When Joseph Filipek was a student at ASMSA, he had the opportunity to visit Japan twice as part of cultural and educational exchange programs.
The first trip was to the Mishima area for the Kakehashi Student Exchange Project organized by the Japan International Cooperation Center in July 2016. In September 2016, Filipek, a member of the Class of 2017, was part of the first ASMSA cohort to visit Kita High School in Hanamaki and Tennoji High School in Osaka as part of a joint Sister City and Sister School trip.
Eight years later and Filipek is back in Osaka, Japan. This time he is serving as a Sister Cities International Youth Ambassador representing the United States at the 2025 World Expo. The World Expo, sometimes known as a World’s Fair in the U.S., is a global gathering of nations with a universal theme dedicated to finding solutions to pressing challenges the world currently faces through engaging and immersive activities.
“Those trips really solidified my love for Japan, and I was able to make many lasting relationships, which we have met back up and shared meals,” Filipek said. “So when the opportunity to serve as a Youth Ambassador came up, it seemed like a natural next step.”
Filipek is one of 88 Youth Ambassadors who were chosen from about 1,500 applicants to represent the U.S. at this year’s expo, which opened in April and runs into October. Filipek was chosen for a full-event position, meaning he will be in Japan for the expo’s duration. He left for Japan in March after spending a week in Dallas for training. He then had two more weeks of training in Japan before the expo opened.
“It’s a great honor to be chosen from a grand pool, and I’m very proud to represent Arkansas,” Filipek said. “Working alongside my coworkers has been a pleasure. There’s so much talent from different states and backgrounds, which reminds me of how America really is a huge melting pot. Day to day is always different with the nature of work, interacting with so many guests. Above all, I think the best part of being in this program is being surrounded by like-minded peers.”
Youth Ambassadors serve as the guides for the U.S. pavilion at the World Expo. Filipek said the U.S. pavilion welcomes about 10,000 visitors a day. The Youth Ambassadors will engage with the visitors, answer questions from guests and serve as a tour guide for groups of 120-plus visitors at a time. The Youth Ambassadors shadows the U.S. pavilion’s events and protocol team to assist with higher profile guests from the U.S. and other countries.
Filipek was thrilled to be accepted for the full term so he could have the full experience of living in Japan. The experience has been great so far, he said.
“I love being able to go to the combini (also known as a konbini), which are very reliable convenience stores, and hopping on a train that comes every couple of minutes to commute to places. There is so much walkable space with structures that are built upon convenience for the community as a whole and respect for other people,” Filipek said.
Filipek thanked Mary Zunick, a member of ASMSA’s Board of Visitors who also serves as the cultural affairs manager for Visit Hot Springs as well as executive director of Hot Springs’ Sisters City Program, and Chiemi Shimizu, the cultural coordinator for the University of Central Arkansas and Hendrix College, for sharing information about the opportunity with him. The idea of being exposed to ideas and innovation that would be featured at the World Expo excited him.
“I’m hoping this experience will aid my ultimate goal of helping save the planet and create a better environment for people around the world to live in,” Filipek said. “Something I learned from this program that has stuck with me is what Sister Cities calls people-to-people diplomacy. Even when tensions may be high across the world, at the end of the day, it’s the interactions among people that remain in their hearts.
“If there are opportunities where you can work and study in a different country, I highly recommend taking it. There’s something about working together and interacting with people as to passing by people briefly as a tourist. Your interactions with different people allow you to see many perspectives and connect with the world.”