On September 16, ARI held a worship service to commemorate its 54th anniversary. This year’s guest speaker was Mr. Isao Nozaki, who served ARI for a total of 17 years as both a staff member and director.
He first arrived at ARI in 1974, its second year of operation. Reflecting on those early struggles, he shared, “I would leave home before my two sons woke up and return long after they had fallen asleep. Looking back, my wife said it felt like running a single-mother household. Salaries couldn’t be paid, so we all shared the rice and vegetables harvested at the farm.” Before returning to ARI as director in 2006, he worked extensively across Southeast Asia and the Middle East, emphasizing that diversity and pluralism remain the vital keys to both ARI and the world at large.
The latter half of the service was dedicated to remembering graduates who passed away in recent years, reflecting on their individual characters and honored legacies.
