Lancaster student and Japanese sensei reconnected after 30 years, happy to catch back up

LANCASTER — Nearly 30 years after taking his class at Ohio University-Lancaster, Jeff Husband was able to reconnect with his professor, despite him being halfway across the world.

Husband graduated from Lancaster High School in 1991, and returned to Lancaster in 2015 from Georgia. He said he'd been thinking about teachers and professors he'd had over the years, when he was inspired to reach out to Furukawa Tetsushi.

Furukawa was a student at OU's main campus, working towards a masters of arts in history of the US, Africa and East Asia. He was asked to teach Japanese at OU-L in the 1990s. Once he finished his masters program, he moved to Lancaster in 1992, as he was interested in "having real living experiences" in an American city away from academia.

While he was in Lancaster, Furukawa visited schools in the area, and taught in OU-L programs like "Kids in College" and "Teens in College." Once, he said he served as a translator for glass company Ishizuka Company executives visiting Anchor Hocking from Nagoya, Japan. He wrote that he was fine in the conference room, but had a more difficult time on the factory floor.

Furukawa said the engineers from both companies were able to communicate with technical terms and gestures that crossed the cultural and national borders. He added he still uses Anchor Hocking glass today.

He said left Lancaster for Columbus two years later to teach multi-racial, ethnic and cultural education classes for students in correctional institutions around Columbus, but returned to Lancaster for work over the next three years.

Husband said he chose to take the class because he had always had an interest in Japanese culture, and it was something different than the normal language classes offered, like Spanish or French.

"I wanted to try something new. We had a pretty small class, but it was an interesting time. We used as much Japanese in the class as possible. In one of the most memorable activities, Furukawa took us to an authentic Japanese restaurant in Columbus, Sapporo Wind," Husband said. "We got a sushi sampler, and got to experience a lot of delicacies. It was a great experience."

He added the class let him assist two Japanese students looking for a telephone as he was working in a Target retail store. He overheard them looking for a model with a clock. Recognizing "tokei," Japanese for clock, Husband was able to help them find the right phone.

"It was funny to see their faces when I greeted them in Japanese. They weren't expecting it, but it felt good to help them out," he said.

Furukawa worked in the area until 1998, when he returned to Japan. He's currently a world history professor at Otoni University in Kyoto. In September, he was forwarded a message by the university's admission office sent by Husband, asking if this Furukawa Tetsushi was the same one who'd taught him in Lancaster.

The two began corresponding. Husband shared that his girlfriend's son had taught English in Tokyo for a year, and that had inspired him to dive back into Japanese.

"It was great when I was able to reconnect with Furukawa, because you're never sure if teachers will remember their students, plus it's been so long. When I was thinking back on professors and teachers I've had in the past, he really stood out to me, because I liked his class and because he was a good teacher," Husband said. "I think it'd be great to get to visit with him if he can come back. I know COVID-19 has postponed any trips he might have wanted to take, but he said he wants to come back, and I think it'd be so cool to show him how Lancaster has changed."

Husband added one of the biggest changes Furukawa may like to see is the revitalization of Lancaster's downtown, which has seen more shops and restaurants since Furukawa returned to Japan.

"There's definitely more variety there, and he'd probably like to see OU-L too, and even Athens' main campus. I'm excited for the chance to visit with him again," he said.

For Furukawa, the chance to reconnect with a former student, from his "hometown" in the US was wonderful. He wrote in an e-mail that he has wonderful memories of Lancaster, and is looking forward to coming back when it's safe to travel again.

Husband said he'd also like the chance to visit Japan, but he's never had the chance to yet.

"With my son-in-law having spent time there, we've compared notes, and I've been practicing my Japanese a little. My niece is stationed in Japan, and I'd love to see Kyoto, so we're trying to plan a visit when we can," he said. "I was just happy I was able to track Furukawa down."

Barrett Lawlis is a reporter with the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. You can share story ideas or comments with him at 740-681-4342 or send an e-mail to blawlis@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BarrettLawlis

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: An ocean apart: student and sensei reconnected after 30 years