FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2020
Online Symposium will explore enduring partnerships in the bilateral relationship
WASHINGTON DC – The U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) will hold a virtual Public Symposium from November 17 to November 19 as part of its 2020 Signature Series, which was developed in lieu of its in-person Annual Conference and kicked off in September with the Bilateral Boardroom. Under the theme “Two Nations, Countless Connections – Community, Partnership and the Road Ahead,” the Symposium is centered on topics of recovery and resilience and will spotlight leaders representing a range of partnerships and diplomatic endeavors within the U.S.-Japan relationship, from philanthropic institutions and NPOs to soft power ventures like educational exchange and baseball diplomacy.
The Public Symposium is scheduled to kick off with a special interview on the historical legacy of Japanese Americans featuring Thomas Iino, Founding Chair of the U.S.-Japan Council. Shinsuke J. Sugiyama, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States of America, will offer special remarks. A women’s leadership panel will bring together speakers including Linda Calhoun, Founder and Executive Producer of Career Girls, and Yumi Hosaka Clark, Vice President/Head of Product at Visa. Norman Nakasone, Senior Vice President & Manager, Small Business Market at Central Pacific Bank will introduce a panel on NPO sustainability. A panel on exchange programs will convene with Paige Cottingham-Streater (Secretary-General, U.S. CULCON Panel & Executive Director, Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission). A special panel on baseball diplomacy, co-hosted by JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, will feature Yuko Kaifu (President, JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles), and baseball stars and aficionados including Matt Murton (former Hanshin Tigers and Major League Baseball player). The series will also draw on young professionals through a panel featuring alumni of the USJC Emerging Leaders Program.
Schedule of Events
November 17
2:00 – 3:00 pm ET: Opening Session featuring Special Remarks by Ambassador Sugiyama and “Japanese Americans & Japan: Legacies” – Interview with Tom Iino
6:00 – 7:15 pm ET: [Topical Session 1] Women’s Leadership: The Power of Story*
November 18
1:30 – 2:45 pm ET: [Topical Session 2] NPO Sustainability: Leadership Succession Strategies
6:00 – 7:15 pm ET: [Topical Session 3] Philanthropy Leadership: Historical Reconciliation & Today’s Landscape*
November 19
3:00 – 4:15 pm ET: [Topical Session 4] Cultural & Educational Exchange: A Winning Investment
6:00 – 7:15 pm ET: [Topical Session 5] Baseball Diplomacy*
7:45 – 8:30 pm ET: Closing Session featuring Emerging Leaders Program alumni panel*
*Indicates simultaneous Japanese interpretation will be available
The Public Symposium is a featured event of USJC’s 2020 Signature Series. Through this series, USJC will explore the theme “U.S.-Japan Relations in the Coronavirus Era: Leadership for Recovery, Resilience and Community.” More information, including a full list of events and speakers, can be found here.
Media Information
Date: November 17-19, 2020 (U.S.) / November 18-20, 2020 (Japan)
Language: English, with simultaneous Japanese interpretation available
Press Registration: Registration is complimentary. Click here to register.
About the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC)
The U.S.-Japan Council develops and connects global leaders to create a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship. It is an organization whose members believe people-to-people relationships are a powerful way to bring together leaders in the U.S. and Japan to address and create solutions to mutual concerns. The Council is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit educational organization that was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Washington, DC with staff in California, Hawaii and Tokyo. In 2012, the U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) was created and in 2013, it became a Public Interest Corporation (koeki zaidan hojin). The U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) maintains an office in Tokyo, Japan.
Washington, DC Headquarters
Alison Aadland
Public Relations Manager
[email protected]
202-223-6843
Japan Office
Junko Tsuda
Executive Director of U.S.-Japan Council (Japan)
[email protected]
+81-3-4510-3401