Every year, the Japanese Ambassador to the US, Shigeo Yamada, presents Ambassador鈥檚 Commendations to individuals and groups who have fostered relations between Japan and the United States. On Friday, December 6th, Dr. Kota Takayama, G-鈥�09, Associate Professor in Gallaudet鈥檚 Social Work program, became the first Deaf recipient of this award.

Takayama was specifically recognized for his work in the Virtual Exchange-Collaborative Online International Learning (VE-COIL) and international learning exchanges between Gallaudet and Japan College of Social Work and Tsukuba University of Technology in Japan, organizing exchanges of learning and culture between the two countries. He was also recognized for his academic research and for his role in supporting the formation of the Disability-inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction & Emergency Planning (DEP) Program as an affiliated faculty, contributing to course lectures, and conducting a 2024 summer course in Japan.

When notified he was a recipient of this prestigious commendation, Takayama said he was surprised because he felt like the other winners had done so much in their careers compared to him. However, a Japanese diplomat explained to him that through Takayama鈥檚 work, both deaf and hearing Japanese people are more aware of Gallaudet, and people at Gallaudet are more familiar with Japan. It takes a unique person in a position with several perspectives to facilitate this kind of bridge-building.

Fumito Miyake, Minister of the Public Affairs Section & Director of the Japan Information & Culture Center, presented Takayama with the Ambassador鈥檚 Commendation at a ceremony at the Japanese Embassy on December 6th. Takayama鈥檚 mother, Kazumi Takayama, flew in from Japan to witness her son鈥檚 honor and made a brief but very moving speech. Alongside proud family members, several of his colleagues and Gallaudet鈥檚 Provost Dr. Khadijat K. Rashid, ’90, were in attendance. 

Miyake read the citation in both Japanese and English. The text reads, 鈥漎ou have made significant contributions to mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and the United States, and your achievements are remarkable. Here, we express our deepest respect and honor you with this recognition.鈥� 

Please join us in congratulating Takayama on his most recent accomplishment. You can read more about his work encouraging Japanese Deaf Studies, his recent award from the Japanese Association of Health Communication, the first DEP cohort and Summer Institute in Japan, and his support of a Japanese Visiting Scholar.

Dr. Takayama expresses a special thank you to Dr. Danielle Hunt, G-鈥�06 & PhD 鈥�15, and second-year MAI graduate student Haley Freedman for providing interpretation services for the award ceremony through Gallaudet鈥檚 Department of Interpretation and Translation鈥檚 Student ProBono Services.