Ten Japanese American leaders will travel to Japan from March 1 to 9 as part of the Japanese American Leadership Delegation (JALD). Sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organized by the U.S.-Japan Council, JALD is dedicated to strengthening the relationship between Japanese Americans and Japan and expanding the role of Japanese Americans in advancing U.S.-Japan relations.
Developed under the philosophy of people-to-people diplomacy, JALD cultivates a network for Japanese American and Japanese leaders at the regional, national and international levels. The program also gives Japanese leaders across the business, government, academic, non-profit and cultural sectors the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the multicultural nature of the United States through the experiences of a diverse group of Japanese Americans. 227 individuals have participated in the program since its inception in 2000.
The 2024 delegates are:
- Naomi Otswald Kawamura (Seattle, WA), Executive Director, Densho
- Yoh Kawanami (Honolulu, HI), Director, Hawaiian Electric Company
- Derek Kenmotsu (San Mateo, CA), Head of Partnerships, AI/ML and Indo-Pacific, Defense Innovation Unit
- Darin Mano (Salt Lake City, UT) City Council Member, Salt Lake City Council
- Susan Miyagi McCormac (New York, NY) Founder & Editor-in-Chief, JapanCulture-NYC
- Tomoko Hosaka Mullaney (Washington, DC), Executive Director, U.S.-Japan Business Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Anna Ninoyu (Chicago, Illinois), Owner & Principal Architect, METIS Design
- Rob Ohno (Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida), President and CEO, ANNIKA Foundation
- George Tanaka (Los Angeles, California), Managing Director, U.S. Bank
- David Yoshimura (Des Moines, Iowa), Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Press representatives are invited to meet the delegates at a special symposium in Osaka. Co-hosted with the Japan Foundation, “Culture, Community and Commerce: Harnessing Global Experiences for Local Economic Revitalization in Osaka” will feature a special guest speaker and panel discussion. Simultaneous translation will be available. More information is available here.
For more information about the program or to read the full biographies of the ten delegates, please click here.
About the U.S.-Japan Council
The U.S.-Japan Council develops and connects global leaders to create a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship. Members of the nonprofit organization believe people-to-people relationships are a powerful way to bring together leaders in the UnitedStates and Japan to address and create solutions to mutual concerns. The Council is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit educational organization that was founded by a group of Japanese American leaders in 2009, and in 2012, the U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) was created and in 2013, it became a Public Interest Corporation (koeki zaidan hojin).
Washington, DC Headquarters
Alison Aadland
Senior Communications Manager
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Japan Office
Mark Ikeno
Executive Director of the U.S.-Japan Council (Japan)
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