Click here to download the 2010 Annual Conference Report.
On September 19th and 20th, a diverse group of Japanese American, Japanese and US leaders came together for the U.S.-Japan Council Inaugural Annual Conference in Washington, DC. The Conference theme was Shaping the Future of U.S.-Japan Relations. Together, Conference attendees and presenters broke ground on many topics central to the U.S.-Japan relationship. The Conference may be over but the work has just begun. Click here to download a Conference program.
Photo galleries from the U.S.-Japan Council Inaugural Annual Conference (September 19th & 20th) are available here.
Feature Photo: Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Ambassador John Roos, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki and USJC President Irene Hirano Inouye at the Closing Reception on Capitol Hill.
On September 20th, U.S., Japanese and Japanese American leaders from across the country gathered in Washington D.C. for the U.S.-Japan Council Inaugural Annual Conference. The conference served as an official unveiling of USJC, as this was the first major public event since its creation in 2009.
Vice President Joe Biden, speaking as the keynote speaker, set the tone for the day when he said “all has changed in the last 15 years, circumstances have changed and it requires new thinking. I can think of no better group of folks to sit down and think together through these changes than with our Japanese colleagues.” Biden’s speech painted a global picture in which Japan was the best possible partner for the United States moving forward.
Secretary Norman Mineta, who also spoke about U.S.-Japan relations during the opening session, emphasized the strength of people-to-people relationships: “The government-to-government relationship is just the tip of the iceberg. It is American and Japanese people who are the base of the relationship.”
The Conference brought thought leaders from various fields together in order to uncover new avenues of cooperation between the two countries. Conference topics included Clean & Green Technology, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Women in the Workplace & Leadership, People-to-People Organizations, the U.S.-Japan-China Tri-lateral Relationship, Transportation/High Speed Rail, and Education: Study Abroad & Language. Core groups of individuals, made up of USJC members and special guests, were created for each Conference topic. These “working groups” have been tasked to continue to create dialogue, uncover information and create Action Plans in each area.
The Inaugural Annual Conference came to an end on Capitol Hill with a Closing Reception in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Ms. Irene Hirano Inouye, Ambassador John Roos, Ambassador Thomas Schieffer, Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, and USJC Chairman Thomas Iino made remarks. The fantastic presence at the reception together with Conference programming confirmed that there is a significant amount of enthusiasm about the future of U.S.-Japan relations.
