Membership

Overview

The U.S.-Japan Council membership comprises Council Leaders, Associates and Friends of the Council committed to the mission of the organization.

Council Leaders are leaders who actively contribute to shaping U.S.-Japan relations through the work of the Council. Associates are young professionals ages 18 to 40 engaged in the Council’s work. Friends of the Council are individuals who support the Council’s work and initiatives, and want to affiliate with and support the organization but who for various reasons are not able to become actively engaged in the Council’s activities. 

Council Leaders

Council Leaders are leaders who actively support the mission and goals of the organization, which works to engage Americans and Japanese in programs and activities by contributing time, expertise and resources.  Council Leaders have high levels of professional achievement with senior leadership positions held.  They have strong interests or experiences in U.S.-Japan relations, and an interest in building on the leadership role of Japanese Americans in U.S.-Japan relations, by engaging in these areas through the Council’s activities. 

Associates

The Associates category was created to include delegates of the Emerging Leaders Program due to the expressed desire to keep current, past, and future delegates connected to the Council.  It has grown to include young professionals between the ages of 18 and 40 as well as select alumni of USJC TOMODACHI programs.  

Friends of the Council 

The Friends of the Council category is a distinguished group of leaders, experts, and contributors who have demonstrated their support of the Council’s mission and goals in building U.S.-Japan relations.  Friends of the Council may not be able to participate as Council Leaders due to prior commitments, time constraints or professional circumstances, limiting active involvement.  

Membership FAQ

For more information on USJC’s membership criteria, please view the FAQ sheet here. For information regarding USJC’s membership policy changes (effective January 1, 2018), please view this FAQ sheet. 

Becoming a Member

Membership is by invitation and nomination only. Council Leaders, Associates or Friends of the Council may nominate an individual for membership.

Process

1) Identify a potential member and provide information to him or her about the Council
2) Fill out the nomination form 
3) Submit a professional biography for introduction to Director of External Relations Wendy Abe – [email protected].

The nomination is then submitted to the Engagement Committee for review and approval. Once approved, the nominee will be sent an official invitation. Please note that this process may take several weeks once the nomination materials have been submitted.

If you are a member interested in submitting a nomination, please fill out the online form here.

Membership Contribution Levels

Associates
$50 – Ages 18-24
$100 – Ages 25-40

Council Leaders
$250 – Members in the Nonprofit, Government and Education Sectors
$500 – Contributing Members
$1,000 – Contributing Benefactors

Friends of the Council
$500 – Contributing Members
$1,000 – Contributing Benefactors

*Contributing Benefactors ($1000 contributions and higher) will be recognized in our USJC Annual Report. 
**Please refer to the FAQ sheet for more details about Contribution Levels. 

Membership Benefits

USJC members enjoy several benefits, including access to members-only events and discount rates at the Annual Conference.

Affinity Groups

Members are invited to participate in our Affinity Groups, which offer networking opportunities centered around an industry or other theme. Learn more here.

USJC Annual Conference

USJC members can sign up for discounted rates for the Annual Conference. For more information, please view the Annual Conference webpage.

USJC Members Newsletter

New USJC members are automatically signed up for the twice-monthly USJC e-newsletter, which includes important news and upcoming event information. If you are currently not receiving the USJC newsletter, please contact [email protected]. 

Hotels

Hotel New Otani Tokyo

The Hotel New Otani Tokyo is generously providing USJC members with corporate discount rates in 2023. Please consult Wendy Abe at [email protected] for more details about the special rates.

Tokyu Hotels – various

Tokyu Hotels is generously providing USJC members with discount rates at four of their Japan locations. Please click on the links below to find out more.

Resources for Members

If you are a current member looking for various guidelines and resources, please click here.