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:
  • 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