The U.S.-Japan Council, together with the U.S.-Japan Council (Japan), is pleased to present its 2018 Annual Conference, to be held at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, Shibuya, Tokyo, from November 8 to 9, 2018. This is the Council’s second Conference in Tokyo since 2015, and discusses how the United States and Japan can build a sustainable future together, and strengthen philanthropy in Japan. This includes collaborating towards mutual goals like fostering future leaders, and facing common challenges like aging populations and security issues in Asia. The Conference will also discuss regional ties among various cities in both countries, as well as the impact the midterm elections will have in the United States.
Please find below the details of the 2018 Annual Conference:
Dates
Thursday, November 8, 2018, 9:30 am~ (media registration opens at 9:00am)
Friday, November 9, 2018, 9:00 am~ (media registration opens at 8:30am)
Venue
Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel (〒150-8512 26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan)
Topics
(*English only. There will not be simultaneous interpretation into Japanese)
- New Trends in Philanthropy
- SDGs and Multisectoral Partnerships
- Business Strategy and Market Innovation
- Governors Seeking to Revitalize Local Economies
- The Future of Innovation and Design Thinking
- Political Trends and Security Implications
- Pioneering Women and Breaking Barriers
- TOMODACHI Generation: Next Generation Leaders Shaping the Future
- GANNENMONO: Celebrating the 150-Year Legacy
- Social Innovation and Change-makers
- Japan’s NPO Sector Today*
- Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies*
- Aging Populations: Developing Solutions *
- Dare to be Different: Leading a More Diverse Future
2018 Annual Conference Agenda
(Schedule and speakers are subject to change)
Thursday, November 8
| Time | Topic | Speakers |
| 9:30 – 10:00am | Opening Remarks | Emcee: Mari Matthews Speaker: Irene Hirano Inouye |
| 10:00 – 10:30am | New Trends in Philanthropy | Moderator: Mari Kuraishi Panelists: Xavier Briggs, Hiroshi Nonomiya |
| 10:45 – 11:15am | SDGs and Multisectoral Partnerships | Speakers: Toshio Arima, Hiroko Kuniya |
| 11:15 – 11:45am | Business Strategy and Market Innovation | Moderator: Jesper Koll Panelists: Takeshi Niinami, Sachin Shah |
| 12:30 – 12:45pm | Luncheon Plenary Session | Emcee: Paul Yonamine Special Remarks: Chris DeGroot, Shoichiro Ichitani |
| 12:45 – 1:45pm | Governors Seeking to Revitalize Local Economies | Moderator: Daniel Okimoto Panelists: Ryuta Ibaragi (Okayama Pref.), Heita Kawakatsu (Shizuoka Pref.), Hidehiko Yuzaki (Hiroshima Pref.) |
| 2:30 – 2:45pm | Special Address | Emcee: Tomoko Kizawa Distinguished Speaker: Kanetsugu Mike |
| 2:45 – 3:00pm | The Future of Innovation and Design Thinking (Part 1) | Moderator: Kathy Matsui Panelist: Peter Fitzgerald |
| 3:00 – 3:15pm | Special Address | Distinguished Speaker: Yuriko Koike |
| 3:15 – 3:45pm | Political Trends and Security Implications | Moderator: Peter Landers Panelists: Yoichi Funabashi, Joseph Young |
| 4:00 – 4:15pm | The Future of Innovation and Design Thinking (Part 2) | Presenter: John Maeda |
| 4:15 – 4:45pm | Pioneering Women and Breaking Barriers | Moderator: Yuka Tanimoto Panelist: Emi Takemura |
| 4:45 – 5:15pm | TOMODACHI Generation: Next Generation Leaders Shaping our Future | Emcee: Laura Winthrop Abbot Moderator: Todd Guild Panelists: Juan Hernandez, Mio Kakuchi, Toshiko Kudo Discussant: Lata Reddy |
| 6:15 – 8:00pm | Conference Reception | Emcee: Ernest Higa Special Performance: Ebizo Ichikawa |
Friday, November 9
| Time | Topic | Speakers |
| 9:00 – 9:05am | Welcome Remarks | Emcee: Dana Heatherton |
| 9:05 – 9:30am | Gannenmono: Celebrating the 150-Year Legacy | Speakers: Christine Kubota, Tyler Tokioka, Dennis Ogawa |
| 9:45 – 11:00am | Breakout Sessions (4 concurrent sessions) | |
| Social Innovation and Changemakers | Presenters: Yukiko Araki, Martijn Dekker, Fran Heller, Keiko Ihara, Yumi Tomei | |
| Japan’s NPO Sector Today | Moderator: Junko Tsuda Panelists: Katsuji Imata, John E. Kobara, Nanako Kudo | |
| Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies | Moderator: Yuki Isogai Panelists: Tomoko Hasegawa, Yuuko Iizuka, Alan Oshima | |
| Aging Populations: Developing Solutions | Moderator: Leona Hiraoka Panelists: Mikio Aoki, Ryuji Watanabe | |
| 11:15 – 11:45am | Dare to Be Different: Leading a More Diverse Future | Speakers: David Kenji Chang, Mana Nakagawa, Nicole Velasco |
| 11:45am – 12:00pm | Closing Remarks | Speaker: Yuko Kaifu |
| 4:00 – 6:00pm | Japan Film Premiere – An American Story: Norman Mineta and His Legacy | Moderators: Diane Fukami, Debra Nakatomi Panelist: Norman Mineta |
Speakers
*Distinguished Speakers
- Laura Winthrop Abbot, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, U.S.-Japan Council
- Mikio Aoki, Director, Commercialisation of Public Services, METI
- Yukiko Araki, Corporate Officer, Executive General Manager, Sustainability Promotion Division, Hitachi, Ltd.
- Toshio Arima, Chairman of the Board, Global Compact Japan Network
- Xavier Briggs, Vice President, Inclusive Economies and Markets, Ford Foundation
- David Kenji Chang, Portfolio Manager, Tyvor Capital, LLC
- Chris DeGroot, Vice President – International Sales, American Airlines
- Martijn Dekker, Vice President for Strategy & Portfolio – Projects & Technology, Shell
- Peter Fitzgerald, President, Google Japan G.K.
- Dianne Fukami, President, Bridge Media, Inc.; Director & Co-Producer, An American Story: Norman Mineta and His Legacy
- Yoichi Funabashi, Co-founder and Chairman, Asia Pacific Initiative; Former Editor-in-Chief, The Asahi Shimbun (2007-10)
- Todd Guild, Senior Director, McKinsey & Company, Inc.
- Tomoko Hasegawa, Director, SDGs Promotion Bureau, Keidanren (Japan Business Federation）
- Dana Heatherton, Director of Operations & Business Strategy, A3Ventures
- Fran Heller, Founder & CEO, Good2Go
- Juan Hernandez, TOMODACHI MUFG International Exchange Program (2013) and TOMODACHI Daiwa House Student Leadership Conference (2018) Alumnus
- Ernest Higa, President, Chairman & CEO, HIGA Industries Co., Ltd.
- Irene Hirano Inouye, President, U.S.-Japan Council
- Leona Hiraoka, President & CEO, Keiro
- Ryuta Ibaragi, Governor of Okayama Prefecture, Japan
- Ebizo Ichikawa, Kabuki Actor
- Shoichiro Ichitani, Director and Vice Chairman, Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd.
- Keiko Ihara, Race Car Driver; Independent Director, Nissan Motor Corporation
- Yuuko Iizuka, General Manager, CSR Department, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.
- Katsuji Imata, Board Chair, CSO Network Japan; Vice Chairperson, Board of Directors, Japan NPO Center
- Yuki Isogai, Partner, International Development, Sustainability, PricewaterhouseCoopers Co., Ltd
- Yuko Kaifu, President, JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles
- Mio Kakuchi, TOMODACHI Summer SoftBank Leadership Program (2015) Alumna
- Heita Kawakatsu, Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
- Tomoko Kizawa, Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
- *Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, Japan
- John E. Kobara, Chief Operating Officer, California Community Foundation
- Jesper Koll, CEO, WisdomTree Japan
- Christine Kubota, Director, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
- Nanako Kudo, Executive Director, Japan Social Impact Investment Foundation
- Toshiko Kudo, TOMODACHI ADA25 Lead On! Program (2016) Alumna
- Hiroko Kuniya, Journalist; Goodwill Ambassador for Japan, UN Food and
- Agriculture Organization
- Mari Kuraishi, Co-Founder & President, GlobalGiving
- Peter Landers, Tokyo Bureau Chief, The Wall Street Journal
- John Maeda, Global Head of Computational Design + Inclusion, Automattic
- Kathy Matsui, Vice-Chair, Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd.
- Mari Matthews, Corporate Officer, Government Relations, AIG Japan Holdings KK
- *Kanetsugu Mike, President & CEO, MUFG Bank, Ltd.
- Norman Mineta, President & CEO, Mineta & Associates, LLC; Former Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation; Former Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Mana Nakagawa, Women’s Diversity Program Manager, Facebook
- Debra Nakatomi, President, Nakatomi & Associates, Inc.; Co-Producer, An American Story: Norman Mineta and His Legacy
- Takeshi Niinami, CEO, Suntory Holdings Ltd.
- Hiroshi Nonomiya, Co-CEO, Social Investment Partners; Representative Director, Crosspoint Advisors, Inc.
- Dennis Ogawa, Professor, University of Hawaii Manoa
- Daniel Okimoto, Director-Emeritus, Shorenstein APARC; FSI Senior Fellow and Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Stanford University
- Alan Oshima, President & CEO, Hawaiian Electric
- Lata Reddy, Senior Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion & Impact, Prudential Financial, Inc.; Chair and President, The Prudential Foundation
- Sachin Shah, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, MetLife Insurance K.K.; President, The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan
- Emi Takemura, Fellow, Mistletoe Inc.; Co-founder, FutureEdu Tokyo; Co-founder/Advisor, Peatix Inc.
- Yuka Tanimoto, Deputy Editor-in-Chief & Event Promotion Section Chief Producer, Forbes JAPAN
- Tyler Tokioka, Vice President, External Affairs, Island Insurance
- Yumi Tomei, Former Olympian, Soccer; EY Women Athlete Business Network (WABN)
- Junko Tsuda, Executive Director, Japan, U.S.-Japan Council
- Nicole Velasco, Business Development Lead, NORESCO
- Ryuji “Rick” Watanabe, Advisor, ASO Corporation (Tokyo, Japan)
- Paul Yonamine, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Central Pacific Financial Corporation (CPF); Executive Chairman, Central Pacific Bank (CPB); Chairman, GCA Corporation Japan (GCA)
- Joseph M. Young, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Tokyo
- Hidehiko Yuzaki, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
To see the speakers’ bios, click here.
Media Registration
To register, please download this form and email to [email protected] or fax to (+81)3-6402-0302.