Joshua Woodcock

I'm honored to have received Eastern Michigan University's Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of "outstanding achievements and for exemplifying the lasting impact of language learning and intercultural understanding through Japanese."

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the award ceremony because I was in Japan filming my latest feature, Ohenro. The opportunity to build a career that allows me to work between the United States and Japan is something that began with my time studying Japanese at EMU, making this recognition particularly meaningful. While I couldn't be there in person, I was grateful for the opportunity to share a video message with the students and attendees.

Earlier this year, I also had the privilege of returning to campus to screen One Night in Tokyo and participate in a Q&A with students. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how far that journey has taken me and to share some of the lessons I've learned along the way.

I firmly believe language learning is an essential part of education. Learning another language allows us to communicate directly with people from different cultures, broaden our understanding of the world, and build meaningful connections across borders. I look forward to continuing to support language education and the institutions that share that mission.

My sincere thanks to Eastern Michigan University and the faculty who supported and encouraged me throughout my time there. I'm grateful for this recognition and proud to be part of the EMU community.