| YEAR | ACTIVITIES |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Misato Ito, who was an executive director of Minato UNESCO Association and was a member of College Women's Association In Japan, planned and started to consult life of foreigners living in Japan and managing Japanese language classes with another two intersted person, renting the public institutions. |
| 1983 | IWC (International Women's Club) was founded as a volunteer organaization. The office was in Misato Ito's house.
We had Japanese language classes and various events such as watching Kabuki, cooking school, kimono fashion shows and bon dance mainly using the public institutions in Minato-ku so that foreign women could know the affairs in Japan. We believed that such events and classes could let us know their countries as well and understand each other. On the other hand, we took charge of foreign people consultation window at Minato Ward Office. |
| 1986 | Misato Ito's family moved to Shinagaka-ku from Minato-ku. They lended their 20-mat room and 6-mat room on the 1st floor to IWC Center for free. We expanded the secretariat and started Japanese Language Classes for foreign people who brought their children with them. We gradually moved our headquarters to Shinagawa. |
| 1989 | Our headquarters completely moved to Shinagawa. We sent the members to foreign people consultation window at Shinagawa Ward Office and took charge of cooperation to the ward administration and non-profit corporation, Shinagawa International Friendship Association. The activities were such as sending teachers to Japanese language classes, publishing information magazines written in English, sending translators, managing Countries Introducing Day and so on. We have expanded grass-roots movement that the ward administration could not care. |
| 1990 | We have insisted that foreign student living in Japan need to have Japanese language classes when they enter Japanese elementary / junior high schools. Finally we started JSL (Japanese as a Second Language) at Tachiai Elementary School and in Gotanda Culture Center on every satuday afternoon. It was held by the Board Of Education and IWC.
IWC's activities was broadcasted by TBS titled "Grass-roots International Exchanges". Also the PR video of the Ministry of Finance, "Society In Which We Help Each Other" adopted our activities as a main content. Misato Ito took office in the Shinagawa Ward Board of Education in April (the terms of office wa till March of 1998). |
| 1992 | Misato Ito and her husband Seichi Ito planned to establish IAC (International Awareness Circle) for workers and students.
Men, workers and students are hard to take part in IWC because of its name and the time. So we had been asked to found anothrer organization that men could join. On the other hand IWC started Language School that was held from Monday to Friday. |
| 1993 | IAC was founded. The first presidents were Woo Vikee and Kiichi Koshigiri and the office manager was Kuniko Koasa. Then Seichi Ito joined as an office clerk.
The IWC presidents hold the post of an IAC managing committee member as well. IWC started SSA (School Study Assistance), classes for children who can already speak in Japanese for daily conversation but yet need assistance with their study school subjects. |
| 1994 | IAC started offering an introductory course for people who want to become Japanse language teachers. We started IAC Japanese Language Classes on Tuesday morning and Saturday afternoon. Those played practical parts as well. Besides we started Japanese Language Classes for working people on Wednesday night, assigning experienced teachers. |
| 1995 | We founded CWN. It was managed by mainly university students. They had the summer school helped by IWC/IAC. They continuasly play SSA's supplementary activities. IAC president Woo Vikee returned to New York but founded the branch office of IAC without retiring.
In August of 1995, IWC had 200 members and IAC had 150 members. The countries of the members are over 21. |
| 1996 | IBM PC was brought into IWC/IAC to rationalize the office work (the half of the cost was the grant-in-aid from Wellfare Conference). Besides we now construct interactive communication network using internet. |
| 1997 | Knowing that they planned to discuss the bill about NPO (Non-Profit Organization) in the Diet, we established a committee in order to consider to integrate IWC and IAC. That was beceuse we should break the deadlock we faced as a volunteer organization and make our organization more accurate compared to those of developed countries. Then we reached agreement on the integration. |
| 1998 | In June, IWC and IAC had an annual general meeting and completed the integration into IWC/IAC. On 25/Dec we presented the documents to Bureau Of Citizens and Cultural Affairs, TMG, wanting a recognition as an Non-Profit Organization. But we were wanted to correct some of those documents. |
| 1999 | On 11/Jan after correcting some parts, we presented the documents again to Bureau Of Citizens and Cultural Affairs, TMG. On 30/Jun we got recognition as an Non-Profit Organization by Tokyo. |