Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the I-House

A special lecture and reception commemorating the 50th anniversary of the International House of Japan were held on Friday, July 7, 2006.

Special Lecture/The First I-House Academy
" Japan's Gateway to the World-What the I-House Can Do"

Some 165 members filled the new hall and listened attentively to a lecture entitled "Japan's Gateway to the World: What the I-House Can Do" by Dr. Sadako Ogata, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Dr. Ogata traced the history and track record of the House and made some suggestions as to where the House should go in the future. The lecture also marked the first meeting of the I-House Academy.

A summary of the lecture will be posted on this website soon.

Special Reception

Following the Lecture, a special reception was held, inviting members of the I-House Community. Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress paid their first formal visit to the House and participated in the reception. They viewed photos from the exhibition "The International House of Japan and Cross-Cultural Exchange, 1952-2006: A Retrospective" (held till August 31, 2006) with interest and then came into the reception venue to exchange a few words with many of the 190 or so participants. The Imperial couple listened to their greetings for some forty minutes, ever cordial and smiling.