Yokosuka U.S.-Japan Young Leaders Assembly: Intercultural Networking Opportunity

May 31, 2019 , 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm (UTC+9)

The Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies  (YCAPS) and JUMP hosted an event on Friday, May 31, 2019, on base in Yokosuka at the MWR Bowling Alley. A group of 17 midshipmen from the Japanese National Defense Academy (NDA) in Kannonzaki met with their Kinnick High School Navy Junior ROTC counterparts for a fun night of bowling. Only two of the cadets had ever visited the base before and several of the ROTC cadets had visited the NDA back in November.

17 midshipmen from Japan’s National Defense Academy attended the event.

A total of 48 students attended, with bilingual guests dispersed between groups to facilitate cultural and language exchange between the midshipmen and the ROTC cadets. Pizza, soda, and bowling helped frame a night of no pressure conversations and bonding. After two hours of play, the score to beat was 192 and the midshipmen had to catch a bus back home. YCAPS and JUMP were proud to host this event because the midshipmen at NDA live such similar lives to service members and students on base. Attending school, practicing sports, and thinking about career plans: law, politics, and cybersecurity. Cultural exchanges like this help build strong bonds and connections within the community and we hope to continue sponsoring events like this in the future.

For more information on the event, please check out the YCAPS event recap on their website.