Husson alumni hold reunion — in Japan

TOKYO, Japan — Twenty-two Japanese Husson College alumni met recently on the 54th floor of the Mitsui Building in the Shinjuku District of Tokyo for a reunion.

“It’s pretty exciting for a little college in Bangor, Maine, to get 22 alumni together for a reunion in Japan,” said Paul Husson, director of alumni affairs. During his visit, Husson encouraged the group to continue to meet and organize on a formal basis.

All of the alumni had attended Husson either at the International Center for Language Studies to learn English or at regular Husson classes. Husson brought with him greetings from college President William H. Beardsley and Jim Hathorne, president of the Husson Alumni Association.

During the visit, Husson said the alumni spoke about what they had done since they left school. A recently married alumnus spent his honeymoon in Maine, where he and his bride visited his alma mater and went to Bar Harbor.

The graduates also spoke about the friendships they had made at Husson and how they missed their American friends and the city of Bangor. Another thing they missed was Maine lobster.

Other interesting memories that some of the alumni mentioned showed how well the Japanese students were accepted in Maine. Shizuo Okano, Class of 1987, related how he loved to play golf at Hermon Meadows. He could play there for the whole summer for the same amount it would cost him for the greens fee for one afternoon in Japan.

Tatsuhiko Omata, Class of ’86, fondly remembered ice fishing for pickerel in Maine with Carl Blaisdell, a Husson employee.