On June 5, 2025, as part of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC) Summer Institute 2025, twelve students from the United States, along with faculty members and representatives from the U.S. and Japan offices of CULCON (the U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange), visited the Kodaira campus.

The program was structured in three parts: a social gathering, group discussions, and a campus tour, involving both local and international students. The student discussions centered on the theme of “insights and learnings gained through study abroad or travel,” and featured lively exchanges of ideas.

During the campus tour, participants viewed the folding screen painting Umeko Tsuda: Study Abroad in America by Tadashi Moriya, the hibaku-zakura (atomic-bombed cherry tree) and Anne’s Rose in the courtyard, Umeko Tsuda’s grave, and the dogwood tree donated by Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The tour concluded with a visit to the ongoing Wakana Yamauchi exhibition Contemplating Life at Tsuda Umeko Hall.

It was a meaningful opportunity to witness how the spirit of peace instilled by founder Umeko Tsuda continues to flourish at the Kodaira campus and is being passed down through generations. The program also served as a catalyst for fostering connections among students and inspiring greater interest in studying abroad.