2012 Fall Newsletter - actual working copy2.indd - US

FALL 2012
Seattle shines with surprises for 2012 Delegates
Scott and Laurie Oki (far left) hosted one of the highlights of the 2012 Seattle Conference: a reception on
July 17, 2012 at their beautiful home on Lake Washington with “surprise” special guest U.S. Ambassador to
China Gary Locke (first row center, petting “Mochi”).
Features:
Seattle Week in Review
continues on pages 2-3
“Defining Leadership”
pages 4-5
Meet the New Tokyo Office
page 6
USJLP: Global Impact
page 7
News and Updates
page 8-15
Save the Dates!
back cover
T
his past summer USJLP met for the
seventh time in Seattle to hold the
thirteenth annual conference from July
14-21, 2012. Seattle shone in bright,
summery display of the diverse offerings of the city. From toasting the start
of a great week in Woodinville wine
country, to conversing lake-side with
Seattle leaders and receiving executive
treatment at Microsoft, new experiences awaited for Delegates each day.
Surprises were anything but few and
far between. The group was delighted
with the unexpected chance to meet
Ambassador Gary Locke at Scott and
Laurie Oki’s home reception, and were
all too happy to delve in to a mid-plenary meditation session led by practicing
Buddhists. And, on the final day many
Delegates and Fellows were pleased to
discover a hidden talent for kayaking!
However, perhaps the overall biggest
surprise for Delegates came as they reflected back on the week, recalling the
high energy and lack of ego of the group,
and how, in all of their diversities, there
lay a common thread that wove among
them revealing new opportunities, inspirations and collaborations, not to mention life-long friendships.
Read more about the week’s events,
discussions and memories inside!
Seattle 2012 Week in Review
Saturday, July 14 - Monday, July 16
The thirteenth annual conference kicked-off with a Welcome
Dinner at Seattle hot-spot Wild Ginger, where the atmosphere was charged with the Delegates’ excitement of meeting
new friends and reuniting with tomodachi from Japan 2011.
Sunday’s morning plenary was preceded by a talk and Q&A
with Timothy Egan, author and New York Times columnist,
who shared his insights into the Seattle area and jump-started
the week’s discussions on leadership. Delegates took in an
afternoon Seattle Mariners game and closed the day with dinner as Gohei Nishikawa (12,13) and Robert Kayihura (09,12)
each shared a “My Story” on overcoming challenges.
On Monday Delegates took a mid-day break from a full day
of plenary sessions to go on a historical guided tour of Pike
Place Market. In the evening the group rode out to DeLille
Cellars in the heart of Woodinville wine country, where they
enjoyed dining al fresco while taking in the beautiful views.
Below:
Delegates raise a toast to a great conference at Delille Cellars. Left to right: Kay
Kitazawa (12,13), Keisuke Matsumoto
(11,12), Brendan Kelly (11,12), Keiko Ihara
(11,12), CB Cain (12,13), Takako Kubo
(12,13), Mika Nabeshima (09,12), Maki
Tanaka (11,12), Atsuko Nishigaki (11,12),
Aaron Ford (12,13), Jiro Yoshino (09,12),
Genn Perkins (12,13), Ken Katayama
(12,13).
Above:
On July 16, Delegates
toured the famous Pike
Place Market, learning
about its history and the
origins of Seattle.
Little did they know at the time, but on July 15 Delegates witnessed Ichiro Suzuki play
his last home game as a Seattle Mariner before his trade to the New York Yankees. USJLP will miss you Ichiro! Pictured above from left: Ben Mazzotta (12,13), Erik Leklem
(12,13), ICHIRO, Ann Kim (11,12) and Laura Winthrop Abbot (11,12).
Tuesday, July 17 - Wednesday July 18
Following morning plenary sessions the group visited Microsoft’s Executive Briefing Center, where they were treated to
a VIP tour of Microsoft’s “Home of the Future” - a full-scale
prototype of what visionaries think homes could look and feel
like in 5, 10, 20 years. After this glimpse into the future, Delegates were then welcomed by Scott and Laurie Oki at their
private residence. Scott, a former Microsoft executive, is currently CEO of Oki Development and a member of
the USJLP Honorary Advisory Board. Delegates relished the opportunity to speak with him and surprise
special guest Gary Locke, U.S. Ambassador to China.
By Wednesday Delegates had held plenary discussions on everything from the future of nuclear energy,
Buddhism in the 21st century, U.S. foreign policy and
the rise of China. With much more to discuss, Delegates spent all day in plenary sessions and then relaxed
on a boat cruise of Lake Union and Lake Washington.
The 2012 Delegates enjoying fresh air and beautiful Seattle scenery on a July 18 boat cruise of Lake Union and Lake Washington.
2
Seattle Week in Review
Photo left: China experts in this year’s
class were thrilled by the serendipitous
opportunity to meet U.S. Ambassador
to China Gary Locke at Scott Oki’s
reception on July 17. From left to right:
Osamu Kaneda (12,13), Amb. Locke,
Dale Rielage (12,13), and Brendan
Kelly (11,12).
Photo right: Scott Oki (left) steers
Jason Edgar (12,13), Mika Nabeshima
(09,12), Keisuke Shirai (12,13)
and C.B. Cain (12,13) over Lake
Washington.
Delegates were excited to view the 787 Dreamliner in production at the Boeing Everett
factory on July 19. From left to right: Jiro Yoshino (09,12), Hiroaki Toya (11,12), Gohei
Nishikawa (12,13), Laura Winthrop Abbot (11,12), Keisuke Shirai (12,13), Atsuko
Nishigaki (11,12), Glenn Perkins (12,13), Yumiko Kusakabe (11,12), Mika Nabeshima
(09,12), Takako Kubo (12,13), Travis Sullivan (12,13), Keiko Ihara (11,12) and Kay
Kitazawa (12,13).
Friday, July 20 The final day welcomed in three key
note speakers: David Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent for The New York Times, Tom Johnson, USJF Chairman, and Minoru Makihara, Chairman of the USJLP Honorary Advisory Board. Fellows and Delegates then spent the
day together in a sea-kayaking adventure on Lake Union and
closed the conference with dinner at the Fairmont Olympic,
complete with a talent show featuring a another riveting performance by pianist Gohei Nishikawa (12,13), salsa dancing
with Debra Saito (12,13), and Michael Jackson impersonator
extraordinaire Aaron Ford (12,13).
Thursday, July 19 The day started early as the Delegates headed out for a special factory floor tour of the largest
building in the world - Boeing’s Everett facility. After getting
up close and personal with Fellows Weekend kicked off in
the afternoon with Fellows joining Delegates for afternoon
discussions and presentations on leadership, and dinner at
the Seattle Aquarium. Attendees enjoyed hearing “My Story”
presentations from performance race car driver Keiko Ihara
(11,12) and ClearWater CEO David Abraham (12,13).
USJLPers welcomed the opportunity to speak to key note speakers Tom Johnson and
Minoru Makihara at the farewell dinner on July 20. Pictured from left to right: Tom
Johnson, Miyuki Yoshida (06,07), Ann Johnson, Keisuke Matsumoto (11,12), Keiko
Ihara (11,12), Minoru Makihara, Kota Yamaguchi (07,10).
Left: Fellows and Delegates stayed in
good formation as they paddled their
kayaks on Lake Union on Friday,
July 20.
Right: Delegates brought Japanese
summer festival spirit to the closing
dinner by dressing in beautiful
yukatas. From left: Hiroaki Toya (11,
12), Kay Kitazawa (12,13), Osamu
Kaneda (12,13), Yumiko Kusakabe
(11,12), Keisuke Matsumoto (11,12),
Maki Tanaka (11, 12), Mika Nabeshima (09,12) , Mari Matsumoto
(09, 12).
Seattle Week in Review
3
LEADERSHIP.
It lies at the heart of this Program. Yet, exactly how do you,
the leaders of this generation, define leadership qualities? As the theme of this year’s conference, Delegates
were challenged during the course of the week to discuss
and define what it means, and what it takes to be a leader
today. Two sets of ears were put to the task to stay open
and alert all week, picking up on the themes that seem to
resonate in both cultures. Did Delegates reach a consensus? Or just open more questions worth exploring? Glenn
Perkins and Mika Nabeshima give us the scoop.
“The Facinating Facets of Perspective”
Glenn Perkins (12,13)
H
ow many leaders does it take to define leadership? So that we didn’t take the
L in USJLP for granted, George Packard challenged Delegates during our
week in Seattle to think about what leadership actually means. It’s a tough question to answer, and having a group representing such wide-ranging fields and
backgrounds, not to mention different nationalities, didn’t make it any easier..
Principles that achieve stunning results for one individual or organization, or in
n
one country, might flop in another.
Throughout the week we heard a lot of ideas about leadership -- both explicit
cit
rk
definitions of it and descriptions of what it looks like in practice -- from New York
Times columnist Timothy Egan’s notion that a leader “moves people ahead of
o
where they want to go” to Jiro Yoshino’s (09,12) discussion of how leaders can utilize
izze
“productive distress” to C.B. Cain’s (12,13) proposal that a leader “is servant to those
osse
se
they lead.”
On Friday, Mika Nabeshima (09,12) and I encouraged four breakout groups to
nt
come up with their own creative interpretations for defining leadership and present
them to the group, including the Fellows who had started to arrive. I’ll do my bestt
to synopsize the four perspectives, but, believe me, it is nearly impossible to do
o
them justice in this limited space:
• Nijikai Leadership: Leadership is an art which combines (1) a great idea, (2)
h
vision, (3) persuasion, (4) luck. Organizing nijikai is a study in all these, though
usually the part where you persuade people to stay out is pretty easy.
• The Leader/Manager Divide: Visionaries can lead people, sometimes without
even being in a capacity to manage them. Managers frequently need to utilize
consensus to mobilize people. Personality and communications skills may help
balance these opposing tendencies.
• The Crisis/Status Quo Balance: Leadership requires abilities and skills that can
n
respond to a crisis with decisiveness and clear direction, but sometimes the greatter challenge is maintaining a forward course in day-to-day situations.
• Easy and Effective E Principles: Leadership = experience + expertise + example
le
lic
+ empathy + ecosystem + “ennovation” + “enspiration.” Celebrities and public
4
Seattle 2012: “Defining Leadership”
Above: Jason Dean (11
(11,12)
12) and Ben Mazzotta (12
(12,13)
133)
13)
model the spirit of the week, and some spiffy USJLP
t-shirts!
Below: USJLP ladies give Gohei Nishikawa (12,13) a
little lift up on deck;
Three cheers for USJLP! Hiroaki Toya (11,12) with first
year Delegates Osamu Kaneda, Tokuko Kubo, Ren Ito,
and Masaru Tsuchiya all shine at Delille Cellars;
“Look ma, no hands!” Mika Nabeshima (09,12) and
Glenn Perkins (12,13) in a little off-land teamwork.
figures are sometimes mistaken for leaders just because people follow them; others
figu
gain legitimacy by embodying these principles. (A Lady Gaga musical accompaniment was a special touch from this team.)
me
Leave
leaders to define leadership and you get a bounty of thoughtful perspecL
tives, all “enspiring.” You didn’t think we’d come up with a universal agreement,
tive
did you? The consensus was that this discussion was going to go to nijikai and
likely beyond.
lik
“Raising the Glass Ceiling (Or Is That
Just Blue Sky?)”
Mika Nabeshima (09,12)
G
Above: Delegates form a pyramid of smiles on the dock
of Scott Oki’s lakefront home;
Keisuke Shirai (12,13), Lynn Hashimoto (06,07),
Nobuko Kato (05,06), and Yuuko Iizuka (00,09) are all
for “going green” at Agua Verde Paddle Club;
Seeing double: buddhist priests Keisuke Matsumoto
(11,12) and Taka Kawakami (08,09) at Friday’s dinner.
Below: The panel that started it all... Hajime Kitajima,
Joseph Daniels, C.B. Cain, Yumiko Kusakabe and Jiro
Yoshino pose after an excellent “theme of the week”
plenary session on leadership.
eorge Packard had the idea of establishing an overarching theme for the
conference this year on the subject of leadership. After all, this is a LEADER
ERSHIP program! As one of the conference rapporteurs, I want to highlight one
aspe
aspect of that theme, the changing role of women in leadership.
D
During
Sunday’s panel on “Defining Leadership,” with Yumiko Kusakabe
((11
(1
(11,12), C.B. Cain (12,13), Joseph Daniels (12,13), Hajime Kitajima (11,12), and
JJiro Yoshino (09,12), someone asked why there were four men and only one
woman on the panel.
w
“Why women still can’t have it all” by Anne-Marie Slaughter had been publilished in The Atlantic just before the conference and encouraged discussion and
re
responses from “But don’t we?” to “Do men have it all?” to “Do we have to have
it all?”
During the breakout group session on Wednesday, in which we were free to
cchoose topics for discussion, one group chose to focus on women in leadership.
T
Twelve delegates shared stories and exchanged ideas about the reality of women
in leadership positions and the challenges they face today. While we agreed that
th
the “glass ceiling” still exists, we also acknowledged that progress has been made
in accepting women in leadership positions in the last twenty years, although still to
a lesser degree in Japan.
We discussed the challenges women face not only from the majority questioning their qualifications, but also balancing family demands and dealing with other
women in different life circumstances (married/unmarried, kids/no kids, caring for
aging parents, etc.) or generations. Do men also face such difficulties?
The value of bringing diversity in the workplace, particularly at the management
level, is being recognized more and more as critical to generating sound decisions
and keeping organizations competitive in an increasingly global and complex environment.
ronm
We agreed that for such changes to continue, there must be buy-in by the majority and structural changes to promote greater opportunities for any minority
jo
gr
groups whether defined by gender, race, religion, or cultural background.
On a personal level, our children will have a different view, having seen their
mothers in the workplace and in leadership positions. There was not enough
m
time to discuss this topic in-depth but the conversation ended on a positive note
tim
wit the suggestion of starting a network within USJLP to continue the exchange
with
of ideas, to encourage further discussion and to provide a support mechanism
through
the network and dialogues.
thro
Seattle 2012: “Defining Leadership”
5
USJF Welcomes New Head of
Tokyo Office
O
n September 1, Tomoyuki Watanabe succeeded Takeo
Takuma, who retired on August 31, as the new Japan
Representative of the US-Japan Foundation’s Tokyo office.
In this capacity, Watanabe-san will serve as Deputy Director
of the USJLP. Takuma-san dedicated 16 years of service to
the US-Japan Foundation and was influential in shaping the
first 13 years of USJLP. Watanabe-san brings a breadth of
leadership experience to the Foundation with his background
in executive search consulting, global management, and his
founding of an NPO dedicated to developing the next generation of business leaders and social entrepreneurs in Japan.
The gentlemen address USJLP in the messages that follow.
Message from Takeo Takuma:
Dear USJLP Fellows and Delegates,
I have left the Foundation as of the end of August 2012.
About 14 years ago, George initiated the program and, thanks
to his dedication and your support, USJLP has become one
of the most unique projects of the kind and its achievement
is now very widely and highly appreciated in U.S. and Japan.
Please render the same strong support to Mr. Tomoyuki
Watanabe, my successor as Japan Representative of the
Foundation, and to Aya Tsujita with whom I have been working since an embryo stage of the program in Japan. Wishing
each one of you great success in your future endeavors.
Takeo Takuma, with sincere thanks to all
On September 1, Tomoyuki Watanabe (right) joined forces with Yuko Mochizuki (left)
and Aya Tsujita (center) to create a super USJF Tokyo Office line-up!
Message from Tomo Watanabe:
USJLP Fellows and Delegates,
It is a great honor to join the United States - Japan Foundation. I have been involved in leadership development programs and initiatives at another NPO for over a decade, and
truly look forward to being part of this great program which
Dr. George Packard designed and developed over the years.
I am also very much grateful for Takuma-san for his long
term commitment for this program, and would like to thank
him for his contribution over many years.
I very much look forward to meeting every one of you in
the nearest future.
Sincerely,
Tomoyuki (Tomo) Watanabe
On August , 2012 USJLPers organized a retirement party to say “otsukare-sama” to Takeo Takuma (front row, center) and thank him for his long service as Vice President of USJF.
Pictured back row from left: Gen Kanai (06, 07), Ken Yagi (08, 09), Hiroaki Kuwajima (09, 10), Hiroaki Toya (11, 12), Takashi Sakamoto (01, 02), Jiro Yoshino (09, 12), Kota Yamaguchi (07, 10), Akihisa Shiozaki (10, 11), Kyoichi Sasazawa (07, 08), Taro Kono (00), Noriyuki Shikata (01, 06), Satoshi Okada (03, 04), Tomohito Ihara (08), Daisuke Takatsuki (09,
10). Front row from left: Keiko Ihara (11, 12), Atsuko Nishigaki (11, 12), Yu Miyaji (10, 11), Maki Tanaka (11, 12), Takeo Takuma (USJF), Aya Tsujita (USJF), Naoko Odaka (03, 04)
holding Mari Ikeuchi, Rachel Brunette-Chen (06, 07), Makiko Nakayama (08, 09), Yuko Mochizuki (USJF).
6
Tokyo Office Update
USJLPers Recognized for Their
Global Leadership
Keiko Ihara (11,12), left, and Tetsuya Bessho (06,07), right, at the September 18 press
conference and award ceremony for the Japan National Policy Unit’s “Passion without
borders” distinction. The ceremony was presided over by Motohisa Furukawa (05,06).
O
n September 18 the Japanese National Policy Unit officially recognized 63 Japanese selected by members of
the foreign press for their distinguished activities, presence
and success outside of Japan. Three of these “passion without
borders” superstars are USJLPers! Tetsuya Bessho (06,07) was
recognized for starting the Short Shorts Film Festival (now
a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards), Keiko Ihara
(11,12) for her leadership as a female athlete in the world of
high-performance racing, and Kay Shimizu (11,14) as a leading
researcher on the political economy of Japan and China.
ficials and private sector leaders in San Francisco, Honolulu,
Tokyo and Sendai, the fellows were introduced to a broad
range of disaster management activities in the U.S. and Japan
as well as post-disaster challenges to political, economic and
energy resiliency. Fellows met Jin Sato, mayor of Minamisanriku, who survived the tsunami in a harrowing ordeal that had
him clinging to a radio antenna at the top of a building. Dr.
Mona was elected to speak on behalf of the journalists at the
U.S. Embassy hosted reception in Tokyo. After the formal
program ended she traveled on her own to Ogatsu and Ishinomaki City in Tohoku to provide care to tsunami survivors
living in government shelters. Dr. Mona also provided an inservice on how to decrease risk of stroke by managing blood
pressure, trained residents of a disaster settlement on how to
take blood pressure, and donated a blood pressure machine
to the community. Partly due to her work helping Japanese
survivors, Dr. Mona was recently awarded the Institute of
Medicine of Chicago’s Global Health Humanitarian Award
and the American College of Physicians Oscar E. Edwards
Memorial Award for Volunteerism and Community Service.
Kiyori Ueno (09,13) Serves
Those in Need in Ethiopia
Dr. Mona Khanna (07,10) Gives
Medical Care to 3.11 Survivors
I
n May 2012, Mona Khanna (07,10) was invited to be one of
13 international journalists to participate in the recent inaugural Disaster Management and Resilience in the Asia Pacific
Journalism Fellowship program cosponsored by the EastWest Center and the Center for Global Partnership. Through
a two-week tour of high level discussions with government of-
Mona Khanna (07,10) administering a medical examination to a 3.11 tsunami
survivor in May of this year.
Kiyori Ueno (front, center) in late June, 2012 at a Somali refugee camp in the town of
Dollo Ado in Ethiopia, near the Somalian border.
A
fter a two-year stint as a Donor Relations Officer at the
United Nation’s World Food Program’s headquarters in
Rome, Kiyori Ueno (09,13) transferred to the WFP’s Ethiopia
County Office in late June. Kiyori tells us,“The transition was
my wish as I wanted to be closer to the people we, the WFP,
serve; people suffering from hunger and refugees from Somalia, South Sudan, and so on. Despite its long, proud history,
Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in the world.
In the few months that I have been here I have had many opportunities to visit various sites, including refugee camps on
border with Somalia and sites where WFP distributes food to
poor Ethiopian people, and to interview those people. Seeing
those people with my own eyes has been heart-breaking but I
have also witnessed their toughness and resilience.”
USJLP: Global Impact
7
News & Updates
Spencer Abbot (10,11) and Laura
Winthrop Abbot (11,12)
Spencer and Laura shared their happy
news that they’re expecting their first
child, a daughter. Their “aka-chan” is
due in late December. Spencer recently
began an assignment as Executive Officer of Strike-Fighter Squadron 27,
the “Royal Maces,” an FA-18E Super
Hornet squadron based in Atsugi, Japan. Spencer joined the squadron at-sea
aboard the aircraft carrier USS George
Washington in early July, and he’s
scheduled to become the squadron’s
Commanding Officer next fall. Laura
continues her work at the U.S. Embassy
in Tokyo as Executive Director of the
TOMODACHI Initiative.
Twice the USJLP cuteness! Fiona Marie was born to
Kathleen (08,09) and David (10,12) Motzenbecker on
May 9, 2012 and has already attended her first Seattle
conference. Fiona, we’ll see you again in 2042!
David Abraham (11,12)
ClearWater Nippon became a formal
NPO in Japan this summer and had its
first members meeting in Tokyo in July.
We provide clean water to people in
need in Africa and also go to schools in
Japan to educate children about the importance of clean water globally. We are
looking for board members and other
volunteers interested in being involved
in an NPO that helps the world’s poorest live happier, healthier lives. We are
also one of few Japanese aid organiza-
8
News and Updates
Steve Brock (06,07) working with President Obama last year during one of several meetings related to rebalancing
U.S. security policy towards Asia.
tions in the water sector with an office in
Africa. For more details: http://clearwaterinitiative.org/nippon/
Steve Brock (06,07)
Since I last wrote, I completed my assignment at the White House as Director for East Asian Security Affairs
at National Security Council Staff, was
promoted to Captain, USN and am
now at the Pentagon serving as Deputy
Director for Intelligence (DDI) on the
staff of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
(CJCS). At NSS, I was grateful the U.S.Japan alliance components of my portfolio afforded me the opportunity to
benefit from very valuable professional
collaboration with several USJLPers to
include my time as co-chair of an Executive Branch principles process on
Guam-Okinawa realignment. I also
picked up another masters at National
Defense University along with fellow
distinguished grad, USJLPer, and Navy
shipmate Brent Sadler (07,10). A highlight of this summer occurred when my
wife Melanie, daughter Kaia and I met
up with Nori Shikata (01,06), his wife
Akiko and his son Tomo in late August.
Nori was helping Tomo settle in for
his first year of college at Georgetown.
It was good to see Nori and meet his
family back on campus of my old grad
school alma mater. My three year old
Kaia is moving her way up through the
State Department’s “Diplotots” day care
ranks and developed an unbounded enthusiasm for Japanese restaurants this
summer! And saving the best for last,
the biggest news I have to pass is that
my wife Melanie and I are expecting our
second child in April (USJLP 44!)
D.C.-area USJLPers
came out on September
7 to welcome Mika
Nabeshima (09,12) to
the capitol. From left to
right: Ken Katayama
(12,13), Yumiko Kusakabe (11,12), Erik Leklem
(12,13), Ren Ito (12,13),
Mika Nabeshima, Raelyn
Campbell (08,09) and
Morgan Courtney.
family grow, even if we will be getting a
little less sleep for a while. Earlier this
year, I was honored to be promoted to
Senior Vice President at the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York, where
I continue to focus on the regulation
and supervision of the largest and most
complex global financial institutions. So
2012 has been a wonderful year of new
chapters at home and at work. Warm
regards from our family to yours.
Episcopal School and enrolled at Sewanee (The University of the South)
in Tennessee and is thoroughly enjoying the experience thus far. Our youngest son, Joshua, enrolled at Episcopal
High School in Alexandria, Virginia so
Barbara and I are almost “empty-nesters” but for our dog, the indefatigable
Sammy - a beagle/Jack Russell terrier
mix. Summer was delightful with business, professional and personal travel
intermixed throughout including West
Virginia, Annapolis, the Dominican Republic, Dallas and Vancouver, Canada.
I had the good fortune of moderating
a panel at the Aspen Ideas Festival entitled “Raising Boys, Engaging Guys &
Educating Men” and was awarded the
Pathfinder Award by my alma mater,
the US Air Force Academy, with my
best friend and fellow USJLPer, Colonel Rodney Lewis (10,11) in the audience. My fourth year as president of
Hampden-Sydney College began on
28 August as we welcomed the second
largest freshmen class in our school’s
238 year history and the most highlyqualified as well as the highest percentage (14%) of Eagle Scouts. We also
launched an innovative program called
“C-Day” whereby the entire College
community comes together to help our
students discern their purpose, passion
and calling in life.
Chris Howard (04,05)
I am happy to report that our oldest
son, Cohen, graduated from Virginia
Keiko Ihara (11,12)
I’ve been participating in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) race se-
Chris Calabia (10,11)
Greetings, USJLP Tomodachi! My family and I were blessed to welcome F.
Connor Calabia to our family this past
May. Gabriella (8) and Julianna (5) have
been sharing favorite books and songs
with their new brother, while Suzanne
and I remain amazed as we watch our
The latest , greatest Calabia family photo! Chris
(10,11) in June holding baby Connor ,with Suzanne,
Gabriella (8), and Julianna (5).
In June 2012 Keiko Ihara
(11,12) participated in the
Le Mains 24-Hour endurance
race in France as this year’s
only female competitor in the
FIA World Endurance Champtionship. Pictured: Keiko with
her her Le Mans car sporting
the TOMODACHI logo.
ries this year. In Belgium and the U.K.,
I won the world championship points of
the series as a first female racing driver
in the world. In June, I could participate
in the legendary Le Mans 24 hour race
in France as the sole woman competitor.
In October, WEC comes to the Fuji
Speedway. With support from our USJLP colleagues Laura Winthrop Abbot
(11,12), Hiroaki Toya (11,12) and Takako
Kubo (12,13), I’m planning to conduct
an educational program for American
and Japanese children at the circuit.
Jo Ann Jenkins (00,01) promoting the AARP’s Drive to
End Hunger program at a NASCAR race, thanks in part
to their partnership with #24 driver Jeff Gordon.
Jo Ann Jenkins (00, 01)
In June 2010, I was appointed President
of AARP Foundation, the charitable
arm of AARP. The past year and a half
has been energizing and fulfilling. AARP
Foundation focuses on four priority areas where action and legal advocacy will
have the greatest impact on the lives of
low-income, 50+ Americans: hunger,
income, housing and isolation. One of
our major initiatives this past year is our
Drive to End Hunger program, a multipronged assault on the hunger problem among Americans 50+. To help
broaden visibility of the hunger problem, we have partnered with Hendrick
Motorsports and NASCAR driver, Jeff
Gordon, to bring the message of senior
hunger to an expansive new audience.
I never imagined I’d be spending my
weekends at the race tracks across the
News and Updates
9
(Singapore and Bangkok). The main
focus of my research is comparative
analysis of U.S.-Southeast Asia security
relations by contrasting U.S. security engagements in Singapore, Thailand and
Philippines, etc. Any USJLP fellows
who have a chance to come to Bangkok, Thailand by March 2013, let’s get
together!
Ken Kaihara (10,11) introduced his three children Yuka
(5), Kotaro (7) and Mirei (10) (above, left to right) to
Midori Goto ( 04,07; center) when she performed with
the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra in the National
Cherry Blossom Festival in DC on March 31. This past
spring Midori was elected for the American Academy
of Arts and Science and also received an honorary
Doctor of Music degree from Yale University for her
accomplishment and service in the world of music.
country – but it works! I’m pleased to
report that since its 2010 inception, the
Drive to End Hunger has driven corporate and individual donor commitments
with an expected value of $16 million,
plus we have fed over 6.7 million meals
and reached over 1 billion people with
our message around senior hunger.
I’m also gratified to report that following the March 11, 2011, earthquake and
tsunami in Japan, AARP Foundation
partnered with international aid agencies to help provide assistance to senior
citizens who survived the disaster.
Ken Jimbo (06,07)
I have obtained a year of research leave
from Keio University and am currently
conducting research in Southeast Asia
During a ceremony on
September 10 Erik Leklem
(12,13; right) received the
NATO award for his service
in Afghanistan. Admiral
James Stavridis (left), Supreme Allied Commander,
Europe, presented two
awards: the Non-Article
Five Service Service medal
and the Superior Civilian
Service Award.
10
News and Updates
Ken Kaihara (10,11)
In early September Elbridge Colby
(10,11) and I jointly travelled to Tokyo
to exchange views on strategic issues with
Japanese officials and experts including,
of course, Nobu Akiyama (09,10).
Tetsuya Kawabe (01,02)
On June 15 I left Toyota’s head office
in Nagoya and took on a new position as
Project Manager for Lexus Brand Management Division in Tokyo. I have a
small team that focuses on how to uplift
Japan through our global products. Lexus may not have a long history, but we
have both passion and customer service
that sets us apart from other premium
brands. Over the past 20 years our customer base has changed – the average
age used to be mid-40s, but now it is late
60s. This year Lexus has started to refocus on marketing to customers in their
30s-50s worldwide and I am excited to
see the changes and improvements that
are happening.
Takafumi Kawakami (08, 09)
My wife, Hillary Pedersen and I wel-
Taka Kawakami (08,09) and his wife Hillary Pedersen
welcomed their first born, Juna Catherine, on April
5. Juna attended her first USJLP conference this past
summer and will return with the class of 2042!
comed a beautiful daughter, Juna Catherine Pedersen-Kawakami in Kyoto on
April 5th, 2012. We are hoping she will
be a USJLP candidate in 2037. Also,
this year I’ve been teaching the classes
to learn about Japanese hospitality
(omotenashi) as a part of the Toyota
Way of Sales & Marketing program and
Zen meditation to local JGSDF.
Mark Vlasic (08,09; left) and Hiroaki Kuwajima (09,10;
right) reunited in Belgium last June when they both
happened to be in Brussels at the same time. Hiroaki
was there as a Fellow for the Global Emerging Voices
program and Mark for a speaking engagement at
Transparency International.
Hiroaki Kuwajima (09,10)
This past May I started to work as CFO
of the Japanese think tank, Aoyama
Shachu Corporation, which was established in 2010 by ex-senior Japanese
government officials as well as Harvard
Kennedy School graduates. ASC is dedicated to provide policy analysis and ad-
visory services to both national and regional political parties in Japan, standing
on a bipartisan position. ASC’s mission
is to fundamentally reshape the Japan’s
national policy making process by mobilizing key stakeholders in the government and the private sector, and I will
be mainly in charge of strategy planning
and financial management.
John Blake (10,11) and his wife Christine at their
wedding ceremony on September 7. Congratulations
to the happy couple!
Aiko Lane (11,14)
My husband, Haru, and I welcomed
a baby girl into the world on June 25,
2012, and named her Callea Murasaki
Ohtsuka. While her birth came too
close for me to make it to Seattle this
year, at 9 weeks we were able to go to
Tokyo to introduce her to our family
Seattle USJLPers reunited at Wild
Ginger on October 6 to welcome
Taro Kono (00) and Laura Winthrop
Abbot (11,12) who were both in
town to speak at the U.S.-Japan
Council’s annual conference. Pictured from left to right: Jane Kang
(05,06), Taro Kono, Tom Prata
(05,06), John Creighton (02,03),
Laura Winthrop Abbot, and Lynn
Hashimoto (06,07).
and friends. Callea visited Tsukiji fish
market, rode the subways, and frequented various izakayas around the city. She
had a great time, but her jet lag wore her
parents out! We hope you can meet her
soon!
Ananda Martin (06,07)
Ananda was recently promoted to Of
Counsel in Paul Hasting’s Shanghai
office where she leads the Paul Hastings’ Global Compliance and Dispute
Practices Group in Asia. She regularly
advises Japanese and Chinese clients
on international anti-bribery law and
represents multinational corporations
in investigations, litigation and arbitration. She is married to USJLP Fellow
Doug Raymond (08,09) and is joined
in Shanghai by Doug and their two
Chinese-speaking children. Doug and
Ananda are looking forward to Jane
Kang’s (05,06) annual Thanksgiving visit
to Shanghai.
Keisuke Matsumoto (11,12)
Launched in April 2012, my brand new
project, “Temple Management School
for Buddhist Monk” has been garnering
immense praise. Within the next year I
am also preparing for another new project, “Hospitality School for Buddhist
Monk’s Wife.” As for the other news,
we are expecting our second baby in
November.
Ben Mazzotta (12,13)
What is new with us? Emery started
Proud parents Aiko Lane (11,14; right) and Haru
Ohtsuka holding a future member of USJLP class of
2042 - baby Caella Murasaki, born June 25.
walking. The Center for Emerging Market Enterprises (http://fletcher.tufts.
edu/ceme) will be expanding our cost
of cash research into Egypt and Mexico.
We will study how consumers and businesses use cash, and what the prospects
are for mobile money and financial inclusion. Please get in touch if any Fellows have contacts there in financial
services, government, or retail. And the
USJLP visited the Fletcher School last
week. I sat next to Fellows Leo Kosinski (05,08) and Rocky Weitz (06,07) at
George Packard’s convocation address.
Packard brought the crowd to its feet,
explaining why Eisenhower exhorted
the country to build peace through the
twin pillars of “intellect and decent purpose.” At once frank and classic, his talk
outshone so many diplomatic platitudes
blithely muttered on the same stage.
Truly inspirational.
TK Nakagaki (02,03)
It was great to finally finish my doctor
of ministry program and graduate from
the New York Theological Seminary on
May 19, 2012. I am determined to publish my dissertation on Interfaith symbols, which I am now revising for English publication and translating it into
Japanese as well. I also finished another
program called NYPD Citizen’s Police
Academy and received a certificate on
June 20.
The annual Hiroshima and Nagasaki
News and Updates
11
experience was more comfortable than
I expected. In fact, Malaysia is one of
the top overseas places that Japanese
couples move to after retirement. The
country is clean, pro-Japan and has
a GDP per capita is around $10,000
which is relatively high for Asia. During
my stay I was able to experience attending a Formula 1 race, Ramadan, and
also appeared in a local newspaper with
Prince William and Princess Catherine.
A mini 2011 USJLP
reunion for Aiko Lane’s
(11,14) visit to Tokyo
on September 5. From
left to right: Nobuko
Kato (05,06), Atsuko
Nishigaki (11,12), Keiko
Ihara (11,12), Terumichi
Tawara (10,11), Yu
Miyaji (10,11), Hiroaki
Toya (11,12), Aiko Lane,
Aki Shiozaki (10,11).
memorial ceremony together with the
“Voices from Japan” exhibit were successfully held on August 5 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and attended
by more than 500 people. I have been
organizing this event since 1994 (for 18
years!). I deeply appreciate generous
donation of various organizations which
include the US-Japan Foundation.
Kenji Nawa (03,04); left) cooling down in August with
his children Masaki (11), Ryuji (4) and Risa (9).
Kenji Nawa (03,04)
After 4 years in Boston, MA, my family
came back to Nagoya, my hometown.
Nagoya is located between Tokyo and
Osaka and is where the 2005 World
EXPO was held. It is my privilege to
participate in USJLP events both in the
Kanto and Kansai areas. Please let me
know if you have a chance to drop by
Nagoya (kenjinawa@hotmail.com).
Atsuko Nishigaki (11,12)
In May, I started working at the Ministry of Economy, and Trade Industry
(METI) where I used to work, after nine
years’ working experience as a senior
researcher at the Institute for International Policy Studies (IIPS), which the
former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Naka12
News and Updates
sone chairs.
Now I’m in charge of Security Export
Control at METI, while taking care of
my three children. It is really hard for
me to manage work-life balance now.
Gohei Nishikawa (12,13)
Hi USJLP family! I hope all of you are
enjoying the rest of the summer. I would
like to inform you about my upcoming
performance in New York: Japanese
Art Festival, JAM, will be held in East
Village NY from November 9-11, 2012.
I am invited to this event as a guest performer, and will perform on November 10 (Saturday) evening. You can get
more information and tickets at jam@
japanesenetwork.org. Tell them you are
a friend of Gohei’s. And of course Nijikai will be held afterwards!
Miko Oyama (09,13)
I am proud to be dispatched from
Keidanren as a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., and the
US representative of the Keidanren 21st
Century Public Policy Institute, for two
years beginning in October 2012.
This is an important period for the
leadership of both our nations, with the
United States choosing its next president in November and Japan set to hold
a general election in the near future. I
am very pleased to be able to work in
Washington, the seat of political power,
at this time. I hope to do my best in the
fields of both politics and economy to
help deepen ties between our two countries.
Hide Ohashi (08,09)
Earlier this year I was sent to Malaysia
for 6 months on business to work with
Petronas, the Malaysian governmentowned oil and gas company. I had
never been to Malaysia before but my
Jim Schoff (00,01)
I wanted to let you all know that I’ve
begun a new chapter in my professional
life as a Senior Associate in the Asia
Program at the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace in Washington.
Atsuko Nishigaki (11,12;
far left) and her family
had the distinct honor
of meeting with Former
Prime Minister Yasuhiro
Nakasone (center) upon
her departure last spring
from the Institute for
International Policy Studies. Atsuko appears here
with her children (from
left to right) Eko (9),
Kento (9), and Takashi
(7), and her husband
Masato Yamada (far
right).
My two-year stint at the Defense Department ended earlier this summer, and I
am very pleased to carry on my work on
U.S.-Japan relations and regional security cooperation here at Carnegie.
On September 20 Joe Hurd
(09,10) represented the Obama
Re-Election Campaign in
Madrid as a democratic debate
panelist at the first ever Rock
the Vote event held outside of
the United States. The event
was attended by 1600 U.S.
students and expatriates and
resulted in over 600 Americans
registering to vote. Joe went
toe to toe against a Romney
representative for an hour long
debate on everything from jobs
and the economy, to health
care, immigration, climate
change, and the Middle East.
Noriyuki Shikata (01,06)
After two very eventful years in the
Prime Minister’s Office, in early September I left my post as Deputy Cabinet
Secretary for Public Affairs and Director of Global Communications, and assumed the post of Political Minister at
the Embassy of Japan in London.
many American people for Japan.
In my new post, I will be working not
only on Japan-U.K. relations but on major international political issues, which
would also have bearings upon JapanU.S. relations. I am strongly hoping
that we will soon have a London branch
of USJLP! Please drop me a note at
noriyuki.shikata@mofa.go.jp when you
come to London!!
Noriyuki Shikata (01,06; right) being interviewed
by Hong Kong Phoenix on Japan-China relations on
January 13, 2012
Since the establishment of the Office
of Global Communications at Prime
Minister’s Office in August, 2010 with
the initiative of then Deputy Chief
Cabinet Secretary Motohisa Furukawa
(05,06), and support from James Kondo
(05,06), our office has gradually grown
and we now currently have over 10 staff.
I strongly hope that this important office will continue to grow in the years to
come.
My time at the Prime Minister’s Office has been quite tough and challenging, especially after March 11, 2011. At
the same time, it has been a great pleasure and a wonderful experience for me
to work closely with many American
friends, including several USJLPers.
Operation Tomodachi and Tomodachi Initiative have become major symbols of a new era of U.S.-Japan alliance,
and I am personally deeply grateful for
the wonderful support extended by so
Tomohito Shinoda (00)
In August and September, I escaped
from the heat of Japanese summer to
enjoy Nordic cool weather, being invited to Stockholm University as a visiting scholar, and housed at the Swedish
Institute of International Affairs. During
my stay in the region, I gave lectures at
these institutions as well as the Finland
Institution of International Affairs, Lund
University and Norwegian University of
Science and Technology. Speech topics included “U.S.-Japan Alliance and
China,” “Institutional Change and Japanese Politics,” and “DPJ’s Response to
Fukushima Nuclear Accident.”
Yayoi Shionoiri (10,11)
In June, I hosted an informational event
in New York about Seikeikai, a grassroots organization undertaking reconstructive efforts in Kesennuma, Miyagi
post-3/11. Thank you, in particular, to
George Packard, Takeshi Ueshima
(01,02), May Liang (04,05) and James
Lintott (00,01), and Kay Shimizu (11,14),
from the USJLP family for their various
forms of support, and to many others,
including Lolita Jackson (10,11), Kelly
Nixon and Matt Pottinger (10,11), for
representing the “NY USJLP clan” at
the event! Seikeikai has been selling
beautiful bracelets woven by the Kessenuma survivors, and they are now being sold in the US through http://www.
etsy.com/shop/KesennumaBracelets.
The New York USJLP
community came out on
June 6 to support Yayoi
Shionoiri (10,11) as she
hosted a fundraiser and
informational event for
Seikeikai, a grass-roots
organization formed
by 3.11 survivors in the
Miyagi prefecture town
of Kesenuma. From left:
Yayoi, Matt Pottinger
(10,11), Lolita Jackson
(10,11), Kay Shimizu
(11,14) and Kelly Nixon
(USJF).
News and Updates
13
Tokuko Shironitta (05,06)
It’s been almost six months since we
moved to Singapore. A lot happened
before we moved here. I left the US
Embassy Tokyo last November, as my
son developed nephrotic syndrome and
required intensive care. Right after that,
my husband’s transfer to Singapore was
decided. I continue to take care of my
son at home. Luckily, his condition has
not been very serious and no symptom
of recurrence has seen so far. I plan
to start looking for opportunities here
once the situation settles. Singapore is
a highly recommended place to live and
visit. Feel free to be in touch with me
when you come!
G’dday mates! Koichi Sughimoto (10,11; right) with
his colleagues at the Royal Children’s Hospital in
Melbourne, where Koichi currently serves as a clinical
fellow of cardiac surgery.
Koichi Sughimoto (10,11)
Hi, USJLP Fellows and Delegates. I am
currently working for Royal Children’s
Hospital, Melbourne in Australia as a
clinical fellow of cardiac surgery. Our
unit performs around 700 operations
per year for congenital heart disease,
especially in complex heart disease. As
all you know, The Economist selected
Melbourne as the world’s most livable
city where you can enjoy variety of restaurants and a relaxed atmosphere. Let
me know when you drop by on the opposite hemisphere from US and Japan.
Yuka Uchida (05,06)
In August Yuka Uchida was married to
a Japanese diplomat currently stationed
in D.C., Mr. Toshihide Ando. The two
14
News and Updates
Bogota, Colombia at the end of September and look forward to settling-in
to our new post. I was sorry to miss all
my good USJLP friends this summer in
Seattle, but hope to see you again soon!
Yuka Uchida (05,06; left) with her husband Toshihide
Ando (right) against a majestic honeymoon landscape
at the Grand Canyon in August, 2012.
met while Yuka was with the Brookings
Institute as a visiting scholar of Center for
North Asian Policy Studies (CNAPS).
Their relationship blossomed during
the centennial celebration of Japan’s
donation of cherry trees to Washington,
D.C. at which Toshi worked as a head
of Cultural and Public Affairs Section.
They enjoyed their honeymoon traveling around the Grand Canyon. Yuka
was also recently the featured speaker at
an event on Japan’s Middle East Policy
held at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Corina Warfield (11,14)
Michael and I welcomed sweet baby
James into the world on August 10.
He’s keeping us very busy, and we are
loving every minute of it! We head to
Seiko Yamazaki (01,02)
I joined Hitotsubashi University’s Graduate School of International Corporate
Strategy (ICS) as a Project Researcher
back in 2011. My research interests include: creating shared values through
companies’ activities, and both competitive and global strategies of Japanese
companies. I am also one of the Orga-
Michael (left) and Corina Warfield (11,14) cradle baby
James, born August 10. Welcome to the USJLP family!
nizing Committee Members of the Porter Prize, an award established by ICS to
bestow recognition on Japanese companies that have achieved and maintained
superior profitability in a particular inThey met through USJLP!
Miyuki Yoshida (06,07) ,
right, welcomed Nicole Gibbs
(12,13), left, to her former
hometown of Portland, where
Nicole graduated from the
Oregon College of Art & Craft
(“OCAC”) in Ceramics. After
the USJLP Seattle Conference,
Nicole traveled to Portland
to install an exhibition in the
Centrum Gallery at OCAC. Her
solo show featured several
ink and clay drawings on rice
paper, as well as a new piece
titled Divided Attention. Made
from thousands of small drawings sewn together, this large
textural collage filled one of
the gallery walls..
dustry by implementing unique strategies based on innovations in products,
processes, and ways of managing.
Jiro Yoshino (09,12)
Back in March I, as the chair of Japan
caucus in Harvard Kennedy School,
helped organize the Harvard Kennedy
School’s “Japan Trip.” Bringing classmates to Japan to see what was going on
one year after the Great Eastern Japan
Earthquake had very special meaning to
me and the other organizers. Twentyfour participants from 12 countries visited the affected city of Rikuzen-Takata
and had the opportunity to meet and
talk to both locals and the deputy mayor
of city. We were impressed how they
were dedicated to overcome this unprecedented hardship and the ways that
they were finding hope through the process of recovery. Another highlight of
this trip was meeting and talking with the
leaders of Japan: Prime Minister Noda
and the National Security Adviser of the
Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Nagashima. At the Prime Minister’s office they
discussed with us the essence of how to
Harvard Kennedy School of Government students at Prime Minister Noda’s official residence on March 16, 2012
during a trip organized by Jiro Yoshino (09,12). Jiro sits in the front row far left, next to Mr. Nagashima, the National
Security Adviser to the Prime Minister, who gave a talk to the students that was moderated by Noriyuki Shikata
(01,06; front row, second from right). Prime Minister Noda (center) was also present to give remarks..
mobilize people to achieve shared purpose and make the world a better place.
Furthermore, we had the great fortune
of having Noriyuki Shikata (01,06), the
then Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Public Relations, moderate the discussion. I
am amazed at the many USJLP Fellows
in high positions in each country.
Nominate a candidate!
USJF is currently accepting
applications for the 20132014 conferences.
The deadline is Monday,
January 7, 2013.
Tohoku Youth Ambassadors Share Personal 3.11 Stories in NYC
L
On August 14, 2012 the US-Japan Foundation and USJLP co-hosted a reception at Scholastic headquarters in New
York for recent high school graduates from Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima (pictured above in green shirts), who all
spent two weeks in the U.S. as young Tohoku ambassadors of the “TOMODACHI Summer 2012 BEYOND Tomorrow
U.S. Program.” USJLPers in attendance included: Jason Edgar (12,13), Lolita Jackson (10,11), David Janes (02,03),
Mari Matsumoto (09,12), TK Nakagaki (02,03), Gohei Nishikawa (12,13), Eriko Sase (08,09), Yayoi Shionoiri (10,11),
and May Yamada-Lifton (06,09).
ast August, ten student survivors of
3.11 traveled to the U.S. as part of
a program jointly produced by the TOMODACHI Initiative and BEYOND
Tomorrow to provide affected Tohoku
youth with opportunities to learn from
the U.S. experience in post-disaster reconstruction and planning, as well as
act as Tohoku ambassadors and share
their personal 3.11 stories.
On August 14 in New York, at an
informal gathering organized by David
Janes (02,03), a number of USJLPers
were fortunate enough to meet these
young men and women and hear their
powerful first-hand accounts of 3.11.
The TOMODACHI Initiative
Director is Laura Abbot (11,12) and
BEYOND Tomorrow counts James
Kondo (05,06), Keiichiro Asao (01,02),
Claire Chino (08,09), and Daisuke Iwase
(11,14) among its founding members.
News and Updates
15
USJLP FOURTEENTH
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Kyoto and Tokyo
Sunday, July 21 Sunday, July 28, 2013
SAVE THE DATES!
Tokyo Bonenkai
Thursday, December 6, 2012
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
International House of Japan, Roppongi
Seattle Bonenkai
Monday, December 3, 2012
Details TBA
New York Bonenkai
FELLOWS WEEKEND
Friday, July 26 Sunday, July 28, 2013
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
417 Park Avenue
Washington, D.C. Bonenkai
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Details TBA
Candidates for the 2013-2014 Conferences
USJLP welcomes applications from American and Japanese citizens between
the ages of 28-42 with demonstrated leadership, achievement, or the potential
for leadership in their respective fields. Visit www.usjlp.org/apply for complete
information on submitting applications.
Applications must be received by Monday, January 7, 2013.
Please send all inquries to applications@usjlp.org.
We look forward to hearing from you!
New York Office:
Tokyo Office:
US-Japan Foundation
Attn: USJLP
145 E. 32nd Street, 12th Fl.
New York, NY 10016
USA
info@us-jf.org
US-Japan Foundation
Attn: USJLP
Reinanzaka Building 1F
1-14-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku
Tokyo 107-0052 Japan
infotokyo-usjf@nifty.com