also inspiring. Thank you to Suzume Sugimura and the PAFUNN and PACE teams for this special opportunity, and to Sumiyo Shiina for being a fantastic translator.

Throughout the workshops, we explored the power of designing strong beginnings, starting with partner and small group dialogue, the importance of actively weaving reflection throughout experiences, and intentionally giving opportunities for voice, choice, and ownership in learning in group work. While I brought many ideas to share, the true highight was facilitating an environment for practitioners to network, connect, and learn with—and from—one another.

Engaging dialogue structures, supporting introverted participants, incorporating metaphoric and active reflection, and ending sessions on an optimistic note sparked lively discussion. To explore these practical strategies, including facilitating engaging dialogue, reflection, connection strategies, and facilitating with the introvert in mind, explore more of my blog. My colleagues at PAFUNN and a participant from the TAP Center at Tamagawa University— Yo Mitsukawa—both wrote articles about their takeaways from the workshop sessions (see links below).

Beyond the workshops themselves, preparing materials tailored for my Japanese audience was another highlight of my trip. Creating Japanese versions of my Quotable Cards and Conversation Starter Buttons to welcome participants was rewarding and fun.

During my first days traveling around Japan before the workshops I captured photos of various Japanese street signs to experiment with adding Japanese sign photos to my Everywhere-a-Sign Postcard kit. Seeing participants engage with the Japanese versions of my materials was especially meaningful, as it fostered a sense of creativity, collaboration, excitement, and new insights into cross-cultural perspectives.

We put a lot of love into making the button and quote adaptations. Shout out to Ryoji Fujikashi for helping me choose phrases, my friends Yasuko Parmenter, Tomo Seki, and Takako Miyaaki for helping me with translation, my fantastic graphic designer Johnny DiGeorge for bringing the designs to fruition, and my husband Paul, who spent HOURS making buttons before I left for Japan.

I so enjoyed seeing participants have fun connecting and reflecting with these! Since they were such a hit, I’m working on making them available in Japan.I have some Spanish versions too! For more info and suggestions for more cross-cultural connection ideas please email me at jen@experientialtools.com.

During my stay, I was grateful to spend time with friends and colleagues throughout Japan, revisit favorite spots, and discover new places and events. Thank you to everyone who showed such generous hospitality.

Signs of Fall were starting to appear during my final days in Japan. The maple leaf motif and maples or Kaede(楓) that I witnessed during my visit to beautiful Mt. Takao and throughout the design of the historic Yakuo-in Temple were striking—particularly to someone from Vermont, where maples are so much a part of our culture and identity.

With a history dating back over 1,300 years, Mt. Takao and its temples and shrines are a central place for both mountain recreation and spiritual practices of Shugendō. This Japanese tradition combines mountain asceticism with aspects of Shintoism and Buddhism.

Now I’m back in Vermont, where our maples are quickly turning to red and gold. I love that the symbolism of the maple leaf in autumn, across cultures, of beauty and change, and the ephemeral nature of life, carries so much meaning here and there.

Reflecting on autumn, the symbolism of change and renewal, and the cycle of seasons, I invite you to read my recent articles related to making the most of this time of year, when many programs and school years are still in the beginning phases. Check out the Inspired Educator blog and find practical ideas for embracing community building and fostering growth not only in the fall but all year long.

•PAFUNN article about the workshop sessions
•The TAP Center article by Yo Mitsukawa