2026 U40 Summit

Overview

 Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of Ichi-go Ichi-e—the belief that every encounter is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—the 2026 U40 Summit (U40 LA) celebrates the transformational power of leaders, ideas, and opportunity coming together at the right moment.

U40 LA convenes “under 40” leaders, influencers, and changemakers from across the US and Japan to spark new ideas, strengthen people-to-people connections, and deepen U.S.–Japan relations. Leaders from business, sports, entertainment, food, nonprofit, and arts and culture will reflect on the defining moments that shaped their journeys and share insights that inspire new collaborations and shape the future of U.S.–Japan diplomacy.

Schedule

The sessions include interactive workshops, dialogues with prominent Japanese American and Japanese leaders, and receptions to expand your U40 network.

The official program will start at 2:00 PM on Friday, June 12, with limited optional morning programming. Please plan accordingly if you would like to participate in the optional programming on Friday (starting at 9:00 AM PT) and Sunday (ending at 3:00 PM). The last official summit event will be on the night of Saturday, June 13.

The weekend will include:

• Optional tours: King’s Hawaiian Factory Tour, Japanese American National Museum (JANM) Hard Hat Tour and JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles: 
• A walking tour of Little Tokyo
• Panels covering topics including leadership, food, culture, investment and innovation. Confirmed speakers to date (as of 5/24/26):
  • Yumi Araki, Managing Producer, America’s Test Kitchen
  • Misaki Collins, External Relations Manager, Dallas Mavericks
  • HIKARI, Writer, Director, Producer
  • Emily Fukunaga, Chief of Staff, Digital Strategy, Servco Pacific Inc.
  • Kristin Fukushima, Director, Little Tokyo Community Council
  • Travis Fujita, General Manager, BEAMS America
  • Kellie Kawaguchi, Manager, Live Marketing, Netflix
  • Kelsey Kawana, Chief Operating Officer, JSL Foods, Inc.
  • Atsuko Kanai, Executive Vice President, Mutual Trading Co., Inc.
  • Sakura Kokumai, Team USA Karate Olympian
  • Kenyon Mayeda, COO, Japanese American National Museum
  • Masahisa (Masa) Mitsunaga, Partner, Buchalter
• Networking opportunities
• Special U40 x BEAMS Community Reception

Cost

• Registration fee: $200 (refunds are subject to approval)
• Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and will close once capacity has been reached. 

Travel & Accommodations

We have arranged discounted rooms for $200/night (without tax & fees) at the Miyako Hotel, conveniently located in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To book and secure a hotel room with the room block, you must indicate in the registration form. Hotel rooms need to be reserved by Wednesday, June 3. You will be responsible for payment to the hotel upon arrival.

Contact

Need Assistance? Contact the 2026 U40 Los Angeles Planning Committee for any inquiries. Email: [email protected]

Voices from the U40 Community

“The U40 Summit is a special gathering for those under 40 who want to deepen connections with their peers who are invested in their communities and in the U.S.-Japan relationship. Each Summit has highlighted lessons from leaders across a variety of sectors, stories from different segments of the Japanese-American community across the United States, and spaces for us to reflect and share thoughts about how we want to continue to show up in the world. Personally, as an organizer for the U40 Summit in Seattle, the event was a proud moment to showcase what’s happening in the Pacific Northwest region and how the U.S.-Japan relationship and Japanese Americans play a strong role in the community and history here. Such a learning and engaging atmosphere at each Summit has produced lots of great memories and friendships, many of which carry on beyond the Summit weekends themselves. I look forward to enjoying what the LA crew have put together – and I hope you’ll join us for another exciting event!”

— Aki Shibuya

“The U40 Summit is one of the most energizing gatherings I return to year after year. Since my first time in 2019, it’s given me a community of next-generation leaders who are equally serious about strengthening the U.S.-Japan relationship and equally passionate about the work it takes to do so. Helping plan the 2024 Seattle Summit made that commitment even more personal, and watching participants connect across industries, generations, and perspectives reminded me why this network matters. If you’re under 40 and care about the future of U.S.-Japan relations, there is no better room to be in.”

— Shohei Narron

“The U40 Summit is a truly unique and fun gathering that brings together young leaders from diverse backgrounds to connect in a collaborative environment. I had the opportunity to experience the event in three different ways: as a first-time participant, as an organizing member from Seattle, and as a speaker on the technology panel (it was especially inspiring to hear other perspectives on how AI is changing the way we work and to explore how the Japanese and American startup support ecosystems compare with one another!) I appreciated how the summit encouraged deep engagement with each other’s stories and perspectives through sessions on community history and personal reflection. I greatly recommend attending the U40 Summit for expanding your peer network and finding inspiration from people working across sectors and cultures.“

— Yuri Hamamura