Board of Councilors

The U.S.-Japan Council’s distinguished Board of Councilors consists of leaders who are recognized for their life-long contribution and commitment to strengthening U.S.-Japan relations. Their expertise guides the Council’s mission and activities. 

Board Officers

Paul K. Yonamine, Chair
Executive Chairman, Central Pacific Bank

Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, Vice Chair
President & CEO, Mineta & Associates, LLC; Former Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation; Former Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC

Masaaki Tanaka, Vice Chair
Executive Chairman of the Board, Nippon Paint Holdings, Co., Ltd.

Board Members

Naoyuki Agawa
Distinguished Visiting Professor, Doshisha University

Honorable George Ariyoshi
Former Governor, State of Hawai’i

Gerald Curtis
Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Columbia University

His Excellency Ichiro Fujisaki
President, Nakasone Peace Institute; Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the U.S.

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita
Founder, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Quality Electrodynamics

His Excellency Yasuo Fukuda
Former Prime Minister of Japan

Glen S. Fukushima
Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa
Attorney and Former Member, U.S. House of Representatives, State of Hawaii

Ernest M. Higa
Chairman, President & CEO, Higa Industries Co., Ltd.

Nobuyuki Hirano
Chairman, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.

Honorable Mazie Hirono
United States Senate, State of Hawai’i

Yosuke Jay O. Honjo
CEO and Founder, ITO EN US Group

Masami Iijima
Representative Director, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mitsui & Co., LTD.

Noriyuki Inoue
Chairman of the Board & Chief Global Group Officer, Daikin Industries, Ltd.

His Excellency Ryozo Kato
Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the U.S.

Elly Keinan
General Manager, IBM North America; Chairman, IBM Japan

Ambassador Masaharu Kohno
Special Representative of the Government of Japan for the Middle East and Europe; Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for the Middle East Peace

Yorihiko Kojima
Honorary Chairman, Mitsubishi Corporation

Hiroko Kuniya
Journalist; Goodwill Ambassador for Japan, UN Food and Agriculture Organization

Honorable Doris Matsui
United States House of Representatives, State of California

Koji Nagai
President and Group CEO, Nomura Holdings, Inc.

Tsuyoshi Nagano
Chairman of the Board, Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.

Hiroaki Nakanishi
Chairman of the Board, Executive Officer, Hitachi, Ltd.

Takeshi Niinami
Representative Director, President & Chief Executive Officer, Suntory Holdings Limited

Dr. Daniel Okimoto, Ph.D.
Director-Emeritus, Shorenstein APARC; FSI Senior Fellow and Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Stanford University

John Onoda
Senior Consultant, Fleishman-Hillard International Communications

W. Douglas Parker
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, American Airlines Group, Inc.

Susan Roos
Partner and CAO, Geodesic Capital

His Excellency Motoatsu Sakurai
President, Japan Society; Former Ambassador and Consul General of Japan in New York

His Excellency Kenichiro Sasae
President, The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA); Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the U.S.

Honorable John Thomas Schieffer
President & CEO of Envoy International, LLC; Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the U.S. to Japan

Mark Takano
U.S. House of Representatives, State of California

Isao Takashiro
Chairman and CEO, Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd.

George Takei
Actor, Hosato Enterprises, Inc.

Toshizo Watanabe
President, Toshizo Watanabe Foundation

Kristi Yamaguchi
Founder, Always Dream Foundation

Roy Yamaguchi
Chef and Restaurateur, Roy’s

Dr. Shinya Yamanaka
2012 Nobel Laureate; Director, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University

Honorary Board Members

His Excellency Yohei Kono
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan

Honorable Walter Mondale
Former Vice President of the United States; Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the U.S. to Japan

His Excellency Kunihiko Saito
Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the U.S.

His Excellency Shunji Yanai
President and Judge, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea; Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the U.S.