2012 Japanese American Leadership Delegation

About the 2012 Program

Ten Japanese American leaders from across the country have been selected to travel to Japan to meet with top officials to further develop the U.S.-Japan relationship and establish a meaningful role for Japanese Americans.

For the first time in program history, the delegation will visit the city of Sendai in the Tohoku region to show support for the region devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and learn from those living there.  In Sendai, the delegates will participate in a symposium sponsored by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership and the U.S.-Japan Council focused on empowering civil society in Japan. The delegation will also visit Tokyo for a variety of exchanges with high level leaders. 

This year’s delegation was chosen based on several key themes being developed by the U.S.-Japan Council including entrepreneurship, NGO/NPO partnerships, high technology and education, among others.  The delegates come from across the country and are active in their communities, engaged in U.S.-Japan relations and committed to deepening ties between Japanese Americans and Japan.  U.S.-Japan Council President Irene Hirano Inouye will lead the delegation.

Symposium

Click here for information about the symposium "Empowering Civil Society for the Future of Japan," sponsored by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership and the U.S.-Japan Council.

In the News

2012 JA Leadership to Visit Tsunami Zone, Rafu Shimpo

DC Non-Profit Leader with Ties to Fukushima Selected to Travel to Japan to Strengthen U.S.-Japan Relations, AsianWeek

Washington & Lee Professor Part of Delegation, News-Gazette

KTA's Barry Taniguchi to Represent Hawaii in Japan, Visit Tsunami-hit Region of Tohoku, Hawaii 24/7

Taniguchi Heads to Japan for Leadership Program, West Hawaii Today

Susan Onuma '77 selected for 2012 Japanese American Leadership Delegation, Barnard College News

2012 Delegates

MICHAEL BOSACK (Colorado Springs, CO)
Manager, International Programs, Sparta Inc.

As Manager of International Programs at Sparta Inc., Michael Bosack is a senior advisor under contract to the Missile Defense Agency for U.S.-Japan Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) cooperation working with the U.S. and Japanese governments, military and industry on BMD interoperability, integration and operational planning.  Mr. Bosack served in the U.S. Army attaining the rank of Colonel.  He is a member of the Japanese American Veterans Association and serves on the Board of Directors for the Japan America Society of Southern Colorado.  Mr. Bosack attended the Japan National Institute for Defense Studies and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Command and General Staff College. He received his M.A. in East Asian Studies from Stanford University, M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.  Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins:  Kanagawa.
 

BARBARA HIBINO (San Francisco, CA)
CEO & Founder, OpenWebU, Inc.

Barbara Hibino is the CEO of OpenWebU, Inc., an internet company that provides an online platform for education and training.  The company currently hosts classes in continuing medical education, accounting, and other topics.  While at OpenWebU, after-hours Ms. Hibino worked as Vice President of Marketing for OptaMotive Inc., which developed technologies for electric vehicles.  Before that, she was the Director at Oracle, Applications for nine years where she oversaw a team that created applications for the public sector.   Ms. Hibino is the N! Leadership Network Founder, Vice President of Membership and the author of their newsletter.  N! Leadership Network is a group of Japanese American entrepreneurs and executive management that strives to create networks and connections between the U.S.-Japan.  She holds a Ph.D. from the Stanford University School of Education and an M.S. from Ohio State University in Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology.  Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: Aichi-ken.

SHANNON HORI (Miami, FL)
Broadcast Journalist

Shannon Hori is an Emmy-award winning journalist in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.  She has previously worked for CBS and NBC affiliates in cities including Dallas, Orlando and Louisville.  Ms. Hori volunteers for a number of nonprofit organizations, is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association, and in 2007 received the Media Award from the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber.  Immediately following the March 11, 2011 disaster in Japan, Ms. Hori produced a report for WFOR about her Japanese American heritage and the importance of maintaining relations between U.S. and Japan.  She earned her B.A. in Journalism and Speech Communications from Indiana University. Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: Nagoya.

NEIL HORIKOSHI (Washington, DC)
President and Executive Director, Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund 

Neil Horikoshi is the President and Executive Director of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF).  Prior to APIASF, Mr. Horikoshi worked in Tokyo for IBM Corporation, where he served in a variety of legal and executive management positions in the United States and the Asia Pacific region.  Based in Washington, DC, APIASF is the country’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to providing college scholarships to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.  Mr. Horikoshi serves as Chairman of the Board of the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation, Advisory Council member for the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) and for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS).  He is also on the Advisory Council for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Gates Millennium Scholars Program, Advisory Board for BB&T Bank and Board of the Institute of Higher Education Policy (IHEP).  Mr. Horikoshi holds an M.B.A. and a J.D. from the University of Southern California.  Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: paternal side from Fukushima, maternal side from Kumamoto.

JANET IKEDA (Lexington, VA)
Associate Professor, East Asian Languages and Literatures, Washington and Lee University

Janet Ikeda is the Associate Professor in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Washington and Lee University, where she teaches courses on Japanese language, literature, and the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.  Dr. Ikeda is the current Fulbright Program Advisor for the University and is the former President of the Association of Teachers of Japanese (ATJ).  In October 2011 she served as a speaker on the Japanese Language panel featured at the U.S.-Japan Council’s Annual Conference in Washington D.C. in October 2011.  From 2006-2010, Dr. Ikeda was Associate Dean of the College, and in past years has served on the boards of ATJ and the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages (ADFL).  She has done research on the poet-warrior Hosokawa Yusai and is working on revising a guide to reading and writing Japanese.   Dr. Ikeda earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in East Asian Studies from Princeton University.  Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: Fukushima, Wakayama, Yamaguchi, Osaka.

MARK MITSUI (Seattle, WA)
President, North Seattle Community College

Mark Mitsui is the President of North Seattle Community College, where he is responsible for establishing a strategic vision and achieving objectives that involve internal and external community building, advancing student success, excelling in teaching and learning, budget development and accountability, fundraising, and supervision of approximately 560 employees and approximately 11,200 students.  Prior to this position, Mr. Mitsui was the VP of Student Services at South Seattle Community College, and was the Assistant Dean of Student Services at Green River Community College.  He is the Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander Association of Colleges and Universities, and is involved with the National Asian Pacific Islander Caucus as a part of the American Association of Community Colleges.  Mr. Mitsui is studying for his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, and holds an M.A. from the College of Education, University of Washington.  Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: paternal side from Nagano, maternal side from Kumamoto.

SUSAN J. ONUMA (New York, NY)
Partner, Kelley Drye and Warren LLP

Susan J. Onuma is a partner and co-chair of the Asia Practice Group of Kelley Drye and Warren LLP, where she advises Japanese corporations and individuals on how to navigate the complexities of the U.S. legal system and succeed in the marketplace.  In particular, Ms. Onuma specializes in establishing and nurturing new businesses and joint ventures and has developed a sub-specialty in the area of employment law and cross-cultural communications.  She is also on the firm’s Diversity Committee and has participated in the Global Organization for Leadership Development (GOLD) symposiums given in Tokyo, Japan.  In 2008 Ms. Onuma was named one of Top 50 Women in Business by NJ Biz Magazine.  She is currently Corporate Secretary and Board Member of the U.S.-Japan Council, Corporate Secretary and legal counsel of the Japan Society of New York, a member of the Board of Trustees for the Japanese American National Museum, and is the Honorary President and a member of the Board of Directors for the Japanese American Association (JAA) of New York.  Ms. Onuma holds a JD from University of Pennsylvania Law School and BA in East Asian Studies from Barnard College (Columbia University.) Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: paternal side from Shizuoka, maternal side from Hyogo.

BARRY TANIGUCHI (Hilo, Hawaii)
President & CEO, KTA Super Stores

Barry Taniguchi is the President of KTA Super Stores, a chain of family grocery stores on Hawai’i Island.  Mr. Taniguchi is a Director of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., American Savings Bank, and Hawaii Employers Mutual Insurance Corporation.  He is Chair Elect of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii’s Board of Directors, and serves numerous foundations and organizations including the Board of Trustees for the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation, the Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation, and the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board.  Mr. Taniguchi is also a Board Member for the Pacific Tsunami Museum, the Hawaii Community Foundation, and the Chair of the Mauna Kea Management Board of the University of Hawaii at Hilo.  In 2005 Mr. Taniguchi received the Hawaii Society of CPA’s Business and Industry Hall of Fame Award, and in 2006 the Leadership Legacy Award from Business Leadership Hawaii.  He received his B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Hawaii.  Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: Hiroshima.

MICHAEL TANIMURA (Chicago, IL)
Co-founder and Creative Director, Silver Image Creative, Inc.

Michael Tanimura is the co-founder and creative director of Silver Image Creative, Inc., a graphic communications firm working in the education and non-profit sectors.  Silver Image specializes in developing exhibits and websites. His experience includes art direction, graphic design, writing, editing, photography, and curating. He is a Board Member of the Chicago Creative Coalition, a continuing education and networking organization for Chicago professionals in the communication arts field. As President and Board Member of the Japanese American Service Committee, Mr. Tanimura is working to bring together the Nikkei in the Chicago area to consolidate resources, boost fund-raising and attendance at cultural events, and become a more visible and effective presence in the community. Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: paternal side from Kumamoto, maternal side from Hiroshima.

 
PAUL WATANABE (Boston, MA)
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Massachusetts, Boston

Paul Watanabe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.  He is also the current Director of the Institute for Asian American Studies at the university.  He has conducted extensive research and has published books and articles on the relationship of ethnic Americans to their ancestral lands and has presented talks in Kyoto, Nagoya, and Tokyo.  Dr. Watanabe also serves as the Vice Chair of the Race and Ethnic Advisory Committee (Asian Population) for the U.S.-Census Bureau, and sits on the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts.  He is the current President of the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund and a member of the U.S.-Japan Council.  Dr. Watanabe received his Ph.D. and his M.A. in Political Science from Harvard University.  Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: Aichi.

Overview

The Japanese American Leadership Delegation (JALD) program provides the opportunity for ten Japanese American leaders from throughout the United States to travel to Japan for seven nights. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) represented in the United States by the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. and seventeen consulate general offices is the sponsor of the program. The U.S.-Japan Council provides administration and organization for this program. 

The program began in 2000 and 136 delegates have participated to date. The trip creates an opportunity for Japanese American leaders to get to know Japan and to meet and exchange information with Japanese leaders in government, business, political, non-profit, and cultural sectors. The trip allows Japanese leaders to gain a greater understanding about multicultural America through the experiences of a diverse group of Japanese Americans. Upon returning, the delegation members work with former delegates, the local consulates, U.S.-Japan Council and local and national community organizations, to organize and participate in programs and activities related to building U.S.-Japan relations.

Background

While the relationship between the United States and Japan is considered by many as the most important bilateral relationship in the world, the connection between Japanese and Japanese Americans is atypical and more complex than that shared by other Americans and their ancestral peoples and lands. While World War II played a major role in severing ties between Japanese Americans and Japan, the political, business, and cultural milieu that both nations face today requires a new look at the Japanese – Japanese American relationship, and its role in the future of U.S.-Japan relations.

The Japanese American Leadership Delegation program provides Japanese American leaders a unique opportunity to become acquainted or re-engaged with Japan; to meet the highest leaders in government, business and the non-profit sectors, and participate in discussions related to the role that Japanese Americans can play in addressing key issues that face both countries, now and in the future. 

The first delegation was invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to visit Japan in 2000. It included third and fourth generation Japanese Americans selected from various professional fields including the educational, cultural, philanthropic, legal and political sectors. Since the initial trip, delegations of Japanese American leaders from throughout the United States have visited Japan every year since 2002 and now number 136 participants. 

Participants in this program have created an alumni network to ensure that the commitment to strengthening U.S.-Japan relations is maintained. The first national reunion/conference for alumni was held in 2007 in Honolulu and a second national reunion/summit was held in San Francisco in July 2009. A commitment to follow-up after the trip is a required part of the program.

Participants of the JALD program are invited to become a member of the U.S.-Japan Council, which maintains a national network of Japanese American leaders committed to furthing relations between the U.S. and Japan through programs, initiatives and networks.

Click here to visit the Japanese American Leadership Delegation Archive.

Important Dates

• January 20th-21th, 2012 -  JALD ORIENTATION IN LOS ANGELES
• March 2nd-10th, 2012 - JALD TRIP TO JAPAN 

Contacts

Contact your regional Japanese Consulate or Contact the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles: 

Ms. Jennifer Usyak, (213) 617-6700 x166, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or 

Consul Toshio Odagiri, (213) 617-6700, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 

Additional Resources

2012 JALD Fact Sheet

Guide to Accessing and Contacting Local Consulates

2011 Japanese American Leadership Delegation Report

Program Organizers and Sponsors

U.S.-JAPAN COUNCIL

The U.S.-Japan Council is a 501c3 non-profit, educational organization that seeks to encourage people-to-people connections that enhance the U.S.-Japan relationship. The Council brings together Japanese Americans to contribute their unique perspective and expertise to work with other American and Japanese leaders dedicated in ensuring strong U.S.-Japan relations. The Council is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with a regional office in Los Angeles.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan is one of the eleven ministries of the Government of Japan’s Executive Branch, the Prime Minister’s Cabinet. The Ministry oversees a network of embassies and consulates throughout the world, managing Japan’s foreign relations. The North American Affairs Bureau sponsors a number of programs which facilitate the strengthening of Japan-U.S. relations, with the First North America Division overseeing Japanese American affairs.