Masuda Sensei Executive Director Norman T. Masuda is a founding member of the Kariyushi-Kai and has been studying and performing classical Okinawan music and dance in venues throughout California and Hawaii since 1978. He began studying closely with Nakasone in 1979 and during his sabbatical leave from school (April – August 1998) he received daily instruction from Nakasone in music and from Toguchi in dance. He has organized and conducted the weekly rehearsals of Kariyushi-Kai's resident music ensemble for the past twelve years. Masuda has been teaching Japanese language and culture at Palo Alto High School for 28 years and has organized workshops in the schools on music and dance. In addition to his work with Kariyushi-Kai, Masuda has served as a member of the Advisory Committee of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, is presently on the Advisory Committee for the College Board, the California Foreign Language Project and on the Japanese SAT II Committee.. Masuda has also coordinated Kariyushi-Kai's financial management and fundraising activities for the last twelve years.