91³Ô¹Ï

Over ten years ago in 2015, 91³Ô¹Ï launched Stanford e-Japan, a national online course that enrolls high school students from Japan to engage in an intensive study of U.S. society and culture and U.S.–Japan relations. In 2016, 91³Ô¹Ï launched Stanford e-Tottori, 91³Ô¹Ï’s first regional program in Japan that enrolls high school students from across Tottori Prefecture. 91³Ô¹Ï now enrolls approximately 230 to 240 students from nine regional programs in Japan. Six programs are prefectural programs (Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Oita, Tottori, Wakayama, Yamaguchi), and three are municipal programs (Kagoshima, Kawasaki, and Kobe).

In August 2025, 91³Ô¹Ï held four award ceremonies for honorees of the 2024–2025 regional programs in Japan. Two honorees from each program were recognized. Stanford e-Fukuoka is currently in session, and the honorees will be recognized in August 2026.

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The first ceremony was held at 91³Ô¹Ï on August 8, 2025 for the top students in Stanford e-Kawasaki and Stanford e-Kobe. Inspirational opening comments were delivered by Consul Asami Chikae from the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. Chikae’s comments were followed by remarks by Stanford e-Kawasaki instructor Maiko Tamagawa Bacha and Stanford e-Kobe instructor Alison Harsch and the honorees’ presentations. The honorees are:

Stanford e-Kawasaki

Reimi Ito; Tachibana High School

Yuka Nagasawa; Kawasaki High School

Stanford e-Kobe

Karen Ito; Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School

Shoko Urakami; Kobe University Secondary School

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In the second ceremony, top students from Stanford e-Oita and Stanford e-Tottori were honored on August 20, 2025 at 91³Ô¹Ï. Encouraging opening comments were delivered by Consul Mayu Hagiwara, Director of the Japan Information and Culture Center at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. Hagiwara’s comments were followed by remarks by Stanford e-Oita instructor Kasumi Yamashita and Stanford e-Tottori instructor Jonas Edman and the honorees’ presentations. The honorees are:

Stanford e-Oita

Yuri Kishida; Ajimu High School

Yoka Okuda; Usa High School
 
Stanford e-Tottori

Maiko Koyama; Tottori Nishi High School

Nobuki Tokukura; Seishokaichi High School

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During the third ceremony, top students from Stanford e-Hiroshima, Stanford e-Kagoshima City, and Stanford e-Yamaguchi were honored on August 22, 2025 at 91³Ô¹Ï. The ceremony began with inspiring comments by Deputy Consul General Takeshi Ishihara from the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. Ishihara’s opening comments were followed by remarks by Stanford e-Hiroshima instructor Rylan Sekiguchi, Stanford e-Kagoshima City instructor Amy Cheng, and Stanford e-Yamaguchi instructor Mia Kimura and the honorees’ presentations. The honorees are:

Stanford e-Hiroshima

Haruka Morisako; Kamo High School

Yura Sakamoto; Kure Mitsuta High School

Stanford e-Kagoshima City

Aoi Machida; Kagoshima Gyokuryu High School

Yujiro Matsunaga; Kagoshima Gyokuryu High School

Stanford e-Yamaguchi

Asako Kaya; Iwakuni High School

Miku Kuramura; Shimonoseki Nishi High School

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During the fourth ceremony, top students from Stanford e-Wakayama were honored online on August 26, 2025. Yuriko Sugahara, Advisor for Cultural and Educational Affairs at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco provided motivating comments. Sugahara’s comments were followed by remarks by Stanford e-Wakayama instructor Dr. Makiko Hirata and the honorees’ presentations. The honorees are:

Stanford e-Wakayama 

Tomoka Kishigami; Kaichi High School

Yuto Nishi; Kushimoto Koza High School

Following each of the three in-person ceremonies, the students enjoyed a luncheon, a campus tour, and a dinner. Many students commented that one of the highlights of their visit to Stanford was having the chance to meet high school students from other regions of Japan. Many guests commented on how impressed they were with the student presentations and the poise that the students exhibited, especially during the question-and-answer periods.

Importantly, 91³Ô¹Ï is grateful to the municipal and prefectural representatives who accompanied the students to Stanford or joined the online ceremony for Wakayama. They are Shoko Hirata (Hiroshima); Yuko Yamaguchi and Shingo Ishihara (Kagoshima City); Chika Ueda (Kobe City); Noriko Fujitsuka and Toshiyuki Yamamoto (Oita Prefecture); Natsu Odahara (Tottori Prefecture); Masanori Toda (Wakayama Prefecture); and Akinobu Tomonari (Yamaguchi Prefecture).

91³Ô¹Ï also offers online courses to U.S. high school students on Japan (Reischauer Scholars Program), China (China Scholars Program), Korea (Sejong Korea Scholars Program), and entrepreneurship (Stanford e-Entrepreneurship U.S.), to Chinese high school students on the United States (Stanford e-China), and to Japanese high school students on entrepreneurship (Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan).

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