2009 Japanese American Leadership Delegation

Overview

The ninth Japanese American Leadership Delegation traveled to Japan on February 26th – March 8th, 2009.  The Delegation visited Kyoto, Tokyo and Okinawa.  Highlights of the trip included meetings with Prime Minister Taro Aso and other high-level Japanese leaders including government officials, parliamentarians and business executives.

The 2009 Delegates represented twelve cities from throughout the U.S. and Canada including Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Las Cruces, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Jose, Seattle, New York City, Phoenix, San Antonio and Vancouver.  The Delegation represented diverse professions including business, communications, finance, government, health, higher education, law, marketing and media.

Symposium

The 2009 Program Symposium – “Building New Networks – An Era of Change in Japanese American-Japanese Relations” – sponsored by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership and the Japanese American National Museum and coordinated by Dr. Tosh Minohara of Kobe University and Irene Hirano Inouye, featured delegates Dianne Fukami, Ken Miyagishima, and Patricia Neilson as panelists, with commentator Dr. Kurayoshi Takara of the University of the Ryukyus. Click here to download the symposium report.

2009 Delegates

• Wendy Akemi Abe, Hawaii
• Dianne Fukami, Northern California
• Michael K. Hirai, Hawaii
• Elaine Ikoma Ko, Washington
• Robert W. Kumaki, Illinois
• Kenneth D. Miyagishima, New Mexico
• Debra Nakatomi, Southern California
• Ted Tetsuya Namba, Arizona
• Patricia Akemi Neilson, Massachusetts
• Peter Sakai, Texas
• Edward Kiyoshi Shikada, Northern California
• Kirk Hiroyuki Tambara, Washington
• Marianne R.M. Yoshioka, New York

Report

2009_JALD_Report.pdf