Blakemore Foundation-Seattle

Inaugural Blakemore Foundation-ICWA fellow Julia Walton julia m walton at her launch dinner in Washington, DC. Julia will spend a year examining youth civic participation in Japan amid demographic change.

L to R: Former Japan Society President Joshua Walker, Keidanren USA Executive Director Teruko Wada, Denny Lane, Trustee Naoko Aoki, Fellow Julia Walton, Executive Director Gregory Feifer, Tsutomu Kono, Trustee Katherine Roth Kono, Embassy of Japan Embassy of Japan in the USA 🌸 Education Counselor Hiroshi Ando.

One of the best resources for an incoming Blakemore fellow is someone who has recently been in their shoes.

At our inaugural virtual Cohort Welcome, 2025–26 fellows Sophia Charles, currently studying in Taiwan, and Daniel Bargon, who completed his fellowship in Japan, shared practical advice and candid insights with the incoming cohort as they prepare for full-time, intensive language study and cultural immersion across East and Southeast Asia.

The welcome is only the beginning. Through our new mentorship initiative, every incoming fellow will be paired with a recent alum throughout their fellowship year.

We’re deeply grateful to Sophia, Daniel, and the alumni mentors helping the next cohort begin with greater confidence and connection.

In 1939, our founder Thomas Blakemore traveled to Japan as a fellow with the Institute of Current World Affairs (ICWA), an experience that would shape his life’s work and ultimately inspire the creation of the Blakemore Foundation.

Today, that story comes full circle.

Building on more than three decades of investing in language fluency and regional expertise, we are delighted to announce the new Blakemore–ICWA Fellowship, a two-year partnership designed to develop the next generation of specialists in East and Southeast Asia, beginning with Japan.

The fellowship combines one year of intensive advanced language study with one year of independent field research, writing, and cultural immersion, bringing together the complementary strengths of both organizations.

We are honored to support Julia Walton, the inaugural Blakemore–ICWA Fellow, as she builds on her year of advanced Japanese language study through the Blakemore Foundation and begins her next chapter of independent research in Japan this fall.

What began with Thomas Blakemore’s ICWA fellowship nearly a century ago continues through a new generation of individuals whose work depends on deep language fluency, cultural insight, and regional expertise.

This partnership reflects Blakemore’s continuing commitment to creating innovative pathways for meaningful engagement across Asia.

Read the full announcement: https://bit.ly/Blakemore-ICWA

Congratulations to Julia Walton, our inaugural Blakemore–ICWA Fellow, and to our colleagues at ICWA on this exciting new partnership.

We’re proud to see a connection that began with Thomas Blakemore’s own ICWA fellowship in Japan come full circle through a new generation of scholars.

We are proud to share that Blakemore Foundation chair Mimi Gardner Gates has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Emperor of Japan, recognizing her decades of leadership in introducing Japanese culture to the United States and strengthening cultural ties. Mimi’s vision continues to inspire the Blakemore community, opening doors to understanding other cultures through language and art. We celebrate this recognition of her extraordinary contributions.

Meet our 2026-27 Blakemore Freeman Fellows, heading to Yokohama.

This fall, David Mendoza and Emma Jean Hermacinski will begin the 2026-27 academic year at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies. David is building toward a career as a Foreign Service Officer strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance. Emma Jean is writing the English-language history of a pivotal moment in Japanese nation-building that has gone largely untold for decades. Both are doing work where Japanese fluency is essential.

They are a fitting close to a cohort that spans five countries, five languages, and careers across science, government, diplomacy, scholarship, and the arts. To every member of our 2026-27 cohort, congratulations. This fall, the real work begins, and we are honored to be part of it.

Meet our 2026–27 Blakemore Freeman Fellow, heading to Vietnam.

Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Phong Hong will continue strengthening his Vietnamese while advancing his work on disease early warning systems. As a Senior Social Scientist at Oxford University’s Clinical Research Unit, his work depends on close coordination with local partners across Vietnam.

We can’t wait to see how this next stage of language study supports the impact of his work.

Meet our 2026–27 Blakemore Fellow, heading to China.

Justin This will spend the year in Beijing at Tsinghua University’s Inter-University Program. His research examines how identity is expressed in online gaming communities, work that relies on understanding language as it is used in everyday digital spaces.

We look forward to seeing how this immersion deepens the insights driving his research.

Meet our 2026–27 Blakemore Foundation Fellows, heading to South Korea.

In Seoul, two fellows will continue their Korean studies at leading language programs in the city. Eura Choi will study at Seoul National University where her work in law depends on engaging Korean-language sources. Loren Macon will study at Sogang University where her work in visual culture requires Korean-language contexts more directly.

We’re excited to see how their language mastery strengthens the way they engage Korean sources and contexts.

Meet our 2026–27 Blakemore Foundation Fellows, heading to Taiwan.

This fall, five fellows will spend the academic year in Taipei at the International Chinese Language Program at National Taiwan University. They come from fields including policy, research, and international affairs, where stronger Chinese will allow them to engage more directly with the people and ideas shaping their work.

We’re eager to see how this year deepens their perspectives and future work. Swipe to meet them.