The California Japanese Language Teacher of the Year Award recognizes and celebrates exceptional teachers who exemplify teaching excellence, continuous learning through professional development, leadership, and advocacy for Japanese language education. A representative is chosen for each of the two categories: K-12 level & College level.
K-12: Atsuko Kiuchi (Elk Grove High School)
Notable Achievements
・Serving for CAJLT for more than 10 years
・Organizing event for students and teachers locally and statewide
・Compass Japanese Intermediate: Interactive Workbook and Resource Book (2022) Kuroshio Publisher
・Just being herself everyday 😊
Kiuchi sensei’s thank you message video
College Level: Masahiko Minami (San Francisco State University)
Notable Achievements
・Mentorship and Academic Guidance: Supervised Master’s theses and research projects at SF State University.
・Editorial Leadership: Serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Japanese Linguistics since 2013.
・Community Engagement: Organizing and judging annual Japanese speech contests since 2003.
・JLPT Coordination: Serving as the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) SF Testing Site Coordinator since 2003.
Minami sensei’s thank you message video
California Association of Japanese Language Teachers 