Mr. Tomokazu Morikawa (K-12 category)
Dr. Fumie Kato (Post-secondary category)
Please join us congratulating this year’s AATJ Teacher Award recipients, Mr. Tomokazu Morioka of George Washington High School in San Francisco and Dr. Fumie Kato of University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The AATJ Teacher Awards recognize outstanding teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, advocacy, and leadership in Japanese education both locally and nationally. AATJ presented the awards to the winners at the AATJ Awards Luncheon during the ACTFL Annual Convention held in Boston on Saturday, November 19, 2016.
Tomokazu Morikawa, George Washington High School, San Francisco
Mr. Morikawa teaches all levels of Japanese language including AP Japanese. He has served as a World Language Department Head, School Site Council President, and Mentor Teacher in his district. He is a board member of local and regional professional organizations including the California Association of Japanese Language Teachers and has contributed to our field as a College Board AP Moderator. He is the recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award by the California Language Teachers’ Association and the San Francisco Mayor’s Teacher of the Year. Mr. Morikawa impresses everyone with his driving commitment to excellence, enthusiasm for student learning, and his deep love of teaching.
Dr. Fumie Kato, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Dr. Kato is an associate professor of Japanese Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has contributed to building a solid Japanese Studies Program by increasing the numbers of students and teachers, majors and minors, developing courses, and gaining approval of a “BA in Japanese Studies.” She is dedicated to student success, promotes study abroad in Japan, and establishes common goals with other teachers. For her boundless energy and unending dedication to the Japanese program she is referred as a “powerhouse” in her department. She was honored by the Ministry of Foreign Affair of Japan for outstanding achievement in promoting friendship between Japan and the U.S. in 2015.
