I joined the group Japa Vietnam because a friend who, as myself, was assisting Vietnamese Boat people in Japan asked me to help. Japa Vietnam was starting to publish the first newsletter and I helped with its design. It was at the end of 1990 and the discussions centered not only on the content and the literary style of the publication, but also on the difficulties of having to deal with the political system of Vietnam. Japan did not have official diplomatic relations with Vietnam yet. On the other hand, the Vietnamese police have always looked with suspicion any contacts between the Vietnamese and foreigners and, no matter the small circulation of the newsletter we were planning; its content could create some difficult problems to our counterparts in Vietnam.

On the other hand, because of lack of enough available funds, we faced the dilemma of the impossibility of meeting so many demands. I hear that this situation still continues, in spite of the efforts of an increasing number of members. For the last 4 years I left my commitments with Japa Vietnam, but I might again return with a different way of getting involved with the group. I pray for the continuation of the activities during the next new 10 years.

I became secretary of Japa Vietnam in June 1992, a month after Ishimoto Akemi died. I had just become member of the group and since I had never visited Vietnam, people could have thought that such a NGO that selected me as secretary was not serious enough. I was still a student at the time and since I had never met Ishimoto it was easier for a person like myself to handle the business of the office. While I was updating the list of members and filing the different projects I found myself often against the wall. The high ideals of Mrs. Ishimoto conflicted with the handling of the projects and with a realistic planning that had to be presented at the staff meetings. Ishimoto was a charismatic person. Her vitality made her put into practice her idealism and, as a photographer, she could express her feelings about Vietnam. She was, by no means, an ordinary person.

In the reports and the planning of various projects I made, I stuck to numbers and official rates, and since I had never visited Vietnam I, often, felt my lack of warmth towards the Vietnamese issues. In any event, during my short period as secretary Japa Vietnam was able to receive some funds from ILBS and to establish the Akimi fund.