JETAA Chicago is excited to support this event by the Japan America Society of Chicago - Journey to Tohoku: Iwate.
About the Event
At this event, we will introduce places such as Chuson-ji, one of Iwate’s best sightseeing locations and world heritage sites, as well as the breathtaking Geibi gorge boat ride and other activities you can only experience in Iwate. When it becomes possible to travel, please come to our prefecture! Iwate’s fascinating wilderness, history, traditional culture, and delicious food await!
About the Speaker
Reiko Kitatochi has been working for the Iwate Prefectural Government for over 25 years. Currently, she is Director of International Tourism at the Office of Tourism and Promotion. In her past positions, she has worked in welfare, attracting enterprises, public relations, and international affairs, and has also completed a dispatch assignment at the Foreign Ministry where she spent time at both the Ministry and the Japanese consulate in Miami, Florida. In the three years following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, she worked at the prefectural branch office on the coast where she worked in support of the prefecture’s reconstruction efforts.
Devan Veres is a JET Program Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) who works at the Iwate Prefectural Government Office of International Affairs. He grew up in Vancouver Canada and graduated from the University of British Columbia with a major in Japanese language and culture. While it is still Devan’s first year working here in Iwate, he is looking forward to sharing all of the things he has learned about the prefecture since arriving here in October 2021.
Aya Yokosawa has started working for the Promotion and Tourism Division of Iwate Prefectural Government Office as a staff member this April. She grew up near a beautiful coastal area in southern Iwate Prefecture and studied German history and language at the University of Osaka. She had previously worked in the chemical industry as a chief coordinator of international logistics for nearly 7 years. Since then she has moved back to Iwate to help the recovery from the Great East Japan earthquake disaster.
