Japan meets Findlay

The Japanese community in Findlay and Hancock County has ebbed and flowed since the 1980s. Findlay's first biggest encounter with Japan happened in 1984, when Findlay's government sought out financing to expand the city's water treatment plant from Dai-Kangyo bank in Kawaguchi City, Japan. Japanese businesses began being establishing in Findlay as a result. "Friends of Findlay," an association of the companies was established, and eventually, the state of Ohio and Saitama prefecture became sister cities. Dr. Hiroaki Kawamura has lived in Findlay since 1998. He said the biggest population of Japanese people in Findlay was around when he arrived until the early 2000s. Dr. Hiroaki Kawamura Provided "If I remember correctly, there were about 450 Japanese people living here," said Kawamura. In 2018, then-mayor Lydia Mihalik signed a friendship agreement with Kawaguchi City, effectively cementing the relationship between the two cities. Education has also played a big part in the emergence of Japanese communities in Findlay. The University of Findlay brings in a steady stream of Japanese exchange students each year, and American students — whether a Japanese major or not — have the opportunity to study abroad at a Japanese university or visit Japan during the summer with the Kake Bridge program. Kawamura first encountered an American when he was just a little boy in Ibaraki, Japan. His father was an English language teacher and studied in the United States on a Fulbright scholarship. After his father returned to Japan, a fellow teacher from America came to visit the family. "Mr. Finch came to visit my father's family," he said. "When he came to Japan, we had a small piano in our home… And Mr. Finch stopped down in front of the piano because he was a pastor. He was used to playing piano." Mr. Finch asked the 4 or 5-year-old Kawamura to sit on his lap while he played, but he just couldn't do it. "The reason I couldn't approach him was simply, I was just afraid of him. Afraid of a different language, afraid of a different smell... and I was afraid of a different posture, different skin color," Kawamura said. This became a core memory for the man. "I always felt, 'well, maybe it didn't mean much to him.' But looking back, it has some meaning," he said. "It has a lot of meaning for me." Kawamura's parents were teachers. But growing up, he didn't want anything to do with education. His aspirations were for mountain climbing. "I changed my mind because during my junior year, I did a paper, and for that paper I wrote about North Koreans and South Koreans in Japan," he said. "I interviewed many South Koreans and North Koreans who (were) born and grew up in Japan and the discriminations they were facing." He felt that he needed to make an impact somewhere – and that somewhere was teaching. So Kawamura came to the United States to further his education. Now, as a University of Findlay professor, Kawamura teaches Japanese, advises students, and is the chair for the Department of Language and Culture. Findlay is not just a place for him to work anymore, but a place to live. "The biggest change came in when we had children. Many people helped us," Kawamura said. "I am very grateful." And he makes it his mission to make the community a happier, more inclusive place for everyone, and for future generations. "I'm not a citizen, but I identify myself with Findlay a lot," he said.