Ranald MacDonald 200th Birthday Celebration in Astoria, OR – Trip Report

In August of 2024, JETAA Portland made a visit to Astoria to commemorate Ranald MacDonald’s 200th birthday. Our itinerary started with a visit to the Astoria Column, where there was also a replica of Chief Comcomly’s burial canoe (Comcomly was a very prominent leader of the Chinook tribe, but was also closely related to MacDonald).

Our main event was held at MacDonald’s birthplace, also the former site of Fort Astoria and home to his memorial stone. Jim Mockford, past Chair of Friends of MacDonald, gave a talk about MacDonald’s birthplace, including the introduction of the newly published Ranald MacDonald: A Manga of His Adventure in Japan by Sean Michael Wilson and Akiko Shimojima. Phylicia Bishop, former JETAA Portland President, presented a copy (signed by current President Rob Dulay and attending JET alumni) to Sam Roscoe, Marketing Director of Columbia County Historical Society (CCHS). CCHS also generously gifted our chapter several copies of Festival of the Sea, written by Akira Yoshimura and translated by Stephen W. Kohl (if you are interested in a copy, please reach out to us)!

Phylicia also read a letter written by Consul Naoto Shigehisa of the Consular Office of Japan in Portland. He emphasized the significance of Ranald MacDonald’s trailblazing adventure to Japan as the first foreign English teacher, which played a role in the end of isolationism in Japan and paved the way for future US-Japan relations – including the Japan Exchange Teaching Program! It was quite amazing to know that this not-so-well-known historical figure, a dai-sempai for us JET Program Assistant Language Teachers and Coordinators for International Relations, came from the state of Oregon. Even better – MacDonald entered Japan via Hokkaido in the far north, and was detained in Kyushu in the far south, and we had several attendees with strong connections to both places, including JET alumni who lived there as program participants.

Afterwards, we celebrated with pizza and beer at Fort George Brewery (did you know they are ranked as one of the top 100 pizza places in the US, according to Yelp?). We hope more JETs, as well as anyone who has a connection with or interest in Japan, will come to know Ranald MacDonald’s story, and that his legacy – as well as future birthdays – are celebrated for years to come!

You can read a more in-depth report about MacDonald’s 200th birthday celebration on Jim Mockford’s blog. (Credit goes to Jim for some of the above photos!)

Who is Ranald MacDonald and why does this matter?

Hailing from Astoria, he was the first native English-speaker to teach English in Japan, managing to enter Japan by way of Hokkaido during its isolationist period. He educated Einosuke Moriyama, one of the chief interpreters to handle the negotiations between Commodore Perry and the Tokugawa Shogunate.