Over the past 50 years since the establishment of the Japan Foundation Awards, you have communicated about Japanese culture throughout the world and engaged many people around the world in cultural-exchange activities with Japan! From many countries, and to many countries! You have spread the circle of humanity.
I am truly grateful that I myself was also able to serve as part of those activities.
Today, Japanese-language education is spreading throughout the world. I have carried out activities in various countries to present Rakugo to Japanese learners in the hope that it might be used as a teaching materials for Japanese-language education. In the beginning, I would perform Rakugo as an example of Japanese culture, but, as I did so, the students developed an interest in making others laugh using Japanese. Believing it would be of benefit to study Japanese expressions through the practice of Rakugo, I began experimenting with the idea of having students perform simple and short Rakugo stories, and they responded enthusiastically, even going so far as to produce Rakugo stories based on the folk tales of their own countries, spreading the practice of performing in the Japanese language. I soon realized that my position was changing to that of the audience enjoying the performances, and I realized how enjoyable it was to connect with people through the Japanese language.
Together, we searched for different ways to express the stories, and presented them to other learners and the general public.
This was only possible with the generous support of the many staff members of the Japan Foundation in each country.
With many such performances held at U.S. universities, the parents of some students would come and speak after seeing a performance and express their understanding of their child’s Japanese studies, realizing the value of what they were learning.
After the performances everywhere, everyone come and talk to me about various things, and I still value to this day the words of a student who came to me and said, “Thank you for today’s wonderful performance. If everyone could only learn of other people's culture and understand the people of each country, there would be no war!”

YANAGIYA Sankyo

(Original text in Japanese)

The Japan Foundation Awards (2014): Profile