On August 28, the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) hosted the 37th Business Advisory Board (BAB) Meeting at the Tokyo American Club, welcoming David Ha, Co-Founder and CEO of Sakana AI, as keynote speaker. His presentation, “Building AI in Japan”, drew more than 120 senior business leaders, TOMODACHI alumni, and interns.
Fred Katayama, Executive Vice President of USJC, served as emcee. Masaaki Tanaka, Vice Chair of the Board of Councilors, and Chair Emeritus Kathy Matsui (MPower Partners), delivered opening remarks and recent updates. Prior to the keynote, David Richards (Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co., Ltd.) and Kaori Iida (NHK) introduced themselves, reflecting on their professional experiences in Japan and the U.S. and their involvement with USJC.
During his presentation, David Ha underscored the strategic importance of Japan developing its own unique AI by integrating the best technologies from both the United States and China amid intensifying global competition in the AI field. He explained that Sakana AI aims to ‘democratize AI’ in ways that align with Japanese society and culture, in order to provide AI solutions to resolve Japan’s social challenges, such as labor shortages due to population decline. He further emphasized Japan’s “soft power”, including anime and lifestyle, as a unique strength that can attract engineers from around the world, providing Japan with a significant advantage in building world-class AI.
Ha closed by sharing his vision of creating superior intelligence through the collaboration of multiple AI models, just as humans have advanced knowledge through collective intelligence. He emphasized his commitment to early profitability and sustainable R&D as a Japan-based AI company.
A networking dinner followed the keynote, providing participants with additional opportunities for dialogue and exchange. Ayaka Asano (Mineta Ambassador Program ’25), a TOMODACHI alumna, shared that the event renewed her optimism, showing her that opportunities to pursue a career in a bilingual, multicultural environment remain within reach. She further reflected that her interactions with the business leaders present highlighted the many opportunities that remain for her to take on new challenges.
To see more photos from the event, click here.
This article was written by Moe Shimizu, a Development Intern who attended the 37th BAB.