Events Archive
2010
Japanese Heritage Night at Citi Field
New York Mets fans celebrated Japanese Heritage Night at Citi Field on August 27th, 2010. This is the first time the New York team has hosted such an event, marking the growing influence of the Japanese and Japanese American communities in the region.
Shinichi Nishimiya, ambassador and consul general of Japan, was in attendance. He says “Recently, there has been a most welcome surge in activity by various Japanese American organizations in and around New York, one of the aims being to engage the expat and long-term Japanese community in the area. The Mets hosting their first Japanese Heritage Night at Citi Field is an excellent attempt to pull together all those interested in furthering such causes, in a most enjoyable setting.”
The U.S.-Japan Council (USJC), Japanese American Association of New York, Inc. (JAA), Japanese Americans and Japanese in America (JAJA), Japanese American National Museum, Japan Society and the Japanese American Veterans Association were among the participating organizations for the event. For more information click here.
JALD Alumni and Nikkei Leaders Gather in the Garden
The Oregon Nikkei Endowment (ONE) commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Portland on July 30th with a rededication ceremony. USJC President Irene Hirano Inouye was the keynote speaker at the ONE dinner the next evening.
USJC Trustee Sho Dozono of Portland used the opportunity of Irene's visit to gather former Portland Japanese American Leadership Delegation (JALD) alums along with other Nikkei leaders. Stephen Bloom, director of the world-renowned Portland Japanese Garden, hosted the gathering at a breakfast in Garden. Among those joining Dozono, Bloom and Inouye were JALD alums Charles Allcock, Kristin Dozono, Kirk Tambara, and Grant Yoshihara. Also joining the breakfast were Consul General Takemichi Okabe and Deputy Consul General Hirofumi Murabayashi.
Inouye discussed the US-Japan Council, the JALD program and the importance of building networks among the organizations and institution dedicated to fostering US-Japan relations. The Portland Japanese Garden is working in collaboration with other Japanese Gardens throughout the United States to share information and resources. The Garden has been host to many important dignitaries from Japan and is one of Portland's treasures.
The Oregon Nikkei Endowment was established to support the Historical Plaza and the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center. The Legacy Center presents exhibitions on the Japanese American experience.
A Reception At The US Capitol Building, Hosted by Senator Inouye
On Monday, July 26th notable politicians, diplomats, business leaders, U.S.-Japan Council corporate sponsors and other distinguished guests gathered in the U.S. Capitol building for a reception hosted by Senator Inouye.
U.S.-Japan Council President Irene Hirano, together with Chairman Tom Iino addressed the attendees by providing and introduction to the The U.S.-Japan Council, highlighting the important role of Japanese American leaders in today's society. They also thanked the Council's supporters including representatives from new corporate sponsors, FedEx and General Dynamics.
Senator Inouye and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also addressed the attendees, emphasizing the importance of building lasting individual relationships in order to unite the two nations. Speaker Pelosi spoke fondly about her recent visit to Hiroshima to attend the G-8 Speakers Conference two years ago. She said it was special because many of the families of the Japanese and Japanese Americans who live in her district come from Hiroshima.
It was an honor to have Speaker Pelosi, Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, Congresswoman Doris Matsui and Secretary Eric Shinseki join us for the occasion. In addition, it was very special to see Ambassador John Roos, Ambassador Thomas Foley and Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki together at the event.
There was also a strong presence of Japanese business leaders present at the reception led by Takashi Ohde of the Japan Commerce Association of Washington, DC. Toyota Motor North America, Inc., Mitsui USA, Sumitomo Corporation of American, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, ITOCHU International, Inc., Mitsubishi International Corporation, Hitachi Ltd., Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Toshiba America,Inc. were represented.
The U.S.-Japan Council is grateful to Senator Inouye for hosting the event and looks forward to seeing many of the reception attendees at the upcoming USJC Annual Conference in September.
Open Discussion with Japanese Business Leaders: Forum 21 Visit to Washington, DC
On July 16, 2010, the U.S.-Japan Council hosted a Study Group from Forum 21, which is researching National Security Issues. Forum 21, founded by Shoichi Umezu, is a group of business executives who are selected by the Chairman or President of their companies to spend a year with other business executives in leadership development. Forum 21 has been meeting annually with the Japanese American Leadership Delegations that travel to Japan. In recent correspondence, Umezu remarked that “the exchange program with USJC has become very fruitful and an important event in which both participants can mutually share understanding on various issues.”
The program agenda for the Forum 21 group consisted of an opportunity to meet with Senator Daniel Inouye for lunch and a meeting with Japanese American leaders. The group engaged in a lively discussion on US-Japan relations in the context of top three security issues: Military & Diplomatic Security, Energy Security and Food Security. This was a unique opportunity for the Forum 21 study group to exchange opinions about U.S.-Japan relations and perceptions of Japan in the U.S.
All participants agreed that this was a beginning of important dialogues that affect the Japanese economy and the perception of Japan in the world today. The Forum 21 National Security Study Group will publish their findings, including the results from the July 16th meeting, in November of this year. They will submit their final report to the entire Forum 21 membership and the Government of Japan to provide recommendations for Japanese security issues in the future.
Placido Domingo at the Broad Stage
Mr. Bill Imada, CEO of IW Group Inc., hosted a joint event on May 21, 2010 with members of the U.S.-Japan Council and the Japan Business Association of Southern California (JBA) at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica to continue
to forge strong ties between Japanese and Japanese Americans in the Los Angeles area. It was a special performance evening as Placido Domingo conducted the LA Opera Orchestra and Domingo-Thornton Young Artists in a program of Zarzuela.
The reception that followed allowed attendees to interact and everyone received a special treat when the Domingo-Thornton Young Artists joined the reception.
Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Consul General Junichi Ihara, U.S.-Japan Council President Irene Hirano Inouye and JBA President Mr. Yuichi Okura, General Manager, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, Los Angeles Branch were the featured guests of the night, and during the closing reception each spoke about the significance of encouraging personal relations between the two attending organizations.
New York Nikkei Reception
Ambassador Nishimiya and his wife hosted a reception at their residence on March 16 to promote further networking among Japanese Americans and to develop a vibrant Japanese American Community in the greater New York area, encouraging further interest and understanding towards Japan. Leaders of Japanese American organizations including the U.S.-Japan Council, the Japanese American National Museum, the Japanese American Citizens League, New York Nikkeijin kai, and the New York JET Alumni Association were in attendance. Other guests included Japanese Americans representing diverse professions including business, academia, government, NPO, media, and culture and arts.
This year marked the 10th Anniversary of the Japanese American Leadership Delegation program, funded by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP) and coordinated by the U.S.-Japan Council. A delegation of Japanese American leaders went on an 8-day trip to Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo where they met with foremost Japanese leaders from the Parliament, the Foreign Ministry, the U.S. Embassy, and business.
During the week, delegation members met with Prime Minister Hatoyama, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, State Secretary Koichi Takemasa, Her Highness Princess Takamado, Ambassador John Roos, and leaders from Nippon Keidanren, Kankeiren, Keizai Doyukai, and Forum 21. Themes that were explored during the week’s discussions included leadership, diversity in the workforce, globalization, economic challenges, and philanthropy. The role of Japanese Americans in promoting closer bilateral relations was a prominent part of each of these discussions.
Three members of the delegation presented at a Leadership Symposium in Tokyo on March 3rd with the theme "Leadership: Values in Career, Community and Culture," organized by the Japan Foundation CGP, co-organized by the U.S.-Japan Council and supported by the Tokyo American Center and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2009
Washington, DC, November 20, 2009 The USJC launched our policy luncheon program series on November 20th, featuring remarks by Ambassador of Japan Ichiro Fujisaki and U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye. Video excerpts are available here. The event was co-hosted with the Brookings Institution's Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, and was held at Brookings in Washington, DC.
October Reception hosted by the Ambassador of Japan, USJC and JA-Net DC
Washington, DC, October 2009 Ambassador and Mrs. Ichiro Fujisaki, the U.S.-Japan Council and JA-Net DC co-hosted a reception at the Ambassador's residence on October 20th. The reception recognized and celebrated the ties between Japan and the Japanese American community. The event included a short program with remarks from Japanese American leaders, including U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Commerce Norman Mineta, who both serve as members of the U.S.-Japan Council’s Board of Councilors, as well as U.S.-Japan Council President Irene Hirano, the Embassy of Japan’s Deputy Chief of Mission Kenji Shinoda and Craig Uchida, JA-Net co-chair. The reception highlighted the U.S.-Japan Council’s goal of building long-term connections between Japanese Americans and their Japanese counterparts, creating opportunities for Japanese Americans to contribute their unique perspectives to issues affecting the bilateral relationship.
JA-Net Autumn Dinner: Perceptions of Asian Americans in the United States
Washington, DC, September 30, 2009 JA-Net, the Washington, DC area Japanese American Network Initiative organization, sponsored a dinner with the Japan Commerce Association of Washington, DC (JCAW) on September 30. Law professor Frank H. Wu discussed Asian American experiences, with an emphasis on the Japanese American experience. His remarks were based on a recent survey commissioned by the Committee of 100, which analyzed current perceptions of Asian Americans in the United States.
U.S.-Japan Summit 2009
San Francisco, July 18-19, 2009 The two-day summit was a gathering of Nikkei leaders from across the United States. Many attendees had visited Japan as participants in the Japanese American Leadership Delegation program, an USJC initiative funded by the Foreign Ministry of Japan and the Center for Global Partnership (CGP) and designed to educate and increase Japanese American involvement in promoting positive U.S.-Japan relations. The summit, organized by Bay-area JALD alumni, featured a panel discussion on the new Obama Administration and possible U.S. policy changes toward Japan, as well as remarks on the bilateral relationship by Senator Daniel Inouye and Ambassador of Japan Ichiro Fujisaki. USJC leaders also led a half-day session on the newly established Council.
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