An everlasting cultural bridge: Monty’s memory

UAA’s ceremonial Japanese tea room — also known as Monty’s Room — allows students to experience and practice traditional tea ceremonies while also hosting various public events. But the walls of this room hold a sentimental story.

Founder and Former Director of UAA’s Montgomery Dickson Center for Japanese Language and Culture Dr. Hiroko Harada and Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Japanese Language Dr. Kaori Shimizu spoke with The Northern Light about Monty’s story and UAA’s Japanese ceremonial tea room.

Harada and Shimizu led The Northern Light toward the large raised tatami floor tea area — where a sitting space was made centered around a Japanese kotatsu and tatami sitting mats decorated with fish designs. The room was cozy and quiet with what looked to be cherry blossom plants in the background and a light brown trim circling the room.

Monty’s story surrounds a former UAA student by the name of Montgomery Dickson who went by the nickname Monty. Monty was a Japanese Language major who joined the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) program and traveled to Japan where he taught English to local students in Rikuzentakata after graduating from UAA in 2009.

Monty was thrilled to be in the place he had loved and learned about for so long. Monty was surrounded by the beautiful culture, kind people and delicious food of Japan.

Unfortunately, the 2011 tsunami in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture claimed the lives of many loved ones, with Monty among them.

Harada and Monty grew very close as she became his professor, mentor and a maternal figure. They often communicated after Monty’s graduation.

Distraught by Monty’s passing, Harada began her mission to bring a little piece of Japan to Alaska to remember Monty and share his influence. Harada noted that Monty loved tea ceremonies — and so the project to honor Monty at UAA began.

Harada proposed that a ceremonial tea room become the centerpiece of the Japan Center, and “Monty’s Room” was added to the Social Sciences Building in 2016.

Harada also said the Japan Center has four concentrations which include the Alaska and Japan relationship, outreach, scholarships and Japanese studies.

Harada said the tea room was designed by a Japanese designer in Japan and the grand opening of the tea room was met with a turnout of nearly 200 curious attendees.

Japanese Language majors can experience a true traditional tea ceremony along with events inviting members of the community to participate in learning experiences held in Monty’s Room.

Monty’s Room has various ceremonial tea cups, bowls and instruments to accurately experience a traditional tea ceremony. Many of the bowls were donated by a medical doctor in town, an avid collector of Japanese ceramics.

The room is truly impressive, especially when decorated and filled with people experiencing the art of traditional tea ceremonies.

Honoring Monty’s memory does not end in the tea room. Harada mentioned an occasion where she and eight other expert Japanese professors from the Lower 48 got together and published a Japanese textbook titled “Monty’s Tomorrow (モンティの明日への架け橋)” in 2014.

“When [Monty] was in Rikuzentakata as a JET, he taught English to children in local schools. But outside of school kids, in town he created an English study room and he taught English free, no charge. So this textbook is a free book online in honor of Monty,” said Harada.

In addition to the textbook, Harada and Professors from Iwate University, UAA’s partner university, are currently working on a Japanese disaster preparedness drill book that should be released sometime this year.

In 2015, Harada took ten UAA students to Rikuzentakata and participated in the city’s re-construction effort.

“In this city, there were 70,000 pine trees along the coast. It was a beautiful, beautiful coastal line. All but one were washed out by the tsunami — and this one is from the Edo period which is a 400 year old tree. People started to call this tree the Tree of Hope and Miracle Tree,” said Harada.

It seems both the miracle tree and Monty have become pillars of hope for many people.

In 2016, UAA established a partnership and exchange program with Iwate University to further strengthen the Alaska-Japan relationship.

If anyone is interested in Japanese culture and tea ceremony, they can take the tea ceremony class, JPN 290, held in Monty’s Room. This month, the Japan Center is co-hosting Japan FES on April 27 at Dimond High School. The event will feature music performed on a Shamisen, a kimono show — with kimonos supplied by the costume designer for the 2004 TV series “Shogun” — and Samurai and Ninja action.

So many accomplishments for UAA and the Alaskan community have been made in honor of Monty’s memory. Monty has truly become the bridge that will forever last between Alaska and Japan and continue to strengthen bonds between many communities.