KEY PEOPLE
Pure Professionalism & Enthusiasm
Our dedicated team are always on the ball, utilizing their unique skills and passion to move JNHS forward. Meet some of our incredible leaders below!
FUYU BANNO
Co-President
Hi! My name is Fuyu, and I am a senior at LGHS as well as the co-president for JNHS! I really enjoyed learning about more niche aspects of Japanese culture as well as sharing the learned knowledge with others. My favorite part of JNHS is being able to host various events for the community.
HANH NGUYEN
Co-President
Hi, I'm Hanh! I have been learning Japanese for 2 years. I have always wanted to learn more about Japanese heritage and history. One of the main reasons I choose to join the club was to meet new people who are also interested and passionate about the culture. Some of my favorite events from JNHS last year has been JAFF and potlucks.
GRETA GILL
Treasurer
Hello I’m Greta, the treasurer for JNHS. I’m a junior and have been learning Japanese for two years. I decided to join Japanese because I really loved the language and the culture. My favorite part of JNHS is the close community and fun events.
JACOB ARGONZA
Secretary
What’s up, my name’s Jacob and I’m one of the JNHS officers at LGHS! The main reason why I took Japanese was because a lot of my friends were taking it, so I just decided to join them. And as it turns out, that was one of the best decisions I could have made! It’s awesome to have a community of people with similar interests. Similarly, JNHS brings these people closer together and it’s overall a super fun experience! Also, we have free rice for people who are in the club, so definitely consider joining!
HARUKI GEFFON
Media & Communications
Hi! My name is Haruki, and I am a junior that finished AP japanese last year! Which of course I got a 5 in. I decided to take Japanese, due to the overwhelmingly positive advice to take that class from upperclassmen. I am Half Japanese and Half American! My favorite part of JNHS is the connection and community that you build with your fellow peers that enjoy the same intrest in the beautiful Japanese Culture!
AKIO TAKASE
Event Planning Chair
Hello, my name is Akio! Im half Japanese and half Vietnamese. I am a Junior at the highschool! My hobbies are playing Soccer, and I am on the varsity team for LG. I decided to join japanese because I really wanted to polish my reading and writing skills. My favorite part of JNHS is the fun volunteering that we get to do!
KOBAYASHI SENSEI
Advisor
Welcome to our JNHS website! Our JNHS is a student-led organization where everyone engages in getting to know each other through organizing activities and events to promote the joy of learning Japanese language and culture. I am a proud Advisor of this amazing club!
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JORDAN SENSEI
Founder of LGHS Chapter, Past Advisor, Supporter Forever
I was born in Oklahoma, raised bilingually and bi-culturally in Japan and the U.S. After graduating from Sophia University in Tokyo, I returned to California and began teaching in the Salinas Valley, where I spent the first half of my career before coming to LGHS. The two communities were different in so many ways, but the students in both places had one key thing in common-their enthusiasm for learning and experiencing Japanese language and culture!
One source of great pride and joy was to start the Japanese program at Los Gatos High School in 2001 and to see it thrive and grow in wonderful new ways under the guidance of Hara sensei and Kobayashi sensei. After retirement, I continue to stay involved in Japanese language education as president of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese and as a coach and advisor for the J-LEAP program. I love visiting Japanese classrooms all over the U.S. and using the experience and skills I gained teaching high school students to help teachers. And I especially love coming back to LG and helping out as “team mom” for the Japanese classes!