U.S.-Japan Council Newsletter (July 11th, 2013)

SAVE THE DATE!  2013 USJC 4TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE – WASHINGTON, DC, OCTOBER 3RD-5TH 

RISK, REWARD AND INNOVATION: OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE U.S. AND JAPAN

Please be sure to keep your calendars open for the 2013 USJC 4th Annual Conference being held in Washington, DC from October 3rd-4th. The Council will bring together leading subject experts and visionaries to discuss the long-term benefits of taking risks and daring to move from trusted to innovative courses of action. As the U.S. and Japan remain committed to strong and positive relations, exploring versatile collaborations and partnerships is essential to a successful future. Keynote Speakers will include Mr. Hiroaki Nakanishi, President of Hitachi, Ltd., and Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, Recipient of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Conference topics include: global citizenship, higher education, civil society sector, leadership development, media communications, culinary diplomacy, energy entrepreneurship, economic collaboration and navigating the U.S.-Japan relationship in DC and Tokyo.

  • October 3rd (5:30pm-7:00 pm):  Opening Reception on Capitol Hill
  • October 4th (9:00am-7:00 pm):  Annual Conference and Closing Reception at the Capital Hilton

TOMODACHI UPDATE

JULY TOMODACHI NEWSLETTER OUT TODAY

This summer, the U.S.-Japan Council will help approximately 500 TOMODACHI generation students participate in 26 programs through the TOMODACHI Initative. Programs will bring Americans and Japanese together in Tohoku, invite American students to Japan, and send Japanese students to the United States. Programs will also reunite some participants from last summer’s programs, provide some TOMODACHI alumni opportunities to build on last year’s experiences with new programs, and introduce many more new Americans and Japanese students to each other and to their respective countries.

View today’s “Update from Team TOMODACHI” here.

Click here to receive future updates from Team TOMODACHI!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

USJC BOARD OF COUNCILORS MEMBER NORMAN MINETA DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Last week, the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) held a national conference in Seattle, WA. The conference was held in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which granted redress to Japanese Americans forced into internment camps during World War II. On July 6, USJC Board of Councilors member Sec. Norman Mineta delivered a Keynot Address to conference attendees. As a child, Secretary Mineta was held in an internment camp and as a Congressman from San Jose was later involved in passage of the redress bill. After two decades as a legislator, he served as Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Transportation under the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, becoming the first Asian American to hold a cabinet position.

More information about JANM’s conference is available here.

U.S.-JAPAN COUNCIL MEMBER NOMINATED TO COMMERCE DEPT. POST

On July 10, President Barack Obama nominated USJC Member Margaret Cummisky, a former aide to the late Hawaii Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, to serve as assistant secretary for legislative and intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Cummisky had worked for Senator Inouye for over 15 years before joining the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

More information is available via Pacific Business News here.

U.S. & JAPAN IN THE NEWS