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So far thomashsiang has created 15 blog entries.

INAF Executive Director Receives Commendation from the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs

On May 20, 2021, the Deputy Consul from the Japanese Consulate in NYC, Mr. Futoshi Matsumotoi, visited Rochester, New York, to present the certificate of the 2020 Japan Foreign Minister’s commendation to INAF Executive Director Thomas Hsiang. See https://twitter.com/JapanCons_NY/status/1395385471568592907 and https://www.usgo.org/news/2020/12/aga-ivp-thomas-hsiang-awarded-japanese-foreign-ministers-commendation/

Mr. Hsiang was recognized for “his outstanding achievements in promoting Go internationally and in fostering friendship between Japan and other countries and areas”. Hsiang is a long-time international vice president of the American Go Association, a vice president of the International Go Federation, and the secretary general of the International Mind Sport Association. He was one of the principal organizers for a number of international mind-sport tournaments, including the two versions of the quadrennial World Mind Sport Games. He and former Nihon Kiin Chairman Norio Wada founded INAF in 2014, the first Western foundation dedicated to the promotion of Go.

May 26th, 2021|

Michael Remond visiting National Go Center

The National Go Center in Washington, DC hosted a teaching visit in September from Mr Michael Redmond 9P of the Nihon Ki-In. The visit was sponsored by the Iwamoto North America Foundation with numerous exciting events for the go community in DC and surrounding areas.

In addition to numerous teaching sessions and lectures, a part of the visit was to inaugurate a new broadcast room at the National Go Center.  After live Twitch broadcasts at the recent US Go Congress attracted audiences of over 12,000, the AGA E-Journal broadcast team members Nathan Epstein, Joel Cahalan and Jeff Fitzgerald – who worked with director Stephen Hu — enlisted the E-Journal and the National Go Center to see if a year-round home could be found for the E-Journal’s broadcasting efforts. “We really upped our broadcasting capabilities at the Congress,” Epstein said. “Having a dedicated space will allow us to continue to develop that outreach capability.” NGC Executive Director Gurujeet Khalsa added that “The National Go Center is excited to support this outreach by the E-Journal and the AGA,” with the donated space at the Center.

Children at Great Falls Elementary School gathered for Redmond’s lecture

Redmond meets one of the resident Go teachers, Yuan Zhou.

Redmond and Chris Garlock, AGA e-journal editor, checking out the new NGC broadcast setup.
November 28th, 2018|

The 2018 INAF Go Teacher’s Workshop in Tokyo

The Iwamoto North American Foundation for Go has sponsored “Go teachers’ Workshop in Tokyo”, which was held at the Nihon Ki-in between 30 October and 4 November 2018.

The workshop was for the Go instructors in North America who want to learn teaching methods on how to teach go to complete beginers, especially for youth.

5 Americans, 3 Mexicans, and 1 Cuban participated in the workshop.

Mizuma Toshifumi 7p who has rich experiences in teaching Go at schools and his own teaching method gave a lecture and Q&A session for four hours.

The participants visited and watched the actual Go class in Japanese primary and secondary schools and an University.

Remarks/Feedback by participant:
“Attending the INAF Go Teachers Workshop this year was a privilege and a pleasure, one I looked forward to for months. I have been hosting a session for kids and families at the National Go Center, called Family Go, for over a year. I was very pleased with the program of instruction and activities, and have already begun enthusiastically spreading what I’ve learned to my fellow teachers at the National Go Center.”

“In summary, the workshop was a wonderful experience not only for the topics I learned but also for the extraordinary people with whom I shared, and back in the country I plan to implement, together with my federation, everything learned in the workshop starting with a course that allows me to transfer the experiences learned and using the Mizuma method for teaching children, always looking for the best development of Go in Cuba and in the area.”

November 28th, 2018|

Nihon Kiin Makes $2M Donation to INAF

On November 25, 2014, Nihon Kiin Board approved donation of $2M to INAF as its seed fund. Here is the link to the news release.

November 30th, 2014|

Pre-RFP for East Coast Go Center

INAF is looking to start an East Coast Go Center. We expect to send out a formal Request-for-Proposal (RFP) in mid-2015. Here is the preliminary announcement.

November 29th, 2014|