2025 Japanese American Leadership Delegation
2024/8/22
The Government of Japan is seeking candidates for the upcoming 2025 Japanese American Leadership Delegation (JALD) program. Individuals selected for this program must be available to travel to Japan from Friday, February 28 through Saturday, March 8, 2025, and attend the mandatory orientation in Los Angeles on Friday, January 31, and Saturday, February 1, 2025.
Selection criteria include:
For the 2025 delegation, preference will be given to individuals with extensive experience in the following sectors:
In principle, delegates should be between 40 and 55 years of age to ensure long-term opportunities to build U.S.-Japan relations through their professional and community activities. Reflecting the program's goals, priority will be given to sansei, yonsei, and gosei, including Japanese Americans of mixed racial backgrounds, as well as Shin-nisei, individuals whose parents are immigrants from Japan.
The past participants from the Seattle area are as follows:
2003 Kip Tokuda, Former State Representative, State of Washington
2004 Ron Mamiya, Judge, Seattle Municipal Court
2005 Lori Matsukawa, Anchor, KING5-TV
2006 Sharon Tomiko Santos, Representative, State of Washington
2007 Harold Taniguchi, Director, Department of Transportation, Metropolitan King County
2008 Tom Ikeda, Executive Director, Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project
2009 Elaine Ko, Executive Director, Hokubei Hochi Foundation
2010 John Okamoto, Executive Director, Washington Education Association
Jill Nishi, Deputy Director, U.S. Libraries Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
2011 Phyllis Campbell, Chairman, Pacific Northwest, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
2012 Mark Mitsui, President, North Seattle Community College
2013 Kelly Ogilvie, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Governor, State of Washington
2014 Brad Miyake, City Manager, City of Bellevue
2015 Lynn Hashimoto, Attorney, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Cooperation
2016 Bruce Harrell, President, Seattle City Council
2017 Patrick Oishi, Judge, King County Superior Court
2018 Denise Moriguchi, President and CEO, Uwajimaya, Inc.
2019 Britt Yamamoto, Founder and President, iLEAP
2023 Calvin J. Terada, Director, Superfund and Emergency Management Division for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Region 10
2024 Naomi Kawahara, Executive Director, Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project
If you are interested in participating in this special program, please review the links below and send the requested documents to Mr. Hiro Tojo, hiroaki.tojo@se.mofa.go.jp, by Monday, September 9, 2024.
2025 Japanese American Leadership Delegation Fact Sheet
2025 Japanese American Leadership Delegation Application
Selection criteria include:
- Proven senior leadership in one's profession
- High level of interest or experience in U.S.-Japan relations
- Commitment to strengthening U.S.-Japan relations in the future
- Interest in expanding the role of Japanese Americans in U.S.-Japan relations
- Willingness to contribute to networking between the Japanese American community and Japan
For the 2025 delegation, preference will be given to individuals with extensive experience in the following sectors:
- Local, state, or regional government, including appointed and elected officials
- Financial or charitable organizations
- Business, trade, investment, and human exchanges in the Asia-Pacific region
- Climate change
- Sustainability
- Energy
- Public relations
- Intercultural exchanges
- Communications
- Media focusing on Asian, Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and other minority communities
In principle, delegates should be between 40 and 55 years of age to ensure long-term opportunities to build U.S.-Japan relations through their professional and community activities. Reflecting the program's goals, priority will be given to sansei, yonsei, and gosei, including Japanese Americans of mixed racial backgrounds, as well as Shin-nisei, individuals whose parents are immigrants from Japan.
The past participants from the Seattle area are as follows:
2003 Kip Tokuda, Former State Representative, State of Washington
2004 Ron Mamiya, Judge, Seattle Municipal Court
2005 Lori Matsukawa, Anchor, KING5-TV
2006 Sharon Tomiko Santos, Representative, State of Washington
2007 Harold Taniguchi, Director, Department of Transportation, Metropolitan King County
2008 Tom Ikeda, Executive Director, Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project
2009 Elaine Ko, Executive Director, Hokubei Hochi Foundation
2010 John Okamoto, Executive Director, Washington Education Association
Jill Nishi, Deputy Director, U.S. Libraries Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
2011 Phyllis Campbell, Chairman, Pacific Northwest, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
2012 Mark Mitsui, President, North Seattle Community College
2013 Kelly Ogilvie, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Governor, State of Washington
2014 Brad Miyake, City Manager, City of Bellevue
2015 Lynn Hashimoto, Attorney, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Cooperation
2016 Bruce Harrell, President, Seattle City Council
2017 Patrick Oishi, Judge, King County Superior Court
2018 Denise Moriguchi, President and CEO, Uwajimaya, Inc.
2019 Britt Yamamoto, Founder and President, iLEAP
2023 Calvin J. Terada, Director, Superfund and Emergency Management Division for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Region 10
2024 Naomi Kawahara, Executive Director, Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project
If you are interested in participating in this special program, please review the links below and send the requested documents to Mr. Hiro Tojo, hiroaki.tojo@se.mofa.go.jp, by Monday, September 9, 2024.
2025 Japanese American Leadership Delegation Fact Sheet
2025 Japanese American Leadership Delegation Application