Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Anthropology Theses Department of Anthropology 5-7-2016 Inaka ga Kokoro ni Fureru: The Practices and Parlance of Cultural Exchange in the Japan-America Grassroots Summit Gary Walsh Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/anthro_theses Recommended Citation Walsh, Gary, "Inaka ga Kokoro ni Fureru: The Practices and Parlance of Cultural Exchange in the Japan- America Grassroots Summit." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2016. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/anthro_theses/105 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Anthropology at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. INAKA GA KOKORO NI FURERU: THE PRACTICES AND PARLANCE OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN THE JAPAN-AMERICA GRASSROOTS SUMMIT by GARY LAMAR WALSH JR. Under the Direction of Dr. Faidra Papavasiliou ABSTRACT This thesis is an examination of the John Manjiro-Whitfield Commemorative Center for International Exchange (CIE) and its sole undertaking the annual Japan-America Grassroots Summit. The CIE’s goal is to foster greater mutual understanding between Japanese and American citizens through what it terms grassroots exchange. To achieve this, the CIE aids in organizing a weeklong cultural exchange program held alternately in the United States and Japan complete with a three-night homestay. As a participant-observer in the 25th Annual Grassroots Summit held in Japan, I address the underlying influences shaping this cultural exchange program and limits to achieving its goals.