Ambassador ‘Deeply Impressed’ by Georgia’s Only Japanese Dual-Immersion School 

Editor’s note: This is a sponsored post made possible by Baker Donelson’s Atlanta office.

Fresh off a conference surrounded by leaders from the Southeast U.S. in Tokyo last fall, Japanese Ambassador Shigeo Yamada wasted no time making his first trip to the region last November.

His main objective was Alabama, where he would headline a Japan-America Society dinner focused on the state’s growing economic partnership with Japan, accompanied by the country’s newly arrived consul general in Atlanta, Kenichi Matsuda. 

En route, the diplomats would take a quick detour to Georgia, holding a meeting with Gov. Brian Kemp and exploring an under-appreciated jewel that has helped the state woo Japanese companies: the International Charter Academy of Georgia.

Starting as a K-5 elementary school, ICAGeorgia offers the state’s only dual-immersion program in Japanese and English. Open to Georgia students regardless of zip code, the academy has steadily added new grade levels as its initial cohort has grown beyond fifth grade. This fall, a new eighth grade class will complete ICAGeorgia’s evolution toward becoming a full elementary and middle school. 

Students and administrators seized the opportunity to share their enthusiasm with Mr. Yamada, with the student council greeting the ambassador upon arrival and a choir led by music coordinator and teacher Noriko Harada serenading the ambassador with two traditional Japanese songs: Hana (The Flower) by Rentaro Taki and Oborozukiyo (Moonlit Night) by Teiichi Takano.

While he did learn from educators and volunteer board directors about the school’s mission, needs and ongoing development, he spent much of his time watching learning unfold. 

“During the visit, he was able to observe what a typical day looks like at ICAGeorgia: strong academic instruction delivered through our dual-language model, with students actively developing proficiency in both English and Japanese,” Principal Felecia Tucker-Jones told Global Atlanta. 

That includes “students reading, writing, speaking, and collaborating in both languages while engaging in rigorous academic content,” the principal added. 

Sixth and seventh grade students recited classical poem “Don’t Be Defeated by the Rain” (Ame ni mo Makezu), by Kenji Miyazawa, while a seventh grader shared a book review of Miyazawa’s novella Yamanashi, prompting the ambassador to comment on their thoughtful reflections.

For the students, especially those not from Japanese households, engaging an active diplomat was a unique opportunity to see the relevance of the subject matter, Ms. Tucker-Jones said. 

“They took great pride in greeting him in Japanese, sharing their work, and demonstrating their growing confidence as bilingual learners. The visit helped them see that their language learning connects them to a broader global community,” she said. 

They also made an impression on the ambassador, who in his nearly three years in Washington hadn’t yet visited an American school that so deeply emphasized Japanese language. 

“I have visited immersion schools teaching other languages like German and Spanish before, but this was my first visit to a dual-language school focused on Japanese. I was deeply impressed. With the support of the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, I sincerely hope they continue their activities going forward,” Mr. Yamada told Global Atlanta in a statement. 

Beyond providing cross-cultural education to young people from all backgrounds, the school, now approaching 330 students, is a welcome sales tool for Japanese expatriates bringing their families to the state, says Mellissa Takeuchi, a senior project manager for Georgia Department of Economic Development and chair of the governing board of ICAGeorgia.

“When Japanese companies are looking to make a new investment, quality of life for Japanese employees and their families is an important factor in that location decision. Having access to a public and immersion-based dual language school like ICAGeorgia can be a deciding factor in their decision to choose Georgia,” Ms. Takeuchi said. 

While the Georgia Japanese Language School in Mableton started 50-plus years ago to help reinforce Japanese language and other subjects on Saturdays only — that school now has 400 students — ICAGeorgia enables expat kids to use English day-to-day and enjoy deeper cultural engagement with their American peers, while also retaining regular use of their mother tongue.  

It also gives American parents who’ve spent time in Japan a chance to provide a taste of the country to their kids. With more than 300 Japanese firms already operating in Georgia, proficiency in the language could also pay off in their future career journeys. 

Baker Donelson shareholder Bob Johnson, a business immigration attorney, has lived in Japan and has worked with many Japanese firms bringing their executives to Georgia. He said he was “thrilled” to walk the hallways of the school with the ambassador.

Mr. Johnson has been a leader in the Japan-America Society of Georgia for many years, and has served as founding board member of ICAGeorgia, former board chair and current advisory board chair.

“Working with ICAGeorgia from the beginning has been such a rewarding experience,” Mr. Johnson said. “The school provides an amazing and unparalleled educational opportunity.”

In speaking with the school leadership following his tour, Mr. Johnson was impressed to find out that the ambassador noted that ICAGeorgia students are surely being prepared to serve as lifetime Georgia-Japan ambassadors of peace.