East meets West: the Japan-America Society of Mississippi helps two diverse groups of people understand they're not so different after all.

At the young age of 14, both John Henry Jackson and Paul Tashiro made life-changing decisions, leading them down vastly different roads. The fact that their chosen paths eventually brought them to the same place--the Japan-America Society of Mississippi--is nothing short of amazing.

Their stories, and those of the many members of the society, serve as the backbone of the organization that strives to provide an easy transition for Japanese nationals who are in the state for a limited amount of time for professional reasons, as well as those Americans who have an interest in the Japanese culture and international business.

Jackson was a student at St. Andrew's Episcopal School when he heard about an exchange program with a school in Osaka, Japan, whose name loosely translated to "St. Andrew's." Jackson accepted the challenge and arrived in the country with no knowledge of how to speak the language. He lived with a family who spoke no English in a city filled with more than 2 million strangers.

"I was thrown into it. It was sink or swim," Jackson said. "We had three dictionaries on the table every night at dinner. It was very interesting."

He spent a year in the country and fell in love with the culture, the language, and the people. "I made a lot of close friends whom I kept in contact with," he said. That experience led him to major in Japanese at Georgetown University, not a common choice for a boy born and bred in Jackson. During that time, he spent another year in Japan and became fluent in the language. Still, he feared that job opportunities for someone who had studied Japanese would be few and far between in Jackson.

"When I left the state, I didn't think I would be able to come back and make a living."

Paul Tashiro's path was markedly different. He was a patriotic 14-year-old in his native Japan during World War II. That was the minimum age at which teens could apply to the country's juvenile pilot squadron and begin training; at 16, they would officially become kamikaze pilots. "Fortunately for me, the war ended," Tashiro recalled.

On the way home from the training camp where he had been stationed at the end of the war, his train stopped at the outskirts of Hiroshima, giving the youngster a first-hand view of the devastation of the atomic bomb that destroyed the city. "We found that everything had been destroyed. They were all dead," he said. That set him on a dangerous path--he became part of a crime syndicate similar to the Mafia for more than three years before he somehow found himself at a Christian revival led by American missionaries. He converted to the Christian faith that night.

"I dedicated my life to the ministry," Tashiro said. He knew he wanted to become a minister, but he also knew Christians were a small minority in Japan and he would not be able to support his family there. So he came to the United States and attended seminary in Kentucky. Eventually, he and his family settled in Mississippi in 1991. He now serves as a United Methodist minister and professor at Wesley Biblical Seminary.

Being a native Japanese person in Mississippi in the early 1990s was an experience quite different than what new residents find today. "There were some students, some Japanese businessmen, but in the entire state, there were probably no more than 25 or 30 Japanese. Nissan changed everything."

Fast-forward to October 2004, when a standing-room-only crowd at a Millsaps College theater in Jackson watched in awe as Japanese natives presented a special kimono show. It was an evening of immersion in the Japanese culture, presented by the Cultural Foundation for Promoting the National Costume of Japan.

As the show ended, the Millsaps Singers flanked the stage after a rendition of "Sakura, Sakura (Cherry Blossom)." Their interpretation was in such perfect Japanese that Junko Fukuma Barnes, a native of Japan and the mistress of ceremonies, confessed that it "makes me homesick for Japan."

On stage were several Japanese models who had spent the evening demonstrating the various styles and methods of creating kimonos, culminating with the presentation of the juni-hitoe, a traditional multi-layered garment weighing a total of about 35 pounds that is the ceremonial kimono of the court lady.

Hisae Takeda, who produced the show, said the foundation strives to keep the traditional dress of Japan alive in that country while at the same time educating people in other countries about the history of the dress. "At least once a year, we go abroad to have a show," Takeda said through an interpreter. "We are proud of the kimono as the traditional dress of Japan."

Tashiro, who helped to found the Japan-America Society of Mississippi and now serves as its treasurer, said the show was an important advance in the exchange of the two cultures. "The auditorium was packed. It was a smashing success," he said. "It was the first time many Mississippians have seen real Japanese costumes."

The well-received show was just one of the many cultural activities the Japan-America Society helps bring to the state. The private non-profit organization was formed in May 2002 in response to auto giant Nissan Motor Company locating here and bringing many Japanese suppliers with it. The society aims to serve Mississippi residents and Japanese nationals interested in business and cultural issues by sponsoring programs on a variety of subjects.

"The Japan-America Society of Mississippi was formed to promote friendships and understanding between our citizens and the growing Japanese community in our state," said Philip Pierce, vice-president. "Our goal is to provide a foundation for the exchange of ideas and culture that will benefit us all. Not only do we hope that our new Japanese neighbors learn to appreciate Mississippi and our Southern culture but that Mississippians also do the same and take time to learn about Japan and its rich and ancient culture."

Pierce said the organization is working with the city of Canton to start a Sister City program with a Japanese city. "We are also supporting language classes and activities around major American and Japanese holidays as a time to socialize and make new friendships," Pierce said.

One of the largest roles of the society is to ease the transition into American society for the many Japanese workers who come to the country for a limited amount of time to work with Japanese companies located in the state. That includes a Saturday "Hoshu-ko" school for the Japanese children who come over with their parents. They attend regular school during the week but must keep up with their Japanese studies as well so that they will be prepared when they return home. Tashiro serves as the school's Academic Dean.

Jackson, who now works in international trade, heads up the society's language club called "Hanashimasenka," which, loosely translated, means "Can't you talk?" The club meets about once a month in an effort to promote the relationship between locals and those new to Jackson.

Along with serving as a haven for those Japanese thrown into American culture, Tashiro said the group wants to help locals understand the Japanese culture and people. Members are currently working to develop exchange programs that will allow Mississippians to visit Japan.

As both the Japanese and Americans work to better their relationships, it seems at least the kids have it figured out. One young Japanese boy from the Saturday school, standing on the stage after the kimono show, was overheard inviting his friends to join him with a very Southern expression: "Hey y'all, come up here!"

For more information on the Japan-America Society of Mississippi, call 601/948-6253 or visit the group's website at jasmis.cbi.msstate.edu.