Ten Japanese American leaders will be in Japan from February 28 to March 7 to meet with Japanese leaders.
Photo courtesy of the Japanese American National Museum
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ten Japanese American leaders will travel to Japan from February 28 to March 7 as part of the Japanese American Leadership Delegation or JALD. They will engage with a wide range of Japanese leaders and intellectuals from the political, public, and private sectors.
Sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organized by the U.S.-Japan Council, 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. 247 individuals have participated in the program since its inception in 2000.
The 2025 delegates are:
• Ellen Kamei (Mountain View, CA), Mayor, City of Mountain View, CA
• Jason Miyashita (Tamuning, Guam), Managing Director, Raymond James
• Roger Nozaki (Providence, RI), Vice President for Strategy & Programs, Barr Foundation
• Elisabeth Tamiko Ooka (Bloomfield, NJ), President & COO, Furumoto Realty Inc.
• Ann Teranishi (Honolulu, HI), President and CEO, American Savings Bank
• Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong (Portland, OR), Executive Director, Japanese American Museum of Oregon
• Kendee Yamaguchi (Seattle, WA), Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Akira Yamamoto (Bloomfield Hills, MI), US Japanese Services Group National Leader, Deloitte LLP
• Dawn Yamane Hewett (Washington, DC), Partner, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP
• Derick Yanehiro (Los Angeles, CA), Producer, ABC Network News
Press representatives are invited to the 2025 Japanese American Leadership Symposium “From Hiroshima to Hope: Japanese American Perspectives on Global Peace and Security,” which will be held in Hiroshima City on March 3. The symposium, made possible by a wide range of supporters, aims to strengthen the relationship between Japanese and American communities, promote people-to-people relationships, and advance U.S.-Japan dialogue. Featured speakers include Hidehiko Yuzaki, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, as well as a panel of Japanese American leaders from California, Hawaii, and Washington, D.C. — TV producer Derick Yanehiro, City of Mountain View Mayor Ellen Kamei, American Savings Bank President and CEO Ann Teranishi, and lawyer Dawn Yamane Hewett.
About the U.S.-Japan Council
Founded by Japanese Americans, the U.S.-Japan Council is the premier organization dedicated to strengthening U.S.-Japan relations through people-to-people connections. From high school classrooms to corporate boardrooms, from college lecture halls to the halls of government, we develop and connect leaders from every sector committed to a strong and enduring global partnership. Through our transformative leadership initiatives, innovative exchange programs, and impactful in-person and virtual events we bring together leaders at every level to address key bilateral issues. Our community of members across the United States and Japan is a vibrant and diverse professional and personal network. It fosters deep connections and opportunities to make meaningful contributions.
In a separate statement, Jason Miyashita said: “It is an honor to represent Guam and the Pacific Islands and be selected as one of ten Japanese American leaders globally to travel to Japan as part of the Japanese American Leadership Delegation. I am truly excited to meet the Prime Minister of Japan, Members of the National Diet and Imperial Family and various business and community leaders in Hiroshima and Tokyo on this upcoming annual trip.”
Guam businessman Monte Mesa said “as a past delegate in the Japanese American Leadership Delegation, our members of the Guam Nikkei Association and U.S.-Japan Council are excited to have Jason participate in this prestigious group of leaders representing Guam. We hope that Jason’s continued membership in the U.S.-Japan Council will develop more relationships in Guam, the United States and Japan going forward, especially with the Guam military buildup currently ongoing.”
