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. 

IN MEMORY OF the late Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, who served as Vice Chair until his passing on May 3, 2022
President and CEO, Mineta & Associates, LLC; Former Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation; Former Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC

Officers

Ernest M. Higa, Chair
Chairman, President and CEO, Higa Industries Co., Ltd.

Masaaki Tanaka, Vice Chair
Former Representative Director and Deputy President, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.; Former Chairman, President and CEO, Nippon Paint Holdings Ltd.

Takeshi Niinami, Vice Chair
Representative Director, Chairman and CEO, Suntory Holdings Limited

Councilors

Shigeru Ariizumi
Vice Minister for International Affairs, Financial Services Agency of Japan

Gerald Curtis
Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Columbia University

His Excellency Ichiro Fujisaki
President, Nakasone Peace Institute; Former Japan Ambassador to the United States

Hiroyuki Fujita
Founder and CEO, Quality Electrodynamics
Chairman, Canon Healthcare USA, Inc.

Glen S. Fukushima
Vice Chair, Securities Investor Protection Corporation; Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Yuko Hayashi
Professor, Graduate School of Innovation and Technology Management, Yamaguchi University

James Higa
Founder and Managing Partner, Offline Ventures

Toshiaki Higashihara
Executive Chairman and Representative Executive Officer, Hitachi, Ltd.

Jennifer Hirano
Business Development Analyst, Alphabet, Inc.

Yosuke Jay O. Honjo
President and CEO, ITO EN (North America) Inc.

Noriyuki Inoue
Chairman Emeritus and Chief Global Group Officer, Daikin Industries, Ltd.

Ken Inouye
Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Administration, University of Hawai’i West O’ahu

Russell K. Kawahara
Partner, Atsumi & Sakai 

Hans Klemm
Japan Representative, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

Masaharu Kohno
Former Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace; Former Japan Ambassador to Russia



Satoru Komiya
Chairman of the Board, Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.

His Excellency Taro Kono
Member of the House of Representatives

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

Kanetsugu Mike
Chairman, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.

Merle Aiko Okawara
Founder and Senior Advisor, DELSOLE Corporation

Kentaro Okuda
President and Group CEO, Nomura Holdings, Inc.

John Onoda
Principal, iQ 360

Gill Pratt
Chief Executive Officer, Toyota Research Institute, Inc.; Chief Scientist and Executive Fellow for Research, Toyota Motor Corporation

Susan Roos
Partner and CAO, Geodesic Capital

His Excellency Kenichiro Sasae
President, The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA); Former Japan Ambassador to the United States

Scott Sato
Chairman and President, Circlace K.K.

Jun Sawada
Executive Chairman, NTT, Inc.

John Thomas Schieffer
President and CEO, Envoy International, LLC; Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan

George Takei
Actor, Hosato Enterprises, Inc.

Miki Tsusaka
Representative Director and President, Microsoft Japan

Toshizo Watanabe
President, Toshizo Watanabe Foundation

Akio Yamaguchi
General Manager and President, IBM Japan, Ltd.

Kristi Yamaguchi
Founder, Always Dream Foundation

Roy Yamaguchi
Chef and Restaurateur, Roy’s

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

Paul K. Yonamine
Chairman Emeritus, Central Pacific Financial Corporation and Central Pacific Bank

Honorary Councilors

Honorable George Ariyoshi
Former Governor, State of Hawai’i

His Excellency Yasuo Fukuda
Former Prime Minister of Japan

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mark Takano
United States House of Representatives, State of California

Honorable Jill Tokuda
United States House of Representatives, State of Hawaiʻi