The AATJ Lifetime Achievement Awards honor members of AATJ who have demonstrated a lifetime of achievement in Japanese education at the national and international level.
Kazuo Tsuda
For more than four decades Kazuo Tsuda has inspired students from around the United States and the world as the lead teacher of Japanese language at the United National International School (UNIS) in New York City.
As the author of a series of innovative textbooks, the president of the Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese (NECTJ), a champion of standards-based language education, and a proponent of cultural diversity in the communities where he lives and works, he has been an ambassador for Japanese language and culture in the United States.
His mentorship and example, as well as his boundless energy, have inspired several generations of Japanese language educators.
AATJ honors Tsuda-sensei with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Kazuo Tsuda Sensei on February 18, 2025. As a lead Japanese language teacher at the United Nations International School, the president of the Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese (NECTJ), and recipient of the 2022 AATJ Lifetime Achievement Award, Tsuda Sensei made invaluable contributions to Japanese language education. We are deeply grateful for his remarkable achievements and lasting impact. With the utmost respect, we extend our heartfelt condolences and offer our sincere prayers for his peaceful rest.
